WNBD-LD

WNBD-LD is the first NBC affiliate ever based in the market—prior to its launch, viewers in the region received NBC programming on cable or over-the-air from KTVE in El Dorado, Arkansas, WLBT in Jackson, and/or WMC-TV in Memphis, Tennessee.[2][3] Tentative launch of the channel was scheduled for between mid-October and early November 2010. It filed an application for a "license to cover" on October 21.[4] The actual sign-on occurred December 13.[5] Soon after WNBD-LD's sign-on, it became available on Suddenlink Communications channel 9, with WLBT and WMC remaining in their channel positions.[6] While current Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must-carry rules do not require carriage of low-powered stations, Commonwealth had the right to require cable systems to carry WNBD as part of retransmission consent compensation for carrying WABG.

Commonwealth Broadcasting Group agreed to sell WNBD-LD, WABG-TV, and WFXW-LD to Cala Broadcast Partners for $11.7 million on October 30, 2015. Cala is jointly owned by Brian Brady (who owns several other television stations, mostly under the Northwest Broadcasting name) and Jason Wolff (who owns radio and television stations through Frontier Radio Management).[7] Concurrently with this acquisition, Cala agreed to purchase WXVT from H3 Communications; a month later, it assigned its right to purchase that station to John Wagner.[8] The sale was completed on August 1, 2016.[9] on that date, the station went off the air, with Wagner stating in a filing with the FCC that it was looking for new programming.[10] This resulted in the WXVT intellectual unit, including CBS programming, being moved to a digital subchannel of WNBD-LD and mapped to WXVT's former channel 15. WNBD-LD would serve as an NBC and CBS affiliate until the CBS affiliation moved to WXVT-LD on June 26, 2017.

On January 1, 2017, Cable One (now Sparklight) removed channels owned by Northwest Broadcasting (WNBD-LD, WABG-TV, WXVT and WABG-DT2) after the two companies failed to reach an agreement. On February 1, 2017, the channels were restored to Cable One's lineup under a new carriage deal.

In February 2019, Reuters reported that Apollo Global Management had agreed to acquire the entirety of Brian Brady's television portfolio, which it intends to merge with Cox Media Group (which Apollo is acquiring at the same time) and stations spun off from Nexstar Media Group's purchase of Tribune Broadcasting, once the purchases are approved by the FCC.[11] In March 2019 filings with the FCC, Apollo confirmed that its newly-formed broadcasting group, Terrier Media, would acquire Northwest Broadcasting, with Brian Brady holding an unspecified minority interest in Terrier.[12] In June 2019, it was announced that Terrier Media would instead operate as Cox Media Group, as Apollo had reached a deal to also acquire Cox's radio and advertising businesses.[13] The transaction was completed on December 17.[14]

On March 29, 2022, Cox Media Group announced it would sell WNBD-LD, WXVT-LD, WABG-TV and 15 other stations to Imagicomm Communications, an affiliate of the parent company of the INSP cable channel, for $488 million;[15] the sale was completed on August 1.[16]

• Official website