WCAU facts for kids
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| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States |
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| Channels | Digital: 28 (UHF) (shared with WWSI) Virtual: 10 (PSIP) |
| Branding | NBC 10 (general) NBC 10 News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Count On It |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner | NBC Owned Television Stations (a subsidiary of NBCUniversal) (NBC Telemundo License LLC) |
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Sister stations
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| History | |
| Founded | September 1946 |
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First air date
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May 23, 1948 |
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Former channel number(s)
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Former affiliations
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CBS (1948–1995) |
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Call sign meaning
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Randomly assigned by FCC; backronymed to We Care About YoU (derived from former sister radio station, now WPHT) |
| Technical information | |
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Licensing authority
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FCC |
| Facility ID | 63153 |
| ERP | 700 kW 618 kW (CP) |
| HAAT | 400.1 m (1,313 ft) 399.8 m (1,312 ft) (CP) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°2′30.1″N 75°14′10.1″W / 40.041694°N 75.236139°W |
| Links | |
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Public license information
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Profile [http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?facid=63153 63153 LMS] |
WCAU, also known as NBC 10, is a television station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned by NBC Owned Television Stations, which is part of NBCUniversal. WCAU broadcasts on virtual channel 10 and digital channel 28.
The station shares its main studios with another station, WWSI (channel 62), inside the Comcast Technology Center in Center City. They also share their broadcast tower in the Roxborough area of Philadelphia. WCAU is known for its local news and for broadcasting many sports games.
Contents
Station History: From CBS to NBC
Early Days as a CBS Station (1946–1995)
In 1946, a newspaper called the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin got permission to start a TV station on channel 10. They first named it WPEN-TV. Later, the Bulletin bought a radio station called WCAU. They decided to rename their new TV station WCAU-TV to match.
WCAU-TV officially started broadcasting on May 23, 1948. It became an affiliate of the CBS network. This meant it would show CBS programs. WCAU radio had been one of CBS's first stations when the network began in 1927.
In 1957, WCAU-TV moved its broadcast tower to Roxborough. This new, taller tower helped the station reach more viewers across a wider area. Also in 1957, the Bulletin partnered with another TV station in Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, the FCC (which regulates broadcasting) ruled that the Bulletin could not own both stations because their signals overlapped too much.
So, the Bulletin sold WCAU-TV and its radio stations to CBS in 1958. CBS had to get special permission to buy WCAU because its signal overlapped with CBS's stations in New York City. The FCC allowed it, and WCAU-TV became a station directly owned by CBS.
The Big Switch: From CBS to NBC (1994–1995)
In 1994, major changes happened in TV broadcasting. CBS made a deal with a company called Westinghouse Broadcasting. This deal meant that Westinghouse's stations, including KYW-TV (channel 3) in Philadelphia, would become CBS affiliates. KYW-TV had been an NBC station for a long time.
CBS decided to sell WCAU-TV, ending its 47-year connection with the station. NBC wanted to own a station in Philadelphia, which was a large market where they didn't have a station. After some back-and-forth bidding, NBC ended up buying WCAU.
The switch was a bit complicated. To make the deal fair, NBC traded some of its stations in other cities to CBS. The official change happened on September 10, 1995. WCAU-TV became an NBC-owned station.
WCAU as an NBC-Owned Station (1995–Present)
After NBC took over, they dropped the "-TV" from the station's call sign, making it simply WCAU. In 2011, Comcast, a large cable and media company based in Philadelphia, bought a majority share of NBCUniversal, which owns WCAU. This meant WCAU became locally owned by Comcast. Comcast bought the rest of NBCUniversal in 2013.
In 2013, NBCUniversal also bought WWSI, a Telemundo station. This made WWSI a sister station to WCAU, meaning they are both owned by the same company. In 2015, WCAU became the only NBC station in the Philadelphia area after WMGM-TV in Atlantic City stopped being an NBC affiliate.
Where WCAU Broadcasts From
WCAU's Studio Locations
Channel 10 first broadcast from 1622 Chestnut Street in Center City. This building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1952, WCAU moved to a new, modern building in Bala Cynwyd. This was one of the first buildings in America built especially for TV production.
On January 16, 2014, WCAU and WWSI announced they would move to the new Comcast Technology Center in Center City. This building is very tall and became the tallest in Philadelphia. WCAU officially started broadcasting from the new studios on October 21, 2018. Some operations, like parking for news vehicles, still remain at the old Bala Cynwyd location.
How WCAU Broadcasts Digitally
Digital Channels and Conversion
WCAU broadcasts several digital channels:
- 10.1: Main WCAU programming (NBC) in high-definition.
- 10.2: Cozi TV, which shows classic TV shows and movies.
- 10.3: Lx, a channel for news and lifestyle content.
WCAU stopped broadcasting its old analog signal on June 12, 2009. This was part of a nationwide change where all full-power TV stations switched from analog to digital broadcasting. Even though WCAU's digital signal is on UHF channel 28, your TV still shows it as channel 10.1. This is thanks to a system called PSIP.
In 2017, the signal for WCAU's sister station, WWSI, was sold. Now, WWSI's signal is broadcast from the same tower as WCAU.
What WCAU Shows: Programs and Sports
Regular Programming
WCAU broadcasts popular syndicated shows like Access Hollywood and The Kelly Clarkson Show. It is one of nine NBC-owned stations that help distribute programs across the country. For many years, WCAU was known for not interrupting network shows. It also had a popular local children's show called The Gene London Show until 1977.
Wawa Welcome America Celebration
Since 2016, WCAU and WWSI have been the local broadcasters for the Wawa Welcome America 4th of July celebrations in Philadelphia. This includes the Philly July 4 Jam concert and the Grand Finale Fireworks. When WCAU airs this event, it shows the local fireworks instead of the national Macy's 4th of July Fireworks from New York City.
Sports Programming on WCAU
Since Comcast bought NBCUniversal in 2011, WCAU has shown many games for Philadelphia's major sports teams.
Philadelphia Phillies Baseball
In 2014, Comcast and the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team signed a long-term TV contract. As part of this deal, WCAU started broadcasting some Phillies games, including their Opening Day. WCAU also aired Phillies games when it was a CBS station from 1990 to 1993, including the 1993 World Series.
Philadelphia Eagles Football
Philadelphia Eagles football games were mainly shown on Channel 10 when it was a CBS station. This was because CBS had the rights to broadcast the National Football Conference (NFC) games. Since 2006, Eagles games broadcast nationally by NBC Sports, especially Sunday Night Football games, have aired on WCAU. This included Super Bowl LII, which the Eagles won.
Since 2015, WCAU has also aired the Eagles' preseason games.
Philadelphia Flyers Hockey
WCAU has the rights to broadcast Philadelphia Flyers hockey games. These games are also shown nationally on NBC through its National Hockey League broadcast package.
Philadelphia 76ers Basketball
WCAU has shown advertisements during Philadelphia 76ers basketball home games since the 2017–18 season. The station also broadcast 76ers games as part of NBC's NBA package from 1995 to 2002. When it was a CBS station, WCAU aired 76ers games from 1973 to 1990, including the team's victory in the 1983 NBA Finals.
Broad Street Run
Since 2015, WCAU has been the local broadcaster for the Blue Cross Broad Street Run, a popular race held every May in Philadelphia.
WCAU's News Team
WCAU produces many hours of local news each week. News has been a part of WCAU since it first went on air in 1948. John Facenda, who later became famous as the voice of NFL Films, was the station's main news anchor from 1948 until 1973. He was one of the first to anchor a local 11 p.m. newscast in the country.
In 1950, WCAU was the first station to have a four-person news team. This team included Facenda, weathercaster Phil Sheridan, sports reporter Jack Whitaker, and announcer Ed McMahon.
For many years, WCAU's news was very popular in Philadelphia. It was often the second most-watched news station. In 2001, WCAU's 11 p.m. newscast even became the top-rated news show for a short time.
In 2008, WCAU started broadcasting its local news in high-definition. In 2011, WCAU expanded its morning newscast and added a new midday newscast. They also partnered with public broadcasting stations WHYY-FM and WHYY-TV to share news.
In 2013, WCAU started using its own news helicopter, called "SkyForce 10." In 2014, WCAU expanded its weekday morning newscast to three hours, starting at 4:00 a.m.
On October 21, 2018, WCAU moved its news operations to the new studios in the Comcast Technology Center. They also updated their logo. In 2020, WCAU started a content partnership with local radio stations. They also added a new 7 p.m. newscast on weekdays.
Current News Team Members
- Tracy Davidson – Anchors the 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. newscasts.
- Keith Jones – Morning anchor and reporter.
- Jim Rosenfield – Anchor.
- Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz – Meteorologist.
Past News Team Members
Many talented people have worked at WCAU over the years. Sadly, in 1972, three news correspondents, including Sid Brenner and Louis Clark from WCAU, were killed in a helicopter crash while covering a flood.
Some other notable former staff include:
- Pat Battle (now at WNBC in New York City)
- John Bolaris (weathercaster)
- Tom Brookshier (sports, later with CBS Sports)
- Renee Chenault-Fattah (anchor)
- Herb Clarke (weatherman)
- Gene Crane (longtime host)
- Howard Eskin (sports)
- Amy Freeze (meteorologist, now at WABC-TV in New York)
- Mike Golic (sports, later with ESPN)
- Edie Huggins (reporter)
- Larry Kane (anchor)
- Don Lemon (reporter, now anchor at CNN)
- Gene London (children's entertainer)
- Ed McMahon (announcer, later on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson)
- Jillian Mele (anchor, later at Fox News)
- Larry Mendte (anchor)
- Kathy Orr (meteorologist)
- Vai Sikahema (former Philadelphia Eagles player, sports anchor, and morning anchor)
- Jack Whitaker (sports)
- Brian Williams (reporter, later anchor of NBC Nightly News)
Images for kids
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Original studio at 1622 Chestnut Street.
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WCAU-TV ident from 1973 to 1976. The "10" survived with only minor changes until 1995.
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WCAU's "boxed 10" logo was adopted upon its new affiliation with NBC in September 1995, and its use lasted until February 2012.
Query the FCC's TV station database for WCAU FCC TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files for WCAU
