History of WPXI in Timeline
WPXI is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Owned by Cox Media Group, the station's studios and offices are situated on Evergreen Road in Summer Hill. The transmitter is located on Television Hill in Fineview, which was the original site of the station's studios. WPXI serves the Pittsburgh metropolitan area with news and entertainment programming.
4 hours ago : World's Largest Rubber Duck Returns to Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh in June 2025
The world's largest rubber duck is set to return to Western Pennsylvania in June 2025. It will be part of Idlewild and SoakZone's event lineup, delighting visitors with its presence in the Pittsburgh area.
1952: FCC Reallocates Channels
In 1952, the FCC reallocated channel licenses, and the channel 10 license originally assigned to Pittsburgh went to Altoona. WIIC had been competing for the channel 10 license.
June 1955: WIIC Receives Construction Permit
In June 1955, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a construction permit to WIIC Incorporated for the establishment of WIIC.
August 1957: NBC Purchases WJAS Radio
In August 1957, as a condition of the license grant for WIIC, WJAS radio had to be sold. NBC ultimately acquired WJAS radio.
September 1, 1957: WIIC Signs On
On September 1, 1957, WIIC, Pittsburgh's second commercial VHF station, commenced broadcasting. The station was owned by WIIC Incorporated, a collaboration between the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Radio Supply House.
1957: WIIC Sign-On and Programming
In 1957, WIIC (later WPXI) signed on and aired a mix of syndicated first-run shows, off-network reruns, and afternoon movies. By the 1980s, the schedule became less dependent on these programs in favor of more talk fare and an expanding newscast.
1957: WIIC Launches Original Programming
In 1957, WIIC launched with original programming that included Studio Wrestling and Chiller Theatre, both hosted by Bill Cardille.
1959: Ted Eckman Hosted Children Programs
From 1959 Ted Eckman hosted children programs.
1960: WPXI airs the Pirates' 1960 World Series victory.
In 1960, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series victory as part of NBC's Major League Baseball broadcast contract.
1962: Channel 2 served as default home station for the Steelers
From 1962 to 1969, channel 2 served as the default home station for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1963: Chiller Theater Broadcast
In 1963, the station started produced and broadcast Chiller Theater, a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille, or as he was referred to, "Chilly Billy".
1964: WIIC Sold to Cox Enterprises
In 1964, WIIC was sold to Cox Enterprises, who then traded its share in the cable system to Block Communications.
1965: WIIC Produced Game Show
In 1965, WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show, Give It a Whirl, from.
1966: WIIC Broadcasts Show on Saturday Afternoons
In 1966, WIIC had a Bandstand-type show on Saturday afternoons. Come Alive was originally sponsored by Pepsi and hosted by KQV disc jockey Chuck Brinkman.
1967: WIIC Stop Producing Game Show
Until 1967, WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show, Give It a Whirl.
1969: Channel 2 served as default home station for the Steelers
From 1962 to 1969, channel 2 served as the default home station for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
1970: Eleanor Schano Anchors Newscast
In 1970, Eleanor Schano made Pittsburgh broadcasting history when she became the first woman to anchor a newscast solo. She also hosted Face to Face, a public affairs program.
1970: Steelers Move to AFC and Channel 11 Becomes Station of Record
In 1970, after the AFL-NFL merger, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved to the American Football Conference (AFC), and WPXI (Channel 11) became the station of record for the team. NBC held the broadcast rights to AFC games at the time.
1971: WPXI airs the Pirates' 1971 World Series victory.
In 1971, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series victory as part of NBC's Major League Baseball broadcast contract.
1972: WIIC No Longer Had a Bandstand-type Show
Until 1972, WIIC had a Bandstand-type show on Saturday afternoons.
1973: Studio Wrestling Broadcasts Ceased
Until 1973, WIIC produced a weekly live professional wrestling show, Studio Wrestling, independent of the National Wrestling Alliance, which aired on Saturday evenings and drew strong ratings.
1975: Channel 11 Branded as e11even
Around 1975, Channel 11 branded itself as "e11even".
1977: WIIC Used the 11 Alive Moniker
Around 1977, WIIC used the "11 Alive" moniker, popularized by WXIA-TV and WPIX.
1978: Cox Fails to Switch Affiliation to ABC
In 1978, Cox was unable to switch WIIC-TV's affiliation to ABC because Hearst Television had a strong affiliate relationship with ABC through WTAE-TV.
1978: WSOC-TV Switches to ABC
In 1978, sister station WSOC-TV in Charlotte switched its affiliation to ABC.
1979: WIIC Carried Operation Prime Time
In 1979, WIIC carried the Operation Prime Time package.
April 20, 1981: Call Sign Changed to WPXI
On April 20, 1981, WIIC's call sign was changed to WPXI, which stands for "Pittsburgh 11."
1981: Callsign Change to WPXI
In 1981, WIIC changed its callsign to WPXI, and Cox began investing heavily in its news department.
1981: WPXI Launches 5:30 p.m. Newscast
WPXI launched a 5:30 p.m. newscast in 1981 titled 5:30 Live.
1983: Chiller Theater Broadcast
Until 1983, the station produced and broadcast Chiller Theater, a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille, or as he was referred to, "Chilly Billy".
January 1, 1984: Final Program Aired of Chiller Theater
On January 1, 1984, the final program aired of Chiller Theater, a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille.
November 10, 1984: WPXI Joins MGM/UA Premiere Network
On November 10, 1984, WPXI joined the syndicated MGM/UA Premiere Network, showing Clash of the Titans.
1984: WPXI discontinues the 5:30 p.m. newscast
In 1984, WPXI stopped broadcasting the 5:30 p.m. newscast titled 5:30 Live.
1987: WPXI Acquires Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune
In 1987, WPXI acquired the rights to syndicated game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from KDKA-TV.
1987: Logo Adoption and Theme Music
In 1987, WPXI adopted its current logo and started using the "Move Closer to Your World" theme by Al Ham, similar to WPVI-TV in Philadelphia.
1987: WPXI Debuted Number 11 Logo
In 1987, WPXI debuted the number 11 drawn into a circle, colored gold with a dark blue box around it.
1987: WPXI Revives 5:30 p.m. Newscast
In 1987, WPXI revived the 5:30 p.m. newscast with the name Channel 11 News First Edition.
1989: End of Pirates Games on WPXI via NBC
In 1989, WPXI's coverage of Pittsburgh Pirates games as part of NBC's Major League Baseball broadcast contract came to an end.
September 1990: WPXI Drops Saturday Morning Cartoons for Newscast
In September 1990, WPXI discontinued airing NBC's Saturday morning cartoons in favor of a newscast that ran from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
January 1, 1994: Launch of Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (PCNC)
On January 1, 1994, WPXI launched the Pittsburgh Cable News Channel (PCNC).
1997: WPXI Led #1 ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV
From 1997 to 1999, WPXI led #1 ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV in viewership for the 5 p.m. newscast due to lead-in by early fringe talk show, The Jerry Springer Show at 4 p.m.
1997: End of Steelers Broadcast Rights on Channel 11
In 1997, the partnership between WPXI and the Pittsburgh Steelers ended as CBS took over the AFC broadcast rights. Most of the Steelers' games moved to CBS O&O KDKA-TV after that season.
1999: WPXI Led #1 ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV
From 1997 to 1999, WPXI led #1 ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV in viewership for the 5 p.m. newscast due to lead-in by early fringe talk show, The Jerry Springer Show at 4 p.m.
2000: Cox Enterprises Purchases WTOV and WJAC-TV
In 2000, Cox Enterprises acquired WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio, and WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, from Sunrise Television.
October 2004: WPXI Revamped Its Look
In October 2004, WPXI revamped its look, using the circle 11 logo with a stylized "WPXI" below it.
2004: WPXI Changed its On-Air Look
In 2004, WPXI changed its on-air appearance, despite sister stations' WTOV and WJAC-TV matching WPXI's previous look.
2005: WPXI Becomes Secondary Station for Pittsburgh Penguins
In 2005, WPXI became a secondary station for the Pittsburgh Penguins, carrying games that were part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.
January 12, 2006: News Share Agreement Between WPXI and WPGH-TV
On January 12, 2006, Sinclair Broadcast Group (owner of WPGH-TV) and WPXI entered into a news share agreement, allowing WPXI to take over production of WPGH's 10 p.m. newscast.
January 26, 2006: Final Installment of PCNC's 10 p.m. Newscast
On January 26, 2006, the final installment of PCNC's 10 p.m. newscast aired as WPXI took over production of WPGH-TV's 10 p.m. newscast.
January 30, 2006: WPXI Begins Producing 10 p.m. Newscast for WPGH-TV
On January 30, 2006, WPXI began producing a 10 p.m. newscast for WPGH-TV, titled Channel 11 News on Fox 53 at Ten, following the shutdown of WPGH's in-house news department.
June 21, 2007: WPXI Launches NBC Weather Plus on Digital Subchannel
On June 21, 2007, WPXI began carrying programming from NBC Weather Plus on digital subchannel 11.2, branded as WPXI 11 Weather Plus.
October 15, 2007: WPXI Affiliates with Retro Television Network
On October 15, 2007, WPXI added an airwave digital channel on 11.3 and began an affiliation with Retro Television Network (RTV).
2007: WPXI Relocated to Summer Hill
In 2007, WPXI relocated from Television Hill to a new studio facility in Pittsburgh's Summer Hill neighborhood and began broadcasting newscasts from the Summer Hill studio on October 6 with the 6 p.m. newscast. WPXI became the first station in the Pittsburgh market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.
October 2008: WPXI Launched Redesigned Website
In mid-October 2008, WPXI launched a redesigned website in collaboration with Internet Broadcasting.
November 2008: Cox Stations Adopted WPXI's Website Format
By early November 2008, the websites of all of Cox's stations east of the Mississippi River began using the new format pioneered by WPXI. Stations west of the Mississippi followed a month later.
December 2008: WPXI moves RTV to 11.2 subchannel.
Following the shutdown of NBC Weather Plus in December 2008, WPXI moved RTV to 11.2 while the 11.3 subchannel went dark.
May 2009: WPXI Tied with KDKA-TV for Daytime News
As of May 2009, WPXI maintained a tie with KDKA-TV in the market for daytime news, and had an increase during the morning hours.
June 12, 2009: WPXI Shuts Down Analog Signal
On June 12, 2009, WPXI shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 11, as part of the U.S. transition to digital broadcasts. One of the station's last programs it aired on its analog signal was Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.
July 2009: WPXI Applies for Repeater Signals
In July 2009, WPXI applied to the FCC for repeater signals on channel 21 in Derry Township, channel 23 in Uniontown, and channel 33 in New Castle. These signals were intended to expand coverage into Westmoreland County, McKeesport, and Youngstown, Ohio, respectively.
2009: WPXI broadcasts the Penguins' 2009 Stanley Cup championship victory
In 2009, WPXI broadcasted the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.
2009: The Wendy Williams Show debut
The Wendy Williams Show debuted at the 10 a.m. time slot on WPGH-TV in 2009.
May 2010: WPXI Strong Lead in Morning and Late Night Timeslots
As of May 2010, WPXI had a strong lead with viewers in the 5–6 a.m. and 10 p.m. timeslots.
October 2010: WTOV Used WPXI's Former Look
Until October 2010, WTOV still used WPXI's former on-air look.
June 13, 2011: WPXI Replaces RTV with Me-TV
On June 13, 2011, WPXI replaced RTV with competing classic television network Me-TV on digital subchannel 11.2.
October 2011: WJAC-TV Adopted WPXI's Current Design
In October 2011, WJAC-TV adopted WPXI's current on-air design.
2011: Cox Dissolved Partnership with Internet Broadcasting
In 2011, Cox Media Group dissolved its partnership with Internet Broadcasting, and Cox television stations relaunched their website operations in-house.
January 2012: WPXI Website Redesigned In-House
In late January 2012, WPXI and WSOC-TV redesigned their websites to match the format of the in-house web operations of their sister stations.
September 2012: WPXI Adds Weekend Today
In September 2012, WPXI added Weekend Today to its programming lineup.
2012: Bill Cardille Hosts Final Local Telethon
In 2012, Bill Cardille hosted the local portion of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for the last time.
February 2013: WPXI Least-Watched Newscasts at Noon, 4, 5, 6, and 11 p.m.
As of the February 2013 ratings period, WPXI had the least-watched newscasts in Pittsburgh at noon, 4, 5, 6, and 11 p.m.
February 23, 2013: Cox Media Group Sold WJAC and WTOV
On February 23, 2013, Cox Media Group sold WJAC and WTOV to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
September 2, 2013: WPXI Expanded Noon News
On September 2, 2013, WPXI expanded its noon news to an hour, becoming Pittsburgh's first hour-long noon newscast.
2013: MDA Telethon Moves to ABC
In 2013, the Muscular Dystrophy Association moved the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon from syndication to ABC, ending WPXI's tenure as the "Love Network" affiliate for the event. The telethon ended the next year.
2014: Bill Cardille Station Format Changed
In 2014, Bill Cardille remained in Pittsburgh as midday personality on WJAS radio until the station format changed to talk radio.
2014: WPXI Launches Roku Channel
In 2014, WPXI became the first station in the Pittsburgh market to have over-the-top content available on a streaming service, launching its own dedicated channel on Roku.
2014: WPXI Drops 'The Tower V.2' Theme Music
In 2014, WPXI dropped its "The Tower V.2" theme music and replaced it with a new special news theme.
April 15, 2015: WPXI Becomes Charter Affiliate of Laff
On April 15, 2015, WPXI became a charter affiliate of Laff on channel 11.3, bringing 11.3 live again for the first time since NBC Weather Plus shut down.
2016: WPXI broadcasts the Penguins' 2016 Stanley Cup championship victory
In 2016, WPXI broadcasted the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.
2017: WPXI broadcasts the Penguins' 2017 Stanley Cup championship victory
In 2017, WPXI broadcasted the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.
July 24, 2018: Cox Explored Strategic Options
On July 24, 2018, WPXI parent Cox Enterprises announced it was "exploring strategic options" for its television stations, including a potential merger or partnership.
September 2018: WPXI Acquires The Wendy Williams Show
In September 2018, WPXI acquired The Wendy Williams Show from WPGH-TV after it had been airing at the 10 a.m. time slot on the station since its debut.
February 2019: Apollo Global Management to Acquire Cox Media Group
In February 2019, it was announced that Apollo Global Management would acquire Cox Media Group and Northwest Broadcasting's stations.
June 2019: Apollo to Acquire Cox's Radio and Advertising Businesses
In June 2019, it was announced that Apollo would also acquire Cox's radio and advertising businesses, and retain the Cox Media Group name.
December 17, 2019: Apollo Global Management Acquired Cox Media Group
On December 17, 2019, Apollo Global Management acquired Cox Media Group.
2019: Cox Acquired Northwest Broadcasting Stations
In 2019, Cox acquired Northwest Broadcasting stations KYMA-DT, KIEM-TV, KPVI-DT, and WNBD-LD.
March 5, 2020: KDKA-TV Launches CBSN Pittsburgh
On March 5, 2020, KDKA-TV launched CBSN Pittsburgh as part of CBS News, becoming the second station in Pittsburgh with over-the-top content available on a streaming service.
2020: End of Penguins Games on WPXI
In 2020, WPXI's coverage of Pittsburgh Penguins games as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract came to an end.
2020: Comcast to Drop PCNC
In early 2020, Comcast (Xfinity) announced that it would drop PCNC from its lineup, greatly reducing the viewing audience.
September 2021: WPXI Adds 4 p.m. Newscast
In September 2021, WPXI added a 4 p.m. newscast to its daily programming schedule.
March 14, 2022: WPXI Launches 6:30 p.m. Newscast for WPGH
On March 14, 2022, WPXI launched a 6:30 p.m. newscast for WPGH.
2022: Cox Sold Northwest Broadcasting Stations
In 2022, Cox sold Northwest Broadcasting stations KYMA-DT, KIEM-TV, KPVI-DT, and WNBD-LD to Imagicomm Communications.
2022: The Wendy Williams Show Cancellation and Replacement
In 2022, The Wendy Williams Show was canceled and replaced in its 11 a.m. timeslot by the new syndicated talk show Sherri, serving as a lead-in to the midday newscast.
2022: WPXI Gains Rights to Thursday Night Football
In 2022, WPXI acquired the rights to air Thursday Night Football games involving the Steelers on Prime Video.
2022: Partnership with Nexstar Media Group
In 2022, WPXI partnered with Nexstar Media Group on state governmental public affairs programming airing throughout Pennsylvania. This arrangement allowed Nexstar-produced shows to air on WPXI and other Nexstar owned stations, with the exception of Pittsburgh, since it is the only market in Pennsylvania where Cox owns a station and Nexstar does not.
March 2023: WPXI Adds PCNC to Digital Subchannel Lineup
In early March 2023, WPXI added PCNC to its digital subchannel lineup.
January 2024: WPXI Replaces News Theme
In January 2024, WPXI replaced its special news theme, which had been in use since 2014, with a new one.
2024: WPXI airs Saturday night wild card playoff game
In 2024, WPXI aired a Saturday night wild card playoff game on Prime Video, the first playoff game to air exclusively on Prime Video.
2024: Partnership with Nexstar Media Group ends
In 2024, WPXI's partnership with Nexstar Media Group ended. Nexstar-produced shows now air on CBS-owned KDKA, sister station to Nexstar's WPHL Philadelphia rival, KYW-TV.
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