History of WMUR-TV in Timeline
WMUR-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Manchester, New Hampshire, serving most of the state. It is owned by Hearst Television and operates from studios in downtown Manchester. The station's transmitter is located on Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown, New Hampshire. As a local news outlet, WMUR provides coverage of New Hampshire events and information to its viewers.
March 28, 1954: WMUR-TV Signs On
On March 28, 1954, WMUR-TV, owned by former governor Francis P. Murphy, began broadcasting as New Hampshire's first television station, carrying ABC programming, daily newscasts, local game shows, and movies.
1955: WMUR Boosts Signal
In 1955, WMUR channel 9 significantly boosted its signal, extending its reach into portions of the Boston area, allowing the broadcast of programming previously unavailable in Boston.
1957: Storer Broadcasting's Attempted Purchase and Controversy
In early 1957, Francis P. Murphy agreed to sell WMUR-TV to Storer Broadcasting, but Storer's plan to move the transmitter close to Boston sparked controversy and regulatory rejection.
December 1958: Death of Francis P. Murphy
Following the death of Francis P. Murphy in December 1958, his estate eventually sold WMUR to Richard Eaton's United Broadcasting a few months later.
1966: Storer Purchases WSBK-TV
In 1966, Storer Broadcasting fulfilled their Boston ambitions with the purchase of channel 38 as WSBK-TV.
1973: Continued Black-and-White Broadcasts
As of 1973, WMUR continued to broadcast in black and white, even after Boston stations had upgraded to color capability.
1974: WRLH Operations End Again
In 1974, WRLH ended its operations for the second time.
1978: WNNE Returns to Air
In 1978, channel 31 returned to the air under a new license as WNNE, based in White River Junction, Vermont.
June 1981: Richard Eaton's Death
Richard Eaton died in June 1981, leading to unresolved investigations of bribery allegations against WMUR, KECC-TV, and WMET-TV.
July 1981: Sale to Imes Communications
In July 1981, following Richard Eaton's death, WMUR was sold to Birney Imes Jr.'s Imes Communications.
September 1987: Move to Millyard Studios
In September 1987, WMUR relocated from its original Elm Street studios to new facilities in the Millyard area of Manchester.
February 1, 1988: WNHT Becomes CBS Affiliate
On February 1, 1988, WNHT became southern New Hampshire's first CBS affiliate and began to produce local newscasts.
March 31, 1989: WNHT Ceases Operations
On March 31, 1989, WNHT lost its CBS affiliation and ceased operations due to insufficient viewership.
August 22, 1994: WMUR Operates Repeaters in Northern New Hampshire
From August 22, 1994, WMUR operated repeaters in northern New Hampshire.
1994: WMUR Affiliates with Fox
In 1994, WMUR became both a primary and secondary affiliate of Fox. They also launched three low-powered repeaters in the northern portion of New Hampshire.
May 1995: W38CB Launched
In May 1995, W38CB, a third translator sharing the Cannon Mountain transmitter site with WMUR-LP, was launched and always aired ABC programming.
October 8, 1995: Significant Internet Presence Developed
On October 8, 1995, WMUR became the first television station in the country to develop a significant Internet presence, including streaming newscasts and posting supplemental information.
1995: Land and Building Purchase
In 1995, WMUR purchased land and a building at its current location to construct a new broadcast center.
January 1996: Move to New Broadcast Center
In January 1996, WMUR moved to its new 80,000-square-foot state-of-the-art broadcast center.
August 31, 1997: WFFF-TV Begins Broadcasting
On August 31, 1997, WFFF-TV began broadcasting, becoming the Fox affiliate serving a portion of the Burlington–Plattsburgh media market.
November 1998: Broadcasts on UHF Channel 59
WMUR-TV began broadcasting on UHF channel 59 in November 1998.
1998: Investment in Internet Strategy
Beginning in 1998, WMUR made significant financial, technical, and staff investments into its Internet strategy, including original news segments and weather coverage.
September 2000: Sale to Emmis Communications and Trade to Hearst
In September 2000, Imes Communications agreed to sell WMUR to Emmis Communications, who then traded WMUR to Hearst-Argyle Television.
2000: Simulcast of NH Primary Debates
In 2000, WMUR, CNN, and WMUR.com simulcast the New Hampshire presidential primary debates held at the TV station, marking a widely promoted live streaming video event.
December 19, 2001: WMUR Drops Fox Programming
On December 19, 2001, WMUR dropped all Fox programming after being acquired by Hearst.
2002: Repeaters Carry Full WMUR Schedule
In early 2002, W27BL and WMUR-LP began to carry WMUR-TV's full schedule, including ABC programming.
2002: Station Slogan Since 2002
WMUR's slogan since 2002, "No One Covers New Hampshire Like We Do", promotes it as the only local television news source in the state.
2004: 50th Anniversary Celebration
In 2004, WMUR-TV celebrated fifty years of broadcasting.
September 24, 2005: WMUR Available on DirecTV
On September 24, 2005, WMUR became available on satellite via DirecTV in northern and west-central New Hampshire counties, providing in-state news to areas that previously lacked it.
November 2006: WBZ Re-establishes News Bureau
In November 2006, WBZ re-established a news bureau on Elm Street in Manchester.
June 12, 2009: Analog Signal Shutdown
On June 12, 2009, WMUR-TV shut down its analog signal on VHF channel 9 as part of the national transition to digital broadcasts.
February 2010: New Slogan Introduced
In February 2010, WMUR introduced a new slogan, "It's how you know," to promote its local news, weather, and website.
August 2, 2011: WMUR Broadcasts Newscasts in HD
On August 2, 2011, WMUR began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition. It also introduced a new set and graphics package, which were styled differently from those of WCVB.
October 3, 2011: WMUR Adds MeTV Subchannel
On October 3, 2011, WMUR added sub-channel 9.2 with programming from classic television network MeTV.
March 5, 2012: WMUR Launches 10 PM Newscast on MeTV
On March 5, 2012, WMUR started producing a half-hour weeknight 10 p.m. newscast for its MeTV subchannel.
July 2012: Hallmark Channel Substitute
In July 2012, during a retransmission consent dispute, Hallmark Movie Channel was substituted for WMUR-TV on Time Warner Cable.
2013: MDA Telethon Moves to ABC
In 2013, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) moved its annual telethon, formerly known as "The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon," from syndication to ABC and was renamed the MDA Show of Strength. WMUR continued to broadcast the program for two more years following the move.
2014: Final MDA Telethon Broadcast on WMUR
In 2014, WMUR broadcasted the MDA telethon for the final time after the Muscular Dystrophy Association ended the program.
December 2015: Exclusion from Democratic Debate Sponsorship
In December 2015, the Democratic National Committee announced that WMUR would not be included as a co-sponsor of the Democratic debate due to a labor dispute.
2016: WHAG-TV Affiliation
In 2016, WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Maryland, operated as an NBC affiliate even though it is part of the Washington, D.C., market.
2017: WBIN-TV Spectrum Sale
In 2017, WBIN-TV canceled its New Hampshire-focused local newscasts after selling its spectrum in an FCC auction, leaving WMUR as the only television news source in New Hampshire.
November 5, 2018: WMUR Introduces New Graphics Package
On November 5, 2018, WMUR introduced another new graphics package for the full 16:9 widescreen presentation, styled differently from WCVB.
December 27, 2018: W38CB Removed From Service
On December 27, 2018, W38CB was removed from service to enable T-Mobile to launch 600 MHz services.
2018: WNNE Moves to Montpelier
In 2018, WNNE moved to Montpelier, Vermont, and became the CW affiliate for the Burlington–Plattsburgh market.
February 10, 2020: W38CB License Surrendered
On February 10, 2020, the license for W38CB was surrendered for cancellation.
July 13, 2021: W27BL and WMUR-LP Turned Off Analog Signals
On July 13, 2021, W27BL and WMUR-LP turned off their analog signals.
2021: WMUR Adds Subchannels for Shop LC and QVC
In 2021, WMUR expanded its subchannels, adding 9.3 to carry Shop LC programming and later 9.5 for QVC.
January 18, 2022: WMUR Ends Repeater Operation
On January 18, 2022, WMUR ceased operation of its repeaters in northern New Hampshire.
