WCIV

WCIV

Charleston, South Carolina
Branding	ABC News 4
Slogan	Local News For You
Channels	Digital: 34 (UHF) Virtual: 4 (PSIP)
Subchannels	4.1 ABC 4.2 Me-TV
Owner	Allbritton Communications Company (WCIV, LLC)
First air date	October 23, 1962
Call letters' meaning	Charleston IV (Roman numeral 4)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 4 (1962-2009)
Former affiliations	NBC (1962-1996)
Transmitter power	630 kW
Height	522 m
Facility ID	21536
Transmitter coordinates	32°55′28″N 79°41′58″W
Website	abcnews4.com

WCIV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Lowcountry area of South Carolina licensed to Charleston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in Awendaw. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 4 as well as Comcast and Knology channel 8. There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 431, Time Warner digital channel 815, and Knology digital channel 901. Owned by the Allbritton Communications Company, the station has studios on Allbritton Boulevard along US 17/US 701 (Johnnie Dodds Boulevard) in Mount Pleasant. Syndicated programming on WCIV includes: Entertainment Tonight, The Dr. Oz Show, Ellen, and The Rachael Ray Show.

History

The station launched October 23, 1962 as the third outlet in Charleston. The original license was granted to WTMA-TV but the call letters were later changed to WCIV before it signed-on. It took the NBC affiliation from WCBD-TV, leaving that station to become a full-time ABC affiliate. The station was originally owned by the Washington Star Company. In 1976, businessman Joseph Allbritton bought the Star and sold off the non-television assets in 1978 to form Allbritton Communications.

In 1989, WCIV was almost destroyed when Hurricane Hugo thundered ashore in September of that year. The station's building on the marsh just outside of Mount Pleasant near Sullivan's Island was flooded by the storm surge. WCIV aired from temporary studios near its transmitter site for a time and eventually moved to a new building in 1991.

The station became an ABC affiliate in 1996 as part of Allbritton's affiliation deal with the network. The station has successfully launched the careers of a number of journalists who have gone on to work in network and cable news including Joie Chen, Van Earl Wright, and Fredericka Whitfield. Many more including Dave Lucas, Monica McNeil, and Dan Potash have moved on to enjoy careers in bigger markets. WCIV coordinates a number of popular annual community events and programs including Lowcountry's Promise and Gospel Fest.

Digital Television

Channel	Video	Format	Programming
4.1	720p	16:9	Main WCIV programming / ABC
4.2	480i	4:3	Me-TV

On October 1, 2011, WCIV added Me-TV on digital subchannel 4.2, replacing The Local AccuWeather Channel. This can also be seen on on Comcast digital channel 208, Knology digital channel 145 and Time Warner Cable digital channel 816. WCIV-DT2 also repeats the 7 pm newscast at 10 pm.

Analog-to-digital conversion

WCIV shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009 as part of the DTV transition in the United States. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 34 using PSIP to display WCIV's virtual channel as 4.

Newscasts

News open.

WCIV produces a daily lifestyle and entertainment program called Lowcountry Live. The show features many popular regular segments and contributors including "Makeover Monday" and "Louis' Kids". LCL, as it is often referred to, also features a plethora of local artists, chefs, musicians, and authors. The show airs Monday through Friday mornings at 10 for an hour. This broadcast serves as a midday program during the week for WCIV because it does not offer news at 11 in the morning or at noon unlike most other ABC affiliates. There is also no newscast during the 5 o'clock hour on weeknights. Along with CBS affiliate WCSC-TV, this channel offers local news weeknights at 7. WCIV debuted its newscasts in high definition on Saturday, October 15, 2011, becoming the third in the Lowcountry and the last Allbritton-owned station to switch to HD.

Newscast titles

• The Sixth Hour/Eleventh Hour Report (1962-1971)
• TV-4 News (1971-1979)
• NewsCenter 4 (1979–1984)
• News 4 (1984–1990s)
• NewsChannel 4 (1990s–2000)
• ABC NewsChannel 4 (2000–2002)
• ABC News 4 (2002–present)

Station slogans

• "Charleston's Full Color Station" (1960s)
• "4's Company" (early 1970s)
• "This is 4 Country" (mid 1970s)
• "4 Leads The Way" (late 1970s)
• "On Your Side" (mid-late 1980s)
• "Dedicated, Determined, Dependable" (mid-1990s)
• "Live. Local. Late Breaking." (1990s–2002)
• "Your Trusted Source" (2002–2009)
• "Local News For You" (2011–present)

News team

Anchors

• Dean Stephens - weeknights at 6, 7, and 11 p.m.
• Victoria Hansen - weeknights at 6, 7, and 11 p.m.
• Eric Egan - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
• Laura Harris - weekday mornings; also host of Lowcountry Live
• Jon Bruce - weekday mornings; also host of Lowcountry Live

ABC News 4 PinPoint Weather

• Tom Crawford (AMS Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 6,7, and 11 p.m.
• Dave Williams - meteorologist; weekday mornings, also Lowcountry Live host
• Sonya Stevens (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.

Sports team (both seen on Friday Football Frenzy)

• John Nugent - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
• Scott Eisberg - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m., also sports reporter

Reporters

• Stefanie Bainum - general assignment reporter
• Tessa Spencer - general assignment reporter
• Natalie Caula - general assignment reporter
• Nikki Gaskins - general assignment reporter
• Lia Sestric - general assignment reporter
• Valencia Wicker - general assignment reporter

External links

• WCIV "ABC News 4"
• ABC
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WCIV