WKBD-TV

WKBD-TV
Company type	Television station
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	January 10, 1965; 61 years ago
Headquarters	Southfield, Michigan, United States
Area served	Detroit metropolitan area
Owner	CBS News and Stations
Parent	CBS News and Stations

WKBD-TV (channel 50), operating under the brand CW Detroit 50, is a television station located in Detroit, Michigan, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by CBS News and Stations alongside WWJ-TV (channel 62), a CBS owned-and-operated station. Both stations share facilities in Southfield, Michigan, where WKBD-TV's transmitter is also situated.

WKBD commenced operations on January 10, 1965, as the inaugural UHF outlet established by Kaiser Broadcasting, part of a group of seven stations in major U.S. markets. Initially dedicated entirely to sports programming, it featured teams such as the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons. Over time, WKBD transitioned into an independent station that combined local productions with sports coverage and syndicated reruns. From 1966 until 1977, Lou Gordon hosted a nationally syndicated show produced at WKBD; his 1967 interview with George W. Romney attracted widespread national attention. The station also aired a local newscast between 1968 and 1970. In 1977, Kaiser divested its broadcasting assets to Field Communications.

After Field Communications dissolved, Cox Enterprises purchased WKBD in 1984. During this period, the Red Wings’ broadcasts moved to WXON (channel 20), while WKBD retained rights to the Pistons’ games. Under Cox’s ownership, WKBD introduced a 10 p.m. newscast in 1985, became affiliated with Fox in 1986, and relocated to its present studios in 1988. WKBD ranked among the strongest independent stations nationwide and expanded its presence as Fox grew during the early 1990s. In 1993, Cox sold WKBD to Paramount Stations Group; when Fox shifted its affiliation to WJBK-TV, Paramount aligned channel 50 with its own network, UPN, at its launch in January 1995. This placed WKBD in direct competition with WJBK for the late evening news audience—a battle in which WKBD was unsuccessful.

The merger of Viacom and CBS in 2000 brought both WKBD-TV and WWJ-TV under unified ownership. WKBD briefly extended its news programming to WWJ-TV but discontinued it in 2002 due to low ratings. Between 2003 and 2005, all three major Detroit sports franchises—the Red Wings, Pistons, and Detroit Tigers—ended their broadcast agreements with WKBD. When UPN merged with The WB to form The CW in 2006, WKBD became an original affiliate among CBS-owned stations. CBS divested its stake in The CW in 2022 and withdrew its remaining eight affiliates from the network the following year; nonetheless, WKBD is scheduled to rejoin The CW starting September 2024. Currently, the station airs local newscasts produced by CBS News Detroit—the news division and streaming platform for WWJ-TV launched in 2023.

Channel 50 before WKBD-TV

Following the FCC’s lifting of its freeze on new television licenses and opening of the UHF spectrum for broadcasting in April 1952, channel 50 was allocated to Detroit. Goodwill Stations, which owned WJR radio, promptly applied for four station licenses intended to form a regional network—including channel 50 for Detroit—with plans to affiliate with CBS. Of these applications, only the Flint station (WJRT-TV) began operations in 1958.

Woodward Broadcasting withdrew its application after acquiring the permit for channel 62 held by the United Auto Workers union, thereby allowing Booth Radio and Television Stations (owners of WDTK and WBRI radio) to secure the permit instead. However, due to economic difficulties faced by UHF broadcasters compared to VHF outlets, Booth returned both the Detroit and Saginaw permits by late 1954.

Woodward then obtained approval to move its proposed WBID-TV station to channel 50 and petitioned the FCC to exchange channels with Toledo—aiming for Detroit to have an all-VHF lineup (with WBID-TV on channel 11) while Toledo would operate solely on UHF frequencies. Despite this effort, no action was taken on the request. WBID-TV remained inactive despite multiple FCC extension requests until its permit was ultimately canceled in November 1960 along with those of twenty-five other unbuilt stations.

Entry into sports broadcasting

On August 31, 1962, Kaiser Industries, led by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, submitted applications to the FCC for three new UHF television stations: channel 38 in Chicago; channel 41 serving Philadelphia from Burlington, New Jersey; and channel 50 in Detroit. This marked Kaiser's second attempt to expand into mainland UHF markets, following earlier stations in Hawaii and previous applications for Los Angeles and San Francisco. Richard C. Block, president of Kaiser Broadcasting, highlighted the company’s commitment to increasing television options and viewed UHF as a promising avenue. The proposed programming emphasized general-interest content featuring local personalities and news coverage. The FCC approved the Detroit station permit on January 3, 1963, making it the third granted after two Californian channels.

After securing the permit, Kaiser appointed John Serrao—manager of its Honolulu outlet KHVH-TV and former sales representative at WWJ-TV—to oversee WKBD's development in Detroit. By September, WKBD revealed a daily six-hour schedule predominantly centered on local and other sports programming—a pioneering move described by Variety as among the earliest genuinely specialized formats outside ethnic broadcasting. Channel 50 intended to air Detroit Red Wings hockey, Detroit Pistons basketball, along with collegiate athletics from University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and University of Detroit.

In October, Southfield authorities authorized construction for WKBD’s facilities, including erecting a 1,000-foot candelabra tower designed to accommodate multiple broadcasters. Anticipating rising demand for UHF converters, forecasts predicted an upsurge in VHF-to-UHF conversions alongside a shortage of installation technicians. The station also invested in three remote broadcast units to cover events beyond its main studios.

WKBD commenced operations on January 10, 1965, debuting at 5 p.m. with two taped college basketball contests followed by a live NHL matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Serrao regarded sports programming as a means to establish WKBD within Detroit households before broadening its content variety and believed that sports would be crucial for independent stations seeking market penetration. Although plans existed to diversify programming later on, WKBD’s initial fall lineup remained heavily sports-oriented with professional and college games alongside reruns such as The Joey Bishop Show and My Friend Flicka, plus a daily syndicated program hosted by former WXYZ-TV personality Soupy Sales.

Local productions and Lou Gordon

On February 6, 1966, WKBD introduced The Lou Gordon Show, a talk series featuring journalist Lou Gordon, marking a significant expansion of its locally produced content. By mid-1966, WKBD was delivering approximately 30 hours per week of live local programming including entertainment interviews on The Shirley Eder Show, the interactive call-in Paul Winters Show, an hour dedicated to country music, and Sports Dial, co-hosted by Joe Falls and George Puscas from the Detroit Free Press. The children’s series Captain Detroit, which premiered in fall 1965 and featured hosts Dick Zappe, comedian Johnny Ginger, and later Tom Ryan as "Sgt. Sacto", followed a format implemented across Kaiser’s stations.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

Under Kaiser Broadcasting's direction in 1968, WKBD introduced a nightly newscast at 10 p.m., part of a larger initiative to bolster news departments across its stations. Nevertheless, this commitment faltered; by April 1969, half of WKBD's news personnel along with the news director were dismissed. Buoyed by strong ratings in Cleveland and Detroit, programming was expanded later that year. Ultimately, financial constraints and hesitation to fully support UHF outlets resulted in WKBD’s news division shutting down after two years—despite being the only profitable news unit within Kaiser. The 10 p.m. newscast attracted approximately 50,000 viewers, representing around 10% of the audience at that time slot, before laying off 17 staff members.<ref>

By 1970, WKBD stood as Kaiser's leading and only profitable UHF station. Nonetheless, losses mounted elsewhere following the launches of WKBF and KBHK-TV in San Francisco; KBSC-TV in Los Angeles operated on a minimal basis but continued broadcasting with aspirations for network affiliation. WKBG-TV in Boston incurred losses totaling $11 million between 1966 and 1970. Other stations were projected to remain unprofitable until at least 1973 and depended heavily on financial support from Kaiser Industries. WKBD encountered difficulties such as reliance on outdated black-and-white news equipment purchased in 1964 and underestimated transmitter power requirements, necessitating expensive upgrades. Early in 1970, sixteen employees were laid off at WKBD, including cancellation of Captain Detroit. Kaiser's status as an industrial conglomerate enabled it to absorb these financial setbacks.<ref>

On May 26, 1972, a minority interest of 22.5% in Kaiser Broadcasting's assets (excluding KBSC and radio properties) was sold to Field Communications. This transaction coincided with Kaiser acquiring a majority stake of 77.5% in Field's Chicago station WFLD-TV.<ref>

The Ghoul

Among Kaiser's last syndicated ventures was Creature Features with The Ghoul, which originated from WKBF Cleveland in 1971. Ron Sweed portrayed The Ghoul, a character inspired by Ernie Anderson’s Cleveland horror host Ghoulardi. Sweed’s interpretation focused on slapstick comedy, kitsch elements, explosions, and crude humor, cultivating a devoted cult audience that led Kaiser to syndicate the program to WKBD Detroit in 1972, followed by KBHK San Francisco and WKBG Boston. Although the show faced challenges in Chicago and had varied success elsewhere, it gained particular popularity in Detroit.

The Ghoul was discontinued in spring 1975 shortly before WKBF ceased operations. After legal battles over character ownership, WKBD briefly revived the show in August 1975. Following a favorable court ruling, Sweed transitioned the program to WXON Detroit in September 1976 and continued performing as The Ghoul on various stations across Cleveland and Detroit for the subsequent four decades.

Transition to Field Ownership

In January 1977, Kaiser finalized the sale of the group to Field for $42.625 million, as part of a broader divestiture of Kaiser Industries' holdings. Under Field’s management, the station incorporated news segments featuring WWJ radio personality Byron MacGregor, which aired alongside the syndicated Independent Network News and later included simulcasts of CNN Headline News. Channel 50 became known for its counterprogramming strategy, exemplified by its broadcast of a M*A*S*H tribute on February 28, 1983—the same evening CBS and WJBK aired the series’ final first-run episode. This airing of the pilot episode generated unprecedented ratings for WKBD. Bill Kennedy hosted the daily One O’Clock Movie until his retirement in January 1983, after which former WXYZ-TV figure Sonny Eliot took over. The concluding Sunday edition of Bill Kennedy at the Movies was broadcast on December 4, 1983.

WKBD also served as a platform for programs that Detroit’s network affiliates chose not to carry. When The Merv Griffin Show moved to CBS in 1969, WJBK-TV, the CBS affiliate, declined to air it, allowing channel 50 to pick it up. During the mid-1970s, NBC introduced Saturday night shows that WWJ-TV opted not to broadcast; WKBD filled this gap by airing Weekend, Saturday Night Live, and for part of 1978, The Tomorrow Show, after WDIV dropped it due to poor ratings. When WDIV stopped airing Late Night with David Letterman in September 1983, WKBD picked up both it and Friday Night Videos. However, low ratings led to dropping Late Night in January 1984; WDIV resumed broadcasting it by August of that year.

In 1981, WKBD reduced its coverage of Red Wings games from 25 to 15 annually, with some telecasts moving to WXON’s subscription service ON TV. During ON TV’s final season (1982–83), it aired 15 home games each for both the Red Wings and Pistons. WKBD also broadcast select Michigan Panthers games during their brief existence (1983–84); after the USFL pressured the Panthers to void their contract prior to the inaugural game, WKBD initiated legal action and quickly reached a settlement that allowed continued coverage.

Cox Acquisition, News Growth, and Fox Partnership (1983–1993)

Following internal family disagreements regarding its future direction, Field Communications announced in July 1982 it would sell its entire station portfolio. The divestiture proceeded on a station-by-station basis, with outlets in Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco sold by year-end 1982. On May 18, 1983, Cox Communications acquired WKBD for $70 million (adjusted equivalent value), contingent upon divesting its local cable systems. This marked Cox’s seventh television station and one of its highest-rated UHF independents nationwide in 1982.

Early in Cox’s tenure, priority shifted toward broadcasting Pistons games over Red Wings contests due to superior ratings; as a result, Red Wings telecasts moved to WXON for the 1984–85 season but returned to WKBD by 1986–87. During this period, longtime host Sonny Eliot stepped down from his role on One O’Clock Movie but remained under contract amid speculation that a newscast would replace the station’s 10 p.m. Headline News simulcast. In early 1985, WKBD announced plans for a new 10 p.m. newscast debuting later that year with anchors Glenn Ray and Amyre Makupson—who had joined WKBD in 1977 from WGPR-TV, recognized as the first Black-owned station on the U.S. mainland. The newscast premiered in August 1985 with weathercaster Randy Bhirdo and former WJBK sportscaster Ray Lane.

On October 9, 1986, WKBD became a charter affiliate of Fox alongside Cox-owned KTVU and KDNL-TV. Although Fox initially partnered mainly with UHF independent stations, network executive Garth Ancier lauded WKBD as "fully competitive" with strong viewership figures. Program director Paul Prange regarded Fox as “the best opportunity” to establish a fourth network and enhance market competition. By May 1988, WKBD matched WGN-TV as the highest-rated independent during early evening hours; Fox’s Saturday programming held strong against local sports broadcasts and ABC offerings. However, after The Wilton North Report underperformed in early 1988, WKBD discontinued Fox’s late-night shows.

The station's popularity increased throughout 1988 due to robust sports coverage, successful syndicated programming, and stabilization of Fox's weekend schedule. Prange credited Fox with revitalizing WKBD; notably, by 1990 The Simpsons emerged as a major hit, consistently winning its Detroit time slot. In September 1988, a statewide call-in talk show featuring Michigan Governor James J. Blanchard launched through WKBD’s extensive cable distribution. Additionally, Detroit Lions preseason games aired on channel 50 from 1990 through 1994.

Cox further invested by inaugurating a larger facility on May 24, 1988 adjacent to its original Southfield studios—previously deemed temporary and insufficient—which was subsequently repurposed for storage use. This new building supported expanded news operations with an integrated newsroom set-up. By April 10, 1989, The Ten O’Clock News was extended to a full hour-long broadcast modeled after KTVU’s successful format despite trailing third-place WJBK’s late-night news ratings at that time. By July 1991, WKBD claimed Detroit’s third-largest late evening news audience and had surpassed WJBK’s viewership at 11 p.m., though this was contested; general manager Duane Kell aimed for the station's news program to become number one in late-night ratings by 1995.

Acquisition by Paramount and UPN Affiliation (1993–1999)

In a move that surprised many given Cox's solid financial footing, the company placed its Fox affiliates KTVU and WKBD up for sale in November 1992. CEO James C. Kennedy emphasized the pride Cox held in both stations and clarified there was no pressing need to divest. Paramount Stations Group acquired WKBD in June 1993 for an estimated range between $100 million and $200 million. Following the transaction's completion in October, Paramount announced a new broadcast network partnership with United Television but confirmed WKBD would maintain its Fox affiliation. At that period, WKBD ranked among the top five Fox affiliates by ratings.

On May 23, 1994, New World Communications revealed a comprehensive affiliation agreement with Fox, resulting in CBS losing its long-standing relationship with WJBK-TV after 45 years. Unable to secure WDIV or WXYZ-TV as alternatives, CBS approached Paramount to purchase WKBD, reportedly proposing $120–$130 million, which Paramount declined. Instead, CBS acquired WGPR-TV (which later became WWJ-TV). Consequently, Fox programming transitioned from WKBD to WJBK on December 12, 1994; however, Fox Kids content remained on WKBD until it shifted to WADL in 1998.

Following the change in ownership, WKBD aligned with UPN starting August 1994. Since UPN initially offered programming only two nights weekly, WKBD continued broadcasting Detroit Pistons and Red Wings games with minimal scheduling conflicts. Additionally, the station secured Detroit Tigers baseball rights beginning in 1995 through a five-year contract valued at $25 million. On nights without UPN content, primetime movies and syndicated reruns—including The Simpsons—filled the schedule.

The switch of WJBK to Fox led to its late evening news airing at 10 p.m., directly competing with WKBD’s newscast. After losing Fox shows, WKBD dropped to fifth place in prime time ratings and consistently trailed WJBK’s 10 p.m. newscast. Frequent overruns from sports broadcasts often delayed WKBD’s news segments during 1995. The station revamped its news format away from a "no-frills" approach but struggled amid declining UPN viewership; by fall 1998, WJBK’s news ratings were double those of WKBD. To adapt, WKBD shortened its 10 p.m. newscast to half an hour and introduced a sports-focused program to capitalize on local sports interest. Slight gains in ratings were observed in late 1999 after replacing co-anchor Dave Scott with veteran journalist Rich Fisher.

Integration into WWJ-TV (1999–2006)

Viacom, parent company of Paramount, acquired half ownership of UPN from United Television in 1996 and completed full control by 1999. On September 7, 1999, Viacom purchased CBS Corporation, creating a duopoly involving WWJ-TV. Unlike other Viacom CBS-UPN duopolies where CBS stations dominated local news operations, WKBD was the larger and higher-rated outlet featuring local news broadcasts unlike WWJ. Mike Dunlop, WKBD’s general manager, remained at the helm overseeing both stations as operations consolidated at WKBD’s Southfield location, leading to seven technical positions being eliminated.

By April 2001, WKBD’s newscast was the least viewed in the market and continued losing audience share to WJBK. Despite this trend, WKBD started producing an 11 p.m. weeknight newscast for WWJ-TV utilizing its own on-air staff—a practice under consideration before the CBS-Viacom merger. Dunlop was dismissed in August 2001 amid persistent ratings struggles; both stations attracted only half the viewers of third-place WJBK. In February 2002, WKBD repositioned its news broadcast aiming to appeal to younger demographics by appointing new lead anchors Pallas Hupe and Donna Terrell; meanwhile Rich Fisher and Wendy Makupson moved exclusively to WWJ. Fisher departed WWJ in May, resulting in alternating co-anchor pairings on WWJ’s newscast and criticism labeling the similar broadcasts as "attack of the clones."

Speculation arose that Viacom executive Dennis Swanson intended to shut down the combined WKBD–WWJ newsroom—the last inherited from Paramount—but station leaders gave noncommittal responses. Instead, Viacom entered into a five-year agreement with WXYZ-TV to produce a 10 p.m. newscast for WKBD while discontinuing WWJ’s 11 p.m. news. In November 2002, WKBD’s 10 p.m. broadcast earned a rating of 2.8 compared to WJBK’s dominant 7.8. When these newscasts ended on December 4, 2002, fifty out of seventy newsroom employees were laid off. The replacement "UPN Detroit Action News," produced by WXYZ-TV, was estimated to save Viacom approximately $10 million annually while exposing UPN’s younger audience to WXYZ’s higher-rated news product. However, unable to compete effectively with WJBK’s newscast, the WXYZ-produced program was canceled on December 3, 2004; WKBD then filled the slot with syndicated sitcom reruns.

During the early 2000s, local sports coverage on WKBD frequently preempted UPN programming by shifting it to weekends. Over this period, Detroit’s three major professional teams all departed: Red Wings games moved exclusively to Fox Sports Detroit starting with the 2003–04 season; Pistons broadcasts shifted to WDWB for increased airtime during the 2004–05 season; and Tigers coverage transitioned to Fox Sports Detroit in 2005 after CBS management failed to renew rights. The Lions’ preseason games returned to WKBD in 2004 within a deal that relocated their weekly pregame show to WWJ; by 2008, WWJ assumed full preseason broadcasting rights.

Initial CW Partnership (2006–2023)

On January 24, 2006, following Viacom's division in 2005, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. of Time Warner revealed plans to combine UPN and The WB into a new network called The CW. Out of CBS's 15 UPN affiliates, eleven—including WKBD-TV—committed to The CW through decade-long affiliation agreements. Meanwhile, WDWB, previously affiliated with The WB, transitioned to MyNetworkTV as WMYD.

WKBD-TV brought back local news with the launch of First Forecast Mornings on February 7, 2011, featuring co-anchor Syma Chowdhry. However, due to insufficient viewership, the show was discontinued on December 28, 2012.

The station initiated its digital broadcast on December 4, 2000, and ceased analog transmissions on June 12, 2009. It continued digital broadcasts on UHF channel 14 while maintaining virtual channel 50. Following the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, WKBD shifted its digital signal from channel 14 to channel 34 in 2019.

On December 4, 2019, Viacom and CBS Corporation reunited to form ViacomCBS (now known as Paramount Global). Subsequently, on January 22, 2020, WKBD reinstated a 10 p.m. newscast produced by KTVT in Fort Worth alongside the CBSN Local streaming platform, incorporating contributions from multimedia journalists based in Detroit. On December 14, 2021, ViacomCBS launched CBS News Detroit, establishing a comprehensive news division with simulcasts airing on both WWJ and WKBD. Paul Pytlowany, who had served as WKBD's director of local production since 2017, was appointed as the founding news director.

Prior to the January 23, 2023 debut of CBS News Detroit, WKBD’s KTVT-produced 10 p.m. newscast was rebranded as Detroit Now News in July 2022—offering a blend of national and local content created by CBS News Detroit personnel.

Disaffiliation and Subsequent Reaffiliation with The CW (2023–Present)

On October 3, 2022, majority ownership of The CW transferred to Nexstar Media Group. According to the agreement terms, CBS retained the option to terminate affiliations with WKBD and seven other CW stations; this right was exercised on May 5, 2023. Consequently, WKBD became an independent station at the conclusion of August that year. The station adopted the brand "Detroit 50" and removed Detroit Now News from its programming lineup.

After a deal reached between CBS and Nexstar on July 30, 2024, WKBD resumed airing CW content starting September 1. This development followed Mission Broadcasting’s unsuccessful attempt to acquire WADL (TV), Nexstar’s intended permanent CW affiliate in Detroit. Subsequently, WADL owner Kevin Adell ended the station’s CW affiliation after just two months. During this transitional period from November 2023 through September 2024, WMYD functioned as Detroit’s CW affiliate.

Subchannels

The station broadcasts multiple subchannels:

WKBD-TV Subchannel Details
Channel	Resolution	Aspect Ratio	Identifier	Content
50.1	1080i	16:9	WKBD-HD	The CW
50.2	480i		Comet	Comet TV
50.3			Charge	Charge!
50.4			Roar	Roar
50.5	1080i		Nosey	Nosey
50.6	480i		QVC	QVC
50.7	480i		MeTVToo	MeTV Toons

External links