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WLFI-TV News 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.

WLFI-TV
[1]
West Lafayette, Indiana
Branding WLFI 18 (general)

NewsChannel 18 (newscasts)

Slogan News From Where You Live
Channels Digital: 11 (VHF)
Affiliations CBS
Owner LIN TV Corporation

(Primeland Television, Inc.)

First air date June 15, 1953
Call letters' meaning West LaFayette, Indiana
Former callsigns WFAM-TV (1953-1960s)
Former channel number(s) Analog:

59 (1953-1957) 18 (1957-2009)

Transmitter power 30 kW (digital)
Height 214 m (digital)
Facility ID 73204
Transmitter coordinates 40°23′20″N 86°36′46″W / 40.38889°N 86.61278°W / 40.38889; -86.61278
Website www.wlfi.com

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 the mid-1990s 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.


Personalities[]

Current[]

  • Jeff Smith - 5pm, & 6pm Anchor; assistant news director
  • Chad Evans - 5pm, 6pm & 11pm Chief Meteorologist
  • Niccole Caan - 6pm & 11pm Anchor
  • Laura Kirtley - Morning Anchor/Reporter
  • Joe LePage - Morning Anchor/Reporter
  • Sarah McKenna - Morning & Noon Meteorologist
  • Julie Krizen - Reporter/Producer
  • Tiffany Dismore - Reporter
  • Ava Wilhite - Reporter
  • Aaron Leedy - Reporter
  • Kristin Maiorano - Reporter
  • Mike Cleff - Sports Director
  • Matt Wettersten - Sports Reporter
  • Ross Bolin - Sports Reporter
  • Steve Scherer - Meteorologist [2]

Notable WLFI Alumni[]

  • Dan Ablan, Creative Director, Author, Photographer, 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
  • Paul Poteet, Meteorologist, WRTV, Indianapolis
  • Sue Scott - Noon, 5pm Anchor; executive producer
  • Gina Quatrocchi, News Anchor 1999-2008,


[edit] News/Station presentation[]

Newscast titles[]

  • Clete Roberts Report (1953)
  • News Service 18 (1970s-1980s)
  • Lafayette Live: TV-18 News (1980s-2000)
  • NewsChannel 18 (2000–2012)
  • News 18 (2012-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 (?-1991)
  • News Series 2000 (1991–1996)
  • Eyewitness News (1996–2000)
  • This Is Your News (2000–2004)
  • Working For You (2004–2008)
  • Adrenaline (2008–2010)
  • Heart of Our City (2010-present)

[2] This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films", Boxoffice: 13, November 10, 1956, http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_111056-1


External links[]

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