«NBC 3» is a television station licensed to Columbia, South Carolina, United States, serving the Columbia television market as an affiliate of the NBC television network. It broadcasts on virtual and VHF digital channel 10, and is branded on-air as NBC 3. The station is owned by Gray Television.
WIS maintains studios on Gervais Street in downtown Columbia, and its transmitter is located southeast of the city. There is no separate website for «NBC 3»; instead, it is integrated with the main website of Gray Television's duopoly partner station, WOLO («ABC Columbia»).
The station first signed on the air on November 15, 1953, as WIS-TV on channel 10. It was the second television station to sign on in South Carolina, after WCSC-TV in Charleston, which debuted on June 19 of that year. The station was originally owned by the Broadcasting Company of the South, along with WIS radio (560 AM, now WVOC; and 1320 AM, now WOIC). The call letters came from the radio station, which in turn were taken from the state's postal abbreviation, S.C., reversed.
WIS-TV originally operated as a primary affiliate of NBC, owing to WIS radio's longtime affiliation with the NBC Radio Network. The station also carried programming from DuMont, but lost all of that network's programming when DuMont shut down in 1956. WIS-TV has been an NBC affiliate ever since, making it the longest-running affiliate of any major network in South Carolina.
The station's operations were crippled for several months in the summer of 1975 after a disgruntled former employee, James Sligh, sabotaged the station's transmitter tower. The tower collapsed as a result of the incident, taking WIS-TV, and several radio stations whose transmitters resided on the tower, off the air for several weeks.
In 1998, Cosmos Broadcasting was acquired by Liberty Corporation, a company based in Greenville, South Carolina. The sale was finalized in 1999.
In March 2005, Raycom Media (which had been spun off from Liberty Corporation in 2004) announced that it would acquire the nine television stations owned by the company at the time. The sale was completed on November 1, 2005. In 2018, Gray Television announced it would acquire Raycom for $3.65 billion, pending regulatory approval. The sale was approved on December 20, and completed on January 2, 2019.
«NBC 3» is known for its strong news operation, which has been recognized with numerous awards. The station also produces a variety of local programming, including public affairs shows, high school sports, and lifestyle programs.
«NBC 3» is a vital part of the Columbia community, providing viewers with news, information, and entertainment. The station is committed to serving the needs of its viewers and to providing them with the highest quality programming.
As of 2023, «NBC 3» is one of the highest-rated television stations in the Columbia market. The station's success is a testament to its commitment to quality programming and to its strong ties to the community.