WIVB-TV

WIVB-TV, channel 4, is a commercial television station in Buffalo, New York, affiliated with the CBS network and operated by Nexstar Media Group. It shares facilities and certain operational resources with sister station WNLO, the Buffalo CW affiliate. The two stations use studios on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo and operate under a channel-sharing arrangement in which their transmissions use WNLO's spectrum from a tower in Colden, New York. The station began broadcasting on May 14, 1948, as WBEN-TV. It was Buffalo's first television station and one of the earliest television outlets in New York State. Its original ownership was tied to the Butler family, publishers of The Buffalo Evening News and owners of WBEN radio. The station initially carried NBC programming, including The Howdy Doody Show, while also presenting selected programming from ABC and DuMont during the period when Buffalo had few television outlets. In January 1949, WBEN-TV adopted CBS programming and has remained affiliated with CBS ever since. During its early decades, channel 4 developed a substantial local-programming operation. Its schedule included household and cooking programs, educational shows for children, science features produced with the Buffalo Museum of Science, and seasonal programming featuring Santa Claus and Forgetful the Elf. The station operated from the Statler Hotel during its first years before moving in 1960 to the Elmwood Avenue facilities that remain associated with the operation. In the 1970s, the station also became involved in satellite distribution. Its uplink facility handled sports and other programming for wider distribution and was later leased for the transmission of early cable networks, including Nickelodeon and The Movie Channel. Ownership changed substantially in the late 1970s after regulatory restrictions on newspaper and broadcast cross-ownership affected the Butler family's former media combination. Following the sale of The Buffalo Evening News, WBEN-TV was sold to Howard Publications. The new ownership changed the station's call letters to WIVB-TV on November 1, 1977. The call sign was understood as a reference to “We're Channel IV Buffalo,” using the Roman numeral for four. King World Productions acquired the station in 1988, and LIN TV Corporation purchased it in 1995 after an attempted transaction involving NBC did not proceed. WIVB retained its CBS affiliation through these changes and expanded its role in Buffalo news and sports. It acquired local television rights to Buffalo Bills games in 1998 when the American Football Conference package moved to CBS. The station also became associated with longtime sports broadcaster Van Miller, who called Bills games for many years. Since 2021, WIVB has carried Buffalo Bills preseason broadcasts under Nexstar's regional media arrangement. It also carries selected Buffalo Bandits games, with some rights shared with WNLO. LIN acquired Buffalo's secondary PBS station, WNEQ-TV, in 2000. That station was relaunched as WNLO in 2001 and later became Buffalo's CW affiliate. This created the current WIVB-WNLO duopoly. LIN announced a merger with Media General in 2014, a transaction completed later that year. Media General subsequently combined with Nexstar, bringing WIVB-TV into the Nexstar station group. News remains the station's central product. WIVB produces extensive local newscasts for channel 4 and additional news programming for WNLO, giving the combined operation one of the largest local-news outputs among Buffalo broadcast television groups. The station historically competed with WKBW-TV and WGRZ for local ratings leadership. It led the market during portions of the late 1990s and 2000s, helped by programming changes at WKBW and the acquisition of The Oprah Winfrey Show, before later falling behind WGRZ amid cost reductions, carriage disputes, and changes in its anchor lineup. WIVB continues to serve as a major local source for news, weather, sports, public aff…

WIVB-TV signed on May 14, 1948, as WBEN-TV, the first television station in Buffalo. It was established by the Butler family, whose media holdings included The Buffalo Evening News and WBEN radio. The station initially operated as an NBC affiliate, with additional ABC and DuMont programming during Buffalo's formative television period. It added CBS programming in January 1949 and has maintained that affiliation ever since. The original operation broadcast from the Statler Hotel. In 1960, it moved to expanded facilities on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo. Its early local schedule reflected the limited network output of the era and included cooking, household, educational, children's, science, and holiday programs. Among its long-running programs were Meet the Millers, Fun to Learn, Your Museum of Science, and a December visit with Santa Claus and Forgetful the Elf. The station's ownership history was shaped by changes to federal restrictions on common ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations. The Butler family's former grandfathered combination was disrupted after the 1974 death of publisher Katherine Butler and the subsequent sale of the newspaper. The broadcasting properties were sold separately, with WBEN-TV going to Howard Publications in 1977. Howard changed the call letters to WIVB-TV on November 1 of that year. The new identity referred to channel four's Buffalo location. WIVB's technical facilities also played a role in the development of cable television. An uplink created in the 1970s distributed sporting events and other programming, and Warner-Amex used the facility for early cable services such as Nickelodeon and The Movie Channel. The cable networks later moved their uplink operations elsewhere. King World Productions bought WIVB in 1988. The station was involved in several potential affiliation and ownership scenarios during the 1990s, including an uncompleted proposed acquisition by NBC. LIN TV ultimately purchased WIVB in 1995 and renewed its CBS relationship. LIN also acquired WNEQ-TV in 2000; the station was relaunched as WNLO in 2001 and later became Buffalo's CW affiliate, creating the station pair that continues today. Sports became an important part of WIVB's identity. The station obtained local Bills television rights in 1998 when AFC games moved to CBS, and Van Miller remained a prominent part of its sports operation for decades. WIVB later added Bills preseason games under Nexstar's regional arrangement and selected Buffalo Bandits broadcasts. Media General announced its merger with LIN in 2014, bringing WIVB and WNLO into the Media General portfolio. Nexstar's acquisition of Media General was completed in 2017, and the subsequent corporate structure made WIVB part of one of the largest U.S. local television groups. The station currently focuses on CBS programming, local news, weather, sports, public affairs, and digital publishing. Its news operation also produces programming for WNLO, making the combined operation a major source of locally produced television news in the Buffalo market.

1. 2021Bills preseason broadcasts move to WIVB

   The station begins carrying Buffalo Bills preseason broadcasts under a Nexstar regional arrangement.

   Source
2. 2019Nexstar ownership begins

   WIVB becomes part of Nexstar following the company's combination with Media General.

   Source
3. 2014LIN-Media General merger announced

   Media General announces its planned acquisition of LIN TV.

   Source
4. 2001WNLO launches

   Former WNEQ-TV is relaunched as independent station WNLO, later becoming the CW affiliate.

   Source
5. 1998Buffalo Bills rights acquired

   WIVB gains local broadcast rights to Bills games as the AFC package moves to CBS.

   Source
6. 1995LIN TV acquisition

   LIN TV Corporation acquires WIVB-TV and renews its CBS affiliation.

   Source
7. 1988King World acquisition

   King World Productions purchases channel 4.

   Source
8. 1977WIVB-TV name adopted

   Howard Publications acquires the station and changes its call letters from WBEN-TV to WIVB-TV.

   Source
9. 1960Move to Elmwood Avenue

   The station moves from the Statler Hotel to its North Buffalo facilities.

   Source
10. 1949CBS affiliation begins

    WBEN-TV adds CBS programming and ultimately becomes a continuous CBS affiliate.

    Source
11. 1948WBEN-TV signs on

    The station begins broadcasting on May 14 as Buffalo's first television station.

    Source

A long-established Buffalo broadcast station positioned around local news, weather, sports, CBS programming, and regional public-service coverage.

• Local newsBroadcast television news1948

  WIVB's principal offering is its locally produced news operation, covering Buffalo and Western New York with scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, weather, traffic, investigations, and sports. The operation also produces news programming for sister station WNLO, extending the group's local coverage across two channels and digital platforms.

• CBS programmingNetwork television affiliation1949

  WIVB carries the CBS network schedule for the Buffalo market. The relationship began with the station's adoption of CBS programming in 1949 and has continued through multiple ownership changes, making CBS network content a core part of the station's identity.

• Buffalo Bills preseason broadcastsSports broadcasting2021

  WIVB broadcasts selected Buffalo Bills preseason games as part of Nexstar's regional media arrangement. The service gives the station a prominent local sports role in addition to CBS's regular-season AFC coverage and other sports programming.

• By the PeoplePublic affairs

  By the People is a long-running Sunday public-affairs program associated with WIVB. It provides a local forum for civic discussion and public-interest topics and is among the station's continuing non-news local programs.

• WNLO news productionTelevision news production2001

  WIVB's news department produces additional newscasts for WNLO. This shared operation allows the two stations to offer distinct schedules while using common reporting, production, and technical resources.

• 2021Launch of WIVB Bills preseason coverageProduct launch

  Nexstar arranged regional broadcast coverage for Buffalo Bills preseason games; the planned 2020 move was delayed after the NFL canceled that preseason because of COVID-19 concerns.

  What changed. WIVB began carrying the Bills' preseason broadcasts in 2021.

  Aftermath. The station strengthened its role as a local sports broadcaster alongside its CBS network programming.

  Source
• 2001Creation of the WIVB-WNLO station pairingStrategy

  LIN acquired the market's secondary PBS station, WNEQ-TV, in 2000.

  What changed. WNEQ-TV was relaunched as independent WNLO and later became Buffalo's CW affiliate, operating alongside WIVB-TV.

  Aftermath. The two stations developed shared facilities and a combined local-news operation.

  Source
• 1995Renewal of the CBS affiliation under LINStrategy

  A proposed NBC acquisition of King World did not proceed, and several other companies explored acquiring or changing the station's affiliation.

  What changed. LIN TV acquired WIVB-TV and renewed its long-term relationship with CBS.

  Aftermath. WIVB remained a CBS affiliate while ownership of the station and the broader U.S. television industry continued to consolidate.

  Source
• 1977Adoption of the WIVB-TV identityStrategy

  The station was sold separately from the newspaper and radio properties formerly associated with the WBEN name. FCC rules at the time also restricted same-city stations under different ownership from sharing identical call letters.

  What changed. Howard Publications changed WBEN-TV's call letters to WIVB-TV on November 1, 1977, creating a channel-four Buffalo identity.

  Aftermath. The WIVB-TV name became the station's continuing public identity while the WBEN call sign remained with the radio operation.

  Source

• 2021Buffalo Bills preseason broadcasts move to WIVB

  Under Nexstar's regional media arrangement, Buffalo Bills preseason games moved to WIVB-TV.

  Product launchOther
  Source
• 2019WIVB-TV joins Nexstar's station group

  The completion of Nexstar's combination with Media General placed WIVB-TV under Nexstar ownership.

  M&A
  Source
• 1977WBEN-TV changes call letters to WIVB-TV

  Following its sale to Howard Publications, channel 4 adopted the WIVB-TV call sign.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 1948WIVB-TV begins broadcasting as WBEN-TV

  Buffalo's first television station signed on as WBEN-TV and initially carried NBC programming.

  Other
  Source

1. WIVB-TV
2. WIVB-TV official website