Capitol Broadcasting Company Buys Wilmington Television Station

Capitol Broadcasting Company has signed an agreement to purchase WSSN-LP in Wilmington, North Carolina. WSSN, Channel 10, is currently a UPN affiliate, but will become an affiliate of the CBS Television Network under Capitol’s ownership.

“We’re excited to expand Capitol Broadcasting’s reach into the Wilmington market,” says CBC Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Tom Allen. “We hope to be on the air with Wilmington’s new CBS affiliate sometime this fall,” says Allen, “once the FCC approves the assignment of the license to Capitol Broadcasting.”

Capitol Broadcasting is buying WSSN from Wilmington native Jim Holladay, who has owned the station for five years.

“It’s a good day for the Wilmington community,” Holladay says, “the very best marriage that could’ve happened.” Holladay says partners Walter and Connie Knox have done a great job managing the day-to-day operations of the station, and now it’s time for him to let the station expand to a new level of service. “I know of nobody who can do what Capitol can do with this station. They have the industry connections and the resources to make it grow.”

A retransmission consent agreement with Time Warner Cable for full-time carriage of WSSN means viewers in the Wilmington market will have full-time access to CBS programming on a local CBS affiliate.

“The Wilmington area has been without a local CBS affiliate for six years,” says Bill Greene, Division President of Time Warner Cable. “Capitol’s purchase and subsequent plans for WSSN solve that problem.”

WSSN station offices and transmitter will remain at the Old Wilmington Film Studios building at 1536 Castle Hayne Road. CBC plans to expand offices within the facility to accommodate increased staff.