WBIR-TV

WBIR-TV, branded in its local output as 10News, is a commercial television station serving Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding East Tennessee region. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 10 and is affiliated with NBC. Its studios are located on Bill Williams Avenue in Knoxville's Belle Morris area, while its main transmitter is on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville. Through its broadcast, digital, weather, community-affairs, and streaming operations, WBIR functions as a major local information platform for the Knoxville market. The station began broadcasting on August 12, 1956, as a CBS affiliate. Its call letters were inherited from WBIR radio and ultimately honored Jesse W. “Jay” Birdwell, who founded the radio station in 1941. The original television license was awarded to a locally oriented ownership group led by J. Lindsay Nunn and his son, Gilmore Nunn, who owned the WBIR radio properties. Other participants included station general manager John P. Hart, Knoxville residents Robert and Martha Ashe, and the Taft family of Cincinnati. The locally weighted ownership group prevailed over the larger Scripps-Howard organization, partly in an era when regulators were increasingly attentive to concentration of newspaper and broadcasting ownership. Ownership changed rapidly during the station's early decades. In 1959, Taft's Radio Cincinnati subsidiary bought the remaining interests in the WBIR stations. In 1961, Radio Cincinnati sold WBIR-AM, WBIR-FM, and WBIR-TV to the News-Piedmont Company of Greenville, South Carolina. News-Piedmont later combined with Southern Broadcasting to form Southeastern Broadcasting, which subsequently became Multimedia after expanding its television holdings and disposing of most of its radio properties. WBIR shared an important corporate role with WFBC-TV in Greenville, South Carolina, during the Multimedia period. A major programming turning point occurred on September 10, 1988, when WBIR exchanged network affiliations with WTVK and became an NBC station. The change returned CBS to its earlier Knoxville outlet and placed WBIR with NBC at a time when the network was nationally strong. The station had previously carried CBS for more than three decades, apart from a brief late-1950s association with the NTA Film Network. Multimedia merged with Gannett in 1995, bringing WBIR into one of the United States' largest newspaper and broadcast groups. WBIR has developed a strong identity around local journalism and regional storytelling. Its long-running Heartland Series, hosted by Bill Landry, documented Appalachian history, landscapes, traditions, and people from 1984 through 2009. The program received four Emmy Awards and became a notable cultural archive of the region. Other local initiatives have included the Our Stories retrospective series, community-event programming, weather coverage, and fundraising broadcasts supporting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The station has also expanded its news-production role beyond its own schedule. It produced a late-evening newscast for WBXX-TV before beginning a nightly 10 p.m. newscast for Fox affiliate WTNZ in 2011. A weekday morning newscast for WTNZ followed in 2012. WBIR has operated a supplementary news service known as 10 News 2, which carries simulcasts and rebroadcasts of local programming. Its afternoon community and lifestyle program, originally Live at Five, moved to 4 p.m. in 2008 under the temporary title Live at Five at Four; in 2023 it was renamed 10 About Town while retaining its emphasis on local events and personalities. Technologically, WBIR transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009, relocating its digital signal to VHF channel 10. Its digital multicast services have changed over time, including weather-oriented programming, MeTV, and Justice Network. In 2015, Gannett separated its publishing and broadcasting businesses; WBIR became part of the broadcasting and digital company Tegna. Nexstar Media…

WBIR-TV signed on August 12, 1956, on Knoxville's channel 10. The station was established by a consortium led by J. Lindsay Nunn and Gilmore Nunn, owners of WBIR radio, together with general manager John P. Hart, local investors Robert and Martha Ashe, and the Taft family of Cincinnati. Its call letters came from the earlier WBIR radio operation and commemorated Jesse W. “Jay” Birdwell. WBIR initially operated as a CBS affiliate and briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. In October 1959, Taft's Radio Cincinnati acquired the remaining ownership interests in the WBIR stations. Radio Cincinnati sold the AM, FM, and television properties in January 1961 to the News-Piedmont Company, owner of WFBC stations in Greenville, South Carolina. News-Piedmont later merged with Southern Broadcasting to create Southeastern Broadcasting. After Southeastern expanded its television holdings and divested most of its radio assets, it adopted the name Multimedia, Inc. WBIR became one of the company's important television stations and shared flagship status with WFBC-TV. The station changed network identity on September 10, 1988, swapping affiliations with WTVK. WBIR became an NBC affiliate, while CBS returned to WTVK. The move reflected the relative national strength of NBC at the time and WBIR's position as a strong Knoxville competitor. Multimedia merged with Gannett in 1995, making WBIR part of a large national media company. WBIR's local identity has been shaped by regional programming. The Heartland Series, hosted by Bill Landry, ran from 1984 until 2009 and explored Appalachian history, geography, culture, and community life. It was created in connection with the 50th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park but expanded into a broader portrait of the Appalachian region. The series earned four Emmy Awards and its episodes have been retained by U.S. embassies as informational material about life in Appalachia. WBIR also marked its 50th anniversary in 2006 with Our Stories, a retrospective series examining significant events previously covered by the station. The station has participated in cooperative regional fundraising through the Friends Across the Mountains Telethon, produced with Asheville ABC affiliate WLOS for the benefit of Friends of the Smokies and projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In news operations, WBIR has produced programming for other Knoxville stations, including a late-evening newscast for WBXX-TV and, beginning in 2011, a nightly 10 p.m. newscast and later a weekday morning newscast for WTNZ. The station upgraded its news operation to high definition in 2011. WBIR's afternoon community program evolved from Live at Five. The program moved from 5 p.m. to 4 p.m. in 2008 and was temporarily called Live at Five at Four. The unusual title was retained for many years before the program became 10 About Town in July 2023. The format continued to focus on community events, local personalities, and lifestyle features. WBIR also operates 10 News 2, a supplementary channel carrying local-news simulcasts and repeats. The station completed the United States full-power analog-to-digital transition on June 12, 2009. Its digital signal ultimately moved to VHF channel 10. Multicast programming changed over time: a weather service replaced NBC Weather Plus, later gave way to MeTV, and a third digital channel carrying Justice Network was added in 2015. In 2015, Gannett separated its publishing and broadcasting businesses, and WBIR became part of Tegna. Nexstar Media Group announced an acquisition of Tegna in August 2025 and completed the transaction on March 19, 2026. WBIR consequently became a Nexstar-owned station through Tegna, while continuing its NBC affiliation and Knoxville-area local service.

1. 2026Nexstar completes Tegna acquisition

   WBIR becomes part of Nexstar Media Group through Tegna.

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2. 2023Afternoon program becomes 10 About Town

   The program formerly known as Live at Five at Four is rebranded as 10 About Town.

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3. 2015WBIR joins Tegna

   Gannett's broadcast and digital assets are separated into Tegna, which retains WBIR.

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4. 2011High-definition news operation launches

   WBIR introduces a high-definition news set and weather studio and begins high-definition newscasts for itself and WTNZ.

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5. 2009Analog transmission ends

   WBIR shuts down its analog signal as part of the federally mandated United States digital television transition.

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6. 1995Multimedia merges with Gannett

   WBIR becomes part of Gannett's combined media operations.

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7. 1988Network affiliation changes to NBC

   WBIR swaps affiliations with WTVK and becomes Knoxville's NBC affiliate.

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8. 1984The Heartland Series begins

   WBIR launches its long-running Appalachian documentary and cultural series hosted by Bill Landry.

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9. 1961WBIR stations are sold to News-Piedmont

   The WBIR radio and television properties are transferred to the News-Piedmont Company.

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10. 1959Taft acquires the remaining WBIR interests

    Radio Cincinnati, Taft's broadcasting subsidiary, buys the outstanding interests in the WBIR radio and television stations.

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11. 1956WBIR-TV signs on

    WBIR-TV begins broadcasting on channel 10 in Knoxville as a CBS affiliate.

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A Knoxville-centered NBC television station positioned around local journalism, weather, community service, and storytelling about East Tennessee and the Appalachian region.

• 10NewsLocal television news

  WBIR's primary local-news brand, covering Knoxville and East Tennessee through regularly scheduled newscasts, investigative reports, breaking-news coverage, weather, traffic, sports, and community features.

• The Heartland SeriesDocumentary and regional culture programming1984

  A documentary series hosted by Bill Landry that examined Appalachian people, landscapes, history, and traditions. Produced from 1984 to 2009, it became one of WBIR's signature regional programs and received four Emmy Awards.

• 10 About TownLifestyle and community-affairs program2023

  WBIR's afternoon community program, renamed from Live at Five at Four in 2023. It highlights local events, organizations, personalities, and lifestyle subjects relevant to viewers in the Knoxville area.

• 10 News 2News multicast and cable service

  A supplementary WBIR news service carrying simulcasts and rebroadcasts of the station's local newscasts. The service has been available through Comcast Xfinity's Knoxville cable system.

• Friends Across the Mountains TelethonFundraising broadcast

  An annual regional telethon co-produced with WLOS in Asheville to raise support for Friends of the Smokies and projects benefiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• 2006Our Stories

  Knoxville · East Tennessee

  WBIR created a retrospective series for its 50th anniversary, revisiting important stories from the station's first five decades, including presidential visits, major crimes, and the 1982 World's Fair.

  Outcome. The project reinforced WBIR's identity as a long-term visual record of East Tennessee.

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• Friends Across the Mountains Telethon

  East Tennessee · Western North Carolina

  WBIR collaborates with WLOS on a recurring fundraising telethon supporting conservation and visitor-service projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

  Outcome. Proceeds support programs and projects administered with Friends of the Smokies.

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• 2026Integration into Nexstar following Tegna acquisitionM&A

  Nexstar Media Group acquired Tegna, the owner of WBIR's broadcasting company.

  What changed. The transaction was completed on March 19, 2026, placing WBIR in the Nexstar corporate group.

  Aftermath. WBIR became affiliated with a group that also owns Knoxville ABC affiliate WATE-TV, subject to applicable ownership and regulatory arrangements.

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• 2023Rebrand Live at Five at Four as 10 About TownStrategy

  WBIR updated the branding of its long-running afternoon community program.

  What changed. On July 3, 2023, the station adopted the 10 About Town name while retaining the program's local-events and personality format.

  Aftermath. The rebrand aligned the program more closely with WBIR's channel identity.

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• 2011Launch of high-definition news presentationProduct launch

  WBIR modernized its local-news production facilities and also produced news programming for WTNZ.

  What changed. The station introduced a new high-definition set and weather studio and converted its own and WTNZ's newscasts to high definition.

  Aftermath. WBIR and WTNZ became the second and third Knoxville stations to present newscasts in high definition.

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• 2008Move the Live at Five program to 4 p.m.Strategy

  WBIR adjusted its weekday community and lifestyle schedule in 2008.

  What changed. The program moved from 5 p.m. to 4 p.m. and adopted the temporary title Live at Five at Four.

  Aftermath. Viewers embraced the unusual title, which remained in use for roughly fifteen years before the program became 10 About Town in 2023.

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• 1988Switch from CBS to NBCStrategy

  WBIR and WTVK exchanged network affiliations during a period when NBC was nationally dominant and WBIR was viewed as a strong local competitor.

  What changed. WBIR began carrying NBC programming on September 10, 1988.

  Aftermath. The station has remained Knoxville's NBC affiliate, while CBS returned to the station then represented by WTVK.

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• 2026Nexstar completes acquisition of Tegna

  Nexstar Media Group completed its acquisition of Tegna, bringing WBIR into the Nexstar corporate group.

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• 2023Live at Five at Four is renamed 10 About Town

  WBIR replaced the long-running Live at Five at Four title with 10 About Town while preserving the program's local-events and personality-driven format.

  Product launch
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• 2015WBIR becomes part of Tegna

  Following Gannett's separation of its publishing and broadcasting operations, WBIR was retained by the newly formed broadcast and digital company Tegna.

  M&A
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• 2011WBIR launches updated high-definition news presentation

  WBIR introduced a new high-definition news set, weather studio, and updated station branding, also supporting the high-definition newscasts it produced for WTNZ.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• 1988WBIR becomes an NBC affiliate

  On September 10, WBIR exchanged affiliations with WTVK and joined NBC, while CBS returned to its earlier Knoxville outlet.

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• 1956WBIR-TV begins broadcasting as a CBS affiliate

  WBIR-TV signed on from Knoxville on August 12, beginning operations on channel 10 as a CBS affiliate.

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1. WBIR-TV
2. WBIR-TV official website