History of WNEP-TV in Timeline

WNEP-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Northeastern Pennsylvania, licensed to Scranton. Owned by Tegna Inc., its studios are located in Moosic. WNEP-TV shares its transmission spectrum with WVIA-TV from an antenna near Mountain Top. It is a key source of news and entertainment for the region.

September 15, 1953: WILK-TV Goes on Air

On September 15, 1953, WILK-TV, owned by WILK radio, began broadcasting from Wilkes-Barre on channel 34, becoming one of the original ABC affiliates in northeastern Pennsylvania.

1953: WILK-TV's Sign-On Issues

In 1953, WILK-TV aimed to start broadcasting earlier than other stations, but encountered a signal failure shortly before their planned 2 p.m. launch. Engineers were able to restore the signal just ten minutes before going live.

February 9, 1954: WARM-TV Goes on Air

On February 9, 1954, WARM-TV, licensed in Scranton and owned by William Scranton along with WARM radio, began broadcasting on channel 16, becoming the second ABC affiliate in northeastern Pennsylvania.

1955: Scranton and Wilkes-Barre Become Single Television Market

In 1955, it became clear that Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were developing into a single, unified television market.

October 17, 1957: WILK-TV and WARM-TV Merge

On October 17, 1957, WILK-TV and WARM-TV merged to form WNEP-TV, a single ABC station for Northeastern Pennsylvania, operating under WILK-TV's license and using WARM-TV's channel 16 for broader coverage. Transcontinent Television Corporation acquired a 60% interest in the merged station.

1958: WILK-TV Facility Repurposed

In late summer 1958, the former WILK-TV facility was repurposed as a satellite repeater for WNEP-TV.

1962: WNEP-TV Consolidates Operations

In 1962, WNEP-TV consolidated its operations at a new studio located near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Avoca, streamlining its broadcasting activities.

1962: Channel 34 Reallocated

In 1962, channel 34, formerly used by WILK-TV, was reallocated to Binghamton, New York, and became the home of ABC affiliate WBJA-TV (now WIVT).

1964: Transcontinent Exits Broadcasting

In 1964, Transcontinent Television Corporation exited broadcasting and sold several of its stations, including WNEP-TV, to Taft Broadcasting.

1969: Taft Purchases WIBF-TV

In 1969, Taft Broadcasting purchased Philadelphia independent station WIBF-TV, now WTXF-TV, and sought a waiver to retain both stations, leading to regulatory challenges due to overlapping coverage areas.

1973: NEP Communications Buys WNEP-TV

In late 1973, NEP Communications, formed by WNEP-TV employees and executives, bought the station from Taft Broadcasting after the FCC reversed its initial waiver allowing Taft to own two stations with overlapping coverage.

November 1976: WNEP Surges to First Place

In November 1976, WNEP surged to first place in the ratings for the first time in a decade after news director Elden Hale adopted a regional approach to coverage and added the area's first news helicopter.

1978: WNEP Returns to Number One

In 1978, WNEP returned to the number one position in the ratings, coinciding with ABC becoming the nation's top network.

1985: The New York Times Company Buys WNEP

In 1985, The New York Times Company acquired WNEP-TV, expanding its broadcasting portfolio.

1989: WNEP Moves to New Studios

In 1989, WNEP relocated to its current studios in Moosic, Pennsylvania, to a facility similar to the one built for WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Alabama, but on a larger scale.

1996: Nexstar Operates WYOU-TV

Since 1996, Nexstar Media Group operated CBS affiliate WYOU-TV.

1997: Nexstar Owns WBRE-TV

Since 1997, Nexstar Media Group owned NBC affiliate WBRE-TV.

1998: WYOU-TV Operated Through SSA with Mission Broadcasting

Since 1998 after selling the license to acquire WBRE, WYOU-TV was operated through a shared services agreement with Mission Broadcasting.

January 4, 2007: WNEP Sold to Oak Hill Capital Partners

On January 4, 2007, WNEP, along with the rest of The New York Times Company's television division, was sold to Oak Hill Capital Partners in a $575 million transaction, with Oak Hill forming Local TV as a holding company.

December 16, 2007: WNEP-TV Transmission Tower Collapses

On December 16, 2007, WNEP-TV's transmission tower, broadcasting the analog signal on channel 16, collapsed due to severe ice, winds, and snow. The tower collapse also destroyed the transmitter building, but no one was injured during the incident.

January 1, 2008: WNEP-TV Partially Restores Analog Signal

By January 1, 2008, WNEP-TV had partially restored its analog over-the-air TV signal by broadcasting from the nearby American Tower on Penobscot Knob supporting the WNEP-DT antenna, as well as WOLF-TV/DT's antenna.

June 12, 2009: WNEP to Operate on New Tower

On June 12, 2009, WNEP was scheduled to begin operating from a new transmission tower; however, the antenna's arrival was delayed.

August 2009: New Transmission Facility Delayed

In August 2009, WNEP-TV's plans to have its new transmission facility operational were delayed by a few months.

December 5, 2009: WNEP Moves to Channel 50

On December 5, 2009, WNEP turned off channel 49 and moved to channel 50 to prevent potential interference from Telemundo O&O WWSI in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

February 15, 2010: WNEP Reuses Channel 49 Facility Temporarily

On February 15, 2010, WNEP reactivated the channel 49 facility on a temporary basis with FCC approval to assist WVIA-TV, which had experienced a tower collapse and fire that damaged its transmitter building and equipment.

July 1, 2013: Local TV to be Acquired by Tribune Company

On July 1, 2013, Local TV announced that its 19 stations, including WNEP, would be acquired by the Tribune Company for $2.75 billion.

July 10, 2013: Tribune to Spin Off Newspapers

On July 10, 2013, Tribune announced plans to spin off its newspapers, including The Morning Call, into a separate company called Tribune Publishing Company in 2014.

August 2014: Tribune Completes Newspaper Split

In August 2014, Tribune completed the split of its newspaper division into a separate company, Tribune Publishing Company, though as of yet Tribune has not announced plans to acquire Dreamcatcher outright.

October 2014: Sinclair Operates WOLF-TV, WSWB and WQMY

Since October 2014, Sinclair Broadcast Group operated Fox affiliate WOLF-TV, CW affiliate WSWB, and MyNetworkTV affiliate WQMY.

May 8, 2017: Sinclair to Acquire Tribune Media

On May 8, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group entered into an agreement to acquire Tribune Media for $3.9 billion, plus the assumption of $2.7 billion in debt held by Tribune, creating ownership entanglements in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre market.

April 24, 2018: Sinclair Announces Station Sales to Standard Media Group

On April 24, 2018, Sinclair announced it would sell the non-license assets of WOLF-TV, WQMY, and WSWB, and the full assets of eight other stations to Standard Media Group to alleviate regulatory issues regarding the acquisition of Tribune Media.

July 18, 2018: FCC to Review Sinclair-Tribune Acquisition

On July 18, 2018, the FCC voted to have the Sinclair–Tribune acquisition reviewed by an administrative law judge due to concerns about Sinclair's forthrightness in its applications.

December 3, 2018: Nexstar to Acquire Tribune Media

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar Media Group announced it would acquire the assets of Tribune Media for $6.4 billion in cash and debt.

January 31, 2019: Nexstar to Sell WNEP to Third Party

On January 31, 2019, Nexstar announced that WNEP, along with WTKR and WGNT in Norfolk, Virginia, would be sold to independent third parties to address ownership conflicts.