Television stations broadcasting from Detroit.
- October 23, 1946: WWDT Channel 4 begins experimental broadcasts as the first Michigan television station and the tenth television station in the United States.
- March 4, 1947: WWDT commences regular experimental broadcasts.
- May 15, 1947: WWDT becomes WWJ-TV.
- May 31, 1947: First WWJ-TV newscast airs.
- June 3, 1947: WWJ-TV begins airing regularly scheduled programs and airs it's first Detroit Tigers game.
- September 5, 1947: WWJ-TV airs it's first Detroit Lions game.
- September 27, 1947: WWJ-TV airs it's first college football contest, involving the University of Michigan versus Michigan State University.
- October 19, 1947: WWJ-TV airs it's first Detroit Red Wings game.
- November 1947: WWJ-TV's first broadcast of the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- March 31, 1948: WWJ-TV becomes an NBC affiliate.
- October 9, 1948: WXYZ-TV Channel 7 is on the air as an ABC owned-and-operated station.
- October 24, 1948: WJBK Channel 2 is on the air as a primary CBS/secondary Dumont affiliate owned by Storer Broadcasting.
- January 1, 1954: WWJ-TV airs it's first color program.
- October 3, 1955: WTVS Channel 56 signs on.
- January 10, 1965: WKBD starts as an all-sports station on Channel 50, owned by Kaiser Broadcasting.
- September 15, 1968: WXON signs on as an independent station on Channel 62.
- November 1972: WXON moves to Channel 20.
- 1972: Field Communications purchases part of WKBD and it's sister stations.
- September 1975: WGPR-TV Channel 62 signs on as the first African American-owned TV station.
- 1977: Field acquires complete control of WKBD.
- May 1978: WWJ-TV is sold by the Detroit News to Post-Newsweek Stations and becomes WDIV.
- 1979: WXON offers ON-TV subscription television.
- 1984: Field sells WKBD to Cox Communications.
- January 1986: ABC sells WXYZ to the E.W. Scripps Company.
- October 9, 1986: WKBD is a founding affiliate of the Fox network.
- 1993: Viacom purchases WKBD from Cox.
- December 11, 1994: WJBK becomes a part of Fox, with CBS programming moving to WGPR-TV and WKBD reverting back to an independent station. WKBD, though, continues airing Fox Kids, as WJBK declines to air that block.
- 1995: WGPR-TV is purchased by CBS and becomes WWJ-TV.
- January 11, 1995: The WB is on the air on WXON.
- January 16, 1995: UPN starts airing on WKBD.
- April 1995: http://www.clickondetroit.com launches.
- 1997: Fox purchases WJBK. WXON is sold to Granite Broadcasting and becomes WDWB.
- September 29, 1998: WXYZ commences digital broadcasts on Channel 41.
- September 1998: WADL acquires Fox Kids.
- October 1, 1998: WJBK's digital broadcast is on the air on Channel 58.
- March 1, 1999: WDIV begins digital broadcasting on Channel 45.
- July 1999: WDWO-LP is forced off the air to allow WWJ to begin digital broadcasts on Channel 44.
- 2000: As a result of the Viacom-CBS merger, a duopoly is formed between WKBD and WWJ.
- October 2000: WTVS launches digital broadcasts on Channel 43.
- Fall 2001: WDWB becomes the last remaining over-the-air outlet for weekday animated programming.
- September 5, 2006: WDWB becomes WMYD and joins My Network TV.
- September 16, 2006: WKBD is a founding affiliate of The CW.
- June 12, 2009: WJBK, WDIV and WXYZ cease analog broadcasts. WJBK's digital signal moves to WXYZ's former analog slot (as channel 58 was being removed from broadcasting by the FCC and the low-VHF band is vulnerable to interference), while the latter two's digital broadcasts remain on their respective channels.
- 2014: Granite sells WMYD to Scripps, resulting in WMYD becoming a sister station to WXYZ.
Sources
- History of Michigan TV Broadcasting, MichiGuide.com