What to Know
- At 12 p.m. on March 21, 1949, what was then WTVJ-TV Channel 4 signed on the air from studios on North Miami Avenue.
- The station would switch affiliations to NBC in 1989 after being purchased by the network while becoming Channel 6 in September of 1995.
- WTVJ-TV has a storied history that goes beyond being the Sunshine State’s first TV station.
Happy birthday, feliz cumpleanos, bon anniversaire…however you want to say it, WTVJ-TV is another year older Wednesday as Florida’s first television station turns 69 years old!
At 12 p.m. on March 21, 1949, what was then WTVJ-TV Channel 4 signed on the air from studios in the former Capitol Theater located on North Miami Avenue – where the station would remain for over 50 years before moving to our current studios in Miramar.
Under the initial ownership of the Wometco movie theater chain and its owner, Mitchell Wolfson, WTVJ remained the leader in South Florida news, sports and entertainment for decades – including serving as the home of The Jackie Gleason Show when the star moved his show from New York City to Miami Beach in the 1960s.
The station would switch affiliations to NBC in 1989 after being purchased by the network while becoming Channel 6 in September of 1995.
NBC 6 has brought all of the top stories into South Florida homes since signing on – from the riots that plagued Miami in the 1980s to South Florida’s sports champions (including broadcasting the Miami Dolphins’ Super Bowl VIII victory in 1974 and the Florida Marlins’ World Series title in 1997) and weather emergencies, WTVJ has been a fixture in the community.
WTVJ-TV has a storied history that goes beyond being the Sunshine State’s first TV station. Legendary broadcasters have graced the airwaves of the station for nearly seven decades, led by longtime newscaster Ralph Renick, weatherman Bob Weaver, sports and news anchor Tony Segreto, longtime morning anchor Bob Mayer and current anchor Jackie Nespral among dozens more.
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The station has also produced talent that has gone on to broadcast nationally, including former Today Show host Katie Couric, longtime CNN host Larry King and meteorologist Bryan Norcross – who helped guide South Florida through the devastation of Hurricane Andrew along with Segreto and former anchor Kelly Craig in 1992 from a bunker inside the original building.
From our NBC 6 family to yours, thank you for watching and trusting us for the last 69 years – and we hope you stick with us for decades to come!
