WLFI-TV
A Lafayette-area television station carrying CBS programming and The CW Plus, with locally produced news for west-central Indiana.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WLFI-TV is a commercial television station serving Lafayette, West Lafayette, and surrounding communities in west-central Indiana. The station broadcasts on digital channel 18 and operates as a CBS affiliate, while also carrying The CW Plus on a secondary digital service identified on-air as Lafayette's CW18. Its brand combines national network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs coverage, and community information. The station began broadcasting on June 15, 1953, under the call sign WFAM-TV. It initially transmitted on UHF channel 59 and was established by O. E. Richardson, who also owned Lafayette radio station WASK. WFAM-TV started as a primary CBS and DuMont affiliate and briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. Its early technical reach was limited: the low-power transmitter did not reliably serve large portions of west-central Indiana, and most of the original staff came from radio rather than television. This made the station a small, locally oriented operation during its formative years. Ownership and technical changes shaped the station's early development. After a 1957 sale to Henry Rosenthal and partners, the owners sought regulatory approval to move the station to channel 18. WFAM-TV went dark in May 1959, and Sarkes Tarzian subsequently acquired the operation and completed the channel move. The station returned to air on channel 18 on November 15, 1959. It adopted the WLFI-TV call letters in 1967, giving the station the identity it continues to use. WLFI changed corporate hands several times. Block Communications purchased the station in 1979, and LIN TV Corporation acquired it in 2000 in a transaction involving an ownership interest in WAND in Decatur, Illinois. LIN later became part of Media General, which in turn was acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group. In order to satisfy federal ownership limits associated with the Nexstar–Media General transaction, WLFI was sold in 2017 to Heartland Media through the USA Television MidAmerica joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners. Allen Media Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Entertainment Studios and later part of Allen Media Group, acquired WLFI in 2020. The station was subsequently transferred to Gray Media in 2026 as part of Gray's acquisition of selected Allen Media Group stations. WLFI's core public-facing product is its local news operation. The station produces more than 22 hours of local newscasts per week, including weekday, Saturday, and Sunday editions. Its news identity has historically benefited from long-serving journalists and strong local-market recognition, even when cable systems made television stations from Indianapolis available in the Lafayette area. WLFI moved its local newscasts to high definition in September 2012 and introduced a corresponding graphics package and studio set. The station also operates weather and radar services and distributes its programming through digital subchannels. The station has adapted its secondary programming repeatedly. TheCoolTV occupied a digital subchannel from 2011 to 2013, followed by locally branded weather radar content. GetTV later supplied classic-film programming, and an Ion Television service was added in 2015. The CW Plus launched on WLFI's second subchannel in 2017, with GetTV moving to another service. By 2021, both the CBS and CW Plus feeds had been upgraded to 1080i high definition. WLFI remains an important local broadcast outlet in the Lafayette–West Lafayette market, combining a national CBS schedule with regional journalism and complementary digital services.
History
WLFI-TV signed on June 15, 1953, as WFAM-TV on UHF channel 59. O. E. Richardson, owner of Lafayette radio station WASK, founded the station. It launched with primary affiliations from CBS and DuMont and briefly carried NTA Film Network programming in the late 1950s. Because its original transmitter operated at low power, reception was concentrated near Lafayette, and the station's initial workforce consisted largely of radio employees with limited television experience. In 1957, WFAM-TV and WASK were sold to assistant station manager Henry Rosenthal and his partners. The new owners sought to move the television operation to channel 18, but the station ceased broadcasting in May 1959 before the transition was completed. Sarkes Tarzian then acquired the station and returned it to the air on channel 18 on November 15, 1959. Tarzian had experience operating television properties elsewhere in Indiana, and the completed channel move gave the Lafayette station a more durable technical identity. The station adopted the WLFI-TV call sign in 1967. Block Communications purchased WLFI in 1979. LIN TV Corporation acquired it in 2000 through a transaction involving an ownership interest in WAND, an ABC affiliate at the time. LIN later became part of Media General. Media General's merger with LIN Media was completed in December 2014, and Nexstar's acquisition of Media General followed in 2016. Because the larger Nexstar transaction raised federal station-ownership concerns, WLFI and four other stations were divested to Heartland Media through USA Television MidAmerica, a joint venture involving MSouth Equity Partners. That sale closed in January 2017. Allen Media Broadcasting announced its purchase of WLFI and ten other USA Television stations in October 2019. The transaction closed in February 2020, making WLFI part of the Allen Media Group station portfolio. In 2025, Allen Media Group announced that it was evaluating strategic options amid financial pressure and debt. It later agreed to sell a group of stations, including WLFI, to Gray Media. The WLFI sale was reported as completed on March 27, 2026, giving Gray a station presence in the Lafayette–West Lafayette market. The station became digital-only on June 12, 2009. Its digital services evolved from TheCoolTV and locally branded weather radar to GetTV, Ion Television, and The CW Plus. The CW Plus began airing on WLFI-DT2 in 2017, while GetTV moved to another subchannel. The station's CBS and CW Plus services were upgraded to full 1080i high definition by late 2021. WLFI has maintained a substantial local-news operation throughout its history. It currently produces more than 22 hours of local newscasts each week. The schedule includes weekday, Saturday, and Sunday broadcasts, with a shorter 5 p.m. newscast followed by syndicated programming. The station's local ratings and community profile have historically been supported by long-serving newsroom personnel, including former anchors, sports staff, and meteorologists. In September 2012, WLFI became one of the first Central Indiana stations to present local news in high definition, pairing the technical upgrade with a new set and graphics system.
- 2026
Gray Media acquisition completed
[1]Gray Media completes its acquisition of WLFI, entering the Lafayette–West Lafayette television market.
- 2020
Allen Media ownership begins
[1]Allen Media Broadcasting completes its acquisition of WLFI from USA Television.
- 2017
CW Plus launches on WLFI-DT2
[1]The CW Plus begins airing on the station's second digital subchannel, branded Lafayette's CW18.
- 2012
Local news becomes high definition
[1]WLFI upgrades its local newscasts, studio, and graphics to high-definition production.
- 2009
Digital-only broadcasting
[1]WLFI ends analog transmission and becomes a digital-only station on June 12.
- 2000
LIN TV acquisition
[1]LIN TV Corporation acquires WLFI in a transaction connected with WAND in Decatur, Illinois.
- 1979
Block Communications acquisition
[1]Block Communications acquires the Lafayette television station.
- 1967
Call sign becomes WLFI-TV
[1]The station adopts the WLFI-TV identity used today.
- 1959
Return on channel 18
[1]After going dark earlier in the year, the station returns to air on November 15 under Sarkes Tarzian ownership and on channel 18.
- 1953
WFAM-TV launches
[1]The station begins broadcasting on June 15 as WFAM-TV on UHF channel 59, with CBS and DuMont affiliations.
Products and positioning
A locally focused CBS affiliate and news provider for Lafayette, West Lafayette, and west-central Indiana, supplemented by a CW Plus service and digital broadcast offerings.
Local television news · 1953
WLFI local news
WLFI's locally produced news operation provides recurring weekday and weekend broadcasts covering Lafayette, West Lafayette, and surrounding west-central Indiana communities. The operation includes general assignment reporting, local government and community stories, sports, weather, and regional events. The station produces more than 22 hours of local news each week and has historically emphasized continuity among its on-air and newsroom personnel.
Network television affiliation · 1953
CBS programming
CBS is WLFI's primary network service and supplies the station's national schedule, including entertainment, news, sports, and network special programming. WLFI has carried CBS programming since its original WFAM-TV operation began in 1953, although the exact presentation and schedule have changed over the station's history.
Digital broadcast subchannel · 2017
Lafayette's CW18
Lafayette's CW18 is WLFI-DT2's local presentation of The CW Plus. The service extends the station's programming portfolio beyond its primary CBS channel and provides entertainment and syndicated programming for the Lafayette market. It began on the second digital subchannel in 2017 after earlier secondary services had included weather radar and GetTV.
Weather information
Storm Team 18 weather services
WLFI distributes local weather forecasts, severe-weather information, and radar-oriented coverage under the Storm Team 18 identity. Weather content has also appeared as a dedicated digital-subchannel service during the station's history, reflecting the importance of weather information to its local broadcast role.
Brand decisions
2025
Centralized weather-hub planStrategyBackground
Allen Media Group announced staffing reductions involving local meteorologists and weather forecasters at stations including WLFI.
Action taken
The company planned to replace some local weather positions with weather-hub content produced by The Weather Channel.
Aftermath
The plan represented a shift from station-specific weather staffing toward centralized production; the available reference does not establish its full operational effect at WLFI.
2025
Sale to Gray MediaM&ABackground
Allen Media Group announced that it was exploring strategic options amid financial pressure and rising debt, including possible sales of television stations.
Action taken
Gray Media agreed to acquire WLFI and other Allen Media stations. The WLFI transaction was reported as completed on March 27, 2026.
Aftermath
WLFI became a Gray Media station and Gray entered the Lafayette–West Lafayette television market.
Reported transaction value for 12 stations. $171 million (Announced August 8, 2025)
2019
Acquisition by Allen Media BroadcastingM&ABackground
Allen Media Broadcasting sought to expand its television station portfolio through the purchase of stations owned by USA Television.
Action taken
Allen Media Broadcasting agreed to acquire WLFI and ten other stations, completing the transaction in February 2020.
Aftermath
WLFI became part of Allen Media Group's broadcast portfolio.
Reported transaction value for 11 stations. $290 million (Announced October 1, 2019)
2016
Divestiture to Heartland MediaM&ABackground
Nexstar's planned acquisition of Media General required station divestitures to comply with federal ownership limits.
Action taken
WLFI was assigned for sale to Heartland Media through USA Television MidAmerica, a joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in January 2017 and separated WLFI from the Nexstar–Media General group.
Reported transaction value for WLFI and four other stations. $115 million (Announced June 13, 2016)
Recent events
- 2025
Allen Media Group plans centralized weather operation[1]
Leadership change
Allen Media Group announced plans to eliminate local meteorologist and weather-forecaster positions at stations including WLFI and use a weather hub produced by The Weather Channel.
- 2025
Gray Media agrees to acquire WLFI and other Allen Media stations[1]
M&A
Gray Media announced an agreement to purchase a group of Allen Media Group television stations, including WLFI. The WLFI transaction was reported as completed in March 2026.
- 2019
Allen Media Broadcasting agrees to acquire WLFI[1]
M&A
Allen Media Broadcasting announced an agreement to purchase WLFI and other stations from USA Television. The transaction closed in February 2020.
- 2016
Nexstar announces sale of WLFI-TV to Heartland Media[1]
M&A · Regulation
Nexstar announced that WLFI and several other stations would be sold to Heartland Media through USA Television MidAmerica to address ownership limits connected with Nexstar's acquisition of Media General.
- 2014
Media General announces merger with LIN Media[1]
M&A
Media General announced a proposed merger with LIN Media. The transaction was completed later that year and placed WLFI within the expanded Media General station group.
- 2012
WLFI moves local newscasts to high definition[1]
Product generation
The station upgraded its locally produced newscasts to high definition and introduced a refreshed set and graphics presentation.
Sources2 sources
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