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WBBM-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, serving as the market's CBS network outlet. Owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division, the station maintains studios on West Washington Street in the Loop, and it transmits from atop the Willis Tower.

Key Information

History

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Early history (1940–1953)

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WBBM-TV traces its history to 1940 when Balaban and Katz, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, signed on experimental station W9XBK, the first all-electronic television facility in Chicago. Balaban and Katz was already well known for owning several movie theaters in the Chicago area. To establish the station, the company hired television pioneer William C. "Bill" Eddy away from RCA's experimental station W2XBS in New York City. When World War II began, Eddy used the W9XBK facilities as a prototype school for training Navy electronics technicians.[3] While operating the Navy school, Eddy continued to lead W9XBK and wrote a book that defined commercial television for many years.[4]

On September 6, 1946,[5] the station received a commercial license as WBKB (for Balaban and Katz Broadcasting) on VHF channel 4, becoming the first commercial station located outside the Eastern Time Zone; it was also the sixth commercial TV station in the United States behind WNBT (now WNBC), WCBW (now WCBS-TV), WABD (now WNYW) all in New York City; WRGB in Schenectady, New York; and WPTZ (now KYW-TV) in Philadelphia. WBKB aired some of the earliest CBS programs, including the 1947 debut of Junior Jamboree (later renamed Kukla, Fran and Ollie after it moved to NBC in 1948). Channel 4 originally operated as an independent station, since at the time it was not clear that it would be an affiliate of either CBS or the DuMont Television Network; eventually, KSD-TV (now KSDK) in St. Louis became the first television station west of the Eastern Time Zone to affiliate with a major network. One of the station's early highlights was its telecast of the National Football League's championship game between the Chicago Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 28, 1947.[6]

In December 1948, WBKB began sharing the market's CBS affiliation with WGN-TV (channel 9), after that station affiliated with the network. In 1949, Balaban and Katz became part of United Paramount Theatres, after Paramount Pictures was forced to divest its chain of movie theaters by order of the United States Supreme Court.[7]

WBKB played an indirect role in DuMont's demise. At the time, Paramount Pictures owned a stake in DuMont. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that Paramount's holdings were large enough that the studio effectively controlled DuMont. Paramount also owned KTLA in Los Angeles; since DuMont already owned WABD (now WNYW) in New York City, WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WDTV (now sister station KDKA-TV) in Pittsburgh, the FCC's decision meant neither Paramount nor DuMont could acquire any more television stations.[8] Paramount even launched a short-lived programming service, the Paramount Television Network (no relation to today's cable-only Paramount Network), in 1949, with KTLA and WBKB as its flagship stations;[9][10] however, the service never gelled into a true television network.

As a CBS owned-and-operated station (since 1953)

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In February 1953, United Paramount Theaters merged with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which already owned WENR-TV (channel 7). As the newly merged entity could not keep both stations since FCC regulations enforced during that time forbade the common ownership of two television stations licensed to the same market, WBKB was sold to CBS for $6.75 million. On February 12, one day after the merger was finalized, the station changed its call letters to WBBM-TV, after WBBM radio (780 AM and 96.3 FM), which CBS had owned since 1929. The WBKB call letters were subsequently assumed by channel 7 (that station would eventually change its callsign to WLS-TV in 1968, and the callsign now resides at a CBS-affiliated station in Alpena, Michigan). While the old WBKB's talent remained with the new WBBM-TV under the radio station's longtime general manager, H. Leslie Atlass, the UPT-era management of the old WBKB moved to channel 7.

As a result of WBBM-TV's purchase by CBS, it picked up all CBS programming previously carried by WGN-TV, after a two-month cancellation clause in channel 9's affiliation contract with CBS; this left channel 9 with the quickly crumbling DuMont as its sole network affiliation.

WBBM-TV's studios at Washington Boulevard and Dearborn Street, across from Daley Plaza.

In accordance with the VHF channel allocation realignments imposed by the FCC in its issuance of the Sixth Report and Order, WBBM-TV relocated to channel 2 on July 5, 1953, to eliminate interference with WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee and WHBF-TV in the Quad Cities.[11] WTMJ-TV concurrently moved to VHF channel 4—from channel 3—to avoid interference with fellow CBS affiliate WKZO-TV (now WWMT) in Kalamazoo, Michigan (on the other side of Lake Michigan), which itself broadcast on channel 3. The channel 2 allocation was coincidentally freed up at the same time as the state capital of Springfield was forced to let the allocation relocate to St. Louis, where the allocation was assigned to KTVI. The reshuffling also forced Zenith to shut down KS2XBS, an experimental station on channel 2 in Chicago that the company maintained for its pioneering pay-per-view service Phonevision.

In 1956, CBS consolidated its Chicago operations into the former Chicago Arena, a renovated 62,000-square-foot (5,760 m2), three-story building at 633 North McClurg Court in the Streeterville neighborhood; the property was built in 1924 as a horse stable, and had operated as an ice rink and bowling alley prior to CBS' approximately $1.3 million purchase of the building.[12]

That year, an episode of What's My Line? originated from the WBBM studios, airing one day prior to the start of the 1956 Democratic National Convention. Between the late 1940s and early 1970s, Columbia Records housed an office and recording studio in the building. On September 26, 1960, WBBM's McClurg Court studios served as the site of the first televised presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.[13] WBBM-TV also served as production home to the syndicated programs Donahue (from 1982 to 1985) and Siskel & Ebert (from 1986 to the late 1990s, when production migrated to the studios of WLS-TV on State Street).

In October 1987, Center City Communications—a locally based investor group led by attorney Brenda Minor—filed a challenge to the FCC's renewal of WBBM-TV's station license. However, in asking the agency not to renew the station's license through 1992, Center City never detailed any specific objections to the station's license renewal, although it had been speculated that the challenge may have been related to the then-recent boycott by Operation PUSH surrounding the lack of diversity with the station's staff and allegations that WBBM's hiring practices were not fair towards Blacks; Minor (who is African American) later cited that the station did not fulfill obligations to public affairs programming. Center City dropped its challenge three months later in July, after reaching a settlement agreement with CBS in which Center City agreed not to challenge the license renewal of any CBS station for a five-year period, in return for a $187,500 payment by CBS. The challenge sparked calls for the FCC to reform its comparative renewal process, which certain broadcasters claim was used solely for the purpose of "extort[ing]" large cash settlements from stations.[14][15]

The station was brought back under common ownership with Paramount Pictures when Viacom—which acquired the studio from Gulf and Western in 1994—merged with (the original) CBS Corporation in a $36 billion deal in February 2000. This union was broken up again in December 2005 when Viacom became CBS Corporation and spun off Paramount Pictures and Viacom's cable networks into a separate company that assumed the Viacom name.[16][17]

In 2003, WBBM signed a lease agreement with Chevy Chase, Maryland–based developer Mills Corporation to build a "media center" for the station in the "Block 37" developments in the Loop business district, with plans to include a street-level studio that would overlook Daley Plaza.[12][18] WBBM had earlier considered selling the McClurg Court facility with the intent to relocate into a new studio complex in 1998 (with areas on North Fairbanks Court, North Michigan Avenue and West Jackson Street as potential sites for the planned facility); however, the plans were postponed due to transition to high-definition broadcasting.[12]

On September 21, 2008, WBBM-TV moved to new facilities in the "Block 37" studio at the corner of Dearborn and Washington streets, with a 30-by-19-foot (9.1 m × 5.8 m) LED screen that adorns the lower facade of the 17-story building (which some residents complained is "tacky and visually hyperactive").[19][20] This move coincided with the upgrade of channel 2's newscasts to high definition, making WBBM the fourth television station in the Chicago market to begin broadcasting their newscasts in the format (field footage converted to the format over a period of years); in early 2006, the WBBM radio stations moved into new studio facilities within Two Prudential Plaza on North Stetson Avenue. The former McClurg Court facility building was demolished over a two-month period from February to April 2009. WBBM-TV moved its news set upstairs to a more traditional studio in September 2017 after an obligation to maintain its main studio in the streetside space for ten years was fulfilled, with CBS eventually removing the LED screen and putting the space up for retail lease in 2019, though with no interest coming in during the COVID-19 pandemic, WBBM-TV returned to using it late in 2020 to allow for wider social distancing of station workspaces.[21]

WBBM-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 2, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal moved from pre-transition VHF channel 3 to the current, post-transition VHF channel 12,[22][23] using virtual channel 2.

On October 21, 2014, CBS and locally based Weigel Broadcasting announced that they would partner to launch Decades, a digital multicast network. The network soft launched in the Chicago market on WBBM digital channel 2.2, when that subchannel launched on February 1, 2015, with the network making its formal national debut four months later on May 25.[24][25] Decades moved to WCIU-DT4 on September 3, 2018, with WBBM-DT2 becoming the home of a second Weigel/CBS concept network known as Start TV, which specializes in airing procedural dramas with women in the lead roles.

On February 2, 2017, CBS agreed to sell CBS Radio to Entercom (now Audacy), currently the fourth-largest radio broadcasting company in the United States. The sale was completed on November 17, 2017,[26] and was conducted using a Reverse Morris Trust so that it was tax-free. While CBS shareholders retained a 72% ownership stake in the combined company, Entercom was the surviving entity, with WBBM radio and its sister stations now separated from WBBM-TV (though WBBM Newsradio maintains a continuing and strong overall partnership with WBBM-TV).[27][28]

In August 2018, Jeff Harris took up the helm as news director of WBBM-TV.[29] Long-time evening anchor Rob Johnson was let go in March 2019, replaced by Brad Edwards. Edwards joined Irika Sargent in the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts.[30] Edwards shifted to the morning newscast in May 2022 as part of a talent adjustment when former WGN-TV and inaugural NewsNation anchor Joe Donlon took over his former position, months after inaugural NewsNation news director Jennifer Lyons became WBBM's president and general manager after a shift in that network's news philosophy the two disagreed on carrying forward for Nexstar.[31]

Programming

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Sports programming

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From 1946 to 1951, WBKB telecast Chicago Cubs home games.[32][33] Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley believed baseball could benefit from television if a system could be developed that would appeal to housewives as well as their husbands. Wrigley gave the rights to WBKB to air the Cubs for the first two years for free.[34] The first attempt to telecast a Cubs' game, on April 21, 1946, was unsuccessful, due to electrical interference in the State-Lake building where the station's transmitter was located.[35] The July 13, 1946, contest between the Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers marked Chicago's first successful telecast of a Major League game.[36]

In 1956, when CBS began televising National Football League (NFL) games, WBBM became the primary station for the Chicago Bears, carrying most of the team's regular-season games (as well as preseason games off and on through the years), and until they moved to St. Louis in 1960, they were also the primary station for Chicago Cardinals regular-season games as well; the WBBM-Bears partnership continued until the end of the 1993 season, when the network lost the rights to the National Football Conference (NFC) to Fox with the majority of games being carried since then by that network's Chicago O&O WFLD. Presently, WBBM-TV carries Bears regular season games only during weeks in which the team is scheduled to host an American Football Conference (AFC) opponent at Soldier Field in a Sunday afternoon timeslot. However, beginning in 2014 with the introduction of "cross-flex" scheduling (and with it the end of determining broadcast rights by conference), exceptions exist for certain game telecasts that CBS originally held rights to which are shifted to Fox (such as the 2014 home game against the Buffalo Bills), and NFC vs. NFC games that are conversely shifted from Fox to CBS (such as a 2019 home game against the Minnesota Vikings). Additionally, Super Bowl XLI, where the Bears played against the Indianapolis Colts, was televised on CBS and WBBM.

From 1973 to 1990, WBBM-TV aired select Chicago Bulls games via the NBA on CBS.

From 2003 to 2007, WBBM-TV served as the host broadcaster of the Chicago Marathon, which is held annually in October, taking over from NBC owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV; to accommodate the telecast, some CBS News programs were preempted or delayed. Marathon coverage returned to WMAQ-TV in 2008.

News operation

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The CBS Eyemark logo and a Helvetica number two in bold appear centered in a black square box. Next to it, the CBS Eyemark and CBS News in a bolded sans serif font appear on one row, with Chicago in a thinner sans serif on the bottom row; all letters are capitals.
Logo for CBS News Chicago; this version was used in conjunction with the CBS 2 News brand until July 8, 2024.

WBBM-TV broadcasts 41 hours, 55 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 6 hours, 35 minutes each weekday; 3+1⁄2 hours on Saturdays and 4+1⁄2 hours on Sundays).

News department history

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1977 newspaper ad for WBBM-TV's newscasts, which had become so popular in Chicago by that time that they were named THE Ten O'Clock News.

In the late 1970s, WBBM-TV's newscasts surged past WMAQ-TV for first place; its news department during that time had become one of the most respected local news operations in the country, and was considered a bastion of serious journalism. Led by anchors Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson, weatherman John Coughlin and sports director Johnny Morris, WBBM dominated the news ratings during the late 1970s and early 1980s. At one point, its dominance was so absolute that the station titled its 10 p.m. newscast, THE Ten O'Clock News.

Kurtis and Jacobson were first teamed together in 1973 by general manager Robert Wussler and news director Van Gordon Sauter, who introduced a hard news format and began using the newsroom as the set for all of channel 2's newscasts. Kurtis became known for his "Focus Unit" in-depth reports, and Jacobson for his "Perspective" commentaries. Among the other news staffers employed with WBBM-TV during this period were film critic Gene Siskel; police and crime reporter John "Bulldog" Drummond; women and consumer issues reporter Susan Anderson; feature reporter Bob Wallace; investigative reporter Pam Zekman; medical reporter Roger Field; political reporter Mike Flannery; and reporter/weekend news anchor Mike Parker. Bob Sirott and Phil Ponce—who would both later host the newsmagazine program Chicago Tonight on PBS member station WTTW (channel 11)—were also employed as reporters for WBBM-TV during this period. Parker and Zekman both remained with the station until their respective departures in 2016 and 2020; Drummond also still contributes occasional reports.

Harry Porterfield's demotion to weekend anchorman in 1985 prompted Rev. Jesse Jackson (pictured in 2013) to lead a boycott of WBBM-TV, which led to significant changes in the station's racial hiring quota.

In 1982, Kurtis left WBBM-TV to join CBS News as anchor of the CBS Morning News; he was replaced as anchor of WBBM's weeknight newscasts by former WMAQ-TV anchor Don Craig. When Kurtis returned to channel 2 three years later in October 1985, he was teamed with Craig on the hour-long 6 p.m. newscast; Harry Porterfield, who had co-anchored that newscast for several years, was concurrently demoted to weekend evenings. Porterfield—who is African American—later left to become a reporter and part-time anchor at WLS, but his earlier demotion led Jesse Jackson and his locally based civil rights organization Operation PUSH to begin a boycott of WBBM-TV (at one point, drafting a proposal to CBS and WBBM-TV station management that called for the station to implement a 40% minority hiring quota, hire two black male anchors to its news staff and have CBS grant a financial commitment of $11 million to minority interests) that lasted until August 1986; in the midst of the boycott, Gary Cummings resigned as WBBM vice president and general manager in March 1986, and was replaced two weeks later by one-time assistant news director Johnathan Rodgers, who became the first African American GM at the station.[37][38][39] WBBM-TV later hired African-American journalist Lester Holt (later of NBC News) to replace Porterfield as evening anchor. Kurtis left WBBM for the second time in 1996.

In March 1986, WLS-TV, which had been third for many years, overtook WBBM at number 1. In 1990, WBBM hired Bill Applegate, who had taken WLS to first place as its news director, as general manager. Applegate took Jacobson off the anchor desk (Jacobson eventually left for WFLD in April 1993) and controversially made the newscasts much flashier than they had previously been; the reporting staff during this period notably included Elizabeth Vargas (formerly with ABC News), Rob Stafford (now at WMAQ-TV), Jim Avila (now at ABC), Larry Mendte (now a commentator at WPIX in New York City) and Dawn Stensland (a former 10 p.m. anchor at Fox-owned WTXF-TV in Philadelphia). It was enough for a rebound the station to a first-place tie with WLS-TV by 1993. The momentum did not last as Vargas, Avila, Mendte, Stafford and Stensland all left the station within a short time; by the mid-1990s, however, WBBM-TV had fallen to last place. For most of the next decade, WLS and WMAQ fought for first place, while WBBM-TV's news division languished, with its newscasts often trailing syndicated reruns on WFLD. The station has undergone several different on-air branding schemes over the years—from its longtime brand of Channel 2 News to News 2 Chicago in 1997 and later to the present CBS 2 News.

The most notable of many changes WBBM-TV has made to its news operation occurred in 2000, when it revamped its 10 p.m. newscast by ditching the traditional news format in favor of a focus on in-depth "hard news" features, a staple of the station's glory days. Anchored by former longtime WMAQ anchor Carol Marin, the newscast was hailed as a return to quality in-depth journalism in the best CBS tradition at a time when tabloid journalism and "soft news" were becoming the norm in broadcast news. However, plummeting ratings led to the newscast's format being dropped in October after only nine months, with the program reverting to a more traditional late news format.[40][41][42][43]

In April 2002, the station eliminated its year-old computer-intensive graphics and "newsplex" studio in favor of a simpler studio and corresponding graphics set.[44] That March, former Good Morning America newsreader Antonio Mora were appointed as WBBM's main anchor; former WLS-TV anchor Diann Burns joined Mora at the anchor desk in October 2003.[45][46][47] In January 2006, WBBM-TV earned its best finish at 5 p.m. in 13 years, when it surpassed WMAQ for second place in the timeslot, although it was still far behind WLS. Channel 2's 10 p.m. news remained in last place, however it was the only late newscast to increase its audience share during the first month of 2006. WBBM-TV also finished second from sign-on to sign-off (from 6 a.m. to 2 am), leapfrogging from fourth for its best monthly performance in 23 years. In August 2006, WBBM-TV added Rob Johnson (who had previously served as weekend anchor at WLS-TV beginning in 1998) to co-anchor the 5 p.m. newscast alongside Burns, while Mora and Burns continued to co-anchor at 6 and 10 pm. In May 2007, WBBM-TV slipped to fourth from sign-on to sign-off behind WLS-TV, CW affiliate WGN-TV and NBC station WMAQ, and just barely ahead of Fox station WFLD.

Immediately following that, WBBM replaced Antonio Mora on the 10 p.m. newscast with Johnson. Mora continued to co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscast and hosted Eye on Chicago, before leaving WBBM-TV in January 2008 to become evening anchor at Miami sister station WFOR-TV; Johnson then added the 6 p.m. newscast and Eye On Chicago to his duties.[48] On March 31, 2008, WBBM announced that Diann Burns' contract would not be renewed; she, along with medical editor Mary Ann Childers, sports director Mark Malone, and reporters Rafael Romo and Katie McCall were among the 18 staffers laid off from the station due to budget cuts enforced by CBS Television Stations.[49] That month, WBBM hired Ryan Baker (formerly of WMAQ-TV) to serve as its sports director.

On April 30, 2009, WBBM-TV laid off an undisclosed number of additional employees; in addition, the station canceled its weekend morning newscasts and the public affairs program Eye On Chicago, while also restructuring its weeknight 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts to a solo anchor format with Anne State being relegated to the 5 p.m. newscast, while Rob Johnson continued as anchor of the later editions.[50][51] With its 10 p.m. newscast committed to enterprise reporting, that newscast began year-to-year growth that continues to this day. Harry Porterfield returned to WBBM-TV after 24 years at WLS-TV on August 3, 2009, to anchor the 11 a.m. news with Roseanne Tellez, and also to continued "Someone You Should Know", the series of feature reports he began at WBBM in 1977.[52]

On November 13, 2009, as main anchor Rob Johnson was away on vacation, Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson returned to channel 2 to anchor the 10 p.m. newscast; Jacobson later remained to continue his trademark "Perspective" commentaries.[53] During the November 2009 sweeps period, WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscast overtook WMAQ-TV for second place, behind market dominant WLS-TV, and was the only late-night newscast in Chicago to see a viewership increase over the November 2008 sweeps period.[54]

In January 2010, ratings for the 10 p.m. newscast remained in second place, increasing from the previous year from a 4.3 to 6.0 rating.[55] During the February 2010 Nielsen ratings sweeps period, the 10 p.m. news slipped back to third place behind WMAQ due in large part to the latter network's airing of the 2010 Winter Olympics. By May 2012, WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscast finished second behind WLS. On February 1, 2010, WBBM replaced its weekday morning newscast with Monsters and Money in the Morning, a roundtable talk show hosted by Mike North and Dan Jiggetts (former hosts at radio station WSCR (670 AM) and of Comcast SportsNet Chicago's Monsters in the Morning) that focused on sports and financial topics, along with news and weather segments. The program – which was produced independently from the news department to allow revenue from endorsements and product placement – was canceled due to low ratings after seven months later, ending on August 27; it was replaced on August 30 by a more conventional morning news program, anchored by former WCBS-TV anchor Steve Bartelstein.[56][57][58]

In March 2010, Anne State's contract was not renewed, while longtime meteorologist and technology reporter Ed Curran was relieved of his duties (though he continued to be paid for the remaining 14 months of his contract).[59] Longtime political editor Mike Flannery also left the station after 30 years to join rival WFLD.[60] On September 1, 2010, Kurtis and Jacobson were paired together again as anchors of WBBM's 6 p.m. newscast, where they remained until February 2013, at which time Rob Johnson and former WCBS-TV morning anchor Kate Sullivan – the latter of whom joined WBBM on September 13, 2010, to co-anchor the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, where she remained until September 2015 – assumed anchor duties for the program.[61][62][63] WBBM's evening newscasts showed significant growth afterward, often battling with WMAQ-TV for second place behind dominant WLS-TV. Weekend morning newscasts returned to WBBM on September 22, 2012; with the relaunch, Ed Curran also returned to the station as meteorologist for the new Saturday and Sunday morning newscasts.[64][65] Following the station's best ratings turnout on Sunday morning since the introduction of Nielsen's Local People Meters, WBBM expanded its Sunday morning newscast to two hours – with an additional hour-long broadcast at 6 a.m. – on September 22, 2013.[66][67]

On February 17, 2018, WBBM added a 6 p.m. newscast on Saturdays, becoming the first and only station in the Chicago media market to have a 6 p.m. newscast on Saturdays; WLS-TV, WMAQ-TV, and WGN-TV are the three remaining stations in the market to carry syndicated programming and locally produced programming or specials (and occasionally, infomercials) during the 6–7 p.m. hour on Saturdays.[68] It was only temporary however.[citation needed]

WBBM-TV launched a streaming news service, CBSN Chicago (now CBS News Chicago) on April 21, 2020, as part of a rollout of similar services (each a localized version of the national CBSN service) across the CBS-owned stations.[69] The service was initially planned to launch by the end of March 2020, but was delayed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[70] In June 2020, WBBM-TV was honored with a Peabody Award for the report "Unwarranted", a 2019 investigation into botched police raids in Chicago and the impact they left on families and their homes.[71]

On December 16, 2021, WBBM-TV announced that Jim Williams and Marie Saavedra were named co-anchors of the reestablished hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, which premiered on January 24, 2022, along with meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist and sports anchor Marshall Harris. This newscast returned after a 16-year hiatus, following its cancellation in 2005. In February 2022, reporter Dana Kozlov replaced Williams as weekend anchor.[72]

On September 12, 2022, WBBM-TV debuted a 9 a.m. half-hour weekday morning newscast as a lead-in to The Drew Barrymore Show at 9:30 a.m.[73] From 9 to 10 a.m., the newscast streams on CBS News Chicago. It is anchored by morning co-anchors Dana Kozlov and Audrina Sinclair with meteorologist Laura Bannon and traffic reports from Kris Habermehl.

"The Enforcer"

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In 1975, Chicago-based jingle composer Dick Marx wrote a theme music piece for WBBM-TV's newscasts that was based on the song "Chicago" (or "This is my City, Chicago's My Town"), a folk song written by Chicago folk singer Tary Rebenar. The popular theme, known as "Channel 2 News", and several variations on it would be used by WBBM for nearly a half-century (with the periods from 1992 to 1994, 1998 to 1999, and 2009 as said exceptions). The tune has also been adopted by several other stations across the country—mostly CBS-owned-and-operated stations and affiliates—and became the de facto official newscast theme package for CBS's O&Os. From 1994 to 1997, 2000 to 2001, 2002 to 2008 and since 2010, WBBM-TV used an updated and synthesized version of the original theme specially written for the station titled "The CBS Enforcer Music Collection", composed by Frank Gari. From 2006 to 2008, WBBM-TV used an updated version of the theme, composed by Frank's son Christian Gari. Following the station's upgrade to high-definition newscasts, WBBM-TV commissioned a new theme ("Heart of the City") composed by inthegroovemusic. On June 21, 2010, with the adoption of a new standardized graphics package that was rolled out across CBS' O&Os, WBBM-TV brought back "Enforcer" with an orchestrated "New Generation" version originally commissioned by New York City sister station WCBS-TV.

In 2022, CBS News and Stations began to phase out the "Enforcer" music from its stations, replacing it with a new theme by Antfood that incorporates the network's new sound mark.[74][75]

Ratings

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With the station's aforementioned weaknesses in total day ratings since the mid-1990s, WBBM-TV's newscasts are among the lowest-rated out of the news departments operated by CBS' owned-and-operated stations, generally rating fourth among the market's English language stations behind WLS-TV, WMAQ-TV and (particularly with that station's expansion of news programming since 2008) WGN-TV, but still ahead of perennial last placer WFLD; this is despite the strong lead-in by CBS' prime time lineup, which nationally has placed first among the major broadcast networks for most of the time since the 2005–06 season.

In the May 2015 local Nielsen ratings, WBBM's newscasts placed fourth overall among Chicago's television stations. The 10 p.m. newscast saw continued decline in viewership among the market's late newscasts, scoring a 3.5 rating (down .1 from the May 2014 sweeps period) and at a distant third in the timeslot in the coveted demographic of adults ages 25–54, earning a 0.9 (with prime time newscasts factored in, WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscast placed fourth among the Chicago market's late-evening newscasts, behind WGN-TV's 9 p.m. newscast).[76] The distant third-place standing for the 10 p.m. newscast among the market's late newscasts was also apparent in the February 2015 local ratings, with the program earning a 4.3 rating (down a share of 0.7 compared to February 2014).[77]

Controversy

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In 2011, the station drew controversy over an interview with a four-year-old child. The interview was conducted by a freelance video stringer in the aftermath of a drive-by shooting, and when the child was asked if he would stay away from guns, the child replied he will get one in the future because of his aspirations to become a police officer. The portion where the child listed his future career aspirations was not shown during newscasts, which critics say makes the child appear as if he wants to engage in criminal acts in the future.[78][79]

Station management later apologized for the video, saying they have taken steps to make sure the video will not air in subsequent newscasts, and that management have followed up with employees.[78][79]

Notable current on-air staff

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Notable former on-air staff

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^[†] Indicates deceased

Technical information

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Subchannels

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As of early February 2024, WBBM-TV broadcasts a multiplexed ATSC 3.0 signal.[82] To maintain compatibility with the current majority of digital televisions, the station's channels are also broadcast in ATSC 1.0 format on the multiplexed signals of other Chicago television stations as follows:

Subchannels provided by WBBM-TV (ATSC 1.0)[83]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming ATSC 1.0 host
2.1 1080i 16:9 CBS2-HD CBS WGN-TV
2.2 480i StartTV Start TV WGBO-DT
2.3 DABL Dabl WFLD
2.4 Fave TV Fave TV MPEG-4 video WMAQ-TV
2.5 COMET Comet MPEG-4 video WGBO-DT
  Subchannel broadcast with MPEG-4 video

WBBM-TV is currently the only "full-power" television station in Chicago that broadcasts its digital signal on the VHF band (as it has since its earliest days), a band that some viewers have had trouble receiving following the June 2009 transition to digital. By contrast, WLS-TV — a rival of WBBM and the only other Chicago TV station to have operated its full-power digital signal on a VHF allocation — moved its digital broadcasts to the UHF band (channel 44), to alleviate the problems associated with VHF reception. (However, WLS retained VHF channel 7 as the allotment for its digital fill-in translator when it launched on October 31, 2009.)

Low-power repeater

[edit]

To accommodate viewers having trouble picking up its VHF signal after the June 2009 digital transition, WBBM's newscasts were simulcast on an analog signal over WWME-CA (UHF channel 23), a low-power station operating a nightlight transition service.[84]

In addition, WBBM-TV applied for a construction permit to build a low-power fill-in repeater on UHF channel 26 (the former allocation of the analog signal of WCIU-TV). However, the FCC notified WBBM that the channel 26 allocation would interfere with low-power station W25DW; on April 1, 2010, WBBM was given a 30-day notice by the agency to address the issue or have the application dismissed.[85] It applied only for a repeater on that channel and not a full-powered signal move (as WLS-TV did). The FCC granted WBBM-TV a construction permit for the channel 26 repeater on January 18, 2012.[86] WBBM's translator on UHF channel 26 signed on the air on March 13, 2014, with its signal operating at low power to prevent signal interference with ABC affiliate WKOW in Madison, Wisconsin.

In February 2017, in a channel sharing partnership reached to address channel 2's ever-persistent reception problems in the market, Weigel and CBS Television Stations announced that WBBM-TV and its Decades subchannel would respectively be simulcast on digital subchannels 48.3 and 48.4 of Weigel-owned independent station WMEU-CD. With WBBM-TV's ATSC 1.0 signal moving to WGN-TV's spectrum, the simulcast ended in 2024.

WBBM-LD (RF 26) signed off April 19, 2017.[citation needed]

ATSC 3.0

[edit]
Subchannels of WBBM-TV (ATSC 3.0)[87]
Channel Short name Programming
2.1 WBBM-NG CBS DRM
5.1 WMAQ-NG NBC (WMAQ-TV) DRM
9.1 WGN-NG The CW (WGN-TV)
32.1 WFLD-NG Fox (WFLD) DRM
66.1 WGBO-NG Univision (WGBO-DT)
  Subchannel broadcast with digital rights management

In January 2024, CBS News and Stations announced that WBBM-TV would transition to the ATSC 3.0 standard, or known as "NextGenTV", as a lighthouse station for the Chicago area, starting February 5, 2024.[82] WGN-TV, on UHF channel 19, now carries an ATSC 1.0 simulcast, which also allows the station to broadcast on the UHF band for the current majority of its viewers.[88]

See also

[edit]
  • The Magic Door – Jewish children's series that originated from WBBM-TV

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

WBBM-TV

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from Grokipedia
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 (VHF digital channel 12), is a CBS owned-and-operated television station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, United States. The station, owned by the CBS Television Stations subsidiary of Paramount Global, maintains studios at 22 West Washington Street in the Loop district and its transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower. It serves as the flagship CBS affiliate for the Chicago market, delivering local news, weather, sports, and syndicated programming alongside network content to over 9 million viewers in the region. Tracing its origins to the experimental station W9XBK established in 1940 by Balaban and Katz—a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures—WBBM-TV signed on commercially as WBKB-TV on channel 4 in 1949 before CBS acquired it and relocated operations to channel 2 in 1953, adopting the WBBM callsign to align with its radio counterpart. Among its notable milestones, the station hosted the first televised U.S. presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon on September 26, 1960, a broadcast produced by CBS that marked a pivotal moment in American political media. WBBM-TV has long emphasized investigative journalism and local coverage, though its news operation has faced periodic criticism for alignment with broader CBS reporting tendencies observed in analyses of network bias.

History

Origins as experimental station and early commercial operations (1940–1953)

Balaban and Katz Corporation, a prominent Chicago theater operator and subsidiary, established experimental television station W9XBK in 1939 from studios atop the State-Lake Building, making it the city's second all-electronic facility after Radio's W9XZV. Transmissions employed a 441-line system, later upgraded to 525 lines, and consisted primarily of films, live variety acts, and test signals directed at a nascent audience with compatible sets. The station also held auxiliary experimental authorizations like W9XBT and W9XBB for field testing. World War II curtailed equipment production and receiver availability, restricting broadcasts to limited hours and experimental status despite a shift toward commercial intent by October 1943. Postwar deregulation enabled expansion; WBKB-TV signed on commercially on VHF channel 4 in 1946, ranking among Chicago's earliest full-time outlets per industry directories. Operations emphasized live local content, including dramatic skits like "The Perfect Crime" (February 1944) and mobile remote pickups for events, leveraging theater resources for production. Programming in the late featured variety, , and sports—pioneering live coverage of local athletics—alongside Paramount-supplied films and occasional network shows such as the 1947 debut of children's program "Junior Jamboree" (later evolving into ""). The station employed innovative techniques, including an all-female technical auxiliary during wartime labor shortages, to sustain output amid growing but still sparse viewership. By early 1953, amid antitrust-driven divestitures from the ABC-United Paramount Theatres merger, Balaban and Katz sold to for $6 million, concluding its independent phase and paving the way for channel relocation to 2 and call sign change later that year. This transaction reflected broader industry consolidation, with WBKB's foundational local focus yielding to network priorities.

Acquisition by CBS and network alignment (1953–1980s)

In February 1953, United Paramount Theatres (UPT), owner of WBKB-TV (channel 4), merged with the (ABC), which already operated WENR-TV (channel 7) in ; to comply with federal regulations prohibiting common ownership of multiple stations in the same market, UPT divested to for $6 million. assumed operational control shortly thereafter, renaming the station WBBM-TV to align with its existing Chicago radio outlet and establishing it as the network's owned-and-operated (O&O) property in the nation's third-largest market. This move transferred the primary affiliation from WGN-TV, which had carried the network on a part-time basis, to WBBM-TV, enabling full carriage of 's national programming slate without shared arrangements. On July 5, 1953, WBBM-TV shifted from to channel 2 as part of post-merger reallocations to reduce signal interference with in , which relocated to ; ABC's WENR-TV then adopted the WBKB calls on the vacated channel. The acquisition solidified CBS's direct presence in , supporting expanded local production alongside network feeds of popular series, news, and specials during the medium's formative commercial expansion. By the mid-1950s, WBBM-TV had secured rights to broadcast games, beginning with CBS's inaugural national telecasts in 1956, further integrating network sports content into its schedule. In 1956, CBS consolidated its Chicago radio and television operations, including WBBM-TV, into renovated studios at the former Chicago Arena on 630 North McClurg Court, acquired for nearly $1.3 million to accommodate growing production demands. Through the 1960s and 1970s, WBBM-TV maintained unwavering network alignment as a O&O, airing 's prime-time lineup—including hits like and —while developing local news and public affairs programming that complemented national feeds. Into the 1980s, the station adapted to CBS's evolving schedule amid industry shifts like the rise of cable and syndication, retaining its role as the network's core outlet with consistent market leadership in key demographics.

Peak influence, format shifts, and initial ratings challenges (1980s–2000)

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, WBBM-TV's evening newscast, The 10 O'Clock News, achieved peak influence in under the co-anchorship of and , consistently topping Nielsen ratings among local stations for nine years from 1973 to 1982. The duo's format emphasized investigative reporting, pointed commentary, and a confrontational style that resonated with viewers, elevating the program as a benchmark for local television journalism and contributing to CBS's strong market position. This era marked WBBM-TV's dominance in the competitive media landscape, where it outpaced rivals like ABC affiliate and NBC affiliate in key demographics. Following Kurtis's departure to national CBS roles in 1982 and subsequent anchor changes, the station began format adjustments to sustain momentum, but these yielded mixed results amid rising cable penetration and network shifts. By the early , WBBM-TV experimented with a tabloid-oriented approach featuring sensationalized crime coverage, rapid cuts, dramatic graphics, and emphasis on mayhem, aiming to counter viewer fragmentation but ultimately failing to boost engagement. The shift reflected broader industry trends toward "blood-and-guts" storytelling driven by consultants, yet it alienated core audiences seeking substantive content, exacerbating competitive pressures from WLS-TV's established and WMAQ-TV's promotions. Ratings challenges intensified through the , with WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscast dropping to third place overall and occasionally trailing sitcom reruns like Friends and by February 2000. Viewership for Chicago's 10 p.m. slot broadly declined from 70% household penetration in 1994 to 49% in 1999, losing approximately 450,000 households, amid factors including 24-hour cable news emergence and alternatives. Specifically, WBBM-TV's late news ratings fell 70% from late-1980s peaks, reaching lows of under 215,000 households in early 2000 sweeps, far behind ABC's 474,000 and NBC's 350,000. Resource constraints, such as reduced reporter and producer staffing, compounded these issues, as the station grappled with last-place finishes by mid-decade. In response, WBBM-TV launched a revamped 10 p.m. format on February 7, 2000, under solo anchor , prioritizing longer investigative pieces over gimmicks like health scares or weather banter, in an effort to reclaim affluent 25-54 demographics for premium ad rates. The debut secured second place in initial ratings, up 5% year-over-year, but subsequent months saw a 13% overall drop and 25% decline in key adults, highlighting persistent challenges from entrenched competitors and format skepticism. This transition underscored WBBM-TV's struggle to adapt from its 1980s legacy amid a diversifying media environment, where traditional broadcasts faced eroding primacy.

Contemporary adaptations amid declining viewership (2000–present)

In the early 2000s, WBBM-TV confronted a severe ratings downturn, with its 10 p.m. newscast experiencing a 70 percent decline since the late 1980s, prompting a radical overhaul to a "back-to-basics" format that discarded the anchor desk, flashy graphics, and entertainment elements in favor of unadorned local reporting. This 2000 revamp aimed to recapture viewers disillusioned by prior sensationalist approaches but ultimately faltered, yielding persistently low Nielsen figures and reverting to conventional structures amid broader Chicago TV news audience erosion. Subsequent efforts included periodic branding experiments, such as the early 2000s trials with alternative visual styles, though these yielded mixed results without sustainably reversing the slide. By the mid-2010s, WBBM's newscasts ranked fourth in local Nielsen metrics, reflecting ongoing challenges from fragmented . Temporary gains occurred, as in November 2009 when the 10 p.m. broadcast briefly secured second place behind leader , buoyed by competitor weaknesses. However, industry-wide pressures intensified, with late-night news viewership plummeting—WBBM's 10 p.m. slot dropping 50 percent to a 0.4 household rating by May 2021 amid and streaming shifts affecting all outlets. Into the 2020s, adaptations emphasized digital infrastructure, including a February 2024 transition to NextGen TV standards to enhance broadcast quality and enable advanced features like and , positioning WBBM for over-the-air relevance in a streaming-dominated landscape. Branding refinements continued, such as retiring the "Hour 18" moniker for the 6 p.m. newscast in January to streamline identity amid viewer experimentation history. Despite these pivots, ratings persisted in contraction, mirroring national local TV trends where linear viewership halved over the decade due to on-demand alternatives, underscoring the limits of format tweaks without capturing digital natives.

Ownership and Corporate Structure

CBS ownership evolution and corporate integrations

CBS acquired the assets of , operating on VHF channel 4, from United Paramount Theatres—a entity formed from ' divestitures—in early 1953 for an undisclosed sum, marking WBBM-TV's entry into direct CBS ownership as one of its inaugural owned-and-operated (O&O) television stations. To optimize signal coverage in the market, CBS facilitated a frequency swap shortly after, relocating operations to the superior VHF channel 2 position previously allocated differently, with WBKB's channel 4 license transferring elsewhere; the station adopted the WBBM-TV call sign on February 11, 1953, aligning it with CBS's longstanding ownership of WBBM-AM radio since 1929. This acquisition solidified CBS's foothold in , transitioning the station from independent roots tied to Balaban and Katz (a Paramount subsidiary) to full network integration, with WBBM-TV assuming all CBS primetime and daytime programming previously aired on affiliates like . Ownership remained stable under CBS through the late 20th century, even as acquired CBS in 1995 for $5.4 billion, rebranding the combined entity as while retaining the Television Network and its O&O stations, including WBBM-TV, under centralized management. In 2000, Viacom Inc. merged with CBS in a $44 billion stock-and-debt transaction completed on April 26, incorporating WBBM-TV into Viacom's expanded portfolio alongside Networks, , and other assets, though the station's operations continued unchanged as part of the O&O group focused on broadcast television. A corporate split Viacom into two entities effective December 31: the new , which inherited the broadcast division including WBBM-TV and 13 other O&Os, and a separate Viacom Inc. emphasizing cable and film; this preserved WBBM-TV's alignment with programming and production without operational disruptions. In December 2019, and Viacom Inc. reunified in a $30 billion merger announced August 13 and finalized on December 4, forming ViacomCBS and placing WBBM-TV under its Television Stations , which manages 28 O&Os nationwide and emphasized synergies in content distribution across linear TV, streaming (e.g., Paramount+), and digital platforms. ViacomCBS rebranded to on February 16, 2022, consolidating its media assets under the Paramount name to leverage historical studio heritage while advancing streaming integration; WBBM-TV, as of 2025, operates within 's CBS Television Stations division, benefiting from corporate resources for news sharing via and syndication deals, though retaining autonomous local management and FCC-licensed broadcast focus. These evolutions reflect broader industry consolidation driven by competition from cable and , with no reported divestitures or structural changes specific to WBBM-TV amid Paramount's ongoing adaptations.

Affiliation with CBS News and syndication partnerships

WBBM-TV operates as a flagship owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network, with deep integration into CBS News operations through the CBS News and Stations division. This affiliation provides access to national news bureaus, shared reporting resources, and coordinated coverage of major events, enhancing local broadcasts with CBS correspondents and feeds. The station's news programming draws on CBS News expertise for investigative stories and breaking developments, maintaining a unified editorial pipeline from national to hyper-local levels. In alignment with CBS's 2023 initiative to consolidate branding, WBBM-TV transitioned its newscasts to the "" identity on July 8, 2024, introducing new studio sets, graphics, and a 24/7 streaming component via Paramount+. This rebranding emphasizes seamless blending of local journalism with national assets, including live inserts and collaborative specials. Regarding syndication partnerships, WBBM-TV distributes first-run and off-network content via , the arm handling CBS's syndicated portfolio, which includes game shows, talk formats, and court programs aired in daytime and access slots. The station has historically contributed to syndicated production, serving as a base for programs like the talk show Donahue (1982–1985) and film review series Siskel & Ebert (1986–late 1990s). Contemporary syndication extends to multicast subchannels and digital platforms; for instance, in January 2024, WBBM-TV added Sinclair Broadcast Group's Charge! action movie network to its 2.5 under a multi-station agreement with . Additionally, fast channels featuring WBBM content launched on Allen Media Group's streaming service in September 2023, broadening reach through free ad-supported distribution. These partnerships reflect 's strategy to monetize legacy content across linear, over-the-air, and streaming ecosystems amid evolving viewer habits.

Programming

Network and syndicated primetime content

WBBM-TV, as a CBS owned-and-operated station, broadcasts the network's primetime programming schedule in its entirety from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. CT, aligning with the Eastern Time feed adjusted for the . This block features a lineup dominated by scripted dramas, comedies, and occasional unscripted series or specials, with clearances typically exceeding 95% for CBS content across O&O stations. For the 2025–26 season, key returning programs include the procedural FBI (airing Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT), NCIS (Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET), and The Equalizer (Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET), alongside comedies such as The Neighborhood (Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET) and Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET). New series introduced include the comedy DMV (Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET) and dramas CIA (Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET) and Watson (Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET). The station does not preempt CBS primetime shows for local content or insert syndicated programming during these hours, maintaining full network alignment to maximize audience reach in the competitive Chicago market. Sports events, such as games on , may extend into or displace portions of the schedule on select Sundays, but regular primetime slots remain dedicated to network fare. Syndicated content on WBBM-TV is confined to non-primetime dayparts, such as daytime talk and court shows including The Talk (1:00 p.m. CT), (2:00 p.m. CT), Dr. Phil (3:00 p.m. CT), and double episodes of (4:00 p.m. CT), with no off-network reruns or first-run syndication scheduled in primetime to avoid conflicting with lucrative network advertising inventory. This approach reflects standard practices for CBS affiliates, prioritizing network exclusivity in evening hours over syndicated alternatives, which are more common on independent or lower-rated network stations.

Local non-news programming and specials

In its early commercial era, WBBM-TV aired local children's programming, including Susan's Show from 1957 to 1958, a half-hour weekday series hosted by Susan Heinkel alongside her terrier Rusty, where episodes depicted fantastical visits to the animated realm of Wonderville. The program, initially launched as Susie's Show in , emphasized imaginative for young audiences and originated from the station's studios before syndication attempts. Public affairs specials formed another key category of non-news output, such as the 1962 documentary Decision at 83rd Street, which examined urban development decisions in 's South Side. By the late 1970s, WBBM-TV produced award-winning entries like Give Me the Keys, a single public affairs program that earned a Chicago Emmy in the 1979–1980 cycle for its focused community examination. In contemporary programming, local non-news content remains sparse, prioritizing network feeds and news over original or series, though the station airs targeted specials addressing social topics. Examples include the 2022 special Black & Natural, a discussion on Black women's and cultural resilience, and the 2024 Call to Action: Justice for Black Women, highlighting advocacy efforts. Additionally, CBS Chicago produces the For the Love of... video series exploring the city's 77 areas, with episodes premiering biennially and available via streaming, though not as traditional broadcast fare. This shift reflects broader industry trends toward cost-efficient syndication amid fragmented viewership.

Sports broadcasting rights and coverage

As the CBS owned-and-operated station in , WBBM-TV carries national broadcasts, including NFL regular-season games featuring NFC opponents, which frequently include matchups when selected by the network. For instance, the Bears' Week 8 game against the on October 26, 2025, aired live on WBBM-TV channel 2. This aligns with CBS's long-term rights to NFC games, renewed through the 2033 season, ensuring periodic Bears coverage depending on scheduling. WBBM-TV also airs CBS's and basketball games, events, and occasional or majors, though these rarely feature local teams directly. Local rights, such as those for the Bears' full slate, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, or White Sox, are held by regional networks like the Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) or , limiting WBBM-TV to network-affiliated games only. The station provides extensive sports news coverage through its segments, featuring anchors like Ryan Baker, who returned to sports reporting in July 2024 after morning news duties. Historically, WBBM-TV broadcast select games from 1973 to 1990 under CBS's national NBA package, which included weekend afternoon contests during the network's contract era. Beyond network events, the station occasionally hosted local specials, such as serving as the television home for the from 2003 to 2007 before rights shifted to other outlets. Early sports programming featured notable anchors like , who began as sports director in 1968, contributing to coverage of Bears and collegiate events amid limited local rights competition pre-cable.

News Operation

Historical development and key innovations

WBBM-TV's news operations began with the station's commercial launch as on September 6, 1946, on , establishing one of the earliest local television efforts in amid the nascent post-World War II expansion of broadcasting. Initially operating under Balaban and Katz ownership, the department focused on basic reporting tied to the station's experimental roots dating to 1940, with programming that included live local coverage as television sets proliferated in the region. acquired the station in June 1953 for $6 million, shifting it to channel 2 under the WBBM-TV callsign and integrating it into the network's O&O structure, which bolstered resources for expanded production including processing and mobile units. A pivotal development occurred in the 1970s with the debut of The 10 O'Clock News in 1970, anchored by Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson, which emphasized hard-hitting investigative segments and viewer engagement, propelling WBBM to market dominance in late-evening ratings through the 1980s. Complementing this, reporter Susan Anderson launched the station's consumer investigative unit in 1972, pioneering on-air exposés of deceptive business practices and becoming the first such dedicated TV team nationally, influencing accountability journalism in local markets. These efforts capitalized on Chicago's competitive media landscape, where WBBM competed with established print dailies and rival stations, fostering innovations like undercover reporting that drew acclaim but also scrutiny for aggressive tactics. Subsequent evolutions included format refinements amid ownership changes under Viacom and Paramount, with a shift toward "straight " in the late that prioritized factual delivery over but yielded ratings declines of up to 70% from peaks. By the , the department integrated digital elements, culminating in the 2020 rollout of CBS streaming service for 24/7 coverage, alongside a 2024 streetside studio unveiling to enhance public interaction and visibility. These adaptations reflected broader industry transitions from analog to multi-platform delivery while maintaining an investigative core established decades prior.

Investigative units like "The Enforcer" and their impact

In the 1970s, WBBM-TV pioneered consumer-oriented with the launch of Factfinder, the first dedicated television consumer-investigative unit in the United States, founded by reporter Susan Anderson in 1976 after she joined the station as a reporter in 1972. Factfinder focused on exposing deceptive business practices, unsafe products, and government accountability issues affecting everyday consumers in the area, setting a model for local stations nationwide to integrate watchdog reporting into regular programming. This early emphasis evolved into a robust investigative framework, with WBBM-TV maintaining a specialized team under brands like "Always Investigating" by the 2000s, emphasizing in-depth probes into public safety, corruption, and institutional failures. Notable contributors include reporter Dave Savini, whose work has earned a Peabody Award, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, multiple IRE honors, NABJ recognition, five national Awards, and 27 , often highlighting systemic lapses in child welfare and law enforcement. For instance, a 2022 investigation by Savini into the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and (CPD) mishandling of abuse reports on a who later died won a national investigative reporting award, prompting internal reviews and calls for reform in protective services. The impact of these units has been measurable in and outcomes, including legislative responses to exposés; a 2023 report on unlicensed parlors employing felons with histories of sexual offenses contributed to the passage of a state bill restricting such certifications. Additional investigations have uncovered vulnerabilities like stolen CPD radios—four missing from one district in 2023 alone—and unsafe infrastructure such as unrepaired sinkholes in , driving municipal accountability and heightened awareness of urban risks. The team's efforts have garnered repeated accolades, such as six regional Awards in 2024, including overall excellence, and top honors at the 2025 Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting, underscoring their role in elevating standards amid competitive media scrutiny. While effective in generating tangible changes, the units' focus on and institutional critique has occasionally drawn from affected parties, though no verified ethical breaches have undermined their credibility in peer-reviewed assessments.

Ratings performance and market competition

WBBM-TV's local newscasts have consistently ranked fourth among Chicago's major television stations in Nielsen ratings, trailing behind competitors (ABC affiliate, Channel 7), (NBC affiliate, Channel 5), and often (CW affiliate, Channel 9). In the July 2023 Nielsen measurements for the 10 p.m. newscast, WBBM achieved a 1.49 household rating, compared to WLS's leading 4.86, WMAQ's 2.81, and WGN's 2.08, reflecting ongoing challenges in capturing prime-time news audiences despite the station's resources as a CBS owned-and-operated outlet. This position aligns with broader trends where WBBM's evening and late-night programs have struggled to compete with established news brands emphasizing aggressive promotional strategies and viewer loyalty. Historical data underscores this underperformance; for instance, in November 2021 Nielsen sweeps, WBBM's 10 p.m. newscast averaged 86,787 viewers, placing third but far behind WLS's 201,347 and WMAQ's 152,746, with overall late-news viewership declines exacerbating the gap. Similarly, May 2022 preliminary results showed continued erosion, with Chicago's 10 p.m. newscasts down nearly 14 percent year-over-year in total viewers, and WBBM unable to close the margin against WLS's dominant sweeps performance across multiple time slots. Factors contributing to these outcomes include WLS's long-standing market leadership in since the , driven by high-profile anchors and consistent ratings sweeps, while WMAQ benefits from NBC's national synergies and targeted demographic appeals. In the competitive Chicago market—the nation's third-largest designated market area (DMA)—WBBM faces stiff rivalry from stations with stronger local news identities, such as WLS's "" format, which has routinely swept key daytime and evening slots, and WMAQ's focus on investigative segments appealing to adults 25-54. , despite lacking a Big Three network affiliation, often outperforms WBBM through extended news blocks and community-oriented programming, while Fox-owned WFLD-TV (Channel 32) gains traction in late-night slots with a tabloid-style approach. WBBM's efforts to bolster ratings via integrations and digital extensions have yielded limited gains, as evidenced by persistent fourth-place finishes amid trends reducing linear TV viewership across the board.

Editorial biases, political leanings, and audience perceptions

Media Bias/Fact Check rates WBBM-TV, operating as CBS Chicago, as having a Left-Center editorial bias, determined by a score of -2.6 on their scale, primarily due to political reporting that slightly favors liberal causes through story selection and minimal use of loaded language. This assessment stems from examples such as a May 2021 article highlighting a local pastor's advocacy for President Biden to address urban violence as a public mental health crisis, aligning with Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker's stance, which received prominent coverage without equivalent emphasis on opposing views. The outlet scores highly for factual reporting (1.0 on the scale), attributed to proper sourcing, a clean fact-check record, and adherence to journalistic standards in non-political content. As a , WBBM-TV's news operation aligns closely with network guidelines, which rates as Lean Left for online content, reflecting moderate alignment with progressive viewpoints in framing and emphasis. Local coverage often mirrors this in Chicago's politically homogeneous Democratic-leaning market, with limited evidence of conservative-leaning deviations; for instance, endorsements or investigative pieces rarely challenge prevailing local progressive policies on issues like or without balancing counterarguments. No formal sections exist, confining potential bias to news selection and phrasing rather than explicit commentary. Audience perceptions of bias remain under-documented specifically for WBBM-TV, with viewer feedback on platforms like occasionally noting a "touch on the liberal side" in affiliated radio content but sparse direct critiques for the TV station. Broader viewership, per a survey, skews toward a liberal plurality (40% consistently or primarily liberal, 39% mixed, 20% conservative), suggesting similar demographics influence local perceptions in , where cord-cutting and streaming have reduced traditional TV audience size without shifting ideological balance. National FCC complaints against affiliates, including reinstated 2024 moderation grievances, have not singled out WBBM-TV for disproportionate scrutiny. Overall, perceptions align with mainstream broadcast norms, with conservatives viewing it as insufficiently skeptical of establishment narratives, though empirical viewer migration data shows no mass exodus tied to claims.

Major controversies and ethical critiques

In June 2011, WBBM-TV aired a segment featuring an edited interview with a four-year-old boy near the scene of a Chicago shooting, where the broadcast implied the child independently stated, "You shoot somebody with this?" while holding a toy gun, suggesting precocious awareness of violence. The unedited footage later revealed the boy's response was prompted by leading questions from a freelance videographer, who asked, "Do you know what this is? You shoot somebody with this?" Station management acknowledged two ethical violations: conducting an unsanctioned interview with a minor at an active crime scene without parental consent and airing a misleading edit that distorted the child's words. WBBM issued an on-air apology on July 28, 2011, removed the segment from its website, and faced criticism from journalism watchdogs for compromising source vulnerability and editorial integrity. From October 1985 to August 1986, Operation PUSH, led by Rev. Jesse Jackson, boycotted WBBM-TV over the demotion of Black anchorman Harry Porterfield from co-anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast, demanding increased minority representation in on-air roles and staff. PUSH proposed a 40% hiring quota for minorities, which CBS and station executives rejected as tantamount to extortion, while advocating for broader "fairness" in employment practices amid Chicago's demographic shifts. The boycott ended after WBBM hired a Black anchor, expanded minority recruitment, and signed a covenant with PUSH, though critics argued it pressured the station into concessions that blurred journalistic independence with activist demands. In July 2021, WBBM president and general manager Derek Dalton was removed following a six-month external investigation into allegations of and a hostile work culture across Television Stations, including Chicago's O&O. The probe, prompted by employee complaints, led to Dalton's ouster alongside the Los Angeles station head, with emphasizing accountability for fostering toxic environments, though specific details on WBBM incidents remained undisclosed. This event highlighted broader ethical concerns at properties regarding managerial oversight and workplace conduct. In 1999, former Chicago ward superintendent Peter Schivarelli filed a against WBBM-TV, , and investigative reporter Pam Zekman, alleging and commercial misappropriation from a 30-second promotional spot that excerpted footage from a 1997 report on hot dog vendors, portraying his Demon Dogs stand in a negative light tied to city patronage scandals. The promo, aired repeatedly, was claimed to falsely imply ongoing , damaging Schivarelli's business; an later dismissed key claims, ruling the excerpt factual and not misleading in context. The case underscored debates over repurposing archival footage in promotions without full contextual safeguards.

Notable current and former personnel

Irika Sargent anchors the CBS News Chicago weekday newscasts at 5, 6, and 10 p.m., earning multiple for her reporting and anchoring. Joe Donlon co-anchors these evening broadcasts with Sargent as an . Dana Kozlov co-anchors the morning editions from 5-7 a.m. and 9-10 a.m. daily. Suzanne Le Mignot anchors and reports, holding and awards. Jim Williams reports on general assignments and anchors the Sunday evening newscasts. Audrina Sinclair anchors newscasts as an . Former personnel include , who joined WBBM-TV as a reporter in 1966, co-anchored the dominant 10 p.m. newscast with from 1973 to 1982, returned as anchorman from 1985 to 1996 after national roles, and briefly reunited with Jacobson for the 6 p.m. news from 2010 to 2013. reported and anchored at the station from 1973 to 1993, including the 10 p.m. pairing with Kurtis, before a 2010-2013 return for the 6 p.m. newscast. started in 1964, became Chicago's first African-American television news anchor in 1978 by co-anchoring the 6 p.m. newscast with Kurtis, and remained for 21 years until departing for in 1985 (with a brief 2009 return to WBBM-TV until 2015 retirement). Pam Zekman worked as an investigative reporter from 1981 to 2020, contributing to exposés via the station's "The Enforcer" unit before layoffs amid cost-cutting. anchored the 10 p.m. newscast solo in 2000 and conducted investigative reporting, building on prior WMAQ work with Peabody-recognized impact at WBBM-TV.

Technical Information

Primary signal, subchannels, and digital multicast

WBBM-TV's primary over-the-air signal operates on virtual channel 2, remapped to physical RF channel 12 in the VHF band following the FCC's channel repack completed in 2020. The station is licensed to Chicago, Illinois, by CBS Broadcasting Inc., with an effective radiated power of 25.6 kW from a transmitter antenna mounted at 327 meters height above average terrain atop the John Hancock Center. This configuration provides coverage to the Chicago metropolitan area and surrounding counties, serving as the flagship CBS network feed for the market. The station's digital signal supports multicast subchannels carrying syndicated programming networks, enabling additional free-to-air content alongside the main CBS feed. As of October 2025, these include classic television dramas on , lifestyle and entertainment fare on , and rerun-based programming on Fave TV.
Virtual ChannelProgramming NetworkDescription
2.1Primary affiliation with network news, primetime series, and local insertions.
2.2Weigel Broadcasting-owned network focused on female-led crime dramas and mysteries from the 1980s–2010s.
2.3Paramount-owned lifestyle channel featuring talk shows, reality series, and home improvement content.
2.4Fave TVMulticast service airing classic sitcoms and family-oriented reruns.
WBBM-TV also participates in (NextGen TV) transmission as a guest station, simulcasting its primary programming in enhanced formats while hosted on partner signals for with ATSC 1.0 receivers. This hybrid approach allows for higher-resolution video, interactive features, and improved audio on compatible devices, though core subchannel content remains anchored in ATSC 1.0 for broad accessibility.

Low-power repeater and signal extension

WBBM-TV maintains a low-power digital fill-in translator on UHF channel 26 to bolster reception of its primary VHF on channel 12, addressing challenges in urban environments like downtown where VHF low-band signals suffer from multipath interference and building shadowing. The translator, operating at 15 kW with a at 1,462 feet above average terrain, rebroadcasts the full WBBM-TV multiplex including subchannels without additional programming. This facility signed on March 13, 2014, following FCC approval for construction as a on the former analog allocation of , specifically to mitigate viewer complaints about unreliable over-the-air access in core metropolitan zones. Prior to its activation, some households required enhanced antennas or relocation to capture WBBM-TV reliably, a common issue for VHF stations in dense cities; the UHF translator provides a complementary higher-frequency signal less prone to such disruptions while adhering to low-power limits to avoid interference with co-channel operations.

ATSC 3.0 adoption and technological upgrades

WBBM-TV implemented the broadcast standard, branded as NextGen TV, on February 5, 2024, marking its entry into the advanced transmission format alongside four other Chicago-market stations including WFLD-TV, , , and WGBO-TV. This launch required the station to shift its primary from VHF channel 12 to a new frequency, prompting over-the-air antenna users to perform a rescan to maintain reception, while cable, satellite, and streaming services remained unaffected. The upgrade delivers superior video capabilities, including support for 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) resolution and (HDR) imaging, which enhance color accuracy, contrast, and overall picture brightness compared to prior ATSC 1.0 transmissions. Audio improvements feature encoding, enabling consistent volume normalization across programs and Voice+ processing to prioritize dialogue clarity amid background noise. These enhancements stem from ATSC 3.0's IP packet-based delivery, which integrates over-the-air with broadband connectivity for interactive elements, such as personalized content overlays and augmentation for live news and sports. Further technological advancements include robust signal propagation for better indoor reception and mobile viewing, along with provisions for targeted alerts and extensibility to emerging features like hyper-localized notifications. WBBM-TV's deployment reflects Paramount Global's strategy to leverage for revitalizing free over-the-air service, though full viewer access depends on compatible receivers, with adoption limited as of late 2024 to newer televisions and set-top devices.

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