Pressure of Truth
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Outlet profile

WSOC

U.S. local news, mostly neutral

Owned byCox Media Group, whose controlling interest is held by funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management (Cox Enterprises retained a minority stake after selling the majority stake in a deal completed in December 2019)
FundingAdvertising revenue and retransmission consent fees typical of a commercial local TV station
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

WSOC-TV signed on April 28, 1957, as Charlotte's third television station, originally owned by the Jones family alongside WSOC radio. Cox Communications of Atlanta bought the WSOC properties in 1959. The station initially split NBC and ABC programming before settling in as Charlotte's primary ABC affiliate, a role it has held for decades. It built a reputation for strong local news ratings and investigative units (branded "Action 9") covering consumer protection and local government. Cox Enterprises, a private family-owned company, ran the station for decades until December 2019, when it sold a majority stake in Cox Media Group's television stations to Apollo Global Management, with Cox Enterprises retaining a minority interest. As a local affiliate, WSOC relies on ABC News for national and political coverage, and its own reporting centers on regional news, meaning it does not carry a strong ideological slant on national political stories the way opinion-driven national outlets do.

Sources

  1. WSOC-TV — Wikipedia
  2. Cox Enterprises to sell majority stake in TV stations to Apollo
  3. Apollo Global Management Acquires Cox's Television Stations Plus Radio & Newspapers in Dayton

Profile compiled 2026-09-24; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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