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Outlet profile

CBS 17

U.S. center, local TV

Owned byNexstar Media Group, a large publicly traded broadcasting company
FundingAdvertising revenue and cable/satellite retransmission fees; part of a for-profit, publicly traded corporation (NASDAQ: NXST)
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

The station signed on in 1988 as WYED-TV, a minor outlet carrying Home Shopping Network programming. It later became WNCN and spent about 20 years as an NBC affiliate before switching to CBS in February 2016. In 2016, Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced a $4.6 billion acquisition of Media General (WNCN's then-owner), completing the deal in January 2017 and bringing the station under Nexstar Media Group. In March 2018, the station rebranded from 'CBS North Carolina' to 'CBS 17.' As part of Nexstar, the station has occasionally aired company-mandated national segments and commentary pieces produced centrally by Nexstar, which media watchdogs have described as leaning favorably toward conservative and Trump-aligned viewpoints, similar to concerns raised about Sinclair Broadcast Group's local stations. Locally, CBS 17's own newsroom coverage of the Raleigh-Durham market focuses on regional news, weather, and community issues rather than national political commentary.

Sources

  1. WNCN - Wikipedia
  2. CBS North Carolina rebrands as CBS 17
  3. North Carolina station rebrands as CBS 17 - NewscastStudio
  4. List of assets owned by Nexstar Media Group - Wikipedia

Profile compiled 2026-09-25; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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