WZDC-CD
WZDC-CD is a Class A television station serving the Washington, D.C., market as its Telemundo Spanish-language network outlet.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
WZDC-CD is a Spanish-language television station serving Washington, D.C., and the surrounding metropolitan market. It is affiliated with Telemundo and is owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group. The station operates alongside NBC-owned WRC-TV, the market's NBC affiliate, from shared facilities on Nebraska Avenue in the Tenleytown neighborhood of northwest Washington. WZDC-CD also provides master-control functions for sister station WRTD-CD in Raleigh, North Carolina, and hosts that station's public-file information through its online operations. The station began broadcasting in April 1994 under the call sign W64BW on UHF channel 64. It served as the local Telemundo affiliate during its early years. After the station became associated with ZGS Broadcasting, its call letters changed to WZGS-LP in December 1995 and then to WZDC-LP in June 2000. The WZDC identity reflected the station's ownership and local-market branding. In June 2002, it expanded beyond network programming by beginning locally produced Spanish-language newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on weeknights. Federal spectrum policy shaped the station's subsequent technical history. In April 2007, WZDC-LP moved from channel 64 to channel 25 because the upper portion of the television band was being reclaimed in connection with the digital television transition. The station received Class A status in September 2008 and adopted the call sign WZDC-CA. After an earlier application for a new digital signal on channel 26 was dismissed, the station received authorization in March 2011 to convert to digital operation through a flash cut on channel 25. It subsequently became WZDC-CD in September 2011. WZDC's ownership and transmission arrangements changed substantially after the 2016–17 broadcast incentive auction. The station received $66,182,037 for relinquishing its spectrum, while indicating that it intended to preserve over-the-air service through a channel-sharing arrangement. In September 2017, NBCUniversal announced plans to establish a Telemundo owned-and-operated operation based at WRC-TV. The planned arrangement was connected to the ability to recover the Telemundo affiliation for the Washington market after the spectrum transaction. In December 2017, Telemundo Station Group announced its acquisition of ZGS Broadcasting's 13 television stations, including WZDC-CD. NBCUniversal began operating WZDC through a local marketing agreement on January 1, 2018. The station then entered a channel-sharing agreement with WRC-TV. On March 7, 2018, WZDC ended transmission from its former independent channel-25 facility and began using capacity on WRC-TV's full-power signal, identified through a different virtual-channel assignment. Although WZDC retains a low-power Class A license, the arrangement gives its programming broad reception across the Washington television market. The channel-sharing transition also required a complex virtual-channel selection process because several nearby or overlapping stations already used relevant virtual numbers. The station's former virtual channel 25 conflicted with WDVM-TV. A potential reassignment to virtual channel 26 conflicted with WETA-TV, while a proposed use of virtual channel 64 created another overlap. The final assignment became virtual channel 44, derived through the applicable broadcast identification rules and available in the market. WZDC's present programming includes Telemundo network content and locally produced Spanish-language news. The station carries 10 hours of local newscasts each week, with weekday editions at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., as well as local morning inserts during Hoy Día. Before Major League Soccer's regional rights moved to Apple TV+, WZDC also carried Spanish-language D.C. United matches on its TeleXitos subchannel, complementing English-language coverage on NBC Sports Washington. Its positioning is therefore based on Spanish-language local news, national network programming, community relevance, and sports coverage for the Washington area's Hispanic audience.
History
WZDC-CD signed on in April 1994 as W64BW on UHF channel 64, serving as the Washington market's Telemundo affiliate. The station changed its call letters to WZGS-LP in December 1995 after becoming associated with ZGS Broadcasting, and to WZDC-LP in June 2000. In June 2002, it added locally produced Spanish-language newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on weeknights. As the federal government reclaimed television spectrum above channel 51 for other uses and the digital television transition approached, the station moved from channel 64 to channel 25 in April 2007. It received Class A status in September 2008 and became WZDC-CA. An application for a new digital signal on channel 26 was dismissed, but the station later received authorization to flash-cut to digital on channel 25. The digital transition was completed in September 2011, when the call sign changed to WZDC-CD. The station's most consequential transformation followed the 2016–17 broadcast incentive auction. WZDC-CD received $66,182,037 for giving up its spectrum, with plans to preserve service through a post-auction channel-sharing arrangement. In September 2017, NBCUniversal announced plans for a Washington Telemundo owned-and-operated operation based at WRC-TV, explaining that the spectrum transaction enabled the company to take back the Telemundo affiliation for the market. In December of that year, Telemundo Station Group announced its purchase of ZGS Broadcasting's 13 television stations, including WZDC-CD. NBCUniversal began operating WZDC under a local marketing agreement on January 1, 2018. On March 7, the station stopped transmitting on its former independent channel-25 signal and began sharing WRC-TV's full-power signal. The arrangement allowed the Class A station to retain a broad Washington-market over-the-air presence. It also required a new virtual-channel assignment because channel 25 and potential alternatives conflicted with other stations in the region. The final virtual channel became 44. Today, WZDC-CD operates from shared WZDC/WRC facilities on Nebraska Avenue in Tenleytown. It provides Telemundo network programming and 10 hours of weekly locally produced news, including weekday broadcasts at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., plus morning inserts during Hoy Día. The station has also carried Spanish-language sports programming, including D.C. United matches on its TeleXitos subchannel before the club's regional rights moved to Apple TV+.
- 2018
WZDC begins channel sharing with WRC-TV
[1]WZDC ends its separate channel-25 transmission and moves to WRC-TV's full-power signal under a channel-sharing arrangement.
- 2017
Spectrum incentive-auction transaction
[1]WZDC-CD receives $66,182,037 for relinquishing its spectrum while planning to preserve service through channel sharing.
- 2017
Telemundo Station Group announces ZGS acquisition
[1]Telemundo Station Group announces the purchase of ZGS Broadcasting's television stations, including WZDC-CD.
- 2011
Digital operation begins
[1]WZDC completes an authorized digital flash cut on channel 25 and becomes WZDC-CD.
- 2008
Class A status granted
[1]The station receives Class A status and changes its call sign to WZDC-CA.
- 2007
Station moves from channel 64 to channel 25
[1]WZDC-LP moves to channel 25 as channel 64 is removed from television broadcasting.
- 2002
Local Spanish-language news launches
[1]WZDC begins producing weekday local newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- 2000
Call sign changes to WZDC-LP
[1]The station changes its call letters to WZDC-LP.
- 1995
Call sign changes to WZGS-LP
[1]The station adopts the WZGS-LP call sign after its association with ZGS Broadcasting.
- 1994
Station signs on as W64BW
[1]W64BW begins broadcasting on UHF channel 64 as the Washington market's Telemundo affiliate.
Products and positioning
A local Spanish-language television outlet for the Washington, D.C., market, combining Telemundo network programming with locally produced news and selected sports coverage. Its current technical model uses WRC-TV's full-power transmission facilities to provide broad market reception despite WZDC-CD's Class A license.
Television news · 2002
Local Spanish-language news
WZDC produces local Spanish-language newscasts for the Washington market. Its regular schedule includes weekday editions at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., totaling 10 hours of locally produced news each week. The station also supplies local morning inserts during Telemundo's Hoy Día, extending its local service into the morning schedule.
Broadcast television · 1994
Telemundo network programming
As the Washington area's Telemundo outlet, WZDC carries Spanish-language network programming supplied by Telemundo. The station combines national network content with local news and market-specific programming, distributing its service through capacity on sister station WRC-TV's full-power transmission.
Sports broadcasting
D.C. United Spanish-language coverage
Before the club's regional media rights moved to Apple TV+, WZDC carried D.C. United matches in Spanish on its TeleXitos subchannel. The arrangement complemented English-language coverage available through NBC Sports Washington and gave Spanish-speaking viewers a local broadcast option.
Brand decisions
2018
Move to WRC-TV's full-power transmissionStrategyBackground
WZDC's separate channel-25 signal was being replaced after the station's spectrum transaction and NBCUniversal's acquisition of the station.
Action taken
WZDC entered a channel-sharing agreement with WRC-TV and shut off its own signal on March 7, 2018.
Aftermath
Although WZDC retained a Class A license, its programming gained distribution through WRC-TV's full-power facilities and received virtual channel 44 after other assignments conflicted.
2017
Retain over-the-air service through channel sharingStrategyBackground
The station relinquished its spectrum in the 2016–17 incentive auction but sought to preserve a terrestrial broadcast presence in the Washington market.
Action taken
WZDC pursued a post-auction channel-sharing arrangement and subsequently moved its service to WRC-TV's full-power transmission.
Aftermath
The arrangement enabled WZDC to continue serving the market while ending its separate transmission on channel 25.
Incentive-auction proceeds. $66,182,037 (2016–2017 broadcast incentive auction)
2017
Telemundo Station Group acquires WZGS Broadcasting stationsM&ABackground
WZDC-CD was part of ZGS Broadcasting's portfolio of television stations while NBCUniversal was reorganizing its Telemundo presence in Washington.
Action taken
Telemundo Station Group announced the purchase of 13 ZGS television stations, including WZDC-CD.
Aftermath
NBCUniversal assumed operations of WZDC through a local marketing agreement on January 1, 2018, followed by the WRC-TV channel-sharing transition.
Recent events
- 2018
WZDC-CD begins NBCUniversal operation and moves to WRC-TV channel sharing[1]
M&A · Other
NBCUniversal assumed operations under a local marketing agreement on January 1, and WZDC began sharing WRC-TV's signal on March 7 after shutting off its separate channel-25 transmission.
- 2017
WZDC-CD receives incentive-auction proceeds and plans channel sharing[1]
Other
The station received $66,182,037 in the 2016–17 broadcast incentive auction for relinquishing its spectrum, while planning to retain over-the-air distribution through channel sharing.
- 2017
NBCUniversal announces a Washington Telemundo owned-and-operated operation[1]
Leadership change
NBCUniversal announced that it would establish a Telemundo owned-and-operated station operation based at WRC-TV, linking the move to the recovery of the Telemundo affiliation in the Washington market.
- 2017
Telemundo Station Group acquires WZDC-CD from ZGS Broadcasting[1]
M&A
Telemundo Station Group announced the purchase of ZGS Broadcasting's 13 television stations, including WZDC-CD.
- 2011
WZDC-CD completes its transition to digital broadcasting[1]
Other
After receiving authorization for a digital flash cut on channel 25, the station began digital operation and adopted the WZDC-CD call sign.
- 2008
WZDC-CD receives Class A status and adopts the WZDC-CA call sign[1]
Other
The station obtained Class A status and changed its call sign from WZDC-LP to WZDC-CA.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wzdc-cd · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled