WEEK-TV

WEEK-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Peoria, Illinois, and serving the Peoria–Bloomington market in central Illinois. The station’s primary service is an NBC affiliation on channel 25, complemented by digital subchannels carrying ABC and The CW Plus programming. Its broadcast operation combines national network schedules with locally produced news, weather, sports and public-interest coverage for viewers across the region. The station began broadcasting on February 1, 1953, originally using UHF channel 43. It was established by the Oklahoma Publishing Company through its West Central Broadcasting subsidiary and began as an NBC affiliate, a network relationship it has retained throughout its history. The station moved to channel 25 in October 1964 after the Federal Communications Commission authorized the change and technical delays postponed installation of the replacement antenna. An earlier attempt to extend its coverage through satellite station WEEQ-TV in La Salle ended in 1972, when the satellite was closed after increased cable penetration and improvements to WEEK-TV’s signal reduced the need for a separate full-time outlet. Ownership changed several times. Oklahoma Publishing retained the television operation after selling the associated radio station in 1960, then sold the television stations to Kansas City Southern Industries in 1966. Kansas City Southern later sold the stations to Price Communications in 1985. WEEK-TV became one of the founding stations of Granite Broadcasting Corporation in 1988. Granite subsequently sold its radio interests connected with the WEEK name, while the television station continued to focus on broadcasting and local news. WEEK-TV expanded its role in the local market through operating and programming agreements with other stations. It produced a prime-time newscast for WAOE beginning in 2006 and took over day-to-day operations of ABC affiliate WHOI in 2009 under joint sales and shared-services agreements. The arrangement consolidated the stations’ news operations at WEEK-TV’s East Peoria facilities while allowing separate branded newscasts for a period. In 2014, Quincy Newspapers announced an agreement to acquire WEEK-TV from Granite; regulatory approval was granted in 2015 and the transaction closed in November of that year. A major programming change followed in 2016. Quincy acquired the ABC and CW affiliations formerly associated with WHOI from Sinclair Broadcasting Group and moved those affiliations to WEEK-TV digital subchannels. WEEK-DT2 became the market’s ABC outlet, while WEEK-DT3 became a CW Plus affiliate. The former WHOI/WEEK joint-sales arrangement ended on October 1, 2016, leaving WEEK-TV as the principal local platform for NBC, ABC and CW programming. ABC news and programming initially used the HOI ABC and later Heart of Illinois ABC identities before being integrated more closely with the station’s principal 25 News operation. Gray Television announced its acquisition of most Quincy Media television properties in 2021 in a cash transaction valued at $925 million, and completed the purchase on August 2 of that year. WEEK-TV therefore became part of Gray’s national local-television group and remains commonly owned with WHOI. The two stations share studios and transmission facilities on Springfield Road near Interstate 474 in East Peoria, in Tazewell County’s Groveland Township. In 2022, Gray announced that the ABC subchannel’s news operation would be combined with the main WEEK-TV news department, retiring the Heart of Illinois ABC News identity and consolidating personnel and broadcasts under the 25 News brand. WEEK-TV’s current role is consequently that of a multi-network local broadcast platform, with NBC on its main service, ABC on WEEK-DT2, CW Plus on WEEK-DT3, and a unified regional news operation.

WEEK-TV began broadcasting on February 1, 1953, as a UHF station on channel 43. It was established by the Oklahoma Publishing Company through West Central Broadcasting Company and operated alongside WEEK radio in Peoria. The station launched as an NBC affiliate and has retained that affiliation throughout its history. Technical construction was supervised by chief engineer Wayne Lovely, who remained associated with the station until 1974. In 1957, the operation added WEEQ-TV in La Salle as a full-time satellite intended to extend WEEK-TV’s reach. The satellite ceased operation in 1972, when the owners cited expanded cable availability in the La Salle–Streator area and improvements to WEEK-TV’s primary signal. WEEK-TV itself moved to channel 25 on October 16, 1964. The move followed FCC action involving the channel’s prior allocation and delays in receiving the station’s new antenna. The Oklahoma Publishing Company sold the associated radio station in 1960 but retained the television properties until 1966, when Kansas City Southern Industries acquired them. Kansas City Southern sold the stations to Price Communications in 1985. On October 31, 1988, WEEK-TV and KBJR-TV became the founding stations of Granite Broadcasting Corporation. Granite later divested the radio station associated with the WEEK name; the radio license ultimately became WPIA. WEEK-TV developed additional local programming arrangements in the 2000s. In 2004, its second digital channel briefly carried NBC Weather Plus and later The Local AccuWeather Channel. In 2006, the station began producing a weeknight prime-time newscast and a morning-news simulcast for WAOE. That relationship ended after 2014. WEEK-TV also began operating WHOI in March 2009 under joint sales and shared-services agreements. WHOI’s separate news department was largely closed, and the stations shared production facilities while retaining distinct news presentations for a time. Quincy Newspapers announced its purchase of WEEK-TV in 2014. The FCC approved the transaction in September 2015, and Quincy completed the acquisition on November 2, 2015. The subsequent change in programming arrangements was significant: in 2016, Quincy acquired WHOI’s ABC and CW affiliations from Sinclair and placed them on WEEK-TV digital subchannels. WEEK-DT2 became an ABC affiliate, while WEEK-DT3 carried The CW Plus feed. The WHOI/WEEK joint-sales arrangement ended on October 1, 2016, and WEEK-DT2 became the Peoria market’s sole ABC affiliate. WEEK-DT2 initially used the HOI ABC identity and adopted the longer Heart of Illinois ABC branding in 2017. It carried ABC programming and local news, while WEEK-DT3 carried CW Plus programming and selected Illinois High School Association sports coverage. WEEK-TV has also used its facilities for other local-market operating agreements, including an arrangement involving MyNetworkTV outlet WAOE that ended in 2014. WEEK-TV converted to all-digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009. Gray Television announced its acquisition of most Quincy Media television stations on February 1, 2021, and completed the transaction on August 2, 2021. Gray subsequently combined the ABC subchannel’s news operation with the main WEEK-TV newsroom. Announced in 2022, the change retired the Heart of Illinois ABC News name and placed the relevant broadcasts and staff under the 25 News operation. The station and WHOI continue to share East Peoria studios and transmitter facilities on Springfield Road.

1. 2022News departments are consolidated

   The Heart of Illinois ABC News operation is folded into 25 News.

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2. 2021Gray Television acquisition closes

   Gray Television completes its acquisition of Quincy Media’s television properties, including WEEK-TV.

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3. 2016ABC and CW move to WEEK-TV subchannels

   WEEK-DT2 becomes the local ABC service and WEEK-DT3 becomes a CW Plus outlet.

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4. 2015Quincy completes acquisition

   Quincy Newspapers completes its purchase of WEEK-TV after FCC approval.

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5. 2009Digital transition and WHOI operating agreement

   WEEK-TV becomes digital-only in February and begins operating WHOI in March under joint sales and shared-services agreements.

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6. 2004WEEK-DT2 launches

   The second digital subchannel begins with NBC Weather Plus programming.

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7. 1988Granite Broadcasting is formed

   WEEK-TV and KBJR-TV become Granite Broadcasting Corporation’s founding stations.

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8. 1972WEEQ-TV shuts down

   The La Salle satellite is closed because cable distribution and the improved primary signal reduced the need for the outlet.

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9. 1964Move to channel 25

   WEEK-TV begins transmitting on channel 25 after a delayed technical transition.

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10. 1957WEEQ-TV launches as a satellite

    A full-time satellite station begins operation in La Salle to extend WEEK-TV’s coverage.

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11. 1953WEEK-TV launches on channel 43

    The station begins broadcasting on February 1 as an NBC affiliate owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company’s West Central Broadcasting subsidiary.

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A multi-network local television broadcaster centered on NBC programming and regional news for central Illinois.

• WEEK-TV NBC servicenetwork television1953

  The main channel is a long-standing NBC affiliate serving the Peoria–Bloomington market. Its schedule combines NBC’s national news, entertainment and sports programming with WEEK-TV’s locally produced newscasts, weather reports, regional public-affairs material and other local content.

• WEEK-DT2 ABC servicedigital television2004

  WEEK-DT2 carries ABC programming in the Peoria market. The subchannel was used for weather services before returning to the air as an ABC outlet in 2016 after Quincy moved the ABC affiliation from WHOI. Its local-news identity evolved from HOI ABC to Heart of Illinois ABC before the news operation was integrated with 25 News.

• WEEK-DT3 Peoria-Bloomington CWdigital television2016

  WEEK-DT3 carries The CW Plus feed, a service designed for smaller television markets that supplements regular CW network programming with syndicated content. Gray Television sells local advertising and handles promotional activity. The subchannel also carries selected Illinois High School Association championship sports broadcasts.

• 25 Newslocal news

  25 News is WEEK-TV’s unified local-news operation, covering central Illinois with regional reporting, weather, sports and community information. It became the principal identity for news previously produced separately for the station’s ABC subchannel after Gray consolidated the operations.

• 2022Integration of ABC and NBC newsroomsStrategy

  The ABC subchannel’s separate Heart of Illinois ABC News operation and the main 25 News department were producing overlapping local coverage under common ownership.

  What changed. Gray combined the news operations, retired the Heart of Illinois ABC News name and moved the relevant staff and broadcasts under 25 News.

  Aftermath. Some local newscasts were simulcast across the NBC and ABC subchannels, reducing direct competition between the two services.

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• 2021Acquisition by Gray TelevisionM&A

  Gray Television agreed to acquire most of Quincy Media’s television properties as part of an expansion of its local broadcasting portfolio.

  What changed. Gray purchased the Quincy television properties, including WEEK-TV, in a cash transaction announced at $925 million and completed the acquisition on August 2, 2021.

  Aftermath. WEEK-TV became part of Gray’s station group and remained commonly owned with WHOI.

  announced transaction value. $925 million (announced February 1, 2021; completed August 2, 2021)

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• 2016Transfer of ABC and CW affiliations to digital subchannelsStrategy

  Quincy acquired WHOI’s ABC and CW affiliations from Sinclair after the ownership and operating relationship between WEEK-TV and WHOI was scheduled to end.

  What changed. Quincy placed ABC on WEEK-DT2 and The CW Plus on WEEK-DT3, while the ABC and CW services were temporarily simulcast on WHOI during the transition.

  Aftermath. WEEK-DT2 became the Peoria market’s sole ABC affiliate after October 1, 2016, and the station operated as a multi-network platform alongside its NBC main channel.

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• 2009Consolidation of WEEK-TV and WHOI operationsStrategy

  WHOI was then the Peoria market’s ABC and CW station, while WEEK-TV was the NBC outlet. Under joint sales and shared-services agreements, the stations were brought together operationally.

  What changed. WEEK-TV took over WHOI’s operations, closed WHOI’s former studios and consolidated much of the news production at its East Peoria facility while retaining separate branded broadcasts.

  Aftermath. The arrangement continued until 2016, when the ABC and CW affiliations were moved to WEEK-TV digital subchannels and the joint-sales agreement ended.

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• 2022WEEK-TV consolidates ABC and NBC news operations

  Gray announced that the Heart of Illinois ABC News operation would be combined with WEEK-TV’s main news department, with broadcasts and personnel integrated under the 25 News identity.

  Leadership change
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• 2021Gray Television completes acquisition of Quincy Media television stations

  Gray Television completed its purchase of most Quincy Media television properties, including WEEK-TV, in a transaction announced at $925 million in cash.

  M&A
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• 2016ABC and CW affiliations move to WEEK-TV digital subchannels

  Quincy moved the market’s ABC and CW affiliations from WHOI to WEEK-TV subchannels, making WEEK-DT2 the local ABC service and WEEK-DT3 the CW Plus service.

  Product launch
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• 2014Quincy Newspapers agrees to acquire WEEK-TV

  Quincy Newspapers announced an agreement to purchase WEEK-TV and several other Granite Broadcasting television properties. The transaction closed in 2015 after FCC approval.

  M&A
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• 2009WEEK-TV begins operating WHOI

  Under joint sales and shared-services agreements, WEEK-TV assumed operational responsibility for ABC affiliate WHOI and consolidated the stations’ news operations in East Peoria.

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• 1964WEEK-TV moves from channel 43 to channel 25

  After FCC authorization and antenna-delivery delays, the station transferred its broadcast operation to channel 25, the channel it continues to use.

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• 1953WEEK-TV begins broadcasting on UHF channel 43

  WEEK-TV launched as an NBC affiliate under the ownership of the Oklahoma Publishing Company’s West Central Broadcasting subsidiary.

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1. WEEK-TV
2. WEEK-TV official website