History of WDIV-TV in Timeline
WDIV-TV, known as Local 4, is an NBC-affiliated television station based in Detroit, Michigan. It is the flagship station of Graham Media Group, a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company. Uniquely, WDIV-TV's studios are located within Detroit's city limits on West Lafayette Boulevard, while other major stations in the Detroit market are based in suburban Southfield, where its transmitter resides on Greenfield Road.
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1936: Walker-Roehrig Building Built for WWJ Radio
In 1936, the Walker-Roehrig Building was built for WWJ radio, which would later be expanded in 1948.
October 23, 1946: WWDT Signs On
On October 23, 1946, WWDT signed on the air for one day of demonstrative programming, marking the beginning of its broadcast history.
March 4, 1947: Regular Programming Commences
Regular programming on WWDT commenced on March 4, 1947, officially launching the station's broadcast schedule. WWDT was the first television station in Michigan and the tenth in the United States overall.
May 15, 1947: Call Letter Change to WWJ-TV
On May 15, 1947, the station changed its call letters to WWJ-TV to align with its radio sister stations WWJ radio (AM 950 and FM 97.1).
1947: WDIV Flagship Station of Detroit Tigers
From 1947 to 1952, WDIV was the over-the-air television flagship station of the Detroit Tigers.
October 1948: DuMont Television Network Programs Aired
In October 1948, WWJ-TV aired some programs from the DuMont Television Network before WJBK-TV (channel 2) signed on.
1948: Expansion of Walker-Roehrig Building
In 1948, the Walker-Roehrig Building, originally built in 1936 for WWJ radio, was expanded.
1952: WDIV Flagship Station of Detroit Tigers
From 1947 to 1952, WDIV was the over-the-air television flagship station of the Detroit Tigers.
1954: Transmitter Relocation and Color Network Programming
In 1954, the station relocated its transmitter to Southfield, Michigan, and began broadcasting network programming in color.
1960: Local Programming in Color
In 1960, WWJ-TV started broadcasting its newscasts and other locally produced programs in color after acquiring new studio camera equipment.
1968: Coverage of World Series
WDIV carried any Tigers games when they were featured nationally as part of NBC's MLB coverage, including the World Series victories in 1968.
1969: FCC Restrictions on Media Ownership
In 1969, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began to impose restrictions on common ownership of print and broadcast media in the same market.
1970: WDIV Aired Detroit Lions Games
From 1970 to 1997, home interconference contests of the NFL's Detroit Lions were aired on channel 4.
1975: WDIV Flagship Station of Detroit Tigers
From 1975 to 1994, WDIV was the over-the-air television flagship station of the Detroit Tigers.
July 22, 1978: Call Letter Change to WDIV-TV
On July 22, 1978, channel 4 changed its call letters to WDIV-TV, representing "Detroit's IV", due to FCC regulations regarding shared ownership of TV and radio stations with the same call signs in the same market.
1978: Airing of 'This Morning'
During the 1978-79 season, WDIV aired 'This Morning', a locally based talk show hosted by Cathie Mann.
September 1983: WDIV offered by CANCOM
In September 1983, WDIV was the original affiliate offered by CANCOM (now Shaw Broadcast Services).
1983: Expansion of Newscast
During the 1983–84 season, WDIV's newscast was expanded to an hour, preempting NBC's noon programming.
1983: Wheel of Fortune Syndication Run
In 1983, WDIV-TV began airing Wheel of Fortune at the beginning of its syndication run.
1984: Jeopardy! Syndication Run
In 1984, WDIV-TV began airing Jeopardy! at the beginning of its syndication run.
1984: Coverage of World Series
WDIV carried any Tigers games when they were featured nationally as part of NBC's MLB coverage, including the World Series victories in 1984.
1985: WDIV Carried by Cable Atlantic
From 1985, WDIV was the NBC affiliate carried by Cable Atlantic (now Rogers Cable) in Newfoundland and Labrador.
1985: Gannett Company Subsumes Evening News Association
In 1985, the Gannett Company subsumed the Evening News Association.
1988: WDIV's Signal Uplinked on C-band Satellite
Since at least 1988, WDIV's signal has been uplinked on C-band satellite.
1989: WDIV Carried Tigers Games
Until 1989, WDIV carried any Tigers games when they were featured nationally as part of NBC's MLB coverage.
1990: WDIV Aired Piston Games
From 1990 to 2002, WDIV also aired any Pistons games via NBC's broadcast contract with the NBA.
1994: WDIV Flagship Station of Detroit Tigers
From 1975 to 1994, WDIV was the over-the-air television flagship station of the Detroit Tigers.
1995: WHDH Affiliated with NBC
1995: WWJ-TV Call Sign Adopted by WGPR-TV
In 1995, the WWJ-TV call sign was adopted for use by the former WGPR-TV (channel 62) after its purchase by CBS.
1997: WDIV Aired Detroit Lions Games
From 1970 to 1997, home interconference contests of the NFL's Detroit Lions were aired on channel 4.
1997: Graham Media Group Headquarters Housed at WDIV
In 1997, the headquarters of Graham Media Group was housed at WDIV.
1998: Cable Atlantic Switched to Boston Affiliate
Circa 1998, Cable Atlantic (now Rogers Cable) in Newfoundland and Labrador switched to the NBC network's Boston affiliate WHDH.
March 1, 1999: WDIV-TV Signed On Digital Signal
On March 1, 1999, WDIV-TV signed on its digital signal on UHF channel 45.
1999: WDIV Did Not Clear "Passions"
From 1999 to 2002, WDIV did not clear the soap opera "Passions" at 2 p.m. Instead, it aired on WADL (channel 38).
1999: WDIV Rebroadcasts "The Jenny Jones Show"
Until 1999, WDIV opted to rebroadcast "The Jenny Jones Show" at 12:35 a.m. instead of airing "Late Night with David Letterman".
2000: "Local" Branding Begins at WDIV
In 2000, the "Local" branding, used by most of the Graham Media Group's stations, began at WDIV.
2002: WDIV Aired Piston Games
From 1990 to 2002, WDIV also aired any Pistons games via NBC's broadcast contract with the NBA.
2002: WDIV Did Not Clear "Passions"
From 1999 to 2002, WDIV did not clear the soap opera "Passions" at 2 p.m. Instead, it aired on WADL (channel 38).
November 19, 2004: "Malice in the Palace" Broadcast
On November 19, 2004, WDIV televised the "Malice in the Palace" game between the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers, which led to a major brawl.
2004: WDIV Secures Broadcast Rights to Detroit Pistons Games and Auto Show
In 2004, WDIV bolstered local programming by securing broadcast rights to several Detroit Pistons basketball games and returning as the host television station for the North American International Auto Show.
April 15, 2005: Shooting at WDIV Lobby
On April 15, 2005, former WDIV employee John Owens was shot in the station's lobby by Epifanio Rivas, Jr., who had a history of harassing WDIV employees.
November 21, 2006: Sentencing in WDIV Lobby Shooting
On November 21, 2006, Epifanio Rivas, Jr. was sentenced to 16 to 32 years in prison for the 2005 shooting of John Owens in the WDIV lobby.
2006: WDIV Airs Lions Games
Since 2006, Detroit Lions games are shown on WDIV as part of NBC's Sunday Night Football package.
January 8, 2007: WDIV Added Newscast at 4 PM
On January 8, 2007, WDIV added a half-hour late afternoon newscast at 4 pm.
August 19, 2007: WDIV Began Broadcasting Newscasts in High Definition
On August 19, 2007, WDIV became the second television station in Detroit to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.
2007: End of Shared Over-the-Air Broadcast Rights
From 2004 to 2008, WDIV/WMYD shared the over-the-air broadcast rights to the Detroit Pistons, and after the 2007–08 season, the Pistons' local telecasts became exclusive to Fox Sports Detroit.
December 2008: WDIV Begins Streaming Newscasts Online
In December 2008, WDIV began streaming its newscasts online as part of a website redesign.
2008: End of Shared Over-the-Air Broadcast Rights
From 2004 to 2008, WDIV/WMYD shared the over-the-air broadcast rights to the Detroit Pistons, and after the 2007–08 season, the Pistons' local telecasts became exclusive to Fox Sports Detroit.
2008: Fox Sports Detroit Becomes Pistons' Sole Broadcaster
In 2008, Fox Sports Detroit (now called FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) became the sole broadcaster for the Detroit Pistons.
2008: Red Wings on WDIV
WDIV carried Detroit Red Wings games, including the team's winning run through the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals.
June 12, 2009: WDIV-TV Ended Analog Programming
On June 12, 2009, WDIV-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal, transitioning to digital broadcasts.
2009: Red Wings on WDIV
WDIV carried Detroit Red Wings games, including the team's appearance in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.
June 21, 2010: The 52nd Annual Target Fireworks in High Definition
On June 21, 2010, The 52nd Annual Target Fireworks were produced and aired entirely in high definition.
August 6, 2010: Mobile DTV Feeds Offered
On August 6, 2010, WDIV-TV and WXYZ-TV became the first stations in Detroit to offer Mobile DTV feeds.
April 14, 2011: Bomb Scare at WDIV Studio
On the evening of April 14, 2011, a suspected improvised explosive device was left in the WDIV studio lobby, prompting an evacuation and the broadcast of the 11 p.m. newscast from outside the building.
2012: Removal of Game Shows from CBC Schedule
In 2012, CBC removed the game shows from the schedule.
August 2013: WDIV Dropped Noon Newscast
In August 2013, WDIV dropped its noon newscast and converted it into an online-only broadcast to attract viewers at work.
2013: Airing 'Today' at 2 p.m.
From 2013 to 2015, WDIV aired the fourth hour of 'Today' at 2 p.m. after the launch of their own local talk show 'Live in the D'.
2013: Washington Post Company Renamed
In 2013, The Washington Post Company was renamed Graham Holdings Company following the sale of The Washington Post.
January 13, 2014: WDIV Relaunched Noon Newscast
On January 13, 2014, WDIV relaunched the noon newscast on the television station due to viewer demand.
August 2014: WDIV Unveiled New Studio
In August 2014, WDIV unveiled a new studio, designed in-house and constructed by EWI Worldwide.
July 30, 2015: WDIV-TV Affiliated with MeTV Network
On July 30, 2015, WDIV-TV became the market's affiliate for Weigel Broadcasting's MeTV network through their third subchannel.
2015: Airing 'Today' at 2 p.m.
From 2013 to 2015, WDIV aired the fourth hour of 'Today' at 2 p.m. after the launch of their own local talk show 'Live in the D'.
2015: Gannett Company Split
In 2015, the Gannett Company split, with a portion later known as Tegna.
November 11, 2016: Carmen Harlan Retired
On November 11, 2016, Carmen Harlan retired after 38 years at the station.
March 2017: WDIV Announced Digital Signal Move
In March 2017, WDIV announced that it would move its digital signal to UHF channel 32.
2017: WHDH Became Independent
In 2017, Boston affiliate WHDH became independent.
2019: WDIV Carries NBC's Late Night Rerun of 'Today'
Until 2019, WDIV carried NBC's late night rerun of the fourth hour of 'Today'.
January 3, 2020: WDIV-TV Activated Fourth Subchannel for Cozi TV
On January 3, 2020, WDIV-TV activated a fourth subchannel, broadcasting Cozi TV.
2021: Allen Media Group Purchased This TV
In 2021, Allen Media Group purchased This TV network.
2021: WDIV Carries Red Wings Games
Through NBC's broadcast contract with the NHL, Detroit Red Wings games were carried on WDIV until the deal's end in 2021.
September 9, 2022: WDIV Delayed Airing of 'Today'
Until September 9, 2022, WDIV had delayed the fourth hour of 'Today'.
September 12, 2022: WDIV Expanded Noon Newscast
On September 12, 2022, WDIV expanded its noon newscast to a full hour full-time.
2023: WDIV Carries Michigan Wolverines Football Games
Since 2023, WDIV has carried select Michigan Wolverines football games through NBC's broadcast contract with the Big Ten Conference.
May 31, 2024: This TV Network Shuts Down
On May 31, 2024, the This TV network shut down without prior notice, and WDIV-DT2 replaced the feed with a simulcast of Cozi TV.
2024: WDIV Carriage Removed in New York state
In 2024, WDIV carriage was removed in Alexandria Bay, far northern New York state.
September 2025: Heroes & Icons Replaced Cozi TV Simulcast
In September 2025, Heroes & Icons replaced the Cozi TV simulcast on WDIV's fourth subchannel.
2025: WDIV will Televise Pistons Games
Starting with the 2025-26 season, WDIV will air Piston games via NBC's broadcast contract with the NBA.
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