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{{Short description|Television station in Augusta, Georgia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WJBF
| city = 
| logo = WJBF 1.svg
| logo_size = 205px
| image = WJBF-DT3.svg
| image_size = 160px
| branding = {{ubl|''WJBF NewsChannel 6''|MeTV WJBF 6.2|WJBF CW 6 (6.3)}}
| digital = 28 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 6
| subchannels = 
| translators = 
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''6.1:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|'''6.3:''' [[The CW Plus|CW+]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[Nexstar Media Group]]
| licensee = Nexstar Media Inc.
| location = [[Augusta, Georgia]]
| country = United States
| founded = 
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1953|11|26|p=y}}
| last_airdate = 
| callsign_meaning = [[J. B. Fuqua|John Brooks Fuqua]] (founder of the station)
| sister_stations = 
| former_callsigns = WJBF-TV (1953–1954)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 6 ([[VHF]], 1953–2009)|'''Digital:''' 42 (UHF, 1999–2020)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[NBC]] (primary 1953–1967, secondary 1967–1974)|[[CBS]] (secondary, 1953–1954)|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1953–1956)}}
| erp = 755 kW
| haat = {{convert|504.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 27140
| coordinates = {{coord|33|24|20.7|N|81|50|0.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wjbf.com/}}
}}

'''WJBF''' (channel 6) is a [[television station]] in [[Augusta, Georgia]], United States, affiliated with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]]. The station's third [[digital subchannel]] serves as an [[owned-and-operated station]] of [[The CW]], in which Nexstar holds a majority stake. WJBF's studios are located in Television Park, near the Augusta Mall in Augusta, and its transmitter is located in [[Beech Island, South Carolina]].

==History==
WJBF-TV began operations on November 26, 1953, as Augusta's first television station.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1953/BC-1953-11-30.pdf#page=68 "Seven new TV outlets go on the air."] ''[[Broadcasting - Telecasting]]'', November 30, 1953, pg. 68.</ref> The station was founded by the Georgia-Carolina Broadcasting Company, the broadcasting arm of local entrepreneur [[J. B. Fuqua]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1914 |title=New Georgia Encyclopedia: J. B. Fuqua (1918-2006) |access-date=November 1, 2007 |archive-date=April 24, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424095601/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1914 |url-status=dead }}</ref> who also owned [[NBC Radio Network]] affiliate WJBF (1230 AM). WJBF-TV was a primary [[NBC]] affiliate, but picked up programs from [[CBS]], ABC and [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] on a secondary basis. Sister station WJBF radio was sold by Fuqua in 1954 (it is now [[WEZO]]).<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1954/1954-07-05-BC.pdf#page=66 "Fountain firm buys WJBF for $125,000."] ''Broadcasting - Telecasting'', July 5, 1954, pg. 66.</ref> It lost CBS only three months later when [[WRDW-TV]] (channel 12) signed on.

On September 1, 1967, WJBF became a primary ABC affiliate.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1967/1967-08-14-BC.pdf#page=52 "WJBF (TV) goes primary ABC."] ''Broadcasting'', August 14, 1967, pg. 52. </ref> The move relegated NBC to a shared secondary affiliation with WRDW-TV. This was an unusual situation for a then two-station market, especially one as small as Augusta. ABC, as the smallest and weakest of the big three networks, would not be on nearly the same footing with CBS and NBC until the 1970s, when most markets of Augusta's size grew large enough to support three full network affiliates. However, fellow NBC affiliate [[WIS-TV]] in [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia]] provided at least grade B coverage to the South Carolina side of the market. In contrast, no full-time ABC affiliate put even a grade B signal into the area. Fuqua reasoned that if channel 6 took a primary ABC affiliation, it wouldn't have significant out-of-market competition.  Additionally, in 1966 Fuqua bought two full-time ABC affiliates, [[WTVW]] in [[Evansville, Indiana]], and KTHI-TV (now [[KVLY-TV]]) in [[Fargo, North Dakota]], and apparently wanted to get his other stations—WJBF and [[KTVE]] in [[El Dorado, Arkansas]]—in line with the new acquisitions. In 1969, Fuqua branched out into the movie theater business when he purchased Martin Theaters of Georgia, forerunner of [[Carmike Cinemas]]. At the time, Martin Theaters of Georgia itself also owned [[WTVM]] in [[Columbus, Georgia]], and [[WTVC]] in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], also ABC affiliates. Those were added to Fuqua's portfolio.

When WATU (channel 26, later WAGT) began operations in December 1968, conventional wisdom suggested that it would become a full NBC affiliate. However, since many Augusta viewers still didn't have UHF-capable sets, NBC allowed WJBF and WRDW-TV to continue to cherry-pick most of its stronger programs. For its part, WJBF kept airing both the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today Show]]'' and ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', which preempted ABC's ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]'' among others. WATU was thus saddled with NBC's weaker programs, a major factor in the station going dark in 1970.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1971/1971-03-29-BC.pdf#page=68 "One (network) to a customer."] ''Broadcasting'', March 29, 1971, pg. 68. </ref> When WATU returned to the air in 1974 as a full-time NBC affiliate, WJBF was forced to drop NBC programming once and for all, per an FCC order issued in 1971 that required VHF stations in markets with three or more commercial outlets to affiliate with only one network.

Fuqua began breaking up his business empire in 1980. His television stations were among the first assets to be sold, with WJBF and WTVM going to [[Missoula, Montana]]–based Western Broadcasting Company.,<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1980/BC%201980%2007%2028.pdf#page=82 "Changing Hands."] ''Broadcasting'', July 28, 1980. pp. 82, [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1980/BC%201980%2007%2028.pdf#page=83 83]</ref> and WTVC going to the [[Belo Corporation|A. H. Belo Corporation]] of Dallas, Texas. In 1984, Western sold its broadcast holdings to the [[Pearson Scott Foresman|SFN Companies]], then-parent of educational publisher [[Scott, Foresman and Company]].<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-01-16.pdf#page=41 "Western sale."] ''Broadcasting'', January 16, 1984, pg. 41.</ref> In 1986, SFN was sold to Pegasus Broadcasting, a new firm formed by members of SFN's management.<ref>[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-07-14-Page-0066.pdf "Changing hands." ''Broadcasting'', July 14, 1986, pg. 66] {{dead link|date=June 2014}}</ref> Pegasus quickly became part of [[GE Capital]] in 1990.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1990 |title=For the Record... |pages=80 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/90-OCR/BC-1990-06-04-OCR-Page-0080.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1990 |title=For the Record |pages=85 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/90-OCR/BC-1990-06-11-OCR-Page-0085.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Spartan Radiocasting of [[Spartanburg, South Carolina]] purchased the station in 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 16, 1992 |title=For the Record |pages=45 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-03-16-OCR-Page-0045.pdf |access-date=September 12, 2023}}</ref> Spartan was renamed [[Spartan Communications]] in 1995. Spartan merged with [[Media General]] in 2000.

WJBF replaced RTV with [[MeTV]] on digital subchannel 6.2 on September 26, 2011, as part of a groupwide affiliation agreement with Media General; the channel replaced RTV on some Media General-owned stations in other market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Me-TV Beefs Up Roster With 10 New Stations |url=https://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/54029/metv-beefs-up-roster-with-10-new-stations |publisher=TVNewsCheck |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004094119/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/54029/metv-beefs-up-roster-with-10-new-stations?nocookies |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |date=September 15, 2011}}</ref>

=== Augusta West, management of WAGT ===
[[File:TV Networks in the former Barnes & Noble Augusta GA.jpg|thumb|left|The exterior of the new Television Park at Augusta West.]]
In October 2009, [[Schurz Communications]] announced that it would enter into joint sales and [[shared services]] agreements with WJBF, meaning that [[WAGT (TV)|WAGT]]'s news operation and advertising sales department would be taken over by Media General. Most of WAGT's managerial staff were dismissed, and other employees were reassigned to different positions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WJBF, WAGT still negotiating with on-air personnel|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/12/30/bus_561276.shtml|work=[[The Augusta Chronicle]]|date=December 30, 2009|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref>

Media General had initially intended to move WAGT into an expanded wing of the WJBF building in downtown Augusta. Both WJBF and WAGT have had a longstanding presence in the downtown area. Channel 6's facility on Reynolds Street was built around 1956, and channel 26 moved into its Broad Street building, a converted theatre, in 1981. However, it soon became apparent that WJBF's facility could not sustain the expansion necessary to house both stations. Media General instead chose to remodel what had been a [[big-box store]] to contain the stations. The new facility, located at the Augusta West Shopping Center in a former [[Barnes & Noble]] retail location, was opened in October 2011.<ref>{{cite news|last=Emerson|first=LaTina|title=WBBQ, other stations to move to new locations|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-12-02/wbbq-other-stations-move-new-locations?v=1291282932|work=[[The Augusta Chronicle]]|date=December 2, 2010|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref> While the two stations shared some internal services, WAGT's news operation and sales department operated autonomously from that of WJBF, and the two stations also produced competing news programming from their dedicated areas of the facility.<ref name="tvnc-wagtstudio">{{cite web|title=Facility Helps Duop TVs Keep Own Identities|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/61044/facility-helps-duop-tvs-keep-own-identities|first=Arthur|last=Greenwald|work=TVNewsCheck|date=July 26, 2012|access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>

The SSA was disbanded on February 16, 2016, after the acquisition of WAGT by [[Gray Television]], owner of WRDW-TV.<ref name="gray-wagt">{{cite web|title=Gray Television and WRDW News 12 Welcome WAGT NBC 26|url=http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Gray-Television-and-WRDW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217092451/http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Gray-Television-and-WRDW-News-12-Welcome-WAGT-NBC-26-365796691.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2016|website=WRDW.com|publisher=Gray Television|access-date=February 16, 2016}}</ref> Gray accused Media General of "[refusing] to agree to a smooth transition of personnel [from WAGT]" and not allowing them to move along to the station's new owner, as they fell under the employment of WJBF due to the shared services agreement.<ref name="tvspy-blames">{{cite web|title=Gray Blames Media General for Possible Job Losses at Augusta Station|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/gray-blames-media-general-for-possible-job-losses-at-augusta-station/164035#.VsOdRLijBd0.mailto|website=TVSpy.com|date=February 16, 2016 |access-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> On February 26, 2016, an [[injunction]] was granted against Gray by Media General, claiming that Gray violated the SSA by unwinding it following its purchase of WAGT. The agreement was to last through 2020, and stipulated that all future owners of the station would remain subject to it.<ref name="chron-injunction">{{cite news|title=Judge grants injunction halting WAGT sale|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/2016-02-26/judge-grants-injunction-halting-wagt-sale|access-date=February 27, 2016|work=The Augusta Chronicle|date=February 26, 2016}}</ref>
<!-- (Commenting out for now, could be better written)
=== Two fires ===
WJBF has suffered two fires in its history: on August 3, 1956, the transmitter building on Beech Island burned in a fire. While the transmitter itself survived, the building suffered damage totaling {{USD|400000|1956}}. The station was off the air for only 28 hours, even though a temporary site in North Augusta, South Carolina.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://augustamagazine.com/2020/08/03/a-new-view/|title=A new view|last=Rhodes|first=Don|work=Augusta Magazine|date=August 3, 2020|accessdate=January 13, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/56-OCR/1956-08-13-BC-OCR-Page-0084.pdf|work=Broadcasting-Telecasting|title=Speedy Teamwork Returns Fire-Razed WJBF-TV to Air|date=August 13, 1956|accessdate=January 13, 2025}}</ref>

Sixteen years later on May 7, 1972, the building caught fire again, but this time the transmitter was not spared damage. This fire abruptly took the station off the air during the deciding game of that year's [[1972 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] and left it in the dark for six days; the station returned to the air on May 13 with a special half-hour program describing the ordeal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wjbf.com/anniversary/1972-were-back-wjbf-returns-to-air-after-transmitter-fire/|title=We're Back! WJBF Returns to air after transmitter fire|date=August 10, 2023|accessdate=January 13, 2025}}</ref>-->

==Local programming==
Since 1954, WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning [[gospel music]] program {{Anchor|Parade of Quartets}}''Parade of Quartets'', one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television. The program has been a showcase for regionally and nationally known African-American gospel performers, and has also featured appearances from political and social figures. Augusta native [[James Brown]], [[Shirley Caesar]], [[Al Green]], the [[Mighty Clouds of Joy]], [[Dorothy Norwood]] and [[Jesse Jackson]] are among those who have appeared on the program.

The station also produces an [[urban music]] video program, ''Power Hitz'', which airs on Sunday evenings. ''Power Hitz'' has been on the air since 2001.<ref>{{cite news|last=DeMao|first=Alisa|title=Radio personalities add camera to mike|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2001/09/13/ent_319380.shtml|work=[[The Augusta Chronicle]]|date=September 13, 2001|access-date=December 5, 2010}}</ref>

From 1954 until 1992, WJBF produced and aired a Sunday afternoon [[Southern gospel]] program featuring the locally based [[Lewis Family]], known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel", that was seen in other markets via [[broadcast syndication|syndication]]. After the weekly series ended, WJBF continued to produce and air a yearly [[Christmas]] special until the group's retirement in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thelewisfamilymusic.com|title=Home Page|website=The Lewis Family|language=en-US|access-date=July 6, 2018}}</ref>

===News operation===
As of May 2021, WJBF presently broadcasts 35 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with {{frac|6|1|2}} hours on weekdays, {{frac|2|1|2}} hours on Saturdays, and two hours on Sundays).

Appropriately for being the first television station in the area, WJBF has led the ratings for most of its history, with rival WRDW-TV usually the runner-up. In recent years, WJBF and WRDW-TV had usually traded first and second place, while WAGT almost always placed third.

In the 1980s, its newscasts were branded ''NewsWatch 6''. After being acquired by Spartan Radiocasting in 1992, WJBF and some other stations acquired by the company changed their branding to ''NewsChannel''. This station and most of its sister affiliates still use this branding today after being acquired by Media General. However, long after Spartan bought the station, WJBF retained the "groovy 6" logo it had used in one form or another since the late 1970s. This changed in 2002, when it adopted the "arc" logo used by most Media General stations.

In the 1990s, WJBF reached an agreement with the [[Augusta Mall]] to run a [[closed-circuit television|closed-circuit]] "Mall TV" feed on television screens throughout the mall featuring the day's news and coverage of some local special events. WJBF operated this service until the late-1990s. They also had a local agreement with Comcast to air a rebroadcast of the 6 p.m. show on the cable provider's channel 66. This arrangement ended in 2004 with the launch of a nightly 10 o'clock newscast on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WFXG]] (channel 54). The production uses different graphics and duratrans concealing the WJBF logos. The launch came after its studios were renovated.

In December 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other programming.

On October 17, 2011, WJBF launched local newscasts in high definition starting with the morning newscast. It is the third station in the area to do so behind WFXG and WRDW-TV.

==Subchannels==
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WJBF<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WJBF#station|title = RabbitEars TV Query for WJBF|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.1 
| [[1080i]] || rowspan="4"|[[16:9]] || WJBF-HD || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] 
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.2 
| [[720p]] || MeTV || [[MeTV]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wjbf.com/entertainment/on_wjbf_tv/ |title=WJBF website TV listings |access-date=June 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609075423/http://www2.wjbf.com/entertainment/on_wjbf_tv/ |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |url-status=dead }} </ref>
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.3 
| rowspan="2"|[[480i]] || CW || [[The CW Plus]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.4 
| ION || [[Ion Television]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.wjbf.com/}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101127154038/http://paradeofquartets.com/main/ ''Parade of Quartets'' website]

{{Augusta TV}}
{{ABC Georgia}}
{{CW Georgia}}
{{Other Georgia Stations}}
{{NXST TV}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wjbf}}
[[Category:1953 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Ion Mystery affiliates]]
[[Category:MeTV affiliates]]
[[Category:The CW affiliates]]
[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1953]]
[[Category:Television stations in Augusta, Georgia|JBF]]