View source for WRTV

{{Short description|Television station in Indianapolis}}
{{for|the former New Jersey TV station|WRTV (New Jersey)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WRTV
| city =
| logo = WRTV (2021).svg
| branding = WRTV
| digital = 25 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 6
| subchannels =
| translators =
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''6.1:''' [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[E. W. Scripps Company]]
| licensee = Scripps Broadcasting Holdings [[LLC]]
| location = [[Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1949|5|30|p=y}}
| last_airdate =
| callsign_meaning = "We are TV"<ref>[https://nelson.oldradio.com/origins.call-list.html Call Letter Origins: The List]</ref>
| sister_stations =
| former_callsigns = WFBM-TV (1949–1972)
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 6 ([[VHF]], 1949–2009)|'''Radio:''' 87.7 ([[FM broadcasting|FM]], 1949–2009)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[CBS]] (1949–1956)|ABC (secondary, 1949–1954)|[[Paramount Television Network|Paramount]] (secondary, 1949–1955)|[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]] (secondary, 1949–1955)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.aol.com/jeff99500/1952tv.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010717135808/http://members.aol.com/jeff99500/1952tv.html |archive-date=July 17, 2001 |title=Commercial Television Stations of the U. S., 1952}}</ref>|[[NBC]] (1956–1979)|[[NTA Film Network|NTA]] (secondary, 1956–1961)}}
| erp = 1,000 kW
| haat = {{convert|294|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 40877
| coordinates = {{coord|39|53|56.6|N|86|12|3.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.wrtv.com/}}
}}
'''WRTV''' (channel 6) is a [[television station]] in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States, affiliated with [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]]. The station's studios are located on [[Meridian Street (Indianapolis)|Meridian Street]] north of downtown Indianapolis, and its transmitter is located on the city's northwest side near [[Meridian Hills, Indiana]].<ref name="FCCaddress">[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=129481 FCC Antenna Structure Registration]</ref>

==History==
===WFBM-TV===
[[File:WFBM-TV logo, 1966.jpg|thumb|Logo used from 1966 to 1972 by WFBM-TV.]]
The station first signed on the air on May 30, 1949, as WFBM-TV.<ref>[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86798 FCC History Cards for WRTV]. [[Federal Communications Commission]].</ref> Founded by the Consolidated Television and Radio Broadcasters subsidiary of the Bitner Group, owner of radio station WFBM (1260 AM, now [[WNDE]]), it is the oldest television station in the state of Indiana. The first program broadcast on the station was a documentary titled ''Crucible of Speed'', about the early history of the legendary [[Indianapolis 500]] auto race; this was followed by the inaugural live television broadcast of the event.{{cn|date=June 2024}} The station originally operated as a [[CBS]] affiliate, although it maintained secondary affiliations with ABC and the [[DuMont Television Network]].

WFBM-TV began to split ABC programming with [[Bloomington, Indiana|Bloomington]]-based primary [[NBC]] affiliate [[WTTV]] (channel 10, which moved to channel 4 in February 1954) when that station signed on in November 1949; both stations lost their affiliations with ABC to [[WISH-TV]] (channel 8) when that station signed on in July 1954. WFBM-TV also aired programs from the short-lived [[Paramount Television Network]], among them ''Time For Beany'',<ref name="LP">{{cite news|title=Monday Afternoon TV Programs|date=May 20, 1951|work=Logansport Press|pages=6|location=Logansport, IN}}</ref> ''Dixie Showboat'',<ref name="KT">{{cite news|date=October 21, 1950|work=Kokomo Tribune|pages=14|location=Kokomo, IN}}</ref> ''Hollywood Reel'',<ref name="LP51">{{cite news|title=Friday Evening TV Programs|date=May 4, 1951|work=Logansport Press|pages=6|location=Logansport, IN}}</ref> ''Cowboy G-Men'',<ref name="Billboard1954c">{{cite magazine|date=April 3, 1954|title=Syndicated Pix ARB Multi-City Ratings|magazine=Billboard|pages=6}}</ref> and ''Hollywood Wrestling''.<ref name="TADB">{{cite news|title=Television Schedule|date=March 21, 1955|work=Anderson Daily Bulletin|pages=17|location=Anderson, IN}}</ref> Channel 6 acquired an FM sister in 1955 with the sign-on of WFBM-FM (94.7 FM, now [[WFBQ]]). In 1956, WFBM-TV became the market's NBC affiliate, taking the affiliation from WTTV. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the [[NTA Film Network]].<ref name="Boxoffice7">{{Cite journal| title = Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films| journal = Boxoffice| pages = 13| date = November 10, 1956| url = http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_111056-1}}</ref>

Bitner sold its broadcasting interests to magazine publisher [[Time Inc.]] in 1957,<ref>"Time Inc. gets Bitner properties,
pays $15,750,000 for 3 TVs, 3 AMs." ''[[Broadcasting and Cable|Broadcasting – Telecasting]]'', December 24, 1956, pg. 7. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/56-OCR/1956-12-24-BC-0007.pdf] {{dead link|date=July 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>"Time Inc. buy gets green light." ''Broadcasting – Telecasting'', April 22, 1957, pg. 56. [http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/57-OCR/1957-04-22-BC-0056.pdf] {{dead link|date=March 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> who four years later subordinated their acquisition under its in 1961 established subsidiary [[Time-Life|Time-Life, Inc.]] as Time–Life Broadcasting, Inc. In the mid-1960s, WFBM-TV became the first television station in Indiana to begin broadcasting its programming in [[color television|color]].

===WRTV===
In late October 1970, WFBM-AM-FM-TV were sold to [[S&P Global|McGraw-Hill]] in a group deal that also involved Time-Life's other radio and television combinations in [[Denver]], [[San Diego]] and [[Grand Rapids, Michigan]]; and [[KERO-TV]] in [[Bakersfield, California]].<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1970/1970-11-02-BC.pdf "McGraw-Hill buys into TV in a big way."] ''Broadcasting'', November 2, 1970, pg. 9.</ref> To comply with the [[Federal Communications Commission]]'s new restrictions on [[concentration of media ownership]] that went into effect shortly afterward, McGraw-Hill was required to sell the radio stations in Indianapolis, Denver, San Diego and Grand Rapids to other companies. Time-Life would later take [[WOOD-TV]] in Grand Rapids out of the final deal and retain ownership of that station.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1972/1972-05-15-BC.pdf#page=25 "McGraw-Hill sets record for concessions to minorities."] ''Broadcasting'', May 15, 1972, pp. 25–[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1972/1972-05-15-BC.pdf#page=26 26].</ref> By the time the sale was finalized in June 1972, the purchase price for the entire group was just over [[United States dollar|$]]57&nbsp;million. KERO-TV, KLZ-TV (now [[KMGH-TV]]) in Denver and KOGO-TV (now [[KGTV]]) in San Diego were retained by McGraw-Hill along with WFBM-TV. The radio stations retained the WFBM designation; McGraw-Hill asked for a set of call letters containing the letters "TV"<ref name="drop">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57354327/|access-date=August 14, 2020|work=The Indianapolis News|date=June 1, 1972|title=Some Said, Drop Dead And Save The Air Fare|first=Richard K.|last=Shull|page=15}}</ref> and received the call letters WRTV on June 1.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1972/1972-06-05-BC.pdf#page=43 "It's all theirs."] ''Broadcasting'', June 5, 1972, pg. 43.</ref>

By the late 1970s, NBC's national [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] crashed to third place, becoming the lowest-rated of the [[Big Three television networks|three major U.S. broadcast networks]], while ABC rose to the ranks of first place around that same time; as a result, ABC sought stronger stations to serve as its affiliates in several markets. The two networks swapped affiliations in Indianapolis on June 1, 1979, with WRTV becoming the market's new ABC affiliate, and [[WTHR]] (channel 13) becoming an NBC affiliate.<ref name="WRTV-NBC_to_ABC">{{cite news|title=Television Schedule|date=May 30, 1979|work=Marion [[Chronicle-Tribune]]|location=Marion, IN}}</ref> As a result, WRTV became the third television station in the Indianapolis market to affiliate with ABC. In the process, it became the first television station in the Indianapolis market (WTTV would become the second Indianapolis station 35 years later when that station became a CBS affiliate), and one of the few television stations in the United States to have served as a primary affiliate of all three heritage broadcast networks. ABC announced its move from WTHR to WRTV in late 1978; the delay in the switch was largely a result of NBC having to choose between signing with WTHR or the then-independent WTTV.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 4, 1978|title=WRTV Indianapolis latest to heed ABC's siren song|work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/78-OCR/1978-12-04-BC-OCR-Page-0022.pdf|access-date=September 7, 2021}}</ref> The final NBC program to air on WRTV was an episode of ''[[The Tomorrow Show]]'' that aired at the midnight hour of June 1, 1979.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-tomorrow-show/season-6/episode-148-may-31-1979|title=May 31, 1979 episode of The Tomorrow Show starring Tom Snyder with guest Ed McMahon|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=September 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=TV Week |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/107213701/?clipping_id=133037796|access-date=October 7, 2023 |work=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |date=May 27, 1979 |page=136}}</ref> The first ABC program to air on WRTV was ''[[Good Morning America]]'' the following morning.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 1, 1979 |title=TV FRIDAY |url=https://indystar.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-indy-tv-listings-0/133036616/ |work=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |access-date=April 7, 2024}}</ref>

In October 1994, ABC and McGraw-Hill signed a long-term deal in which all of the group's stations would be affiliated with the network; in addition to renewing WRTV's existing affiliation, this deal saw sister outlets KMGH-TV in Denver and KERO-TV in Bakersfield affiliate with ABC.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Stations Play Spin the Dial Channel 7 Quits CBS, Joins ABC, Kicking Off Network Realignment|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=RM&p_theme=rm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4DF0BABA1E319&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|first=Dusty|last=Saunders|newspaper=[[Rocky Mountain News]]|via=NewsBank|date=October 22, 1994|access-date=October 21, 2012}} {{closed access}}</ref>

On January 31, 1995,<ref>[[TV Guide]] (Central Indiana Edition) – January 29 – February 4, 1995</ref> WBAK-TV in [[Terre Haute]] (which changed its call letters to WFXW in 2005) ended its 22-year affiliation with ABC to become that market's original [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate, citing the low viewership it had suffered due to the then-overabundance of higher-rated ABC stations in adjacent markets (including WRTV) that were receivable in the area. This left viewers with only fringe access from WRTV (which can be received in Terre Haute via an outdoor antenna and became the default ABC affiliate on cable providers on the Indiana side of the market), and other out-of-market ABC stations from [[WEHT|Evansville, Indiana]], and [[WICD (TV)|Champaign, Illinois]] (both of which were carried on cable on the Illinois side of the market), as Terre Haute did not have enough stations to support full-time affiliations from four networks (only three commercial full-power stations—[[WTWO]], [[WTHI-TV]] and WBAK—are licensed to the market, and ABC opted not to relegate itself to a secondary affiliation). On September 1, 2011, WFXW (which changed its callsign to [[WAWV-TV]]) voluntarily disaffiliated from Fox and rejoined ABC as part of a long-term affiliation renewal between ABC and the [[Nexstar Broadcasting Group]] (which manages the station through owner [[Mission Broadcasting]]) involving the company's existing ABC stations in nine other markets;<ref>{{cite news|last=Jessell|first=Harry A.|title=Nexstar Drops Fox For ABC In Terre Haute|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/06/28/52203/nexstar-drops-fox-for-abc-in-terre-haute|access-date=June 28, 2011|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> WRTV was dropped from most Terre Haute area cable providers by May 28, 2012.

WRTV became the first television station in the Indianapolis market to launch its own website (theindychannel.com) in the late 1990s; it later became the first to offer a mobile website (6News OnTheGo) the following decade. In 1998, the station changed its on-air branding to "RTV6"; however, its newscasts were instead branded as ''6 News'' until 2001 and again from 2006 to 2012. On October 3, 2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies announced that it would sell its seven-station broadcasting division, including WRTV, to the [[E. W. Scripps Company]] for $212&nbsp;million.<ref name=tvnc-saletoscripps>{{cite news|title=McGraw-Hill Sells TV Group To Scripps|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/10/03/54440/mcgrawhill-sells-tv-group-to-scripps|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121210175847/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/10/03/54440/mcgrawhill-sells-tv-group-to-scripps|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 10, 2012|access-date=October 3, 2011|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=October 3, 2011}}</ref> The sale received FCC approval on November 29, 2011, and was formally consummated on December 30.<ref name=tvnc-saletoewscomplete>{{cite news|title=Scripps completes McGraw-Hill Stations Buy|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/12/30/56389/scripps-completes-mcgrawhill-stations-buy|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913093625/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/12/30/56389/scripps-completes-mcgrawhill-stations-buy|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 13, 2012|access-date=December 31, 2011|newspaper=TVNewsCheck|date=December 30, 2011}}</ref> The deal made WRTV a sister station to Scripps [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] and adjacent-market ABC affiliate [[WCPO-TV]] in [[Cincinnati]].
In June 2012, WRTV opened a secondary facility at the studios of news/talk radio station [[WIBC (FM)|WIBC]] (93.1 FM) in downtown Indianapolis; most of the station's newscasts are produced out of the [[Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)|Monument Circle]] studio, which underwent renovations to house production facilities. This resulted from a multi-year agreement with WIBC's owner [[Emmis Communications]] that was signed that April, in which WRTV also provides news content for WIBC with some staff appearing on both stations.<ref>[http://www.ibj.com/wrtv-launches-broadcast-studio-on-monument-circle/PARAMS/article/34340 WRTV launches broadcast studio on Monument Circle], ''[[Indianapolis Business Journal]]'', May 10, 2012.</ref>

In May 2014, Scripps announced that WRTV's North Meridian Street studios would begin handling the [[master control]] operations of the company's 19 television stations as early as July of that year, expanding upon an existing regional [[centralcasting]] hub built under McGraw-Hill ownership. The expanded operations created 10 new jobs.<ref>[http://www.ibj.com/command-center-being-built-at-wrtv-will-run-19-stations/PARAMS/article/47461 Command center being built at WRTV will run 19 stations], ''[[Indianapolis Business Journal]]'', May 3, 2014.</ref> Scripps renewed ABC affiliations for WRTV and nine other stations through 2019 on December 10, 2014.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/81433/scripps-abc-sign-new-affiliation-deal?ref=search| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141216103346/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/81433/scripps-abc-sign-new-affiliation-deal?ref=search| archive-date = December 16, 2014| title = Scripps, ABC Sign New Affiliation Deal {{!}} TVNewsCheck.com}}</ref>

On August 13, 2020, WRTV dropped its longtime "RTV6" moniker, and began branding itself as simply "WRTV: Working for You". Concurrent with the move, the station introduced a new logo; for the first time in WRTV's 71-year history, the station's analog/virtual channel number was not shown. The station's newscast was rebranded from ''RTV6 News'' to ''WRTV News.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2020/08/18/wrtv-new-logo-design/|title = Indy station switches to new logo, branding}}</ref> On the same date, WRTV updated to the latest Scripps standard graphics package.

==Programming==
WRTV clears the entirety of ABC's network schedule and typically airs all network programs in pattern, except during instances where the station carries breaking news or severe weather coverage, or special programming. During the [[1987-88 United States network television schedule|1987-88 season]], WRTV preempted ABC's 9:30&nbsp;p.m. time slot on Fridays, following the move of ''[[Max Headroom (TV series)|Max Headroom]]'' to Thursdays, in favor of the short-lived [[Suzanne Somers]] vehicle ''[[She's the Sheriff]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?471618-They-preempted-that-for-this&p=4200044&viewfull=1#post4200044 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018043137/https://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?471618-They-preempted-that-for-this&p=4200044&viewfull=1 |archive-date=October 18, 2018 |title=They preempted that for this? - Page 5}}</ref> In 2004, WRTV, along with the other McGraw-Hill stations, claimed that they tried to preempt ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'', but out of desperation, aired the film.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zurawik|first=David|title=ABC affiliates saying no to 'Private Ryan'|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2004-11-12-0411120049-story.html|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=The Baltimore Sun|date=November 12, 2004 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=November 11, 2004|title=Denver's 7 Will Air 'Saving Private Ryan'|url=https://www.5280.com/2004/11/denvers-7-will-air-saving-private-ryan/|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=5280|language=en}}</ref>

===Sports programming===
For most of the time since [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]] began airing live, flag-to-flag coverage of the Indianapolis 500 in 1986, WRTV [[Blackout (broadcasting)#Indianapolis 500|aired the race in prime time]] on a [[broadcast delay|tape delay]] rather than airing it live. The [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] insisted on this arrangement to encourage residents and tourists in the [[Indianapolis metropolitan area]] to attend the race. During the time slot in which the race aired live, that day's ABC prime time schedule aired early under special dispensation from the network. In 1999, WRTV televised the Indianapolis 500 live, in addition to the tape-delayed prime time broadcast, as part of WRTV's 50th anniversary. On May 25, 2016, with the [[2016 Indianapolis 500|100th anniversary event]] sold out, IMS and WRTV announced that channel 6 would air the Indianapolis 500 live in the market for the first time since 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/indycar/road-to-100/blackout-lifted-rtv6-to-show-indianapolis-500-live-on-race-day|title = Blackout lifted: Indy 500 will be LIVE on RTV6|date = May 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WRTV to air Indy 500 live|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wrtv-to-air-indy-500-live-after-blackout-lifted/171126|website=TVSpy|date=May 25, 2016 |access-date=May 25, 2016}}</ref> WRTV lost its role as the local broadcaster of the Indianapolis 500 after the 2018 race, when ABC lost the rights to air the race after 54 years (WRTV had aired each race since 1980, a year after it became an ABC station); beginning in 2019, with the broadcast rights to the race going to NBC, WTHR (which previously aired the race between 1958 and 1979) serves as the local broadcaster. The blackout policy, however, has resumed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/03/21/how-indycar-nbc-deal-affect-local-indy-500-blackout/445771002/|title=How IndyCar-NBC deal will affect local Indy 500 blackout|work=[[Indianapolis Star]]|access-date=March 21, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

The station carries select [[Indianapolis Colts]] [[NFL]] games broadcast by ABC as part of the network's ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' package from the [[1984 NFL season|1984 season]] until the [[2005 NFL season|2005 season]], and since 2020 through ABC's simulcasts. The station acquired the local rights to two Colts regular season games during the [[2014 Indianapolis Colts season|2014 season]] between the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] (on September 15) and between the [[New York Giants]] (on November 3), both of which aired on [[ESPN]]'s ''Monday Night Football''—whose Colts broadcasts are normally carried over-the-air by [[WNDY-TV]] (channel 23).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/rtv6-adjusts-schedule-to-accommodate-colts-dwts |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917233623/http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/rtv6-adjusts-schedule-to-accommodate-colts-dwts |archive-date=September 17, 2014 |title=RTV6 adjusts schedule to accommodate Colts, DWTS - TheIndyChannel.com}}</ref> In both situations, the station rescheduled ABC's Monday lineup: ''[[Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' aired the following Tuesday afternoon before the station's 5 p.m. newscast on the night of its original broadcast, but did not open a separate voting window for the Indianapolis market, while it aired ''[[Castle (TV series)|Castle]]'' after ABC's late night programming. In addition, all [[Indiana Pacers]] games aired through ABC's NBA coverage are broadcast on WRTV, including the team's appearance in the [[2025 NBA Finals]].

===News operation===
WRTV presently broadcasts {{frac|29|1|2}} hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 4 hours, 35 minutes on weekdays and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays).

For most of its first four decades on the air, WFBM/WRTV was Indianapolis' dominant news station. As late as the early 1980s, WRTV's news viewership often exceeded the combined audience of WISH and WTHR. WISH surged into first place in the mid-1980s, although WRTV managed to remain at a solid second place even after the retirement of longtime anchor [[Howard Caldwell]] in 1994. However, channel 6's ratings flatlined after a botched format revamp in 1996, coinciding with WTHR's surge to first place. It fell to last place for the first time in its history, and for most of the time from then until 2013, it finished third behind WTHR and WISH-TV. On some occasions, it fell to fourth behind Fox affiliate [[WXIN]] (channel 59). Since 2014, the station has been part of a spirited four-way battle for second place along with WISH, WXIN, and WTTV.

[[Image:WRTVnewscast.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Former primary weeknight anchors, Todd Wallace and Trisha Shepherd, taken in 2007; Wallace and Shepherd respectively left WRTV in 2010 and 2011.]]
As Indiana's oldest television station, WRTV has brought forth several technological innovations over the years. It was the first television station in Indiana to record local programming on videotape and to use mini-cams for newsgathering purposes. Channel 6 was also the first in the state to use microwave relays (years prior to the use of [[communications satellite|satellite]] transmissions for newsgathering) to provide live remote footage from the field ("Insta-Cam"), the first to use a mobile satellite uplink vehicle (''NewStar 6'') to provide live video from remote locations, the first to convert to non-linear digital editing for news content, the first to use digital news cameras and the first to provide [[VOD]]casting. In 1988, the station debuted a half-hour 5&nbsp;p.m. newscast, becoming the first station in the market to carry an early evening news program in that timeslot. In the mid-1990s, the station launched a 24-hour [[cable news]] channel NewsChannel 64, which later evolved into "6 News 24/7" and began to be carried on digital subchannel 6.2 by the late 2000s.

On September 10, 2007, WRTV expanded its 5&nbsp;p.m. newscast to one hour (replacing syndicated programming in the 5:30&nbsp;p.m. timeslot) and debuted a half-hour early evening newscast at 7&nbsp;pm, the first such newscast in the Indianapolis market in that timeslot. Station vice president and general manager Don Lundy stated that it launched the latter program to reach viewers whose longer workdays and commutes prevented them from arriving home in time to watch a 5 or 6&nbsp;p.m. newscast. The station's weekend morning newscasts were cancelled around this time, as a cost-saving measure imposed by McGraw-Hill.<ref>[http://www.ibj.com/morning-tv-news-offerings-to-expand/PARAMS/article/43334 TV stations bring more morning news to air], ''Indianapolis Business Journal'', September 4, 2013.</ref>

On October 12, 2008, WRTV became the third television station in the state of Indiana to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in [[high-definition television|high definition]]. With the upgrade, the station unveiled a new graphics package (replacing one based on Denver sister station KMGH-TV's graphics of that time) and updated music from [[Gari Media Group]]'s "[[Eyewitness News#Music package|Eyewitness News: New Generation]]" package, along with a refresh of its news set and a revised logo for all newscasts. In September 2012, WRTV implemented a standardized graphics package and news theme ("Inergy" by [[Stephen Arnold Music]]) for Scripps' stations that originated on [[West Palm Beach]] sister station [[WPTV-TV]] the previous month. The station also began broadcasting its newscasts from its Monument Circle studio facility that month.

On September 7, 2013, WRTV debuted weekend morning newscasts (a one-hour block running from 6 to 7&nbsp;am, and an additional two-hour block at 8&nbsp;a.m. on Saturdays and for a half-hour on Sundays), restoring morning newscasts to its weekend schedule. The expansion resulted in the hires of eight on-air and behind-the-scenes employees to the station. As a result, WRTV moved the weekend edition of ''[[Good Morning America]]'' to 7&nbsp;a.m. (the network's recommended timeslot for the program in all time zones) on both days.<ref>[http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/wrtv-adds-weekend-newscasts-and-employees_b89142#more-89142 WRTV Adds Weekend Newscasts and Employees] ''TVSpy'', May 2, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.ibj.com/wrtv-adding-employees-expanding-newscasts/PARAMS/article/41121 WRTV adding employees, expanding newscasts] ''Indianapolis Business Journal'', May 2, 2013.</ref>

====Notable former on-air staff====
* [[Barbara Boyd (newscaster)|Barbara Boyd]] – anchor, consumer reporter, and first African-American reporter in Indiana (1969–1994)<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/on-top-of-the-world-barbara-boyd-turns-95 |title= On top of the world: Barbara Boyd turns 95!|date=April 27, 2024|publisher=WRTV|access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref>
* [[Howard Caldwell]] – anchorman (1959–1994)
* [[Tom Carnegie]] – longtime sports director (1953–1985)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/sports/-voice-of-the-speedway-tom-carnegie-dies|title='Voice Of The Speedway' Tom Carnegie Dies|date=November 2, 2011|publisher=WRTV|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Frances Farmer]] – host of afternoon movie showcase ''[[Frances Farmer Presents]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oocities.org/themistyone/tis_part2.htm|title=Frances Farmer: The Peaceful Years|last=Rose|first=Rita|date=January 24, 1983|work=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Hal Fryar]] (a.k.a. "Harlow Hickenlooper") – host of the [[Three Stooges]] show, also one of nine such local hosts from across the country cast as villains in the Stooges' full-length feature ''[[The Outlaws Is Coming]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harlowhickenlooper.com/2013/about_harlow.html|title=About Harlow Hickenlooper|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Emily Gimmel]] – morning reporter<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/entertainment/emily-gimmel-s-good-morning-indiana-journal-2|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411225751/http://www.theindychannel.com/entertainment/emily-gimmel-s-good-morning-indiana-journal-2|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 11, 2013|title=Emily Gimmel's 'Good Morning Indiana' Journal|date=April 11, 2007|publisher=WRTV|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Durward Kirby]] (sidekick of [[Garry Moore]] and [[Allen Funt]])
* [[Clyde Lee (newscaster)|Clyde Lee]] – main anchor (1976–2001)
* [[Marilyn Mitzel]] – anchor/reporter (1977–1984)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marilynmitzel.com/resume/MarilynMitzelResume-04-1-b.pdf|title=Marilyn Mitzel Resume|access-date=March 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229051819/http://www.marilynmitzel.com/resume/MarilynMitzelResume-04-1-b.pdf|archive-date=December 29, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Dave Piontek]] – sports anchor
* [[Phil Ponce]] – reporter<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/about/|title=About Chicago Tonight|publisher=[[WTTW]]|access-date=March 12, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Diane Willis]] – 6 and 11 p.m. anchor (1987–2001)

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WRTV<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WRTV#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WRTV|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=January 5, 2025}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.1
| [[720p]] || rowspan="6" |[[16:9]] || WRTV-HD || [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.2
| rowspan="5" |[[480i]] || Grit || [[Grit (TV network)|Grit]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.3
| Laff || [[Laff (TV network)|Laff]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.4
| QVC || [[QVC]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.5
| HSN || [[HSN]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 6.6
| HSN2 || [[HSN#Sister channels|HSN2]]
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6; border-top: 2px solid #003399;"
! scope = "row" | [[WTTV|29.2]]
| rowspan=2|[[480i]] || rowspan=2|[[16:9]] || WTTV4.2 || [[Independent station|Independent]] ([[WTTK]])
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;"
! scope = "row" | [[WTTV|29.3]]
| COZI || [[Cozi TV]] ([[WTTK]])
|}
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}}

On March 17, 2010, WRTV announced a partnership with [[Hometown Sports Indiana]] (HTSI) to air live high school and collegiate sporting events on digital subchannel 6.2. The subchannel was branded by WRTV as "Hometown Sports and News" (HTSN) and the HTSI/HTSN content replaced a 24-hour news and weather channel ("6 News 24/7"), which aired rolling news and weather updates and simulcasts of WRTV newscasts. HTSI/HTSN carried local high school and collegiate [[American football|football]], basketball, and baseball game telecasts, as well as [[Indy Fuel]] [[ice hockey|hockey]] and [[Indianapolis Indians]] baseball. Some HTSI/HTSN content was simulcast on WRTV's primary channel, including a half-hour report in the early morning hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Citing the rising monetary cost of sports content, WRTV dropped HTSI/HTSN content from subchannel 6.2 on October 1, 2016, in favor of an affiliation with the digital network [[Grit (TV network)|Grit]].<ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/95361/wrtv-drops-local-sports-net-for-grit-diginet "WRTV Drops Local Sports Net For Grit Diginet,"] from TVNewsCheck, August 6, 2016</ref>

On October 3, 2011, WRTV began carrying the health and lifestyle-oriented service [[Live Well Network]] (which is owned by ABC corporate parent [[The Walt Disney Company]]) on [[digital subchannel]] 6.3. Comcast began carrying the subchannel on digital channel 246 later that month. The network was carried until its national discontinuation on April 15, 2015, when the sitcom/comedy film network [[Laff (TV network)|Laff]] replaced it as part of a bulk affiliation deal with Scripps' former LWN stations.

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WRTV shut down its analog signal, over [[VHF]] channel 6, at 8 a.m. on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition [[UHF]] channel 25,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="FCC Form 387">[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231062&formid=387&fac_num=40877 FCC Form 387]</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 6.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official|http://www.wrtv.com/ wrtv.com}}
* {{ASR|key=129481|number=1029312}}
* [http://www.harlowhickenlooper.com/hh HarlowHickenlooper.com] (Hal Fryar's website)

{{Indy TV}}
{{Lafayette IN TV}}
{{THTV}}
{{Indiana TV}}
{{EWS CORP}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}

[[Category:1949 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:E. W. Scripps Company television stations]]
[[Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:IndyCar Series on television]]
[[Category:Laff (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Mass media in Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1949]]
[[Category:Television stations in Indianapolis|RTV]]