WICS

WICS

Springfield–Decatur, Illinois United States
City	Springfield, Illinois
Channels	Digital: 15 (UHF) Virtual: 20
Branding	NewsChannel 20
Programming
Affiliations	20.1: ABC for others, see § Subchannels
Ownership
Owner	Sinclair Broadcast Group (WICS Licensee, LLC)
Sister stations	WICD, WRSP-TV, WCCU, WBUI
History
First air date	September 17, 1953 (71 years ago) (1953-09-17)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 20 (UHF, 1953–2009) Digital: 42 (UHF, 2001–2020)
Former affiliations	NBC (1953–2005) DuMont (secondary, 1953–1955) CBS (secondary, 1953–1958)
Call sign meaning	We're Illinois' Capital, Springfield
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	25686
ERP	300 kW
HAAT	436 m (1,430 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	39°48′15″N 89°27′40″W / 39.80417°N 89.46111°W / 39.80417; -89.46111
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	newschannel20.com

WICS (channel 20) is a television station licensed to Springfield, Illinois, United States, affiliated with ABC. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and maintains studios on East Cook Street in Springfield's Eastside; its transmitter is located west of Mechanicsburg, in unincorporated Sangamon County.

WICD (channel 15) in Champaign–Urbana operates as a semi-satellite of WICS. As such, it simulcasts all network and syndicated programming as provided through WICS, and the two stations share a website. However, WICD airs separate commercial inserts and legal identifications. Local newscasts, produced by WICS, are simulcast on both stations. WICS serves the western half of the Central Illinois market while WICD serves the eastern portion. The two stations are counted as a single unit for ratings purposes. Although WICD maintains its own studios on South Country Fair Drive in downtown Champaign, master control and most internal operations are based at WICS' facilities.

Through joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA), Sinclair also provides certain services to the area's Fox affiliate, Springfield-licensed WRSP-TV, channel 55 (and its semi-satellite, Urbana-licensed WCCU, channel 27), as well as Decatur-licensed CW outlet WBUI, channel 23 (all are owned by GOCOM Media, LLC). WRSP and WBUI share studios with WICS but WBUI also maintains an advertising sales office on South Main Street/US 51 in downtown Decatur. WCCU's advertising sales operation is also based out of WICD's studios.