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WICD (TV)

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WICD, which brands itself as "NewsChannel 15", is an ABC affiliate located in Champaign, Illinois. It is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and broadcasts on channel 15.

History

WDAN-TV began operations on December 19th of 1953 from Danville. WDAN-TV was an ABC affiliate broadcasting on channel 24 with a signal which radiated about 25 miles from the transmitter point at 1501 N. Washington in Danville, Illinois. Currently the home of WDAN(1490-AM), WDNL(102.1 FM) and WRHK(94.9 FM). WDAN-TV was owned by the Northwest Publishing, owner/publisher of the Danville Commerical-News newspaper.

Meanwhile, WCHU began broadcasting in September of 1959 from Champaign. WCHU-TV was an NBC affiliate designed to be a satellite of WICS-TV in Springfield. WCHU broadcast on channel 33 with a signal which radiated about 15 miles from the transmitter point atop the Inman Hotel in downtown Champaign, Illinois. Channel 33 began colorcasting the next year. WCHU was owned by Plains Television Partners.

In July of 1960, WDAN-TV was purchased by Plains Television Partners. The call letters were changed to WICD-TV and it was made a satellite station of WICS and WCHU. In spite of being an NBC affiliate, WICD on channel 24 was never able to broadcast in color. During the period from 1960 to 1967, both WCHU and WICD broadcast some locally originated programs from the WCHU studio in Champaign.

In 1967, the operations of WCHU and WICD were merged to broadcast on channel 15, having now the tallest tower in the state of Illinois, around 1385-feet. It was now a full power station at 1,000,000 watts, and able to broadcast NBC shows in color.

Even though WICD is a full power station, it is still technically a satellite station of WICS-TV, although it broadcasts its own local news and commercials. It serves the eastern half of the Springfield-Decatur-Champaign/Urbana and Danville market, while WICS serves the western half.

On September 5, 2005, WICD (along with its sister station in nearby Springfield, WICS channel 20) swapped affiliations with WAND and became an ABC affiliate.

Prior to its being situated at 250 Country Fair Drive, the station was located at the Inman Hotel in downtown Champaign from 1959 to 1978. Its transmitter facility is located in Vermilion County, north east of Homer. The original studio location in Danville was vacated in 1967.

Personalities

Current

Former

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