WALV-CD
WALV-CD is a low-power Class A television station serving Indianapolis as a MeTV affiliate and a secondary outlet associated with WTHR.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WALV-CD is a low-power, Class A television station serving the Indianapolis, Indiana, market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 46 and is affiliated with MeTV, a digital television network focused primarily on classic television programming. Its operations are closely integrated with those of WTHR, the Indianapolis NBC affiliate. WALV-CD and WTHR share studios on North Meridian Street in downtown Indianapolis, while WALV-CD's transmitter is located near Ditch Road and West 96th Street in Carmel, Indiana. The station originated from a construction permit obtained by Dispatch Broadcast Group, then owner of WTHR, for a low-power station on channel 27. Although the permit was issued in 1988, the station did not begin broadcasting until May 1991. Its original role was mainly as a secondary outlet and simulcaster for WTHR, with occasional departures from WTHR's schedule for preempted network programs, local-interest programming, and high-school sports. In January 1994, the station was relaunched as 27 Alive. This identity gave the outlet a more distinct programming proposition, including rolling news coverage, dedicated morning and late-evening newscasts, a daily talk program called The Morning Show, a nightly sports-talk program called Time Out, syndicated talk shows, and programming from National Empowerment Television. The news operation was subsequently reduced, with personnel and resources folded into WTHR's newsroom. The station adopted the call sign WALV-LP in December 1995, reflecting the 27 Alive branding. During this period, it also carried extended coverage of the O. J. Simpson murder trial. A planned 10 p.m. newscast was later displaced after WTHR arranged to produce a late newscast for WNDY-TV. In January 2000, 27 Alive was replaced by the SkyTrak Weather Network, a service centered on weather forecasts and traffic information. This format positioned WALV as a continuously available information service and placed it in competition with a similar offering from WISH-TV. The station moved to channel 50 in 2002. It discontinued its analog transmission in 2012 and began digital broadcasting on physical channel 46, retaining virtual channel 46. WALV's programming role changed again as digital multicast networks became more important. In 2013, WTHR secured an affiliation with Cozi TV, and Cozi programming was carried on WALV-CD as well as one of WTHR's digital subchannels. WALV continued to provide scheduling flexibility for the WTHR operation, including the relocation of Early Today when WTHR expanded its weekday morning newscast to 4 a.m. in 2014. During the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics, some syndicated WTHR programs were also shifted to WALV-CD. The station has also simulcast selected early-morning portions of WTHR's weekday and weekend newscasts. By May 2017, WALV-CD had moved from Cozi TV to MeTV, while Cozi remained on WTHR's 13.2 subchannel. MeTV programming was also mirrored on WTHR's 13.3 service. As part of the federal broadcast-spectrum repack, WALV-CD later moved its physical transmission channel from 46 to 17 while continuing to identify over the air as channel 46. Dispatch announced the sale of its broadcasting assets, including WALV-CD and WTHR, to Tegna in 2019. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction in July, and the sale closed in August. Tegna subsequently became part of Nexstar Media Group through a transaction announced in 2025 and completed in March 2026, according to the supplied reference material. Nexstar already owned other Indianapolis stations, including WTTV, WTTK, and WXIN. The transaction included a commitment to divest WTHR within two years, while WALV-CD was not identified for divestiture in the cited material. Beginning with the 2024 season, WALV-CD and WTHR became local broadcast outlets for Indiana Fever women's basketball. The arrangement included 17 games across the two stations, with seven carried by WALV-CD. This expanded the station's role beyond multicast entertainment and overflow scheduling into local sports distribution. Today, WALV-CD primarily functions as a MeTV affiliate and a complementary platform for WTHR programming, including selected simulcasts and overflow content.
History
WALV-CD was created as a low-power companion to Indianapolis NBC station WTHR. Dispatch Broadcast Group, which owned WTHR, obtained a construction permit for channel 27 in 1988. The station did not begin broadcasting until May 1991, when it operated mainly as a WTHR simulcast. It occasionally departed from WTHR's schedule for preempted network programs, local-interest shows, and high-school football and basketball. The station gained a more independent identity in January 1994, when it was relaunched as 27 Alive. Its schedule included a daytime rolling-news format, dedicated newscasts at 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., the morning talk program The Morning Show, the sports-talk program Time Out, syndicated talk shows, and programming from National Empowerment Television. The news component was reduced within months, and several staff functions were consolidated with WTHR. In December 1995, the station changed its call sign to WALV-LP in connection with the 27 Alive identity. It also carried extended coverage of the O. J. Simpson murder trial. The station later lost its dedicated 10 p.m. newscast when WTHR began producing a late newscast for WNDY-TV. In January 2000, WALV replaced 27 Alive with the SkyTrak Weather Network. The new format concentrated on weather forecasts and traffic headlines and competed with a similar local service operated by WISH-TV. WALV moved to channel 50 in 2002. It shut down its analog signal in 2012 and began digital operation on channel 46, using channel 46 as its virtual identity. The growth of digital multicast networks led to another change in the station's role. In 2013, WTHR acquired a Cozi TV affiliation and placed the network on WALV-CD and a WTHR digital subchannel. WALV remained useful for schedule management: it carried Early Today after WTHR expanded its weekday morning newscast to 4 a.m. in 2014, took some syndicated programming during the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics, and simulcast selected early-morning portions of WTHR's local newscasts. By May 26, 2017, WALV-CD had become a MeTV affiliate. Cozi TV remained on WTHR's 13.2 subchannel, while MeTV was available through WALV-CD and WTHR's 13.3 service. During the federal spectrum repack, WALV-CD moved from physical channel 46 to physical channel 17, retaining virtual channel 46. Dispatch announced in June 2019 that it would sell its broadcast holdings, including WALV-CD and WTHR, to Tegna. The FCC approved the transaction on July 29, and the sale closed on August 8. The station continued to operate in close association with WTHR under Tegna ownership. In 2024, WALV-CD and WTHR became local broadcast outlets for Indiana Fever women's basketball. Seven of the 17 games shown by the two stations were carried on WALV-CD, giving the outlet a more visible local-sports role. The supplied reference further states that Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tegna in August 2025 and completed the deal in March 2026. Because Nexstar already owned WTTV, WTTK, and WXIN in the Indianapolis market, the transaction included a commitment to divest WTHR within two years; WALV-CD was not identified as part of that divestiture commitment.
- 2026
Nexstar ownership
[1]The supplied reference states that Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna in March 2026.
- 2024
Indiana Fever broadcasts
[1]WALV-CD began carrying selected local broadcasts of Indiana Fever women's basketball.
- 2019
Acquired by Tegna
[1]Tegna completed its acquisition of WALV-CD and WTHR from Dispatch.
- 2017
MeTV affiliation
[1]WALV switched from Cozi TV to MeTV.
- 2013
Cozi TV affiliation
[1]WALV began carrying Cozi TV programming.
- 2012
Digital transition
[1]WALV ended analog transmission and began digital broadcasting on channel 46.
- 2002
Moves to channel 50
[1]The station moved to channel 50.
- 2000
SkyTrak Weather Network launches
[1]The 27 Alive format was replaced by a weather- and traffic-information service.
- 1995
Call sign changes to WALV-LP
[1]The station adopted the WALV-LP call sign to reflect its 27 Alive branding.
- 1994
27 Alive relaunch
[1]WALV introduced a broader local schedule under the 27 Alive identity.
Products and positioning
A secondary Indianapolis television outlet combining MeTV's classic-television schedule with selected WTHR news, sports, and overflow programming.
Digital television network affiliation · 2017
MeTV Indianapolis
WALV-CD's principal current programming offering is MeTV, a multicast network built around classic television series. The MeTV schedule is also mirrored on WTHR's third digital subchannel, making WALV part of a broader WTHR-managed digital programming arrangement in the Indianapolis market.
Local television format · 1994
27 Alive
27 Alive was the station's distinctive local identity from 1994 to 2000. Its programming included rolling news, scheduled local newscasts, talk and sports-talk programs, syndicated talk shows, and National Empowerment Television content. The format was later reduced and replaced by the SkyTrak Weather Network.
Weather and traffic television service · 2000
SkyTrak Weather Network
The SkyTrak Weather Network replaced 27 Alive in 2000 and focused on recurring weather forecasts and traffic headlines. It served as a continuously available information service and competed with a comparable offering from WISH-TV before the station later moved into digital-network affiliations.
Local sports broadcasting · 2024
Indiana Fever broadcasts
Beginning with the 2024 season, WALV-CD became one of the local broadcast outlets for Indiana Fever women's basketball. The station carried seven of the 17 Fever games shown collectively by WALV-CD and WTHR, adding a prominent live-sports component to its schedule.
Brand decisions
2026
Became part of Nexstar's Tegna portfolioM&ABackground
The supplied reference states that Nexstar agreed to acquire Tegna in 2025 and completed the acquisition in March 2026.
Action taken
Nexstar assumed ownership of Tegna's assets, including WALV-CD, while committing to divest WTHR within two years.
Aftermath
WALV-CD was not identified as part of the stated WTHR divestiture commitment and remained associated with the Indianapolis station group.
2024
Added Indiana Fever local broadcastsProduct launchBackground
WTHR and WALV-CD sought to serve as local broadcast outlets for Indiana Fever women's basketball beginning with the 2024 season.
Action taken
The two stations aired 17 games collectively, with seven games assigned to WALV-CD.
Aftermath
The arrangement broadened WALV-CD's role as a local sports and community-programming outlet.
2019
Transferred from Dispatch to TegnaM&ABackground
Dispatch Broadcast Group announced the sale of its broadcasting assets, including WALV-CD and WTHR.
Action taken
Tegna acquired the stations after FCC approval, with the transaction closing on August 8, 2019.
Aftermath
WALV-CD continued operating as a companion station to WTHR under Tegna ownership.
Transaction value. (2019)
2017
Switched to MeTVProduct launchBackground
The WTHR group reorganized its digital multicast affiliations.
Action taken
WALV-CD began carrying MeTV, while Cozi TV moved to WTHR's 13.2 service.
Aftermath
MeTV became WALV-CD's principal network affiliation and was also mirrored on WTHR's 13.3 subchannel.
2013
Added Cozi TVProduct launchBackground
WTHR obtained an affiliation with the newly available Cozi TV digital network.
Action taken
Cozi TV programming was placed on WALV-CD and a WTHR digital subchannel.
Aftermath
Cozi TV remained part of the WTHR group until 2017, while WALV also continued to provide schedule flexibility for WTHR.
2000
Replaced 27 Alive with SkyTrak Weather NetworkStrategyBackground
The 27 Alive schedule had been reduced from its initial local-news and entertainment mix.
Action taken
WALV shifted to recurring weather forecasts and traffic headlines under the SkyTrak Weather Network identity.
Aftermath
The station remained an information-oriented secondary outlet until its later transition to digital multicast-network affiliations.
1994
Adopted the 27 Alive local-programming strategyStrategyBackground
The station had primarily served as a WTHR simulcast and schedule-support outlet since its launch.
Action taken
WALV introduced a broader schedule of rolling news, local newscasts, talk programming, sports talk, syndicated programs, and external network content.
Aftermath
The news component was later scaled back, and the station's staff functions were integrated more closely with WTHR.
Recent events
- 2026
Nexstar completes acquisition of Tegna[1]
M&A · Regulation
The supplied reference states that Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna in March 2026. WALV-CD became part of the Nexstar portfolio, while a commitment was made to divest WTHR within two years.
- 2024
WALV-CD carries Indiana Fever broadcasts[1]
Product launch · Other
WALV-CD and WTHR became local broadcast homes for Indiana Fever women's basketball, with WALV-CD carrying seven of the 17 games aired by the two stations.
- 2019
Dispatch agrees to sell WALV-CD and WTHR to Tegna[1]
M&A
Dispatch announced the sale of its broadcast assets, including WALV-CD and WTHR, to Tegna for cash. The FCC approved the transaction in July and the sale closed in August.
- 2017
WALV-CD switches from Cozi TV to MeTV[1]
Product launch
By May 26, WALV-CD began carrying MeTV, while Cozi TV continued on WTHR's 13.2 digital service.
- 2013
WALV-CD becomes a Cozi TV outlet[1]
Product launch
WTHR placed Cozi TV programming on WALV-CD and a WTHR digital subchannel, adding a national classic-television network to the station's schedule.
- 2000
WALV replaces 27 Alive with the SkyTrak Weather Network[1]
Product generation
The station shifted from a broad local-programming format to a service focused on weather forecasts and traffic headlines.
- 1994
27 Alive introduces a distinct local programming schedule[1]
Product launch
The station relaunched as 27 Alive with rolling news, dedicated newscasts, talk programming, sports talk, syndicated programs, and National Empowerment Television content.
- 1991
WALV-CD launches as a secondary outlet associated with WTHR[1]
Other
The low-power station began broadcasting in May 1991, initially serving primarily as a simulcast and schedule-support outlet for WTHR.
Sources2 sources
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