Davenport-Bettendorf, Iowa/ Moline-Rock Island, Illinois United States |
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City | Davenport |
Branding | KWQC-TV6 (general) KWQC-TV6 News (newscasts) |
Slogan | Inform. Inspire. Illuminate. (General) |
Channels |
Digital: 36 (UHF) Virtual: 6 () |
Affiliations |
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Owner |
Gray Television (Gray Midwest EAT, LLC) |
First air date | October 31, 1949 |
Call letters' meaning |
Welcome to the Quad Cities (call letters modified to resemble former WOC-TV call letters and tie-in to regional nickname) |
Sister station(s) |
Cedar Rapids: KCRG-TV Rockford: WIFR Madison: WMTV |
Former callsigns | WOC-TV (1949–1986) |
Former channel number(s) |
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Former affiliations | |
Transmitter power | 1000 kW |
Height | 329 m |
Facility ID | 6885 |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°18′44″N 90°22′46″W / 41.31222°N 90.37944°W |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
Website | kwqc.com |
KWQC-TV, virtual channel 6, is a television station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, USA, which serves as the NBC affiliate for the Quad Cities television market (comprising Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Illinois). KWQC-TV is owned by Gray Television, with studios located on Brady Street in downtown Davenport and transmitter located in Orion, Illinois.
KWQC originally signed on the air on October 31, 1949, as WOC-TV. The station was founded by B. J. Palmer, founder of the Palmer College of Chiropractic (located directly across the street from the station's studios) along with WOC radio (1420 AM and 103.7 FM, now WLLR-FM). The WOC stations were also sister stations to WHO-AM-FM-TV in Des Moines. According to local legend, the WOC calls stood for "Wonders of Chiropractic", though the Palmer family never acknowledged the phase in print or otherwise. WOC-TV has the distinction of being both Iowa's and the Quad Cities' first television station, carrying programming from all four networks at the time (NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont). However, it has always been a primary NBC affiliate owing to WOC radio's long affiliation with NBC. Originally on channel 5, WOC-TV moved to channel 6 in 1952 due to interference with Iowa State University's WOI-TV in Ames. During its early years, original programming on WOC-TV included the daily Show Boat children's show hosted by Cap'n Ernie from 1964 to 1974.