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WTSP

WTSP is a Tampa Bay-based CBS affiliate owned and operated by Tegna Inc. WTSP is licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serves the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater television market. The station is also available on cable throughout much of Southwest Florida, including portions of Lee and Collier counties (Naples–Marco Island area).

The history of WTSP began in 1955, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated the call letters WTSP-TV to a St. Petersburg television station that would be affiliated with the CBS television network. The station first signed on the air on October 28, 1955. The station was founded by a group of local buyers and was initially owned by Media Central, Inc. As the first television station between Orlando and Miami, WTSP was the only CBS affiliate for the entire Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater television market until WTVT signed on in the summer of 1968.

Throughout its history, WTSP channel 10 has been a leader in local news coverage in the Tampa area. The station has incorporated the latest in video production and broadcast technology from the earliest days of its operations in the 1950s to the present day. WTSP was one of the first stations to employ the then-new FM stereo audio for its broadcasts, as well as the first station to adopt color television in the late ’50s. Throughout the decades, WTSP has continued to add technical capabilities to its production and operations, including digital and HDTV systems. In 2020, the station’s reporters and news photographers were the first in the Tampa market to be equipped with body-mounted GoPro cameras and other devices to enhance their reporting capabilities.

The station has taken an active role in local charitable activities as well. The WTSP Cares Foundation was established in 1998 for the purpose of supporting non-profit organizations in the Tampa Bay area. Since its inception, WTSP has given over a million dollars in donations to local charities, including the Community AIDS Network, the Boys and Girls Club of Tampa, and the Alzheimer’s Association.

WTSP is currently the home of CBS’s weekend morning program, CBS Saturday Morning. The station also presents CBS News Sunday Morning and other syndicated series such as Right This Minute, Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune and Rachael Ray.

Throughout its long history, WTSP has earned awards and recognition from various professional organizations, including multiple Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and station recognition from the Associated Press. WTSP is also the home of Tampa Bay’s only female anchorman in the broadcast media, Wendy Ryan.

Thanks to WTSP, Tampa Bay viewers have access to live reports from CBS News correspondents and CBS This Morning on channel 10. Viewers can also watch local and national news, weather and sports reports at the station’s website, wtsp.com.

WTSP is committed to serving its viewers with the best in broadcast television and multimedia services. Through the commitment of station management and employees, WTSP will continue to provide Tampa Bay viewers with the highest quality news, entertainment and sports coverage for many years to come.