WCMH

:For the real-life NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, see on Wikipedia.
WCMH (channel 8) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, airing programming from the Central Television Network. Owned and operated by the network's Central Networks Corporation division alongside Gary, Indiana-licensed independent outlet WQAR (channel 54), the station maintains studios on West Washington Street in the Loop district, and its transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower.
==History==
===As a Dumont station (1949-1956)===
The station first signed on the air on January 7, 1949, as a Dumont station owned by the Chicago Tribune, and was their flagship station for their broadcasting division. Several Dumont programs were produced from the station's facilities during the late 1940s and the first half of the 1950s, including The Al Morgan Show, Chicago Symphony, Chicagoland Mystery Players, Music From Chicago, The Music Show, They Stand Accused (the first televised courtroom drama program), This is Music, Windy City Jamboree and Down You Go.
=== Independence (1956-1966) ===
The station disaffiliated from DuMont when the network ceased operations on August 6, 1956, amid various issues stemming from its relations with Paramount Pictures that hamstrung DuMont from expansion. Because the three remaining commercial broadcast networks (ABC, NBC and CBS) had each owned television stations in Chicago by this time, WCMH became an independent station by default. Under executive vice president and general manager Ward L. Quaal (whose stewardship of the station and programming efforts earned him the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences [NATAS]'s Governors' Award in 1966 and 1987), the station adopted a general entertainment format that would become typical of other major market independents up through the early 1990s, carrying a mix of sitcoms and drama series, feature films, cartoons and religious programs as well as locally produced news, public affairs, music and children's programs.
===Central affiliation; eventual O&O status (1966-present)===
On September 4, 1966, four independent stations in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Mixopolis; along with the sign-on of a new station in San Francisco; joined and signed-on a brand new television network, the Central Television Network. Originally hailing from Canada, this was part of a plan for the network's expansion to the United States. WCMH eventually became one of the network's second and last group of charter affiliates that same day.
Tribune eventually sold channel 8 to the network in April 1975.
==News operation==
WCMH presently broadcasts 39 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with seven hours each weekday and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). WCMH runs a local newscast in the 5:00 p.m. half-hour (the first hour of Eyewitness News, which in turn airs at 6:30 p.m. like most other Central affiliates in the Central Time Zone), with the station also airing an early evening newscast at 5:30 p.m. WCMH operates its "Chopper 8" helicopter, providing aerial video to many of the market's news-producing television stations that don't have a helicopter of their own through Local News Service agreements.
===Newscast title history===
*Chicago Tonight (1949-1976)
*Newsei8ht (1976-1989)
*News 8 (1989–present)
===Music===
*No music (1949-1977)
*WAGA 1977 News Theme (1977-1978)
*Cool Hand Luke: Tar Sequence - Lalo Schifrin (1978-1985)
*Spirit (of Texas) - TM Productions (1985-1991)
*The Team To Watch - VTS Productions (1991-1998)
*Bold Branding News - HitPlay Productions (1998-2003)
*Newsforce - 615 Music (2003-2018)
*Evolution - Stephen Arnold Music (2018-2021)
*Coverage - 615 Music (2021–present)
==Gallery==
WCMH 8 (1968).svg|Logo from 1968-1976
KFMB-Eight.svg|The famous "Ei8ht" logo used from 1976-1989
WCMH ID 1981.png|Station ID from 1981
WCMH ID bug 1989.svg|Station ID bug (1989-1997)
WJW-WGHP.svg|8 used from 1989-2018, shared with WJW and WGHP
WCMH (2007).svg|Logo from 2007-2011
WCMH (2007, 2011 version).svg|2011-2018 variant of 2007 logo
WCMH 1993 ID.png|Localized "The One and Only" ID from 1993
WCMH 1994 open.png|10pm news open from 1994-1996
WCMH 1997 open.png|10pm news open from 1996-2002
WCMH8 Open.png|News open from 2018-October 2021
WCMH Graphics 2019-present.png|Graphics (2018–present)
WCMH news open (Oct 2021-).png|News open (October 2021 – present)
Category:Channel 8
Category:Chicago
Category:Illinois
Category:Central Television Network
Category:Central owned and operated stations
Category:Central affiliates
Category:The Pierre Péladeau Company
Category:NewsWorld network affiliates
Category:Avant Garde Network affiliates
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1949
Category:Former independent stations
Category:Former DuMont affiliates
Category:Former Tribune stations