History of WFSB in Timeline

WFSB is a CBS-affiliated television station serving the Hartford–New Haven market in Connecticut. It is owned by Gray Media and operates from studios located on Denise D'Ascenzo Way in Rocky Hill, with its transmitter situated on Talcott Mountain in Avon, Connecticut. The station provides news and entertainment programming to the region.

September 23, 1957: WFSB Signs on the Air as WTIC-TV

On September 23, 1957, WFSB began broadcasting as WTIC-TV, owned by Travelers Insurance Company, alongside WTIC radio. As Connecticut's second VHF station, it covered the entire state, western Massachusetts, and eastern Long Island. Initially, WTIC-TV was an independent station, broadcasting movies, syndicated programs, and three daily newscasts.

November 16, 1958: WTIC-TV Becomes CBS Affiliate

On November 16, 1958, WTIC-TV became a CBS affiliate after CBS decided to sell WHCT-TV due to low ratings. The network negotiated an affiliation deal with WTIC-TV due to its massive coverage area. Subsequently, WTIC-TV surged to the top of the ratings.

1962: WTIC Stations Move to Broadcast House

In 1962, the WTIC stations relocated to Broadcast House, a state-of-the-art facility located in the Constitution Plaza development in Downtown Hartford.

1972: Travelers Insurance Decides to Exit Broadcasting

In late 1972, Travelers Insurance made the decision to exit broadcasting, leading to the eventual sale of WTIC-TV.

January 15, 1973: Travelers Insurance Announces Exit from Broadcasting

On January 15, 1973, Travelers Insurance announced its decision to exit broadcasting during an employee meeting. The WTIC radio stations were spun off, and WTIC-TV was sold to The Washington Post Company.

March 8, 1974: WTIC-TV Changes Call Letters to WFSB

On March 8, 1974, The Washington Post Company's broadcasting division, Post-Newsweek Stations, changed WTIC-TV's call letters to WFSB in honor of Frederick Sessions Beebe. The FCC required convincing Framingham State College to give up the WFSB call letters for the change to occur.

1976: WTIC-TV Broadcasts New York Giants Games

In 1976, WTIC-TV played a role for New York Giants fans as it broadcasted the team's home games while the Yankee Stadium was being renovated and the team waited for Giants Stadium to be built. Fans would travel to the Hartford-New Haven area to watch Giants home games on channel 3.

1984: WTIC Call Letters Return to Connecticut Television

In 1984, the WTIC call letters returned to Connecticut television when Arch Communications launched a new independent station on channel 61.

June 1997: Post-Newsweek Trades WFSB to Meredith Corporation

In June 1997, Post-Newsweek traded WFSB to the Meredith Corporation in exchange for WCPX-TV (now WKMG-TV) in Orlando, Florida. The sale closed that September, but Post-Newsweek maintained its base in Hartford until 2000.

1998: WFSB Benefits from AFC Contract Transfer

In 1998, with the transfer of the AFC contract from NBC to CBS, WFSB directly benefited from the New England Patriots' success, resulting in ratings growth after four years without NFL games.

2000: Post-Newsweek Relocates Corporate Offices to Detroit

In 2000, Post-Newsweek relocated its corporate offices from Hartford to Detroit, specifically to its then-largest station, WDIV-TV.

2003: Meredith Launches WSHM-LP in Springfield

In 2003, Meredith launched WSHM-LP, a CBS affiliate in Springfield, to capitalize on the market and avoid preempting Patriots games, branding it as "CBS 3" to trade on WFSB's success.

2005: WFSB Announces Plans for New Studio in Rocky Hill

In 2005, WFSB announced plans for a new, modern studio in Rocky Hill after determining that the downtown Hartford site was too small.

2007: WFSB's New Studio Opens in Rocky Hill

In 2007, WFSB's new studio opened in an office park in suburban Rocky Hill, featuring a glass façade and lobby.

December 1, 2008: WFSB Launches Connecticut Sports Network

On December 1, 2008, WFSB, in partnership with local PBS member CPTV, launched the Connecticut Sports Network, covering 41 high school championships and 20 small colleges.

June 12, 2009: WFSB Ends Analog Signal Programming

On June 12, 2009, WFSB ended regular programming on its analog signal as part of the federally mandated transition to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on channel 33, using virtual channel 3.

May 2011: CT '25 Ratings Exceed National Sunday Shows

During the May 2011 sweeps, WFSB's Sunday morning news program, CT '25 with Eric Parker (then known as Face the State), had ratings above that of national Sunday shows like NBC's Meet the Press and ABC's This Week.

February 28, 2012: WFSB Partners with The Bulletin

On February 28, 2012, WFSB partnered with The Bulletin to share news footage and stories. WFSB also provided local forecasts for the Norwich, Connecticut-based newspaper.

March 20, 2015: WFSB Affiliates with Katz Broadcasting Networks

On March 20, 2015, WFSB announced a multi-station affiliation agreement for three of Katz Broadcasting's networks, adding Escape (now Ion Mystery) on DT2 and Laff on DT3.

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May 3, 2021: Gray Television Announces Intent to Purchase Meredith Local Media

On May 3, 2021, Gray Television announced its intent to purchase the Meredith Local Media division for $2.7 billion, which included WFSB.

2022: WFSB Discontinues WFSB Fairfield County Feed

In 2022, Gray discontinued the "WFSB Fairfield County" feed after the shows requiring accommodation moved off WFSB's schedule: Dr. Oz in January and Live in September. The feed provided state-specific newscasts and alternate syndicated programming to southwestern Connecticut cable subscribers.

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February 2023: Gray Splits WSHM-LP to Channel 33

In February 2023, Gray split WSHM-LP to its own channel 33, separating it from WFSB's virtual channel number.

April 3, 2023: WWAX Rebrands to The Wax

On April 3, 2023, WWAX rebranded to The Wax, airing additional newscasts and sports programming not available on WFSB.

2023: WFSB and WWAX Agreement with UConn

In 2023, WFSB and WWAX entered into an agreement with the University of Connecticut where WFSB airs one UConn college football game per season, while WWAX airs live soccer and volleyball.