21 Facts About Westinghouse Broadcasting

Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Westinghouse Broadcasting was well known for two long-running television programs, the Mike Douglas Show and PM Magazine .

Westinghouse Broadcasting launched three more radio stations between 1920 and 1921: WJZ, originally licensed to Newark, New Jersey; WBZ, first located in Springfield, Massachusetts; and KYW, originally based in Chicago.

In 1931, Westinghouse Broadcasting switched the call letters of its two Massachusetts stations, with WBZA moving to Springfield and WBZ going to Boston.

Westinghouse Broadcasting group survived the government-dictated split of NBC's radio division in 1943.

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Later in the 1940s, Westinghouse Broadcasting moved on to develop FM and television stations as the FCC began to issue permits for those services.

In 1962, Westinghouse Broadcasting re-entered the New York market when it bought WINS, then a local Top-40 powerhouse.

In 1966, Westinghouse Broadcasting agreed to buy another top-rated music station, KFWB in Los Angeles.

Westinghouse Broadcasting later introduced an even more comprehensive tool, stylized as the "Numa Radio Planner".

However, Westinghouse Broadcasting would leave the cable TV system business in 1986, and would later sell the Filmation library to L'Oreal in 1989.

In June 1955, Westinghouse Broadcasting announced that it would sell its Philadelphia stations, KYW radio and WPTZ, to NBC.

In exchange Westinghouse Broadcasting received NBC's Cleveland stations, WTAM radio and WNBK television, along with $3 million in compensation.

The deal was approved in January 1956; one month later Westinghouse Broadcasting moved the KYW call letters to Cleveland and NBC renamed the Philadelphia stations WRCV and WRCV-TV.

The Justice Department believed that NBC abused its power as a broadcast network by threatening to withhold or cancel affiliations with Westinghouse Broadcasting-owned stations unless the latter company agreed to the network's terms and participate in the trade.

Westinghouse Broadcasting was allowed to keep the cash compensation from the original deal.

Westinghouse Broadcasting found no success in the Charlotte market, as WPCQ remained an -ran during its Group W years.

In 1994, the Fox Westinghouse Broadcasting Company agreed to a multi-year, multi-station affiliation deal with New World Communications, resulting in most of New World's stations switching to Fox.

Westinghouse Broadcasting sought an affiliation deal of its own, and after several months of negotiations with the other networks, Westinghouse Broadcasting agreed to affiliate its entire television unit with CBS.

Short time later, Westinghouse Broadcasting announced it was buying CBS outright, a transaction which closed in late 1995.

From that point forward Westinghouse Broadcasting proceeded to transform itself from its legendary role as a diversified conglomerate with a strong industrial heritage into a media giant.

In 1997, Westinghouse Broadcasting changed its name to CBS Corporation and moved its headquarters to New York.