List of television stations in South Carolina

The list of television stations in South Carolina encompasses all full-power and low-power broadcast television stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to transmit signals serving communities within the U.S. state of South Carolina.^[1] These stations include affiliates of major networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, The CW, and MyNetworkTV, as well as independent, religious, and educational outlets, providing a mix of local news, entertainment, and public service programming to the state's residents.^[2] As of the 2024–2025 television season, South Carolina hosts approximately 32 full-power stations and several low-power translators, concentrated in four primary designated market areas (DMAs): Columbia (DMA #76), Greenville–Spartanburg–Asheville–Anderson (DMA #36), Charleston (DMA #85), and Myrtle Beach–Florence (DMA #97).^[2] The Columbia market features key affiliates like WIS (NBC), WLTX (CBS), WOLO (ABC), and WACH (FOX), while Charleston's stations include WCSC (CBS), WCBD (NBC), WCIV (ABC), and WTAT (FOX).^[3] Greenville–Spartanburg is served by WYFF (NBC), WSPA (CBS), WLOS (ABC from Asheville, NC), and WYCW (The CW), and the Myrtle Beach–Florence area includes WPDE (ABC), WBTW (CBS), WMBF (NBC), and WWMB (The CW).^[2] Television broadcasting in South Carolina traces its origins to the post-World War II era, with the FCC lifting a construction freeze in 1952 that had halted new licenses due to technical interference concerns.^[4] The state's first commercial station, WCOS-TV (now WOLO-TV, ABC) in Columbia, began operations on May 1, 1953, followed rapidly by WCSC-TV (CBS) in Charleston on June 19, 1953, and others in Columbia, Greenville, and Anderson by the end of that year, marking the establishment of six initial outlets.^[4] By the 2000s, the state had expanded to over 20 commercial stations and 11 noncommercial channels, reflecting growth in local media infrastructure.^[4] A significant component of South Carolina's television landscape is the public broadcasting system operated by South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV), a statewide network affiliated with PBS that launched its first station, WNTV in Greenville, on September 15, 1963.^[5] SCETV now maintains nine digital channels across the state, including WITV (Charleston), WRLK (Columbia), WEBA (Allendale), WJWJ (Beaufort), WHMC (Conway), WJPM (Florence), WRJA (Sumter), WNEH (Greenwood), and WNTV (Greenville–Spartanburg), delivering educational, cultural, and emergency programming to underserved areas.^[5] All stations in the state operate under FCC regulations, which govern licensing, spectrum allocation, and content standards to ensure diverse and accessible over-the-air broadcasting.^[6]

Full-power stations

Columbia designated market area

The Columbia designated market area (DMA), ranked 76th by Nielsen in the 2024-2025 season with approximately 450,440 television households, is served by eight full-power television stations, providing a mix of major network affiliates, public broadcasting, and independent programming. These stations cover central South Carolina, including the capital city of Columbia and surrounding counties, with signals reaching into parts of neighboring states. The market's broadcast landscape reflects the region's growth since the 1950s, when early stations like WIS pioneered local television, followed by expansions in affiliations and digital capabilities after the 2009 DTV transition, which relocated several RF channels to optimize spectrum use while preserving virtual channel numbers for viewer continuity.^[7] WIS (channel 10) signed on November 7, 1953, as South Carolina's first television station, initially broadcasting from studios in downtown Columbia with a focus on local news and University of South Carolina events, and it has maintained NBC affiliation since inception while adding subchannels post-DTV transition in 2009, including CW on 10.2.^[16][17] WLTX (channel 19), which began operations in 1953 as a secondary NBC affiliate before switching to CBS in 1956, upgraded to digital broadcasting on RF channel 17 in 2009 and later to channel 15 during the 2017-2020 repack, enhancing its coverage with a directional antenna for urban signal strength.^[9] WOLO-TV (channel 25) launched on December 17, 1953, as WCOS-TV with NBC and CBS affiliations before becoming a full-time ABC outlet in 1956; owned by Bahakel since 1964, it transitioned to digital on RF channel 8 in 2009 and to channel 7 in the repack, operating at reduced VHF power to mitigate interference while serving as the market's ABC flagship with subchannels like Me-TV.^[18][10] The public broadcasting duo of WRLK-TV and WRJA-TV form key parts of the South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) network, which originated in 1958; WRJA-TV signed on in 1965 from Sumter to extend coverage eastward, followed by WRLK-TV in 1966 as the Columbia flagship, both converting to digital in 2009 (RF 32 and 28 initially) and relocating to UHF channels 33 and 29 by 2020 to improve statewide PBS distribution.^[19][20] WZRB (channel 47), an independent ION affiliate since 1991, shifted from analog channel 47 to digital on the same virtual in 2009 and to RF 25 post-repack, utilizing a lower-power setup on Columbia's northeast side to target urban viewers with multicast networks like Court TV.^[13] WACH (channel 57) debuted in 1980 as an independent before affiliating with Fox in 1986, completing its DTV move from RF 48 to 22 in 2020 under Sinclair ownership, co-locating its transmitter with other market stations for efficient tower sharing.^[14] WKTC (channel 63), signing on in 1983 as an independent and adopting MyNetworkTV in 2006, underwent a similar repack relocation from RF 39 to 31 in 2020, broadcasting from a shared site near Elgin to reach Sumter and Columbia audiences with subchannels including COZI TV.^[15]

Charleston designated market area

The Charleston designated market area (DMA), ranked 85th in the United States with approximately 400,000 television households (399,960 as of 2024-2025), encompasses the coastal Lowcountry region including Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and surrounding areas.^[21] This market is characterized by its focus on local news, weather coverage for hurricane-prone areas, and programming reflecting tourism, history, and maritime interests. Full-power stations in the DMA provide affiliations with major networks and public broadcasting, with many transmitters co-located near Awendaw for broad coverage across the peninsula and barrier islands. Following Hurricane Hugo's landfall in 1989, which devastated the region, local stations like WCSC-TV delivered continuous all-day coverage of the aftermath, leading to temporary rebroadcast adjustments and reliance on backup facilities to restore service amid widespread infrastructure damage.^[22] WITV serves as the primary PBS affiliate for the Charleston area, operated by the South Carolina Educational Television Commission as part of the statewide ETV network.^[23] In 2014, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired WCIV, solidifying its role as the market's ABC affiliate while shifting previous affiliations away from companion station WGWG.^[24] The following table lists active full-power television stations licensed to or primarily serving the Charleston DMA:

Greenville-Spartanburg designated market area

The Greenville–Spartanburg–Asheville–Anderson designated market area (DMA) ranks as the 36th largest television market in the United States, serving approximately 988,000 television households (987,740 as of 2024-2025) across western South Carolina's Upstate region and portions of western North Carolina.^[21] This binational market features a blend of commercial network affiliates, independent outlets, and public broadcasters, with significant cross-border influence from Asheville-based stations that extend coverage into South Carolina communities. The area's topography, including the Blue Ridge Mountains, impacts signal propagation, leading to reliance on high-elevation transmitter sites for broad reach. Full-power stations in this DMA provide essential local news, weather, and programming tailored to the industrial, agricultural, and tourism-driven economy of the region. Key historical milestones include the launch of NBC affiliate WYFF in Greenville, which signed on as WFBC-TV on December 31, 1953, from studios shared with its radio sister station, establishing early VHF dominance in the Upstate. Religious broadcaster WGGS in Greenville began operations in 1972 as a Christian independent station, focusing on faith-based content and local ministry programming. Public broadcasting arrived with WNTV in 1963, the first educational station in the region, followed by WRET in Spartanburg in 1980 as an extension of the South Carolina Educational Television network to enhance coverage in the western Upstate.^[37][38][39] The 2017 Federal Communications Commission broadcast incentive auction and subsequent spectrum repack, completed by July 2020, prompted several stations in the market to relocate their RF channels, resulting in minor adjustments to effective radiated power (ERP) and coverage contours for some facilities to optimize spectrum use while maintaining service. No major service disruptions occurred, but viewers were advised to rescan antennas.^[40] The following table lists active full-power television stations licensed to or primarily serving the DMA, including those with South Carolina licenses. Data reflects current operations as of November 2025. Note: North Carolina-licensed stations such as WLOS (ABC, channel 13, Asheville), WYCW (CW, channel 62, Asheville), and WUNF-TV (PBS, channel 33, Asheville) also serve significant portions of the South Carolina side of the DMA but are not detailed here as the focus is on South Carolina-licensed full-power outlets. These SC stations collectively cover the core Upstate population centers, with overlapping signals ensuring robust service amid the region's mountainous terrain.^{[41][42][43][44][45]}

Myrtle Beach-Florence designated market area

The Myrtle Beach-Florence designated market area (DMA), ranked 97th in the United States, encompasses the Pee Dee region and Grand Strand coastal areas of northeastern South Carolina, including cities like Florence, Myrtle Beach, Conway, and Georgetown. This market is served by eight full-power television stations, providing major network affiliations, public broadcasting, and local content tailored to the region's tourism economy, which drives programming focused on beach events, golf, and family attractions. Stations in the DMA emphasize coastal lifestyle coverage, with news segments often highlighting seasonal visitor trends and entertainment options to support the area's 20 million annual tourists. The 2009 digital television transition, completed on June 12, required viewers with analog sets to use converter boxes or digital antennas, enabling stations to launch additional subchannels for expanded programming like weather, sports, and classic TV networks.^[46][47][48] WBTW, the market's oldest station, signed on April 8, 1954, as the first commercial outlet in the Pee Dee region, initially broadcasting from Florence with a focus on local agriculture and community news before expanding to cover Myrtle Beach tourism growth. WPDE-TV, the ABC affiliate, launched on November 22, 1980, filling a gap for network programming and quickly becoming a key source for Grand Strand weather and event coverage. Public stations WHMC and WJPM, part of the South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) network, signed on in 1970 and 1984, respectively, providing educational content and regional documentaries that highlight coastal ecology and history; WJPM specifically serves the Florence area with localized inserts. In the 2020s, subchannels proliferated post-digital transition, with additions like MeTV on WFXB (since 2015) and Antenna TV on WBTW offering nostalgic programming popular among seasonal retirees and tourists. Tourism-driven emphases are evident in local news from WMBF and WPDE, which dedicate segments to visitor guides, festival previews, and economic impacts, aligning with the DMA's reliance on 14 million overnight stays annually. The 2009 transition enhanced signal quality and multicasting but initially disrupted over-the-air reception in rural Pee Dee areas, prompting public awareness campaigns by stations like WBTW.^{[64][65][19][57][66]}

Other designated market areas

In addition to the primary in-state designated market areas (DMAs), South Carolina hosts several full-power television stations licensed within its borders but assigned to adjacent out-of-state DMAs, primarily serving audiences in Georgia and North Carolina through signal spillover across state lines. These stations reflect the border dynamics of the Southeast, where geographic proximity facilitates shared viewership and programming tailored to regional needs, such as extended coverage into the Augusta, Savannah, and Charlotte markets.^[67] The following table lists key active full-power stations in this category, including their technical parameters and affiliations as of 2025: WEBA-TV operates as a satellite of South Carolina's statewide PBS network, extending educational programming to the Augusta DMA; WEBA-TV signed on September 5, 1967, contributing to cross-border access for rural viewers in southern South Carolina and nearby Georgia communities.^[71][72] WTGS, the FOX affiliate for the Savannah DMA, signed on March 22, 1982, and became a charter FOX affiliate upon the network's launch in October 1986, providing news and entertainment that spills over into South Carolina's Lowcountry region.^[73] WMYT-TV, serving the Charlotte DMA, originally signed on October 21, 1994, as an independent station before affiliating with MyNetworkTV in 2006 and switching to CW on September 1, 2025, enhancing syndicated content availability for northern South Carolina residents near the North Carolina border.^[74][75] These stations exemplify how DMA boundaries often transcend state lines in the Carolinas and Georgia, with signals from transmitters near borders enabling spillover that boosts localism; for instance, WTGS's coverage extends significantly into Beaufort and Jasper counties in South Carolina, while WMYT-TV's reach influences York County viewers, fostering integrated media ecosystems despite licensing in South Carolina.^[76]

Defunct stations

Full-power stations

The defunct full-power television stations in South Carolina were primarily early UHF outlets that launched in the mid-1950s but ceased operations within a few years due to competitive pressures from established VHF stations and the technical limitations of UHF broadcasting at the time. These closures reflected broader challenges in the nascent television industry, where UHF signals often struggled to achieve widespread viewership without robust converter equipment in receivers. Only two such stations are documented as having operated and then permanently shut down their television services.^[4][77] These stations' short lifespans contributed to affiliation shifts in their markets, with ABC programming in Columbia eventually stabilizing on the revived channel 25, while Greenville's Upstate viewers relied more on VHF imports from Charlotte and Asheville until local VHF station WFBC-TV expanded coverage.^[78] No other full-power television stations in South Carolina have been recorded as defunct since the 1950s, as subsequent developments favored VHF and later UHF viability through regulatory changes and technological improvements.^[77]

Low-power stations

Low-power television stations in South Carolina have historically operated with limited range and power, often serving niche audiences with local, independent, or religious programming. Many such stations ceased operations due to financial difficulties, failure to transition to digital broadcasting, or license revocations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The 2009 digital television (DTV) transition primarily affected full-power stations, but low-power and Class A stations faced subsequent challenges, including the loss of Class A status if they could not meet enhanced operational requirements or complete digital conversions. The FCC required low-power stations to cease analog operations by September 1, 2015, with a final deadline of July 13, 2021, for remaining analog operations, resulting in widespread closures among those unable to afford equipment upgrades or relocate frequencies amid spectrum repacking.^[80][81] Several defunct low-power stations exemplify these issues. WCHD-CA, a Class A station licensed to Charleston, signed on circa 2001 on channel 49 as an MTV2/The Box affiliate, providing music video programming to the Lowcountry area. It lost Class A status and ceased operations in 2007 due to lapsed affiliation agreements with Viacom and challenges related to the digital transition. WPDF-LP in Florence operated from 1989 to 2002 on channel 56, focusing on local news, community events, and independent content for the Pee Dee region. The station ceased local operations in March 2002 following financial insolvency, becoming a satellite of WFXB before its license was ultimately surrendered. W67DP, licensed to Columbia, broadcast on channel 67 from the late 1990s, serving as a low-power translator and affiliate for networks including Telemundo in later years, with syndicated and religious programming earlier. It signed off in June 2010 amid economic pressures and spectrum constraints, with its license canceled by the FCC on June 3, 2011, for prolonged inactivity exceeding one year. Other low-power stations, such as WLOW-LP on channel 19 in Beaufort, operated briefly in the early 2000s as a community-focused outlet before shutting down around 2005 due to operational costs and lack of sponsorship, with its license deleted by the FCC for non-use. These closures highlight the vulnerability of low-power broadcasters to regulatory shifts, where post-2009 Class A protections were revoked for non-compliance, and the 2015/2021 analog deadlines forced many remaining analog operations offline without viable digital alternatives.^[80]

Low-power and translator stations

Low-power television stations

Low-power television stations in South Carolina operate under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations as secondary services to full-power stations, with maximum effective radiated power (ERP) limits of 15 kW for UHF digital operations and 3 kW for VHF, though most transmit at lower levels to avoid interference. Following the FCC-mandated digital transition for low-power stations completed by July 13, 2021, all active low-power and Class A stations in the state now broadcast exclusively in digital format, enabling multiple subchannels but requiring adherence to spectrum efficiency rules. Class A stations, which must air at least three hours of local programming weekly to retain primary status protections similar to full-power outlets, represent a subset focused on community or niche content like religious or tourism programming. These stations primarily serve local markets such as Charleston and Myrtle Beach-Florence, often overlapping with full-power signals in those designated market areas for supplementary coverage, with additional operations in Columbia. Active low-power and Class A stations are concentrated in coastal and urban markets, providing independent, religious, and tourism-oriented content. The following table lists key active stations, including call sign, virtual/RF channels, city of license, affiliation/programming, owner, and ERP. These stations typically cover localized areas, such as the Charleston peninsula for WHDC-LD (approximately 43 miles radius) and the Grand Strand coast for the Myrtle Beach pair (about 20 miles), supplementing full-power broadcasters in those markets.^[88] WHDC-LD has operated as an independent outlet since its 2010 licensing, evolving to include diverse subchannels for broader appeal. WLCN-CD maintains Class A status through consistent religious broadcasting, while WGSC-CD and WGSI-CD emphasize tourism content to promote local attractions since their inception in 2005.^[89][90] Active low-power stations exist in the Columbia DMA, such as WKDC-LD, but none were identified in the Greenville-Spartanburg DMA as of November 2025.^[1]

Broadcast translators

Broadcast translators in South Carolina serve to extend the reach of full-power television signals into remote, rural, and terrain-challenged areas, such as the Appalachian foothills and coastal lowlands, where over-the-air reception is otherwise limited. These stations rebroadcast programming from parent stations without originating content, operating at low effective radiated power (ERP) levels typically between 1 and 250 watts to comply with FCC limits designed to minimize interference. Under FCC rules in 47 CFR Part 74, digital TV translators must rebroadcast a single full-power or Class A station's signal and are licensed for specific communities to fill coverage gaps. As of 2025, the FCC has authorized TV translators to deploy the ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) standard on a permissive basis without the ATSC 1.0 simulcast obligation required for full-power stations, enabling potential upgrades for higher resolution and mobile reception while maintaining backward compatibility through hosting arrangements.^[91][92] The South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) network, a statewide PBS affiliate, utilizes translators to address signal gaps in the Upstate and Lowcountry regions, ensuring equitable access to educational and public programming in underserved communities. For instance, SCETV has pursued FCC approvals for fill-in translators, including a proposed 99-watt digital facility to bolster coverage in targeted rural zones.^[93] Commercial broadcasters also rely on translators to penetrate mountainous terrain, particularly in the western part of the state near the North Carolina border. Representative active broadcast translators in South Carolina include the following examples, which illustrate their role in signal extension: These translators operate under strict FCC displacement and interference protections, with licenses renewed every eight years to ensure continued service to the public.^[92] In the post-ATSC 3.0 era, stations like these may host advanced signals from parent broadcasters, potentially enhancing datacasting for emergency alerts in rural South Carolina.^[97]