Editing WCIV (section)

===ABC and MeTV move to channel 36 digital subchannels===
On July 29, 2013, Allbritton announced that it would sell its entire television group, including WCIV, to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.<ref name=wp-saletosinclair>{{cite news|last1=Heath|first1=Thomas|last2=Wilgoren|first2=Debbi|title=Allbritton to sell 7 TV stations, including WJLA, to Sinclair for $985 million|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/allbritton-to-sell-stations-to-sinclair-broadcast-group/2013/07/29/0ee746f2-f858-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html|access-date=July 29, 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> As part of the deal, Sinclair intended to sell WMMP's license assets, but would still operate that station through [[Local marketing agreement|shared services and joint sales agreements]].<ref name=tvnc-saletosinclair>{{cite news|title=Sinclair Buying Allbritton Stations For $985M|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/69268/sinclair-buying-allbritton-stations-for-985m|access-date=July 29, 2013|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref> On December 6, 2013, the FCC informed Sinclair that applications related to the deal need to be "amended or withdrawn" since WMMP would retain its local marketing agreement with WTAT. As originally structured, the deal would have effectively created a new LMA between WCIV and WTAT, even though the FCC had ruled in 1999 that such agreements made after November 5, 1996, covering more than 15% of the broadcast day would count toward the ownership limits for the brokering station's owner. In addition, the existing LMA between WMMP and WTAT dates to July 1, 1998, and thus cannot be grandfathered.<ref name=fcc-sinclairallbrittonlmas>{{cite web|last=Kreisman|first=Barbara A.|title=Letter to Sinclair and Allbritton legal counsel|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=45252|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date=December 8, 2013|format=PDF|date=December 6, 2013}}</ref>

On March 20, 2014, as part of a restructuring of the Sinclair-Allbritton deal in order to address these ownership conflicts, Sinclair announced that it would terminate its shared services agreement with Cunningham Broadcasting, under which Sinclair owned all of WTAT's assets except the FCC license.  Under this new deal, Sinclair would have retained the longer-established WCIV and sold WMMP to a new owner. Cunningham would acquire the non-license assets of WTAT, and seek a shared services agreement with the prospective owner of WMMP.<ref>[http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/sinclair-offers-to-sell-stations-ahead-of-fcc-decision_b117802 Sinclair Offers to Sell Stations Ahead of FCC Decision], ''[[Mediabistro.com|TVSpy]]'', March 21, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20140320-913206.html Sinclair Proposes Restructuring Of Allbritton Transaction In Order To Meet Objections Of The Federal Communications Commission], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' (via [[PRNewswire]]), March 20, 2014.</ref> On May 29, 2014, Sinclair informed the FCC that it had not found a buyer for WMMP and proposed surrendering WCIV's license. Had WCIV gone dark, WMMP would have picked up WCIV's ABC affiliation, syndicated programming, and news operation, while WMMP's existing programming (including MyNetworkTV) would move to its digital subchannel.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sinclair Proposes Surrendering Three Licenses|url=http://www.multichannel.com/sinclair-proposes-surrendering-three-licenses/374823|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name="b&c-wcivclosing?">{{cite news|last=Eggerton|first=John|title=Sinclair Proposes Surrendering Three Licenses to Get Allbritton Deal Done|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/sinclair-proposes-surrendering-three-licenses-get-allbritton-deal-done/131458|access-date=May 30, 2014|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=May 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name="tvnc-wcivclosing?">{{cite news|last=Jessell|first=Harry A.|title=Sinclair Giving Up 3 Stations To Appease FCC|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/76663/sinclair-giving-up-3-stations-to-appease-fcc|access-date=May 30, 2014|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> Sinclair opted to retain WMMP because its facilities are superior to those of WCIV.<ref name="tvnc-wcivclosing?"/> Sinclair's acquisition of Allbritton was completed on August 1, 2014.<ref>[http://broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/sinclair-s-deal-allbritton-closes/132894 Sinclair's Deal For Allbritton Closes], [[Broadcasting & Cable]], August 1, 2014, Retrieved August 4, 2014.</ref>

On September 11, 2014, Sinclair filed to have WCIV's license assets sold to Howard Stirk Holdings, owned by conservative commentator [[Armstrong Williams]], for $50,000, averting a complete shutdown of the station. Unlike Howard Stirk Holdings' other stations (such as [[WEYI]]), which are operated by Sinclair but with input from HSH in regards to programming (such as the carriage of public affairs programs produced by Williams, and syndicated programming of interest to minority audiences), WCIV would be operated independently from WMMP, and Sinclair would not enter into a shared services agreement or similar to operate the station. However, as part of the sale, Sinclair agreed to provide studio space for the station at WMMP's existing facilities. Williams explained that he hoped to "continue some of the wonderful business relationships we have with [Sinclair]" through the deal.<ref name=fcc-hshwciv>{{cite web|title=Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101650192&formid=314&fac_num=21536|website=CDBS Public Access, [[Federal Communications Commission]]|publisher=Charleston Television, LLC|access-date=September 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="fcc-hshwciv2">{{cite web|title=DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION AND UNIQUE SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED|url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101650192&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916114429/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101650192&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=2|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 16, 2014|publisher=Howard Stirk Holdings|access-date=September 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name=bc-hsh>{{cite news|title=Howard Stirk Holdings Grabs WCIV for $50,000|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/howard-stirk-holdings-grabs-wciv-50000/134123|access-date=September 19, 2014|work=Broadcasting & Cable}}</ref>

On September 25, in preparation for the signal switch, a simulcast of WCIV was added to WMMP's second digital subchannel, along with [[MeTV]] on 36.3, replacing [[ZUUS Country]] on that channel. The two stations then swapped licenses four days later; WCIV's call sign was moved to the WMMP license and virtual channel 36, while WMMP's call sign and virtual channel 4 was moved to the WCIV license which was sold to Howard Stirk Holdings.<ref name="fcc-hshwciv"/><ref name=wciv-change>{{cite web|title=Time to rescan for ABC News 4's new channel|url=http://www.abcnews4.com/story/26630001/time-to-rescan-for-abc-news-4s-new-channel|website=ABCNews4.com|date=September 25, 2014 |publisher=Sinclair Broadcast Group|access-date=October 1, 2014}}</ref> Following the swap, ZUUS Country was moved to WMMP 4.1 as interim programming during the transition to Howard Stirk Holdings ownership.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} MeTV later moved to WGWG's main subchannel in September 2022, and WCIV-DT3 switched to [[Stadium (sports network)|Stadium]].

In April 2025, WCIV announced an agreement with the [[Charleston RiverDogs]] of [[Minor League Baseball]] to air all Sunday home games.<ref>{{cite web|title=RiverDogs to televise 26 home games with local partners|url=https://www.milb.com/news/riverdogs-to-televise-26-home-games-with-local-partners|website=Charleston RiverDogs|date=April 6, 2025 |access-date=May 24, 2025}}</ref>