#wvtv

This is FlamingoPulse. We are currently testing our Tumblr signal in an effort to get viewers tuned in to us on this platform.

For our pre-launch program, we would like to present to you, the news intro history of CW affiliate WVTV Channel 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station has historically been an independent, but has seen plenty of affiliation changes from it's humble beginnings to today. And yes, this is the same station where that internet-famous 80s Autumn graphic came from. You can even buy it as a t-shirt.

WVTV signed on in 1953 as ABC affiliate WOKY-TV on Channel 19 by their radio parent WOKY (920 AM), but flipped to CBS & changed their call letters to WXIX (now used by a TV station in Cincinnati) in 1955 after the network bought them. You heard that right, WVTV used to be a CBS O&O, albeit short-lived. It moved to channel 18 in 1958 and became an independent a year later after being sold by CBS to Cream City Broadcasting following a brief period of being off the air.

In 1966, Oklahoma-based Gaylord bought WXIX & changed their call letters to WVTV, which they currently use today. Their call letters are loosely based on those of their former sister station in Tampa Bay. As an independent, WVTV was a superstation across Wisconsin & parts of the Midwest, running programs you'd usually find in an independent TV station. Cartoons, sitcoms, entertainment programs, you get the picture. Through the 80s & 90s, they also carried both Milwaukee sports teams, the Brewers (MLB) & Bucks (NBA).

In 1989, WVTV, having been airing news updates under the NewsWatch 18 branding since the late 70s, decided to launch a 9pm newscast, The Nine O'Clock Nightly News featuring anchors Liz Talbot & Duane Gay. This lasted until 1994, when WVTV & WCGV became sister stations and the former decided to ditch the news. At least, until almost a decade later when in 2003, they brought it back going by the WB 18 News under Sinclair's infamous News Central format. This format was ahead of its time, except for their notorious "must-run" stories that plenty have called right-wing propaganda, which Sinclair is known for to this day. That newscast ended in 2006 due to low ratings & budget cuts. However, the News Central format does have a de facto successor, The National Desk, which WVTV airs twice in the morning & night. The only local program on WVTV nowadays is Connect MKE, a public affairs program.

While WVTV has considered a news agreement with one of the existing news departments, unfortunately for them, all the other stations in the Milwaukee market (except WTMJ-TV) already have 9pm newscasts. WISN-TV has 9pm news on their DT2 subchannel, WDJT-TV has their 9pm news on sister station WMLW-TV, and of course, WITI is a Fox affiliate (an O&O once again) and has had 9pm news since the 90s. This means it's very unlikely WVTV will relaunch a 9pm newscast anytime soon, especially if/when NBC dumps their 9pm (10pm ET) timeslot to their affiliates, letting WTMJ-TV to air 9pm news on their main channel.