WSOC-TV
U.S. center, least biased
Background
WSOC-TV signed on the air April 28, 1957, as Charlotte's third television station, founded by the locally owned Carolina Broadcasting Company (the Jones family), which also held WSOC radio. In 1959, the entire WSOC broadcast group was sold to Cox Enterprises through its predecessor Miami Valley Broadcasting Company, beginning a decades-long relationship with the Cox media empire. The station launched with an NBC primary affiliation and secondary ABC programming, then switched to a full-time ABC affiliation on July 1, 1978, which it maintains today. In 1999–2000, the station acquired sister independent station WAXN-TV (channel 64) after the FCC lifted its duopoly ban. A significant ownership shift came in 2019 when Apollo Global Management acquired a majority stake in Cox Media Group's TV and radio properties for roughly $3.1 billion, with the deal closing in December 2019; Cox Enterprises retained a minority interest and the Cox Media Group name and Atlanta headquarters were preserved. WSOC-TV also carries a secondary Telemundo feed and covers 22 counties across North and South Carolina, marketing itself as the market's leading local newsroom. Media Bias/Fact Check rates the station 'Least Biased' with a 'High' factual reporting score, consistent with its local-TV-news focus on weather, traffic, crime, and regional politics rather than national political commentary.
Sources
- WSOC-TV – Wikipedia
- WSOC – Charlotte News: Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- Apollo Global Management Buys Majority Stake in Cox TV Stations – Variety
- Cox Enterprises Announces Close of Cox Media Group Sale to Apollo – PR Newswire
- Cox Media Group – Wikipedia
- WSOC-TV Past and Future – WSOC TV
Profile compiled 2026-07-05; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.