History of WGAL in Timeline

WGAL is a television station based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, serving the Susquehanna Valley. It is an NBC affiliate owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on Columbia Avenue in Lancaster Township, and its transmitter is near US 30 north of Hallam.

1922: WGAL Radio Signed On

In 1922, the Steinmans signed on WGAL radio.

March 18, 1949: WGAL Signs On Air

On March 18, 1949, WGAL began broadcasting on VHF channel 4. It was the fourth television station in Pennsylvania and the first outside of Philadelphia.

1952: FCC VHF Licenses Allocation

In 1952, after the FCC's Sixth Report and Order ended the license freeze, it devised a plan for allocating VHF licenses.

December 31, 1952: WGAL Moved to Channel 8

On December 31, 1952, WGAL moved to channel 8 as a requirement by the FCC to prevent interference with WRC-TV in Washington.

January 1, 1954: First Color Television Broadcast

On January 1, 1954, WGAL presented its first color television broadcast of the Tournament of Roses Parade.

1955: Steinmans Sold WDEL-TV

In 1955, the Steinmans sold WDEL-TV in Wilmington, Delaware.

1963: Nielsen Collapsed Lancaster and Harrisburg–York Areas

In 1963, Nielsen collapsed the Lancaster and Harrisburg–York areas into one large market. WGAL also carried programs from CBS, DuMont and ABC until 1963.

1969: WGAL Logo Signage

In 1969, WGAL began installing signs on area highways with the WGAL logo.

1969: Sale of KOAT and KVOA

In 1969, the Steinmans sold KOAT in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and KVOA in Tucson, Arizona, to Pulitzer Publishing.

1972: KOAT spun off KVOA

In 1972, KOAT spun off KVOA.

1976: Sale of WGAL Radio Stations

In 1976, the Steinmans sold off the WGAL radio stations.

1978: Sale of WGAL-TV and WTEV to Pulitzer

In 1978, the Steinmans sold WGAL-TV and WTEV to Pulitzer.

1983: FCC Reduced UHF Channels

In 1983, the FCC reduced the number of UHF channels from 69 to 55.

1985: WGAL Broadcasts in Stereo

In 1985, WGAL became the first television station in Pennsylvania to broadcast in stereo.

1990: WGAL Logo Signage

Until 1990, WGAL used the WGAL logo on signs on area highways.

1992: WGAL Drops "-TV" Suffix

In 1992, channel 8 dropped the "-TV" suffix from its callsign.

September 30, 1995: News 8 Today Premiere

On September 30, 1995, weekend morning editions of News 8 Today premiered.

1998: Pulitzer Sold Television Division

In 1998, Pulitzer sold its entire television division, including WGAL and KOAT, to Hearst-Argyle Television.

January 1, 2009: This TV Carried on Subchannel

On January 1, 2009, WGAL began carrying This TV on digital subchannel 8.2.

June 12, 2009: Analog Signal Ended

On June 12, 2009, WGAL ended regular programming on its analog signal as part of the transition to digital television.

February 2010: Updated Weather Tickers

In February 2010, days before the Winter Olympics, WGAL began using updated tickers for weather warnings and breaking news.

November 2010: News Set Modified

Around late October or early November 2010, WGAL's news set was modified with new flat screen monitors.

December 13, 2010: Widescreen Newscasts

On December 13, 2010, WGAL became the first television station in the Harrisburg–Lancaster–Lebanon–York market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in widescreen standard definition.

August 29, 2011: HD Newscasts

On August 29, 2011, WGAL began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.

February 5, 2012: New Set in Studio B

On February 5, 2012, newscasts returned to Studio B with a new set.

April 14, 2012: All Stations in HD

As of April 14, 2012, all four major stations in the Susquehanna Valley air their local newscasts in HD.

2012: Declines in News Viewership

Starting in 2012, WGAL began experiencing declines in news viewership.

February 4, 2013: 10 PM Newscast Debut

On February 4, 2013, WGAL debuted a nightly half-hour 10 p.m. newscast on its then This TV (now MeTV) affiliated second digital subchannel.

May 2013: Declines in News Viewership

In May 2013, WGAL experienced the largest declines in news viewership.

February 14, 2014: Studio Roof Collapse

On February 14, 2014, a portion of the roof at WGAL's Columbia Avenue studio facility collapsed due to heavy snow and ice, forcing evacuation and causing the station to temporarily go off the air.