WNBC-TV: Channel 4, TV Schedule, Owner, Location, TV Personalities

WNBC-TV Biography

WNBC-TV, branded as NBC 4 New York, is the flagship station of the NBC television network and one of the most historically significant broadcasters in the United States. It is licensed to New York City and owned by NBCUniversal’s NBC Owned Television Stations division. The station was launched on July 1, 1941, when it signed on as WNBT, and was the first station to air the first legal TV commercial, a 10-second spot for Bulova watches. The station adopted the WNBC call sign in 1960 and has long been a leader in local news, weather, and public affairs programming. Operating from NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, WNBC shares its digital channel with Telemundo’s WNJU.

Find more details about WBNG-TV, a CBS-affiliated television station serving Binghamton, New York, that was launched on December 1, 1949.

Quick bio/wiki

History | Background

WNBC’s history dates back to 1928, when it operated as experimental station W2XBS, broadcasting early test transmissions under the guidance of RCA. On July 1, 1941, the station officially launched as WNBT, becoming one of the first two fully licensed commercial television stations in the United States. On its launch date, WNBT aired the world’s first official television advertisement, a 10-second spot for Bulova watches.

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, WNBT expanded its programming to include sports, news, and entertainment. It aired early baseball games featuring the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, and introduced viewers to children’s programming, such as Howdy Doody. In 1954, the station changed its call sign to WRCA-TV, aligning with RCA’s corporate branding. During this period, it integrated operations with WNBC Radio and played a key role in launching The Tonight Show.

Since 2005, WNBC has broadcast its signal from the Empire State Building in midtown Manhattan, returning to the original transmitter site used from the 1930s to the 1970s. On May 9, 2017, it was announced that WNBC would return to broadcasting from lower Manhattan at One World Trade Center by the end of the year (Information as per Wikipedia).

Analog-to-digital conversion

Over the decades, WNBC has undergone technical transformations, shifting from analog to digital broadcasting and relocating its transmitter to One World Trade Center. The station originally broadcast on the frequencies of 2.0 to 2.1 MHz. In 1929, W2XBS upgraded its transmitter and broadcast facilities to handle transmissions of 60 vertical lines at 20 frames per second, on the frequencies of 2.75 to 2.85 MHz (Wikipedia).  In the spring of 1946, the station changed its frequency from VHF channel 1 to channel 4 after channel 1 was removed from use for television broadcasting. The station changed its call letters on October 18, 1954, to WRCA-TV (for NBC’s then-parent company, Radio Corporation of America or RCA), and on May 22, 1960, channel 4 became WNBC-TV.

On June 1, 1992, channel 4 dropped the “-TV” suffix from its call letters (following the sale in 1988 of its sister radio station WNBC, which is now WFAN) and became simply WNBC, with the new branding slogan, along with a new station logo and name “4 New York”. The accompanying station image campaign was titled “We’re 4 New York” and featured a musical theme composed by Edd Kalehoff. WNBC was rebranded again as “NBC 4” on September 5, 1995, with its newscasts being renamed NewsChannel 4 and then to “4 New York.” Legendary figures like Gabe Pressman, Chuck Scarborough, and Sue Simmons contributed to the editorial department, while the station introduced weather and traffic reporting segments. It now operates on digital channel 35 (UHF) and virtual channel 4, sharing its spectrum with sister station WNJU, the Telemundo affiliate in New York.

Owned by NBCUniversal’s NBC Owned Television Stations division, WNBC broadcasts from NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Today, WNBC continues to lead in news, weather, and community engagement, adapting to digital platforms while preserving its legacy as America’s first commercial TV station. It also holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating commercial television station in the United States.

Notable Achievements (Firsts for W2XBS)

• The first telecast of a National Hockey League game (early 1940s)
• The first live telecast of a presidential speech (Franklin D. Roosevelt opening the 1939 New York World’s Fair)
• The first broadcast of religious services (Easter Sunday, 1940) 
• The first live news event covered by a mobile unit (a fire in an abandoned building in November 1938)
• The broadcast of the feature film The Crooked Circle on June 18, 1940.
• The first two fully licensed commercial television stations in the United States, alongside CBS’s WCBW on channel 2 (now WCBS-TV), which had evolved from experimental W2XAB.
•  Earned a place in broadcasting history as the birthplace of The Tonight Show.

TV Schedule

The day begins early with Today in New York, airing from 4:30 AM to 6:00 AM, delivering local news, traffic, and weather updates to early risers. This leads into the nationally broadcast Today show from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM, featuring interviews, headlines, and lifestyle content. At 10:00 AM, Today with Jenna & Friends continues the morning’s upbeat tone with celebrity guests and human-interest stories. Midday programming includes News 4 NY at 11 AM, followed by New York Live at 11:30 AM. At noon, NBC News Daily provides national coverage, while the early afternoon features true crime and investigative reporting through Dateline at 1:00 PM.

The Kelly Clarkson Show airs at 2:00 PM, followed by Access Hollywood at 3:00 PM, which covers entertainment news and celebrity updates. Local news returns in the late afternoon with News 4 New York from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM, leading into NBC Nightly News at 7:00 PM for national and international headlines. Primetime programming varies by day, typically featuring NBC staples such as Law & Order, The Voice, or Chicago Fire. The station wraps up the day with News 4 New York at 11, followed by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers.

WNBC Awards/Recognitions

The station has received Peabody Awards for impactful work such as Asylum in the Streets, Passport to Kill, and F.I.N.D. Investigative Reports, which highlighted issues ranging from immigration and international crime to local corruption and social justice. In addition, WNBC has also earned Emmy Awards for its local news coverage, weather reporting, and breaking news segments.

WNBC Notable Coverages

One of WNBC’s most celebrated contributions to broadcast journalism came through its F.I.N.D. Investigative Reports, a series that aired during its NewsCenter 4 era. These segments earned the station a Peabody Award in 1977. Beyond F.I.N.D., WNBC has consistently delivered high-impact local reporting. Its coverage has included investigations into abuse allegations at New York hospitals, insurance disputes affecting patient care, and systemic failures in law enforcement and public institutions. Notably, it was one of the first stations to broadcast the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with live footage from its transmitter atop the World Trade Center.

It also played a critical role in covering Hurricane Sandy in 2012, delivering critical information about evacuations, storm surges, and recovery efforts. In addition to breaking news, WNBC has covered major political events such as New York City mayoral elections, presidential campaigns, and United Nations summits held in Manhattan. Moreover, WNBC covered high-profile events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Notable Figures/TV Personalities

WNBC-TV has featured several prominent figures in broadcast journalism, including legendary anchors, meteorologists, and reporters. Some of the known figures include;

• Gabe Pressman – Often called the “Dean of New York Journalism”
• Chuck Scarborough – Anchored the evening news for over four decades
• Sue Simmons – Co-anchored alongside Scarborough for 32 years
• Janice Huff – Chief Meteorologist since the mid-1990s and the host of “Wednesday’s Child”
• David Ushery – Co-anchor of WNBC’s 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts
• Natalie Pasquarella – Evening anchor
• Gilma Avalos – Weekend anchor and general assignment reporter