An Indianapolis television station and ABC affiliate, historically known as Channel 6 and RTV6.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WRTV is a television station serving Indianapolis, Indiana, and nearby parts of Central Indiana. The station broadcasts on channel 6 and is affiliated with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). It is one of the Indianapolis market's principal local news outlets and traces its origins to WFBM-TV, which began broadcasting on May 30, 1949. That launch made it the oldest television station in Indiana. Its first program was a documentary about the early history of the Indianapolis 500, followed by live coverage of the race, establishing a long relationship between the station and one of the region's defining sporting events. The station was initially associated primarily with CBS, while also carrying selected programs from ABC, the DuMont Television Network, and later the Paramount Television Network. In 1956 it became Indianapolis's NBC affiliate. Its call sign changed from WFBM-TV to WRTV in 1972 after the station was acquired by McGraw-Hill and separated from the WFBM radio properties. The change reflected both the new ownership and Federal Communications Commission limits on combined ownership of broadcast outlets. On June 1, 1979, WRTV and WTHR exchanged network affiliations. WRTV became the Indianapolis ABC affiliate, while WTHR took NBC programming. The move made WRTV one of the comparatively few American television stations to have served as a primary affiliate of each of the three historic major broadcast networks: CBS, NBC, and ABC. ABC renewed the affiliation in a 1994 agreement covering McGraw-Hill's television group. WRTV developed a substantial news operation during its early decades. For much of the period from the 1950s through the early 1980s, its newscasts were among the most watched in Indianapolis. Ratings weakened after a 1990s format change and amid stronger competition from WISH-TV, WTHR, WXIN, and other local outlets, but the station remained a significant source of local reporting, weather coverage, traffic information, and public-affairs programming. It has also been associated with technical innovations in Indiana television, including early local videotape production, portable newsgathering cameras, microwave remote transmission, mobile satellite uplinks, and digital nonlinear editing. The station was an early adopter of digital distribution. In the late 1990s, it launched theindychannel.com, described as the first website operated by an Indianapolis television station, and later introduced a mobile service branded 6News OnTheGo. Its on-air identity shifted several times: it adopted the RTV6 brand in 1998, used 6 News for parts of its news presentation, and in 2020 moved to the simpler WRTV and WRTV News names as part of a broader graphics and branding rollout. McGraw-Hill sold its broadcasting division to the E. W. Scripps Company in a transaction announced in 2011 and completed that December. Under Scripps, WRTV remained an ABC affiliate and expanded cooperation with Indianapolis radio station WIBC, including a downtown facility and shared news content. The station's North Meridian Street operation also became part of Scripps's centralized master-control infrastructure for multiple stations. In October 2025, Scripps announced an agreement to sell WRTV to Circle City Broadcasting, the Indianapolis owner of WISH-TV, WNDY-TV, and WIIH-CD. The transaction was reported as receiving regulatory approval in February 2026 and closing in March 2026. Following the transaction, WRTV's news output was replaced by programming produced by WISH-TV, while the station's operations were merged with the existing Circle City Broadcasting structure. The reported transaction further concentrated Indianapolis television ownership and separated WRTV from its long-standing Scripps sister stations.
History
WRTV began as WFBM-TV on May 30, 1949, under Consolidated Television and Radio Broadcasters, which was associated with the Bitner Group and Indianapolis radio station WFBM. The station's inaugural broadcast focused on the Indianapolis 500 and combined a historical documentary with live race coverage. It initially operated as a CBS station while carrying selected programs from ABC and DuMont. During the 1950s it also aired programming from the Paramount Television Network and briefly from the NTA Film Network. The station added an FM radio sister in 1955 and changed its principal network relationship to NBC in 1956. Bitner sold its broadcasting interests to Time Inc. in 1957; the television assets were subsequently organized under Time-Life's broadcasting operation. During the middle of the 1960s, WFBM-TV became Indiana's first television station to transmit programming in color. In 1970, Time-Life agreed to sell WFBM-AM-FM-TV and several other broadcasting properties to McGraw-Hill. Regulatory restrictions required the disposal of several associated radio stations, but McGraw-Hill retained the television station. The transaction was completed in 1972, and the television outlet adopted the call letters WRTV on June 1 of that year. WRTV changed networks again on June 1, 1979, when it exchanged affiliations with WTHR. The station became an ABC affiliate, while WTHR became an NBC affiliate. This gave WRTV a rare history of primary affiliations with CBS, NBC, and ABC. ABC and McGraw-Hill later reached a long-term affiliation agreement in 1994, preserving WRTV's relationship with the network. The station's news department was particularly influential during its first several decades. WRTV was often the leading Indianapolis news station through the early 1980s, but WISH-TV later became the market leader. A format change in 1996 coincided with a decline in WRTV's ratings, and the station spent much of the following period competing for second or third place with WISH, WTHR, WXIN, and WTTV. Its technological history includes early videotape use, portable cameras, microwave links for live field reports, mobile satellite transmission, and digital nonlinear editing. WRTV expanded beyond conventional broadcasting through its website, theindychannel.com, launched in the late 1990s, and its later mobile-news service. The station also maintained a long sports relationship with the Indianapolis 500. It carried the race as an ABC outlet, frequently using a local tape-delay arrangement during much of that period, though it aired the 1999 and 2016 events live. ABC's loss of Indianapolis 500 rights after the 2018 race ended WRTV's local role; NBC then moved the broadcast to WTHR, followed by WXIN in 2025. Scripps acquired WRTV from McGraw-Hill in December 2011. During Scripps ownership, WRTV established a downtown Indianapolis presence through an agreement with WIBC and became part of a larger centralized master-control operation. In 2020 it ended the long-running RTV6 identity and adopted WRTV as its principal brand. Scripps announced a sale to Circle City Broadcasting in 2025. The transaction was reported as approved in February 2026 and completed on March 31, 2026. Circle City Broadcasting subsequently combined WRTV's operations with those of WISH-TV, replacing WRTV-produced newscasts with WISH-produced programming and reducing the station's independent news operation.
- 2026
Circle City Broadcasting acquisition completed
[1]The reported sale from Scripps to Circle City Broadcasting closed, followed by operational integration with WISH-TV.
- 2020
WRTV branding adopted
[1]The station retired the RTV6 identity and branded its newscasts as WRTV News.
- 2012
Downtown facility opens
[1]WRTV opened a secondary news facility at WIBC's downtown Indianapolis studios.
- 2011
Sale to Scripps announced
[1]McGraw-Hill announced the sale of WRTV and its broadcasting division to Scripps.
- 1998
RTV6 brand and early web expansion
[1]The station adopted RTV6 on air and operated theindychannel.com, an early Indianapolis television-news website.
- 1979
ABC affiliation begins
[1]WRTV exchanged affiliations with WTHR and became Indianapolis's ABC station.
- 1972
Call sign changes to WRTV
[1]Following McGraw-Hill's acquisition, WFBM-TV adopted the WRTV call letters.
- 1965
Color broadcasting introduced
[1]The station became the first television outlet in Indiana to broadcast its programming in color.
- 1956
Becomes Indianapolis NBC affiliate
[1]WFBM-TV assumed the market's NBC affiliation from WTTV.
- 1949
WFBM-TV launches
[1]WFBM-TV began broadcasting on May 30 as Indiana's first television station, opening with Indianapolis 500-related programming.
Products and positioning
A long-established Indianapolis broadcast brand combining ABC network programming with local news, weather, sports, and digital reporting. Its heritage rests on being Indiana's oldest television station and on its historical association with the Indianapolis 500.
Local television news
WRTV News
Local news programming covering Indianapolis and Central Indiana, including scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, weather, traffic, investigations, and community features. The service was historically presented under names including 6 News and RTV6 News before the station adopted the WRTV News identity in 2020.
Digital news platform · 1990
TheIndyChannel.com
WRTV's web destination for local news, weather, video, traffic, sports, and community information. The station identifies it as one of the earliest websites operated by an Indianapolis television outlet.
Network television service · 1979
ABC programming
WRTV's over-the-air carriage of ABC's entertainment, news, daytime, sports, and special-event schedule. The station generally carried the network lineup in pattern, with interruptions possible for breaking news, severe weather, or other local priorities.
Sports broadcasting · 1980
Indianapolis 500 coverage
A major sports-broadcasting association linking WRTV with the Indianapolis 500 during its years as the local ABC affiliate. The station carried the race for decades, often using tape delay under local attendance-related arrangements, and aired selected editions live.
Brand decisions
2025
Sale to Circle City BroadcastingM&ABackground
Scripps announced the divestiture of WRTV to an Indianapolis-based broadcaster already operating WISH-TV, WNDY-TV, and WIIH-CD.
Action taken
Scripps agreed to sell WRTV to Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million, subject to regulatory approval.
Aftermath
The reported closing in March 2026 led to the station's operational integration with WISH-TV and the replacement of WRTV-produced newscasts with WISH-produced programs.
Transaction value. $83 million (Agreement announced October 2025)
2020
Retirement of RTV6 identityStrategyBackground
Scripps introduced a new graphics package and broader group branding across its stations.
Action taken
WRTV dropped the long-running RTV6 moniker and changed its news branding to WRTV News.
Aftermath
The station's on-air identity became more closely aligned with its call letters.
2014
Expansion of centralized master controlStrategyBackground
Scripps sought to expand an existing regional centralcasting arrangement developed under McGraw-Hill ownership.
Action taken
WRTV's Indianapolis facility began preparing to handle master-control operations for a larger number of Scripps stations.
Aftermath
The expansion was expected to add ten jobs and increased the station's operational role within the Scripps group.
2011
Sale from McGraw-Hill to ScrippsM&ABackground
McGraw-Hill decided to exit the television-broadcasting business and sell its seven-station group.
Action taken
The E. W. Scripps Company agreed to acquire the group, including WRTV, for $212 million; the transaction closed on December 30, 2011.
Aftermath
WRTV became a Scripps station and a sister outlet to WCPO-TV in Cincinnati.
Transaction value. $212 million (2011 announced sale; completed December 30, 2011)
1979
Switch from NBC to ABCStrategyBackground
ABC was seeking stronger affiliates as its national performance improved, while network affiliations were being rearranged in several American markets.
Action taken
WRTV exchanged affiliations with WTHR on June 1, becoming an ABC affiliate and making WTHR the Indianapolis NBC station.
Aftermath
The move gave WRTV a rare record of having served as a primary affiliate of CBS, NBC, and ABC.
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