30 years since The Big Switch in Philadelphia

[J.W. Rodriguez 28]

I'm not sure if this should go to either the WCAU NBC 10 thread, the KYW Thread, or the Speculatron 9000 thread, but I kinda thought this one deserves its own.

 

Anyway, September 10th marks 30 years since both WCAU-TV and KYW-TV traded their CBS and NBC affiliations respectively. Channel 10 was sold to NBC and became NBC 10 while KYW became part of CBS and later an O&O of the latter following the merger of CBS and Group W/Westinghouse. This was all the result of a nationwide network affiliation realignment that affected Philadelphia and many other markets as a result of the Rupert Murdoch clan at Fox snagging the NFL away from CBS.

 

This makes me wonder if 'CAU and/or KYW is doing a 30th anniversary retrospective on The Big Switch. I don't think I should expect KYW to do anything on it though since they didn't do so for the 25th anniversary back in 2020.

[newsteam13 417]

Let's not forget, the WCAU/KYW situation affected Denver. And Colorado television changed forever.

The KCNC documentary from 1995 educated us on WHY the switch happened.

It started with FOX launching a sport division, striking a deal with New World, then-owner of the now-former CBS/ABC/NBC affiliates. This prompted most CBS affiliates and some ABC and NBC stations to switch to FOX, because FOX would be much better reached on VHF channels 2 thru 13. Otherwise, FOX and its then-new Sports division wouldn't have gotten a better reach if ti remained on UHF stations. 

Now, onto Philly where the story came to an end. NBC wanted to buy WCAU from CBS for cash. But to avoid tax problems, CBS suggested a trade. 

CBS gave WCAU to NBC of course. But in exchange, CBS wanted KUTV Salt Lake City, some NBC equipment in Miami (including the channel 4 signal) and of course, KCNC DENVER!

 

 

[Bars-n-tone 51]

Doubtful that KYW or WCAU still has archival video from the switch, and they wouldn't bother digging it up from Temple's Urban Archives.

[nathannah 2792]

Both stations have posted compilations and looks back at the switch before that are available on their YouTube channels; you have to search and scan through a bit, but they did do some during the 25 year mark in 2020.

[HanSolo 468]

IIRC, KYW came out of SNL and basically the top of the hour was akin to "Oh yeah. We're now CBS." Of course they did more at other times, when people other than those who hung out until the end of SNL were watching, but it was an amusing contrast to the amusingly over-the-top 1 am infomercial/"newscast" over at NBC 10. Respect to both orgs, they made what they were given work to the best of their abilities. 

[Action Newsroom 1376]

2 hours ago, HanSolo said:

IIRC, KYW came out of SNL and basically the top of the hour was akin to "Oh yeah. We're now CBS." Of course they did more at other times, when people other than those who hung out until the end of SNL were watching, but it was an amusing contrast to the amusingly over-the-top 1 am infomercial/"newscast" over at NBC 10. Respect to both orgs, they made what they were given work to the best of their abilities. 

Was it this?

 

[HanSolo 468]

Yeah that was it. Short sweet and to the point. No middle of the vampire hours big festivities. 

[obxwatcher 23]

25 Years After The Switch

 

This was from five years ago.

 

WCAU was happy because they were going from a third place network to instant number one.

 

 

[GraphicsMan 345]

Philly was a pretty large market wouldn’t be surprised if they were the largest market affected by the 1994-96 television realignment.

[24994J 5888]

6 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

wouldn’t be surprised if they were the largest market

 

I mean, it's very well-known and established that the top 3 markets were unaffected.

[GraphicsMan 345]

On 9/6/2025 at 1:13 PM, 24994J said:

 

I mean, it's very well-known and established that the top 3 markets were unaffected.

And Washington D.C. and Houston also were unaffected and notoriously never had haven’t had an affiliation switch ever before.