WLBZ
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WLBZ is the callsign of the NBC television affiliate broadcasting on channel 2 and digital channel 25 in Bangor, Maine. The station serves the central and northern Maine regions.
History
The station signed on in September 1954 with the call letters WTWO. Shortly after signing on, the station gained an affiliation with the CBS network. In 1963, when the station was sold to the Maine Broadcasting System, the current callsign was introduced (matching their then-co-owned radio station, now WZON). Also, the affiliation was switched to NBC, matching its new sister station WCSH in Portland. Beginning in the 1980s, WLBZ started simulcasting many WCSH newscasts. This process has continued to the point where today, only the weekday 5:00 and 6:00 newscasts are done entirely from Bangor.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the station was perhaps best known as the home of Eddie Driscoll. Driscoll hosted many programs on the station, and was known for his improvisation skills and sense of humor.
Also in the 1970s, WLBZ added a UHF transmitter, W57AQ, in the border town of Calais, allowing cable systems in Atlantic Canada to distribute the station by a microwave link from the border. This immediately doubled or even tripled its coverage area and viewership. Most Canadian cable systems dropped WLBZ after 1996, with the last ones doing so in 2004. The Maine Broadcasting System sold both WLBZ and WCSH to Gannett in 1997.
In October 2005, WLBZ began airing NBC WeatherPlus on its digital channel. The weather service includes local forecasts from WLBZ meteorologist Steve McKay as well as the weather team at WCSH in Portland. National weather is provided by NBC meteorologists. NewsCenter WeatherPlus is simlucast on both WCSH and WLBZ's digital channels.
WLBZ operates another transmitter, WGCI-LP Channel 4, from Waterville.
Newscasts
Monday-Friday
- NewsCenter's Morning Report (5:00-7:00 am)¹
- NewsCenter at Noon (12:00-12:30 pm)¹
- NewsCenter 2 at 5:00 (5:00-5:30 pm)
- NewsCenter at 5:30 (5:30-6:00 pm)²
- NewsCenter 2 at 6:00 (6:00-6:30 pm)
- NewsCenter at 11:00 (11:00-11:35 pm)²
Weekends
- NewsCenter's Morning Report (6:00-7:00 am Saturday, 7:00-8:00 am Sunday)¹
- NewsCenter at Noon (12:00-12:30 pm)¹
- NewsCenter at 6:00 (6:00-6:30 pm)¹
- NewsCenter at 11:00 (11:00-11:30 pm)¹
¹simulcast with WCSH ²simulcast with WCSH except for weather