| Eau Claire, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WQOW (general) WQOW News 18 La Crosse-Eau Claire CW (on DT2) |
| Slogan | Your Hometown Team |
| Channels | Digital: 15 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 18.1 ABC 18.2 The CW 18.3 This TV (temporarily WEAU-TV/NBC) |
| Owner | Quincy Newspapers (WXOW-WQOW Television, Inc.) |
| First air date | September 22, 1980 |
| Call letters' meaning | We're Quickly being an sister to Madison's WKOW |
| Sister station(s) | WXOW |
| Former channel number(s) | 18 (UHF analog, 1980-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 200 kW |
| Height | 280 m |
| Facility ID | 64550 |
| Website | wqow.com |
WQOW is the ABC-affiliated television station for Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 15. [1] Owned by Quincy Newspapers, the station has studios on Old Town Hall Road in Eau Claire (although its address says WIS 93). Syndicated programming on the station includes: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Doctors, Rachael Ray and The Dr. Oz Show.
WQOW is considered a semi-satellite of WXOW in La Crosse, though it identifies as a station in its own right. It clears all of WXOW's syndicated programming but airs separate newscasts, station identifications and commercials. WQOW serves the northern half of the market while WXOW serves the southern half. The two stations are counted as a single unit for ratings purposes.
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On WQOW-DT2 and Charter channel 15 is the area's CW affiliate. On WQOW-DT3 and Charter digital channel 968 is This TV.
| Subchannel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 18.1 | main WQOW programming/ABC HD |
| 18.2 | WQOW-DT2 "La Crosse-Eau Claire CW" |
| 18.3 | WQOW-DT3 This TV (temporarily WEAU-TV/NBC) |
Following the collapse of WEAU-TV's tower on March 22, 2011, WQOW temporarily discontinued This TV on 18.3, in order to provide space to broadcast WEAU temporarily in that subchannel until a new tower is erected. [2]
WQOW Channel 18 signed-on September 22, 1980 as a semi-satellite of WXOW. For its first decade on the air, WXOW had been hampered by an inadequate signal in the northern half of the market. Unlike the other stations in the market, WXOW's transmitter is located alongside its studios in La Crescent, Minnesota. Its original studios were on Business U.S. 53/Hastings Way east of the London Square Mall and then-current interchange with WIS 93 on the southeast side of Eau Claire.
Originally, WQOW was a straight simulcast of WXOW, except for identifications and commercials. WQOW started airing local newscasts in 1982 under the moniker Newsource 18. Weather segments originated from WXOW's studios in La Crescent, as WQOW did not have a weather department. Owner Tak Communications canceled WQOW's newscasts in March 1990 as a cost-cutting measure, and WQOW once again began simulcasting WXOW's newscasts.
Local newscasts resumed on WQOW in October 1996 and the broadcasts became known as News 18. Since the new U.S. 53 Bypass was set to be constructed on the site of WQOW's building, the station moved in January 2001. The old building's site is located approximately in the northbound lane of the bypass near the WIS 93 northbound bridge. The new building is on WIS 93 immediately south of I-94 on the south side of Eau Claire. WQOW/WXOW began operating cable-only WB "WBCZ" in 1998. [3] This was on channel 15 on most systems in the Eau Claire and La Crosse areas.
WQOW/WXOW replaced "WBCZ" with new digital broadcast subchannels WQOW 18.2 and WXOW 19.2 simulcasting The CW when the new network launched in the fall of 2006. WQOW began airing solely in digital, effective February 17, 2009, with the analog transmitter operating for sixty additional days broadcasting only local news and information about the digital transition.[4] In July 2009, Dish Network announced it would add WQOW to its local channel lineup in the Eau Claire area after previously only offering WXOW. [5] WQOW/WXOW launched This TV simulcasted on new digital third digital subchannels of the stations in February/March 2010. [6] [7]
On September 2011, WQOW began to air newscasts in high definition. The station is the third in the La Crosse/ Eau Claire DMA to convert. That leaves WLAX/ WEUX as the only "Big 4" station in the market not to fully transition to high definition for original programming.
Anchors
StormTracker 18 Meteorologists
Sports
Reporters
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