market to begin broadcasting its newscasts to high-definition. Notable former on-air staff Leeza Gibbons – reporter (later host of Leeza and Extra) Jane Robelot – anchor/reporter (later host of CBS This Morning; now contributing reporter at WYFF and founder of Carolina Zoom Productions) Sibila Vargas – morning and noon anchor Technical information Subchannels The station's digital signal is multiplexed: WSPA previously carried a 24-hour local weather channel on its second digital subchannel, which was branded as "Storm Team 24/7". In 2009, that subchannel became an affiliate of the Retro Television Network. It was replaced with MeTV on September 26, 2011. WSPA dropped MeTV on April 1, 2018; it is now carried by WYFF (channel 4). Analog-to-digital conversion WSPA-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate; it continued to broadcast its analog signal despite the March 2009 tower collapse. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 53, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era VHF channel 7. Translators In addition to its main signal, WSPA operates a network of 13 translators throughout the mountainous areas of North Carolina. Some translators have applications and/or construction permits to flash-cut from analog to digital, in which they would remain on their existing VHF channel. Out-of-market cable carriage In North Carolina, WSPA has been carried on numerous cable outlets in the western portion of the Charlotte market including Hickory, Morganton and Lenoir. Before the tower collapse, it provided grade B coverage as far east as Charlotte itself. It appeared in the Charlotte Observer television listings well into the 1990s. WSPA used to be carried in the western Union County town of Weddington. On cable in South Carolina, WSPA is carried outside the market in McCormick and Newberry. McCormick is part of the Augusta, Georgia market while Newberry is part of the Columbia market. In January 2009, it was dropped from cable carriage in Rock Hill, which is part of the Charlotte market. On cable in Georgia, WSPA is carried outside the market in most of Rabun County, which is part of the Atlanta market. WSPA was picked up in 1995 after Atlanta's longtime CBS affiliate, WAGA-TV,