WNEP-TV
An ABC-affiliated television station serving northeastern Pennsylvania from studios in Moosic.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
WNEP-TV is a television station licensed to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and serving the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre and wider northeastern Pennsylvania region. It broadcasts as an affiliate of the ABC network and operates from studios on Montage Mountain Road in Moosic. The station is part of the market's local broadcast ecosystem alongside WBRE-TV, WYOU, WOLF-TV, WVIA-TV and other regional outlets. WNEP-TV is currently associated with Tegna Inc. and, following Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tegna described in the supplied reference material, sits within the Nexstar corporate structure. The station traces its history to the consolidation of two early ABC affiliates: WILK-TV in Wilkes-Barre, which began broadcasting in September 1953, and WARM-TV on channel 16 in Scranton, which launched in February 1954. Because the two communities were developing into a single television market, the stations agreed to merge in 1957. The combined operation adopted the WNEP-TV identity and retained channel 16, which offered broader and more economical coverage of the mountainous territory than the former WILK-TV channel assignment. Initial operations were divided between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton facilities before being consolidated near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in 1962. Ownership changed several times during the station's early decades. Transcontinent Television Corporation held a controlling interest in the merged station before selling it to Taft Broadcasting in 1964. Regulatory concerns related to overlapping coverage with Taft's Philadelphia-area holdings eventually led to a forced divestiture. Station employees and executives organized NEP Communications and acquired WNEP-TV in late 1973. Under news director Elden Hale, the station adopted a regional editorial strategy emphasizing northeastern and central Pennsylvania, including communities that competitors had previously covered lightly. A news helicopter and expanded remote reporting helped reinforce that positioning. WNEP-TV reached first place in local ratings in 1976 and, apart from a temporary challenge from WBRE-TV in the 1990s, maintained a long-running position as the market's leading local news station according to the supplied reference. The New York Times Company acquired WNEP-TV in 1985. The station moved to its current Moosic studio complex in 1989, while NEP Communications' production business continued separately and later developed into NEP Broadcasting, a provider of remote production services. In 2007, the Times Company sold its television stations to Oak Hill Capital Partners, which placed them in Local TV. Tribune Company agreed to acquire Local TV in 2013, but ownership rules involving Tribune's Allentown newspaper interests required WNEP-TV to be divested to Dreamcatcher Broadcasting while Tribune continued operating it under a services agreement. WNEP-TV has also experienced significant transmission changes. Its analog tower at Penobscot Knob collapsed in December 2007 under severe ice, snow and wind, damaging nearby transmission infrastructure and temporarily affecting several broadcasters. Digital service was restored comparatively quickly, and the station later shifted digital operations among UHF channels as part of post-transition and interference-management measures. A digital replacement translator licensed to Waymart helps address reception problems associated with wind turbines at the Waymart Wind Farm. WNEP-TV also shares transmission infrastructure and spectrum arrangements with PBS member station WVIA-TV in the region. Nexstar's acquisition of Tribune Media created a Scranton–Wilkes-Barre ownership conflict because Nexstar already owned WBRE-TV and operated WYOU. Nexstar therefore agreed to sell WNEP-TV to Tegna, with the transaction receiving regulatory approval in September 2019. The supplied reference further states that Nexstar later agreed to acquire Tegna and completed that transaction in March 2026; because the supplied account is truncated after that point, the precise post-transaction operating and ownership arrangements merit verification. WNEP-TV's core brand proposition remains regional local news, weather, sports, public-affairs coverage and ABC network programming for northeastern Pennsylvania.
History
WNEP-TV developed from the merger of two early ABC affiliates serving northeastern Pennsylvania. WILK-TV began in Wilkes-Barre on September 15, 1953, while WARM-TV launched on channel 16 in Scranton on February 9, 1954. Both stations faced the economic and technical difficulties common to early television, including the weaker national position of ABC and the challenge of delivering network programming to a mountainous market before satellite distribution was available. WILK-TV used microwave facilities to relay network programming through eastern Pennsylvania and relied on engineering workarounds when the preferred network feed was unavailable. By the mid-1950s, it had become clear that Scranton and Wilkes-Barre would function as one television market. On October 17, 1957, the two stations agreed to consolidate their ABC operations. The merged station operated under the WILK-TV license but used WARM-TV's channel 16 because it offered more effective regional coverage at lower cost. Transcontinent Television Corporation acquired a 60 percent interest, with the remaining ownership divided among the local WILK and WARM interests. The resulting WNEP-TV was licensed to Scranton and initially maintained facilities in both communities. In 1962, the operation moved into a consolidated facility near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. The station's ownership shifted to Taft Broadcasting in 1964. Taft's ownership of other stations whose signals overlapped WNEP-TV's service area created a conflict with Federal Communications Commission rules. After a waiver was reconsidered and revoked, Taft sold WNEP-TV in late 1973 to NEP Communications, a group formed by station employees and executives. The new owners pursued a deliberate regional strategy. News director Elden Hale promoted coverage of “Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania,” expanded reporting from remote parts of the territory and introduced the area's first news helicopter. This helped WNEP-TV overcome the historic rivalry between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and build an identity broader than either city alone. The station reached first place in local ratings in 1976 and returned to the top in 1978, around the time ABC became the leading national network. The New York Times Company purchased WNEP-TV in 1985. In 1989, the station moved to a larger studio complex in Moosic. NEP Communications retained its remote-production business, which became NEP Broadcasting and later supplied production facilities for major sports and entertainment events. The Times Company sold its television group in 2007 to Oak Hill Capital Partners, which created Local TV as a holding company. Tribune Company announced the acquisition of Local TV in 2013, but cross-ownership restrictions connected to Tribune's ownership of The Morning Call required WNEP-TV to be spun off to Dreamcatcher Broadcasting. Tribune continued to operate the station through a shared-services arrangement. Transmission infrastructure has been an important part of WNEP-TV's history. In December 2007, heavy ice, wind and snow caused the station's analog tower at Penobscot Knob to collapse, destroying the analog transmitter building and damaging the neighboring WVIA tower. The event temporarily disrupted WNEP-TV and other broadcasters at the site, although digital service was restored after a short interruption. Subsequent digital-channel changes and a replacement translator in Waymart addressed regulatory, technical and reception issues, including interference associated with the Waymart Wind Farm. The station also participates in a channel-sharing arrangement involving WVIA-TV. The next major ownership change followed Tribune's proposed 2017 sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair already operated several stations in the market, and the proposed transaction raised regulatory concerns about divestiture structures and control. After the FCC referred the deal for administrative review, Tribune terminated the agreement in 2018 and sued Sinclair. Nexstar then agreed to acquire Tribune Media, but because Nexstar already owned WBRE-TV and operated WYOU, WNEP-TV was designated for sale. Tegna announced its purchase in March 2019, received FCC approval in September and completed the transaction shortly afterward. The supplied reference says Nexstar later acquired Tegna in 2026, though the cited account is truncated and the resulting operational structure should be verified.
- 2019
Tegna completes purchase of WNEP-TV
[1]Tegna acquires WNEP-TV from Nexstar after the Nexstar–Tribune transaction receives regulatory approval.
- 2013
WNEP-TV is divested during the Local TV transaction
[1]Tribune's purchase of Local TV requires WNEP-TV to be placed with Dreamcatcher Broadcasting because of ownership restrictions.
- 2009
Digital transmission moves to channel 50
[1]WNEP-TV moves its digital operation from channel 49 to channel 50 to reduce potential interference with WWSI in Atlantic City.
- 2007
Television division sold to Oak Hill Capital Partners
[1]The New York Times Company sells its television stations, including WNEP-TV, to Oak Hill, which places them in Local TV.
- 2007
Analog tower collapses
[1]Severe winter weather collapses the analog transmission tower at Penobscot Knob and damages neighboring broadcast infrastructure.
- 1989
Station moves to Moosic studios
[1]WNEP-TV relocates its main studios to the Moosic facility it uses today.
- 1985
The New York Times Company buys WNEP-TV
[1]WNEP-TV becomes part of The New York Times Company's television division.
- 1976
WNEP-TV reaches first place in local ratings
[1]The station's regional news strategy produces its first reported ratings leadership in roughly a decade.
- 1973
NEP Communications acquires the station
[1]A group of station employees and executives purchases WNEP-TV from Taft Broadcasting.
- 1962
Operations consolidate near the regional airport
[1]WNEP-TV moves its operations into a consolidated facility near the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
Products and positioning
A dominant regional broadcast-news brand focused on northeastern and central Pennsylvania, with particular emphasis on local reporting, weather and broad geographic coverage.
Television news
Local news programming
WNEP-TV's principal branded offering is locally produced news for northeastern and central Pennsylvania. Coverage combines reporting from Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and smaller communities across the station's broad mountainous service area, reflecting the regional strategy developed after the 1973 ownership change.
Television weather
Weather coverage
Weather forecasting and severe-weather reporting are core parts of the station's local-service proposition. The brand uses broadcast and digital channels to provide forecasts, warnings and regionally targeted information for communities that can experience different conditions across the station's large coverage territory.
Network television · 1957
ABC network programming
As an ABC affiliate, WNEP-TV carries ABC network entertainment, news and sports programming alongside its own locally produced schedule. The station has retained an ABC affiliation through its merger, ownership and transmission changes.
Digital media
WNEP.com digital news
The WNEP digital service extends the station's regional reporting, weather information, video and community coverage beyond the broadcast schedule through its website and associated digital distribution.
Brand decisions
2019
Sale to Tegna to resolve ownership conflictM&ABackground
Nexstar's acquisition of Tribune Media created an ownership conflict because Nexstar already owned WBRE-TV and operated WYOU in the same market.
Action taken
Nexstar sold WNEP-TV to Tegna as part of a broader divestiture package.
Aftermath
The FCC approved the transaction in September 2019, and the sale closed shortly afterward.
1973
Regional-news repositioningStrategyBackground
WNEP-TV had struggled to establish a consistent identity amid rivalry between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and limited coverage of outlying communities.
Action taken
NEP Communications and news director Elden Hale emphasized northeastern and central Pennsylvania, expanded remote reporting and added a news helicopter.
Aftermath
The station reached first place in local ratings in 1976 and developed a durable regional-news position.
1957
Consolidation into a single regional ABC stationStrategyBackground
Separate ABC affiliates in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were losing money and serving an increasingly unified television market.
Action taken
The station groups merged their operations, adopted the WNEP-TV identity and used channel 16 for broader regional coverage.
Aftermath
The merger created the long-term ABC affiliate serving northeastern Pennsylvania.
Sources2 sources
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