WHIO-TV

WHIO-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Dayton, Ohio, and affiliated with the CBS television network. It serves the Dayton metropolitan area and reaches portions of the Lima market, where its signal historically provided substantial access to CBS programming before the development of a local low-power affiliate. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 7 and operates from the Cox Media Center on South Main Street in Dayton, a shared facility that also houses the Dayton Daily News and Cox's Miami Valley radio operations. Its transmitter is located in the Highview Hills area of southwest Dayton. The station began broadcasting on February 23, 1949, originally on channel 13. It was the first Dayton television station to begin regular transmissions and has remained associated with the Cox publishing and broadcasting interests since launch. Cox's connection to Dayton predates the station: company founder James M. Cox acquired the Dayton Daily News, which became a foundational property of the Cox media organization. WHIO-TV was built by Cox rather than acquired as an established station, making it one of the company's early purpose-built television outlets. The station has been a CBS affiliate from its first day and is notable for never changing its primary network affiliation, although it carried selected DuMont programming during its first years. A nationwide and regional channel-allocation reorganization led by the Federal Communications Commission moved WHIO-TV from channel 13 to channel 7 in 1952. The channel 7 identity became central to the station's visual branding and local recognition. Over subsequent decades, WHIO-TV developed a broad local-service operation built around news, weather, emergency coverage, sports, and community information. Its local newscasts, branded NewsCenter 7 since the mid-1970s, have frequently led the Dayton ratings. Weather coverage is promoted through the Storm Center 7 identity, while the station has also operated digital and online weather services. WHIO-TV expanded its distribution through digital multicast services. Its 7.2 channel became a MeTV affiliate in December 2014, branded MeTV WHIO Classic Television, and 7.3 became an affiliate of the Laff entertainment network in April 2015. MeTV Toons was added on 7.4 in July 2024. The station has also carried local sports, including Dayton Dragons baseball during an earlier period, Cincinnati Bengals games shown through CBS, selected Cleveland Browns programming, and, beginning in 2024, selected University of Dayton men's basketball games. Technology and facilities have been recurring elements of the station's development. WHIO-TV introduced widescreen standard-definition newscasts in 2007 and moved its news operation into a new Cox Media Center facility in December 2010, replacing its previous Wilmington Avenue home and upgrading cameras, graphics, and production equipment for high-definition local broadcasts. In 2019, a transmitter failure caused a major over-the-air interruption. The station and its partners arranged temporary distribution through public television facilities and substitute network feeds while repairs were completed. WHIO-TV resumed normal over-the-air transmission on November 21, 2019. In 2019, Apollo Global Management acquired Cox's media assets, including Cox Media Group's television stations, while retaining the Cox Media Group name. WHIO-TV continues to operate as a local CBS station focused on news, severe-weather information, sports, entertainment multicast programming, and digital distribution for the Miami Valley.

WHIO-TV signed on February 23, 1949, as Dayton's first operating television station. It initially used channel 13 and was established by Cox's broadcasting interests, which were closely connected to the Dayton Daily News and the Cox publishing family. Cox also operated WSB-TV in Atlanta, another station built by the company. WHIO-TV began as a CBS affiliate and retained that primary affiliation throughout its history, while carrying limited DuMont programming during its early years. The FCC's 1952 channel reorganization reassigned the station to channel 7. The new channel became the foundation for the station's long-running identity, including a series of circular and button-style numeral-7 logos. WHIO-TV's local programming expanded over the decades, with NewsCenter 7 becoming the established name for its news operation in the 1970s. The station developed a strong position in Dayton ratings and became a principal source of local reporting, weather warnings, and public-service information. In 1953, Cox and Taft Broadcasting created the Tri-State Network, an attempt to produce shared entertainment programming for Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. A new version of The Wendy Barrie Show premiered from WHIO-TV's studios in January 1954 and was simulcast by Taft stations in the other two cities. The experiment was short-lived, and Barrie's contract ended later that year. WHIO-TV's weather operation became more locally focused in the 1990s. Before 1993, the station relied on the AccuWeather service rather than a full in-house meteorological team. The hiring of Heidi Sonen, followed by additional meteorologists including Fred Barnhill and Warren Madden, helped establish a dedicated local weather department. The Storm Center 7 facility was introduced in 2004, and the Live Doppler 7 radar presentation debuted in 2007. The station later discontinued operation of its own radar equipment while retaining the Live Doppler 7 branding in weather coverage. The station invested in digital distribution and production modernization during the 2000s. It launched the 7 Weather Now service in 2006, initially combining locally produced forecasts with AccuWeather content. In 2007, its newscasts moved to 16:9 widescreen standard definition, among the earliest such upgrades by an Ohio station outside Cleveland. Digital multicast services later included Dayton Dragons baseball, MeTV on 7.2, Laff on 7.3, and MeTV Toons on 7.4. A major facilities change occurred in 2010, when WHIO-TV moved from its Wilmington Avenue site to the Cox Media Center near downtown Dayton. The station replaced its cameras, graphics, and production equipment and began producing locally shot portions of newscasts in high definition. A new news set followed in 2016. On November 5, 2019, defects involving a new transmitter caused electrical arcing and damage to the transmission line, taking the over-the-air signal off the air for much of the market. Repairs were slowed by weather, the scale of the damaged line, and limited availability of tower crews during the nationwide spectrum-repacking period. Cable and streaming viewers generally retained access, while satellite providers used substitute stations. With assistance from Greater Dayton Public Television, WHIO-TV temporarily transmitted its CBS service through WPTD's 16.2 facility beginning November 18. The primary signal returned on November 21, after which WPTD resumed its regular programming. WHIO-TV remains an active Cox Media Group station, serving the Miami Valley through broadcast, digital, streaming, and mobile platforms.

1. 2024MeTV Toons added

   MeTV Toons joins the station's digital lineup on subchannel 7.4.

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2. 2019Transmitter outage and temporary service

   A transmitter and transmission-line failure interrupts over-the-air service until November 21, with temporary distribution through WPTD and satellite replacements.

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3. 2019Cox Media Group ownership changes

   Apollo Global Management completes the acquisition of Cox Media Group's stations and related businesses.

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4. 2015Laff launches on subchannel 7.3

   WHIO-TV adds Laff programming to its digital multicast lineup.

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5. 2014MeTV launches on subchannel 7.2

   The station adds a classic-television multicast service branded MeTV WHIO Classic Television.

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6. 2010Cox Media Center facility opens for WHIO-TV

   The station moves to the Cox Media Center and upgrades its local production operation to high definition.

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7. 2007Widescreen newscasts and Live Doppler 7 debut

   WHIO-TV begins widescreen standard-definition newscasts and introduces its Live Doppler 7 radar presentation.

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8. 20067 Weather Now launches

   The station introduces a continuous weather-oriented digital service later moved primarily to online and mobile distribution.

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9. 2004Storm Center 7 introduced

   WHIO-TV launches a dedicated weather center and production set.

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10. 1970NewsCenter 7 branding established

    The station's local newscasts adopt the NewsCenter 7 identity, which remains associated with its news operation.

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11. 1954Tri-State Network program launches

    The Wendy Barrie Show premieres from WHIO-TV and is shared with stations in Cincinnati and Columbus.

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12. 1952Channel assignment changes to 7

    An FCC channel reorganization moves WHIO-TV from channel 13 to channel 7.

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13. 1949WHIO-TV begins broadcasting

    The station signs on February 23 as Dayton's first operating television station, initially broadcasting on channel 13 and affiliating with CBS.

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A long-established, locally dominant Dayton television station combining CBS network programming with comprehensive local news, weather, emergency information, sports, and community service.

• NewsCenter 7Local news1970

  WHIO-TV's primary local-news franchise, covering Dayton and the Miami Valley through scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, investigations, traffic, community stories, and digital updates. The brand has been used since the 1970s and has historically held a leading position in local Nielsen ratings.

• Storm Center 7Weather service2004

  The station's weather-news identity and presentation environment. It supports severe-weather coverage, forecasts, alerts, and meteorological reporting for southwestern Ohio, complemented by the Live Doppler 7 brand and online weather tools.

• MeTV WHIO Classic TelevisionDigital multicast television2014

  A digital subchannel service on 7.2 carrying MeTV's library of classic television programming. WHIO-TV's presentation incorporates station heritage elements, including older WHIO audio and visual branding.

• LaffDigital multicast television2015

  A comedy-oriented digital multicast service carried by WHIO-TV on subchannel 7.3 since the network's launch in 2015.

• MeTV ToonsDigital multicast television2024

  A classic-animation digital multicast service added to WHIO-TV's 7.4 channel in July 2024.

• 1953Tri-State Network

  Dayton · Cincinnati · Columbus

  Cox and Taft Broadcasting created a regional programming network to compete with Crosley-produced entertainment. WHIO-TV supplied the Dayton production base for The Wendy Barrie Show, which was shared with Taft stations in Cincinnati and Columbus.

  Outcome. The programming experiment was brief; Wendy Barrie's contract ended in October 1954.

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• 2019Emergency alternate distribution during transmitter failureOther

  A damaged transmission line left the station's over-the-air signal unavailable to much of its market, including satellite providers that retransmitted the broadcast feed.

  What changed. WHIO-TV arranged temporary transmission of its CBS service through WPTD subchannel 16.2 while tower and transmission-line repairs proceeded.

  Aftermath. The normal channel 7 signal returned on November 21, 2019, and WPTD resumed its regular programming.

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• 2010Relocation and high-definition production upgradeStrategy

  Cox Media Group sought to consolidate WHIO-TV with the Dayton Daily News and Cox's Miami Valley radio operations.

  What changed. WHIO-TV moved to the Cox Media Center and replaced its production equipment, enabling high-definition local news output.

  Aftermath. The station began broadcasting locally produced news segments in high definition from the new facility in December 2010.

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• 1979Proposed sale to Ohio Valley BroadcastingM&A

  During a proposed General Electric merger involving Cox Broadcasting, WHIO-TV was considered for sale to a locally based Ohio Valley Broadcasting entity associated with M&M Broadcasting and Dyson-Kissner Associates.

  What changed. A proposed transaction valued at $47.5 million was pursued but apparently did not receive the required FCC approval and was not completed.

  Aftermath. WHIO-TV remained within the Cox organization.

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• 2024MeTV Toons added to WHIO-TV digital lineup

  WHIO-TV added MeTV Toons on digital subchannel 7.4.

  Product launch
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• 2023Austin Chaney returns as chief meteorologist

  WHIO-TV announced Austin Chaney's return to the station and appointment as chief meteorologist.

  Leadership change
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• 2019WHIO-TV transmitter outage disrupts over-the-air service

  A failure involving a new transmitter and damaged transmission line interrupted the station's over-the-air signal across much of the Dayton market. Temporary distribution arrangements were made through WPTD and substitute feeds on satellite services before normal transmission resumed.

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• 2019Cox Media Group acquired by Apollo-managed interests

  Apollo Global Management completed its acquisition of Cox Media Group's broadcast and related media assets, with the Cox Media Group name retained.

  M&A
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• 2010WHIO-TV moves to the Cox Media Center

  The station relocated from its long-standing Wilmington Avenue facility to the Cox Media Center on South Main Street and began broadcasting from the new operation in December.

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1. WHIO-TV
2. WHIO-TV official website