WICU-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwestern Pennsylvania that is licensed to Erie. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter on Old Waterford Road in Greene Township. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 12 and in high definition on digital channel 1012. Owned by SJL Broadcasting, WICU is operated through a shared services agreement (SSA) by Lilly Broadcasting. This makes it a sister outlet to CBS affiliate WSEE-TV and its CW-affiliated second digital subchannel.

The two outlets share studios on State Street in Erie. Syndicated programming on this station includes Two and a Half Men, Inside Edition, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Rachael Ray Show among others. WICU can also be seen over-the-air in standard definition on WSEE's third digital subchannel on UHF channel 16.3 (or virtual channel 35.3 via PSIP) from the same Greene Township transmitter. ^{[1] [2]}

Digital programming [link]

On WICU-DT2 is a simulcast of CW affiliate WSEE-DT2 in standard definition which can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 3. On WICU-DT3 is a standard definition simulcast of the main WSEE feed featuring CBS.

History [link]

WICU began broadcasting in Erie on March 15, 1949 ^[3] as an affiliate of all four networks of the time (NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont). It was one of the last stations to be granted a construction permit before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) froze new applications. WICU-TV was founded by Edward Lamb, an attorney from Toledo, Ohio who also owned the now-defunct Erie Dispatch-Herald, and other broadcast properties including WTVN-TV (now WSYX) in Columbus, Ohio, which went on the air six months later. In 1952 Lamb purchased WIKK radio (1330 AM, later WICU and now WFNN), giving channel 12 a sister station on radio.

The station was a major beneficiary of a quirk in the FCC's plan for allocating stations. In the early days of broadcast television, there were twelve VHF channels available and 69 UHF channels (later reduced to 55 in 1983). The VHF bands were more desirable because they carried longer distances. Since there were only twelve VHF channels available, there were limitations as to how closely the stations could be spaced.

After the FCC's Sixth Report and Order ended the license freeze and opened the UHF band in 1952, it devised a plan for allocating VHF licenses. Under this plan, almost all of the country would be able to receive two commercial VHF channels plus one noncommercial channel. Most of the rest of the country ("1/2") would be able to receive a third VHF channel. Other areas would be designated as "UHF islands" since they were too close to larger cities for VHF service. The "2" networks became CBS and NBC, "+1" represented non-commercial educational stations, and "1/2" became ABC (which was the weakest network usually winding up with the UHF allocation where no VHF was available).

However, Erie and Youngstown, Ohio were both sandwiched between Pittsburgh and Wheeling/Steubenville to the south, Cleveland to the west, Buffalo to the east, and London, Ontario to the north. This created a large "doughnut" in Northwestern Pennsylvania where there could only be one VHF license. WICU was fortunate to gain that license, and as a result has been the market leader in Erie for most of its history. Channel 12 held a monopoly on Erie television until WSEE-TV signed-on in 1954 as a CBS affiliate. The then-two separately owned stations aired ABC programs until WJET-TV (channel 24) signed-on in 1966.

Edward Lamb nearly lost WIKK (renamed WICU [AM] in 1957) and WICU-TV in 1954 due to allegations that he associated with Communists but was exonerated in 1957. A decade later in August 1967 Lamb reorganized his business interests, selling off all non-broadcast holdings as well as WICU radio. Lamb's company, later renamed Great Lakes Communications Inc., continued to hold channel 12; ownership passed on to Edward Lamb's family following his death in 1987. WICU-TV's family ownership era ended in 1996 when it was sold to SJL Communications, a subsidiary of SJL Broadcast Management and Alta Management. SJL purchased Alta's interest in 2005.^[4][5][6][7] A Consummation Notice was filed with the FCC in February 2007 to voluntarily transfer control of the station from SJL Communications to SJL Broadcast Management Corporation.^[8][9] This transaction was then authorized by the FCC.^[10]

In 2002, the station became the senior partner in a local marketing agreement with WSEE.^[11][12] From that point until June 1, 2009, WSEE continued to operate from its own studios on Peach Street (U.S. 19) in Downtown Erie. On that date, that station along with its CW subchannel merged into WICU's facilities. On June 12, WICU returned to channel 12 when the analog to digital conversion was completed. It turned off its analog signal at noon on June 8 to prepare for the change. It was the last analog station serving the Erie region to make the switch.^[13]

Its broadcast signal reaches the city of Erie, surrounding communities, and across Lake Erie in parts of Ontario, Canada. It is available on all cable systems in Erie, Warren and Crawford counties in Pennsylvania and in selected cable networks in Venango County, Pennsylvania, Southwestern New York State, and Northeastern Ohio which are part of the Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Youngstown markets respectively.^[14] As recently as the 1990s, it was available on cable as far east as Olean, New York well out of WICU's broadcast range and in competition with Buffalo NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV. The station was the subject of a television special entitled WICU: The First 40 Years that was aired on March 15, 1989.^[15] WICU and WSEE merged their Web sites in June 2011.

News operation [link]

Although the shared services agreement between WICU and WSEE was established in 2002, the actual beginning of newscast consolidation between the two did not start until WSEE actually moved into WICU's studios. WSEE aired the final newscast from its separate Peach Street studios on May 28, 2009. With the challenges of moving, that station went without local news for nearly four days while technical and logistical arrangements were finalized.

When it resumed broadcasts, WSEE's weeknight show at 11 moved to its CW-affiliated subchannel so it would no longer directly compete with WICU's newscast. The program in its new time slot now began to air against another prime time newscast seen for an hour on WFXP. Ironically, WICU had previously aired a broadcast on the Fox affiliate through a news share agreement until 1998 at which point WJET took over the production.

After WSEE moved its operations into the State Street facility, the existing studio set was split in two and it was anticipated that a smaller (one man) master control center operation would be built for WSEE. This separation would then allow the existence of simultaneous live newscasts airing on WICU and WSEE. However, the second part of the arrangement was not completed as planned. As a result, WSEE must now tape most of its local news in advance so that the set can be used for WICU. Originally, WSEE's sixty minute weekday morning show Mornings Live was recorded at 4 and then aired in the 6 o'clock hour. It retained the show's branding (as made obvious by the lack of current conditions during weather forecasts) despite the actual operation. As of 2012, Mornings Live is actually seen "live" from 4 until 5 on CW affiliate WSEE-DT2 in addition to being taped for its later showing on WSEE. ^{[16] [17]}

The CBS affiliate's weeknight news at 6 is usually recorded during the mid-afternoon, but on occasion, is also aired live resulting in WICU taping part of its separate ninety minute newscast presented (usually the 5:30 to 6 portion). Unlike most CBS outlets, WSEE does not offer local news on weeknights from 5 until 6 because the State Street studios are currently unable to air two live broadcasts at the same time. WICU airs a midday show during the week at 12:30 as opposed to noon in order for WSEE to offer a live newscast in the traditional time slot. On weekends, the two television stations jointly produce local news at 11 while WICU only provides a early evening broadcast at 6 on Saturdays and Sundays. These shows are known as Weekends Now and can be delayed or preempted on one station due to network obligations.

During the week, WICU and WSEE maintain primary personnel such as news and sports anchors that only appear on one station. Most video footage and content is shared, however. In cases of breaking news, severe weather, or election coverage the two simulcast newscasts and occasionally include the CW subchannel as well. On weekday mornings, WSEE-DT2 provides a simulcast of the first hour of 12 News Today at 5 and WICU's midday show at 12:30. It also airs the nationally syndicated broadcast The Daily Buzz from 6 until 9 like other CW Plus stations in the Eastern Time Zone.

Newscast titles [link]

• The World Tonight (1949–1953)
• WICU Television News (1953–1964)
• Hotline News/The Eleventh Hour Edition (1964-1968)
• Eyewitness News (1968-1974)
• ICU News (1974–1982)
• NewsCenter 12 (1982–1997)
• 12 News (1997–present)

News team [link]

+ denotes personnel seen exclusively on WICU

Anchors

• + Mark Soliday - weekday mornings
• + Kara Coleman - weekday mornings and weekday morning weather
• Emily Matson - weekdays at 12:30 and crime reporter
• + Kevin MacDowell - weeknights at 5, 6, and 11
• + Amanda Post - weeknights
• Vince Slomsky - Saturdays; also reporter weeknights at 11 and "Giving You The Business" segment producer
• Lisa Adams - News Director seen Sundays

Storm Track 4D Meteorologists

• Rob Wilson - Chief seen weeknights
• Ed Russo - weekdays at 12:30
• Julie Coates - weekends

Sports

• Mike Ruzzi - weeknights at 6 and 11 (also Sunday Sportsblitz host)
• Jay Puskar - weekends also news reporter and videographer
• Tim Mello - sports reporter

Reporters

• Scott Bremner - Managing Editor and The Insider host
• Art Ginsburg - "Mr. Food" segment producer
• Adam Snow - Chief Videographer
• + Paul Wagner - weeknights
• Ashley Doerzbacher
• Vanessa Herring
• Lauren Adams
• John Last

References [link]

External links [link]

• WICU-TV
• WSEE-DT2 "The CW Erie"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WICU-TV