WSB-TV
U.S. center / local mainstream
Background
WSB-TV signed on September 29, 1948, making it the first television station in Georgia and one of the earliest in the South. It was founded by Cox Enterprises — the media company built around the Cox newspaper and radio empire — and has been an ABC affiliate since the network's early years. For most of its history it operated as a Cox-owned flagship, earning a reputation as Atlanta's dominant local news station. In 2019, Cox Enterprises sold a majority stake in its 14-station TV group to Apollo Global Management for roughly $3 billion, forming a reorganized Cox Media Group; Cox retained a minority interest. As of 2026, Apollo has reportedly explored selling Cox Media Group to parties including Nexstar, but no completed transaction has been confirmed. WSB-TV draws the largest local news audience in Atlanta and has been noted for significant political advertising revenue — earning nearly $232 million in political ad spending across Georgia's 2020–2022 election cycles alone. Media Bias/Fact Check rates its news coverage as 'least biased,' reflecting a local-news model that emphasizes breaking news, weather, and traffic rather than ideological commentary. The station has a notable civil-rights era record, having hired some of Atlanta's first Black on-air journalists, including anchor Monica Kaufman Pearson in 1975.
Sources
- WSB-TV – Wikipedia
- After More Than 70 Years On Air, WSB-TV Gets New Owner – Georgia Public Broadcasting
- Apollo Global Management Buys Majority Stake in Cox TV Stations – Variety
- Apollo Global weighs sale of Cox Media Group – The Desk
- Georgia's runoffs helped one Atlanta TV station rake in nearly $232M in political advertising – Fortune
- WSB – Atlanta News Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
Profile compiled 2026-09-10; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.