10 Facts About WLS-TV

1.

WLS-TV is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, airing programming from the ABC network.

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2.

WLS-TV had claimed to be "Chicago's first television station" in its sign-ons and sign-offs during its first three decades, but admitted to its true roots with WENR with its 30th anniversary in 1978.

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3.

WLS-TV is the local over-the-air host of Monday Night Football games involving the Chicago Bears, airing simulcasts of the team's ESPN-televised games .

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4.

WLS-TV carries select Chicago Bulls games as part of their NBA on ABC telecasts.

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5.

From 1999 to 2004 and again since 2021, WLS-TV carries select Chicago Blackhawks games as part of their NHL on ABC telecasts.

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6.

In 1969, WLS-TV adopted the Eyewitness News format that the other ABC owned-and-operated stations began implementing in the late 1960s, after the news format was popularized when it originated at New York City flagship WABC-TV.

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7.

In 1996, WLS-TV dropped the Eyewitness News brand after 26 years, in favor of the network-centric ABC 7 News; the move was part of a standard branding effort imposed by ABC across its owned-and-operated stations which saw the incorporation of the ABC name into their local brands .

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8.

Since then, WLS-TV upgraded most of its field footage to HD, although some field reports remain in widescreen SD.

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9.

WLS-TV was just one station which needed to increase its signal strength or move its frequency to solve its problems, but a power increase required making sure no other stations were affected.

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10.

In October 2012, WLS-TV completed construction from the Willis Tower and its operating channel 44 at the 1 million watt power level.

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