WSOC-TV
WSOC-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Charlotte, North Carolina, with a Telemundo service on its second digital subchannel.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WSOC-TV is a broadcast television station serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and the surrounding Piedmont region. Operating on virtual channel 9, the station is affiliated with ABC and is owned by Cox Media Group alongside WAXN-TV, an independent station licensed to Kannapolis. The outlets share production facilities on West 23rd Street north of uptown Charlotte, while WSOC-TV's main transmitter is near Reedy Creek Park in the Newell area of Charlotte. The station began broadcasting on April 28, 1957, as Charlotte's third television station and its second VHF outlet. It was established by Carolina Broadcasting, the Jones family's local media company, which also operated WSOC radio. The station initially carried NBC as its primary network and ABC programming on a secondary basis. Its first years included locally produced entertainment and children's programs, notably Kilgo's Kanteen, hosted by Jimmy Kilgo, and Clown Carnival, presented by Brooks Lindsay as Joey the Clown. Carolina Broadcasting merged with Miami Valley Broadcasting Company in 1959. Miami Valley was the predecessor of Cox Enterprises, linking WSOC-TV to the corporate lineage that ultimately became Cox Media Group. WSOC-TV became an exclusive NBC affiliate in 1967, while WCCB assumed full-time ABC programming. As ABC's national position strengthened during the 1970s, the network sought a more powerful Charlotte affiliate. WSOC-TV therefore changed affiliations again on July 1, 1978, becoming a full-time ABC station; NBC programming moved to channel 36, now WCNC-TV. The station's principal competitive asset has long been its local news operation, branded Eyewitness News since the early 1970s. It rose from a distant second behind WBTV to first place in several major time periods after recruiting longtime WBTV anchor Doug Mayes in 1981. WSOC-TV led Charlotte's late news by 1982 and took the lead in most other periods during the 1990s. A major factor in its early-evening performance was the long-running presence of The Oprah Winfrey Show before the program ended in 2011. Ratings weakened after several prominent reporters left in 2015, but the station had regained leadership in three key time periods by 2023. WSOC-TV has also expanded its relationship with WAXN-TV. A 1996 joint-sales arrangement with then-WKAY-TV moved the latter's operations into WSOC-TV's facilities and gave channel 9 access to additional broadcast time for syndicated programming. Cox acquired WAXN outright after the FCC permitted television duopolies, with regulatory approval completed in 2000. WSOC-TV produces a substantial amount of programming for WAXN, including a morning-news extension and a late-evening newscast. The station upgraded its local newscasts to high definition in 2007, introduced a refreshed studio and Circle 9 logo treatment in 2012, and expanded WAXN's 10 p.m. newscast to a full hour in 2013. Its digital portfolio grew with the launch of Telemundo Charlotte on WSOC-DT2 in 2017, creating the Charlotte market's first full-power over-the-air Spanish-language station. Additional digital services and translators extend coverage across areas affected by the transition from analog broadcasting. WSOC-TV ended analog transmission in 2009, moved to its post-repack digital channel in 2019, and adopted NextGen TV in 2021. Today, WSOC-TV combines ABC network programming, English-language local news, weather, sports and public-affairs coverage with Spanish-language programming and news through Telemundo Charlotte. It also participates in Cox Media Group's local sports distribution arrangements, including selected Charlotte Hornets games shared with WAXN-TV.
History
WSOC-TV signed on April 28, 1957, from a temporary facility on Plaza Road Extension in eastern Mecklenburg County. It was founded by Carolina Broadcasting, a locally controlled company associated with the Jones family and WSOC radio. Because the radio station had historical ties to NBC, channel 9 began as a primary NBC affiliate while also carrying selected ABC programs. In 1959, Carolina Broadcasting merged with Miami Valley Broadcasting Company, the predecessor of Cox Enterprises, and WSOC-TV moved into purpose-built studios on North Tryon Street. During its first decades, the station developed a recognizable local-programming identity. Jimmy Kilgo hosted Kilgo's Kanteen, a youth-oriented music program modeled in part on American Bandstand, from 1957 through 1970. Brooks Lindsay's Clown Carnival served younger viewers during a similar period. In 1967, WSOC-TV became an exclusive NBC affiliate. WCCB, which had moved to a stronger UHF allocation, became Charlotte's full-time ABC outlet, although the market's network competition remained shaped by the technical limitations of UHF reception. ABC's national growth changed the Charlotte affiliation balance. On July 1, 1978, WSOC-TV became a full-time ABC affiliate, and NBC moved to channel 36, now WCNC-TV. WCCB operated independently until it later joined Fox. The affiliation change established the structure under which WSOC-TV would build its modern identity as an ABC station with a large local-news operation. Since the early 1970s, the news department has used the Eyewitness News name. For much of its first 25 years, it trailed WBTV, but the 1981 recruitment of Doug Mayes from WBTV helped accelerate its competitive rise. WSOC-TV took the lead in the 11 p.m. ratings in 1982 and exceeded WBTV in many other time periods during the 1990s. The station's early-evening news benefited from The Oprah Winfrey Show as a lead-in from 1986 until 2011. Bill Walker, who anchored from 1971 to 2005, became one of the longest-serving anchors in Charlotte television history. The station expanded through its relationship with WAXN-TV. In 1996, WSOC-TV entered a joint-sales arrangement with WKAY-TV, channel 64. WKAY moved into WSOC-TV's facilities and became WAXN-TV, while channel 9 used the sister station's schedule to carry syndicated programs displaced by expanding news coverage. Cox purchased WAXN for $3 million after the FCC relaxed its duopoly rules; approval was completed in 2000. WSOC-TV has since produced WAXN news programming, including a two-hour weekday morning extension and a late-evening newscast. Technological and programming changes continued through the 2000s and 2010s. WSOC-TV introduced high-definition local newscasts in 2007. In 2012, it launched a redesigned news set and graphics package with an updated Circle 9 logo. The WAXN late newscast expanded to one hour in 2013. In 2017, WSOC-TV launched Telemundo Charlotte on its second digital subchannel, replacing Laff there and creating a full-power Spanish-language over-the-air service for the market. GetTV was later placed on another WSOC digital subchannel. The station ended analog transmission on June 12, 2009, moved its digital signal during the 2019 national repack, and adopted NextGen TV in June 2021. Translators in areas including the Unifour region, Shelby and Statesville help supplement reception. WSOC-TV also has been carried beyond the Charlotte market on selected cable systems and satellite services. Corporate ownership changed in 2019 when Apollo Global Management acquired Cox Media Group's television stations and related assets. The transaction closed on December 17 of that year. WSOC-TV remains paired with WAXN-TV in Charlotte and continues to operate as an ABC affiliate with a substantial local-news schedule, a Telemundo subchannel, digital services and selected local sports broadcasts.
- 2021
NextGen TV launches
[1]WSOC-TV upgrades to ATSC 3.0 broadcasting.
- 2019
Digital repack completed
[1]WSOC-TV moves its physical digital transmission channel as part of the FCC repack.
- 2017
Telemundo Charlotte launches
[1]WSOC-DT2 begins carrying Telemundo programming and Spanish-language local news.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]The station shuts down its analog VHF signal during the nationwide digital transition.
- 2007
Local newscasts move to high definition
[1]WSOC-TV becomes the first Charlotte station to broadcast local news in HD.
- 2000
Cox completes WAXN-TV acquisition
[1]Cox receives approval to acquire WAXN, formalizing the Charlotte television duopoly.
- 1996
Joint-sales arrangement with WKAY-TV
[1]WSOC-TV begins using channel 64 as a sister outlet for surplus syndicated programming and shared operations.
- 1981
Doug Mayes joins WSOC-TV
[1]The recruitment of longtime WBTV anchor Doug Mayes strengthens the station's news operation.
- 1978
Returns to ABC
[1]WSOC-TV becomes a full-time ABC affiliate on July 1.
- 1967
Becomes an exclusive NBC affiliate
[1]WSOC-TV ends its shared ABC arrangement and carries NBC full time.
Products and positioning
A leading local broadcast-news and network-affiliate brand for the Charlotte region, combining strong English-language news coverage with ABC programming, Spanish-language Telemundo service, weather, traffic, sports and digital distribution.
Local television news · 1970
Eyewitness News
WSOC-TV's principal local-news brand, used since the early 1970s. It covers Charlotte and the surrounding region through scheduled morning, midday, afternoon, evening and late-night broadcasts, with reporting supported by weather, traffic and digital teams.
Spanish-language television service · 2017
Telemundo Charlotte
The Telemundo service carried on WSOC-DT2, launched in 2017. It combines Telemundo's national programming with a Spanish-language local news operation drawing on WSOC-TV's resources and dedicated reporting.
Sister-station programming · 2000
WAXN-TV news programming
WSOC-TV produces local-news extensions for sister station WAXN-TV, including a weekday morning extension and a late-evening broadcast. The arrangement allows the Cox-owned stations to distribute local journalism across additional broadcast hours.
Network affiliation · 1978
ABC network service
WSOC-TV's full-time ABC affiliation dates from July 1978. The station distributes ABC entertainment, news, sports and special programming throughout the Charlotte market alongside its locally produced content.
Marketing campaigns
- 1975Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon
Charlotte
WSOC-TV served as Charlotte's local outlet for the MDA Labor Day Telethon until 2001. The program later moved to WAXN before returning to WSOC-TV in a shorter ABC network format in 2013.
Outcome. The renamed MDA Show of Strength aired on WSOC-TV through 2014, after which the telecast was discontinued.
Brand decisions
2024
Simulcast selected Charlotte Hornets gamesOtherBackground
Cox Media Group, the Charlotte Hornets and FanDuel Sports Network Southeast arranged broader over-the-air distribution for selected games.
Action taken
Two games were scheduled for WSOC-TV and three for WAXN-TV during the 2024–25 season.
Aftermath
The arrangement expanded WSOC-TV's role beyond news and network programming into local professional sports distribution.
2017
Launch Telemundo Charlotte on WSOC-DT2Product launchBackground
Charlotte lacked a full-power over-the-air Spanish-language station.
Action taken
WSOC-TV replaced Laff on its second digital subchannel with Telemundo programming and a related local news service.
Aftermath
The service became the market's first full-power over-the-air Spanish-language television station.
1996
Create a joint-sales relationship with WKAY-TVStrategyBackground
Expanding local-news commitments left WSOC-TV with syndicated programming it could no longer fit into its own schedule.
Action taken
WSOC-TV entered a joint-sales agreement, moved WKAY's operations into its facilities and used the renamed WAXN-TV to carry surplus programming.
Aftermath
The arrangement developed into a formal duopoly after Cox acquired WAXN and received FCC approval in 2000.
Sources2 sources
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