First State Gets First "Big 4" Affiliated Station

It only took 227 years, but Delaware has a Big Four-affiliated TV station. Next month, WRDE, currently a MyNetworkTV-Cozi TV hybrid licensed to Rehoboth Beach, officially becomes an NBC affiliate—and provides local news for viewers who have grown accustomed to Baltimore fires, Washington traffic and Philadelphia crime on their NBC stations.

 

Based in Rehoboth Beach, it will cover the Salisbury market, which includes Sussex, Wicomico, Dorcester, Worcester, and Somerset counties.

 

The idea of affiliating with NBC came to WRDE president Bob Backman after watching an NBC affiliate in Rehoboth Beach and realizing it was live coverage of a car accident from outside the area.

 

"Having to watch a NBC channel from another city just didn't make any sense to me," he said.

 

Being in television since 1995 and in radio for more than 30 years before that, Backman embarked on creating a local NBC affiliate, a process that took 2½ years to complete. He anticipates an early June debut for Coast TV, which will be available in high and standard definitions on Comcast, in standard definition on Dish Network and over-the-air on Channel 31.1.

 

"There is a fantastic diversity of opinion and diversity of ways of doing things," he said about the area. "I think it keeps us on our toes here, and I really like it."

 

The new station is a "dream come true" for any Chamber of Commerce, according to Carol Everhart, president and CEO of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, as it promotes the area as a destination.

 

"Any time there's additional media or opportunity for additional media coverage that showcases your destination — and we are a destination — that's a positive," she said.

 

Programming on Coast TV is expected to include the "Today" show, news, and prime-time programming.

 

The present programming on WRDE – which launched in November 2008 – will move to channel 31.2 on over-the-air television and continue on Comcast.

 

Backman is in the process of hiring a news staff to hit the streets to talk to newsmakers and tell stories from the ground level.

 

"I feel like there are so many people who know what's going on. I don't care what side they're on, but they have an interest in what's going on and I want them to be heard," he said. "That's the responsibility of a broadcaster."