WCGV-TV - Programming

Programming

Currently, Channel 24's weekday schedule consists of mostly syndicated off-network sitcoms such as Frasier (in a long-time after primetime double run at 9 p.m.), and That '70s Show, along with many former UPN and Fox sitcoms in their off-network runs. The Simpsons has been syndicated on the station since that show's launch in syndication in September 1994 (four months before the station lost Fox), and airs weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m., followed by Family Guy in both timeslots. During daytime from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., the station airs a two-hour block of court shows, followed by talk programs such as Maury, The Jerry Springer Show (which has a weeknight midnight repeat), and Jerry spin-off The Steve Wilkos Show from 1–5 p.m.

During the weekend, the station airs off-network dramas like Stargate Atlantis and Bones, along with a variety of sitcoms, lifestyle programs and shows produced by Entertainment Studios. On Sunday evenings, WCGV airs MyNetworkTV's Thursday night lineup during football season or a syndicated film, as MyNetworkTV does not air programming on weekend evenings. The station had continued to air Milwaukee Bucks games, sharing rights with FSN Wisconsin until the end of the 2006-07 season, when the team became FSN-exclusive.

The station airs some children's programming, with Made in Hollywood: Teen Edition on Mondays, Whaddayado on Tuesdays, Live Life and Win! on Wednesdays, M@dAbout on Thursdays and Real Life 101 on Fridays, along with Wild America and Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller on Saturday mornings to fulfill minimum FCC educational/informational programming requirements. WCGV was the last true Milwaukee commercial station (WVCY, although technically a commercial licensee, does not solicit advertising) to have some time where they were off the air, signing off for 4½ hours on early Monday mornings until March 10, 2008, when the station went with a full 168-hour schedule (although to note, the early Monday morning schedule consists of all paid programming due to the lack of a Shepard's Chapel program to air on Monday morning). WVCY followed with 24/7 programming in January 2010.

Since the 2007–08 season, the station has branded itself with the slogan "America's Hottest MyNetworkTV Station", based on the station's sign-on to sign-off ratings being the highest among the network's affiliates.

In late August 2010 the station began to air a live local high school football matchup under the title Allstate Thursday Night Lights every Thursday evening as part of Sinclair's push for more local programming on their MyNetworkTV affiliates. The later broadcasts in the season were presented in 480i widescreen format. In the 2011–12 season the franchise was further extended to also cover Thursday night high school basketball games throughout the winter. In 2011-12 WCGV also began to carry college basketball from Raycom Sports's ACC Network, which was the first non-network programming the station has presented in HD.