History of WTHR in Timeline
WTHR is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is owned by Tegna, a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, along with WALV-CD. WTHR shares studios with WALV-CD in downtown Indianapolis, and its transmitter is located in Carmel. Nexstar also owns CBS and Fox affiliates in the area, WTTV/WTTK and WXIN, respectively.
October 30, 1957: Station Signs On
On October 30, 1957, WLWI, founded by Crosley Broadcasting Corporation, signed on the air and became an ABC affiliate, taking the affiliation from WTTV.
1957: Licensing Dispute Begins
In 1957, the station became tied up in a heated licensing dispute. The FCC initially awarded the construction permit to George Sadlier, but later reversed the decision and awarded it to Crosley.
1958: FCC Decision Overturned
In 1958, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals overturned the FCC's decision regarding the channel 13 license, but allowed Crosley to continue running the station.
1961: FCC Awards License to Fairbanks
In 1961, the FCC awarded Richard Fairbanks the channel 13 license, but Crosley appealed the decision.
1962: Licensing Dispute Continues
From 1957 to 1962, the WLWI station was tied up in a heated licensing dispute.
1968: Crosley Broadcasting Renamed
In 1968, Crosley Broadcasting was renamed Avco Broadcasting Corporation.
1969: WTHR First Used Eyewitness News Format
In 1969, WTHR first used the Eyewitness News format as an ABC affiliate.
1970: Carrying Sesame Street
In 1970, WLWI made an arrangement with National Educational Television to carry the first season of Sesame Street until WFYI signed on as the PBS member station in Indianapolis.
1974: Avco Broadcasting Exits Business
In late 1974, Avco Broadcasting Corporation announced its exit from the broadcasting business to raise cash.
August 1975: Wolfe Family Buys WLWI
In August 1975, the Wolfe family bought WLWI from Avco.
January 29, 1976: Call Letters Changed to WTHR
On January 29, 1976, the Wolfe family changed the station's call letters to WTHR and launched a marketing campaign.
1976: WTHR Renamed Newscast to Eyewitness NewsCenter 13
From 1976 to 1979, WTHR combined Eyewitness News with the NewsCenter format and called the newscast Eyewitness NewsCenter 13.
May 31, 1979: Network Affiliation Swap
On May 31, 1979, WTHR and WRTV swapped networks, with WTHR becoming the NBC affiliate and WRTV becoming an ABC affiliate. The last ABC program on WTHR was Mork & Mindy, and the first NBC show was The Innocent and the Damned. VideoIndiana also filed an antitrust lawsuit against ABC and McGraw-Hill.
1979: WTHR Broadcasts Indianapolis 500 as ABC Station
In 1979, WTHR broadcast the Indianapolis 500 as an ABC station before broadcast rights went to WRTV.
1979: End of First Run of Eyewitness News Format
In 1979, WTHR stopped using the Eyewitness News format.
1980: WRTV Broadcasts Indianapolis 500
In 1980, WRTV was the local broadcaster of the Indianapolis 500.
May 1983: Gannett Sells WPTA
In May 1983, Gannett, the predecessor company of Tegna, sold off Fort Wayne's WPTA to Pulitzer, Inc.
1984: Airing Regular Season Games
From 1984, WTHR aired Indianapolis Colts regular season games due to NBC's rights to AFC games.
1984: Colts Move to Indianapolis
In 1984, the Indianapolis Colts moved from Baltimore, providing a major windfall for WTHR as the NBC affiliate aired the bulk of the team's regular season games.
September 1985: WTHR Debuted Weekday Morning Newscast Titled Sunrise
In September 1985, WTHR debuted a weekday morning newscast titled Sunrise.
1990: Carrying Pacers Games
WTHR first carried Pacers games in 1990 when NBC acquired the NBA broadcast package.
April 7, 1991: Experiment in Prime Time Scheduling
On April 7, 1991, WTHR participated in an experiment moving NBC prime time programming one hour earlier.
1992: End of Prime Time Scheduling Experiment
In the fall of 1992, WTHR ended the experiment of moving NBC prime time programming one hour earlier.
1993: Airing Select Games Televised by CBS
From 1984 until 1993, WTHR also aired select games televised by CBS in which the Colts played against an NFC opponent.
1993: WTHR Added Weekend Morning Newscasts
In 1993, WTHR added two-hour weekend morning newscasts, becoming the first station in the Indianapolis market to expand its morning newscasts to Saturdays and Sundays.
1994: WXIN airs games when Colts Host NFC Opponent
Since 1994, regular season games currently televised over-the-air locally are split between WXIN.
1995: WTHR Restored Eyewitness News Format
In 1995, WTHR restored the Eyewitness News format.
March 16, 1996: WTHR Began Producing Newscast for WNDY-TV
On March 16, 1996, WTHR began producing a nightly half-hour 10 p.m. newscast for UPN affiliate WNDY-TV.
1997: Aired Fever games as part of NBC's WNBA Coverage
From 1997 to 2002 WTHR previously aired any Fever games as part of NBC's WNBA coverage.
1997: WTHR News Set Built
In 1997, WTHR's news set was built with an eventual conversion to HD broadcasts in mind.
1997: WTHR (through NBC's rights to AFC games) aired regular season games televised locally.
Until 1997, WTHR (through NBC's rights to AFC games) aired regular season games televised locally.
1998: Games on WISH
From 1998 to 2014 regular season games currently televised over-the-air locally are split between WISH.
1998: NBC Loses NFL Rights
In 1998, NBC lost the rights to the NFL, effectively moving the games to WISH-TV.
1999: WTHR's Eyewitness News Broadcasts Surged Past WISH
In 1999, WTHR's Eyewitness News broadcasts surged past then-dominant WISH in several key timeslots, finishing in first place for the first time in its history.
2000: 2000 NBA Finals Appearance
In 2000 WTHR carried Pacers games, including the team's 2000 NBA Finals appearance.
2000: SkyTrak Weather Network Launched
In 2000, WTHR launched the SkyTrak Weather Network, which was carried on WALV-CD and simulcast on digital subchannel 13.2.
2002: WTHR Overtook WISH-TV
In 2002, WTHR overtook WISH-TV for first in all news timeslots.
2002: Aired Fever games as part of NBC's WNBA Coverage
Until 2002 WTHR aired any Fever games as part of NBC's WNBA coverage.
2002: WRTV sponsorship of NBA and WNBA ends
Until 2002, WRTV was the local sponsor of NBA and WNBA franchises.
2004: Decreased Ratings for NBC's Prime Time Schedule
Since the 2004-05 season, despite decreased ratings for NBC's prime time schedule, WTHR remained in a close battle with WISH for the #1 slot in the 11 p.m. timeslot.
February 2005: WTHR's News Share Agreement with WNDY Terminated
In February 2005, WTHR's news share agreement with WNDY was terminated, and WTHR began producing a 10 p.m. newscast for Pax TV owned-and-operated station WIPX-TV on February 28.
May 2005: WTHR Added 4:30 a.m. Half-Hour to Sunrise Newscast
In May 2005, WTHR added a 4:30 a.m. half-hour to the weekday edition of its Sunrise newscast.
2005: WRTV Carries Non-Preseason Games
Until 2005, WRTV carried non-preseason Colts games via ABC's Monday Night Football when a game involving the Colts was scheduled.
November 12, 2006: WTHR Began Broadcasting Local Newscasts in High Definition
On November 12, 2006, WTHR became the first television station in Indiana to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition, beginning with the 11 p.m. newscast.
2006: WTHR Received Peabody Awards for "Cause for Alarm" and "Prescription Privacy"
In 2006, WTHR received Peabody Awards for two reports: "Cause for Alarm," an investigation into faulty tornado sirens in Indiana, and "Prescription Privacy," an investigation of improper disposal of personal pharmacy records.
2006: Games Split Between Stations
Since 2006, regular season games televised locally are split between WISH, WTTV, and WXIN, with WTHR carrying non-preseason games and select Colts NFL games broadcast by NBC.
September 2, 2007: 50th Anniversary Celebration
On September 2, 2007, WTHR celebrated its 50th anniversary, using the song "Carousels (Dreaming of Tomorrow)" by Alamoth Lane in an image campaign.
October 2, 2007: WTHR Began Broadcasting Field Video in Widescreen
On October 2, 2007, all video recorded and broadcast live outside the WTHR studio began to be broadcast in widescreen. Video recorded by the station's news crews is shot, edited and broadcast in the 1080i resolution.
February 2009: Affiliation with Universal Sports
In February 2009, WTHR began affiliating its third subchannel with Universal Sports.
June 12, 2009: Analog Signal Shutdown
On June 12, 2009, WTHR shut down its analog signal as part of the U.S. transition to digital broadcasts. The station's digital signal relocated to VHF channel 13.
August 2009: Preempting Programming for High School Sports
Starting in August 2009, WTHR preempted regular programming on its subchannel for high school football and basketball games under the titles Operation Football Live and Operation Basketball Live.
2010: WTHR Earned Peabody Award for "Reality Check: Where Are the Jobs?"
In 2010, WTHR earned a Peabody Award for "Reality Check: Where Are the Jobs?", which revealed grossly exaggerated job creation claims made by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
2010: WTHR's Ratings Lead Narrowed
In 2010, WTHR's ratings lead began to narrow as WISH-TV and Fox affiliate WXIN saw viewership gains. WTHR's ratings steadily decreased in certain timeslots, especially on weekday mornings.
June 2011: WTHR Began Offering Newscast Segments on Roku
In June 2011, WTHR began offering newscast segments for free streaming on the Roku digital video player.
December 14, 2011: Affiliation Agreement with MeTV
On December 14, 2011, Dispatch Broadcast Group signed an agreement with MeTV to affiliate with WTHR.
2011: WTHR Earned Two National Edward R. Murrow Awards
In 2011, WTHR earned two national Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) in the "Overall Excellence" and "Investigative Series" categories.
January 1, 2012: WTHR Carries MeTV
On January 1, 2012, WTHR began carrying MeTV on its second digital subchannel, replacing Universal Sports.
2012: WTHR Earned Two Murrow Awards
In 2012, WTHR earned two Murrow Awards for its breaking news coverage of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse and in the spot news category, which was given to WTHR videographer Steve Rhodes.
January 25, 2013: WALV-CD/WTHR Affiliates with Cozi TV
On January 25, 2013, WALV-CD/WTHR .2 affiliated with the classic television and lifestyle network Cozi TV, replacing the SkyTrak Weather Network.
June 2013: Request to Increase Transmitter Power
In June 2013, WTHR filed a request with the FCC to increase its transmitter power due to reception problems with its VHF digital signal.
2013: Local Rights Acquired to Two Colts Regular Season Games
During the 2013 season, WTHR acquired the local rights to two Colts regular season games.
2013: Official Sponsor of Indiana Pacers and Fever
From 2013, WTHR served as an official sponsor of the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever, displaying on-court advertisements during home games.
2013: WTHR Earned Peabody Award for "Investigating the IRS"
In 2013, "Investigating the IRS", an investigative series which exposed how illegal immigrants fraudulently received billions of dollars in tax refunds and the IRS's failure to stop it once the fraud was discovered, earned WTHR a fourth national Peabody Award.
February 24, 2014: WTHR Expanded Weekday Morning Newscast
On February 24, 2014, WTHR expanded its weekday morning newscast by a half-hour to 4 a.m.
June 23, 2014: The Indianapolis Star Announced End of Content Partnership with WTHR
On June 23, 2014, The Indianapolis Star announced that it would end its content partnership with WTHR and enter into a new content agreement with Fox affiliate WXIN beginning on August 1.
2014: Games on WXIN
Since 2014, regular season games currently televised over-the-air locally are split between WXIN.
2016: Syndicated Programming Moved for Olympics
For the 2016 Summer Olympics from August 8 to 19, some of WTHR's syndicated programming was moved to WALV and its other subchannel.
2016: WTHR Won Two Peabody Awards for "Charity Caught on Camera" and "Dangerous Exposure"
In 2016, WTHR won two Peabody awards for "Charity Caught on Camera", a report on corruption at a local nonprofit, and "Dangerous Exposure", a report on how lax agency oversight allowed companies to leak poison into groundwater in residential areas.
2016: End of Sponsorship
Until 2016, WTHR served as an official sponsor of the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever.
May 26, 2017: WALV-CD Broadcasts MeTV
By May 26, 2017, WALV-CD began broadcasting MeTV, dropping Cozi TV programming, which was retained by WTHR.2.
June 11, 2019: Dispatch Announces Sale to Tegna
On June 11, 2019, Dispatch announced it would sell its broadcasting assets, including WTHR and WALV-CD, to Tegna Inc. for $535 million in cash.
2019: Indianapolis 500 Broadcast Rights Transition to NBC
In 2019, WTHR replaced WRTV as the local broadcaster of the Indianapolis 500 due to the transition of broadcast television rights to NBC. This marked the return of the race to WTHR for the first time since 1979. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway required WTHR to black out the live broadcast locally, but allowed a tape delay that night.
2019: Sister Stations
In 2019, both WLWI and WLWA became sister stations when Tegna, the owner of WXIA-TV, acquired channel 13.
2020: 2020 Indianapolis 500 Aired on WTHR Due to Attendance Restrictions
On August 23, 2020, the Indianapolis 500 aired on WTHR due to attendance restrictions put in place before August 4. IMS owner Roger Penske announced that there would be no public admission for any of the year's events due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.
May 27, 2021: IMS Lifts Local Blackout for Indianapolis 500 on WTHR
On May 27, 2021, IMS lifted the local blackout for the Indianapolis 500 for WTHR as all 135,000 tickets were sold. The event was restricted to 40% capacity to allow for social distancing. This was the first time the race was televised live in Indianapolis in its entirety for two consecutive years.
2023: Big Ten College Football Games
Since 2023, WTHR carries any Purdue and Indiana University Big Ten college football games scheduled as part of the Big Ten Saturday Night package.
February 2024: Return of 13.6 Subchannel with The Nest
In February 2024, the 13.6 subchannel returned to the air with The Nest after being off the air for a month following the switch of Circle to an ad-supported streaming channel.
May 26, 2024: IMS Lifts Blackout for Indianapolis 500 on WTHR due to Inclement Weather
On May 26, 2024, IMS lifted the local blackout for the Indianapolis 500 for WTHR due to inclement weather causing a significant delay in the start of the race. This was the fourth time in the history of the race that live flag-to-flag coverage was available within the Indianapolis area.
2024: Local Broadcast Home of Indiana Fever
Beginning with the 2024 season, WTHR and WALV-CD became the local broadcast home of Indiana Fever women's basketball, with 10 of the 17 games being broadcast on WTHR.
January 2025: Agreement to Simulcast Games
In January 2025, the Indiana Pacers and FanDuel Sports Network Indiana announced an agreement to simulcast five games on WTHR.
August 19, 2025: Nexstar to Acquire Tegna
On August 19, 2025, Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tegna for $6.2 billion, including WTHR.
2025: Rights to Indy 500 sold to Fox Sports
In 2025, the rights to the Indy 500 was sold to Fox Sports (locally via WXIN), marking the end of WTHR's broadcast of the race.
March 19, 2026: Completion of Nexstar Acquisition of Tegna
On March 19, 2026, the acquisition of Tegna by Nexstar Media Group was approved and completed, including the ownership of WTHR. As part of the transaction, Nexstar committed to the divestiture of WTHR within two years.
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