WGBA-TV
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WGBA is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a transmitter in nearby rural Glenmore. The station's signal covers the area commonly called the 'Fox Valley (for the Fox River) and the Lakeshore (for Lake Michigan)', which includes Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc-Two Rivers, and Sheboygan.
The station also has translator stations in Sturgeon Bay on Channel 22, W22BW, which serves the Door County area, and another in Menominee, Michigan on Channel 31, W31BK, which serves the northern reaches of the Green Bay market, and the southeastern portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In addition, WGBA maintains a local marketing agreement with UPN affiliate WACY (Channel 32), with both stations sharing studios located in suburban Ashwabenon.
Early History
WGBA, originally with the call letters WLRE, began as an independent station on analog channel 26 on December 31, 1980. The call letters were for station co-founder Lyle R. Evans. The station was the first commercial UHF station and the first independent station in the Green Bay-Appleton market.
In 1985, the station was bought by Family Group Broadcasting, Inc.. On October 3 of that year, the call letters were changed to WGBA[1]. The station (then known as 'TV-26') was well known in its early years for children's programming host Cuddles the Clown, who would stay with the station up until they acquired the NBC affiliation (when he would move to WACY before retiring).
However, the ownership of Family Media, led by Jerold R. Newman, a local investment agent, fell apart after Newman was convicted of fraud. The new owers were a family group, Aries Telecommunications.
Affiliation with Fox (1992-1995)
In the wake of a bankruptcy, WXGZ (the original operation on Channel 32) went off the air February 14, 1992. WGBA then became the new Fox affiliate the following day, changing its identification to 'Fox 26'.
The station was handicapped by not having a local news operation. In 1994, the first year of Fox coverage of the NFL, the station had to contract with WBAY to do a pregame show before Packers games.
WGBA would end up relaunching WXGZ Channel 32 with Ace TV, Inc. under a local marketing agreement in June 1994. WXGZ would become a charter affiliate of the UPN network (and change their call letters to WACY) in 1995. WGBA and WACY share studio and office facilities in the Green Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, and WGBA provides weather warnings and staff for WACY's coverage of high school football games.
Affiliation with NBC (1995-)
WGBA became an NBC affiliate in mid-1995 in the wake of WLUK (Channel 11) changing from NBC to Fox after an ownership change and Fox's acquisition of the NFL's NFC contract, enabling WLUK to be the Green Bay Packers home station. The station then became 'NBC26' and struggled to find a constant identity to compete with Green Bay's other three stations, which were all established in the 1950s and had loyal audiences.
During NBC coverage of the 1996 Summer Olympics, WGBA began newscasts, at first only at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. every evening. Eventually as the news department grew, the station added newscasts in other dayparts. Currently the station runs newscasts in the morning (a local version of Today), at 5 p.m, 6 p.m., and 10 p.m., all under the banner of 'NBC26 Live at [Time of Day]'.
Ownership
In October 2004, Journal Broadcast Group bought WGBA for $43.2 million after Aries Telecommunications sold the station. Journal has owned market-leading NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) in Milwaukee since the beginning days of television, and had always been looking to expand into Northeastern Wisconsin. Journal continues to maintain the WACY LMA, and is looking to buy the station outright to form a true duopoly in the area.
Since the purchase, Channel 26 and Channel 4 have become close sister stations to each other, and now share the same news themes, promotions, and graphics packages. WGBA promotes its connections with Journal Broadcast Group heavily, including the opening of its newscasts. The stations also share a news director based in Milwaukee, allowing WGBA use of the stronger Milwaukee newsroom's resources for breaking news, live events, and sports coverage. There is also a more professional polish to the newscasts, and Journal's marketing is now trying to position WGBA as a strong alternative to the older station newscasts in Green Bay.