WLOS

WLOS is a television station licensed to Asheville, North Carolina, serving a broad market that includes western North Carolina and portions of Upstate South Carolina. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 13 and is affiliated primarily with ABC. Its digital subchannel operation also carries MyNetworkTV programming associated with WMYA-TV, giving the station a role in serving both the Asheville and Greenville–Spartanburg television markets. The station began broadcasting on September 18, 1954, as Asheville's second television station. It was established by Skyway Broadcasting Corporation, which already operated WLOS radio stations in the city. The station's original transmission plan reflected the difficult geography of the southern Appalachian region: a high-elevation transmitter site was intended to provide coverage across mountain valleys and adjoining communities. WLOS initially held affiliations with ABC and the DuMont Television Network and developed local programming alongside network fare. Wometco Enterprises acquired majority control of the station in 1958 and retained it for nearly three decades. During this period, WLOS became a long-standing local institution. Its programming included children's television, weather, public affairs, and regional news. The station's best-known early local personality was Bill Norwood, whose children's program ran under several titles and ultimately continued as Mr. Bill's Friends until 1988. Wometco later sold the WLOS AM operation but retained the television and FM properties for much of its ownership period. Following Wometco's 1984 leveraged buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, WLOS-TV was sold to AnchorMedia in 1987. AnchorMedia attempted to strengthen the station's reach in the South Carolina portion of the market through a proposed relationship with WAXA-TV, later associated with the WMYA-TV operation. Continental Broadcasting, the successor to AnchorMedia, was acquired by River City Broadcasting in 1994. River City merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1996, bringing WLOS into the Sinclair station group. Sinclair has remained the station's owner since that transaction. WLOS has historically differentiated itself from competing Greenville–Spartanburg stations through its Asheville base and its emphasis on western North Carolina reporting. Its news operation nevertheless maintains coverage and bureaus in the South Carolina portion of the market, including Greenville and Spartanburg. Over time, local news expanded from a relatively small operation into a schedule including morning, early-evening, late-evening, and additional programming produced for WMYA. In 2022, WLOS added Saturday Sports Night, a weekly football-season program focused on regional college sports. The station's physical facilities have also changed. WLOS operated for decades from the Battle House on Macon Avenue, a historic Asheville residence acquired for studio use before the station launched. After selling the property to the Grove Park Inn in 1999, WLOS moved its principal operations to the Biltmore Park commercial development, with broadcasts from the new facility beginning in December 2000. WLOS completed its transition from analog broadcasting in 2009 and operates a network of translators to reach communities whose mountain terrain blocks or weakens the main signal. The station announced a move from Mount Pisgah to Pinnacle Mountain, a site offering more practical year-round engineering access; the supplied reference material states that the transmitter switch occurred on June 22, 2026.

WLOS originated with Skyway Broadcasting Corporation, the owner of Asheville radio stations WLOS and WLOS-FM. Before the Federal Communications Commission's 1948 freeze on new television applications, Skyway had pursued a VHF allocation for Asheville. Subsequent changes to the national channel plan resulted in channel 13 becoming the city's principal commercial VHF assignment. Skyway applied for the channel in December 1951. Other applicants later withdrew, leaving Skyway in position to receive the construction permit. A major early challenge was selecting a transmitter location suitable for the mountainous region. Skyway proposed a tower on Mount Pisgah, a site that prompted both civic support and objections to commercial development of a prominent natural landmark. Following a Forest Service hearing and extensive public comment, the site was approved in early 1954. The company also acquired the Battle House, a substantial Asheville residence on Macon Avenue, for use as studios. WLOS-TV launched on September 18, 1954, carrying ABC and DuMont programming and producing local shows for children, families, and other community audiences. Ownership became contentious in the late 1950s. Rival claims involving options to acquire stock in Skyway led to litigation and competing assertions by local broadcasters and investors. Mitchell Wolfson, through Wometco Enterprises and its Miami station WTVJ, acquired a key option and negotiated to buy additional interests. Wometco announced an agreement in March 1958, and the FCC approved the transaction later that year. Wometco ownership gave WLOS access to a larger broadcasting organization, including personnel who moved from WTVJ to Asheville. The television station remained with Wometco when the company's AM station was sold in 1969. WLOS developed a durable local identity during the Wometco era. Bill Norwood, known as Mr. Bill, hosted a popular children's program beginning in 1959. The program went through several names and ended its regular run in 1988. WLOS also built a regional news presence. Although its primary identity was Asheville and western North Carolina, the station shared portions of the market with stations based in South Carolina and gradually expanded its coverage southward. It established a Greenville bureau in the late 1970s and a Spartanburg bureau in 1984. Its relationship with the Anderson station on channel 40 also changed over time, particularly after ABC ended the previous shared-affiliation arrangement at the end of 1978. Wometco was taken private by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 1984. The resulting ownership structure brought financial and strategic pressure to WLOS, particularly while ABC's national ratings were weak. AnchorMedia acquired WLOS-TV in 1987 for a reported price, but that financial figure is not reproduced here because the available material does not provide a separately verified source for it. AnchorMedia sought to expand WLOS's reach into South Carolina through a proposed acquisition or simulcast arrangement involving WAXA-TV. Regulatory restrictions complicated the transaction, although the company obtained a federal appeals-court ruling requiring the FCC to reconsider its position. WLOS produced some South Carolina-oriented programming, including Viewpoint 40 and a 6 p.m. newscast using resources from the Anderson Independent-Mail. Continental Broadcasting, the successor to AnchorMedia, was acquired by River City Broadcasting in 1994. River City later merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1996. The former WAXA operation was separated from WLOS's direct programming structure and passed through related ownership arrangements before eventually becoming WMYA-TV. WLOS and WMYA remained closely connected within the market, with WLOS producing newscasts for WMYA and later carrying MyNetworkTV programming on its own 13.2 subchannel. The station's facilities changed near the end of the twentieth century. WLOS sold the Battle House to the Grove Park Inn in 1999 and moved into Biltmore Park, where its new studio began operating in December 2000. The Battle House was demolished in 2006 after the property owner concluded that deterioration and extensive television-studio alterations made preservation impractical. WLOS completed the national digital transition in 2009. Its digital operation moved from UHF channel 56 to VHF channel 13, while a group of low-power translators continued serving mountain communities where terrain obstructed the main signal. In the 2010s the station remained a significant local advertising and news competitor, and its western North Carolina emphasis continued to distinguish it from larger stations based in the South Carolina portion of the market. In 2022, it added Saturday Sports Night to its seasonal local programming. The station announced in 2024 that it would move its transmitter from Mount Pisgah to Pinnacle Mountain, citing improved year-round engineering access; the supplied reference states that the change was completed on June 22, 2026.

• 2026

  Pinnacle Mountain transmitter switch

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  The supplied reference material states that WLOS completed the transmitter move on June 22, 2026.

• 2024

  Transmitter relocation announced

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  The station announced plans to move its transmitter from Mount Pisgah to Pinnacle Mountain.

• 2022

  Saturday Sports Night debuts

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  WLOS introduced a weekly regional college-football program during the football season.

• 2021

  MyNetworkTV moves to WLOS 13.2

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  MyNetworkTV programming became exclusive to the station's 13.2 digital subchannel.

• 2009

  Digital transition completed

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  The station ended analog broadcasting and moved its digital signal to VHF channel 13.

• 2000

  New Biltmore Park facility opens

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  WLOS began broadcasting from its new Asheville-area studio in December.

• 1996

  Sinclair acquires River City

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  A merger placed WLOS under Sinclair Broadcast Group ownership.

• 1994

  River City acquires Continental Broadcasting

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  The transaction brought WLOS into River City's television portfolio.

• 1987

  AnchorMedia acquires the station

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  AnchorMedia purchased WLOS-TV after the station's period under Wometco and KKR-related ownership.

• 1959

  Mr. Bill children's program begins

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  Bill Norwood began hosting a long-running local children's program.

• 1958

  Wometco becomes majority owner

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  Wometco Enterprises acquired majority control of Skyway Broadcasting Corporation.

• 1954

  WLOS-TV launches

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  WLOS-TV began broadcasting on September 18 from Asheville, using Mount Pisgah as its main transmitter site.

• 1951

  Skyway applies for channel 13

  [1]WLOSen.wikipedia.org

  Skyway Broadcasting Corporation submitted an application for the Asheville channel that would become WLOS-TV.

A locally rooted, network-affiliated television station whose news identity centers on Asheville and western North Carolina while also serving the wider western Carolinas market.

• Broadcast television · 1954

  WLOS ABC service

  The station's primary service carries ABC network programming along with locally produced news, weather, public affairs, and community content for Asheville and the surrounding western Carolinas. The service operates under the WLOS call sign and is identified with virtual channel 13.

• Digital television subchannel · 2021

  WLOS 13.2 / MyNetworkTV

  WLOS's digital subchannel carries MyNetworkTV programming associated with the former My 40 service. The arrangement became exclusive to the 13.2 subchannel in 2021 and extends the station's role beyond its primary ABC affiliation.

• Local news · 1954

  WLOS News

  WLOS News focuses on western North Carolina while maintaining reporting capacity in the South Carolina portion of the shared market. Its schedule has included morning, early-evening, and late-evening newscasts, with additional news produced for WMYA.

• Sports program · 2022

  Saturday Sports Night

  A weekly football-season sports program launched in 2022, covering regional college football and related local sports topics.

• 2024

  Transmitter relocationStrategy

  Background

  The Mount Pisgah site presented difficult year-round access conditions for station engineers.

  Action taken

  WLOS announced plans to move its transmitter to Pinnacle Mountain in Henderson County.

  Aftermath

  The supplied reference material reports that the switch was completed on June 22, 2026.

  Source

• 2021

  MyNetworkTV subchannel consolidationStrategy

  Background

  MyNetworkTV programming had been associated with the WMYA-TV operation in the wider market.

  Action taken

  The My 40 brand and MyNetworkTV schedule moved exclusively to WLOS's 13.2 subchannel.

  Aftermath

  WLOS directly carried the MyNetworkTV service as a digital multicast offering.

  Source

• 2009

  Digital channel transitionStrategy

  Background

  The United States television industry was transitioning from analog to digital broadcasting.

  Action taken

  WLOS ended analog service and moved its digital signal from UHF channel 56 to VHF channel 13.

  Aftermath

  The station continued using translators to serve communities affected by mountainous terrain and signal obstruction.

  Source

• 1996

  Sinclair merger with River City BroadcastingM&A

  Background

  River City Broadcasting had acquired the former Continental Broadcasting organization, including WLOS.

  Action taken

  River City merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group.

  Aftermath

  WLOS became part of Sinclair's station group and has remained under Sinclair ownership.

  Source

• 1987

  AnchorMedia acquisitionM&A

  Background

  WLOS-TV was being operated within the ownership structure created after Wometco's leveraged buyout and faced pressure associated with ABC's weaker national ratings.

  Action taken

  AnchorMedia acquired the station and made it the company's first television property.

  Aftermath

  AnchorMedia pursued greater reach into the South Carolina portion of the market and invested in the station's news operation.

  Source

1. 1WLOSen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WLOS official websitewlos.com