KWWL

KWWL is a television station licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, and serving much of Eastern Iowa. The station broadcasts on virtual and digital channel 7 and is affiliated with NBC. Its service area includes Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Iowa City, and surrounding communities. KWWL operates its main studios on East Fifth Street in Waterloo, with additional news bureaus and advertising sales offices in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Iowa City. Its transmitter is located north of Rowley, Iowa, in Buchanan County. The station began broadcasting on November 26, 1953, after a contested licensing process for Waterloo's channel 7. The Federal Communications Commission had received competing bids from Sonderling Broadcasting, associated with radio station KXEL, and R. J. McElroy's Black Hawk Broadcasting Company, which operated KWWL radio. Black Hawk won the license, linking the television station's identity to the existing KWWL radio operation. KWWL initially carried NBC programming and also held an affiliation with the DuMont Television Network. It briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. KWWL has changed ownership several times. Black Hawk sold the station to AFLAC in 1980 after regulatory restrictions complicated a proposed Black Hawk–Forward Communications merger. AFLAC later sold its broadcasting division to Raycom Media in 1997. Raycom sold KWWL to Quincy Newspapers, now known as Quincy Media, in 2006. In 2021, Gray Television announced a planned acquisition of Quincy Media, but Gray intended to divest KWWL because it already owned KCRG-TV in the same market and needed to address federal ownership limits. Allen Media Group subsequently agreed to acquire KWWL and other Quincy stations not retained by Gray. That transaction closed on August 2, 2021. The station's principal offering is local television news, weather, sports, public-affairs coverage, and community information, complemented by NBC network programming and syndicated or multicast content. KWWL became the first station in Eastern Iowa, and the first Quincy station, to broadcast its newscasts in high definition in April 2010. It also operates KWWL-DT2, a digital subchannel that has carried several services over time, including NBC Weather Plus, This TV, The CW, and, since 2021, Heroes & Icons. KWWL's Waterloo facility underwent a substantial renovation beginning in late 2014. The project included interior and exterior restoration, newsroom and studio relocation, a new parking area, and modernization of the station's working spaces. The updated news set debuted in October 2016, while the full building renovation was completed in September 2017. In January 2025, Allen Media Group announced plans to replace local meteorologist positions at affected stations, including KWWL, with weather content produced through a centralized Weather Channel hub. Following negative responses from viewers and advertisers, management reversed that plan within approximately a week. In June 2025, Allen Media Group said it was exploring strategic options, including a possible sale of television stations, because of financial pressure and rising debt; the future ownership outcome was not specified in the available reference material.

KWWL originated in a competitive licensing contest for Waterloo's channel 7. The principal applicants were Sonderling Broadcasting, connected with radio station KXEL, and Black Hawk Broadcasting Company, led by R. J. McElroy and associated with KWWL radio. After a prolonged legal dispute, Black Hawk secured the authorization and KWWL-TV began broadcasting on November 26, 1953. It joined NBC and also carried DuMont programming, with a short-lived NTA Film Network affiliation later in the decade. In 1980, Black Hawk reached an agreement in principle to merge with Forward Communications. Existing FCC ownership rules, including grandfathered restrictions on combined radio and television ownership, meant that the merged company could not retain all of the relevant stations. Forward chose to retain the radio properties, so Black Hawk sold channel 7 and sister station KTIV in Sioux City to AFLAC before the merger was completed. AFLAC retained the station until 1997, when it sold its broadcasting division to Raycom Media. Raycom later sold KWWL in 2006 as part of a group of station transactions following Raycom's acquisition of the Liberty Corporation. Quincy Newspapers became KWWL's owner on July 1, 2006. Under Quincy, KWWL was part of a regional group of NBC affiliates that included WGEM-TV in Quincy, Illinois, KTTC in Rochester, Minnesota, and KTIV, which Quincy had acquired earlier. KWWL completed its analog-to-digital transition in February 2009. Its analog VHF channel 7 service was discontinued, and its digital signal moved from pre-transition UHF channel 55 to VHF channel 7. The station retained the KWWL call sign for its digital service. The FCC issued a construction permit in 2010 for a low-power digital fill-in translator intended to improve service around Dubuque and areas northwest of the city, but the permit was canceled in 2013. The station's digital subchannel history reflects the changing structure of local broadcast television. KWWL-DT2 began in 2004 with NBC Weather Plus, combining national weather material with local inserts. After NBC Weather Plus was discontinued, the subchannel carried This TV beginning in 2009. In 2016, KWWL announced that DT2 would become a CW affiliate, replacing its This TV service. The CW affiliation later moved to KCRG's third digital subchannel in 2021. KWWL-DT2 then adopted Heroes & Icons, which had previously been carried by another KCRG subchannel. KWWL upgraded its local news production to high definition in April 2010. A major renovation of its Waterloo facility began in late 2014. The work included restoration of historic exterior details, demolition of a neighboring American Legion building to create parking, reconfiguration of the building entrance, and relocation and modernization of the newsroom and studio. The new set went into service in October 2016, and the full renovation was completed in September 2017. Ownership changed again during the 2021 consolidation of Quincy Media. Quincy announced that it was for sale in January 2021. Gray Television proposed buying the company, but because Gray already owned KCRG-TV in the same Cedar Rapids–Waterloo market, KWWL was designated for divestiture to address FCC ownership requirements. Allen Media Group agreed to acquire KWWL and the other Quincy stations not being acquired by Gray, and completed the purchase on August 2, 2021. In January 2025, Allen Media Group announced a plan to remove local meteorologist and weather forecaster positions at stations including KWWL and substitute a centralized weather hub produced by The Weather Channel. Management reversed the plan within about a week after criticism from viewers and advertisers. In June 2025, Allen Media Group stated that it was examining strategic alternatives, potentially including sales of television stations, in response to financial strain and increased debt. The available material does not establish a subsequent sale or a change in KWWL's operating status.

• 2021

  Allen Media Group becomes owner

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  Allen Media Group completed its acquisition of KWWL on August 2.

• 2017

  Waterloo facility renovation completed

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  The station completed its studio and office renovation on September 20.

• 2016

  CW programming arrives on KWWL-DT2

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  KWWL-DT2 replaced This TV with The CW on September 12.

• 2010

  Local news moves to high definition

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  KWWL began airing local newscasts in high definition on April 11.

• 2009

  Digital transition

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  KWWL ended analog broadcasting and moved its digital signal to VHF channel 7.

• 2006

  Quincy Newspapers acquires KWWL

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  Quincy Newspapers became the station's owner on July 1.

• 2004

  KWWL-DT2 launches

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  The station began operating its second digital subchannel, initially affiliated with NBC Weather Plus.

• 1997

  Raycom Media acquires KWWL

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  AFLAC sold its broadcasting division, including KWWL, to Raycom Media.

• 1980

  Station sold to AFLAC

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  Black Hawk sold KWWL and KTIV to AFLAC after ownership restrictions affected the proposed Black Hawk–Forward Communications combination.

• 1953

  KWWL-TV signs on

  [1]KWWLen.wikipedia.org

  Black Hawk Broadcasting Company launched KWWL-TV on November 26 as Waterloo's channel 7 station, with NBC and DuMont affiliations.

A regional broadcast television station positioned around local news, weather, sports, community coverage, and NBC network programming for Eastern Iowa.

• Broadcast television station · 1953

  KWWL channel 7

  The station's primary service is an NBC-affiliated broadcast signal serving Waterloo and the wider Eastern Iowa region. It combines NBC network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs, and community content. Its digital transmission operates on VHF channel 7, and its transmitter is located north of Rowley, Iowa.

• Digital multicast television · 2004

  KWWL-DT2

  KWWL's second digital subchannel has changed affiliations as broadcast networks and multicast services evolved. It began with NBC Weather Plus, later carried This TV and The CW, and became an affiliate of Heroes & Icons after the CW service moved elsewhere in the market.

• Local news service · 1953

  KWWL local news

  KWWL produces regional newscasts and coverage focused on Eastern Iowa, including reporting from Waterloo and bureaus in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, and Iowa City. The service includes local reporting, weather, sports, and community information, and has been produced in high definition since 2010.

• 2025

  Reversal of centralized weather-hub planStrategy

  Background

  Allen Media Group announced plans to reduce local meteorologist and weather-forecaster positions at stations including KWWL and use weather content produced through The Weather Channel.

  Action taken

  Management withdrew the plan within approximately a week after reaction from viewers and advertisers.

  Aftermath

  The reversal preserved the announced local weather positions at that time, although the reference material does not provide further staffing details.

  Source

• 2016

  Launch of CW programming on KWWL-DT2Product launch

  Background

  KWWL announced that its second digital subchannel would take over the CW affiliation in the Cedar Rapids market.

  Action taken

  KWWL-DT2 replaced This TV with CW programming beginning September 12, 2016.

  Aftermath

  The CW affiliation later moved to KCRG-DT3 in 2021, after which KWWL-DT2 adopted Heroes & Icons.

  Source

1. 1KWWLen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KWWL official websitekwwl.com