WCBI-TV

WCBI-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Columbus, Mississippi, and serving the Columbus–Tupelo television market. The station operates as a CBS affiliate on its primary channel and also carries Fox and MyNetworkTV programming on digital subchannels. Its local service includes regularly scheduled newscasts, weather coverage, community reporting, and other programming intended for viewers in northeastern Mississippi and nearby areas. The station began broadcasting on July 13, 1956, becoming the first television station in North Mississippi. It was established by Columbus businessman and Commercial Dispatch publisher Birney Imes Jr. The WCBI call letters were derived from Imes's initials. For much of its early existence, the station operated from a rural site east of Columbus. During its first decades, it carried programming from CBS, NBC, and ABC, although CBS was its principal network affiliation for most of that period. It briefly became a primary ABC affiliate from 1977 to 1979, then returned to CBS as regional network arrangements changed. NBC programming left the schedule after Tupelo station WTVA improved its signal in the Columbus area, while remaining ABC programs were eventually displaced when channel 27 began operating. A major physical and editorial development came in the early 1990s, when Frank Imes oversaw the renovation of the former Egger's Department Store in downtown Columbus. WCBI moved live broadcasting to the renovated facility on October 25, 1993. The station later expanded its local presence with a Tupelo bureau, supporting coverage of the larger regional market. WCBI entered the digital television era with a full-power digital signal in March 2000. By 2002, it was transmitting multiple digital services, including a high-definition CBS service, a UPN-affiliated channel known as UPN Mississippi, and a continuous weather service called WCBI WeatherCheck. UPN Mississippi was notable as the first digital affiliate of the UPN network. Following the 2006 merger of UPN and The WB, the service became My Mississippi and affiliated with MyNetworkTV, while another digital service became a CW+ affiliate under the North Mississippi CW identity. Imes Communications announced the sale of WCBI to Morris Multimedia in November 2003, and the transaction closed on January 14, 2004. The sale made WCBI the final station from Imes Communications' former smaller-market broadcasting group to change ownership, while the Commercial Dispatch remained associated with the Imes family. WCBI has also used its digital capacity to extend local news. In 2008, it launched a weekday prime-time newscast on its MyNetworkTV service, followed by a weekday morning extension. Those programs were later moved among the station's digital services, including the CW+ channel. In 2024, the station's digital lineup was reorganized: Fox programming moved from WLOV-TV to WCBI-DT2, WLOV assumed the CW+ affiliation formerly carried by WCBI-DT3, and MyNetworkTV shifted to WCBI-DT3. The Fox service was upgraded to the network's recommended 720p format. The station's analog VHF signal ended on January 24, 2009, earlier than the originally scheduled national digital-transition date because of a transmitter problem. Its digital signal continued on UHF channel 35 while retaining virtual channel 4. WCBI continues to operate from downtown Columbus under Morris Multimedia ownership, with its transmitter in northwestern Clay County and a regional news operation focused on the Columbus–Tupelo area.

WCBI-TV began operations on July 13, 1956, in Columbus, Mississippi. Founded by Birney Imes Jr., a Columbus businessman and publisher of the Commercial Dispatch, it was the first television station in North Mississippi. The station's call sign reflected Imes's initials. Its initial facilities stood in a cement-block building near a group of mobile homes in a pasture east of Columbus, and the station remained at that rural location for more than three decades. During its first 23 years, WCBI carried material from all three major American television networks: CBS, NBC, and ABC. CBS was generally its primary affiliation, though the station operated as a primary ABC affiliate between 1977 and 1979. WCBI returned to CBS as regional affiliation patterns changed, particularly after Meridian station WTOK was expected to become an ABC outlet carried by Columbus cable systems. NBC programming left WCBI's schedule in 1979 when Tupelo's WTVA expanded its city-grade signal into Columbus. ABC programming continued in limited form until 1983, when channel 27, later known as WLOV-TV, began operation. In the early 1990s, Frank Imes directed the renovation of the former Egger's Department Store in downtown Columbus. The project gave WCBI a more central and substantial home. Live broadcasts from the new facility began on October 25, 1993, with the News 4 at 6 newscast. The station also established a Tupelo bureau to support reporting across the broader Columbus–Tupelo market. WCBI began full-power digital broadcasting in March 2000 on UHF channel 35. By early September 2002, it was operating three digital services. The main digital channel carried CBS in high definition. A second service carried UPN programming under the name UPN Mississippi and was described as the network's first digital affiliate. The third carried a continuous local weather service called WCBI WeatherCheck, presented as part of The Local AccuWeather Channel. In November 2003, Imes Communications announced the sale of WCBI to Morris Multimedia. The transaction closed on January 14, 2004. It was the last station from Imes Communications' smaller-market broadcasting group to be sold, while the Imes family continued to own the Commercial Dispatch. Under Morris ownership, WCBI continued its local-news and network-affiliate role while developing its digital multicast services. The 2006 restructuring of American broadcast networks led to further changes. On September 5, UPN Mississippi became My Mississippi and affiliated with MyNetworkTV. On September 18, WCBI's weather service was replaced by a CW+ service branded North Mississippi CW. WCBI later used its multicast capacity to produce additional local news, including a weekday 9 p.m. newscast launched in 2008 and a weekday morning extension. In 2013, these programs moved from the MyNetworkTV service to the CW-affiliated digital channel. The station's analog operation ended on January 24, 2009, when WCBI shut down its VHF channel 4 analog transmitter because of a transmitter problem. The digital operation remained on pre-transition UHF channel 35 and continued to identify as virtual channel 4. This occurred before the originally scheduled nationwide analog shutdown date. A major affiliation reconfiguration occurred in February 2024. Fox programming moved from WLOV-TV to WCBI-DT2, whose signal was upgraded to Fox's recommended 720p format. WLOV took over the CW+ service previously carried by WCBI-DT3, and MyNetworkTV moved to WCBI-DT3. WCBI remains based in downtown Columbus, with its transmitter in northwestern Clay County and Morris Multimedia as its owner.

1. 2024Fox moves to WCBI-DT2

   Fox moves from WLOV-TV to WCBI-DT2, while CW+ moves to WLOV and MyNetworkTV moves to WCBI-DT3.

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2. 2013Digital-channel news services move

   The station's additional morning and prime-time newscasts move to the CW-affiliated digital service.

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3. 2009Analog transmission ends

   WCBI shuts down its analog channel 4 signal on January 24 after a transmitter problem.

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4. 2008Prime-time local news launches

   WCBI introduces a weekday 9 p.m. local newscast on its MyNetworkTV digital service.

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5. 2006Digital affiliations are reorganized

   UPN Mississippi becomes My Mississippi with MyNetworkTV, and the weather service becomes a CW+ affiliate.

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6. 2004Morris Multimedia ownership begins

   Morris Multimedia completes its acquisition of WCBI from Imes Communications on January 14.

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7. 2002Three digital services operate

   WCBI carries high-definition CBS, UPN Mississippi, and WCBI WeatherCheck across its digital services.

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8. 2000Digital broadcasting begins

   The station launches a full-power digital signal on UHF channel 35.

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9. 1993Downtown Columbus facility opens

   WCBI starts live broadcasting from its renovated downtown Columbus studios on October 25.

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10. 1983ABC programming ends

    Remaining ABC programming leaves WCBI after channel 27 begins operating.

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11. 1979NBC leaves WCBI's schedule

    NBC programming disappears after WTVA improves its signal into the Columbus area.

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12. 1977Primary affiliation shifts to ABC

    WCBI operates as a primary ABC affiliate for a period lasting until 1979, while continuing its broader historical network-service role.

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13. 1956WCBI-TV begins broadcasting

    WCBI-TV signs on July 13 as the first television station in North Mississippi.

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A locally focused commercial television station combining CBS network programming with regional news, weather, sports, and entertainment services for viewers in the Columbus–Tupelo market.

• WCBI-TV primary channelBroadcast television station1956

  The station's primary service, identified by virtual channel 4, carries CBS network programming and WCBI's principal local news, weather, public-affairs, and community programming for the Columbus–Tupelo market.

• WCBI local newsLocal news service1956

  WCBI's local news operation covers Columbus, Tupelo, northeastern Mississippi, and surrounding communities. Its output includes scheduled newscasts, regional reporting, weather information, and severe-weather coverage, supported by the station's Columbus studios and Tupelo bureau.

• WCBI-DT2 FoxDigital multicast network service2024

  WCBI-DT2 carries Fox programming. The affiliation transferred from WLOV-TV in February 2024, and the subchannel was upgraded to Fox's recommended 720p transmission format.

• WCBI-DT3 MyNetworkTVDigital multicast network service2006

  WCBI-DT3 carries MyNetworkTV programming. It previously served as the station's CW+ outlet before the 2024 affiliation realignment.

• 2024Digital affiliation realignmentStrategy

  WCBI and WLOV reorganized their digital network affiliations and transmission formats.

  What changed. Fox moved to WCBI-DT2, CW+ moved to WLOV, MyNetworkTV moved to WCBI-DT3, and WCBI-DT2 adopted 720p transmission.

  Aftermath. WCBI became the Fox outlet on its second digital channel while retaining CBS on its primary channel.

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• 2003Sale to Morris MultimediaM&A

  Imes Communications was selling WCBI as part of the wind-down of its smaller-market broadcasting group.

  What changed. Morris Multimedia announced the acquisition in November 2003 and completed the transaction on January 14, 2004.

  Aftermath. WCBI became a Morris Multimedia station and remains associated with the company.

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• 2024WCBI restructures its digital network affiliations

  Fox moved from WLOV-TV to WCBI-DT2, while CW+ moved to WLOV and MyNetworkTV moved to WCBI-DT3. WCBI-DT2 also adopted Fox's recommended 720p format.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 2008WCBI adds a weekday prime-time local newscast

  WCBI launched a weekday 9 p.m. newscast on its MyNetworkTV digital service, expanding its local news schedule.

  Product launch
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• 2004Morris Multimedia acquires WCBI

  Morris Multimedia completed its acquisition of WCBI from Imes Communications on January 14, 2004.

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• 2000WCBI launches full-power digital television service

  The station began transmitting a full-power digital signal on UHF channel 35, beginning its transition to a multi-service digital operation.

  Product launch
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• 1993WCBI moves live broadcasting to downtown Columbus

  After renovation of a former department store, WCBI began live broadcasting from its downtown Columbus facility on October 25.

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• 1956WCBI signs on as North Mississippi's first television station

  WCBI-TV began broadcasting from Columbus on July 13, establishing the first television service in North Mississippi.

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1. WCBI-TV
2. WCBI official website