WLFI-TV
WLFI-TV, channel 18, is the CBS television affiliate in West Lafayette, Indiana that serves the Lafayette, Indiana metropolitan area. It operates on digital channel 11. Its transmitter is located in Rossville, Indiana. It is owned by LIN Television, who also owns WISH-TV in Indianapolis, WANE-TV in Fort Wayne and WTHI-TV in Terre Haute.
History
WLFI began broadcasting on June 15, 1953 [1] on channel 59, as WFAM-TV. It was owned by Sarkes Tarzian, a radio manufacturer in Bloomington, and was a sister station to WTTV in Indianapolis and WPTA in Fort Wayne. The station was a CBS and DuMont affiliate. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[1]
It moved to Channel 18 in 1957 and changed its call letters to WLFI-TV around 1967. Formerly, the news division of WLFI was known as "News Service 18" and then for many years as "Lafayette Live TV-18." Jeff Smith, Chris Morisse, Larry Clisby, and Steve Scherer have been associated with the station for more than twenty years.
The station was owned by Block Communications from 1979 until 2000, when current owner LIN Television acquired WLFI in exchange for 67 percent of then-ABC (now NBC) affiliate WAND in Decatur, Illinois. LIN TV has since sold off the remainder of WAND to Block Communications.
Digital television
| Channel |
Programming |
| 18.1 |
Main WLFI programming / CBS |
| 18.2 |
TheCoolTV |
| 18.3 |
Weather |
News operation
News/Station presentation
Newscast titles
- Clete Roberts Report (1953)
- News Service 18 (1970s-1980s)
- Lafayette Live: TV-18 News (1980s-2000)
- NewsChannel 18 (2000–present)
Station slogans
- Lafayette's News Leader (1991–2000)
- The Look of Lafayette is TV-18 (1991–1992, local version of CBS ad campaign)
- News From Where You Live (2000–present)
News music packages
- Turn To News by Gari Media Group (?–1991)
- News Series 2000 by Gari Media Group (1991–1996)
- Eyewitness News by Gari Media Group (1996–2000)
- This Is Your News by Gari Media Group (2000–2004)
- Working For You by 615 Music (2004–2008)
- Adrenaline by Groove Addicts (2008–2010)
- Heart of Our City by In The Groove Music (2010-present)
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.
News team
Current on-air staff[2]
Current anchors
- Niccole Caan - weeknights at 11 p.m.; also reporter
- Alexandra Deiro - weekdays at noon (alternating basis); also reporter
- Tiffany Dismore - weekdays at noon (alternating basis); also reporter
- Laura Kirtley - weekday mornings and noon; also reporter
- Joe LePage - weekday mornings; also reporter
- Jeff Smith - weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.; also assistant news director
Weather team
- Chad Evans - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
- Cameron Hopman - meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon
- Steve Scherer - meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m., also weeknight fill-in [2]
Sports team
- Mike Cleff - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
- Ross Bolin - sports reporter
- Caleb Martin - sports reporter
Reporters
- Julie Krizen - general assignment reporter; also producer
- Aaron Leedy - general assignment reporter
- Jamie Long - multimedia journalist
- Kristin Maiorano - general assignment reporter
- Ava Wilhite - general assignment reporter
Notable WLFI Alumni
- Dan Ablan, Author, 3D Animator, Photographer; now at AGA Digital Studios, Inc in Chicago, IL [3]
- Joel Allen, News Anchor; now at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, SC
- Jill Bauer, host of QVC's At Home With Jill [4]
- Lauren Bercarich, Reporter, WKRC, Cincinnati
- Cameron Bowman, Sports Anchor/Reporter 2002-2005
- Angela Buchman, Meteorologist, WISH-TV, Indianapolis
- Kristin Crowley, Reporter, now at sister station WLUK
- Kelly Crull, Sports Reporter, now at KOCO-TV Oklahoma City
- Angela Ganote, anchor/reporter, now at WXIN-TV Indianapolis
- Kevin Gregory, Chief Meteorologist, WRTV, Indianapolis [5]
- Jane King, CNN New York correspondent [6]
- Judy May, former host of "Cash Call Movie"
- Mary McDermott, anchor, now at sister station WISH-TV Indianapolis
- Mike Prangley, Chief meteorologist 1999-2009, Meteorologist 2010 to present at Gannett's First Coast News (ABC AND NBC stations in Jacksonville, Florida)
- Paul Poteet, Meteorologist, WRTV, Indianapolis
- Sue Scott - Noon, 5pm Anchor; executive producer
- Gina Quatrocchi, News Anchor 1999-2008,
- Larry Clisby, Sports Anchor
- Mike Piggott, News Anchor
- Jill Ditmire, News Anchor
References
External links
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See also: Champaign-Urbana TV
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See also: ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, ION, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS and Other stations in Indiana
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1Co-owned with NBC Universal in a joint venture (76% owned by NBC, 24% owned by LIN).
2LIN operates these stations under a local marketing agreement.
3Is currently a repeater for NBC affiliate WWLP. Future is uncertain at this time.
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Annual Revenue: $443.5 million USD · Employees: 2,414 (full time) · Stock Symbol: NYSE: TVL · Website: linmedia.com
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