WFSB

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

WFSB is a CBS-affiliated television station serving the Hartford–New Haven area in Connecticut. It broadcasts on channel 3 and is owned by Gray Television. The station’s studios are in Rocky Hill, with a transmitter on Talcott Mountain in Avon. WFSB’s programming is primarily for the Hartford and New Haven market, and its news programming is also carried by its sister low-power station WWAX-LD in Hartford, as well as by WSHM-LD in Springfield, Massachusetts.

WFSB's history goes back to September 23, 1957, when it signed on as WTIC-TV. It was owned by Travelers Insurance and originally operated without a CBS affiliation. In 1958 CBS moved its Connecticut programming to WTIC-TV, which helped the station climb to the top of local ratings. In 1974 The Washington Post Company bought the station group and changed WTIC-TV’s call letters to WFSB to honor Frederick Sessions Beebe, a Post executive. The WTIC radio calls eventually returned to Connecticut television in a later era.

In 1997 Meredith Corporation acquired WFSB. In 2021 Gray Television completed its acquisition of Meredith Local Media, making WFSB Gray’s first stations in southern New England. In 2023, WWAX-LD, also in Hartford, rebranded as The Wax and began offering extra news and programming not on WFSB.

News has always been a strong focus for WFSB. It airs extensive local newscasts throughout the week and has a Sunday morning program called CT ’26. WFSB has often led the Hartford–New Haven ratings, thanks to its CBS affiliation and local coverage. The station also partners with the University of Connecticut to carry UConn sports, including football and other events, with additional coverage on The Wax.

During the digital transition, WFSB shut down its analog signal in June 2009 and continued digital broadcasts on its UHF channel, while using virtual channel 3. The station also operates subchannels and shared services that carry additional networks and local content.