WGEM-TV

WGEM-TV is a television station licensed to Quincy, Illinois, and serving viewers across the Quincy, Illinois–Hannibal, Missouri–Keokuk, Iowa designated market area. Its principal channel is affiliated with NBC, while its digital subchannels carry programming associated with The CW Plus, Fox, and MyNetworkTV. The station is owned by Gray Media and operates alongside WGEM-FM, Gray’s radio property in the market. The station traces its origins to the Quincy Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Quincy Herald-Whig newspaper. Its channel 10 license was granted in the early 1950s, and the station began interim broadcasting on September 4, 1953, before developing a full local television operation. T. C. Oakley was the early president of Quincy Broadcasting Company, while Joe Bonansinga served as the founding general manager. WGEM initially carried both NBC and ABC programming. Its long-term NBC affiliation became the central element of the station’s identity, while ABC was carried on a secondary basis at various points in the market’s development. For most of its first seven decades, WGEM-TV was closely tied to Quincy Media and the Quincy Herald-Whig. Until 2021, it was the flagship television property of Quincy Media and was notable as one of the country’s longest-running locally owned commercial television stations. It also maintained an unusually consistent combination of call letters, channel number, ownership, and primary network affiliation from its 1953 launch until the change in ownership in 2021. The station’s business scope expanded through cable and digital multicast services. In the early 1990s, WGEM carried Fox programming during off-hours on its main analog signal. In 1994, it helped establish a separate cable-only Fox service, initially known informally as CGEM, to provide the market with a more complete Fox schedule. That service moved to WGEM’s third digital subchannel in 2006 and became WGEM-DT3, branded WGEM Fox. It remains the area’s principal Fox outlet. WGEM’s second digital subchannel developed from a cable-only WB affiliate launched in September 1998. Known informally as WEWB and associated with the WB 100+ service, it moved to The CW following the 2006 merger of The WB and UPN. It subsequently operated as WGEM-DT2 under The CW Plus. The subchannel has also carried locally produced and syndicated programming, including public affairs and community-oriented content. Local news remains a central part of the station’s offering. WGEM produces approximately 25 hours of news programming per week and has historically supplied news, weather, sports, public affairs, and educational programming across its broadcast services. A short-lived 9 p.m. newscast for the cable-only Fox service debuted in April 2006 and ended in March 2007. The station also formerly maintained a Macomb, Illinois, bureau, which closed in 2008. Gray Television announced in February 2021 that it would acquire most of Quincy Media’s television assets in a cash transaction valued at $925 million. The transaction closed on August 2, 2021, ending WGEM-TV’s nearly 68-year period under its founding ownership group. Under Gray, WGEM continues to serve the tri-state region through its NBC service, multicast network affiliations, local news operation, and community programming.

WGEM-TV was created as the television property of Quincy Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Quincy Herald-Whig newspaper. The Federal Communications Commission allotted channel 10 to Quincy, Illinois, and the station was organized with an initial NBC and ABC affiliation. T. C. Oakley was associated with the founding ownership structure as president of Quincy Broadcasting Company, and Joe Bonansinga became the station’s first general manager. The station received its DuMont transmission equipment on July 27, 1953, on the same truck as equipment intended for nearby KHQA-TV. According to the station’s historical account, the two operations competed to be the first to begin broadcasting. WGEM-TV started interim broadcasts for two hours each evening on September 4, 1953. It subsequently developed into a full-service local station and established a durable identity around NBC programming and locally produced news. During the 1960s, WGEM shared a secondary ABC affiliation with CBS affiliate KHQA-TV. This arrangement changed in 1969 when WJJY-TV in Jacksonville, Illinois, began operating as the ABC affiliate for the Quincy market. After WJJY-TV entered bankruptcy and ceased operations in 1971, WGEM resumed carrying selected ABC programs. The station continued to air some ABC material until the mid-1990s. WGEM also carried Fox programming on a secondary basis from 1990 through 1994, after which Fox programming was shifted to a separate cable-oriented service. The cable Fox operation was created in 1994 through an arrangement involving WGEM and Continental Cablevision. It filled a local gap because the market did not have a conventional over-the-air Fox affiliate. The service was informally branded CGEM, using a name derived from Continental and WGEM. It was unusual because it was a cable-only Fox affiliate rather than a Foxnet outlet. In 2006, the service moved to WGEM’s third digital subchannel and adopted the official callsign WGEM-DT3, although the CGEM branding continued for several years. The subchannel is now branded WGEM Fox and remains the local Fox service. WGEM’s second digital service followed a related cable-to-digital path. In September 1998, a cable-only WB affiliate began operating in the Quincy market as part of the WB 100+ Station Group. Because it was not an over-the-air station, it used the fictional callsign WEWB. After The WB and UPN were combined into The CW in 2006, the service became associated with The CW Plus and began operating officially as WGEM-DT2. The subchannel has carried CW programming as well as local and syndicated material. For many decades, WGEM-TV remained owned and operated locally through Quincy Media, making it the flagship television asset of the company and a sister operation to the Quincy Herald-Whig. It was widely distinguished by the continuity of its call letters, channel number, ownership, and primary NBC affiliation. From the mid-to-late 1990s onward, the station generally promoted itself using the WGEM call letters rather than a separate consumer brand. WGEM’s local production operation has included regular news, weather, sports, public affairs, and educational programming. It produced a 9 p.m. newscast for the former cable-only Fox service beginning in April 2006, but that program was discontinued in March 2007. The station later closed a bureau in Macomb, Illinois, in 2008. It also produced or carried programs such as City Desk and WGEM Academic Challenge, reflecting its role as a regional information and community-service outlet. The station’s analog television service ended on February 19, 2009. Its digital signal moved from pre-transition UHF channel 54 to VHF channel 10, the station’s historic analog channel. The change was part of the United States digital television transition and removed the station’s former high-band UHF allocation from regular broadcast use. On February 1, 2021, Gray Television announced an agreement to buy most of Quincy Media’s television properties for $925 million in cash. The transaction closed on August 2, 2021, marking the first ownership change in WGEM-TV’s history since its 1953 launch. WGEM-TV now operates as a Gray Media station, sharing its Quincy facilities with WGEM-FM and continuing to serve the Quincy–Hannibal–Keokuk market through its main NBC service and digital multicast affiliates.

1. 2021Gray Television acquires WGEM-TV

   Gray completed its acquisition of Quincy Media’s television properties on August 2, ending the station’s original ownership era.

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2. 2009Analog broadcasting ends

   WGEM-TV shut down its analog channel 10 signal and relocated its digital transmission to VHF channel 10.

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3. 2006Fox and CW services move to digital subchannels

   The former cable Fox service moved to WGEM-DT3, while the former WB service transitioned to WGEM-DT2 and The CW Plus.

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4. 1998Cable-only WB affiliate launches

   A cable-only WB 100+ affiliate began operating in the market under the fictional callsign WEWB.

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5. 1994Cable-only Fox service is established

   WGEM created a separate cable Fox service, informally known as CGEM, to provide the market with a fuller Fox schedule.

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6. 1971WGEM resumes selected ABC programming

   Following WJJY-TV’s bankruptcy and closure, WGEM resumed carrying selected ABC programs.

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7. 1969Local ABC affiliation changes

   WJJY-TV began serving as the Quincy market’s ABC affiliate, changing WGEM’s secondary-network role.

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8. 1953WGEM-TV begins broadcasting

   The station began interim broadcasts on September 4, 1953, on VHF channel 10, initially carrying NBC and ABC programming.

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A locally focused, multi-network television operation serving a rural and small-city tri-state market, with NBC as its primary broadcast identity and additional network services distributed through digital subchannels.

• WGEM NBCPrimary television network service1953

  The station’s principal broadcast service, carrying NBC network programming together with WGEM’s local news, weather, sports, public affairs, and community programming. It is the core service associated with the WGEM-TV call letters and serves the Quincy–Hannibal–Keokuk market from the station’s channel 10 facility.

• WGEM-DT2CW Plus digital subchannel1998

  WGEM’s second digital subchannel carries The CW Plus. It developed from a cable-only WB 100+ affiliate that began in 1998 and transitioned to the CW service after the 2006 merger of The WB and UPN. The channel also carries selected local and syndicated programming.

• WGEM-DT3Fox digital subchannel1994

  Branded WGEM Fox, the third digital subchannel provides Fox programming for the Quincy-area market. It originated as a cable-only service established in 1994, initially using the informal CGEM identity, and moved to WGEM’s digital multiplex in 2006. It is described as the area’s only Fox affiliate.

• WGEM local newsTelevision news1953

  WGEM’s local news operation covers the Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa communities within its broadcast market. Its output includes recurring news, weather, and sports coverage and has historically totaled approximately 25 hours per week. The operation has also produced news and information for the station’s multicast services.

• City DeskPublic affairs program

  A locally produced public affairs program associated with WGEM’s community-service programming. It provides a platform for regional issues and discussion beyond the station’s regular news bulletins.

• WGEM Academic ChallengeEducational competition program

  A locally produced educational program built around academic competition. It extends WGEM’s role beyond conventional news and network programming by highlighting students and schools in the station’s regional audience.

• 2021Transfer ownership from Quincy Media to Gray TelevisionM&A

  WGEM-TV had remained under its founding Quincy Media ownership group since its 1953 launch.

  What changed. Gray Television agreed to acquire most of Quincy Media’s television properties in a cash transaction valued at $925 million and completed the purchase on August 2, 2021.

  Aftermath. WGEM-TV became a Gray station and continued operating from its Quincy facilities alongside WGEM-FM.

  Transaction value. $925 million (Announced February 1, 2021; completed August 2, 2021)

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• 2009Complete the digital television transitionGeneration change

  Federal United States television policy required full-power stations to transition from analog to digital broadcasting.

  What changed. WGEM ended its analog VHF channel 10 transmission on February 19 and moved its digital signal from UHF channel 54 to VHF channel 10.

  Aftermath. The station retained its historic virtual channel identity while operating exclusively through digital transmission.

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• 2006Move secondary network services to digital multicast channelsGeneration change

  The transition to digital broadcasting created additional capacity for network services that had previously been cable-only or carried on a secondary basis.

  What changed. WGEM placed the Fox service on WGEM-DT3 and converted the former WB service into WGEM-DT2, carrying The CW Plus.

  Aftermath. WGEM operated multiple network brands from its channel 10 digital platform, expanding the station’s programming portfolio without separate full-power licenses.

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• 1994Create a dedicated cable Fox serviceStrategy

  The Quincy market lacked a conventional local over-the-air Fox affiliate, while WGEM had previously carried Fox programming only during off-hours on its analog signal.

  What changed. WGEM established a separate cable-only Fox outlet, informally branded CGEM, in cooperation with Continental Cablevision.

  Aftermath. The service later moved to WGEM-DT3 in 2006 and became the market’s WGEM Fox digital subchannel.

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• 2021Gray Television agrees to acquire Quincy Media television properties

  Gray Television announced an agreement to purchase most of Quincy Media’s television stations, including WGEM-TV, in a cash transaction valued at $925 million.

  M&A
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• 2021Gray Television completes acquisition of WGEM-TV

  The acquisition closed on August 2, 2021, transferring WGEM-TV from its founding Quincy Media ownership group to Gray Television.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 2009WGEM-TV completes analog shutdown and digital-channel relocation

  WGEM-TV ended analog broadcasting on VHF channel 10 on February 19, 2009, and moved its digital transmission from UHF channel 54 to its former analog channel.

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1. WGEM-TV
2. WGEM official website