WROC-TV

WROC-TV is a commercial television station in Rochester, New York, United States, broadcasting on virtual channel 8. It is affiliated with CBS and is owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station operates from studios on Humboldt Street in downtown Rochester, while its transmitter is located on Pinnacle Hill in the nearby town of Brighton. The station began broadcasting on June 11, 1949, as WHAM-TV, an NBC affiliate operating on channel 6. Its original owner was Stromberg-Carlson, a telephone-equipment manufacturer that also owned Rochester radio stations WHAM and WHFM. The station also carried programming from the DuMont Television Network during that network's existence. A series of regulatory frequency changes shaped the station's early history. It moved to channel 5 in 1954 and then to channel 8 in 1962, where it has remained. The latter move was part of an FCC channel-allocation adjustment involving Rochester and Syracuse. Ownership changed several times. Transcontinent Broadcasting acquired the station in 1956 and changed its call sign to WROC-TV. Veterans Broadcasting purchased it in 1961, and Veterans was merged into Rust Craft Broadcasting in 1965. Rust Craft later sold its television properties to Ziff Davis in 1979. WROC-TV was subsequently spun off to Television Station Partners in 1983 and sold to Smith Broadcasting in 1996. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced its acquisition of the station in 1999, making WROC-TV one of the company's early television properties. Nexstar Media Group is its current owner. WROC-TV was an NBC affiliate for approximately four decades. In 1989, NBC moved its Rochester affiliation to WHEC-TV after concerns about WROC-TV's ratings performance and preemption of network programming. WROC-TV then joined CBS, beginning full CBS programming on August 13, 1989. That affiliation remains central to the station's identity. Local news has been a major part of the station's operation. WROC-TV launched Rochester's first 11 p.m. newscast in 1957 and added regular sports coverage in 1958. Earlier decades included prominent local personalities such as anchorman Tom Decker, weathercaster Bob Mills, and broadcaster Anne Keefe. The news department later experienced a prolonged ratings decline, generally placing third in the Rochester market from the mid-1970s through the early 2000s. Its performance improved at points in the late 2000s, including an instance in which the 11 p.m. newscast surpassed WHEC-TV in the November 2008 ratings period. Under Nexstar operation, WROC-TV also produced programming for WUHF, including the prime-time program Fox First at 10, which debuted in 2005, and the sports program Sports Extra. The arrangement ended in late 2013 after Sinclair-related changes moved WUHF's news operation to WHAM-TV facilities. WROC-TV later expanded its own local schedule with a weekday 4 p.m. newscast and upgraded its local news broadcasts to high definition in 2012. The station completed the federally mandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009. Its digital signal uses UHF channel 45 while retaining virtual channel 8. In 2016, WROC-TV added Escape and Laff digital subchannels under a Nexstar affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting. Historically, its signal was also distributed in parts of Ontario and, during a short 2012 retransmission dispute, substituted for Louisville station WLKY on some Time Warner Cable systems.

WROC-TV began broadcasting on June 11, 1949, as WHAM-TV, Rochester's channel 6 NBC affiliate. Stromberg-Carlson, a manufacturer of telephone equipment, owned the station together with WHAM radio and WHFM radio. The television station also carried programming from DuMont, a network that later ceased operations. The station's early technical history was shaped by federal frequency planning. It moved from channel 6 to channel 5 on July 24, 1954, following the FCC's Sixth Report and Order of 1952. Interference involving Canadian station CBLT contributed to later changes in the regional channel plan. In 1956, Stromberg-Carlson's broadcast properties were sold to Transcontinent Broadcasting. Transcontinent changed the television station's call sign to WROC-TV, linking it with the company's Rochester radio properties. Veterans Broadcasting acquired the station in 1961. On September 9, 1962, WROC-TV moved from channel 5 to channel 8 as part of a broader FCC allocation change involving Rochester and Syracuse. The move established the channel identity that the station continues to use. Veterans was merged into Rust Craft Broadcasting in February 1965. Rust Craft sold its television division to Ziff Davis in 1979, separating WROC-TV from the radio stations that had historically shared the WROC identity. In 1983, Ziff Davis spun WROC-TV and several sister stations into Television Station Partners, a company associated with former Ziff Davis broadcast executives. Television Station Partners sold the station to Smith Broadcasting in 1996. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced a deal to acquire WROC-TV in 1999, bringing the station into one of the country's expanding groups of locally operated network affiliates. It is now owned by Nexstar Media Group. For most of its first forty years, WROC-TV was affiliated with NBC. The station's news operation initially had a strong local profile. It launched Rochester's first 11 p.m. newscast, Eleventh Hour News, in August 1957 and added regular sports segments in April 1958. Anchorman Tom Decker, weathercaster Bob Mills, and broadcaster Anne Keefe were among the personalities associated with the station's earlier success. Their departures during the 1970s, together with difficulties adapting to technological and competitive changes, preceded a long period of weak ratings. NBC announced in April 1989 that it would end its affiliation with channel 8 and move to WHEC-TV. The decision reflected concerns about WROC-TV's ratings and its frequent preemption of NBC programming. WROC-TV agreed to affiliate with CBS in May and began carrying CBS's full schedule on August 13, 1989. The affiliation change also returned some CBS programs to the Rochester market that had previously been preempted by the outgoing affiliate. The news department generally ranked third in Rochester from the mid-1970s through the early 2000s, even while the station carried strong NBC and later CBS prime-time schedules. Its performance improved after the station achieved greater stability in its anchor lineup. In the November 2008 ratings period, the 11 p.m. newscast finished ahead of WHEC-TV for the first time in many years. Nexstar also used WROC-TV as a production center for related local programming. After WUHF's separate news department was closed, WROC-TV supplied staff and produced Fox First at 10, a nightly prime-time newscast launched in September 2005. The program was later expanded and followed by Sports Extra. WROC-TV added a weekday 4 p.m. newscast in September 2010 and converted its local news output to high definition in September 2012. The WUHF production arrangement ended in December 2013 after Sinclair-related ownership and facility changes moved WUHF's news production to WHAM-TV. WROC-TV discontinued its analog VHF signal after its late newscast on June 12, 2009, retaining virtual channel 8 on a digital UHF signal. In 2016, it added Escape and Laff digital subchannels through a Nexstar agreement with Katz Broadcasting. The station has also had a history of wider signal distribution: it was carried in parts of Ontario until cable relay arrangements changed, and it was briefly used as a substitute channel on Louisville-area Time Warner Cable systems during a 2012 retransmission dispute.

1. 2016Escape and Laff added to digital lineup

   The station adds Escape and Laff digital subchannels through a Nexstar agreement with Katz Broadcasting.

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2. 2012Local news moves to high definition

   WROC-TV upgrades its local news broadcasts and the WUHF-produced 10 p.m. newscast to high definition.

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3. 2010Weekday 4 p.m. newscast launches

   WROC-TV introduces a weekday afternoon local newscast.

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4. 2009Analog broadcasting ends

   The station ends regular analog broadcasting on June 12 and continues digitally on UHF channel 45 using virtual channel 8.

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5. 2005Fox First at 10 launches on WUHF

   WROC-TV begins producing a nightly WUHF prime-time newscast.

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6. 1999Nexstar acquisition announced

   Nexstar Broadcasting Group announces an agreement to acquire WROC-TV.

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7. 1996Smith Broadcasting acquisition

   Smith Broadcasting acquires WROC-TV from Television Station Partners.

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8. 1989CBS affiliation begins

   After NBC moves its Rochester affiliation to WHEC-TV, WROC-TV begins carrying CBS's full schedule on August 13.

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9. 1983Station spun off to Television Station Partners

   WROC-TV becomes part of Television Station Partners after Ziff Davis restructures its television group.

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10. 1979Television division sold to Ziff Davis

    Rust Craft Broadcasting sells its television properties, including WROC-TV, to Ziff Davis.

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11. 1962Station moves to channel 8

    WROC-TV moves from channel 5 to channel 8 on September 9 following an FCC allocation change involving Rochester and Syracuse.

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12. 1957First 11 p.m. newscast

    The station launches Eleventh Hour News, identified as Rochester's first 11 p.m. television newscast.

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13. 1956Call sign becomes WROC-TV

    Transcontinent Broadcasting acquires the station and changes its call sign from WHAM-TV to WROC-TV.

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14. 1954First frequency move

    The station moves from channel 6 to channel 5 as part of an FCC regional channel-allocation revision.

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15. 1949Station launches as WHAM-TV

    WHAM-TV begins broadcasting on June 11 as Rochester's channel 6 NBC affiliate, owned by Stromberg-Carlson.

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A locally focused CBS television affiliate combining network programming with Rochester-area news, weather, traffic, sports, and digital video services.

• WROC-TV CBS programmingNetwork television affiliation1989

  WROC-TV carries CBS network programming for the Rochester market. The current affiliation began in 1989 after the station's long-running NBC affiliation ended.

• Local news broadcastsTelevision news1957

  The station's local news service includes regularly scheduled news, weather, traffic, and sports coverage. Its history includes an early 11 p.m. newscast, a weekday 4 p.m. broadcast, and high-definition local production.

• Digital subchannelsDigital broadcasting2016

  WROC-TV's digital multiplex has carried additional multicast networks, including Escape and Laff after a 2016 Nexstar affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting.

• 2016Expansion of multicast programmingProduct launch

  Nexstar entered an affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting covering multicast networks for stations in its portfolio.

  What changed. WROC-TV added Escape and Laff to its digital subchannels on August 20, 2016.

  Aftermath. The station expanded its over-the-air programming offer beyond its primary CBS service.

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• 2012High-definition news conversionGeneration change

  Local television stations were upgrading production systems as high-definition broadcasting became standard in U.S. television news.

  What changed. WROC-TV converted its local newscasts to high definition, including the WUHF newscast it produced.

  Aftermath. The upgrade modernized the station's local production presentation.

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• 2005Centralized news production for WUHFStrategy

  After Nexstar operation began, WUHF's separate news department was closed and its local news resources were reorganized.

  What changed. WROC-TV added selected staff and began producing WUHF's Fox First at 10, later followed by Sports Extra.

  Aftermath. The arrangement continued until late 2013, when WUHF's news production moved to facilities associated with WHAM-TV.

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• 1989Switch from NBC to CBSStrategy

  NBC chose to end its long-running affiliation with WROC-TV and move to WHEC-TV, citing the station's ratings performance and history of preempting NBC programs.

  What changed. WROC-TV agreed to affiliate with CBS and began airing the network's full schedule on August 13, 1989.

  Aftermath. CBS remains the station's network affiliation and a central part of its Rochester market positioning.

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• 2016WROC-TV adds Escape and Laff digital subchannels

  WROC-TV added Escape and Laff to its digital multiplex under a Nexstar affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting.

  Product launch
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• 2013WROC-TV ends its WUHF news-production relationship

  WROC-TV's production of WUHF's 10 p.m. newscast ended in December 2013 after changes associated with Sinclair's acquisition of WHAM-TV assets and the relocation of WUHF operations.

  Leadership change
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• 2012WROC-TV upgrades local news broadcasts to high definition

  WROC-TV upgraded its local news production to high definition, including the WUHF prime-time newscast produced by the station.

  Product generation
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• 2012WROC-TV temporarily replaces WLKY on Louisville cable systems

  During a retransmission dispute between Hearst Television and Time Warner Cable, WROC-TV was temporarily substituted for Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY on some systems. The substitution ended on July 19 after the dispute was resolved.

  OtherRegulation
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• 2010WROC-TV launches a weekday 4 p.m. newscast

  The station began airing a weekday afternoon newscast, described in the reference material as a first of its kind in the Rochester area.

  Product launch
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• 2005WROC-TV begins producing Fox First at 10 for WUHF

  Following changes to local news operations under Nexstar, WROC-TV launched a nightly prime-time newscast for Fox affiliate WUHF, later expanding the program and adding Sports Extra.

  Product launch
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• 1989WROC-TV changes its network affiliation from NBC to CBS

  After NBC announced that it would move its Rochester affiliation to WHEC-TV, WROC-TV reached an agreement with CBS and began carrying the full CBS schedule on August 13, 1989.

  Other
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1. WROC-TV
2. WROC-TV official website