WCBS-TV
On October 21, 2014, CBS and Weigel Broadcasting announced the launch of a new digital subchannel service called Decades, scheduled to launch on all CBS-owned stations on May 25, 2015, including on WCBS-TV on channel 2.2. The channel is co-owned by CBS and Weigel (owner of CBS affiliate WDJT-TV in Milwaukee), with Weigel being responsible for distribution to non-CBS-owned stations. It airs programs from the extensive library of CBS Television Distribution, including archival footage from CBS News. On September 3, 2018, Decades was replaced on 2.2 by Start TV.
WISC-TV
WISC-TV first took to the airwaves on June 24, 1956, taking over Madison's CBS affiliation from WKOW-TV (which retained ABC affiliation). Despite being the state's second largest market, Madison was a "doughnut" market as it was sandwiched between other markets where primary VHF signals were already assigned (Milwaukee (channels 4, 6, 10, and 12) to the east, Wausau and Green Bay (channels 2, 5, and 11) to the north, Chicago (channels 2, 5, 7, 9, and 11) to the southeast, Rockford (channel 13) to the south, and La Crosse/Eau Claire (channels 8 and 13) to the west). Having the market's only VHF signal gave channel 3 a distinct advantage—and market leadership—over UHF competitors WKOW and WMTV, a position that the station has enjoyed for much of its history, even after the advent of cable television put the competitors on equal footing (WISC's former slogan, "Wisconsin's Leadership Station," played upon that advantage).