History of WPXI in Timeline

WPXI is a television station located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is an NBC affiliate owned by Cox Media Group. The station's studios are in the Summer Hill neighborhood, while its transmitter is located on Television Hill in Fineview, which was the original studio location.

1949: DuMont shared time on KDKA-TV

Since 1949, station founder DuMont shared time on KDKA-TV with CBS, ABC and NBC.

1952: FCC Reallocated Channels

In 1952, before the "freeze" on television station licenses, the FCC reallocated channels, with channel 10 going to Altoona; previously, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Radio Supply House had been competing for the channel 10 license.

June 1955: WIIC Construction Permit Issued

In June 1955, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued the construction permit for WIIC to WIIC Incorporated, a joint venture of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Radio Supply House.

August 1957: NBC purchased WJAS radio

In August 1957, NBC purchased WJAS radio as a condition of the WIIC license grant, as WJAS radio had to be sold.

September 1, 1957: WIIC Signed On

On September 1, 1957, Pittsburgh's second commercial VHF station, WIIC, began broadcasting. The construction permit had been granted in June 1955 to WIIC Incorporated, a joint venture of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Pittsburgh Radio Supply House.

1957: WIIC Launched

In 1957, Bill Cardille signed WIIC on the air, with original programming including Studio Wrestling and Chiller Theatre. The station also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.

1959: Ted Eckman played Captain Jim

From 1959 on Ted Eckman played Captain Jim on Cap'n Jim's Popeye Club.

1960: WPXI airs Pittsburgh Pirates World Series victory

In 1960, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series victory as part of NBC's Major League Baseball broadcast contract

1962: Steelers Broadcast Default on Channel 2

From 1962, Channel 2 served as the default home station for Steelers games.

1963: Chiller Theater broadcast

In 1963, WIIC produced and broadcast Chiller Theater, a late Saturday evening horror film show hosted by Bill Cardille.

1964: WIIC Sold to Cox Enterprises

In 1964, WIIC was sold to Cox Enterprises, which then traded its share in the Toledo, Ohio cable system to the Post-Gazette's parent company.

1965: WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show

In 1965, WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show, Give It a Whirl, hosted by Steve Rizen of KQV radio.

1966: WIIC broadcast Bandstand-type show

In 1966, WIIC broadcast a Bandstand-type show on Saturday afternoons, Come Alive, sponsored by Pepsi and hosted by KQV disc jockey Chuck Brinkman.

1967: WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show

From 1965 to 1967, WIIC produced a daily afternoon game show, Give It a Whirl.

1969: End of Steelers Broadcast Default on Channel 2

In 1969, Channel 2 ended serving as the default home station for Steelers games.

1970: Eleanor Schano Anchored Newscast

In 1970, Eleanor Schano became the first woman to anchor a newscast solo on WIIC. Schano also hosted Face to Face, a weekly public affairs program.

1970: WPXI Becomes Steelers' Station of Record

In 1970, after the AFL-NFL merger, WPXI became the station of record for the Pittsburgh Steelers due to NBC holding the broadcast rights to AFC games. This marked the beginning of a long partnership.

1971: WPXI airs Pittsburgh Pirates 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 broadcast Bandstand-type show

From 1966 to 1972, WIIC broadcast a Bandstand-type show on Saturday afternoons.

1973: WIIC produced a weekly live professional wrestling show

From the earliest days of the station through 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 itself "e11even"

Around 1975, Channel 11 branded itself as "e11even".

1977: WIIC used the "11 Alive" moniker

Around 1977, WIIC used the "11 Alive" moniker, which had become popularized by fellow NBC affiliate WXIA-TV in Atlanta and WPIX in New York City.

1978: WSOC-TV switched affiliation to ABC

In 1978, Cox sister station WSOC-TV in Charlotte switched its affiliation to ABC.

1978: Cox Unable to Switch WPXI to ABC

In 1978, Cox was unable to switch WPXI's affiliation to ABC due to Hearst Television's strong affiliate relationship with ABC and WTAE-TV's unwillingness to exchange networks.

1979: WIIC carried the Operation Prime Time package

In 1979, WIIC carried the Operation Prime Time package.

1980: WSB-TV switched affiliation to ABC

In 1980, Cox sister station WSB-TV in Atlanta switched its affiliation to ABC.

April 20, 1981: Call sign changed to WPXI

On April 20, 1981, WIIC's call sign was changed to WPXI, which stood for "Pittsburgh 11".

1981: First 5:30 p.m. Newscast in Pittsburgh

In 1981, WPXI was the first station to offer a 5:30 p.m. newscast in Pittsburgh, titled "5:30 Live."

1981: Callsign Change to WPXI

In 1981, the station's callsign was changed to WPXI, and Cox began investing heavily in its news department, following WTAE-TV's lead.

1983: Chiller Theater produced and broadcast

From 1963 to 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 on Chiller Theater

The final program aired on Chiller Theater on January 1, 1984.

November 10, 1984: WPXI joined MGM/UA Premiere Network

On November 10, 1984, WPXI joined the syndicated MGM/UA Premiere Network, premiering with Clash of the Titans.

1984: End of First 5:30 p.m. Newscast in Pittsburgh

In 1984, WPXI ended the first 5:30 p.m. newscast in Pittsburgh, titled "5:30 Live."

1987: Adoption of Current Logo and "Move Closer to Your World" Theme

In 1987, WPXI adopted its current logo and started using the "Move Closer to Your World" theme by Al Ham, popularized by WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, along with a fast-paced video montage.

1987: WPXI Debuted New Logo

In 1987, WPXI debuted a new logo featuring the number 11 drawn into a circle, colored gold with a dark blue box around it.

1987: Revival of 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 stopped airing Pittsburgh Pirates games as part of NBC's Major League Baseball broadcast contract, which had been ongoing since the station's sign-on.

September 1990: WPXI Drops Saturday Morning Cartoons for Newscast

In September 1990, WPXI dropped NBC's Saturday morning cartoons in favor of running a newscast 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), which produced the first 10 p.m. newscast in the Pittsburgh market.

1997: WPXI Led #1 Ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV

From 1997, 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.

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1997: End of Steelers' Broadcast Rights on WPXI

In 1997, the partnership between WPXI and the Pittsburgh Steelers ended as CBS took over the AFC broadcast rights, and most games moved to KDKA-TV.

1999: WPXI Led #1 Ahead of WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV

Until 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.

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2000: Cox purchased WTOV and WJAC-TV

In 2000, Cox Enterprises purchased WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio, and WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, from Sunrise Television.

October 2004: WPXI Revamped Look

In October 2004, WPXI revamped its look, using the circle 11 logo with a stylized "WPXI" below it, after previously using the NBC Peacock in its logo.

2004: WPXI changed its look

In 2004, WPXI changed its own on-air appearance, despite sister stations WTOV and WJAC-TV continuing to use WPXI's old look for some time.

2005: WPXI Becomes Secondary Station for Penguins Games

In 2005, specifically the 2005–06 NHL season, WPXI became the 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 with Sinclair Broadcast Group

On January 12, 2006, WPXI entered a news share agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group (owner of WPGH-TV) 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

On January 30, 2006, WPXI began producing a 10 p.m. newscast for WPGH-TV, titled "Channel 11 News on Fox 53 at Ten."

June 21, 2007: WPXI Begins Carrying NBC Weather Plus

On June 21, 2007, WPXI began carrying programming from NBC Weather Plus on digital subchannel 11.2, branded as WPXI 11 Weather Plus, offering local and national weather information 24 hours a day.

October 6, 2007: WPXI Begins Broadcasting in High Definition

On October 6, 2007, WPXI began broadcasting in high definition, including the "Channel 11 News on Fox 53" newscast.

October 15, 2007: WPXI Adds Retro Television Network (RTV)

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

Over the Labor Day weekend of 2007, WPXI began relocating from its Television Hill studios to a new facility in Summer Hill. On October 6, the station broadcast its first newscasts from the new studio in high definition.

October 2008: WPXI Launched Redesigned Website

In mid-October 2008, WPXI launched a redesigned website in collaboration with Internet Broadcasting. The websites of Cox's stations east of the Mississippi River began using the new format by early November 2008.

November 2008: Websites of Cox stations east of Mississippi use new 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.

December 2008: NBC Weather Plus Shutdown and RTV Move to 11.2

Following the shutdown of NBC Weather Plus in December 2008, WPXI moved RTV to 11.2 while the 11.3 subchannel went dark.

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 from analog to digital broadcasts. One of the station's last programs on its analog signal was Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals.

July 2009: WPXI Applied for Repeater Signals

In July 2009, WPXI applied with the FCC to operate three repeater signals: channel 21 in Derry Township, channel 23 in Uniontown, and channel 33 in New Castle.

2009: WPXI airs Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup championship victory

In 2009, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.

May 2010: WPXI Has a Strong Lead With Viewers

As of May 2010, WPXI has 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 in Steubenville, Ohio, used WPXI's former on-air appearance until October 2010, even after WPXI changed its look in 2004.

June 13, 2011: WPXI Replaces RTV with Me-TV

On June 13, 2011, WPXI replaced RTV with competing classic television network Me-TV.

October 2011: WJAC-TV adopted WPXI's current design

In October 2011, WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, adopted WPXI's current on-air design.

2011: Cox Media Group dissolved partnership with Internet Broadcasting

In 2011, Cox Media Group's partnership with Internet Broadcasting was dissolved, and the Cox television stations relaunched their website operations in-house.

January 2012: WPXI and WSOC-TV redesigned websites

In late January 2012, WPXI's and WSOC-TV's websites were redesigned 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 Hosted Telethon

Bill Cardille continued to host the local portion of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon until 2012.

February 2013: WPXI Had The Least-Watched Newscasts

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 announced sale of WJAC and WTOV

On February 23, 2013, Cox Media Group announced the sale of WJAC and WTOV to the Sinclair Broadcast Group, making WPXI Cox's only NBC-affiliated station until 2019.

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 moved to ABC

In 2013, the Muscular Dystrophy Association moved the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon from syndication to ABC (and locally to WTAE) as the MDA Show of Strength.

2014: WJAS radio format changed to talk radio

Bill Cardille remained in Pittsburgh as midday personality on WJAS radio until the station format changed to talk radio in 2014.

2014: WPXI Replaced News Theme

In 2014, WPXI dropped "The Tower V.2" and replaced it with a new special news theme, which lasted until January 2024.

2014: WPXI Launches Roku Channel

In 2014, WPXI was 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.

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: Bill Cardille Died

Bill Cardille died in 2016.

2016: WPXI airs Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup championship victory

In 2016, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.

2017: WPXI airs Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup championship victory

In 2017, WPXI aired the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup championship victory as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.

July 24, 2018: Cox Considering Options for TV Stations

On July 24, 2018, WPXI parent Cox Enterprises announced it was "exploring strategic options" for Cox Media Group's television stations, potentially partnering or merging them into a larger TV company.

2018: Bruno Sammartino Died

Bruno Sammartino, who started his career on WIIC's Studio Wrestling, died in 2018.

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, retaining the Cox Media Group name.

December 17, 2019: Apollo Acquisition of Cox Media Group Completed

On December 17, 2019, the sale of Cox Media Group to Apollo Global Management was completed.

2019: Cox acquired Northwest Broadcasting stations

In 2019, Cox acquired Northwest Broadcasting stations KYMA-DT, KIEM-TV, KPVI-DT, and WNBD-LD, temporarily ending WPXI's status as Cox's only NBC affiliate.

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 via NBC

In 2020, specifically the 2020–21 NHL season, WPXI stopped carrying Pittsburgh Penguins games as part of NBC's National Hockey League broadcast contract.

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 programming.

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: WPXI Gains Rights to Thursday Night Football Games

In 2022, WPXI gained the rights to air Thursday Night Football games involving the Steelers that air on Prime Video.

2022: Partnership with Nexstar Media Group

In 2022, WPXI partnered with Nexstar Media Group on state governmental public affairs programming. The programming aired on WPXI and Nexstar-owned stations within Pennsylvania, excluding Pittsburgh. This deal avoided overlap since Pittsburgh is the only market in Pennsylvania where Cox owns a station and Nexstar does not.

2022: Northwest Broadcasting stations sold

In 2022, the Northwest Broadcasting stations were sold to Imagicomm Communications, and WPXI regained its status as the only Cox-owned NBC affiliate.

March 2023: WPXI Adds PCNC to Digital Subchannel Lineup

In early March 2023, WPXI added PCNC to its digital subchannel lineup.

January 8, 2024: Channel 11 Morning News on Fox 53 Debuts

On January 8, 2024, Channel 11 Morning News on Fox 53 debuted at 7 a.m. as an extension of WPXI's existing morning newscast.

January 2024: WPXI Replaced News Theme

In January 2024, WPXI replaced its news theme with a new special news theme, which lasted until January 2024.

2024: Partnership with Nexstar Media Group

In 2024, WPXI's partnership with Nexstar Media Group on state governmental public affairs programming continued. The programming aired on WPXI and Nexstar-owned stations within Pennsylvania, excluding Pittsburgh. This deal avoided overlap since Pittsburgh is the only market in Pennsylvania where Cox owns a station and Nexstar does not.

2024: WPXI Airs Saturday Night Wild Card Playoff Game

In the 2024 season, WPXI aired a Saturday night wild card playoff game involving the Steelers, which marked the first playoff game to air exclusively on Prime Video.