WDNI-CD

WDNI-CD is a low-power, Class A television station serving Indianapolis and Central Indiana in the United States. The station broadcasts on digital channel 19 and is affiliated with Telemundo, the Spanish-language television network. Its current identity combines network programming, locally produced Spanish-language news and public-affairs content, and community-oriented programming for the Indianapolis-area Hispanic audience. The station’s studios are located at 40 Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, while its transmitter is situated near North Hawthorne Lane and 23rd Street on the city’s near-northeast side. The station began broadcasting on March 7, 1989, under the call sign W53AV on UHF channel 53. It was established by Hoosier Radio and TV and initially operated as a general-interest independent outlet branded variously as WAV53 or Hoosier TV 53. Its early schedule included public-domain films, Cincinnati Reds baseball games, wrestling programming such as ECW Hardcore TV, and other syndicated or locally presented material. For a short period in the early 1990s, the station carried programming from the short-lived Network One. During the middle of that decade it also aired music programming, particularly overnight content from MuchUSA, the music channel later known as Fuse. Indianapolis media personality Bill Shirk hosted some programs on the station during this era. In 1999, the station moved from channel 53 to channel 65 and adopted the call sign W65DW. Radio One acquired the station in 2000. Following the acquisition, the call letters became WDNI-LP in 2001, and the station was repositioned as Indy's Music Channel. This format emphasized music videos across rock, alternative rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, dance, and heavy metal. Its schedule included host-led programs such as Drive Time with Reka, The Tease, The Main Attraction, Max Hits, Free Style, The Rock Block, The List, Hip Hop Rhythm & Vibes, and The After Party. The station also produced The Amos Brown Show, a locally made weekday public-affairs and talk program focused on prominent figures and issues affecting Central Indiana’s African American community. That program ended in 2007. Sunday religious programming was presented under the banner IMC Goes to Church. The station moved its broadcast allocation to UHF channel 19 in 2009. In February of that year, it ended analog broadcasting and completed a flash cut to digital transmission. Its Class A licensing status led to the use of the relatively uncommon “-CD” suffix rather than the more typical “-LD” or “-CA” suffixes associated with low-power digital or Class A stations. A major strategic change came in March 2013, when Radio One announced an affiliation agreement with Telemundo. The agreement made WDNI-CD the first station in the Indianapolis market to carry programming from a major commercial Spanish-language network since the former WIIH-CA discontinued its Univision affiliation in January 2009. WDNI-CD officially became a Telemundo affiliate on March 11, 2013, and subsequently developed the Telemundo 19 and Telemundo Indy identities. The station’s current offering includes Telemundo’s Spanish-language entertainment, news, sports, and network programming, alongside locally produced material. Listed local programming has included Acceso Total Indy and De todo de poco. The station also produced En Contexto, a public-affairs program hosted by Luis Navarro, who had previously worked as a special-assignment reporter and principal weather forecaster for WIIH’s newscasts. In May 2025, Telemundo 19 launched live local Spanish-language newscasts on weeknights at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., expanding the station’s local news role. WDNI-CD has also carried Telemundo’s broader sports and special-event output, although its broadcast of the network’s first Spanish-language Indianapolis 500 coverage was blacked out locally in 2022 because viewers were required to watch the tape-delayed presentation on WTHR.

WDNI-CD began broadcasting on March 7, 1989, as W53AV on UHF channel 53. Founded by Hoosier Radio and TV, it used the WAV53 and Hoosier TV 53 identities and operated as a small independent station. Its initial schedule was eclectic, combining public-domain films, Cincinnati Reds baseball, wrestling, and other locally or independently acquired programs. It briefly carried the programming of Network One in the early 1990s and later aired overnight music programming from MuchUSA. Local personality Bill Shirk also appeared in station programming. In 1999, the station moved to UHF channel 65 and became W65DW. Radio One purchased the station in 2000 and changed its call sign to WDNI-LP in 2001. Under Radio One, the station became Indy's Music Channel, a music-video service spanning rock, alternative rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, dance, and heavy metal. The format included a range of host-led shows, including Drive Time with Reka, The Tease, The Main Attraction, Max Hits, Free Style, The Rock Block, The List, Hip Hop Rhythm & Vibes, and The After Party. It also produced The Amos Brown Show, a weekday local talk and public-affairs program centered on Central Indiana’s African American community. That program was discontinued in 2007, while Sunday religious output continued under the IMC Goes to Church banner. The station moved to channel 19 in 2009 and completed a digital flash cut in February of that year. It later received Class A status, explaining its use of the “-CD” call-sign suffix. The most important programming transformation occurred in 2013. Radio One announced an agreement with Telemundo on March 6, and WDNI-CD officially joined the network on March 11. The affiliation restored a major commercial Spanish-language network presence to the Indianapolis market after WIIH-CA ended its Univision affiliation in 2009. Following the affiliation, WDNI-CD developed the Telemundo 19 and Telemundo Indy identities. Its programming mix came to include Telemundo’s national Spanish-language schedule as well as locally produced programs such as Acceso Total Indy and De todo de poco. The station also produced En Contexto, a public-affairs program hosted by Luis Navarro, a former WIIH reporter and weather forecaster. In 2022, the station blacked out Telemundo’s first Spanish-language Indianapolis 500 coverage in Central Indiana because the market’s authorized presentation was a tape-delayed broadcast on WTHR. In May 2025, WDNI-CD added live local Spanish-language newscasts on weeknights at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., strengthening its role as a local news source for Spanish-speaking viewers in Indianapolis and Central Indiana. Its studios are located at 40 Monument Circle, with transmission facilities near North Hawthorne Lane and 23rd Street.

• 2025

  Launches live local newscasts

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Telemundo 19 began airing live local Spanish-language newscasts on weeknights at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

• 2022

  Local blackout of Telemundo Indianapolis 500 coverage

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station withheld Telemundo’s Spanish-language Indianapolis 500 presentation from the local market because the authorized local broadcast was tape-delayed on WTHR.

• 2013

  Becomes a Telemundo affiliate

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WDNI-CD officially joined Telemundo on March 11 after Radio One announced the affiliation agreement several days earlier.

• 2009

  Moves to channel 19 and completes digital transition

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  WDNI relocated its signal to UHF channel 19 and ended analog transmission through a digital flash cut in February.

• 2007

  The Amos Brown Show ends

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station discontinued its locally produced weekday talk and public-affairs program focused on Central Indiana’s African American community.

• 2001

  Rebrands as Indy's Music Channel

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station became WDNI-LP and adopted a music-video format under the Indy's Music Channel brand.

• 2000

  Radio One acquires the station

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Radio One purchased the station, bringing it into the broadcast holdings associated with Urban One.

• 1999

  Moves to channel 65

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its allocation to UHF channel 65 and adopted the W65DW call sign.

• 1989

  Station signs on as W53AV

  [1]WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Hoosier Radio and TV launched the station on March 7, 1989, broadcasting on UHF channel 53 under the WAV53 and Hoosier TV 53 identities.

A local Spanish-language broadcast outlet for Indianapolis and Central Indiana, combining Telemundo network content with locally produced news, public affairs, and community programming.

• Spanish-language television network affiliation · 2013

  Telemundo network programming

  WDNI-CD’s primary programming service is the Spanish-language schedule supplied by Telemundo. It provides network entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming to viewers in Indianapolis and Central Indiana through the station’s digital broadcast signal.

• Local television news · 2025

  Telemundo 19 local newscasts

  The station’s local news offering provides Spanish-language coverage for the Indianapolis market. In May 2025, WDNI-CD launched live weeknight editions at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., extending its role beyond network distribution into regularly scheduled local journalism.

• Local lifestyle and community programming

  Acceso Total Indy

  Acceso Total Indy is a locally produced Spanish-language program listed among WDNI-CD’s local offerings. It airs on weekdays at noon and is oriented toward local information and community-interest content.

• Local magazine programming

  De todo de poco

  De todo de poco is a Spanish-language local program scheduled on weekday and weekend mornings. Its programming role is that of a broad local magazine or community-interest show within the station’s locally produced lineup.

• Public-affairs programming

  En Contexto

  En Contexto was a locally produced public-affairs program presented on weekend mornings and weekday mornings. It was hosted by Luis Navarro and addressed local issues and community subjects for Spanish-speaking viewers.

• Music television · 2001

  Indy's Music Channel

  During the 2000s, WDNI operated as Indy's Music Channel, a music-video service covering rock, alternative rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, dance, and heavy metal. The format used multiple host-led programs and was later replaced by the station’s Telemundo affiliation.

• 2025

  Launch of live weeknight local newscastsProduct launch

  Background

  WDNI-CD had carried local programs and public-affairs content but later expanded its local news operation.

  Action taken

  Telemundo 19 introduced live Spanish-language newscasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on weeknights.

  Aftermath

  The launch increased the station’s locally produced news presence for Spanish-speaking audiences in the Indianapolis market.

  Source

• 2013

  Switch from music television to Telemundo affiliationStrategy

  Background

  Radio One operated WDNI as Indy's Music Channel before agreeing to affiliate the station with Telemundo. The move followed the loss of a major commercial Spanish-language network outlet in the Indianapolis market after WIIH-CA ended its Univision affiliation.

  Action taken

  WDNI-CD adopted Telemundo programming and developed the Telemundo 19 and Telemundo Indy identities, while retaining a local broadcast presence.

  Aftermath

  The station became a Spanish-language network affiliate serving Indianapolis and subsequently expanded its local programming and news output.

  Source

1. 1WDNI-CDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Telemundo Indy official websitetelemundoindy.com