KCCW-TV
| Company type | Television station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Predecessor | WTCN-TV |
| Founded | July 1, 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Founder | Twin Cities Newspapers |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis , United States |
Area served | Twin Cities region |
Key people | Wendy McMahon (President of CBS News and Stations, as of 2023) |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
| Owner | CBS / Paramount Global |
| Parent | CBS News and Stations |
| Website | minnesota |
WCCO-TV (channel 4), operating under the brand CBS Minnesota, is a television station licensed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities region. It is owned and directly managed by CBS via its CBS News and Stations division. The station’s studios are located on South 11th Street near Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, while its transmitter is situated at the Telefarm facility in Shoreview, Minnesota.
The station’s content is also broadcast through full-power satellite KCCW-TV (channel 12) based in Walker. Nielsen Media Research combines the audience metrics of both stations under the designation WCCO+. Between 1987 and 2017, WCCO-TV operated an additional satellite station, KCCO-TV (channel 7) in Alexandria.
Within the Twin Cities market, WCCO ranks as one of three CBS-owned-and-operated affiliates, alongside Fox O&O KMSP-TV and MyNetworkTV O&O WFTC.
History
The origins of WCCO-TV trace back to radio station WRHM, established in 1925. It was acquired by "Twin Cities Newspapers" in 1934 and subsequently renamed WTCN. The company expanded its media footprint by launching an FM station and debuting WTCN-TV on July 1, 1949, marking Minnesota’s second television station. Initially broadcasting from downtown Minneapolis, Robert Ridder was appointed as the inaugural president. Since its inception, channel 4 has primarily been affiliated with CBS, maintaining a secondary affiliation with ABC until 1953 when ABC programming transitioned to the newly launched WTCN-TV (now KARE-TV).
In 1952, ownership of channel 4 transferred from Twin Cities Newspapers to the Murphy and McNally families, who owned WCCO radio. They formed Midwest Radio and Television with CBS holding a minority stake. The station adopted the call sign WCCO-TV on August 17 to align with its radio counterpart. Due to FCC regulations limiting ownership stakes, CBS divested its minority interest in 1954.
WCCO-TV pioneered color television broadcasts in 1955 and became the first station in the Midwest to utilize videotape technology in 1959. On July 23, 1962, it took part in the world’s inaugural live international broadcast through the Telstar satellite.
A labor strike involving the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers impacted technical staff during the fall of 1979; however, broadcasts continued uninterrupted with management and news teams stepping in.
In September 1983, WCCO relocated its operations to a facility on South 11th Street adjacent to Nicollet Mall. CBS obtained full ownership in 1992 following its acquisition of Midwest Communications. After Viacom acquired CBS in 2000, WCCO became part of Viacom Television Stations Group, which was rebranded as CBS Television Stations after Viacom’s corporate split in 2006.
During the 1980s, cable-only WCCO II transformed into the Midwest Sports Channel by 1989 with a focus on regional sports coverage. This channel remained under CBS ownership until it was sold in 2000; it subsequently became Fox Sports North under Fox Sports Net.
On February 2, 2017, CBS announced the sale of its radio division to Entercom (currently Audacy), a transaction finalized on November 17 that year, resulting in the separation of WCCO radio from WCCO-TV.
National Amusements revealed on August 13, 2019, plans to merge Viacom and CBS Corporation into ViacomCBS (later renamed Paramount Global in February 2022), thereby integrating WCCO-TV into this unified media conglomerate.
On August 14, 2023, Wendy McMahon—previously creative services director at WCCO-TV—was appointed president of CBS News and Stations.
Sports programming
Following the 1961 inception of the Minnesota Vikings and CBS's acquisition of NFL broadcast rights, WCCO served as the team's 'unofficial' flagship station until the conclusion of the 1993 season, after which most broadcasts transitioned to WFTC. Presently, the majority of Vikings games are televised on KMSP-TV, but since 1998, WCCO has aired a minimum of two home contests annually when the Vikings face an AFC opponent or when games are reassigned from KMSP-TV under the 2014 'cross-flex' regulations. In 1992, WCCO provided coverage of Super Bowl XXVI as well as that year's Final Four held at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Starting in 2023, WCCO began broadcasting select Minnesota Golden Gophers football matchups as part of a new partnership between CBS and the Big Ten Conference.
News operation
As of February 2024, WCCO delivers 38½ hours of locally produced news each week (6½ hours on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends). It consistently ranks first in most time slots within the Twin Cities market, leading in household viewership while encountering increased competition from NBC affiliate KARE in the crucial 25–54 age demographic.
WCCO initiated high-definition local newscasts on May 28, 2009, becoming the third primary station in the Twin Cities to make this transition.
On December 12, 2019, WCCO introduced CBS News Minnesota (formerly CBSN Minnesota), a streaming news platform aligned with CBS-owned stations' digital content strategies.
On September 5, 2022, WCCO debuted The 4, a one-hour newscast at 4 p.m., broadening its daytime news programming.
Notable former on-air staff
- Clellan Card – children's television host known as "Axel" (1954–1966)
- Bill Carlson – entertainment correspondent and midday news anchor
- Paul Douglas – chief meteorologist (1997–2008)
- Randi Kaye – reporter and anchor
- Bud Kraehling – weather anchor and staff announcer (1949–1996)
- Dave Moore – news anchor (1950s–1991)
- Barry Petersen – reporter
- David Schechter – investigative journalist
- Hal Scott – sports anchor (1960s–1980)
- Don Shelby – reporter and anchor (1978–2010)
- Susan Spencer – reporter and anchor
- Bill Stewart – reporter
- Michele Tafoya – sports anchor and reporter
- Heather Tesch – meteorologist
- Ben Tracy – reporter
Subchannels
The station's broadcasts are multiplexed as follows:
| Channel | Resolution | Aspect ratio | Identifier | Programming content | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCCO-TV | KCCW-TV | |||||
| 4.1 | 12.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WCCO-DT | KCCW-DT | CBS |
| 4.2 | 12.2 | 480i | WCCODT2 | KCCWDT2 | Start TV | |
| 4.3 | 12.3 | WCCODT3 | KCCWDT3 | Dabl | ||
| 4.4 | 12.4 | WCCODT4 | KCCWDT4 | Fave TV | ||
| 4.5 | 12.5 | WCCODT5 | KCCWDT5 | Nosey | ||
Analog-to-digital transition
On June 12, 2009, WCCO-TV discontinued its analog transmission on VHF channel 4 and shifted its digital broadcast to UHF channel 32, while preserving virtual channel 4 for viewers. In compliance with the SAFER Act, the station continued analog broadcasts until July 12 to air public service announcements regarding the digital transition, provided by the National Association of Broadcasters.
Satellite stations and translators
WCCO-TV manages a satellite station located northwest of the Twin Cities:
| Station | City of license | Channel (TV (RF)) | Initial air date | Previous call signs | ERP | HAAT | Transmitter coordinates | Facility ID | Public license details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCCW-TV | Walker, Minnesota | 12 (12) | January 1, 1964 | KNMT (1964–1987) | 59 kW | 286.4 m | 46°56′5″N 94°27′20″W | 9640 |
A second satellite station was formerly in operation:
| Station | City of license | Channel (TV (RF)) | Launch date | Closure date | Previous call signs | ERP | HAAT | Transmitter coordinates | Facility ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCCO-TV | Alexandria, Minnesota | 7 (7) | October 8, 1958 | December 30, 2017 | KCMT (1958–1987) | 29 kW | 339.6 m | 45°41′10″N 95°8′4″W | 9632 |
Both stations were established by Central Minnesota Television Company, initially holding primary affiliations with NBC and secondary ties to ABC until their switch to CBS in the summer of 1982. In 1987, Midwest Radio and Television acquired them, converting these stations into semi-satellites of WCCO-TV and adopting their current call letters.
Prior to 2002, these satellites aired WCCO-TV’s programming except for commercials and localized segments; following that year, local operations were discontinued, resulting in their full-time satellite status serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul/Alexandria/Walker region.
CBS sold the spectrum for KCCO-TV during the FCC’s spectrum incentive auction but arranged a channel-sharing agreement. KCCO-TV ceased broadcasting on December 30, 2017; however, WCCO-TV continues to be accessible in Alexandria via cable providers. Shortly thereafter, Selective TV incorporated WCCO into its service offerings.
Translators
To broaden its coverage across Minnesota markets, WCCO-TV utilizes eight translator stations:
- K22DV-D in Alexandria (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K33DB-D in Alexandria (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K35IU-D in Frost (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K35IZ-D in Jackson (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K18IR-D in Olivia (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K22MF-D in Red Lake (rebroadcasts KCCW-TV)
- K33LB-D in Redwood Falls (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)
- K33OT-D in Willmar (rebroadcasts WCCO-TV)