Editing WCSH (section)

==Local programming==
===News operation===
{{Further|WLBZ#News operation}}
Newscasts were part of WCSH's schedule from its first television broadcasts in 1953,{{r|Even531208}} and the station was airing early evening and late evening newscasts by 1955.{{r|SunJ550126}} While the station typically trailed WGAN-TV/WGME in the news ratings for most of its history, this changed in February 1986 when WCSH surpassed WGME at 11 p.m. and tied channel 13 in the vital 6 p.m. news slot.<ref name="Even860520">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120751336/ratings-month-livens-up-networks/|date=May 20, 1986|page=4|first=Steve|last=Campbell|title=Ratings month livens up networks|newspaper=Evening Express|location=Portland, Maine|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Tue --> Later that year, the station would surpass WGME at 6 and proceed to do so for at least the next 16 years.<ref name="Port021214">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120752000/channel-6-surpasses-rivals-in-ratings/|date=December 14, 2002|page=2B|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=Channel 6 surpasses rivals in ratings again|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|location=Portland, Maine|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Sat --> This was aided by stability in its evening news team and NBC's strong national program lineup in the 1990s.<ref name="Port000206">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120751931/top-of-the-news/|date=February 6, 2000|page=1E, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120751903/news/ 8E]|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=Top of the news|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|location=Portland, Maine|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Sun --> On-air talent like anchors Pat Callaghan and Cindy Williams and meteorologist Joe Cupo were mainstays on channel 6 for years. Cupo left in 2016 after 37 years when Tegna offered voluntary retirement packages,<ref name="Port160415">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120753139/meteorologist-cupo-to-hand-over-the-rain/|date=April 15, 2016|page=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120753106/cupo/ A6]|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=Meteorologist Cupo to hand over the rains|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Fri --> while Williams retired in 2021 and Callaghan in 2022 after tenures of 32 and 43 years, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine Anchor Pat Callaghan Retiring After 43 Years|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/maine-anchor-pat-callaghan-retiring-after-43-years/245358/|first=Kevin|last=Eck|work=TVSpy|date=November 21, 2022|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121211108/https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/maine-anchor-pat-callaghan-retiring-after-43-years/245358/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/veteran-maine-anchor-to-retire-after-32-years/236391/|title=Veteran Maine Anchor Plans Retirement from the News Business After 32 Years|date=November 11, 2021|first=Kevin|last=Eck|work=TVSpy|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112131428/https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/veteran-maine-anchor-to-retire-after-32-years/236391/|url-status=live}}</ref>

From the 1980s onward, WLBZ's local operations were progressively cut back, a trend that accelerated after Gannett took over. While WLBZ had already simulcast WCSH's morning and weekend newscasts since 1989, regional 5:30 and 11 p.m. newscasts were instituted in 2000 with split weather forecasts for each area, with WLBZ only airing separate 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.<ref name="Port000802">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120726822/nbc-stations-consolidating-plan-statewi/|date=August 2, 2000|page=3B|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=NBC stations consolidating, plan statewide broadcasts|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2023}}</ref><!-- Wed --> WLBZ ceased producing separate local newscasts altogether on October 8, 2015; all newscasts on both stations now originate from Portland, though Bangor viewers continue to see separate weather forecasts.<ref name="bdn-wlbznewsend">{{cite news|last1=Harrison|first1=Judy|title=WLBZ to shift 6 p.m. Bangor newscast to Portland|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2015/09/25/news/bangor/wlbz-to-shift-6-p-m-bangor-newscast-to-portland/|access-date=September 27, 2015|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=September 25, 2015|archive-date=September 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915043918/http://bangordailynews.com/2015/09/25/news/bangor/wlbz-to-shift-6-p-m-bangor-newscast-to-portland/|url-status=live}}</ref> The presence of WLBZ in the News Center Maine operation has resulted in a newscast with a stronger statewide news focus than its competitors in the Portland market.{{r|Port021214}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/market-eye-same-old-story-portland-42978|title=Market Eye: Same 'Old' Story in Portland|first=Michael|last=Malone|date=July 17, 2011|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=May 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516220837/https://www.nexttv.com/news/market-eye-same-old-story-portland-42978|url-status=live}}</ref>

After [[The WB]] affiliate [[WPXT]] shut down its news department in fall 2002, WCSH and WLBZ entered into a news share agreement with that station, resulting in a nightly prime time newscast.<ref name="Port020914">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120727310/wcsh-to-begin-10-pm-newscaston-wpxt/|date=September 14, 2002|page=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120728859/news/ 6B]|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=WCSH to begin 10 p.m. newscast—on WPXT|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2023|archive-date=March 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312215046/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120727310/wcsh-to-begin-10-pm-newscaston-wpxt/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat --> The half-hour ''News Center at 10'' moved to a digital subchannel of WCSH in 2008 when WPXT opted out of the arrangement, citing a lack of advertising support.<ref name="Port081202">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120729218/dispatch/|date=December 2, 2008|page=B2|title=Dispatches|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 12, 2023|archive-date=March 12, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312215043/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120729218/dispatch/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --> In the early 2010s, WCSH tried its hand again at airing news for WPXT, with the addition of a 7 a.m. hour of WCSH's morning newscast branded as ''News Center Morning Report Xtra''.<ref name="b&c-wpxtwcshamnews">{{cite news|last=Malone|first=Michael|title=Gannett's WCSH Portland to Produce WPXT News|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/475563-Gannett_s_WCSH_Portland_to_Produce_WPXT_News.php|access-date=October 21, 2011|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=October 21, 2011|archive-date=March 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313042512/https://www.nexttv.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Non-news programming===
From 2000 until the host's retirement in 2019, the News Center Maine stations aired human interest and outdoors program ''Bill Green's Maine''; Green had gotten his start at WLBZ before moving to Portland and WCSH in 1981.<ref>{{Cite magazine|magazine=The Maine Mag|url=https://www.themainemag.com/2764-bill-green/|title=Bill Green|first=Lisa|last=Belisle|date=July 2015|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026211444/https://www.themainemag.com/2764-bill-green/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bangordailynews.com/2019/10/29/outdoors/maine-broadcasting-icon-bill-green-will-retire-in-november/|work=Bangor Daily News|date=October 29, 2019|first=John|last=Holyoke|title=Maine broadcasting icon Bill Green will retire in November|access-date=March 13, 2023|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120173930/https://bangordailynews.com/2019/10/29/outdoors/maine-broadcasting-icon-bill-green-will-retire-in-november/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Port191030">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120754752/tvs-every-mainer-now-ready-to-sign-of/|date=October 30, 2019|page=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120754776/green/ A8]|first=Ray|last=Routhier|title=TV's 'every-Mainer' now ready to sign off|newspaper=Portland Press Herald|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Wed --> Reruns now air weekdays at 12:30PM, replacing Tegna's now-canceled in-house talk show Daily Blast Live.

WCSH debuted ''207'', a weeknight lifestyle and entertainment magazine aired weeknights at 7&nbsp;pm, in 2003. It was named for the state's area code, [[Area code 207|207]].<ref name="Bang030829">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120754933/local-news-hybrid-show-207-to-debut-on/|date=August 29, 2003|page=C7, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120754969/magazine/ C8]|first=Tom|last=Groening|title=Local news-hybrid show '207' to debut on Portland station|newspaper=The Bangor Daily News|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><!-- Fri -->