WYZZ-TV

WYZZ-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Bloomington, Illinois, and serving viewers across the Peoria–Bloomington market. The station broadcasts as an affiliate of the Fox network and identifies with the channel branding Fox 43. Its over-the-air signal uses virtual channel 43 and is transmitted from a facility near Congerville in Woodford County. Although the license is associated with Bloomington, much of the station's operating infrastructure is based in Peoria, reflecting the station's integration with WMBD-TV, the market's CBS affiliate. The station began broadcasting on October 18, 1982, under the call sign WBLN. It was established by Grace Communications, a consortium connected with Peoria's Grace Presbyterian Church, and was the first new commercial television station to sign on in the market in more than two decades. Initially, WBLN operated as a general-entertainment independent station. Its early schedule combined religious programming, cartoons, public-domain films, syndicated drama and western programs, CNN news content, exercise shows and other low-cost or barter programming. The station expanded its broadcast day and strengthened its syndicated entertainment schedule during the mid-1980s. Local businessman G. J. Robinson acquired the station in 1985 and changed its call sign to WYZZ-TV in September of that year. The new identity accompanied a gradual move away from the station's heavier early religious-programming emphasis toward a more conventional independent-station schedule, including older and more recent off-network sitcoms. On October 9, 1986, WYZZ joined the newly launched Fox network as a charter affiliate. That affiliation became the central element of the station's programming identity and remains its defining network relationship. WYZZ later moved its local operations to a facility on East Lincoln Street in Bloomington. Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired the station in 1996. In December 2001, Sinclair and Nexstar Broadcasting Group established a local marketing agreement under which WMBD-TV assumed responsibility for operating WYZZ. The arrangement consolidated the stations' technical, administrative and news operations in Peoria, while WYZZ retained its separate license, call sign and Fox affiliation. The station also maintains a Bloomington presence through a secondary studio and bureau on East Lincoln Street, serving the Twin Cities area. The station completed its transition to digital broadcasting and has operated as a digital-only service since February 17, 2009. Its digital signal is carried on UHF channel 28 while using virtual channel 43 for viewers. WYZZ's local news identity is closely tied to WMBD. In 2002, WMBD began producing a prime-time newscast for WYZZ, initially branded Fox 43 News at 9. In 2015, the program was relaunched as WYZZ News at 9 as part of a broader high-definition upgrade, and WMBD began producing the weekday morning program Good Day Central Illinois for the Fox station. In 2013, regulatory considerations connected with Sinclair's acquisition of Barrington Broadcasting led to the WYZZ license being transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting. The ownership structure remained closely associated with Sinclair, while WMBD continued to provide operational services. Nexstar's 2019 acquisition of Tribune Media expanded the broader Nexstar station portfolio and created additional sister-station relationships in nearby markets, but did not change WYZZ's essential role as the Fox outlet for central Illinois. Today, WYZZ-TV functions as a network-affiliated local broadcast brand, combining Fox programming, syndicated content, locally produced news and digital services distributed through the Central Illinois Proud platform.

WYZZ-TV signed on October 18, 1982, as WBLN on UHF channel 43. The station was created by Grace Communications, a consortium associated with members of Peoria's Grace Presbyterian Church. It represented the first new commercial television outlet in the market since WMBD-TV began broadcasting 24 years earlier. WBLN's original studios were located on East Empire Street, along Illinois Route 9, in Bloomington. During its first years, WBLN operated as an independent general-entertainment station. Its schedule reflected the economics of a new local outlet: religious programs occupied the morning hours, while the rest of the day featured cartoons, public-domain films, syndicated dramas, westerns, CNN material, exercise programming and barter shows. In 1984, the station expanded its schedule by signing on at 7 a.m. and adding weekday cartoons in the early morning. Grace Communications sold the station to Midwest Television Associates in 1983, and Midwest later sold it to Bloomington businessman G. J. Robinson in 1985. Robinson changed the call letters to WYZZ-TV in September 1985. The station reduced the proportion of religious programming and developed a more competitive independent-station schedule built around syndicated sitcoms and other entertainment programs. WYZZ joined Fox on October 9, 1986, as one of the network's original affiliates. The Fox affiliation gave the station a stronger national programming identity and became the foundation of its long-term market position. WYZZ subsequently moved its operations to a separate Bloomington facility on East Lincoln Street. Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired WYZZ in 1996. A major operating change followed in December 2001, when Sinclair and Nexstar Broadcasting Group entered a local marketing agreement. Nexstar, through its ownership of WMBD-TV, took over the provision of operational services for WYZZ. The arrangement brought the stations' principal operations together at WMBD's Peoria studios. WYZZ left its former Bloomington operating facility, although the station retained a Bloomington studio and news presence for coverage of the Twin Cities area. WMBD began producing a local prime-time newscast for WYZZ in April 2002. The program was initially called Fox 43 News at 9 and was later presented as WYZZ News at 9. It provided a locally oriented news product in a time period associated with Fox affiliates, complementing the national Fox schedule and syndicated programming. In 2006, WEEK-TV introduced a competing 9 p.m. newscast on WAOE, ending WYZZ's exclusive position in that time slot. WYZZ transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009. Its digital transmission uses UHF channel 28, while the station continues to be identified by virtual channel 43. A proposed termination of the WYZZ–WMBD local marketing arrangement was reported for 2010, but the change did not ultimately take effect. In 2012, Sinclair and Fox extended the affiliation agreement covering WYZZ and other Sinclair-associated Fox stations. Sinclair announced in 2013 that the WYZZ license would be transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting as part of the regulatory structure surrounding Sinclair's purchase of Barrington Broadcasting stations, including WHOI. The transaction was intended to address Federal Communications Commission ownership restrictions. The practical relationship between the station and Sinclair remained close because Cunningham's ownership was associated with trusts connected to Sinclair's principals. WMBD continued providing operational services after the transfer, and the transaction was finalized on November 22, 2013. In 2015, WMBD became the first station in the Peoria market to produce local news in full high definition. WYZZ's weeknight 9 p.m. newscast was included in the technical upgrade and received the WYZZ News at 9 branding. WMBD also began producing Good Day Central Illinois, a two-hour weekday morning program for WYZZ. The operation maintains a Bloomington bureau on East Lincoln Street while sharing primary facilities with WMBD in Peoria. Nexstar announced the purchase of Tribune Media in December 2018, and the transaction closed in 2019. The acquisition increased Nexstar's national station portfolio and added nearby-market relationships relevant to the WYZZ–WMBD operation, including stations in Chicago and St. Louis. WYZZ remains a Fox-affiliated local television station licensed to Bloomington and serving the broader Peoria–Bloomington market through broadcast, cable, satellite and digital distribution.

• 2019

  Nexstar's Tribune acquisition closes

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The completed transaction expands Nexstar's national station portfolio and adds nearby-market relationships.

• 2015

  Local news upgraded to high definition

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYZZ News at 9 receives a high-definition upgrade, and Good Day Central Illinois begins airing on weekday mornings.

• 2013

  License transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station license moves to Cunningham Broadcasting in connection with Sinclair's Barrington transaction and FCC ownership considerations.

• 2009

  Digital transition

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYZZ ends analog transmission and continues as a digital-only station.

• 2002

  Prime-time newscast launches

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WMBD begins producing Fox 43 News at 9 for WYZZ.

• 2001

  WMBD operating agreement

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A local marketing agreement gives WMBD responsibility for operating services and consolidates the main operation in Peoria.

• 1996

  Sinclair acquisition

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Sinclair Broadcast Group acquires the station.

• 1986

  Fox affiliation begins

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WYZZ joins Fox on October 9 as a charter affiliate.

• 1985

  WYZZ-TV name adopted

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following G. J. Robinson's acquisition, WBLN changes its call sign to WYZZ-TV.

• 1983

  Sale to Midwest Television Associates

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Grace Communications sells the station to Midwest Television Associates.

• 1982

  WBLN signs on

  [1]WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting from Bloomington as an independent general-entertainment outlet on October 18.

A Fox-affiliated local television service focused on news, entertainment and network programming for the Peoria–Bloomington market, with operations integrated with WMBD-TV.

• Network television · 1986

  Fox network programming

  WYZZ's principal programming offering is the Fox network schedule, which gives the station its national entertainment, sports and news identity in the Peoria–Bloomington market. WYZZ has carried Fox programming since October 9, 1986, when it became a charter affiliate.

• Local news · 2002

  WYZZ News at 9

  WYZZ News at 9 is the station's locally produced evening newscast. WMBD-TV produces the program under the stations' operating relationship. It began in 2002 as Fox 43 News at 9 and was upgraded to high definition and rebranded in 2015.

• Local morning news · 2015

  Good Day Central Illinois

  Good Day Central Illinois is a weekday morning program produced by WMBD for WYZZ. The two-hour broadcast began in 2015 and provides local news, weather and related morning coverage before or alongside the Fox network's daytime schedule.

• Digital news platform

  Central Illinois Proud

  Central Illinois Proud is the digital news and information platform associated with the WMBD-TV/WYZZ-TV operation. It extends the stations' local-news presence beyond linear broadcasting through web publishing and digital video.

• 2015

  Upgrade and expand local news programmingProduct launch

  Background

  WMBD upgraded its local production facilities to high definition.

  Action taken

  WYZZ's evening newscast was rebranded WYZZ News at 9 and moved to the upgraded high-definition production workflow; Good Day Central Illinois was added as a weekday morning program.

  Aftermath

  WYZZ gained a broader locally produced news schedule while continuing to rely on WMBD for production.

  Source

• 2013

  Transfer the license to Cunningham BroadcastingM&A

  Background

  Sinclair's planned acquisition of Barrington Broadcasting stations raised FCC ownership considerations in the market.

  Action taken

  Sinclair transferred the WYZZ license to Cunningham Broadcasting while maintaining a close ownership relationship and continuing the WMBD operating arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The license transaction was finalized on November 22, and WMBD continued operating WYZZ.

  Source

• 2009

  Complete the digital television transitionGeneration change

  Background

  Federal digital television transition requirements were being implemented across U.S. full-power stations.

  Action taken

  WYZZ ended analog transmission on February 17 and continued broadcasting digitally on UHF channel 28.

  Aftermath

  The station retained virtual channel 43 for viewer identification.

  Source

• 2001

  Consolidate operations with WMBD-TVStrategy

  Background

  Sinclair owned WYZZ while Nexstar owned nearby CBS affiliate WMBD-TV.

  Action taken

  The companies entered a local marketing agreement under which WMBD assumed operational responsibilities for WYZZ and the main operation moved to Peoria.

  Aftermath

  The stations shared facilities and services while WYZZ retained its separate license and Fox affiliation.

  Source

• 1986

  Join Fox as a charter affiliateStrategy

  Background

  WYZZ had operated as a general-entertainment independent station since its 1982 launch.

  Action taken

  The station affiliated with Fox on October 9, 1986, making the network relationship its principal programming position.

  Aftermath

  The Fox affiliation became the enduring basis of WYZZ's market identity.

  Source

1. 1WYZZ-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Central Illinois Proudcentralillinoisproud.com