WANF
Atlanta television station WANF, branded Atlanta News First, is the flagship broadcast property of Gray Media and an independent local news outlet.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WANF is a television station serving Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding market. The station broadcasts on channel 46 and operates under the consumer-facing brand Atlanta News First. It is owned by Gray Media, an Atlanta-headquartered broadcaster, and shares facilities and ownership relationships with WPCH-TV and WKTB-CD. WANF’s studios are in Atlanta’s Home Park neighborhood, while its transmitter is located in the Woodland Hills section of the city. The station began broadcasting on June 6, 1971, as WHAE-TV under the ownership of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Its initial schedule was dominated by religious programming and the operation was structured as a largely nonprofit ministry outlet. During the 1970s and early 1980s, it gradually expanded into a commercially oriented independent station, adding older films and family-oriented syndicated programs while retaining a limited religious presence. The call sign changed to WANX-TV in 1977, reflecting an attempt to establish a new identity. Tribune Broadcasting acquired the station from CBN in 1983 and changed the call sign to WGNX in 1984. Tribune invested heavily in syndicated programming and strengthened the station’s competitive position, making WGNX one of Atlanta’s leading independent stations. A local news operation began in 1989. WGNX was initially expected to join the WB network, but the major affiliation realignment of 1994 changed its trajectory. After WAGA-TV moved from CBS to Fox, WGNX became Atlanta’s CBS affiliate on December 11, 1994. The move gave CBS a stronger local partner than the station it had considered purchasing and enabled WGNX to carry the network’s programming without the extensive preemptions associated with WAGA. Meredith Corporation acquired WGNX in 1999 through a transaction involving Tribune and another station. Meredith attempted to reposition the property through new facilities, expanded news production, and a short-lived identity built around the names Clear TV and Clear News. The station adopted the WGCL-TV call sign in 2000, and its new Midtown facilities began carrying news in 2001. Despite repeated management and presentation changes, the station generally struggled to match the audience performance of Atlanta’s other major news producers during its CBS years. Meredith assumed operational control of WPCH-TV in 2011 and bought that station outright in 2017. This created a broader Atlanta media operation and allowed both stations to share studios and selected infrastructure. Gray Media announced its acquisition of Meredith’s local television division in 2021, completing the transaction on December 1 of that year. Under Gray, WGCL-TV received additional newsroom resources and became the centerpiece of a broader Atlanta investment strategy that also included Telemundo affiliate WKTB-CD, digital advertising interests, and film and television production assets. Gray introduced the Atlanta News First umbrella identity in 2022. WGCL-TV changed its call sign to WANF on October 3, 2022, while WPCH’s news programming also used the Atlanta News First branding. The name emphasizes local news, regional identity, and the station’s relationship with Atlanta-based ownership. According to the supplied reference material, WANF ended its CBS affiliation on August 16, 2025, when CBS programming moved to WUPA-TV. WANF therefore operates as an independent station focused on local journalism and other independently acquired programming. Its business scope includes broadcast television, digital news distribution, weather, investigative reporting, community coverage, advertising, and local content partnerships.
History
WANF’s history began with an application by the Christian Broadcasting Network for an Atlanta channel 46 television license. The FCC granted the application in 1968, and the station launched on June 6, 1971, as WHAE-TV. It initially operated for limited daily hours from leased facilities and concentrated on religious programming. The station was not initially run as a conventional profit-oriented broadcaster, but its schedule evolved during the 1970s to include older movies and family-friendly syndicated television. In 1977, it adopted the WANX-TV call sign, and in 1980 the CBN broadcasting operation became more commercially organized. The station recorded its first profit in 1982 and had become a significant independent competitor in Atlanta by the following year. Tribune Broadcasting announced the purchase of WANX-TV in July 1983 for $32 million. The transaction provided CBN with capital for other activities and debt reduction, while giving Tribune a fifth television station. In March 1984, the station became WGNX, a call sign derived from Tribune station identities. Tribune expanded its programming budget and improved the station’s syndicated schedule. WGNX became Atlanta’s leading local independent station and competed closely with WTBS, the station associated with Ted Turner, and WATL. It also carried Atlanta Hawks basketball for a period and launched a local newscast in January 1989. Tribune’s planned affiliation with the forthcoming WB network was overtaken by the 1994 affiliation upheaval. The 1994 realignment followed New World Communications’ agreement to move several stations, including Atlanta’s WAGA-TV, to Fox. This left CBS searching for a new Atlanta affiliate. CBS briefly pursued WVEU, but WGNX already had a functioning news operation and a stronger market position. CBS and Tribune reached an agreement in November 1994, and WGNX became a CBS affiliate on December 11. The change made it the only Tribune-owned CBS affiliate and allowed CBS to avoid building a new Atlanta news operation from scratch. The station later used WNEG-TV in Toccoa to address part of the network’s reduced over-the-air reach in northeastern Georgia. Meredith Corporation announced its acquisition of WGNX in 1998, with the transaction closing in 1999. Meredith sought to strengthen the station through new facilities and a major expansion of its news output. In 2000, the station adopted the WGCL-TV call sign and briefly used the Clear TV and Clear News identities. News production moved to new Midtown studios in 2001. The branding experiment was abandoned after management changes, but Meredith continued to operate and develop the station. WGCL-TV also became a hub for master-control functions serving other Meredith stations in the Southeast. Meredith entered a local marketing agreement for WPCH-TV in 2011, moving WPCH operations into the WGCL-TV facility. Meredith purchased WPCH outright in 2017. The shared operation expanded Meredith’s Atlanta presence and supported joint infrastructure, programming, and production activities. Gray Media announced its purchase of Meredith’s local media assets in May 2021 and completed the deal on December 1. Gray increased investment in the Atlanta newsroom and positioned WGCL-TV as its flagship property. Gray also expanded its Atlanta-area media portfolio through the acquisition of WKTB-CD, the Telemundo affiliate, digital advertising interests, and production facilities. In 2022, Gray announced that the station’s news programming would use Atlanta News First. WGCL-TV became WANF on October 3, 2022, while the new name was designed to present the operation as a locally connected news organization rather than merely a network affiliate. The supplied reference material states that WANF left CBS on August 16, 2025, when CBS programming transferred to WUPA-TV. This marked another major change in the station’s role: after more than three decades of network affiliation under CBS and its predecessor WGNX identity, WANF became an independent station again. Its current proposition is centered on Atlanta News First local journalism, digital publishing, weather, investigations, and community-oriented coverage.
- 2025
CBS affiliation ends
[1]The supplied reference material reports that CBS programming moved to WUPA-TV on August 16, leaving WANF as an independent station.
- 2022
Atlanta News First launches
[1]The station introduced the Atlanta News First identity and changed its call sign to WANF on October 3.
- 2021
Gray Media completes Meredith Local Media acquisition
[1]Gray Media completed its acquisition of Meredith’s local television division, including WGCL-TV and WPCH-TV.
- 2017
Meredith purchases WPCH-TV
[1]Meredith acquired WPCH-TV outright from Time Warner.
- 2011
WPCH operating agreement
[1]Meredith assumed operational control of WPCH-TV and moved its operations into the WGCL-TV facility.
- 2000
Call sign changes to WGCL-TV
[1]The station adopted WGCL-TV and briefly used the Clear TV and Clear News brands.
- 1999
Meredith takes ownership
[1]Meredith acquired WGNX in a transaction involving Tribune and another station.
- 1994
WGNX joins CBS
[1]WGNX became Atlanta’s CBS affiliate on December 11 after the market-wide affiliation changes associated with Fox’s acquisition of NFC rights.
- 1989
Local newscast launches
[1]WGNX began producing a local newscast, strengthening its position as an Atlanta independent station.
- 1984
Station becomes WGNX
[1]The call sign changed from WANX-TV to WGNX after the Tribune acquisition.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted Atlanta news station emphasizing continuous local reporting, weather, investigations, community coverage, and digital distribution under the Atlanta News First identity.
Local television news · 2022
Atlanta News First
The station’s principal news identity, used for local newscasts and related digital journalism. Atlanta News First presents breaking news, weather, traffic, investigations, public-affairs reporting, and community stories for the Atlanta market. The identity was introduced by Gray Media in 2022 and is also associated with news programming on WPCH-TV.
Television broadcasting · 1971
WANF broadcast service
The over-the-air and multichannel television service operating on Atlanta channel 46. Historically it carried religious programs, syndicated entertainment, independent programming, and CBS network content; after the reported 2025 affiliation change, its programming mix is centered on local news and independently acquired television content.
Digital media
Digital news service
WANF distributes Atlanta News First reporting through its website and associated digital channels. The service extends broadcast coverage with breaking-news updates, articles, video, weather information, investigations, and market-specific reporting.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Atlanta News First brand launch
Atlanta metropolitan area
Gray Media introduced Atlanta News First as the shared news identity for WANF and WPCH-TV, presenting the stations as a locally connected Atlanta news operation.
Outcome. WGCL-TV adopted the WANF call sign and continued operating under the Atlanta News First identity.
Brand decisions
2025
Return to independent operationStrategyBackground
The supplied reference material reports a later Atlanta affiliation change in which CBS programming moved to WUPA-TV.
Action taken
WANF ended its CBS affiliation on August 16, 2025, and continued as an independent station.
Aftermath
The station’s programming strategy shifted away from network scheduling and toward local journalism and independently acquired content.
2022
Reposition the station as Atlanta News FirstStrategyBackground
After acquiring Meredith’s local media assets, Gray Media sought to emphasize local ownership, Atlanta identity, and expanded newsroom investment.
Action taken
Gray introduced the Atlanta News First umbrella brand and changed WGCL-TV’s call sign to WANF.
Aftermath
The station’s primary identity became Atlanta News First, with the brand applied across broadcast and digital news services.
1994
Accept CBS affiliation after Atlanta network realignmentStrategyBackground
WAGA-TV was preparing to move from CBS to Fox, while CBS needed a replacement affiliate in Atlanta. WGNX already had a functioning local news department and a stronger independent-station position than the alternative under consideration.
Action taken
WGNX agreed to become the new CBS affiliate on December 11, 1994, instead of joining the planned WB network lineup.
Aftermath
The station carried CBS programming for more than three decades and became the network’s principal Atlanta outlet until the reported 2025 move to WUPA-TV.
Recent events
- 2025
CBS programming moves from WANF to WUPA[1]
Other
According to the supplied reference material, WANF ended its CBS affiliation on August 16, 2025, with CBS programming moving to WUPA-TV and WANF continuing as an independent station.
- 2022
WGCL-TV adopts Atlanta News First identity and becomes WANF[1]
Campaign · Leadership change
Gray Media introduced Atlanta News First as the umbrella news identity for WGCL-TV and WPCH-TV. WGCL-TV formally changed its call sign to WANF on October 3, 2022.
- 2021
Gray Media agrees to acquire Meredith Local Media[1]
M&A
Gray Media announced an agreement to acquire Meredith’s local television division, including WGCL-TV and WPCH-TV, in a transaction valued at $2.7 billion. The transaction closed later that year and made the Atlanta station a flagship property for Gray.
Sources2 sources
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