WEAU

WEAU is a television station licensed to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and serving the La Crosse–Eau Claire designated market area. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 13 and has historically operated as the area's primary NBC affiliate. It also carries programming from The CW Plus. Its studios are located on South Hastings Way, also identified with U.S. 53 Business, in Altoona, while its main transmission facilities are positioned north of Fairchild near the Eau Claire–Clark county line. The station began broadcasting on December 17, 1953, under Central Broadcasting Company. The original ownership group included interests associated with the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and WEAU radio properties. WEAU-TV initially carried programming from NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont in addition to its local output. As the regional television market developed, the station became more tightly aligned with NBC: DuMont disappeared after that network shut down in 1956, CBS moved to WKBT in La Crosse after the two communities were treated as one larger market in 1958, and ABC programming moved to WXOW after that station launched in 1970. WEAU has retained its primary NBC relationship throughout its history. Local programming and news have been central to the station's identity. Early personalities included children's host Sheriff Bob Dawson. WEAU installed its own Doppler weather radar in 1979, becoming the first station in its market to operate such a system rather than depend solely on delayed National Weather Service data. It introduced a weekday 5 p.m. newscast in 1981 and added live remote-production capability with a satellite truck by 1983. The station has generally concentrated its reporting on Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, with additional coverage of La Crosse. Ownership changed several times. The Post Corporation acquired WEAU-TV from Morgan Murphy interests in 1962. George N. Gillett Jr. purchased the Post stations in 1984, and WEAU was later sold to Busse Broadcasting in 1990. Gray Communications Systems and Cosmos Broadcasting jointly acquired the Busse stations in 1998. Cosmos briefly received WEAU in an exchange involving WALB, after which WEAU returned to Gray ownership. Gray Communications Systems was subsequently renamed Gray Television and later adopted the Gray Media name. WEAU expanded its regional news role through a 2006 agreement with Grant Broadcasting System II, producing a weekday prime-time newscast for Fox affiliates WLAX and WEUX in the La Crosse market. The program later expanded to weekends. The station upgraded its own newscasts to high definition in 2011, with the partner Fox broadcasts following later after improvements to their production facilities. The station's engineering history includes several major transmission changes. A tower near the original Eau Claire studios was replaced by a much taller structure near Fairchild in 1966. WEAU-DT began digital transmission on April 30, 2002. Its analog signal ended on February 16, 2009, and the digital service ultimately moved to channel 13. The approximately 2,000-foot Fairchild-area tower collapsed during a severe winter storm on March 22, 2011; a replacement structure was completed later that year, allowing service to resume. In 2024, WEAU and WECX-LD carried 10 Milwaukee Bucks games under an arrangement with Weigel Broadcasting.

WEAU-TV signed on December 17, 1953, serving Eau Claire and surrounding communities in western Wisconsin. It was established by Central Broadcasting Company, an ownership group connected with local newspaper and radio interests. The station's early schedule was broader than its current network identity: it carried NBC as its principal affiliation while also presenting selected CBS, ABC, and DuMont programs. It briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. DuMont programming ended after that network ceased operations in 1956. CBS moved to WKBT in La Crosse when the regional market structure changed in 1958, and ABC left after WXOW began broadcasting in 1970. WEAU's early local identity was built through personalities and community programming. Children's presenter Sheriff Bob Dawson became one of its best-known early figures. The station also invested in technical infrastructure. It first transmitted from a tower behind its Eau Claire studios, replaced that structure with a roughly 1,000-foot tower in 1956, and later moved its principal transmission operation to a much taller tower near Fairchild in 1966. The Fairchild structure became a notable regional landmark and was described as one of Wisconsin's tallest structures. In 1962, the Post Corporation of Appleton acquired WEAU-TV from Morgan Murphy interests. The station remained part of a broader radio and television ownership history in the region, although its radio relationships changed over time. George N. Gillett Jr. acquired the Post Corporation stations in 1984. Financial problems affecting Gillett's acquisitions led to a sale of WEAU to Busse Broadcasting in 1990. In 1998, Gray Communications Systems and Cosmos Broadcasting joined in acquiring Busse's stations. WEAU was initially assigned to Cosmos, then exchanged back to Gray in a transaction involving WALB. This made WEAU part of the Gray broadcasting group, which later became Gray Television and subsequently Gray Media. News and weather have remained the station's primary local services. WEAU built a Doppler weather radar in 1979, an important step in providing locally controlled weather information. It launched a weekday 5 p.m. newscast in 1981 and had a satellite truck for live remote broadcasts by 1983. The station experienced a major personnel loss in September 1991 when weeknight anchor Cindy Schott died unexpectedly. Her death later received national television attention. After longtime anchor John Froyd retired, WEAU returned to a two-anchor format for its weeknight 10 p.m. broadcast in 1998. The station expanded its role in the wider market through a news-sharing arrangement announced in 2006 with Fox affiliates WLAX and WEUX. WEAU produced a prime-time newscast for those stations from a secondary set in its Altoona facility. The program began on weeknights, expanded to weekends in 2007, and later moved to high definition after the partner facilities improved their production capabilities. WEAU itself completed an HD transition for its newscasts in 2011. Digital broadcasting brought further changes. WEAU-DT began operating on April 30, 2002. The station ended analog broadcasting on February 16, 2009, and its digital service moved to channel 13. The Fairchild transmission tower collapsed during severe winter weather on March 22, 2011. A replacement tower was completed by December 15, 2011, and the station resumed transmission from the replacement facility later that month. A temporary digital replacement translator served the La Crosse area from 2020 to 2021. In 2024, WEAU and WECX-LD added 10 Milwaukee Bucks telecasts through an agreement with Weigel Broadcasting. WEAU continues to operate as an NBC-affiliated local station owned by Gray Media.

1. 2024Milwaukee Bucks games added

   WEAU and WECX-LD aired 10 Milwaukee Bucks games through an agreement with Weigel Broadcasting.

   Source
2. 2012Call sign drops the television suffix

   The station removed the “-TV” suffix from its call sign on October 1.

   Source
3. 2011Transmission tower collapses and is replaced

   The Fairchild-area tower collapsed during a winter storm on March 22. A replacement structure was completed later that year.

   Source
4. 2011Local newscasts move to high definition

   WEAU upgraded its own newscasts to high definition.

   Source
5. 2009Analog transmission ends

   WEAU shut down its analog signal on February 16 and transitioned its digital service to channel 13.

   Source
6. 2006Fox news-sharing agreement begins

   WEAU began producing a prime-time newscast for WLAX and WEUX under a regional news-sharing arrangement.

   Source
7. 2002Digital broadcasting begins

   WEAU-DT began digital transmission on April 30.

   Source
8. 1998WEAU returns to Gray ownership

   Following a joint acquisition and subsequent exchange involving Cosmos Broadcasting, WEAU became part of Gray's station group.

   Source
9. 1990Busse Broadcasting acquires WEAU

   WEAU was sold to Busse Broadcasting after the previous owner encountered financial difficulties.

   Source
10. 19815 p.m. newscast launched

    The station premiered a weekday 5 p.m. local newscast.

    Source
11. 1979WEAU constructed its own Doppler weather radar, becoming the first television station in the market to operate such a system.

    WEAU constructed its own Doppler weather radar, becoming the first television station in the market to operate such a system.

    Source
12. 1966Fairchild-area transmission tower is built

    A much taller transmission tower was constructed near Fairchild, replacing the station's earlier tower arrangement.

    Source
13. 1962Post Corporation acquires WEAU-TV

    The Post Corporation of Appleton purchased WEAU-TV from Morgan Murphy interests.

    Source
14. 1956DuMont affiliation ends

    WEAU lost DuMont programming after the network shut down.

    Source
15. 1953WEAU-TV begins broadcasting

    WEAU-TV signed on December 17 as a television station serving Eau Claire under Central Broadcasting Company.

    Source

A locally focused broadcast television station combining NBC network programming with news, weather, community reporting, and regional sports coverage for western Wisconsin.

• WEAU Local NewsTelevision news1953

  WEAU's local news operation covers Eau Claire, the Chippewa Valley, and selected stories affecting the wider La Crosse–Eau Claire market. The operation includes scheduled newscasts, live reports, investigative and community stories, and regional breaking-news coverage.

• WEAU WeatherWeather broadcasting1979

  Weather reporting is a central part of WEAU's service proposition. The station installed market-leading local Doppler radar in 1979 and provides forecast, severe-weather, and storm coverage for western Wisconsin.

• NBC programmingNetwork television1953

  WEAU has been a primary NBC affiliate since its launch. NBC programming forms the station's principal network offering alongside locally produced news and weather content.

• The CW PlusNetwork television

  WEAU carries programming from The CW Plus as a secondary network offering in addition to its NBC affiliation.

• Fox 25/48 News at 9News production service2006

  This regional prime-time newscast was produced by WEAU for Fox affiliates WLAX and WEUX. It began as a weekday broadcast in 2006, expanded to weekends in 2007, and later received a high-definition production upgrade.

• 2024Milwaukee Bucks broadcast agreementProduct launch

  Regional broadcast availability for selected Milwaukee Bucks games expanded through an arrangement involving Weigel Broadcasting.

  What changed. WEAU and WECX-LD aired 10 Bucks games during 2024.

  Aftermath. The agreement added professional sports programming to WEAU's local and network television offering.

  Source
• 2011Replacement of collapsed transmission towerOther

  WEAU's tall Fairchild-area transmission tower collapsed during a severe winter storm on March 22.

  What changed. A replacement tower was completed by December 15, and the station restored transmission from the replacement facility later that month.

  Aftermath. The replacement structure restored the station's primary over-the-air coverage after the engineering disruption.

  Source
• 2009Digital transition and channel relocationOther

  Federal digital television transition requirements required WEAU to end analog broadcasting and establish its post-transition digital channel.

  What changed. WEAU ended analog transmission on February 16 and moved its digital signal from channel 39 to channel 13.

  Aftermath. The station continued its long-standing channel 13 identity in digital broadcasting.

  Source
• 2006Regional news-sharing arrangement with WLAX and WEUXStrategy

  Grant Broadcasting System II's La Crosse-area Fox affiliates needed a prime-time local news product, while WEAU had an established newsroom and production operation.

  What changed. WEAU began producing a weekday 9 p.m. newscast for WLAX and WEUX from a secondary set at its Altoona studios. The program later expanded to weekends.

  Aftermath. The arrangement broadened WEAU's regional news role. The partner broadcasts initially remained outside WEAU's high-definition upgrade until the production facility was improved.

  Source

• 2024WEAU carries Milwaukee Bucks games through regional agreement

  WEAU and WECX-LD aired 10 Milwaukee Bucks games as part of an agreement involving Weigel Broadcasting.

  CampaignOther
  Source
• 2011WEAU tower collapses during severe winter storm

  The station's approximately 2,000-foot transmission tower near Fairchild collapsed during an intense winter storm. A replacement tower was completed later in the year.

  Other
  Source
• 2011WEAU completes high-definition news upgrade

  WEAU upgraded its own local newscasts to high definition. The associated WLAX and WEUX production initially remained outside the upgrade because of limitations at the secondary production set.

  Product generation
  Source

1. WEAU
2. WEAU official website