WLS-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WLS-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = People make the difference.
Chicago's #1 News
station_branding = "ABC 7 Chicago" (general)
"ABC 7 News" (newscasts)
analog = 7 (VHF)
digital = 52 (UHF)
digital_temporary = 52 (UHF)
subchannels = (see article)|
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = September 17, 1948
location = Chicago, Illinois
callsign_meaning = World's
Largest
Store
"(reflecting its sister radio station's past ownership by Sears)"
former_callsigns = WENR-TV (1948-1953)
WBKB (1953-1968)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Disney/ABC
licensee = WLS Television, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 55 kW (analog)
153.6 kW (digital)
HAAT = 515.1 m (analog)
514 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 73226
coordinates = coord|41|52|44|N|87|38|8.9|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|41|52|44|N|87|38|10.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.abc7chicago.com/ www.abc7chicago.com]

WLS-TV, channel 7, is a television station in Chicago, Illinois. The station is owned and operated by Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company. WLS-TV produces its broadcasts at 190 North State Street in The Loop and transmits its signal from the Sears Tower. The WLS-TV call letters stand for "World's Largest Store," recognizing its past affiliation with Sears on radio.

History

The station first went on the air as the third TV station in Chicago (after WBKB-TV which later became WBBM-TV, and WGN-TV) on September 17, 1948 as WENR-TV. It was named after WENR-AM, ABC's Chicago radio affiliate. As one of the original ABC-owned stations on channel 7, it was the second station after WABC-TV in New York City to begin operations, ahead of WXYZ-TV in Detroit, KGO-TV in San Francisco and KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

In 1953, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, the former theater division of Paramount Pictures. UPT owned WBKB on channel 4 (which shared a CBS affiliation with WGN-TV) but the new ABC could not keep both, because of Federal Communications Commission regulations at that time. As a result, WBKB was sold to CBS and renamed WBBM-TV; while WENR was renamed WBKB-TV. The old WBKB's talent stayed at WBBM (which moved to channel 2), while the old WBKB's call letters and management moved to channel 7. The general manager from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s was Sterling "Red" Quinlan, [http://www.chicagotelevision.com/RED.htm] who was a giant in early Chicago television. He was instrumental in the careers of Tom Duggan, Frank Reynolds, and Bob Newhart. The station courageously aired "The Tom Duggan Show" in the mid-1950s, which was the most popular show in Chicago far out drawing other network competition. The station became WLS-TV in 1968, after WLS-AM, which ABC had owned since 1959.

Today, the WBKB-TV calls are used by a CBS affiliate in Alpena, Michigan.

Digital Television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Other WLS-TV produced programs

*"190 North" - local life style program named after the station's studio address at 190 N. State St. in the Loop - began broadcasting in HD on Sunday, May 6, 2007
**Sundays 10:35pm, reruns Saturdays 11:05pm
*"Chicagoing" - local public affairs program
**Sundays 11:30am
*"The Chicago Huddle" - local sports program about the Chicago Bears hosted by Ryan Chiaverini - premiered Saturday, September 8, 2007, [http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=sports&id=5620244] at 11:05pm during Bears season
**Second Season Premiere: Sunday, September 7, 2008, at 10:30am during Bears season"190 North" and "Chicagoing" are featured on channel 7.2.

yndicated programming produced in Chicago

*"The Oprah Winfrey Show" - former "A.M. Chicago" 9am local program, retained name about one year after Oprah Winfrey became host - originally created by WLS-TV, but now produced by Harpo Productions at Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios
**weekdays 9am, reruns weeknights 11:05pm
*"At the Movies" - nationally syndicated film review program, produced at WLS-TV's studios, and syndicated by Disney-ABC Domestic Television

News directors

*Jennifer Graves - (2001-present)
*Eric Lerner - (1999-2001)
*Phyllis Schwartz - (1993-1998)

Identifying slogans

Newscast titles

*"Channel 7 Eyewitness News" (late 1960s-1996)
*"ABC7 News" (1996-present)

tation slogans

*1977-1980: "Still The One on Channel 7" (customized version of the ABC campaign)
*1980-1981: "You and Me, and Channel 7" (customized version of the ABC campaign)
*1981-1982: "Now is the Time, Channel 7 is the Place" (customized version of the ABC campaign)
*2000-Present: "People Make the Difference"
*late 1980s-Present: "Chicago's # 1 News"

ee also

*WLS (AM)
*Circle 7 logo
*Eyewitness News

References

* [http://www.chicagotelevision.com/murphy.htm The Bob & Kay Show (WENR-TV). "Chicago Television"] .
* [http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=stationinfo&id=3360723 WLS-TV station history (2005). "ABC7Chicago.com"] .

External links

* [http://www.abc7chicago.com/ ABC7Chicago.com - WLS-TV Web site]
* [http://www.abc7togo.com/ ABC7ToGo.com - WLS-TV Wireless Web site]
* [http://www.190north.com/ 190 North Web site]
* [http://www.chicagohuddle.com/ The Chicago Huddle Web site]
*TVQ|WLS-TV
*BIA|WLS|TV|TV