WEVV-TV
An Evansville television station carrying CBS programming on its primary service and Fox and MyNetworkTV programming through digital subchannels.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WEVV-TV is a commercial television station serving the Evansville, Indiana, market and nearby communities in western Kentucky. The station broadcasts on channel 44 and is associated with CBS, Fox, and MyNetworkTV programming. Its primary service carries CBS, while Fox programming is distributed through a digital subchannel and a related low-power digital facility; MyNetworkTV programming has also occupied the Fox-associated service during late-night hours. WEVV produces local news for both its CBS and Fox outlets, making it one of the market's principal sources of locally produced television journalism. The station began broadcasting on November 17, 1983, after a lengthy licensing and construction process. It was initially conceived as an independent station offering syndicated entertainment, movies, cartoons, sports, and potentially local news. Early operations were supported by local investors, including broadcasting veteran Dick Shively, and the station originally operated from the Executive Inn in Evansville with a transmitter across the Ohio River in Kentucky. In 1985, Ralph C. Wilson Industries acquired WEVV, and the station joined the Fox network when that network launched in 1986. A major early turning point came with the construction of a prominent downtown Evansville studio facility. Opened in 1990, the building supported expanded production and commercial activity and helped establish WEVV as a more visible local media institution. The station launched its first local news department in 1992, initially introducing a weeknight 9 p.m. newscast that was among the first new local television news operations in the Evansville market in decades. WEVV later added Sunday news and adjusted its schedule as it developed its relationship with viewers and advertisers. WEVV became a CBS affiliate in December 1995 after a complicated market-wide affiliation realignment involving WTVW, WEHT, Fox, and CBS. The change expanded the station's network programming obligations and altered its local-news schedule. Communications Corporation of America purchased WEVV in 1999. Under ComCorp, the station's local news department was closed in July 2001 after management concluded that its ratings performance was weaker than the station's entertainment programming. Approximately 40 employees were dismissed in connection with the shutdown. The station's relationship with Fox was restored in 2011 after Fox and the owner of WTVW disputed affiliation terms. Rather than returning Fox to the main channel, WEVV placed Fox programming on its 44.2 digital subchannel, where it became known as Fox44. MyNetworkTV programming was retained in a later time slot. This dual-affiliation arrangement allowed WEVV to remain a CBS outlet while also serving as the Evansville area's Fox station. Bayou City Broadcasting acquired WEVV in early 2015 after regulatory concerns complicated a proposed Nexstar transaction involving several Evansville stations. Under owner DuJuan McCoy, WEVV moved from its former downtown facility to vacant studios on Carpenter Street and rebuilt its local news operation. Newscasts returned in August 2015, with morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and late-night programs on the CBS service and a dedicated 9 p.m. broadcast on Fox. The relaunch restored locally produced news to WEVV after a hiatus of roughly fourteen years. Entertainment Studios, later operating as Allen Media Group, purchased the Bayou City stations in 2019. In 2025, Allen Media Group briefly proposed replacing local meteorological positions with centralized weather coverage produced by The Weather Channel, but reversed the plan after negative reactions from viewers and advertisers. The company subsequently explored strategic alternatives for its television assets. Gray Media announced an agreement to acquire WEVV and related stations, with the transaction described in the reference material as completing in 2026. Under Gray, WEVV operates alongside NBC affiliate WFIE, cre…
History
WEVV-TV's origins date to a Federal Communications Commission application for a new commercial UHF station on channel 44. South Central Broadcasting, owner of Evansville radio station WIKY, applied in 1978, proposing an independent outlet with sports and possibly news programming. Because South Central already owned a radio station in the market, it required a waiver to proceed. Family TV, Inc. filed a competing application in 1979 for a family-oriented station emphasizing programming with limited sex and violence, along with sports. South Central withdrew in 1980, while Family TV struggled to secure financing and construct the station. In 1982, broadcaster Dick Shively was brought in to help develop the operation. In early 1983, Shively and two other investors acquired a minority interest in the construction permit, then identified by the call sign WAFV. The investors secured rights to televise University of Evansville Purple Aces athletics and arranged for the call sign to be changed to WEVV, despite objections from existing station WEHT. Delays in notifying the FCC about ownership and financing arrangements resulted in an FCC fine in 1984. WEVV attempted to sign on November 10, 1983, but moisture in the transmission line forced a postponement. Regular broadcasting began on November 17 from offices in the Executive Inn. The station's transmitter was located south of the Ohio River in Kentucky, and its early schedule consisted of cartoons, movies, and syndicated shows. Local ownership soon attracted acquisition interest. Ralph C. Wilson Industries, associated with Detroit businessman Ralph C. Wilson Jr. and the Buffalo Bills, agreed to purchase the station in 1985. The sale closed in February 1986. Wilson invested in updated equipment, newer movie inventory, and a stronger visual identity, although WEVV lost the rights to Purple Aces sports to WFIE that year. WEVV joined Fox when the network launched in October 1986. Wilson's management believed that a prominent studio location could raise the station's profile and support stronger community involvement. After considering several sites, the company selected property near Main Street and Riverside Drive in downtown Evansville. The station moved into a roughly 14,000-square-foot facility in January 1990. The building was designed not only for broadcasting but also for commercial production and public visibility. The new facility supported WEVV's first substantial local-news initiative. General manager Skip Simms advocated for a news operation and announced plans in 1991 for an hour-long weeknight 9 p.m. newscast. Fox 44 News at 9 debuted in February 1992. WEVV promoted the service as a more detailed alternative to conventional local coverage and sought to compete with early-evening news by using Fox's later prime-time schedule. A Sunday broadcast was added in 1993, and the weeknight program was subsequently shortened to thirty minutes after the Sunday edition performed better. WEVV also experimented with a low-power sports-oriented outlet, W63BT, branded TSN. A major affiliation realignment reshaped Evansville television in 1995. After WTVW changed ownership and pursued the ABC affiliation, WEHT moved toward ABC, leaving CBS without a local outlet. CBS reached an agreement with WEVV, and the station switched from Fox to CBS on December 4, 1995. Some CBS programs appeared on WEVV before the formal transition because WEHT had already dropped them while accommodating incoming ABC programming. The switch required WEVV to make room for CBS's larger schedule and led to changes in its news format, including the short-lived 44 at 5 early-news-and-interview program. Ralph C. Wilson Industries began exploring a sale in 1998. Communications Corporation of America acquired WEVV in February 1999 for $27.5 million. ComCorp later faced financial pressure across its station group and eventually sought bankruptcy protection. At WEVV, management closed the local news department on July 17, 2001, citing weak ratings relative to entertainment programming. Approximately 40 people lost their jobs. The station continued operating as a CBS affiliate, later adding digital services and moving through several subchannel arrangements. WEVV began transmitting a high-definition digital signal in 2005. Its analog service ended on June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide digital television transition. Fox eventually returned to WEVV as a result of a dispute between Fox and Nexstar, which owned or operated other Evansville stations. Fox announced in May 2011 that its programming would move to WEVV's 44.2 subchannel beginning July 1. WEVV also activated a low-power digital facility to help distribute a high-definition Fox signal to viewers and multichannel providers. The subchannel was branded Fox44, while MyNetworkTV programs were placed after Fox's programming. ComCorp announced a sale of its stations to Nexstar in 2013. Ownership restrictions prevented Nexstar from simply retaining WEVV alongside its other Evansville holdings, and an initial plan involving Rocky Creek Communications and a shared-services arrangement became difficult amid increased regulatory scrutiny of such agreements. Bayou City Broadcasting, owned by DuJuan McCoy, ultimately agreed to acquire WEVV for $18.6 million. Bayou City took control in January 2015. A carriage dispute with Dish Network followed soon afterward and lasted for nearly a month. McCoy's ownership brought a physical and editorial relaunch. WEVV moved from its downtown building to the former WTVW facilities on Carpenter Street, which had been vacant after WTVW's operations were combined with WEHT. The station restored local news in August 2015, adding morning, noon, afternoon, early-evening, and late-evening programs to the CBS service and a dedicated 9 p.m. broadcast to Fox. This made WEVV a dual-affiliate operation with locally produced news on both network outlets. Entertainment Studios acquired Bayou City's stations in 2019 for $165 million, completing the purchase on July 31. The company later operated its broadcast assets under the Allen Media Group name. In January 2025, Allen Media Group proposed centralizing weather production through a Weather Channel weather hub and reducing local meteorologist positions at stations including WEVV. The company reversed the decision within a week after viewer and advertiser opposition. In the same period, financial pressure and debt led Allen Media Group to explore strategic alternatives for its television stations. Gray Media subsequently agreed to acquire WEVV and related stations in a package valued at $171 million. The reference material states that the transaction closed in 2026, making Gray the station's owner and placing WEVV alongside WFIE in a local duopoly.
- 2026
Gray Media ownership begins
[1]The reference material states that Gray Media completed its acquisition of WEVV and related stations.
- 2019
Allen Media Group ownership begins
[1]Entertainment Studios completed its acquisition of WEVV's owner.
- 2015
Bayou City ownership and news relaunch
[1]Bayou City Broadcasting acquired WEVV, moved its facilities, and restored local news.
- 2011
Fox returns on a digital subchannel
[1]Fox programming moved to WEVV's 44.2 service, creating the Fox44 outlet.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]WEVV ended regular analog broadcasting during the United States digital television transition.
- 2001
Local news operation closes
[1]ComCorp discontinued WEVV's news department because of weak ratings.
- 1995
CBS affiliation begins
[1]WEVV switched from Fox to CBS during a market-wide affiliation change.
- 1992
First local news department
[1]The station launched a weeknight 9 p.m. local newscast.
- 1990
Move to downtown studios
[1]WEVV opened and moved into a new downtown Evansville facility.
- 1986
Fox affiliation begins
[1]WEVV joined Fox when the network launched.
Products and positioning
A locally focused network-affiliated broadcast station serving the Evansville tri-state market through CBS, Fox, MyNetworkTV, local news, weather, sports, and community programming.
Network-affiliated television service · 1995
WEVV CBS
WEVV's primary television service carries CBS network programming together with syndicated entertainment, local weather, public-affairs content, and locally produced news. Its schedule has historically included morning, midday, afternoon, early-evening, and late-evening local broadcasts.
Digital network-affiliated television service · 2011
Fox 44
Fox 44 is WEVV's Fox outlet, carried through a digital subchannel and related low-power digital distribution. It combines Fox network programming with syndicated shows, local news, weather, and a dedicated 9 p.m. newscast.
Broadcast journalism · 2015
Local news programming
WEVV produces local news for its CBS and Fox services. The current operation grew out of the 2015 relaunch and includes morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and late-night coverage, with schedules differing between the two network outlets.
Sports television service · 1993
TSN / W63BT
TSN was a low-power television service established by WEVV in the early 1990s with a sports-oriented programming concept. It also provided a place for syndicated programs displaced by the station's expanded CBS schedule.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2026
Sale to Gray MediaM&ABackground
Allen Media Group explored strategic options for its television assets amid financial pressure and rising debt.
Action taken
Gray Media acquired WEVV and related stations as part of a larger station transaction.
Aftermath
WEVV became part of Gray Media and operates alongside Gray-owned WFIE in an Evansville television duopoly.
Reported transaction value. $171 million (Announced in 2025; transaction stated as completed in 2026)
2025
Reversal of centralized-weather planStrategyBackground
Allen Media Group proposed cutting local meteorologist positions and replacing some station weather production with a centralized Weather Channel weather hub.
Action taken
Management abandoned the plan within a week after reactions from viewers and advertisers.
Aftermath
The reversal preserved the local-weather staffing approach at the affected stations at that time.
2015
Local news relaunchProduct launchBackground
New owner DuJuan McCoy stated that restoring local news was a priority after the station had operated without its own news department for about fourteen years.
Action taken
WEVV moved to new facilities and introduced local newscasts on both its CBS and Fox services in August.
Aftermath
The station resumed regular locally produced journalism, including a Fox-focused 9 p.m. newscast.
2011
Return of Fox programming on channel 44.2StrategyBackground
Fox and Nexstar disputed affiliation fees and retransmission-consent revenue arrangements affecting Fox programming in the Evansville market.
Action taken
Fox moved its Evansville affiliation to WEVV's 44.2 digital subchannel, supported by a low-power digital signal.
Aftermath
WEVV became a CBS and Fox dual-affiliate operation while retaining MyNetworkTV programming in a later time slot.
2001
Closure of local news departmentStrategyBackground
ComCorp determined that WEVV's news ratings were weaker than the audience performance of its entertainment programming.
Action taken
The company discontinued local news production and dismissed approximately 40 employees.
Aftermath
WEVV operated without a full local news department until Bayou City Broadcasting restored one in 2015.
1995
Switch from Fox to CBSStrategyBackground
A broader Evansville affiliation realignment left CBS seeking a local affiliate after other stations changed network relationships.
Action taken
WEVV accepted CBS programming and formally became a CBS affiliate on December 4, 1995.
Aftermath
The station gained a larger network schedule and adjusted its local-news and syndicated-programming lineup.
Sources2 sources
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