WTWO

WTWO is a television station serving Terre Haute, Indiana, and the surrounding Wabash Valley region of the United States. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 2 and is owned by Nexstar Media Group. Its principal network affiliation is NBC, while its second digital subchannel assumed the local CW affiliation from WTHI-TV on September 1, 2024. WTWO operates alongside ABC affiliate WAWV-TV, another Nexstar-controlled station serving the same market. The stations share studios and transmission facilities along U.S. Routes 41 and 150 in unincorporated Sullivan County, south of Farmersburg. WTWO began broadcasting on September 1, 1965. Its first program was NBC's Today, broadcast at 7 a.m. The station originally operated as a primary NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. During that period, ABC programs were carried when scheduling permitted, sometimes through tape delay or by preempting NBC programming. The station began transmitting network programming in color only eleven days after its launch. ABC programming was eventually moved primarily to the market's channel 38 outlet in 1973. Ownership changed several times. Illiana Telecasting sold WTWO to Booth Newspapers in 1968. Booth later sold the station to Fabri Development Corporation, associated with Malcolm Glazer, in 1975. In 1990, Fabri sold WTWO and sister stations WRBL and KQTV to TCS Television Partners. Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired WTWO and KQTV from TCS in 1997. Nexstar later became Nexstar Media Group and retained WTWO after acquiring Media General in 2016. To satisfy federal ownership limits, the rival Terre Haute station WTHI-TV was divested to Heartland Media rather than being retained alongside WTWO and WAWV. Local news has been central to WTWO's identity since its launch. Its news operation has used several names, including W-2 News, TV-2 News, Eyewitness News, NewsChannel 2, WTWO NewsChannel, NBC 2 News, and WTWO News. The station introduced a local news-and-talk program called Live at Five in 1998 and has produced or supported newscasts for sister and affiliated stations at different points in its history. It began using digital newsgathering cameras in 2007 and moved its local newscasts to high definition in 2016. In 2025, a noon newscast produced for WAWV began simulcasting on WTWO as a WTWO-branded program. WTWO has also operated a broad digital multicast service. Nexstar announced a 2016 agreement involving Escape, Laff, Grit, and Bounce TV for stations including WTWO and WAWV. Transmission problems temporarily interrupted some multicast services from July 2017 until May 2018, when a replacement antenna restored the affected channels and enabled additional service, including Cozi TV. Antenna TV replaced Cozi TV on WTWO's fourth digital subchannel in February 2021. Like other full-power American television stations, WTWO ended regular analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, retaining its virtual channel 2 identity on a digital UHF facility. The station has attracted attention beyond its local market on several occasions. In 2006, WTWO declined to air NBC's controversial drama The Book of Daniel after viewer complaints about its religious themes. A separate 2006 promotional campaign attacking rival WTHI-TV's weather radar and backup-power arrangements was later discussed and parodied by The Daily Show. These incidents made WTWO a recognizable example of the editorial and promotional controversies that can arise at local network affiliates, while its core business remains local news, weather, sports, community information, network programming, and syndicated or multicast television content.

WTWO signed on September 1, 1965, as a Terre Haute television station established by Illiana Telecasting. Its inaugural broadcast was NBC's Today. The station began with NBC as its primary affiliation and ABC as a secondary affiliation, carrying selected ABC programs when they could be scheduled around NBC programming. WTWO began color transmission on September 12, 1965. Its call letters had previously been used by a different NBC affiliate, now known as WLBZ in Bangor, Maine. In 1968, Illiana Telecasting sold the station to Booth Newspapers. Booth sold WTWO in 1975 to Fabri Development Corporation, associated with Malcolm Glazer. In 1990, Fabri transferred WTWO and sister stations WRBL in Columbus, Georgia, and KQTV in St. Joseph, Missouri, to TCS Television Partners. Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased WTWO and KQTV from TCS in 1997, beginning the station's long-term association with the Nexstar corporate group. ABC programming was shared among Terre Haute stations before moving in April 1973 to the channel 38 operation that later became WAWV-TV. WTWO subsequently remained centered on NBC programming and local news. The station experimented with its public identity over time: in 2006 it dropped explicit references to channel 2 from its on-air branding and used the WTWO call letters alone, then restored channel-based branding in October 2010 with the name NBC 2. WTWO's news operation has existed since its first day on air. It began as W-2 News, adopted TV-2 News and the Total News family of names in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and used the Eyewitness News format from 1973 until 1994. The operation then became NewsChannel 2, later WTWO NewsChannel, NBC 2 News, and WTWO News. Johnny Palmer was a prominent longtime evening anchor who remained with the station until retiring in 1992. WTWO expanded its relationship with other local stations through news production agreements, including producing WBAK-TV's 10 p.m. newscast after entering a joint sales agreement and later producing or simulcasting programming for WAWV. The station's 2006 weather comparison promotion against WTHI-TV became a notable media controversy. The advertisement argued that WTWO's radar placement avoided a downtown Terre Haute detection gap and claimed advantages in staff experience and electrical redundancy. The Daily Show mocked the campaign's presentation, and a station response intended for internal use later appeared online. In the same year, WTWO declined to broadcast NBC's The Book of Daniel after viewer complaints about its religious subject matter. The series was canceled by NBC after three episodes. WTWO converted to digital broadcasting under the United States digital television transition on June 12, 2009. Its digital service preserved virtual channel 2. In 2010, the station introduced a new news set, graphics, and music package. In 2016, WTWO and WAWV began airing local news in high definition. Nexstar's acquisition of Media General in 2016 also affected the Terre Haute ownership landscape. Because Nexstar could not retain all of the relevant stations under FCC ownership limits, WTHI-TV was sold to Heartland Media while WTWO and WAWV remained with the Nexstar group. The station has developed digital subchannels through Nexstar affiliation agreements with Katz Broadcasting and related multicast networks. Escape, Laff, Grit, and Bounce were among the services associated with the WTWO/WAWV operation. Some subchannels were temporarily interrupted between 2017 and 2018 because of transmission-equipment problems. A new antenna restored the services and enabled additional programming, including Cozi TV. Antenna TV replaced Cozi TV on WTWO's fourth subchannel in 2021. On September 1, 2024, WTWO-DT2 became the local CW outlet. In 2025, a WAWV noon newscast began simulcasting on WTWO under WTWO branding. The station's contemporary role combines NBC programming, CW and other digital multicast services, local news and weather, community reporting, sports, and advertising delivered through broadcast and online platforms.

• 2025

  Noon newscast simulcast begins

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  A WAWV-produced noon newscast began airing on WTWO as a WTWO-branded program.

• 2024

  WTWO-DT2 assumes CW affiliation

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  The station's second digital subchannel became the Terre Haute CW affiliate.

• 2021

  Antenna TV replaces Cozi TV

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  Antenna TV replaced Cozi TV on WTWO's fourth digital subchannel.

• 2016

  Local news moves to high definition

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  WTWO and WAWV began broadcasting local newscasts in HD and WTWO adopted the WTWO News title.

• 2009

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  WTWO ended regular analog broadcasts during the United States digital television transition and continued digitally with virtual channel 2.

• 1997

  Nexstar acquires WTWO

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased WTWO and KQTV from TCS Television Partners.

• 1973

  ABC affiliation moves to channel 38

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  ABC programming shifted primarily to the Terre Haute channel 38 operation.

• 1968

  Booth Newspapers acquires WTWO

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  Illiana Telecasting sold the station to Booth Newspapers.

• 1965

  WTWO begins broadcasting

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  Illiana Telecasting launched WTWO on September 1 as a primary NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation.

• 1965

  Color network broadcasting begins

  [1]WTWOen.wikipedia.org

  WTWO began carrying network programming in color on September 12, eleven days after signing on.

A local broadcast news and information service positioned as an NBC-affiliated television source for Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley, combining locally produced journalism with national network, syndicated, and multicast programming.

• Local television news · 1965

  WTWO News

  WTWO's local news service covers regional events, public affairs, weather, traffic, and sports for Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley. The news operation has used several titles since the station launched, and it also produces or supports selected programming for sister station WAWV-TV.

• Network television affiliation · 1965

  NBC programming

  WTWO's primary programming service is its NBC affiliation, which has been central to the station since its 1965 launch. The station carries national NBC entertainment, news, sports, and other network programming subject to local scheduling decisions.

• Digital television · 2009

  WTWO digital multicast services

  WTWO operates additional digital broadcast channels alongside its main NBC service. Its multicast history has included services such as Escape, Laff, Grit, Bounce, Cozi TV, and Antenna TV. WTWO-DT2 currently carries the CW affiliation in the Terre Haute market.

• Digital media

  My Wabash Valley digital platform

  The My Wabash Valley website extends WTWO's local news, weather, video, community information, and advertising presence beyond the over-the-air signal. It serves as the station's primary public-facing web platform.

• 2006

  Preemption of The Book of Daniel

  WTWO refused to air NBC's The Book of Daniel after viewer objections to the show's religious themes. The decision was defended by then-general manager Duane Lammers, who cited the station's right to reject programming. NBC canceled the series after three episodes following poor ratings and affiliate preemptions.

  Source

• 2006

  Weather advertising controversy

  A comparative weather promotion aimed at WTHI-TV was criticized for its exaggerated advertising style and later mocked on The Daily Show. The incident generated additional attention after an internal response video was leaked online.

  Source

Read more

• 2006WTWO weather radar comparison

  Terre Haute, Indiana

  WTWO aired a short promotional message comparing its radar coverage, weather-staff experience, and power redundancy with rival WTHI-TV. The advertisement focused on technical differences between the stations' radar locations and infrastructure.

  Outcome. The promotion became a subject of national satire on The Daily Show. A station response video intended for internal use subsequently circulated online.

  Source

• 2024

  CW affiliation added to WTWO-DT2Product launch

  Background

  The Terre Haute CW affiliation had been carried by WTHI-TV.

  Action taken

  WTWO's second digital subchannel assumed the CW affiliation.

  Aftermath

  WTWO expanded its local network portfolio beyond its longstanding NBC service.

  Source

• 2016

  WTWO retained during Nexstar's Media General acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Nexstar's proposed acquisition of Media General created ownership-limit issues in the Terre Haute market because Media General owned rival WTHI-TV.

  Action taken

  Nexstar retained WTWO and WAWV while arranging the sale of WTHI-TV to Heartland Media.

  Aftermath

  WTWO remained part of Nexstar's Terre Haute station group, while WTHI moved to a separate owner.

  WTHI-TV divestiture price. $115 million (2016 announced transaction)

  Source

• 2006

  WTWO rejects The Book of DanielStrategy

  Background

  Viewers contacted the station to object to the NBC program's portrayal of religious subjects, including its depiction of Jesus Christ.

  Action taken

  WTWO exercised its stated contractual right to preempt the program instead of broadcasting it.

  Aftermath

  NBC canceled the series after three episodes amid low ratings and similar decisions by other affiliates.

  Source

1. 1WTWOen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WTWO official websitemywabashvalley.com