CBS and Gray Television announced Tuesday that they have signed a new affiliation agreement for the digital channel of WSWG-TV, which serves portions of southwest Georgia and is included in the Albany, Ga. television market — the 147th largest in the country.

WSWG’s digital channel is being upgraded to full power, and Gray anticipates the new CBS-affiliated channel will begin broadcasting by April 2006. WCTV, the Gray-owned CBS affiliate in Tallahassee, Fla., oversees WSWG’s operations.

CBS Affiliate Relations President Peter Schruth said: “This is the second time within the last year that we’re making history with Gray Television. Last December, we announced the most CBS affiliates — Gray’s 16 — to ever renew their affiliations at one time. Today we’re announcing the first-ever CBS affiliation with a digital channel. It’s a milestone that speaks to the exciting business opportunities that new technologies are creating for broadcasters. This agreement also means CBS can expand its presence in southwest Georgia to better serve audiences and advertisers.”

Gray Television President and Chief Operating Officer Robert S. Prather Jr. called the Albany deal “the confluence of two significant Gray business models: our winning partnership with CBS in multiple markets and the success we’ve enjoyed with the new digital multicast channels we’ve been launching.”

Atlanta-based Gray Television is the largest independent operator of CBS-affiliated television stations, with 17 stations in 12 states that collectively reach more than 3.2 million U.S. TV households.