WITN-TV

WITN-TV is a broadcast television station licensed to Washington, North Carolina, and primarily serving the Greenville–Washington–New Bern market and the wider eastern North Carolina region. The station operates as an NBC affiliate and also provides additional programming through digital subchannels, including a MyNetworkTV service and, at various times, MeTV and local weather programming. Its main facilities are in Greenville on East Arlington Boulevard, while its transmitter is located in Grifton Township along North Carolina Highway 118. The station also maintains or has maintained regional news facilities in New Bern and Jacksonville. WITN-TV began broadcasting on September 28, 1955, becoming the second television station to serve the area after WNCT-TV. Its first broadcast was coverage of the opening game of the 1955 World Series. The station launched as an NBC affiliate and initially carried some secondary ABC programming because the market did not yet have a separate ABC station. That arrangement continued until the 1963 launch of WNBE-TV in New Bern, now WCTI-TV. WITN originally transmitted on VHF channel 7 from a high-elevation site near Chocowinity, outside Washington, and used facilities associated with the region's earlier radio broadcasting interests. The station was initially owned by North Carolina Television, a consortium of northeastern North Carolina radio operators in which the Roberson family held a controlling interest. The Roberson family also owned WITN radio properties, including the outlets that later became WDLX and WERO. In 1985, the television station was sold to AFLAC. AFLAC added the “-TV” suffix to the station's call sign in 1978. In 1997, AFLAC sold its broadcasting assets to Retirement Systems of Alabama, which combined with Ellis Communications to form Raycom Media. Because WITN's signal overlapped substantially with Wilmington station WECT, Raycom could not retain both stations under the Federal Communications Commission's ownership rules then in effect. Gray Communications, now Gray Media, acquired WITN later in 1997. Gray retained ownership through the station's subsequent technical and editorial development. WITN began full-power digital broadcasting in 2006, launched a high-definition feed for satellite distribution in 2009, and ended regular analog service on June 12, 2009, as part of the United States digital television transition. Its digital transmission continued using virtual channel 7. The station kept an analog information loop on the air temporarily under the federal SAFER Act to provide viewers with transition information. In June 2013, WITN moved from its longtime Chocowinity-area home to new high-definition-ready studios in Greenville and became the second television station in the market to produce its news programming in high definition. WITN's business combines network programming, syndicated content, local news, weather coverage, digital publishing, and community-oriented reporting. Its news operation has historically competed primarily with WNCT-TV and WCTI-TV and has often ranked first in local newscast viewership, although market leadership has varied by year and daypart. The station also operated as a multimedia rights partner for East Carolina University athletics from 1998 through 2014, producing coaches' programs and selected football and basketball broadcasts. WNCT-TV assumed that sports package in 2014 after East Carolina joined the American Athletic Conference. The station's digital portfolio has changed over time. WITN-DT2 originally carried a continuous local weather service, added MyNetworkTV in 2009 after WEPX-TV discontinued the network, and later carried MeTV alongside syndicated programming. In 2013, MyNetworkTV and MeTV were separated onto dedicated digital subchannels, while a third subchannel was used for a live Doppler radar feed. WITN-DT2 was also temporarily distributed on cable systems in the Wilmington area when that market lacked an eligible…

WITN-TV signed on September 28, 1955, as the second television station serving the eastern North Carolina region. Licensed to Washington, the station initially operated from facilities on U.S. 17 near Chocowinity and transmitted on VHF channel 7. Its opening broadcast was the first game of the 1955 World Series. WITN began as an NBC affiliate, but it also carried selected ABC programming because the market did not yet have an independent ABC outlet. The secondary ABC relationship ended after WNBE-TV, now WCTI-TV, began broadcasting from New Bern in 1963. The station was founded by North Carolina Television, a group of northeastern North Carolina radio interests. The Roberson family, which owned the WITN radio properties, held the majority position. WITN added the “-TV” suffix to its call sign in 1978. AFLAC acquired the station in 1985, and in 1997 AFLAC sold its broadcasting group to Retirement Systems of Alabama. That company combined with Ellis Communications to create Raycom Media. Raycom could not retain WITN because its signal overlapped with Wilmington-based WECT, another station involved in the transaction. Under the ownership rules then applied by the FCC, the overlap prevented common ownership without a waiver that was not available for the relevant city-grade signal. Gray Communications acquired WITN later in 1997. WITN developed its digital service before the national analog shutdown. It began broadcasting a full-power digital signal in June 2006. On January 7, 2009, the station introduced a high-definition satellite feed, initially through DirecTV and later through Dish Network. Regular analog service on channel 7 ended on June 12, 2009, the federally designated transition date. The station temporarily maintained an analog signal under the SAFER Act, using a loop of public-service announcements to explain the digital transition to viewers. Its post-transition digital signal used UHF channel 32 while retaining virtual channel 7. The station's digital subchannels went through several changes. WITN-DT2 initially operated as a 24-hour local weather channel. It added MyNetworkTV on September 28, 2009, after WEPX-TV and its satellite WPXU-TV dropped that programming service. Weather programming was reduced as syndicated shows and MyNetworkTV content occupied more of the schedule. MeTV was added in 2011. In January 2013, the station separated the MyNetworkTV and MeTV services onto distinct digital subchannels and introduced a third channel carrying a live feed from WITN's Doppler weather radar. WITN-DT2 was temporarily carried by Time Warner Cable in the Wilmington area because the local MyNetworkTV outlet, W47CK, was a low-power station that was not initially eligible for mandatory cable carriage. That arrangement ended after the cable system added W47CK. Local news has remained central to WITN's identity. The station added a weekday morning news operation from a Greenville secondary studio in 1997 and later maintained news bureaus in Jacksonville and New Bern. WITN moved its principal operations to newly built studios in Greenville in June 2013, becoming the market's second station to produce local news in high definition. Its main competitors are WNCT-TV and WCTI-TV. WITN has frequently led local newscast ratings, although it placed second behind WCTI in 2014 before returning to first place in 2015; WNCT also led portions of the market during earlier periods. From 1998 to 2014, WITN served as a multimedia rights partner for East Carolina University athletics. It aired coaches' programs and selected football and basketball games that were not carried nationally, including a 2003 football broadcast against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that was distributed to other North Carolina stations. WNCT-TV obtained the sports package in 2014. Gray later reunited WITN with the former Raycom stations when Gray acquired Raycom Media in 2019, although by then ownership restrictions were less limiting for stations in separate markets. WITN-TV continues to operate as a Gray Media NBC affiliate with local news, weather, digital publishing, multicast programming, and regional community coverage.

1. 2019Gray and Raycom assets reunite

   Gray's acquisition of Raycom Media brings WITN back into the same broader corporate portfolio as WECT.

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2. 2013Greenville studio move

   WITN opens new high-definition-ready main studios in Greenville and upgrades local news production.

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3. 2009Digital transition and MyNetworkTV launch

   WITN ends regular analog broadcasting and adds MyNetworkTV to its second digital subchannel.

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4. 2006Full-power digital service begins

   WITN starts broadcasting a full-power digital signal.

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5. 1997Gray acquires WITN-TV

   Gray Communications purchases WITN after the Raycom and Ellis transaction creates an ownership conflict involving WECT.

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6. 1985AFLAC acquisition

   AFLAC purchases the station from its original ownership group.

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7. 1978Call sign receives the TV suffix

   The station formally adds “-TV” to its call sign.

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8. 1963Secondary ABC programming ends

   The launch of WNBE-TV in New Bern provides the market with a dedicated ABC outlet.

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9. 1955WITN-TV signs on

   The station begins broadcasting on September 28 from the Chocowinity area as an NBC affiliate.

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A regional broadcast and local-news station positioned around eastern North Carolina coverage, NBC network affiliation, severe-weather information, community reporting, and locally produced programming.

• WITN NewsLocal television news

  WITN's locally produced news operation covers Greenville, Washington, New Bern, Jacksonville, and surrounding eastern North Carolina communities. Its output includes scheduled newscasts, weather coverage, field reporting, interviews, and digital video. The operation has used bureaus and regional facilities to extend coverage beyond the main Greenville studio.

• NBC programmingNetwork television1955

  The primary WITN-TV service has carried NBC programming since the station signed on in 1955. The network schedule is combined with local news, weather, public-affairs content, and syndicated or station-produced programming.

• WITN-DT2Digital multicast television2009

  WITN-DT2 is the station's second digital service and has been associated with MyNetworkTV. It previously carried local weather programming and later participated in MeTV scheduling before the services were separated onto dedicated digital channels.

• WITN-DT3Digital multicast television2013

  The third digital service has carried MeTV after the station separated its multicast network services. It was also associated with the station's live Doppler radar feed during the reorganization of the digital lineup.

• WITN weather and Doppler radarWeather information service

  WITN provides local forecasts, severe-weather reporting, and radar information through its broadcast news operation and digital platforms. A dedicated digital channel at one point carried a continuous live feed from the station's Doppler radar.

• 2013Move to high-definition Greenville facilitiesGeneration change

  WITN's long-running Chocowinity-area facility no longer represented the station's desired production and regional-news infrastructure.

  What changed. The station moved its main operations to new studios on East Arlington Boulevard in Greenville and upgraded its news production to high definition.

  Aftermath. Greenville became the station's principal production center, supported by additional regional news locations.

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• 2009MyNetworkTV added to WITN-DT2Product launch

  WEPX-TV and WPXU-TV discontinued their MyNetworkTV affiliations, leaving an opportunity for another local digital outlet to carry the service.

  What changed. WITN added MyNetworkTV to its second digital subchannel while reducing its earlier continuous weather schedule.

  Aftermath. The digital lineup later separated MyNetworkTV and MeTV onto distinct subchannels and added a radar-oriented third service.

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• 1997Gray acquires WITN after ownership-overlap issueM&A

  The combination of Raycom Media and Ellis Communications created a significant signal overlap between WITN and Wilmington station WECT, limiting common ownership under the FCC rules then in force.

  What changed. Gray Communications purchased WITN-TV rather than allowing it to remain in the Raycom portfolio.

  Aftermath. WITN remained a Gray station, and the stations later returned to the same broader corporate group after Gray acquired Raycom in 2019.

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• 2014WITN-TV's East Carolina athletics rights end

  WNCT-TV took over the East Carolina University sports package after WITN's multimedia rights partnership, which had run since 1998, concluded.

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• 2013WITN-TV opens new Greenville high-definition facilities

  The station moved its main operations from the Chocowinity area to new studios on East Arlington Boulevard in Greenville and upgraded its news production to high definition.

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• 2009WITN-TV launches high-definition satellite feed

  A high-definition feed became available through DirecTV and later Dish Network, expanding distribution of the station's programming.

  Product launch
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• 2009WITN-TV completes analog-to-digital transition

  Regular analog broadcasting ended on June 12 under the nationwide full-power television transition, with the digital service continuing under virtual channel 7.

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• 1955WITN-TV begins broadcasting in eastern North Carolina

  The station signed on September 28 as the area's second television outlet, beginning with NBC affiliation and a broadcast of the first game of the 1955 World Series.

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1. WITN-TV
2. WITN-TV official website