WMBD-TV is the CBS affiliate in Peoria, Illinois. It is the first Peoria station to broadcast local color television, the last to broadcast digital television.
| [1] | |
| Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WMBD 31 (general)
WMBD 31 News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Taking Action for You |
| Channels | Digital: 30 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 31.1 CBS |
| Owner | Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
(Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.) |
| First air date | January 1, 1958 |
| Call letters' meaning | World's
Most Beautiful Drive (referring to Peoria's Grandview Drive overlooking the Illinois River) |
| Sister station(s) | WYZZ-TV |
| Former callsigns | Analog:
WMBD-TV (1958–2009) Digital: WMBD-DT (2003–2009) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 31 (1958-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 800 kW |
| Height | 193 m |
| Facility ID | 42121 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°38′5.7″N 89°32′19.7″W / 40.634917°N 89.538806°W / 40.634917; -89.538806 |
| Website | www.centralillinoisproud.com |
Ownership
WMBD-TV has been co-owned with WCIA in Champaign, Illinois for decades. Along with WCFN in Springfield, Illinois, they are now owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group. WMBD-TV also operates WYZZ-TV.
History
WMBD-TV first signed on the air on January 1, 1958. It was owned by John Fetzer along with WMBD radio (AM 1470 and 93.3 FM, now WPBG). When Theodore Roosevelt visited Peoria on October 10, 1910, he called Peoria's Grandview Drive the "World's Most Beautiful Drive" and thus the call letters WMBD were chosen for the radio station and carried over to the TV station. The stations were sold to Midwest Television Inc. of Champaign, Illinois; owners of WCIA in 1960 for $1.85 million.
In 1999, WMBD-TV was split from its radio sisters when Midwest Television divested its Illinois stations. Channel 31 was sold to Nexstar Broadcasting Group along with WCIA and WCFN, while WMBD-AM-FM were sold to Peoria-owned JMP Media LLC (a subsidiary of California-based Triad Broadcasting).
WMBD-TV has been digital-only since February 17, 2009.[1] WMBD-TV continued digital broadcasts on channel 30 but the "WMBD-TV" callsign was legally transferred from the now-defunct analog channel 31 to the digital channel 30 and the "WMBD-DT" callsign was permanently discontinued.
| [2] | This section requires expansion. |
Logos
| [3]WMBD-TV Logo, 1991 to 1993 (the 1993 logo was used until 1997) | [4]WMBD-TV Logo, 2003 to 2007 | [5]WMBD-TV Logo, 2007 to present |
Programming
In addition to sharing news items with WCIA, WMBD-TV has also carried some original WCIA programs:
- At the Hop (1950s-1960s): with John Coleman and later with Ed Mason
- Dialing for Dollars (1960s-1970s)
- Nightmare Theater (1958–1962)
- The Bruce Weber Show
| [6] | This section requires expansion. |
News/Station presentation
Newscast titles
- Harrison and the News (6 p.m. newscast)/Home Edition (10 p.m. newscast; 1950s-1960s)
- WMBD News (1960s)
- Action News 31 (1970s)
- 31 News Alive (1970s-1980s)
- NewsCenter 31 (1980s-1990s)
- News 31 (1990s)
- WMBD News (1990s-1996)
- CBS 31 News (1996–2003)
- NewsChannel 31 (2003–2007)
- WMBD 31 News (2007–present)
Station slogans
- "The Supercolor Station" (1960s)
- "The Best News of All" (1980s-1990s)
- "Get Ready for Stereo 31" (1989–1990; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
- "The Look of America Is Stereo 31" (1991–1992; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
- "Your News Authority" (1990s)
- "The One and Only" (1998-2001)
- "Bottom Line, Better News" (2001–2003)
- "Making a Difference For You" (2003–2007)
- "Taking Action For You" (2007–present)
Personalities
Current
Former
External links
- WMBD-TV website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for WMBD-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMBD-TV
References
- ^ FCC list of full-service US TV stations, February 16, 2009