WHMB-TV
WHMB-TV is a television station serving the Indianapolis, Indiana, market, with a long history of Christian programming and a current primary affiliation with Univision.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WHMB-TV is a television station serving Indianapolis and surrounding communities in central Indiana. The station is licensed to Indianapolis, operates studios in Noblesville on Greenfield Avenue, and transmits from a facility on Walnut Drive in northwestern Indianapolis. It is owned by Family Broadcasting Corporation, the successor organization to the station's original ownership group, LeSEA Broadcasting and World Harvest Broadcasting. The station's origins date to an application filed in 1966 by White River Radio Corporation for a new UHF station on channel 40. The construction process was unusually prolonged. The Federal Communications Commission approved the application in November 1966, and the proposed station's city of license was changed from Lawrence to Indianapolis in 1968. Construction delays, financing problems, and an unsuccessful proposed sale to the Christian Broadcasting Network postponed the launch. The transmitter began operating in December 1970, and regular programming commenced in February 1971 under the call sign WURD. WURD initially combined syndicated children's programs, country music, public-affairs programming, religious shows, and programming aimed at Indianapolis's Black community. The station was disadvantaged by limited capitalization, a weak advertising market, and the relatively low penetration of UHF television at the time. It reduced its schedule and eventually suspended operations in June 1972 while creditors pursued legal action. Lester Sumrall, an Assembly of God minister and broadcaster, then acquired the station through LeSEA Broadcasting. The FCC approved the transaction in August 1972, and the station returned to the air in November with the WHMB-TV call sign. Under LeSEA, WHMB developed a strongly Christian programming identity. Its schedule featured programs such as The 700 Club and The PTL Club, broadcasts by religious figures including Jimmy Swaggart and Richard Roberts, locally produced Bible teaching, and programming hosted by members of the Sumrall family. The station also carried secular programs, especially children's shows, classic sitcoms, westerns, movies, and lifestyle programs. A notable local production was Pirate Adventures with Captain Hook, a children's ministry program hosted by Von Saum that ran for many years and was later distributed internationally. WHMB gradually expanded its operating hours, reaching an around-the-clock schedule by the early 1980s. Over subsequent decades, the balance between religious and secular programming shifted, but Christian content remained central to the station's identity. WHMB also carried local and syndicated sports, including Indiana high-school championships, Indianapolis Indians minor-league baseball, and a syndicated Atlantic Coast Conference sports package from 2012 through 2019. The station has used its digital multicast capacity for a changing range of services, including American Sports Network programming, World Harvest Television, Light TV, HSN, QVC, and other specialty services. Its analog signal ended in January 2009, after which it continued digitally using virtual channel 40. In August 2024, WHMB changed its primary affiliation to Univision, bringing Spanish-language network programming back to the Indianapolis market after a lengthy period in which Univision viewers primarily relied on a national cable and satellite feed. In October 2024, the station announced plans to carry Chicago Sports Network programming on selected multicast channels, subject to local sports-rights restrictions.
History
WHMB-TV traces its history to White River Radio Corporation's 1966 application to build a new television station on Indianapolis's channel 40 allocation. The Federal Communications Commission approved the application on November 22, 1966. White River initially proposed Lawrence as the city of license, but the designation was changed to Indianapolis in 1968, when construction began. The project encountered repeated delays, and a proposed 1969 sale to the Christian Broadcasting Network was abandoned early the following year. The station's transmitter was activated on December 15, 1970. Regular programming began on February 22, 1971, under the call sign WURD. Its early schedule included syndicated children's programs such as Romper Room and Bozo the Clown, country music, public-affairs shows, religious programs, and an early program serving Indianapolis's Black community. WURD also obtained the local right to rebroadcast Chicago White Sox games during the 1971 season. Despite these efforts, the station struggled with inadequate capitalization, low UHF viewership, and a poor advertising environment. It reduced its broadcast hours to control operating costs and was eventually reduced to a schedule of only two days per week. White River exited the television business in 1972. The station suspended operations on June 25 while the proposed sale proceeded and creditors sought remedies in court. The FCC approved the acquisition by Lester Sumrall's LeSEA Broadcasting on August 15, 1972. The station returned on November 3 with the WHMB-TV call sign and a schedule primarily devoted to religious programming. WHMB was LeSEA's first television property; the company already operated WHME radio in South Bend. During the 1970s, WHMB expanded its hours and developed the programming model that defined much of its subsequent history. It carried The 700 Club, The PTL Club, and programs associated with televangelists such as Jimmy Swaggart and Richard Roberts. The station also mixed in children's programs, westerns, and other secular syndicated material. By 1975, it was broadcasting for approximately 18 hours per day. Local productions included a Bible-study program hosted by Lester Sumrall and a Christian music and variety program presented by members of the Sumrall family. One of the station's best-known local programs was Pirate Adventures with Captain Hook, a weekday children's show hosted by Von Saum. Saum used a pirate character, music, stories, and object lessons to communicate Christian teachings. The program originated in Saum's ministry work and continued on WHMB from 1972 until shortly before his death in 1993. WHMB later syndicated the series to stations in several countries. By 1981, WHMB had adopted a 24-hour schedule. Religious programs occupied substantial portions of the day and overnight hours, while cartoons, classic sitcoms, westerns, and other family-oriented entertainment filled selected daytime periods. By 1983, Christian programming occupied most of the broadcast day, with secular programming concentrated in weekday and Saturday windows. During the 1990s, the station added somewhat newer sitcoms and expanded its general-entertainment mix, while continuing to air educational children's programming in accordance with federal requirements. WHMB also developed a local sports role. In 1997, the Indiana High School Athletic Association awarded it rights to statewide boys' and girls' basketball tournament finals and high-school football championship games after WTTV declined to renew its contract. WHMB did not renew the championship contract in 2004, but it continued to carry selected high-school football and basketball games. The station also broadcast a limited number of Indianapolis Indians minor-league baseball games. From 2012 through 2019, it carried a syndicated package of Atlantic Coast Conference football and men's basketball games distributed by Raycom Sports. The station's digital transition produced further changes. WHMB ended analog broadcasting on January 16, 2009, while retaining virtual channel 40 on its digital signal. The FCC later approved a move of the digital transmission facility from UHF channel 16 to UHF channel 20. Its multicast services changed repeatedly: American Sports Network briefly occupied a digital channel in 2017, World Harvest Television and Light TV were added during later 2017 changes, HSN replaced World Harvest Television in 2018, and QVC replaced Light TV in 2020. In August 2024, WHMB and WHME-TV made Univision their primary affiliations. This marked a significant programming shift for WHMB, adding a Spanish-language network orientation to a station historically identified with Christian broadcasting. In October 2024, WHMB announced that Chicago Sports Network would be available on two digital subchannels. The station remains part of Family Broadcasting Corporation's broadcast group and continues to serve the Indianapolis television market.
- 2024
Primary affiliation changes to Univision
[1]WHMB changed its primary affiliation to Univision, expanding its role to include Spanish-language network broadcasting.
- 2024
Chicago Sports Network multicast carriage announced
[1]The station announced planned carriage of Chicago Sports Network on its second and sixth subchannels, with local rights restrictions affecting Bulls programming.
- 2020
QVC added to a digital subchannel
[1]QVC replaced Light TV on one of WHMB's multicast channels.
- 2017
American Sports Network multicast service launched
[1]LeSEA introduced All Sports Channel 40.3, carrying selected college sports and sports-talk programming, but the service lasted only a short time.
- 2012
Digital channel relocation approved
[1]The FCC approved LeSEA's request to move WHMB's digital signal from UHF channel 16 to UHF channel 20.
- 2012
ACC syndicated sports package begins
[1]WHMB became the Indianapolis outlet for Raycom Sports' syndicated Atlantic Coast Conference football and men's basketball package.
- 2009
Analog signal shutdown
[1]WHMB discontinued its analog transmission on UHF channel 40 and continued digital broadcasting using virtual channel 40.
- 2004
IHSAA championship contract not renewed
[1]WHMB chose not to renew the contract for statewide championship coverage, although it continued to carry selected high-school sports.
- 1997
IHSAA championship rights acquired
[1]WHMB obtained local television rights to Indiana high-school basketball tournament finals and football championship games.
- 1993
Pirate Adventures with Captain Hook ends
[1]The long-running local children's ministry program hosted by Von Saum left the schedule shortly before Saum's death.
Products and positioning
A local broadcast television outlet combining a historic Christian-programming identity with general entertainment, sports, digital multicast services, and a current Spanish-language Univision affiliation.
Broadcast television · 1971
WHMB-TV primary channel
The station's principal over-the-air service for the Indianapolis market. Historically centered on Christian and family-oriented programming, the primary channel became affiliated with the Spanish-language Univision network in August 2024.
Religious television · 1972
Christian programming
A longstanding programming category that includes church-related broadcasts, Bible teaching, televangelist programs, Christian music, ministry programs, and locally produced religious content. It has been central to WHMB's identity since the station was relaunched under LeSEA in 1972.
Sports broadcasting · 1971
Local and syndicated sports
WHMB has carried Indiana high-school football and basketball, Indianapolis Indians baseball, and syndicated collegiate sports. Its past sports agreements included Indiana high-school championship events and a Raycom Sports package of Atlantic Coast Conference football and men's basketball.
Multicast television · 2017
Digital multicast services
The station uses digital subchannels for specialty programming. Over time these have included American Sports Network, World Harvest Television, Light TV, HSN, QVC, and planned Chicago Sports Network programming.
Brand decisions
2024
Primary affiliation change to UnivisionStrategyBackground
Univision had lacked a local Indianapolis over-the-air affiliate for many years after the former local outlet ended its affiliation, leaving viewers dependent on a national cable and satellite feed.
Action taken
WHMB and sister station WHME-TV switched their primary affiliations to Univision in August 2024.
Aftermath
WHMB added Spanish-language network programming to its established local broadcast and Christian-media portfolio.
2024
Planned carriage of Chicago Sports NetworkProduct launchBackground
Chicago Sports Network was seeking local distribution for programming involving Chicago professional sports teams.
Action taken
WHMB announced that the network would be carried on its second and sixth digital subchannels.
Aftermath
The station noted that it could not carry Chicago Bulls games in its market because of protections for local Indiana Pacers rights.
2017
Launch of All Sports Channel 40.3Product launchBackground
LeSEA sought to use WHMB's digital capacity for additional sports programming.
Action taken
The station launched a multicast service carrying American Sports Network events, including college basketball and ice hockey.
Aftermath
The affiliation was short-lived; the channel later displayed a WHMB placeholder screen before the multicast lineup was reorganized.
2009
Transition from analog to digital broadcastingStrategyBackground
Federal digital television transition requirements changed the technical basis of local over-the-air broadcasting.
Action taken
WHMB shut down its analog UHF channel 40 signal and continued with a digital signal using virtual channel 40.
Aftermath
The transition enabled subsequent use of digital multicast channels and specialty programming services.
1972
Acquisition by LeSEA BroadcastingM&ABackground
WURD had struggled financially and operationally after launching with limited capital and low UHF audience penetration. The station suspended broadcasting while a sale was arranged.
Action taken
The FCC approved Lester Sumrall's LeSEA Broadcasting acquisition, after which the station returned to the air as WHMB-TV with a mainly religious schedule.
Aftermath
The transaction established the station's long-running Christian broadcasting identity and made it LeSEA's first television property.
Sources2 sources
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