WAFB

WAFB is a commercial television station serving Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the surrounding south-central Louisiana market. Broadcasting on virtual and VHF channel 9, the station is affiliated with CBS and is owned by Gray Media. WAFB operates alongside WBXH-CD, a low-power sister station carrying independent and MyNetworkTV-related programming, from shared studios on Government Street in downtown Baton Rouge. WAFB's transmitter is situated near River Road in the Riverbend area of the city. The station began broadcasting on April 19, 1953, as Baton Rouge's first television station and Louisiana's second. It was created as the television extension of the WAFB radio stations, which had begun operating in 1948. Louis S. Prejean and his associates, operating as Modern Broadcasting of Baton Rouge, were the original owners. The station initially transmitted on UHF channel 28, moved to VHF channel 9 in 1960, and has maintained a CBS affiliation throughout its history, while carrying selected programming from NBC, ABC, DuMont, the Paramount Television Network, and the NTA Film Network during earlier periods when local network availability was limited. Ownership changed several times. Royal Street Corporation, the New Orleans owner of WDSU-TV, acquired the television station in 1956. Royal Street sold it to Guaranty Corporation in 1964, beginning a long period of locally based ownership. In 1965, WAFB moved its transmission facility from Zachary to a site south of Louisiana State University and began broadcasting in color, materially expanding its coverage. Guaranty sold the station to AFLAC in 1988. During the AFLAC era, WAFB received a major studio redesign, adopted the long-running positioning line “Louisiana's News Channel,” eliminated the “-TV” suffix from its call sign, and expanded to a 24-hour schedule in 1990. AFLAC also reshaped the station's local programming. The long-running children's program Storyland, hosted by Buckskin Bill Black, was cancelled in its daily form in 1988 and replaced by a Saturday-morning format, Buckskin Bill and Friends, which continued until 1990. Black's programs had been a significant part of WAFB's local identity, combining educational material, puppetry, games, and early accessibility efforts for hearing-impaired viewers. His penny-raising campaigns helped support the creation of the Baton Rouge Zoo. In 1997, AFLAC sold its broadcasting division to Raycom Media. Raycom later acquired WBXH-CA in 2003, making it a WAFB sister station; WBXH subsequently became associated with UPN and then MyNetworkTV programming. Gray Television agreed to acquire Raycom in 2018 in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.6 billion, and the transaction closed on January 2, 2019. WAFB consequently became part of Gray's nationwide local-television portfolio and gained additional Louisiana sister stations, including KNOE-TV in Monroe and KALB-TV in Alexandria. WAFB's core business is local television news, weather, sports, community programming, CBS network content, syndicated programming, digital publishing, and advertising. The station has historically competed closely with WBRZ-TV for Baton Rouge news leadership. Investments in newsroom staffing, presentation, and production during the AFLAC and Raycom years helped WAFB overtake WBRZ in certain ratings during the 1990s. Its news operation later expanded through high-definition production, earlier morning coverage, additional afternoon programming, a longer evening newscast, and a weekday 9 a.m. broadcast. The station has also expanded into sports distribution. Beginning with a limited 2023–24 agreement, WAFB aired selected New Orleans Pelicans basketball games. A broader Gray agreement announced in 2024 established the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, giving WAFB access to nearly all Pelicans games for the 2024–25 season through a Gray-owned regional sports and entertainment service. WAFB remains an active CBS affiliate and a major loc…

WAFB began service on April 19, 1953, as Baton Rouge's first television station and Louisiana's second. It was established by Modern Broadcasting of Baton Rouge, led by Louis S. Prejean and associates, as a television counterpart to the WAFB radio stations that had launched in 1948. The station originally operated on UHF channel 28 and carried CBS programming, while also presenting selected programs from other networks and independent distributors during the early development of local television. Royal Street Corporation acquired WAFB in 1956. The company, based in New Orleans, also owned WDSU-TV. WAFB's radio properties were separated from the television station in 1957. In 1960, the television station moved to VHF channel 9, a change coordinated with the channel reassignment of WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Guaranty Corporation purchased WAFB from Royal Street in 1964. The following year, WAFB moved its transmitter from Zachary to a location south of LSU, substantially increasing the area receiving its signal, and began color broadcasting. The station's local identity was strongly shaped by its children's programming. Buckskin Bill Black hosted Storyland and The Buckskin Bill Show from 1955 through 1990. The programs used stories, puppets, educational games, and audience participation to serve younger viewers. They also used a sign-language interpreter before closed captioning became widespread. Black's campaigns encouraging children to donate pennies helped fund the acquisition of elephants for the Baton Rouge Zoo. AFLAC acquired WAFB in 1988 as part of its purchase of Guaranty's broadcasting operations. The new owner invested approximately $2 million in a studio redesign, changed the station's branding to “Louisiana's News Channel,” and removed the “-TV” suffix from the call sign. AFLAC cancelled the daily version of Storyland in September 1988 and replaced it with the Saturday program Buckskin Bill and Friends. That program ended in 1990, the same year WAFB began 24-hour broadcasting. AFLAC also adjusted the scheduling of CBS daytime programs so that selected network shows provided stronger lead-ins for local noon and evening newscasts. This unusual scheduling practice continued until 2019. AFLAC sold its broadcasting division to Raycom Media in 1997. Raycom acquired WBXH-CA in 2003, creating a sister-station relationship with WAFB. WBXH later became associated with UPN and MyNetworkTV programming. WAFB's news operation grew in competitiveness during the 1990s as ownership invested in newsroom continuity, presentation, and production. The station surpassed longtime market leader WBRZ in portions of the ratings during that period and developed a reputation for strong local news performance. WAFB converted its local newscasts to high definition on March 3, 2008. It ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, and moved its digital transmission to VHF channel 9. Later service expansions included a 4:30 a.m. morning-news start in 2011, a 4 p.m. newscast introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, an expanded one-hour 6 p.m. newscast in 2020, and a weekday 9 a.m. newscast launched in 2023. Gray Television announced its agreement to combine with Raycom in 2018. The transaction, valued at approximately $3.6 billion, closed on January 2, 2019, making WAFB part of Gray's national television group. The merger added Louisiana sister stations such as KNOE-TV and KALB-TV to the combined company's portfolio. WAFB and WBXH continue to share Baton Rouge facilities while operating distinct services. In sports, WAFB began carrying selected New Orleans Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season. In 2024, Gray and the Pelicans announced the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, a broader distribution arrangement covering nearly all Pelicans games for the 2024–25 season on participating Gray stations, including WAFB.

1. 2024Regional Pelicans distribution expands

   WAFB joins Gray's Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network distribution of Pelicans games.

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2. 2019Gray completes Raycom merger

   WAFB becomes part of Gray Television after the merger closes.

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3. 2008Local news moves to high definition

   WAFB becomes the first Baton Rouge station to produce local broadcasts in HD.

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4. 1997Raycom acquires WAFB

   Raycom Media purchases AFLAC's broadcasting division, including WAFB.

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5. 199024-hour broadcasting begins

   WAFB starts round-the-clock broadcasting.

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6. 1988AFLAC ownership begins

   AFLAC acquires the station, redesigns its studios, and introduces the Louisiana's News Channel identity.

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7. 1965Expanded transmission and color service

   WAFB moves its tower south of LSU and begins broadcasting in color.

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8. 1960Move to VHF channel 9

   The station shifts from UHF channel 28 to VHF channel 9.

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9. 1953WAFB begins broadcasting

   WAFB signs on as Baton Rouge's first television station and Louisiana's second.

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A locally focused CBS affiliate positioned around Baton Rouge news, weather, public-service information, and regional sports, supported by the identity “Louisiana's News Channel.”

• WAFB Local NewsLocal television news1953

  WAFB's principal service is a schedule of local newscasts covering Baton Rouge and surrounding Louisiana communities. The operation includes morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and late-night coverage, along with weather, traffic, investigations, and community reporting. News programming is also supplied to sister station WBXH and has been distributed through a dedicated cable outlet carrying simulcasts and rebroadcasts.

• CBS programmingNetwork television1953

  WAFB has been a CBS affiliate since its launch. For many years it altered the daytime schedule of selected CBS programs to strengthen lead-ins for its local news, airing The Price Is Right and The Young and the Restless at times different from the network's usual schedule. The station returned those programs to recommended time slots in 2019.

• Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment NetworkRegional sports programming2024

  Through Gray's regional sports arrangement with the New Orleans Pelicans, WAFB carries Pelicans games for viewers in its Louisiana market. The service developed from a limited ten-game agreement for the 2023–24 season into a broader 2024–25 distribution plan covering nearly all Pelicans games on participating Gray stations.

• Storyland and Buckskin Bill programsChildren's television1955

  Hosted by Buckskin Bill Black, these locally produced children's programs were a major part of WAFB's early identity. They combined storytelling, puppets, educational games, music, and civic campaigns. Storyland ran in daily form for decades before being replaced by the Saturday program Buckskin Bill and Friends in 1988; the successor program ended in 1990.

• 1960Buckskin Bill Zoo Penny Campaign

  Baton Rouge · East Baton Rouge Parish

  Buckskin Bill used WAFB's children's programming to encourage children to donate pennies toward the creation of the Baton Rouge Zoo. The campaign raised enough to help purchase two elephants.

  Outcome. The fundraising effort contributed to the establishment and early development of the Baton Rouge Zoo.

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• 2024Pelicans regional sports network expansionProduct launch

  After a limited arrangement to air ten Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season, Gray and the New Orleans Pelicans pursued broader regional distribution.

  What changed. WAFB joined the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, which was planned to carry nearly all 2024–25 Pelicans games across participating Gray stations.

  Aftermath. The agreement broadened WAFB's sports programming beyond its traditional local-news and CBS schedule.

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• 2019Integration into Gray TelevisionM&A

  Gray Television agreed to combine with Raycom Media, WAFB's owner, creating a substantially larger local-television group.

  What changed. The merger closed on January 2, 2019, transferring WAFB into Gray's corporate portfolio.

  Aftermath. WAFB gained Gray sister stations in additional Louisiana markets and continued operating with WBXH from shared Baton Rouge facilities.

  Transaction value. $3.6 billion (Announced 2018; completed January 2, 2019)

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• 1988Repositioning as Louisiana's News ChannelStrategy

  Following AFLAC's acquisition, the station sought to strengthen its local-news identity and improve its competitive position in the Baton Rouge market.

  What changed. WAFB redesigned its studios, adopted the Louisiana's News Channel slogan, and invested in a more prominent news-focused presentation.

  Aftermath. The identity remained associated with WAFB and the station later improved its competitive standing against WBRZ.

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• 1988Cancellation and reformatting of StorylandStrategy

  AFLAC changed WAFB's programming strategy after acquiring the station, including its treatment of the long-running local children's franchise.

  What changed. The daily Storyland program was cancelled and replaced by the Saturday-morning Buckskin Bill and Friends.

  Aftermath. The replacement continued until 1990, after which WAFB no longer carried the long-running Buckskin Bill format.

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• 2024Gray launches Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network

  Gray and the Pelicans announced a broader regional arrangement under which WAFB would carry nearly all Pelicans games during the 2024–25 season.

  Product launch
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• 2023WAFB and New Orleans Pelicans announce selected-game agreement

  Gray Television announced that WAFB would carry ten Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season.

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• 2023WAFB expands local news schedule

  The station introduced a weekday 9 a.m. newscast, extending its local-news offering.

  Product launch
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• 2019WAFB joins Gray Media following Raycom merger

  Gray Television completed its acquisition of Raycom Media, placing WAFB within Gray's enlarged television group.

  M&A
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1. WAFB
2. WAFB official website