WBZ-TV

WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station based in Boston, Massachusetts. The station serves the Boston metropolitan area and reaches substantial parts of eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Its broadcast operations are based in the Allston–Brighton section of Boston, where it shares facilities with independent sister station WSBK-TV, while its main transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts. WBZ-TV is part of CBS News and Stations and operates within the wider CBS television portfolio. The station began broadcasting on June 9, 1948, as the first commercial television station to sign on in New England. It was established by Westinghouse Electric Corporation and was closely associated with WBZ radio, whose long-standing relationship with NBC led WBZ-TV to begin as an NBC affiliate. The station initially operated from facilities at Boston's Hotel Bradford before moving into the Westinghouse Broadcasting Center. Its launch included a formal dedication program featuring civic, religious, and political figures, followed by its first local newscast hosted by Arch MacDonald. During its NBC years, WBZ-TV developed a reputation as one of the network's strongest and most prominent affiliates. It carried local coverage of Boston's professional baseball teams, maintained a substantial local-news operation, and produced a variety of locally originated programs. Among its best-known productions was Rex Trailer's Boomtown, a children's program that ran from 1956 to 1974. The station also carried Evening Magazine, a weekday magazine program associated with Westinghouse's Group W stations, from 1977 until 1990. WBZ-TV has played a notable role in the development of Boston television journalism. It was the market's first station to provide daily newscasts and was an early adopter of more inclusive newsroom staffing. Historical milestones associated with the station include employing Boston's first female television reporter, one of the market's first full-time Black reporters, the first all-female news team, and the first Black full-time nightly news anchor. Its news operation has also covered major regional, national, and international events, including the launch of Sputnik 1 and the Gulf War. A major strategic turning point occurred in the mid-1990s. Following a dispute between Westinghouse and ABC over affiliate changes affecting sister station WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Westinghouse negotiated a group-wide affiliation agreement with CBS. WBZ-TV switched from NBC to CBS on January 2, 1995, ending a 47-year NBC affiliation. WHDH-TV assumed the NBC affiliation in Boston. Later that year, Westinghouse merged with CBS, making WBZ-TV a CBS-owned-and-operated station. The change placed the station within the corporate network it had previously carried as an affiliate. Following Viacom's acquisition of CBS in 2000, WBZ-TV's local operations were consolidated with those of WSBK-TV. The two stations now share studio and operational resources while retaining separate broadcast identities. A related arrangement also involved WLWC, a former UPN affiliate serving Providence, although that station was later sold outside the CBS group. In 2017, the sale of CBS Radio separated WBZ-TV from the WBZ radio properties, which had historically shared the WBZ name and corporate heritage. The station has periodically changed its visual identity, moving from the long-running Group W numeral design to News 4 New England, Circle 4, CBS 4, and later WBZ-centered branding. On March 31, 2023, it adopted CBS's standardized CBS News graphics and music package and began using the CBS News Boston identity more prominently in its newscasts. Today, WBZ-TV combines network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs, and community-oriented content, functioning as CBS's Boston flagship television outlet.

WBZ-TV was created by Westinghouse Electric Corporation as the television counterpart to its established WBZ radio operation. It began broadcasting on June 9, 1948, from Boston, becoming the first commercial television station to operate in New England. The station's first day included a formal dedication program followed by a local news broadcast. Because its permanent broadcasting center was not yet ready, early operations were divided between the Hotel Bradford and the developing Westinghouse facility. The station moved into the Westinghouse Broadcasting Center shortly after launch. WBZ-TV joined NBC at sign-on, continuing the relationship that WBZ radio had maintained with NBC's radio networks. In its early decades, the station built a broad local presence through news, sports, children's programming, and public-affairs production. It carried Boston baseball, including games involving the Red Sox and Braves, and became an important source of local reporting. In 1954, Hurricane Carol destroyed its transmitter tower and interrupted service. Temporary transmission facilities were arranged, followed by the construction of a 1,200-foot Needham tower in 1957. That site later became a shared transmission location for several Boston-area broadcasters. The station's NBC affiliation was affected by a series of corporate and regulatory disputes involving Westinghouse, NBC, and other stations. In 1956, NBC pressured Westinghouse into exchanging Philadelphia stations KYW and WPTZ for Cleveland properties. Westinghouse challenged the transaction before federal regulators, and later efforts to restructure the affiliation arrangement again came under scrutiny. In 1964, regulators nullified the relevant NBC–RKO transaction and required reversal of the earlier Westinghouse–NBC exchange, allowing WBZ-TV to retain NBC programming. WBZ-TV's local programming history included Big Brother Bob Emery and Rex Trailer's Boomtown. The latter ran from 1956 through 1974 and became one of the best-known children's programs in Boston television. The station later carried Evening Magazine, a Westinghouse-originated weekday magazine program, from 1977 until 1990. It also produced special reports and public-affairs programming, including coverage related to Sputnik 1 and a nightly Gulf War update in 1991. The station was also associated with newsroom innovation and diversity. It was an early Boston television employer of women and Black journalists and produced programming focused on minority affairs. Its historical record includes the market's first female television reporter, a full-time Black reporter, an all-female news team, and a Black full-time nightly news anchor. The most consequential change in the station's history came from the 1994–1995 affiliation realignment. Westinghouse, dissatisfied with ABC's treatment of its Baltimore station WJZ-TV, arranged for WBZ-TV, WJZ-TV, and Philadelphia station KYW-TV to join CBS. WBZ-TV switched on January 2, 1995, while WHDH-TV took over NBC in Boston. When Westinghouse completed its merger with CBS on November 24, 1995, WBZ-TV became a CBS owned-and-operated station. After Viacom acquired CBS in 2000, WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV were brought under shared local operations. Their studios are now located together in Allston–Brighton, although each station maintains its own programming identity. The historical connection between WBZ-TV and WBZ radio ended in 2017 when CBS Radio was sold to Entercom, later Audacy; the radio assets were separated from the television station as part of that transaction. WBZ-TV's branding has evolved from the distinctive Group W numeral used for decades to News 4 New England, Circle 4, CBS 4, and WBZ-focused designs. In 2023, it adopted CBS's updated CBS News graphics and music package. The station remains an active CBS network outlet and a major local news provider for Boston and surrounding communities.

• 2023

  CBS News Boston presentation introduced

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WBZ-TV adopted CBS's updated CBS News graphics and music package.

• 2017

  WBZ-TV separated from CBS Radio properties

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The sale of CBS Radio separated the television station from the WBZ-branded radio operations.

• 2000

  Operations consolidated with WSBK-TV

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following Viacom's acquisition of CBS, WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV began operating from shared facilities.

• 1995

  Switch from NBC to CBS

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WBZ-TV changed affiliations on January 2 after Westinghouse arranged a group-wide agreement with CBS.

• 1995

  Becomes a CBS owned-and-operated station

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The Westinghouse–CBS merger brought WBZ-TV under direct CBS ownership.

• 1977

  Evening Magazine premieres on WBZ-TV

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station began airing the Westinghouse-originated weekday magazine program.

• 1957

  Move to the Needham transmission tower

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WBZ-TV began transmitting from a 1,200-foot tower in Needham shared with WBZ-FM.

• 1954

  Transmitter tower destroyed by Hurricane Carol

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station used temporary transmission arrangements after the storm disabled its main tower.

• 1948

  Launch as New England's first commercial television station

  [1]WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WBZ-TV began operations on June 9 as a Westinghouse station and NBC affiliate.

A long-established Boston television news institution positioned around CBS network affiliation, local journalism, weather, breaking news, sports, and regional public-service coverage.

• Local television news · 1948

  CBS News Boston local news

  WBZ-TV's core offering is locally produced television journalism for Boston and surrounding communities. The service includes scheduled morning, midday, evening, and late news, together with breaking-news reports, investigative segments, interviews, public-affairs coverage, and regional reporting distributed through broadcast and digital channels.

• Weather information · 1948

  WBZ-TV weather

  Weather forecasting is a central part of the station's local-service proposition. Coverage addresses daily forecasts, severe weather, winter storms, coastal conditions, and other events affecting Massachusetts and Rhode Island viewers.

• Network television · 1995

  CBS network programming

  As a CBS owned-and-operated station, WBZ-TV carries CBS network entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming for the Boston market, supplemented by its own local schedule.

• Children's television · 1956

  Rex Trailer's Boomtown

  Boomtown was a locally produced weekend children's program hosted by Rex Trailer. It ran for nearly two decades, used a Western-themed outdoor set near the station, and became a notable part of Boston television culture.

• Magazine program · 1977

  Evening Magazine

  Evening Magazine was a weekday local-interest and feature program originating from Westinghouse's San Francisco station and distributed across Group W outlets. WBZ-TV carried it from 1977 until the program's final local broadcast in 1990.

• 2023

  Adopt CBS News standardized presentationOther

  Background

  CBS's owned-and-operated stations were moving toward a common CBS News visual and audio identity.

  Action taken

  WBZ-TV introduced the CBS News graphics and music package and used CBS News Boston branding in local newscasts.

  Aftermath

  The station's local presentation became more closely aligned with the broader CBS owned-station system.

  Source

• 2000

  Consolidate local operations with WSBK-TVStrategy

  Background

  Viacom's acquisition of CBS created common ownership between WBZ-TV and Boston independent station WSBK-TV.

  Action taken

  The stations combined operational facilities and resources while continuing to broadcast under separate station identities.

  Aftermath

  WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV now share studio facilities in Allston–Brighton and remain sister stations.

  Source

• 1995

  Switch network affiliation from NBC to CBSStrategy

  Background

  Westinghouse sought broader affiliation security after ABC made changes affecting its Baltimore station WJZ-TV and after network affiliation changes threatened several Group W properties.

  Action taken

  WBZ-TV joined CBS on January 2, 1995, while WHDH-TV assumed the NBC affiliation in Boston.

  Aftermath

  The change ended WBZ-TV's 47-year NBC relationship and was followed later in 1995 by Westinghouse's merger with CBS, making the station a CBS owned-and-operated outlet.

  Source

1. 1WBZ-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WBZ-TV official websiteboston.cbslocal.com