WKBD-TV
A Detroit-area television station broadcasting on channel 50 and affiliated with The CW.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
WKBD-TV is a television station serving Detroit, Michigan, and the surrounding metropolitan area. It broadcasts on UHF channel 50 and is branded as CW Detroit 50. The station is affiliated with The CW and is operated alongside WWJ-TV, Detroit’s CBS station, by CBS News and Stations. WKBD and WWJ share studios on Eleven Mile Road in Southfield, where WKBD’s transmitter is also located. WKBD began broadcasting on January 10, 1965, as the first UHF station constructed by Kaiser Broadcasting. Its initial programming strategy was unusually specialized: the station launched with an extensive schedule of live and taped sports, including Detroit Red Wings hockey, Detroit Pistons basketball, and collegiate events involving Michigan universities. The sports-led format helped establish the new UHF outlet in a market where many households initially lacked UHF reception capability. WKBD soon expanded into a general independent-station schedule that combined local productions, syndicated reruns, movies, talk programs, children’s programming, and sports. During its Kaiser years, WKBD became known for ambitious local programming. Journalist Lou Gordon hosted a prominent talk program that was later syndicated to other Kaiser stations. His 1967 interview with Michigan governor George W. Romney, during which Romney described having been “brainwashed” during a Vietnam visit, received national attention and was widely associated with the collapse of Romney’s presidential ambitions. WKBD also carried programs hosted by Detroit personalities including Bill Kennedy and produced local news, although its first news operation lasted only from 1968 to 1970. Kaiser sold its broadcasting properties to Field Communications in 1977. As part of Field’s later dissolution, Cox Enterprises acquired WKBD in 1984. Under Cox, the station introduced a 10 p.m. newscast in 1985, joined the Fox network in 1986, and moved into its present Southfield facility in 1988. WKBD was regarded as one of the strongest independent stations in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s, benefiting from the growth of Fox and its established library of syndicated and local programming. Paramount Stations Group purchased WKBD from Cox in 1993. When Fox moved its Detroit affiliation to WJBK-TV, Paramount chose not to affiliate channel 50 with CBS, instead placing it with the newly launched United Paramount Network, or UPN, in January 1995. A renewed 10 p.m. news competition developed between WKBD and WJBK, but WKBD’s newscast ultimately lost that contest. Viacom’s 2000 merger with CBS brought WKBD and WWJ-TV under common ownership. WKBD briefly supplied news programming for WWJ, but the effort failed to attract a substantial audience and ended in 2002. The station’s sports identity also declined after Detroit’s professional teams moved their television rights elsewhere. The Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers all departed WKBD between 2003 and 2005. In 2006, UPN and The WB merged to create The CW, and WKBD became one of the first CBS-owned UPN stations to join the new network. CBS sold its interest in The CW in 2022 and withdrew its remaining affiliated stations from the network the following year. WKBD subsequently returned to The CW in September 2024. It currently carries CW programming and local newscasts produced through CBS News Detroit, the news operation and streaming service associated with WWJ-TV.
History
The Detroit channel 50 allocation originated after the Federal Communications Commission opened additional UHF opportunities in 1952. Several applicants pursued the channel, but early permits repeatedly encountered the economic and technical disadvantages associated with UHF broadcasting. Earlier construction permits were eventually surrendered or deleted, leaving the frequency available for a new proposal. Kaiser Industries applied for channel 50 in 1962 as part of a broader plan to establish UHF stations in major American markets. The FCC granted the Detroit construction permit in January 1963. Kaiser sent John Serrao, an experienced broadcaster from its Honolulu operation, to develop the station. The resulting concept emphasized sports as a way to create immediate local recognition. WKBD’s planned schedule included Detroit Red Wings hockey, Detroit Pistons basketball, and events involving the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the University of Detroit. WKBD signed on January 10, 1965. Its opening schedule consisted of taped college basketball followed by a live Red Wings game. Although sports remained important, the station rapidly broadened its output. Local talk, entertainment, children’s and music programs were added, along with movies and syndicated reruns. By the late 1960s WKBD was producing a substantial amount of live local programming and had become a notable UHF success. It also carried the work of Detroit broadcaster Lou Gordon, whose interview program became syndicated to other Kaiser stations. Gordon’s 1967 interview with George W. Romney became WKBD’s most nationally prominent broadcast. Romney’s account of being “brainwashed” during a Vietnam trip was reported widely and damaged his political standing. Gordon continued to generate local and national publicity through interviews and investigative subjects until his death in 1977. Other locally recognized personalities, including Bill Kennedy, also helped the station build an audience. Kaiser experimented with network ambitions and invested in local news. WKBD operated a short-lived affiliation with the United Network in 1967 and launched a nightly local newscast in 1968. The newscast was discontinued after two years despite being the only profitable news operation among Kaiser’s stations, because audience levels remained below expectations and the broader UHF business faced financial pressure. Kaiser sold its broadcasting group to Field Communications in 1977. Cox Enterprises acquired WKBD in 1984 during the breakup of Field’s broadcasting holdings. Cox introduced a 10 p.m. newscast in 1985, affiliated the station with Fox in 1986, and moved it to a new Southfield studio complex in 1988. The station’s combination of strong syndicated programming, local production, sports, and Fox programming made it one of the country’s leading independent-style outlets. Paramount Stations Group bought WKBD in 1993. Following Fox’s decision to move its Detroit affiliation to WJBK-TV, Paramount selected WKBD for UPN rather than CBS, making channel 50 a founding UPN station in 1995. Viacom’s merger with CBS in 2000 reunited WKBD with WWJ-TV under common ownership. An attempt to extend WKBD’s news resources to WWJ ended in 2002 after failing to attract viewers. Detroit professional sports rights also moved away from the station between 2003 and 2005. WKBD joined The CW in 2006 when UPN merged with The WB. CBS later sold its ownership interest in The CW in 2022 and withdrew its remaining stations from the network in 2023. WKBD returned to The CW in September 2024. Its current local news output is associated with CBS News Detroit, which was established for WWJ-TV as both a news operation and streaming service.
- 2024
Return to The CW
[1]WKBD resumed its CW affiliation in September 2024.
- 2006
The CW affiliation
[1]WKBD became one of the first CBS-owned stations to affiliate with The CW.
- 2000
Viacom-CBS merger
[1]The merger brought WKBD under common ownership with CBS-owned WWJ-TV.
- 1995
UPN affiliation begins
[1]After Paramount withheld the station from CBS, WKBD joined UPN at that network’s launch.
- 1986
Fox affiliation begins
[1]WKBD became Detroit’s Fox affiliate.
- 1984
Cox acquires WKBD
[1]Cox Enterprises acquired the station during the dissolution of Field’s broadcasting group.
- 1977
Field Communications acquisition
[1]Kaiser sold its broadcasting operation to Field Communications.
- 1967
Lou Gordon program gains national reach
[1]Lou Gordon’s Detroit interview program began distribution to other Kaiser stations.
- 1965
WKBD signs on
[1]WKBD began broadcasting on January 10 with a sports-centered schedule.
- 1963
FCC grants Kaiser a construction permit
[1]The FCC granted Kaiser Broadcasting authorization to build a television station on Detroit’s channel 50.
Products and positioning
A Detroit-market broadcast station combining The CW network schedule with locally produced news and regional television advertising.
Television station brand
CW Detroit 50
The station’s current consumer-facing broadcast identity for channel 50 in the Detroit market. It combines The CW’s national entertainment schedule with local promotion and station advertising.
Local news · 2023
CBS News Detroit local newscasts
Local news programming carried through the CBS News Detroit operation associated with sister station WWJ-TV. The operation serves the Detroit area through broadcast and streaming outlets.
Sports television · 1965
Sports broadcasts
WKBD historically carried Detroit Red Wings hockey, Detroit Pistons basketball, Detroit Tigers baseball, and collegiate sports. These broadcasts were central to its launch strategy and early identity, although the professional team rights later moved to other stations.
Brand decisions
2024
Return to The CWStrategyBackground
CBS-owned stations had left The CW in 2023 after CBS sold its interest in the network.
Action taken
WKBD resumed its affiliation with The CW in September 2024.
Aftermath
The station again combines CW network programming with Detroit-market local content and advertising.
2006
Join The CWStrategyBackground
UPN and The WB announced a combination that created The CW.
Action taken
WKBD joined The CW as one of the first CBS-owned UPN stations to affiliate with the new network.
Aftermath
The station carried CW programming until CBS-owned stations withdrew from the network, after which WKBD returned to The CW in 2024.
1995
Choose UPN over CBSStrategyBackground
After Fox moved its Detroit affiliation to WJBK-TV, Paramount controlled the future affiliation of channel 50 while UPN was preparing to launch.
Action taken
Paramount withheld WKBD from CBS and affiliated it with its own UPN network in January 1995.
Aftermath
WKBD competed with WJBK’s 10 p.m. newscast and later became a CW affiliate when UPN and The WB merged.
1965
Launch with a sports-led scheduleStrategyBackground
As a new UHF station entering a market dominated by established outlets, WKBD needed a distinctive way to build awareness and habitual viewing.
Action taken
Kaiser launched WKBD with extensive Detroit and collegiate sports coverage before expanding into general independent-station programming.
Aftermath
The approach helped establish channel 50 and contributed to its later status as a leading independent-style station.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wkbd-tv · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled