Founded in 1988 by a media company called Outlet Communications, CBS 17 (originally WNCN) came into being to provide a new independent television option for viewers in Eastern North Carolina. The idea sparked when broadcasters saw that the rapidly growing cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Goldsboro needed another station to air movies and syndicated shows that the other local channels weren't playing. While it started small, it eventually grew into a major network affiliate to serve the expanding population. Today, the station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, the largest owner of local television stations in the United States. Today, CBS 17 is run by a team of local journalists and meteorologists and is mainly focused on local breaking news, severe weather, and state politics. They are based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. Because of their location in the "Research Triangle," they are a key source for news involving the state government as well as coverage of the area's major universities, including Duke, UNC, and NC State. One interesting fact: A unique fact about CBS 17 is that for 20 years, it wasn't a CBS station at all—it was known as "NBC 17." In a rare and confusing event in 2016, the station swapped networks with a rival local channel. This meant they had to completely rebrand and change their name to CBS 17 practically overnight, while their competitor took over the NBC programming.