WBAL

WBAL
Brand	WBAL-TV 11
City of License	Baltimore, Maryland
Market	Baltimore, Maryland
Channel	Digital 12.3 (ATSC 1.0) 25.5003 (ATSC 3.0) Virtual 11 Subcarrier: 11.2 (MeTV) Formerly: 11 analog (1948-2009) 59 digital (2001-09) 11 digital (2009-19)
Network Affiliation	Current: NBC Formerly: NBC (1948-81) CBS (1981-95)
Founded	1948
Company	Hearst-Argyle
President
Current Popular Non-Network Shows	The Ellen DeGeneres Show Access Hollywood

WBAL is the call sign for the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland. It broadcasts on digital channel 12.3 on ATSC 1.0 and 25.5003 on ATSC 3.0 (NextGen) while using 11 as virtual.

WBAL opened in 1948 as an NBC affiliate. It was the studio that first launched the children's show Romper Room which would become nationally syndicated. In 1981, WBAL became a CBS affiliate, switching NBC to WMAR. WBAL's practice of pre-empting CBS shows was worse than it was at WMAR. Viewers with good antennas could see those blacked out shows on WDVM/WUSA out of Washington D.C. In 1995, a three-way affiliation switch took place, with NBC moving to WBAL and WJZ getting CBS (it had been with ABC which then moved to WMAR.)

WBAL began digital transmissions on UHF RF channel 59 in 2001, relocating to 11 in 2009 when analog TV was shut down. As a result of the spectrum auction, WBAL's digital transmission moved to 12.3 with RF 11 going to CBS affiliate WJZ.

Digital programming

Virtual	Physical	Name	Programming
11.1	12.3	WBAL-DT	Main WBAL (NBC)
11.2	12.4	WBAL-DT2	MeTV

External Links

Official Site