WTAT-TV

WTAT-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Charleston, South Carolina, and serving the Charleston metropolitan area and surrounding Lowcountry communities. The station broadcasts on UHF channel 24 and is affiliated with the Fox television network. Its studios are located on Arco Lane in North Charleston, while its transmitter is situated near Awendaw, South Carolina. The station began broadcasting on September 7, 1985, as Charleston's first independent general-entertainment station. It was established by Charleston Television Community Ltd., a local ownership group led by Terry Trousdale. At launch, WTAT operated as an analog UHF station from a transmitter near Awendaw and filled a local market gap by offering syndicated entertainment programming without a network affiliation. On October 9, 1986, it became one of Fox's original affiliates when it joined the newly launched network. Because WTAT was already Charleston's only general-entertainment independent station, it was a natural choice for Fox's local service. Ownership changed several times during the station's early development. Charleston Television Community sold WTAT to Act III Broadcasting in 1987. Abry Communications acquired Act III's station group in 1995 and placed the stations under Sullivan Broadcasting. During the Sullivan period, WTAT also carried UPN programming as a secondary affiliation from 1995 to 1997. Sullivan Broadcasting was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1998, but regulatory and market-ownership constraints led to the transfer of WTAT to Glencairn, Ltd., a company closely connected to Sinclair's controlling Smith family. Glencairn was later renamed Cunningham Broadcasting. The resulting arrangement became part of a broader controversy over television-station ownership structures and local marketing agreements. Sinclair operated WTAT for many years even though Cunningham held the station's formal ownership interest. The arrangement allowed Sinclair to maintain a relationship with WTAT while also owning or controlling other Charleston stations, despite Federal Communications Commission limits on local television duopolies. The FCC fined Sinclair in 2001 for illegally controlling Glencairn. Cunningham remains the station's owner, and WTAT eventually came under Cunningham's direct operational control around 2019 or 2020, while retaining a news-sharing relationship with WCIV. Local news has been an important part of WTAT's identity despite the station not maintaining a fully independent newsroom for most of its history. In the early 1990s, Fox encouraged major-market affiliates to provide local news, leading WTAT to establish a news-sharing agreement with WCSC-TV. That arrangement produced a prime-time newscast, later known as The Fox 24 News at 10, and a weekday morning program, The Fox 24 News at 7. The evening newscast was expanded to a full hour on weekdays in 2009, and WTAT gained the technical capability to receive and transmit local programming in high definition in 2011. WTAT's news provider changed to WCIV on January 1, 2016. The partnership subsequently expanded the morning program to two hours and introduced additional local-news formats, including a 6:30 p.m. newscast and the late-evening news-magazine program Fox 24 News Now in January 2017. These arrangements give WTAT locally branded news while relying on another Charleston station for much of the reporting, production, anchors, weather, and technical infrastructure. The station completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009, moving its digital service to UHF channel 24. Its core business remains the distribution of Fox network programming, syndicated entertainment, local news, weather, sports, and advertising-supported television content for the Charleston market. WTAT is a regional broadcast brand rather than a national consumer brand, and its significance is primarily tied to its role as Charleston's long-standing Fox affiliate and to the ownership and regulatory history surrounding Cunningham and Sinclair.

WTAT-TV launched on September 7, 1985, as Charleston's first independent television station. It was founded by Charleston Television Community Ltd., a local group led by Terry Trousdale, and transmitted an analog UHF signal on channel 24 from a facility near Awendaw. The station initially relied on syndicated and general-entertainment programming, serving viewers who previously had limited access to a locally based independent outlet. On October 9, 1986, WTAT joined the Fox network as a charter affiliate. Fox was then a new national network, and WTAT's existing independent format made it a logical affiliate in Charleston. The station was sold to Act III Broadcasting in 1987. Abry Communications acquired Act III in 1995 and formed Sullivan Broadcasting to operate the acquired stations. During this period, WTAT carried UPN programming as a secondary affiliation from 1995 through 1997. Sullivan Broadcasting sold its stations to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1998. Because Sinclair already had interests involving another Charleston station, Sinclair transferred WTAT, along with WRGT-TV and WVAH-TV, to Glencairn, Ltd. Glencairn was formally separate but closely connected to Sinclair through ownership and management relationships involving the Smith family, Sinclair's founders. Sinclair continued to operate WTAT through a local marketing arrangement. In 2001, the FCC fined Sinclair for illegally controlling Glencairn. Glencairn was renamed Cunningham Broadcasting later that year, but the ownership relationship remained the subject of continuing scrutiny because Cunningham stations were frequently located in markets where Sinclair faced limits on forming a legal duopoly. Sinclair considered restructuring its Charleston holdings during the proposed acquisition of Allbritton Communications in the 2010s. A 2014 plan contemplated ending Sinclair's operational role at WTAT and transferring certain non-license assets to Cunningham while creating a new services arrangement connected to the prospective ownership of WMMP. That plan did not proceed as originally outlined. Sinclair retained WMMP, moved WCIV's ABC affiliation and call sign to that station, and continued operating WTAT for several more years. Cunningham eventually assumed full operational control around 2019 or 2020, although WTAT continued to share news resources with WCIV. The station's local news history began in the early 1990s, when Fox encouraged major-market affiliates to add local newscasts. WTAT contracted with WCSC-TV to produce a nightly prime-time newscast and a weekday morning program. The prime-time broadcast became The Fox 24 News at 10, while The Fox 24 News at 7 offered a local alternative to the national morning programs carried by the major broadcast networks. The programs used WTAT branding even though much of the production originated at WCSC's Charleston facility. WCSC's news operation upgraded to high-definition production in 2008, but WTAT initially continued transmitting the shared broadcasts in standard definition because its own master-control equipment could not receive the HD feed. A technical upgrade completed in January 2011 enabled WTAT to carry local programming, including news, in high definition. The weekday 10 p.m. newscast had already expanded to one hour in 2009, while the weekend edition remained shorter. On January 1, 2016, WCIV took over production of WTAT's newscasts. The change brought a new anchor to the 10 p.m. program and expanded the morning news block to two hours. In January 2017, WTAT added a 6:30 p.m. newscast and Fox 24 News Now, a late-evening news-magazine format originating from the station's North Charleston studios. WTAT completed the federally mandated analog-to-digital transition on February 17, 2009. Its digital signal moved from pre-transition UHF channel 40 to UHF channel 24. The station continues to operate as a Fox affiliate serving Charleston and nearby communities, with programming and local news supported by its ownership and news-sharing relationships.

• 2017

  Additional news formats launched

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WTAT added a 6:30 p.m. newscast and the Fox 24 News Now late-evening program.

• 2016

  WCIV begins producing newscasts

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Production of WTAT's local newscasts shifted from WCSC-TV to WCIV.

• 2011

  High-definition local programming

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A master-control upgrade enabled WTAT to receive and transmit local programming in high definition.

• 2009

  Analog shutdown

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WTAT ended analog broadcasting and completed its digital transition on UHF channel 24.

• 2001

  Glencairn becomes Cunningham Broadcasting

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Glencairn, the company holding WTAT after the Sinclair restructuring, adopted the Cunningham Broadcasting name.

• 1995

  Sullivan Broadcasting ownership period begins

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Abry Communications acquired Act III and organized its stations under Sullivan Broadcasting.

• 1987

  Act III acquisition

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Act III Broadcasting acquired WTAT from Charleston Television Community Ltd.

• 1986

  Fox affiliation begins

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WTAT became a charter affiliate of the Fox network.

• 1985

  Broadcast launch

  [1]WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WTAT-TV began operations as Charleston's first independent television station.

A local, advertising-supported Fox affiliate serving Charleston and the surrounding South Carolina Lowcountry, combining national Fox programming with locally branded news produced through station partnerships.

• Broadcast television · 1986

  Fox network service

  WTAT's principal programming offering is its Fox network affiliation, which supplies national entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming to viewers in the Charleston market.

• Local news

  Fox 24 News at 10

  WTAT's flagship prime-time local newscast. It originated through outsourced production arrangements and was expanded to a full weekday hour in 2009, with later production provided by WCIV.

• Local morning news

  Fox 24 News at 7

  A weekday morning news program created to provide local coverage on WTAT during the period when competing major-network stations carried national morning broadcasts. Its schedule was later expanded to two hours.

• News magazine · 2017

  Fox 24 News Now

  A late-evening news-magazine-style program introduced as part of WTAT's 2017 expansion of local programming.

• 2001

  FCC control finding involving Glencairn

  The FCC fined Sinclair Broadcast Group for illegally controlling Glencairn, the nominal owner of WTAT and other stations. The arrangement was criticized as an ownership structure that could allow Sinclair to exercise control beyond applicable local television ownership limits.

  Source

Read more

• 2017

  Expand local news scheduleProduct launch

  Background

  After WCIV assumed production of WTAT's newscasts, the station sought to broaden its locally branded news lineup.

  Action taken

  WTAT introduced a traditional 6:30 p.m. newscast and the late-evening news-magazine program Fox 24 News Now.

  Aftermath

  The station increased its daily local-news presence while continuing to use a shared-production model.

  Source

• 2016

  Transfer news production to WCIVStrategy

  Background

  WTAT's previous news-sharing relationship had been with WCSC-TV, while ownership and operating relationships in the Charleston market were being reorganized.

  Action taken

  WTAT shifted production of its local newscasts to WCIV.

  Aftermath

  The change was followed by an expanded morning schedule and additional local-news formats, including a 6:30 p.m. newscast and Fox 24 News Now.

  Source

• 1990

  Outsource local news productionStrategy

  Background

  Fox encouraged major-market affiliates to add local news programming while WTAT did not operate a conventional full in-house newsroom.

  Action taken

  WTAT established a news-sharing arrangement with WCSC-TV to produce a prime-time newscast and a weekday morning program.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement created a durable locally branded news presence on WTAT without requiring the station to build a complete independent news operation.

  Source

• 1986

  Join Fox as a charter affiliateStrategy

  Background

  WTAT was operating as Charleston's only general-entertainment independent station when Fox was preparing to launch its national network.

  Action taken

  The station entered into an affiliation agreement with Fox and began carrying the network's programming.

  Aftermath

  Fox became the station's defining network relationship and remains central to its market position.

  Source

1. 1WTAT-TVen.wikipedia.org