WMBD-TV

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WMBD-TV
Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois
Branding	WMBD 31
Slogan	Taking Action for You
Channels	Digital: 30 (UHF)
Subchannels	31.1 CBS
Affiliations	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 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

WMBD-TV is the CBS affiliate in Peoria, Illinois. It's the first Peoria station to broadcast local color television, the last to broadcast digital television, and the only commercial television station with its studio and offices still in the city itself.

[edit] 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.

[edit] History

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. WMBD-TV first signed on the air on January 1, 1958. The original owners were Charles Caley and John Fetzer of WMBD, Inc., and it was co-owned with WMBD radio (AM 1470 and 93.3 FM, now WPBG). 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, selling TV stations WMBD-TV, WCFN Springfield, and WCIA Champaign to Nexstar Broadcasting Group and the two Peoria radio stations to Peoria-owned JMP Media LLC (a subsidiary of California-based Triad Broadcasting).

WMBD-TV has been digital-only since February 17, 2009.^[1]

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Logos

WMBD-TV Logo, 1991 to 1993 (the 1993 logo was used until 1997)

WMBD-TV Logo, 2003 to 2007

WMBD-TV Logo, 2007 to present

[edit] 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

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Station names

• "Action News 31" (1970s)
• "31 News Alive" (1970s-1980s)
• "NewsCenter 31" (1980s-90s)
• "News 31" (early to mid-1990s)
• "WMBD News" (mid 1990s)
• "CBS 31 News" (1997 to 2003)
• "NewsChannel 31 News" (2003-2007)
• "WMBD 31 News" (2007-Present)

[edit] Slogans

• "The Best News of All" (Did use CBS' "Get Ready" campaign and montage in 1989) (1980s-1990s)
• "Your News Authority" (Did use CBS' "The Look of America is CBS" campaign and montage in the early 1990s) (1990s)
• "Specifically Designed for Busy People (Like You)" (Did use "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls for a montage in 1997) (1990s)
• "The One and Only" (Did air a montage featuring the news team with the song "You're The One That I Want" from the film Grease) (1990s)
• "Bottom Line, Better News" (Did use CBS' "Its All Here" montage in 2002 also) (2001–2003)
• "Making A Difference For You" (2003–2007)
• "Taking Action For You" (2007-Present)

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Current

[edit] Former

[edit] External links

• WMBD homepage
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WMBD-TV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WMBD-TV
• Unoffical WMBD-TV 31 Fan Blog

[edit] References