WBAL-TV

WBAL-TV, branded as WBAL-TV 11 and commonly associated with the 11 News identity, is a television station serving Baltimore, Maryland, and surrounding communities. The station broadcasts on channel 11 and is affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Hearst Corporation through Hearst Television, making it one of the company’s oldest and most historically important broadcast assets. WBAL-TV operates alongside Hearst-owned radio stations WBAL (1090 AM) and WIYY (97.9 FM), with the three outlets sharing facilities on Television Hill in Baltimore’s Woodberry neighborhood. The station began broadcasting on March 11, 1948, as Maryland’s second television station. Its launch followed the established NBC affiliation of WBAL radio and reflected the Hearst organization’s broader presence in Baltimore media, which at the time also included newspapers. WBAL-TV has remained continuously associated with Hearst through the company’s changing television subsidiaries and corporate structure, an unusual degree of ownership continuity in American local broadcasting. During its early decades, WBAL-TV developed a broad local-programming operation. Its schedule included news, sports, public-affairs programming, children’s entertainment, food and lifestyle shows, quiz programs, music programming, and locally produced bowling series. The station helped originate Romper Room, a children’s program created locally by Bert and Nancy Claster that later became a nationally distributed format. It also became known for technical and editorial experimentation, including early color broadcasting, adoption of videocassette technology, mobile satellite news gathering, and innovations in local news production. WBAL-TV’s network history has included two major affiliation changes. It launched as an NBC affiliate and remained with NBC until 1981, when it exchanged affiliations with WMAR-TV and became a CBS station. That arrangement lasted until 1995. A complex sequence of national affiliation realignments involving ABC, CBS, NBC, Westinghouse Broadcasting, and other stations left NBC without a Baltimore affiliate. WBAL-TV returned to NBC on January 2, 1995, and has remained with the network since then. The station’s decision to continue with NBC in 1977, rather than accept an invitation to join ABC, is another notable point in its affiliation history. Local news has been central to WBAL-TV’s identity. The station has often competed with WJZ-TV for leadership in Baltimore ratings and has historically maintained a strong position in evening newscasts. In 1974 it introduced an Action News format emphasizing brief, energetic reports and a faster-paced presentation. Its news operation has also been associated with regional investigative reporting and public-service journalism, including coverage of Chesapeake Bay pollution that earned the station a Peabody Award. WBAL-TV became the first Baltimore television station to receive that award for local news coverage. The station has maintained a substantial local schedule, including multiple daily newscasts and the Sunday public-affairs program 11 TV Hill. It expanded its digital-subchannel news presence with a 10 p.m. newscast on WBAL Plus in 2012 and expanded its morning news to an earlier 4:30 a.m. start in 2015. WBAL-TV converted its local news production to high definition in 2009, with field reporting completing the transition over the following years. Sports coverage has been another important part of the brand. WBAL-TV carried Baltimore Colts games during NBC’s American Football Conference rights period, including coverage connected with the Colts’ victory in Super Bowl V. It later became the original station of record for the Baltimore Ravens when the relocated franchise began play in 1996, although most Ravens telecasts moved to WJZ-TV in 1998. As an NBC affiliate, WBAL-TV continues to carry Ravens games shown through NBC’s national schedule, while selected ESPN games are available through Hearst’s ownership interes…

WBAL-TV signed on March 11, 1948, from studios on North Charles Street in downtown Baltimore. It was the second television station in Maryland and was established by the Hearst organization, which already owned WBAL radio and Baltimore newspapers. The radio station’s long-standing relationship with NBC helped determine the television station’s original affiliation. Hearst has retained ownership continuously through its successive broadcast subsidiaries, making WBAL-TV one of the company’s oldest continuously owned television properties. The station’s early schedule reflected the experimental nature of local television. WBAL-TV produced news and sports, cooking and lifestyle programs, quiz shows, children’s entertainment, and Baltimore-focused features. Locally created programs such as Musical Almanac, Look and Cook, and Know Baltimore helped establish the station’s regional identity. Romper Room, developed in Baltimore by Bert and Nancy Claster during the 1950s, later became a nationally franchised and syndicated children’s program. In subsequent decades, the station produced bowling programs and youth-oriented entertainment, including shows built around duckpin bowling and local music culture. WBAL-TV developed a reputation for technical innovation. It was the first Baltimore station to broadcast in color and among the earliest television operations to acquire videocassette equipment. It later became the first Baltimore station to deploy a mobile satellite news-gathering system, known as NEWSTAR 11. The station also advanced diversity in local broadcasting, becoming the first Baltimore station to employ an African-American news anchor and a Black news director. In 1977, ABC sought to improve its Baltimore affiliation and invited WBAL-TV to switch networks. The station declined and stayed with NBC, citing concerns about ABC’s then-weak evening-news performance. A more consequential change came in 1981. CBS ended its relationship with WMAR-TV and selected WBAL-TV, whose local news and non-network programming were viewed as stronger. The affiliation exchange took place on August 30, 1981, and WBAL-TV operated as a CBS affiliate for more than thirteen years. During that period it preempted portions of CBS’s daytime, Saturday-morning, and late-night schedules, choices that sometimes made programs available through Washington stations or other Baltimore outlets instead. The station returned to NBC amid the large national affiliation realignment of 1994–95. ABC moved to WMAR-TV, CBS moved to WJZ-TV through arrangements involving Westinghouse Broadcasting, and NBC lost its Baltimore outlet. WBAL-TV selected NBC over Fox, with sports programming cited as an important consideration. The switch occurred January 2, 1995, after an interim arrangement designed to coordinate the changes among the affected stations. WBAL-TV has remained an NBC affiliate since then. Sports programming has connected the station to major Baltimore teams. It carried Baltimore Colts games during NBC’s AFC package, including the team’s Super Bowl V season, and later became the Baltimore Ravens’ station of record when the franchise began play in 1996. That role was reduced after 1998, when most Ravens games moved to WJZ-TV, but WBAL-TV still carries games distributed nationally by NBC and certain ESPN telecasts. The station also broadcast Orioles games under NBC’s and CBS’s baseball contracts. WBAL-TV’s news operation has generally ranked among Baltimore’s strongest. It introduced the Action News format in 1974, using short reports, brisk pacing, and a distinctive presentation to challenge WJZ-TV’s long-standing dominance. The station has produced investigative and public-service reports, including an award-winning examination of Chesapeake Bay pollution that earned a Peabody Award. Its news brand includes daily local newscasts, weather and traffic coverage, investigative reporting, and the Sunday public-affairs program 11 TV Hill. Technologically, WBAL-TV began local high-definition news production in January 2009. Studio output and selected helicopter material were initially available in HD, while the transition of field reports continued into 2012. In March 2012, the station added a 10 p.m. newscast to its WBAL Plus digital subchannel, and in January 2015 it moved its weekday morning news start to 4:30 a.m. The station’s studios and offices are now located on Television Hill, shared with WBAL radio and WIYY. Its transmitter is also part of the Baltimore broadcast infrastructure on and around the hill. WBAL-TV remains an active Hearst Television station centered on Baltimore-area news, NBC programming, weather, sports, public affairs, and digital distribution. Its principal historical distinction is the combination of uninterrupted Hearst ownership, a long local-news tradition, two major network affiliations before returning permanently to NBC, and an unusually extensive record of local programming and broadcast innovation.

1. 2015Morning news expands

   The weekday morning program expands to begin at 4:30 a.m.

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2. 2012WBAL Plus newscast launches

   A 10 p.m. newscast debuts on the station’s digital subchannel.

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3. 2009Local news moves to HD

   The station begins high-definition local-news production.

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4. 1995Returns to NBC

   WBAL-TV resumes its NBC affiliation on January 2 after the 1990s network realignment.

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5. 1981CBS affiliation begins

   The station exchanges affiliations with WMAR-TV and becomes a CBS affiliate.

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6. 1974Action News introduced

   WBAL-TV adopts a faster-paced local-news format that briefly moves it ahead of WJZ-TV in Baltimore ratings.

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7. 1970Becomes a Colts broadcast outlet

   NBC’s AFC rights make WBAL-TV the Baltimore Colts’ station of record.

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8. 1950Romper Room develops locally

   Bert and Nancy Claster develop the Baltimore children’s program that later becomes a nationally distributed format.

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9. 1948Station signs on

   WBAL-TV begins broadcasting on March 11 as Maryland’s second television station and an NBC affiliate.

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A long-established Baltimore local-news and broadcast brand combining NBC network programming with regional journalism, weather, sports, public affairs, and Hearst media resources.

• 11 NewsLocal newscast

  WBAL-TV’s principal local-news identity, covering Baltimore-area breaking news, investigations, politics, public safety, weather, traffic, and community issues across its daily broadcast schedule and digital platforms.

• 11 TV HillPublic affairs

  A Sunday public-affairs program focused on regional issues, interviews, and civic discussion. It extends the station’s news operation beyond conventional daily newscasts.

• WBAL PlusDigital television service2012

  WBAL-TV’s digital-subchannel outlet, which has carried additional local news, including a 10 p.m. newscast introduced in 2012.

• NBC programmingNetwork television service1995

  Network entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming distributed by NBC and broadcast locally by WBAL-TV as the station’s continuing network affiliation.

• 1994Selects NBC during affiliation realignmentStrategy

  ABC’s move to WMAR-TV and CBS’s move to WJZ-TV left NBC without a Baltimore affiliate. WBAL-TV could choose between NBC and Fox.

  What changed. WBAL-TV selected NBC, with the network’s sports schedule cited as a significant factor, and returned to NBC on January 2, 1995.

  Aftermath. WBAL-TV has remained an NBC affiliate since the switch.

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• 1981Switches from NBC to CBSStrategy

  CBS was ending its long relationship with WMAR-TV and sought a Baltimore affiliate with stronger local news performance and less network preemption.

  What changed. WBAL-TV exchanged affiliations with WMAR-TV and began carrying CBS programming on August 30.

  Aftermath. The station operated as a CBS affiliate until the national realignment led to its return to NBC in 1995.

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• 1977Declines proposed ABC affiliationStrategy

  ABC approached WBAL-TV while seeking stronger affiliates in several markets. The station evaluated ABC’s recent evening-news performance and broader programming prospects.

  What changed. WBAL-TV chose to remain affiliated with NBC rather than switch to ABC.

  Aftermath. The station stayed with NBC until the 1981 affiliation exchange with WMAR-TV.

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• 2012WBAL-TV expands digital-subchannel news

  WBAL-TV introduced a half-hour 10 p.m. newscast on its WBAL Plus digital subchannel.

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• 2009WBAL-TV launches local high-definition news

  The station became the second Baltimore broadcaster to begin producing local news in high definition, initially with limited field-HD capability.

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• 1995WBAL-TV returns to NBC

  After a national affiliation realignment disrupted Baltimore’s network relationships, WBAL-TV resumed its NBC affiliation on January 2.

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• 1981WBAL-TV changes affiliation from NBC to CBS

  WBAL-TV and WMAR-TV exchanged network affiliations, ending WBAL-TV’s first NBC tenure and beginning its CBS period.

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• 1948WBAL-TV begins broadcasting in Baltimore

  The station began operations on March 11 as Maryland’s second television station and an NBC affiliate.

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1. WBAL-TV
2. WBAL-TV official website