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WFIE - Evansville, Indiana
14
WFIE celebrated its 50th Anniversary on November 15, 2003. WFIE began
broadcasting on November 15, 1953, operating on Channel 62 and was the
first television station broadcasting in Evansville. This fact is
reflected in Channel 14’s call letters: W e’re
F irst I n E vansville.
The
actual test pattern switch-on occurred on November 9, 1953. The station
was owned by Premiere Theaters, Inc. of Evansville, and was the sixth
television station in Indiana to go on the air.
On
August 27, 1956, WFIE-TV was purchased by WAVE, Inc. in Louisville,
Kentucky. WFIE-TV was the first station in Evansville to telecast color
programs. The first transmission of network color was carried on June
11, 1956. WFIE-TV was also the first station in Evansville to have
local, live, color programs beginning March 10,1966, and the second
station in Indiana to switch over completely to color programming. In
1968 WFIE-TV was the first station to process, in house, local color 16
millimeter news film.
In
August of 1977, WFIE-TV had yet another first for Evansville television
with the broadcast of local, live news, weather and sports coverage
originating from outside the station. This was made possible by the
purchase of an ENG camera, van and related technical and electrical
microwave equipment. It was named Live Eye 14 and remains so today.
On
September 3, 1977, WFIE-TV increased its tower height and power output
dramatically. A one- thousand foot tower was erected on a site near
Henderson, Kentucky, known as Wolf Hills, the highest point in Henderson
County. The power was increased from two hundred thousand watts to over
two million watts of effective radiated power.
In
September of 1985, WFIE-TV had yet another first in Evansville with the
broadcast of stereo audio. Additions of special stereo generators, audio
distributors and extensive modifications to the Wolf Hills transmitter
made this possible.
Another first, In February of 1988, WFIE-TV installed its own Doppler
radar transmitter/receiver and antenna system. The radar antenna is
located on the studio tower at Mt. Auburn Rd.
In May
2002, 14 WFIE began broadcasting a digital signal on DT 46.
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