Editing WCIV

{{Short description|Television station in Charleston, South Carolina}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{about|the current television station|the television station formerly known as WCIV|WGWG|the video game|Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WCIV
| logo = LOGO WMMP MYTV legal blk.png
| logo_size = 200px
| image = LOGO WCIV ABC4 solid news vert blk.png
| image_size = 200px
| branding = {{ubl|MyTV Charleston|News 4 (36.2)}}
| digital = 25 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 36
| subchannels = 
| translators = 
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''36.1:''' [[MyNetworkTV]]|'''36.2:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|'''36.3:''' [[The Nest (TV network)|The Nest]]}}
| network = 
| country = United States
| founded = August 25, 1988
| airdate = {{start date and age|1992|12|01|p=y}}
| last_airdate = 
| location = [[Charleston, South Carolina]]
| callsign_meaning = {{ubl|Charleston IV|([[Roman numeral]] 4; former analog channel number of what is now [[WGWG]])}}
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WCTP (1992–1995)|WBNU (1995–1997)|WMMP (1997–2014)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 36 (UHF, 1992–2009)|'''Digital:''' 35 (UHF, 2002–2009), 36 (UHF, 2009–2019)}}
| owner = [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
| licensee = WMMP Licensee [[Limited partnership|L.P.]]
| sister_stations = [[WTAT-TV]] (news share agreement)
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[Independent station|Independent]] (1992–1995)|[[The WB]] (1995–1997)|[[UPN]] (1997–2006)|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] (temporary host for [[WTAT-TV]], 2019–2020<ref name="wtatonwciv">{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076f916d07b737016d1732add00ddd&id=25076f916d07b737016d1732add00ddd&goBack=N|title=DTV Engineering STA Application|work=Licensing and Management System|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|date=September 10, 2019|access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref><ref name="wtatsta">[https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076ff36d07b5b2016d1bef2f45111b WTAT Request for STA]</ref>)|[[MeTV]] (36.3, 2014−2022)}}
| erp = 1,000 kW
| haat = {{convert|583.3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class = 
| facility_id = 9015
| coordinates = {{coord|32|56|25|N|79|41|44|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{ubl|{{URL|http://mytvcharleston.com/}}|{{URL|https://abcnews4.com/}}}}
}}

'''WCIV''' (channel 36) is a [[television station]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]], United States, affiliated with [[MyNetworkTV]] and [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The station is owned by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]], and maintains studios on Allbritton Boulevard along [[U.S. Route 17 in South Carolina|US 17]]/[[U.S. Route 701|701]] (Johnnie Dodds Boulevard) in [[Mount Pleasant, South Carolina|Mount Pleasant]] and a transmitter in [[Awendaw, South Carolina]].

In September 2014, due to complications arising from Sinclair's acquisition of the original WCIV (channel 4) from its previous owner, [[Allbritton Communications]], WCIV's programming and ABC affiliation was moved onto the second [[digital subchannel]] of Sinclair's existing station in the market, MyNetworkTV affiliate WMMP. WCIV's license was sold to [[Howard Stirk Holdings]] in order to form a new station using its existing facilities. In preparation for the sale, the WCIV and WMMP intellectual units swapped signals on September 30, 2014, with WCIV moving to WMMP's channel 36 signal and WMMP moving to WCIV's channel 34 signal respectively. WMMP then began carrying programming from [[ZUUS Country]], and has since changed its calls to [[WGWG]].

==History==
{{For|the pre-2014 history of WCIV-DT2 (ABC 4 Charleston)|WGWG#History}}

The current WCIV first began operations on December 1, 1992, as WCTP, an [[independent station]]. It began after a nine-month delay in operations with test programs. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=0EBF07B35AF09979&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Aimage%252Fv2%253A1 | title=User account }}</ref> It joined [[The WB]] as a charter affiliate on January 11, 1995. On November 20, it changed its calls to WBNU. On January 6, 1997, Max Media Properties (a company partially related to the present-day [[Max Media]]) bought the station, changed its calls to WMMP, and switched its affiliation to [[UPN]]. Only a year later, Max Media sold WMMP to Sinclair, giving the station its third owner in as many years. Later that year, Sinclair bought out Sullivan Broadcasting, owners of [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[WTAT-TV]] (channel 24), and all licensee assets were given to Glencairn Ltd, with Sinclair continuing to own through a LMA.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Richard|date=February 25, 1998|title=Sinclair closes Sullivan buyout|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/sinclair-closes-sullivan-buyout-1117468107/|access-date=December 10, 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

When Sinclair tried to acquire Sullivan's stations outright in 2001, it could not legally keep both WMMP and WTAT because Charleston has only six full-power stations (too few to legally permit a [[duopoly (broadcasting)|duopoly]]). Although WTAT was longer-established, Sinclair opted to keep WMMP and sold WTAT to Glencairn, Ltd. That company was owned by Edwin Edwards, a former Sinclair executive, and appeared to be a minority-owned company. However, nearly all of Glencairn's stock was controlled by the Smith family founders of Sinclair. In effect, the company now had a duopoly in the Charleston [[media market|market]] which was a violation of [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) regulations. Glencairn and Sinclair further circumvented the rules by crafting a local marketing agreement between the two stations, with WMMP as senior partner–one of the few known instances in which a Big Four affiliate was the junior partner to a WB or UPN affiliate.

In 2001, the FCC fined Sinclair $40,000 for illegally controlling Glencairn. Later that year, it was renamed Cunningham Broadcasting. However, nearly all of Cunningham's stock is still controlled by trusts in the names of the children of the Smith brothers, so for all intents and purposes Sinclair still has a duopoly in Charleston. Glencairn and Cunningham have been accused of serving as a [[shell corporation]] which Sinclair has been using for the purpose of circumventing FCC ownership rules. Prior to its 2007 shutdown, WMMP aired [[The Tube Music Network|The Tube]] on its second digital subchannel.

Soon after Fox announced the formation of MyNetworkTV, Sinclair announced that most of its WB and UPN affiliates, including WMMP, would affiliate with that network. Since the launch of MyNetworkTV in 2006, WMMP has aired any Fox programming in the event WTAT preempts the network for weather/emergency updates or local specials.

===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>

==Newscasts==
WCIV produces a daily lifestyle and entertainment program called ''Lowcountry Live''. The show features many popular regular segments and contributors including "Makeover Monday" and "Louis' Kids". ''LCL'', as it is often referred to, also features a plethora of local artists, chefs, musicians, and authors. The show airs Monday through Friday mornings at 10 for an hour. This broadcast serves as a midday program during the week for WCIV because it does not offer news at noon unlike most other ABC affiliates. A 5&nbsp;p.m. weekday newscast was inaugurated on April 20, 2015. Along with [[CBS]] affiliate [[WCSC-TV]], this station offers local news weeknights at 7. WCIV (on channel 4) debuted its newscasts in high definition on Saturday, October 15, 2011, becoming the second in the Lowcountry and the last Allbritton-owned station to switch to HD. On [[New Year's Day|January 1]], 2016, WCIV began production of WTAT-TV's newscast.

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]. Both of the main WCIV channels [[station identification|identify]] on-air as "WCIV Charleston" without their numerical "-DTx" suffix:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WCIV<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WCIV#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WCIV|website=[[RabbitEars]]|accessdate=January 17, 2025}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 36.1 
| rowspan=2|[[720p]] || rowspan=3|[[16:9]] || MyTV || [[MyNetworkTV]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 36.2 
| ABC || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 36.3 
| [[480i]] || TheNest || [[The Nest (TV network)|The Nest]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope="row" | [[WGWG|4.3]]
| rowspan=2|480i || rowspan=2|16:9 || Antenna || [[Antenna TV]] ([[WGWG|WGWG-DT3]])
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;"
! scope="row" | [[WGWG|4.5]]
| H&I || [[Heroes & Icons]] ([[WGWG|WGWG-DT5]])
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WCIV (as WMMP) shut down its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 36, on February 17, 2009, to conclude the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated transition from analog to digital television]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=List of Digital Full-Power Stations |access-date=July 24, 2008 |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 35 to channel 36.

==See also==
*[[Channel 4 branded TV stations in the United States]]
*[[Channel 25 digital TV stations in the United States]]
*[[Channel 36 virtual TV stations in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://mytvcharleston.com/ myTV Charleston] - Official myTV Charleston website
*[https://abcnews4.com/ ABCNews4.com] - Official ABC News 4 website

{{Charleston TV}}
{{South Carolina TV}}
{{SBGI}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wciv}}
[[Category:1992 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:MyNetworkTV affiliates]]
[[Category:The Nest (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1992]]
[[Category:Television stations in Charleston, South Carolina|CIV]]