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Final approval of the sale was secured at the end of April 1980, when Westinghouse agreed to furnish $400,000 in grants and affirmative action programs in exchange for the withdrawal of a license renewal challenge by local civil rights groups; the [[Federal Communications Commission]] did find in their favor when it said the station did not employ enough minorities, renewing WRET-TV's license for a half-term of 18 months.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gallman |first=Vanessa |date=May 1, 1980 |title=Rights Deal Will Permit WRET Sale |page=1D |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712317/rights-deal-will-permit-wret-sale/ |access-date=December 17, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329010330/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712317/rights-deal-will-permit-wret-sale/ |archive-date=March 29, 2021 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some of the funds went to improve the journalism school at the historically Black [[Johnson C. Smith University]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gist |first=Rosalyn |date=August 21, 1980 |title=Black groups to split 1st gift from WRET |page=1B |work=The Charlotte News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712299/black-groups-to-split-1st-gift-from-wret/ |access-date=December 17, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328182202/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712299/black-groups-to-split-1st-gift-from-wret/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Westinghouse changed the station's call letters to WPCQ-TV, representing "People of the Carolinas and Queen City", on September 29; the station rebranded as "Q36" to go with the callsign change. The move came alongside a major programming reshuffle and an increase in effective radiated power from 1.3 to 2.5 million watts.<ref>{{FCC letter|hcards=yes|callsign=WCNC-TV|letterid=86763}}</ref> The newscasts were moved from 6 and 11 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., and several new magazine shows were added,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolf |first=Mark |date=October 13, 1980 |title=Channel 36 Unveils New Name, New Look Under New Owners |page=17A |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712261/channel-36-unveils-new-name-new-look/ |access-date=December 17, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328182202/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45712261/channel-36-unveils-new-name-new-look/ |url-status=live }}</ref> as was a Friday night public service-concept game show called ''Quibble'', which was soon demoted to Saturdays.<ref>{{cite news|title=WPCQ-TV Demotes Its Pubservice 'Quibble'|page=76|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 20, 1981|id={{
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In August 1982, the station made another programming change, this time attracting considerable national attention: it dropped its low-rated early evening newscast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chapin |first=Catherine |date=August 19, 1982 |title=WPCQ TV Dropping News Shows |pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45713137/charlotte-nbc-affiliate-wpcq-dropping/ 10A] |work=The Charlotte Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45713122/wpcq-tv-dropping-news-shows/ |access-date=December 18, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328182203/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45713122/wpcq-tv-dropping-news-shows/ |url-status=live }}</ref> When it axed that program, it also decided to cease carrying the ''[[NBC Nightly News]].'' This prompted NBC officials to shop the ''Nightly News'' to Charlotte's other stations, including WBTV.<ref name="drops">{{Cite news |date=September 22, 1982 |title=Carolina NBC-TV Outlet Drops the Evening News |page=C24 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/22/arts/carolina-nbc-tv-outlet-drops-the-evening-news.html |access-date=December 18, 2020 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201133203/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/22/arts/carolina-nbc-tv-outlet-drops-the-evening-news.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The station continued with its noon newscast, as well as short news capsules throughout the day and occasional news specials.<ref name="udrop">{{Cite news |date=September 6, 1982 |title=Charlotte U to drop NBC News |page=41 |work=Broadcasting |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-09-06.pdf |access-date=December 18, 2020 |via=World Radio History |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308033253/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-09-06.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Station officials blamed WPCQ-TV's signal, which—despite the power increase—was not strong enough to reach outer areas of the market that got better signals from [[WXII-TV]] in [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]] and [[WIS (TV)|WIS-TV]] in [[Columbia, South Carolina]].{{r|drops}} John J. Spinola, the general manager of the station, admitted that he was "pretty well encircled by NBC affiliates".<ref name="gamblehanna">{{cite news|first=Charlie|last=Hanna|title=Programming Gamble Pays Off For Westinghouse's WPCQ-TV|page=46|date=July 6, 1983|id={{
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