WECT

U.S. center (local NBC affiliate, corporate owner leans center-right)

Background

WECT began broadcasting on April 9, 1954, under the call sign WMFD-TV, making it one of the oldest television stations in the Carolinas. It adopted its current call letters in 1958. Ownership changed several times over the decades: Atlantic Telecasting Corporation sold to News-Press & Gazette Company in 1986, which sold to New Vision Television in 1993, which sold to Ellis Communications in 1995. Raycom Media absorbed Ellis's station group in 1997 and operated WECT for over two decades. In January 2019, Gray Television (now Gray Media) completed a $3.6 billion acquisition of Raycom, bringing WECT under its umbrella. Gray Media is now the third-largest U.S. TV station operator, owning or operating roughly 180 stations in 113 markets. WECT co-manages Fox affiliate WSFX-TV (channel 26) and owns Telemundo affiliate WTWL-LD (channel 31) in the same market. The station's journalism has included local investigative work, such as a 2026 report on Wilmington city officials' spending on a Washington, D.C., trip. Gray's corporate leadership has drawn scrutiny for the CEO's public alignment with Republican figures and for airing the Sunday public-affairs program Full Court Press hosted by former Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, but third-party media monitors have not identified a consistent partisan editorial slant in Gray's local station news output.

Sources

1. WECT – Wikipedia
2. Gray's acquisition of Raycom puts WECT under new ownership – WilmingtonBiz
3. Gray DC Bureau – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
4. Is Gray Television Liberal or Conservative – Television USA
5. Gray Television Profile – OpenSecrets
6. Who Owns Gray Media – Free Press
7. WECT Investigates: Wilmington officials spend $30,000 on DC trip

Profile compiled 2026-07-04; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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