WWSI
WWSI is the Telemundo-owned Spanish-language television station serving the Philadelphia area and southern New Jersey.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WWSI is a Spanish-language television station licensed to Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area as the market's Telemundo outlet. The station operates within NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group and is paired with NBC-owned WCAU, the Philadelphia NBC affiliate. WWSI and WCAU share production, newsroom, technical, and studio resources, while WWSI provides programming primarily for Spanish-speaking audiences across the Delaware Valley and southern New Jersey. The station's origins go back to an Federal Communications Commission proceeding intended to expand local television service in New Jersey. Channel 62 was proposed for Atlantic City in 1980, formally added to the allocation plan in 1984, and subjected to a comparative licensing process during the middle of the decade. Garden State Communications obtained a construction permit in 1987, but the permit remained largely inactive for many years. Progress resumed after Council Tree Communications acquired a majority interest in the permit in 1999. Construction of the transmission facility in Little Egg Harbor Township encountered local opposition involving zoning, proximity to homes, alleged radiation risks, and possible effects on birds. Despite the disputes, the station was built and began broadcasting in January 2001. WWSI launched as a Telemundo affiliate, restoring the network to the Philadelphia market after the previous affiliate, WTVE, ended its relationship with Telemundo at the beginning of 2000. Its early operation included limited local programming and offices in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey. Council Tree became involved in Spanish-language broadcasting during this period, including ownership interests in other Telemundo-related operations. ZGS Communications later acquired WWSI in 2008 for a reported $10 million. NBCUniversal agreed to acquire the station from ZGS in 2013 for a reported $20 million. The completed transaction created a Philadelphia television duopoly with WCAU and brought WWSI into the NBCUniversal station portfolio. NBC expanded the operation's local news capabilities, added bilingual reporting staff, and introduced Spanish-language newscasts under the Noticiero Telemundo 62 identity in January 2014. Further group-wide programming expansions added an afternoon newscast in 2014 and morning and midday editions in 2018. The station's technical footprint changed after NBCUniversal sold its spectrum in the FCC's 2017 incentive auction. WWSI continued broadcasting through the WCAU transmission facility in Philadelphia, and its city of license was changed from Atlantic City to Mount Laurel. The shared transmission arrangement was intended to improve coverage while allowing WWSI to remain a full-power Telemundo service in the market. In 2018, WWSI and WCAU moved from their earlier facilities into floors 12 through 14 of the Comcast Technology Center in Center City Philadelphia. The move gave the Telemundo operation a substantially expanded newsroom and studio environment and further integrated the station with its NBC sister operation. Today, WWSI's brand combines national Telemundo programming with locally produced Spanish-language news and community-oriented coverage. Its principal identity is that of Telemundo 62, while its underlying FCC call sign remains WWSI. The station's business is television broadcasting rather than a separately listed consumer company, and its programming, newsroom, transmission, and digital activities are managed within the wider NBCUniversal and Telemundo Station Group structure.
History
WWSI's channel assignment emerged from a federal effort to improve television service in New Jersey. In 1980, the FCC proposed assigning channel 62 to Atlantic City. The allocation was finalized in 1984, and five applications were designated for comparative consideration in 1986. A settlement involving Garden State Communications was registered in 1987, but the proposed station remained dormant for much of the following decade. The permit also became associated with a 1990 Securities and Exchange Commission action involving alleged unlawful fundraising for the proposed station. The project began moving toward construction after Council Tree Communications sought a majority interest in the permit in 1999. Construction of the station's tower in Little Egg Harbor Township began around 2000 and faced local resistance. Opponents raised concerns about the tower's location near homes, alleged deficiencies in zoning approvals, possible radiation exposure, and risks to birds. Work was temporarily interrupted during one dispute. The township's agreement to take ownership of the completed tower helped address a planning-approval issue, although objections continued during construction. Council Tree had developed an interest in Spanish-language broadcasting while WWSI was being built. It acquired a Telemundo affiliate in Denver in 2000 and later pursued an interest in the Telemundo network. WWSI ultimately signed on in January 2001 as a Telemundo affiliate. The launch restored Telemundo programming to the Philadelphia market after WTVE's disaffiliation at the beginning of 2000. The new station initially maintained offices in Philadelphia and Northfield, New Jersey, but carried relatively little local programming. Council Tree transferred its ownership interest to NBC later in 2001 while retaining WWSI itself. The station began digital broadcasting on channel 49 in November 2002. In 2008, ZGS Communications acquired WWSI for a reported $10 million. ZGS operated the station until NBCUniversal agreed to purchase it for a reported $20 million in 2013. The transaction was completed in July of that year and paired WWSI with WCAU, NBC's Philadelphia station, in a local television duopoly. NBCUniversal used the acquisition to expand WWSI's local journalism. WCAU's news operation was enlarged to support Spanish-language coverage, and the combined operation added 15 employees, including bilingual reporters. Ramón Luis Zayas was identified as an anchor for the new service. On January 13, 2014, WWSI began airing Noticiero Telemundo 62 at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. The station subsequently participated in Telemundo-owned-station news expansions, adding a 5:30 p.m. program in 2014 and 6 a.m. and noon newscasts in 2018. WWSI's transmission arrangements changed as a result of the FCC's spectrum incentive auction. NBCUniversal sold the station's spectrum for a reported $125.9 million in 2017. Rather than cease broadcasting, WWSI moved onto the WCAU multiplex and began transmitting from WCAU's tower in Philadelphia's Roxborough section. Its city of license was changed to Mount Laurel, New Jersey, an arrangement NBCUniversal said would improve coverage. WWSI and WCAU moved into the Comcast Technology Center in 2018, occupying floors 12 through 14. The facility provided a larger, more integrated production environment for the Telemundo operation. WWSI remains an active Telemundo station serving Philadelphia and surrounding communities. Its current identity is principally expressed through the Telemundo 62 brand, local Spanish-language newscasts, network programming, digital content, and advertising. The station is operated alongside WCAU within NBCUniversal's wider broadcast portfolio.
- 2018
Operations move to Comcast Technology Center
[1]WWSI and WCAU consolidated operations in the Comcast Technology Center in Center City Philadelphia.
- 2017
Spectrum sold through FCC auction
[1]WWSI's spectrum was sold in the FCC incentive auction, after which the station continued through WCAU's transmission facilities.
- 2014
Local news service launches
[1]Noticiero Telemundo 62 began airing evening local newscasts.
- 2013
NBCUniversal acquisition completed
[1]NBCUniversal acquired WWSI and combined it operationally with WCAU.
- 2008
ZGS ownership begins
[1]ZGS Communications acquired WWSI in a reported $10 million transaction.
- 2002
Digital broadcasting begins
[1]The station began digital transmission on channel 49.
- 2001
WWSI signs on
[1]WWSI began broadcasting in January as the Philadelphia-area Telemundo affiliate.
- 1999
Council Tree pursues majority permit interest
[1]Council Tree Communications filed to acquire a majority stake in the dormant construction permit, helping restart the station project.
- 1987
Garden State Communications receives construction permit
[1]A settlement was registered that moved Garden State Communications toward control of the proposed channel 62 construction permit.
- 1984
Channel 62 allocation finalized
[1]The FCC finalized the allocation of channel 62 to Atlantic City, New Jersey, as part of a plan to improve television service in the state.
Products and positioning
A local Spanish-language television and news brand for Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and the wider Delaware Valley, supported by Telemundo's national network and NBCUniversal's station infrastructure.
Local television news · 2014
Telemundo 62 local news
WWSI's locally produced Spanish-language news service covers Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and nearby Delaware Valley communities. The service was expanded after NBCUniversal acquired the station and is produced through the station's integrated relationship with WCAU. Programming has included evening, late-evening, afternoon, morning, and midday editions.
Spanish-language television network programming · 2001
Telemundo network programming
As the Philadelphia-area Telemundo station, WWSI broadcasts the network's Spanish-language entertainment, news, sports, and special programming to viewers in its designated market. Network affiliation has been central to the station's identity since its launch in 2001.
Broadcast television distribution · 2002
WWSI digital and over-the-air service
WWSI provides over-the-air television service through transmission infrastructure shared with WCAU. The station began digital broadcasting in 2002 and later moved to the WCAU multiplex after its original spectrum was sold in the FCC incentive auction.
Brand decisions
2018
Move to Comcast Technology CenterStrategyBackground
WWSI and WCAU had been operating through related facilities and sought a more integrated technical and newsroom environment.
Action taken
The stations moved into floors 12 through 14 of the Comcast Technology Center in Center City Philadelphia.
Aftermath
The move provided WWSI with a larger studio and more closely integrated its Spanish-language operation with WCAU and NBCUniversal's Philadelphia media infrastructure.
2017
Spectrum disposition and transmission consolidationStrategyBackground
The FCC incentive auction created an opportunity for broadcasters to sell spectrum while continuing service through shared or repacked facilities.
Action taken
NBCUniversal sold WWSI's spectrum and shifted the station's transmission to the WCAU multiplex and tower in Philadelphia's Roxborough section.
Aftermath
WWSI continued operating, changed its city of license to Mount Laurel, and used a transmission arrangement intended to improve market coverage.
Reported spectrum-auction proceeds. $125.9 million (2017 FCC incentive auction)
2014
Launch of Noticiero Telemundo 62Product launchBackground
After acquiring WWSI, NBCUniversal sought to strengthen local Spanish-language journalism in the Philadelphia market.
Action taken
The station launched local newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., supported by bilingual reporters and an expanded newsroom.
Aftermath
WWSI later added additional afternoon, morning, and midday news editions through broader Telemundo station-group expansions.
2013
NBCUniversal acquires WWSIM&ABackground
WWSI was operating as a Telemundo affiliate under ZGS Communications, with limited local programming compared with a fully integrated owned-and-operated station.
Action taken
NBCUniversal purchased the station and paired it with Philadelphia NBC affiliate WCAU, creating a local television duopoly.
Aftermath
The acquisition led to expanded staffing, shared facilities, and the launch of a dedicated local Spanish-language news operation.
Reported acquisition price. $20 million (2013 transaction)
Recent events
KYW Newsradio and NBC10/Telemundo62 announce content-sharing partnership[2]
Reported:
KYW Newsradio and NBC10/Telemundo62 formed a partnership involving content sharing across sister stations, websites, and social media channels. KYW Newsradio switched from CBS3's weather team to NBC10's First Alert weather team.
Sources2 sources
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