History of WFIE in Timeline

WFIE is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Evansville, Indiana. Owned by Gray Media, the station's studios are situated on Mount Auburn Road in Evansville. Its transmitter is based in the Wolf Hills section of Henderson, Kentucky. WFIE serves the Evansville, Indiana metropolitan area with local news, programming, and NBC network content.

June 10, 1953: Construction Permit Granted

On June 10, 1953, WFIE was granted a construction permit.

November 15, 1953: Began Broadcasting

On November 15, 1953, WFIE began broadcasting on analog UHF channel 62, becoming Indiana's sixth station and the first in Evansville proper.

August 1956: Dropped ABC and DuMont Affiliations

In August 1956, WFIE dropped its secondary affiliations with ABC and DuMont following the launch of WTVW and the shutdown of DuMont.

1956: Sold to the Norton Family

In 1956, the Fine family sold WFIE to the George Norton family of Louisville, Kentucky.

1957: Moved to Channel 14

In 1957, WFIE moved to the stronger channel 14 with FCC approval.

March 10, 1966: First Live and Local Color Programs

On March 10, 1966, WFIE became the first station in Evansville to telecast live and local color programs.

August 1977: First Remote Broadcast of Local News

In August 1977, WFIE became the first station in Evansville to remotely broadcast local news, sports, and weather.

October 1981: Merger with Cosmos Broadcasting Corporation

In October 1981, Orion merged with Cosmos Broadcasting Corporation.

September 1985: First Station to Broadcast in Stereo

In September 1985, WFIE became the first television station in the market to broadcast in stereo.

February 1988: Built Doppler Weather Radar System

In February 1988, WFIE became the second station in Indiana (first in Evansville) to build its own Doppler weather radar system.

1996: Last Theme Change Before 2006

WFIE had its last theme change before 2006 in 1996.

2000: Liberty Bowed Out of Insurance Business

In 2000, Liberty bowed out of the insurance business, bringing WFIE directly under the company banner.

May 2002: Began Broadcasting Digitally

In May 2002, WFIE began broadcasting digitally on channel 46.

2005: Launched WFIE-DT2 as NBC Weather Plus Affiliate

In 2005, WFIE-DT2 was launched as an affiliate of the NBC Weather Plus service, branded as "First Alert Weather Now."

February 1, 2006: Liberty Corporation Merged with Raycom Media

On February 1, 2006, Liberty Corporation merged with Raycom Media.

April 3, 2006: Theme Music Change

On April 3, 2006, WFIE switched from "News One" to "NBC Flagship" theme music.

August 2006: Newscasts Rebranded as 14 News

In August 2006, WFIE rebranded its newscasts as 14 News, dropping the NewsWatch 14 identity.

September 22, 2006: Weather Department Rebranded as "First Alert"

On September 22, 2006, WFIE rebranded its weather department under the "First Alert" label.

April 16, 2007: Introduced "Dual Doppler" to the Market

On April 16, 2007, WFIE introduced "Dual Doppler" to the market with a second weather radar in Owensboro, Kentucky.

2008: WFIE-DT2 Became a Local News-Oriented Channel

In 2008, after NBC Weather Plus shut down, WFIE-DT2 became a locally oriented weather channel before transitioning to a local news format, branded as 14Xtra.

June 12, 2009: Discontinued Analog Programming

On June 12, 2009, WFIE discontinued regular programming on its analog signal.

July 11, 2011: Began Broadcasting Newscasts in High Definition

On July 11, 2011, WFIE began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition, becoming the first station in the Evansville market to do so.

September 12, 2011: Debuted a 4 p.m. Newscast

On September 12, 2011, WFIE debuted a 4 p.m. newscast, anchored by Jackie Monroe.

November 2011: WTSN-CD and WYYW-CD Carried MeTV

From November 2011, MeTV was carried in full by WTSN-CD and WYYW-CD.

December 1, 2011: Merger of News Operations of WTVW and WEHT

On December 1, 2011, the news operations of WTVW and WEHT merged, leaving WFIE and WEVV-TV as the only independent local news operations in the Evansville market.