WCIA

Station Profile

In 2001, Nexstar acquired WCIA, a CBS affiliate located in Champaign. WCIA had been operated by Nexstar under a time brokerage agreement since July of 1999. WCIA has traditionally dominated area viewing for Central Illinois. The station has always been committed to the communities it serves providing award winning local news and entertainment programming, a stellar CBS network, business building marketing initiatives and acclaimed public service initiatives. WCIA produces more local programming than any station in the market with 9 hours of news and lifestyle programming each weekday and an additional 3 and 1/2 hours on the weekends. The station also produces extensive local special programming like the Illinois Marathon, College Football Games, weekly summer Our Town news broadcasts, Collegiate and high school sports specials, community forums, debates and CILiving music specials. WCIA is also the official Broadcast partner of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.

Market Profile

Champaign / Springfield, IL is in the 92nd largest DMA in the United States, with a population of approximately 847,146 and 371,520 television households, as reported by Nielsen Media.

Cable/ADS penetration in the market is estimated to be 89% (49%, wired, 40% ADS). Champaign County is a leader in education, health care, government, high technology, light industry and agriculture. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the topmost employers in the Champaign region. With an annual enrollment of approximately 38,000 undergraduate students, the University provides a significant part-and full-time labor force. The other key employers in the Champaign county include Carle Foundation Hospital, Champaign Unit #4 School District, Kraft Foods, Inc., Parkland College and Provena Covenant Medical Center amongst others.