10 Facts About WJBF

WJBF-TV began operations on November 23,1953 as Augusta's first television station.

WJBF-TV was a primary NBC affiliate, but picked up programs from CBS, ABC and DuMont on a secondary basis.

When WATU returned to the air in 1974 as a full-time NBC affiliate, WJBF was forced to drop NBC programming once and for all, per an FCC order issued in 1971 that required VHF stations in markets with three or more commercial outlets to affiliate with only one network.

In October 2009, Schurz Communications announced that it would enter into joint sales and shared services agreements with WJBF, meaning that WAGT's news operation and advertising sales department would be taken over by Media General.

Since 1954, WJBF has produced and aired the Sunday morning gospel music program Parade of Quartets, one of the longest-running local programs of any kind on American television.

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From 1954 until 1992, WJBF produced and aired a Sunday afternoon Southern gospel program featuring the locally based Lewis Family, known as the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel, " that was seen in other markets via syndication.

Appropriately for being the first television station in the area, WJBF has led the ratings for most of its history, with rival WRDW-TV usually the runner-up.

However, long after Spartan bought the station, WJBF retained the "groovy 6" logo it had used in one form or another since the late 1970s.

In December 2009, WAGT and WJBF partnered under a shared services agreement, with WJBF producing WAGT's news, sales, and other programming.

On October 17,2011, WJBF launched local newscasts in high definition starting with the morning newscast.