WGBA
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| WGBA (NBC) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Missing image Nbc26.gif | ||
| Green Bay, Wisconsin | ||
| Analog 26 | ||
| Owner | Journal Broadcast Group | |
| Founded | 1981 | |
| Joined NBC | 1995 | |
| Signal Radius | East Central Wisconsin | |
| Callsign Meaning | Green Bay / Appleton | |
| Former Affiliations | Independent (1980-1992), FOX (1992-1995) | |
| Former Callsigns | WLRE (1980 - approx 1985) | |
| Major Green Bay and Fox Cities Stations | ||
| WACY (Appleton) | WBAY (Green Bay) | WFRV (Green Bay) |
| WGBA (Green Bay) | WIWB (Green Bay) | WLUK (Green Bay) |
WGBA is a television station, with a transmitter near the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Its signal covers the area commonly called the Fox Valley, which includes Oshkosh and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
WGBA, originally with the call letters WLRE, began as an independent station on analog channel 26 on December 31, 1980.
In 1985, the station was bought by Family Group Broadcasting, Inc., and by this time the call letters had been changed to WGBA.
After WXGZ, a station on nearby channel 32 went off the air in 1992, WGBA picked up Fox network affiliate programming for the Green Bay/Fox Cities market. It is the first network affiliation WGBA ever had, after having been on the air for 12 years.
The station's affiliation changed again in 1995, when WGBA became an NBC affiliate, trading its Fox network programming to WLUK, VHF channel 11. This particular network move is notable because in 1995, it was extremely unusual for the smaller networks (like Fox, the WB, and UPN) to manage to buy access to stations in the VHF range of channels 2-13, which can broadcast greater distances and were almost the sole property of the then 'Big Three' networks CBS, ABC, and NBC. This was one of the earliest affiliate swaps of this type.
The station began airing newscasts in 1996.
WGBA's transmitter is located in Glenmore, Wisconsin.
In October 2004, Journal Broadcast Group finalized its purchase of WGBA for $43.2 million dollars.