| Florence/Myrtle Beach, South Carolina / Lumberton, North Carolina |
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|---|---|
| Branding | WPDE NewsChannel 15 |
| Slogan | Your News |
| Channels | Digital: 16 (UHF) Virtual: 15 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 15.1 ABC 15.2 local weather |
| Owner | Barrington Broadcasting (Barrington Myrtle Beach License, LLC) |
| First air date | November 22, 1980 |
| Call letters' meaning | Big and Little Pee DEe Rivers |
| Sister station(s) | WWMB |
| Former channel number(s) | 15 (UHF analog, 1980-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 421 kW |
| Height | 600 m |
| Facility ID | 17012 |
| Website | carolinalive.com |
WPDE-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for South Carolina's Pee Dee and Grand Strand areas licensed to Florence. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 16 (virtual channel 15.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Pee Dee Church Road in Dillon (across from CBS affiliate WBTW's tower). The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 9 and HTC Cablevision channel 15. There is a high definition feed offered on HTC Cablevision digital channel 815 and Time Warner Cable digital channel 1105.
Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, WPDE operates CW/CW Plus affiliate WWMB (owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting) through a local marketing agreement (LMA). The two outlets share studios (in the Atlantic Business Park) on Atlantic Avenue in Conway near US 501. Syndicated programming on this station includes Entertainment Tonight, The Dr. Oz Show, Judge Judy, and The Nate Berkus Show among others.
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On WPDE-DT2, HTC Cablevision channel 93, and Time Warner Cable digital channel 106 is a 24-hour local weather channel.
| Channels | Name | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.1 | WPDE-HD | 720p | 16:9 | Main WPDE programming / ABC |
| 15.2 | WPDE-WX | 480i | 4:3 | "NewsChannel 15 First Alert Weather on the 15's" |
The station signed-on November 22, 1980 with an analog signal on UHF channel 15. It was the area's third outlet after WBTW and PBS affiliate WJPM-TV. It has always been an ABC station and, prior to WPDE's launch, the network was seen through a secondary status on WBTW. The call letters stand for the Big and Little Pee DEe Rivers. Unofficially, the calls also represent the station's commitment to viewers: "We're People Dedicated to Excellence." The former Florence Civic Auditorium building on South Cashua Drive was transformed into the station's first facilities. This location would serve WPDE for twenty-two years. Dedication of its current studios in Conway was conducted in early-1981 with remarks by then-Governor Richard Riley. Diversified Communications of Portland, Maine acquired the station in 1985. It was the company's fourth television station and first property outside Maine. WPDE would eventually be purchased by Barrington in 2006. On June 12, 2009, its digital signal remained on channel 16 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.
During the analog era, WPDE's over-the-air signal barely covered the entire Florence/Myrtle Beach market as typical with most UHF stations at the time. At one point, the North Carolina side of the market obtained a weaker signal from WPDE compared with Wilmington's WWAY and/or WTVD from Durham. As of the digital transition, this station can now be regularly picked up in North Carolina because its digital signal is much stronger. In addition, the southern areas of Raleigh and Greensboro can pick up ABC from WPDE better than home affiliate WXLV in Winston-Salem. WTVD has more reception in that area as well due to its powerful digital signal on VHF channel 11. This station's reception area includes eastern areas of Charlotte and the Columbia market. The latter city's ABC affiliate WOLO-TV can be picked up in the northern and western parts of the Wilmington DMA because WWAY's current digital signal does not make it past US 701 too well.
Historically, WBTW has been the dominant station in Florence/Myrtle Beach according to local Nielsen ratings. This is in part because that station essentially had the area to itself for over a quarter-century with the only real competition being Grade B signals from WECT in Wilmington and Columbia's WIS (both affiliates of NBC). WPDE's launch offered a second option of newscasts from WBTW. In 1996, sister station WWMB began airing the market's first prime time news on weeknights. Produced by WPDE, the show aired for thirty minutes and was originally known as NewsChannel 15 at 10 on TV 21. It was initially anchored by Steve Hawley until late-1996 when he left the station.
The program was then alternately hosted by Dave Gilbert and Tiffany Cochran. After the latter personality departed WPDE and Gilbert died in 1997, the show was renamed UPN 21 News at 10 and anchored by Leo Stallworth (later Audra Grant) until its cancellation in 2000. In 2003, WPDE introduced another prime time newscast on WWMB under the title WPDE NewsChannel 15 at 10 on UPN. Now airing every night, it was anchored on weeknights by Jim Heath. This second generation of the show featured interactive segments such as "Say What?" and "Quick Hits" in a more fast-paced format.
WWMB began having competition to its broadcast in 2004 when Fox affiliate WFXB entered into a news share agreement with WBTW. This partnership resulted in the area's second prime time broadcast at 10 seen weeknights for a half-hour. On September 18, 2006 with the launch of The CW, WPDE's production on WWMB became known as NewsChannel 15 at 10 on CW 21 and featured an updated graphics theme. There was a further expansion of local newscasts in 2007 when WPDE added a third hour of its weekday Good Morning Carolinas broadcast to WWMB. This was seen from 7 until 8 and was the first local show to debut in the time slot and partially air against the national weekday morning show seen on the big three networks. For an unknown reason, the production was ultimately dropped.
On January 26, 2009 days after anchor Jim Heath left WPDE, WWMB's nightly 10 o'clock show was canceled. A repeat of NewsChannel 15 at 7 was subsequently added in its place on weeknights with live weather updates. Eventually, this program was dropped as well. WWMB currently airs a rebroadcast of WPDE's Carolina & Company Live in the weeknight 10 p.m. time slot. In March 2008, WBTW became the first station in the market to upgrade newscasts to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen. Although not true high definition, broadcasts match the aspect ratio of HD television screens. Since its sign-on August 7, 2008, NBC affiliate WMBF-TV has been offering local news in full high definition. WPDE remained the last outlet with pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition news until October 26, 2010 when it upgraded to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen. Corresponding with the change came a new set and updated graphics package.
Weekdays at noon, the station airs a lifestyle/entertainment show called Carolina & Company Live. Airing in a magazine-type format from a secondary set, the broadcast is hosted by Cecil Chandler (formerly at WBTW for 36 years), Amanda Kinseth, and meteorologist Darren Stack. During the program, there are various interview segments and business spotlights. Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Eastern Time Zone, WPDE does not offer newscasts on weeknights at 5 and/or 5:30. It maintains partnerships with local radio stations WYEZ-FM 94.5, WRNN-FM 99.5, WJMX-AM 970, and WRNN-AM 1450. In addition to its main studios, WPDE operates a bureau on South Floyd Drive in Florence nearby WMBF's bureau on South Cashua Drive.
Anchors
Carolina & Company Live
Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
Notable former personnel
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