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. The station's studios are located in downtown Manchester on South Commercial Street, while its transmitter is situated on Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown.
March 28, 1954: WMUR Signed On Air
On March 28, 1954, WMUR signed on the air as the first television station in New Hampshire. It was founded by former governor Francis P. Murphy, owner of WMUR radio.
1955: WMUR Boosts Signal
In 1955, WMUR channel 9 significantly boosted its signal, extending coverage into parts of the Boston area, allowing the station to air programming previously unavailable in Boston.
1957: Sale to Storer Broadcasting Proposed
In early 1957, Francis P. Murphy agreed in principle to sell WMUR-TV to Storer Broadcasting. Storer's plans to move the transmitter closer to Boston led to regulatory rejection and the deal falling through.
December 1958: Francis P. Murphy Death
Francis P. Murphy, the founder of WMUR, died in December 1958. His estate later sold the station to Richard Eaton's United Broadcasting.
1966: Storer Buys WSBK-TV
In 1966, Storer Broadcasting fulfilled their Boston ambitions by purchasing the channel 38 license as WSBK-TV.
1973: Continued Black-and-White Broadcasts
In 1973, WMUR continued to broadcast in black-and-white, long after Boston stations upgraded to color capability.
1978: Channel 31 Returned as WNNE
In 1978, Channel 31 returned to the air under a new license as WNNE, now based in White River Junction, Vermont.
June 1981: Richard Eaton's Death
Richard Eaton died in June 1981. An administrative law judge recommended that the licenses of two other radio stations, WJMO (1490 AM) and WCUY (92.3 FM) in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, be revoked as well, but this was not acted upon by the commission due to Eaton's death.
July 1981: WMUR Sold to Imes Communications
In July 1981, WMUR was sold to Birney Imes Jr.'s Imes Communications, which also owned WCBI-TV and WBOY-TV.
September 1987: Station Moved to Millyard Area
In September 1987, WMUR moved from its original Elm Street studios to facilities in the historic Millyard area of Manchester.
February 1, 1988: WNHT Becomes CBS Affiliate
On February 1, 1988, WNHT, an independent station based in Concord, became southern New Hampshire's first CBS affiliate and began producing 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 Operated Repeaters in Northern New Hampshire
From August 22, 1994, WMUR operated repeaters in northern New Hampshire, with two stations primarily affiliated with Fox but simulcasting channel 9's newscasts and some syndicated programs.
1994: WMUR Affiliates with Fox
In 1994, WMUR became both a primary and secondary affiliate of Fox, launching low-powered repeaters in northern New Hampshire.
May 1995: Launch of W38CB in Littleton
In May 1995, W38CB launched in Littleton, sharing the Cannon Mountain transmitter site with WMUR-LP, and aired ABC programming.
October 8, 1995: WMUR Launches Internet Presence
On October 8, 1995, WMUR developed a significant Internet presence, becoming the first television station to hire a full-time employee for streaming and archiving newscasts online.
1995: Land Purchased for New Building
In 1995, WMUR purchased land and a building at its current location, with plans to rebuild it into a state-of-the-art broadcast center.
January 1996: WMUR moved to new location
In January 1996, WMUR moved to the new location after rebuilding the building purchased in 1995 as a broadcast center.
August 31, 1997: WFFF-TV Started Broadcasting
On August 31, 1997, WFFF-TV began broadcasting, ending W16BC's status as the only Fox affiliate serving a portion of the Burlington–Plattsburgh media market.
November 1998: WMUR Began Broadcasting on UHF
In November 1998, WMUR-TV began broadcasting on UHF channel 59.
1998: Significant Investment in Internet Strategy
Beginning in 1998, WMUR made significant financial, technical and staff investments into its Internet strategy, including 24-hour original news segments.
September 2000: Agreement to Sell to Emmis Communications
In September 2000, Imes Communications reached an agreement to sell WMUR to Emmis Communications, who then traded WMUR to Hearst-Argyle Television.
2000: Simulcast of NH Presidential Primary Debates
In 2000, WMUR, CNN, and WMUR.com simulcast the New Hampshire presidential primary debates held at the TV station. This was the first widely promoted and executed worldwide live streaming video event.
December 19, 2001: WMUR Drops Fox Programming
On December 19, 2001, WMUR dropped all Fox programming after the Hearst acquisition.
2002: WMUR Slogan "No One Covers New Hampshire Like We Do"
In 2002, WMUR adopted the slogan "No One Covers New Hampshire Like We Do" to emphasize its position as the only local television news source in the state.
2002: Repeaters to Carry Full WMUR Schedule
In early 2002, W27BL and WMUR-LP began to carry WMUR-TV's full schedule, including ABC programming.
2004: WMUR Celebrates 50 Years
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 several counties in northern and west-central New Hampshire.
November 2006: WBZ Re-established News Bureau
In November 2006, WBZ re-established a news bureau on Elm Street in Manchester.
June 12, 2009: Analog Signal Shut Down
On June 12, 2009, WMUR shut down its analog signal on VHF channel 9 as part of the U.S. transition to digital broadcasts.
February 2010: New Slogan Introduced
In February 2010, WMUR introduced a new slogan, "It's how you know."
August 2, 2011: WMUR Begins Broadcasting Newscasts in High Definition
On August 2, 2011, WMUR began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition and introduced a new set and graphics package, styled differently from those of WCVB.
October 3, 2011: WMUR Adds MeTV Programming to Sub-channel 9.2
On October 3, 2011, WMUR added sub-channel 9.2 with programming from classic television network MeTV.
March 5, 2012: WMUR Launches 10 p.m. Newscast on MeTV Subchannel
On March 5, 2012, WMUR began producing a half-hour weeknight 10 p.m. newscast for its MeTV subchannel, competing with WBIN-TV's newscast.
July 2012: Hallmark Movie Channel Substitute
In July 2012, during a retransmission consent dispute, Hallmark Movie Channel was a substitute for Hearst Television's ABC affiliates, WMUR-TV and WMTW on Time Warner Cable.
2013: MDA Telethon Moved to ABC
In 2013, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) moved the telethon from syndication to ABC as the MDA Show of Strength, ending WMUR's long-standing role as an affiliate of the "Love Network".
2014: End of WMUR Broadcasting the MDA Telethon
In 2014, WMUR broadcasted the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) telethon for the last time after the telethon ended.
December 2015: DNC Excludes WMUR from 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 operated as an NBC affiliate until 2016
WHAG-TV in Hagerstown, Maryland, operated as an NBC affiliate until 2016 even though it is part of the Washington, D.C., market and competed with that city's NBC owned-and-operated station, WRC-TV.
2017: WBIN-TV Newscast Canceled
In 2017, WBIN-TV's New Hampshire-focused local newscasts were canceled after the station sold its spectrum in an FCC auction. This cancellation left WMUR as the only television news source in New Hampshire at the time.
2017: WBIN-TV Goes Off the Air
In early 2017, WBIN-TV went off the air as a result of the FCC's spectrum auction. This event affected the competitive landscape for WMUR's 10 p.m. newscast on its MeTV subchannel.
November 5, 2018: WMUR Introduces New Graphics Package
On November 5, 2018, WMUR introduced a new graphics package for the full 16:9 widescreen presentation, styled differently from WCVB's graphics.
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 Moved 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, pending conversion to digital.
October 2021: WMUR Added Shop LC and QVC Programming
In October 2021, WMUR added subchannel 9.3 carrying Shop LC programming and later QVC on subchannel 9.5.
January 18, 2022: WMUR Repeaters Discontinued
On January 18, 2022, WMUR's repeaters in northern New Hampshire were discontinued, and the FCC canceled the licenses of W27BL and WMUR-LP.
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