WFMY-TV
WFMY-TV is a CBS-affiliated television station serving North Carolina's Piedmont Triad.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WFMY-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, and serving the Piedmont Triad television market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 2 and is affiliated with CBS. Its local identity is commonly expressed through the News 2 branding, particularly in news, weather, traffic, and community programming. The station's studios are on Phillips Avenue in Greensboro, while its transmitter is near Randleman in Randolph County. WFMY-TV began service in 1949 under the ownership of the Greensboro News Company, publisher of the Greensboro Daily News and Daily Record. It was the second television station established in North Carolina, following WBTV in Charlotte, and was notable for originating the state's first live television broadcast. During its first years, WFMY was the only television station serving the Triad and carried programming from CBS, NBC, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network. Although its schedule was broadly distributed across the networks, CBS was its principal affiliation. Network programming initially reached Greensboro through kinescopes until coaxial-cable service connected the market to national television distribution in 1950. The station became an important regional institution during the 1950s and 1960s. It expanded into larger facilities, increased transmission power, and developed local programs that attracted audiences beyond conventional news broadcasts. The Old Rebel Show, What's Cooking Today, and The Good Morning Show became especially durable parts of the station's identity. The Good Morning Show, launched in 1957 with Lee Kinard, evolved from a music-oriented program into an extended local morning news and features format. WFMY also built a reputation as the market's ratings leader, although competition from WXII-TV and WGHP increased from the late 1990s onward. Ownership changed several times. The Greensboro News Company was acquired by Norfolk–Portsmouth Newspapers in 1964; that company adopted the name Landmark Communications in 1967. Harte-Hanks Newspapers purchased WFMY-TV in a transaction announced in 1976 and completed in 1977. Gannett acquired the station in 1988 after Harte-Hanks sought to reduce debt. In 2015, WFMY became part of Tegna when Gannett separated its broadcasting and digital assets from its newspaper operations. Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tegna, announced in 2025 and completed in 2026 according to the supplied reference material, placed WFMY in the same corporate portfolio as Piedmont Triad Fox affiliate WGHP. Court action reportedly limited immediate integration of the two stations. News and public-service broadcasting have remained central to WFMY-TV's positioning. The station expanded its evening newscast to one hour in 1981, introduced the News 2.0 news-format initiative in 2011, extended morning news to an earlier start, and added or reorganized newscasts during later schedule changes. In 2019, The Good Morning Show was shortened to make room for live CBS morning programming, while a 4 p.m. local newscast was added. WFMY began digital broadcasting in 2002 and ended regular analog transmission in 2009 as part of the nationwide digital transition. Its continuing role is that of a regional broadcast and digital-news provider, combining CBS network content with locally produced journalism, weather coverage, sports, advertising, and community features.
History
WFMY-TV's roots lie in the Greensboro News Company's expansion from newspapers into broadcasting. The company first established an FM radio operation, also using the WFMY call sign, before applying for a television authorization in February 1948. The Federal Communications Commission approved the application that June. Construction and engineering work continued into 1949, including modifications to an existing radio tower. WFMY-TV made test transmissions on August 18, 1949, and began regular programming on September 22. Its first live test transmission is regarded as the first live television broadcast originated in North Carolina. At launch, WFMY was primarily associated with CBS but operated in an era when a single station could carry material from several networks. It used CBS, NBC, ABC, and DuMont programs, with much national content delivered on film until cable distribution reached Greensboro in 1950. Because the FCC had frozen most new television grants between 1948 and 1952, WFMY and WBTV were the only authorized stations in the state during much of the period. WFMY therefore served a broad territory, including communities outside the immediate Triad and, for a time, viewers in central and eastern North Carolina who lacked a nearby station. The station moved into a substantially larger Phillips Avenue facility in January 1955 and increased power to the FCC maximum. During the following decade it developed a strong local-programming operation. The children's western-themed Six-Gun Playhouse evolved into The Old Rebel Show, which remained on the schedule for 26 years. Cordelia Kelly hosted the cooking program What's Cooking Today from 1953 to 1971. In 1957, announcer Lee Kinard launched The Good Morning Show, which gradually expanded into a substantial local news and features program. These programs, combined with a growing newsroom, helped establish WFMY as the traditional ratings leader in the market. The station's news operation also changed in response to the civil-rights movement and the Greensboro sit-ins of 1960. WFMY hired Fred Davis as its first Black reporter in 1968. Sandra Hughes joined in 1972 and later hosted Sandra & Friends, making her the first African American host of a daily talk program in North Carolina. Her tenure reflected both the station's expanding local presence and the hostility sometimes directed toward on-air integration; the reference material records bomb threats and threats against staff during this period. Hughes later became a prominent evening-news anchor and remained associated with WFMY until her retirement in 2010. Corporate ownership shifted in the 1960s and 1970s. Norfolk–Portsmouth Newspapers acquired the Greensboro News Company in 1964 and renamed itself Landmark Communications in 1967. Harte-Hanks acquired WFMY-TV in a deal announced in 1976 and completed in 1977. During the Harte-Hanks period, WFMY continued to invest in facilities and transmission coverage. A new high tower constructed near Sophia in 1980 was intended to expand the station's service area, though its signal geometry produced reception problems for some households. On September 25, 1984, WFMY's leased news helicopter, Sky 2, crashed during an attempted rescue operation at a water-tower construction site near Kernersville. Pilot Tom Haroski and an emergency-rescue worker died in the crash. The incident became one of the most serious events in the station's history and underscored the risks associated with live television news operations. Harte-Hanks placed WFMY-TV on the market in 1987 after a leveraged buyout created substantial corporate debt. Gannett agreed to purchase WFMY and WTLV in December 1987, and the transaction closed in February 1988. WFMY continued to lead many local ratings measurements through the mid-1990s, but competition intensified as WXII expanded its Greensboro news presence and WGHP benefited from its 1995 move from ABC to Fox. Lee Kinard left The Good Morning Show in 1997 after nearly four decades and retired from the 6 p.m. newscast in 1999. In 2011, the station introduced the News 2.0 format under general manager Larry Audas and expanded early-morning news. In 2015, Gannett separated its broadcasting and digital properties into Tegna, which retained WFMY. A schedule revision in December 2019 shortened The Good Morning Show to end at 7 a.m., allowing CBS's morning program to air live, and added a 4 p.m. local newscast. WFMY's digital transition began in 2002, and regular analog transmission ended in 2009. The station remains an active CBS affiliate serving the Piedmont Triad through over-the-air television, cable and satellite distribution, and its digital news service.
- 2019
Morning and afternoon schedules change
[1]The Good Morning Show was shortened, CBS morning programming began airing live, and a 4 p.m. newscast was added.
- 2015
Tegna becomes owner
[1]WFMY moved from Gannett into the newly separated Tegna broadcasting and digital portfolio.
- 2011
News 2.0 format introduced
[1]WFMY revised its news presentation and expanded early-morning coverage.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]The station ended regular analog programming during the federally mandated digital television transition.
- 2002
Digital broadcasting begins
[1]WFMY began digital transmission as one of the first local stations in the market to do so.
- 1988
Gannett acquisition closes
[1]Gannett completed its purchase of WFMY-TV from Harte-Hanks.
- 1984
Sky 2 helicopter crash
[1]A news helicopter crashed during a rescue attempt near Kernersville, killing two people.
- 1981
Evening newscast expands
[1]WFMY expanded its evening newscast to one hour, among the earliest such expansions in North Carolina outside Charlotte.
- 1980
New high transmission tower is built
[1]WFMY constructed a major tower near Sophia to enlarge its planned coverage area.
- 1977
Harte-Hanks ownership begins
[1]Harte-Hanks completed its acquisition of WFMY-TV from Landmark Communications.
Products and positioning
A long-established local CBS affiliate emphasizing regional news, weather, community information, and broadcast-digital reach across the Piedmont Triad.
Local television news · 1949
WFMY News 2 local newscasts
The station's principal service consists of locally produced newscasts covering Greensboro and the wider Piedmont Triad. Coverage includes breaking news, government, education, public safety, business, sports, traffic, and community affairs, with distribution through broadcast television and the station's digital platforms.
Local morning news and features · 1957
The Good Morning Show
First broadcast in 1957, this long-running local program developed from a music-oriented morning show into an extended news, weather, sports, interview, and community-features format. It became one of WFMY-TV's most recognizable local franchises before its schedule was shortened in 2019.
Network television · 1949
CBS network programming
WFMY-TV carries CBS programming for the Piedmont Triad market. The station has been primarily affiliated with CBS since its launch, although its early schedule also included programs from other national networks.
Digital news service
WFMYNews2.com
The station's website extends its local-news, weather, video, traffic, and public-service output beyond the broadcast schedule. It functions as part of WFMY's integrated television and digital-news operation.
Brand decisions
2026
Nexstar acquisition and restricted integrationM&ABackground
Nexstar's acquisition of Tegna placed WFMY-TV and Nexstar-owned WGHP in the same Piedmont Triad market.
Action taken
The acquisition was completed according to the supplied reference, but a temporary restraining order and subsequent preliminary injunction reportedly prevented immediate integration of the stations.
Aftermath
The ownership relationship and operational consequences remain subject to legal and regulatory developments.
2019
Morning schedule overhaulStrategyBackground
WFMY sought to align its schedule with CBS's live national morning programming while maintaining a local news presence.
Action taken
The Good Morning Show was shortened to end at 7 a.m.; CBS morning programming began airing live, and a 4 p.m. local newscast was introduced.
Aftermath
The changes integrated the station's local and network programming more closely and added another local-news time period.
2011
Launch of the News 2.0 news formatStrategyBackground
WFMY faced a more competitive local-news environment after years in which it had commonly led the market's ratings.
Action taken
The station redesigned and repositioned its news presentation under the News 2.0 name and expanded its early-morning output.
Aftermath
The initiative marked a broader effort to modernize the station's local-news product and compete for changing audiences.
Recent events
- 2026
Nexstar acquires Tegna[1]
M&A · Regulation
The supplied reference states that Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna, bringing WFMY and WGHP under the same corporate ownership, while subsequent court action restricted integration.
- 2015
WFMY becomes part of Tegna[1]
M&A
WFMY was retained by the broadcasting and digital company created when Gannett separated those operations from its newspaper business.
- 1988
Gannett acquires WFMY-TV[1]
M&A
Gannett purchased WFMY-TV and WTLV from Harte-Hanks as part of Harte-Hanks' effort to reduce debt after a leveraged buyout.
- 1949
WFMY-TV begins broadcasting[1]
Other
The station conducted test broadcasts in August and began regular programming in September, establishing one of North Carolina's earliest television services.
Sources2 sources
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