1951 - On the Air
WXIA-TV's history dates back to 1951 when the station signed on the air as an
ABC affiliate. Twenty-nine years later, in September 1980, Channel 11 joined NBC.
Early in its history, the station was known as WLWA-TV
and operated under the ownership of Crosley Broadcasting. Known from the start as a
station with a strong interest in local, live programming, the station was purchased in
1962 by Richard Fairbanks of Indianapolis and officially became WAII-TV, The Eyes of
Atlanta. In 1963 WAII-TV introduced News Watch and brought the first woman weather
forecaster, Eleanor Knight, to the airwaves, followed by Linda Faye in 1964. Three years
later in March of 1967, WAII-TV began broadcasting the news with its first color camera.
1968 - A New Beginning
In 1968 WAII was sold to Pacific & Southern
Broadcasting and Channel 11 became known as WQXI-TV until 1974 when the station became
WXIA-TV. Two years later, the station adopted the 11Alive name.
1979 - A Change in Ownership
Ownership of WXIA-TV changed again in 1979 when
Combined Communications Corporation signed a deal with the Gannett Company to become one
of the largest mergers in media history. WXIA-TV, 11Alive is today still owned by Gannett
Broadcasting, which consists of more than 20 television stations covering more than 17 percent of the USA
and cable television systems in major U.S. markets. In addition to its broadcast
operations, Gannett publishes more than 75 daily newspapers including
USA TODAY and
USA
WEEKEND, a newspaper magazine, and is the USA's largest newspaper group in terms of
circulation.
In 1996, WXIA-TV was the NBC flagship station of the Atlanta Summer Olympics.
Included among the many personalities to work at WXIA-TV over the years were NBC's Stone Phillips and actor Dick Van Dyke. Van Dyke worked as an announcer and audioman. Allegedly, Phillips was discovered waiting tables at an Atlanta restaurant by a station executive. The "Dateline" anchor went directly from his summer job to the 11Alive newsroom.
Today
11Alive currently employs more than 200
men and women in the areas of news, engineering, production, promotion, accounting, sales,
programming, web design and development, and administrative support. WXIA-DT went on the air October 1998.
In 2006, 11Alive became Atlanta's first station to broadcast all local news programs in high definition.
Also in 2006, Gannett Broadcasting acquired WATL-TV (Channel 36), and WATL became an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. WATL-TV broadcasts in the digital and HD spectra.
Gannett Television Stations on the Web
Gannett Broadcasting consists of more than 20 television stations reaching more than 17 percent of the U.S. television market.
WXIA-TV, Atlanta
WATL-TV, Atlanta
WLBZ-TV, Bangor, Maine
WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, N.Y.
WKYC-TV, Cleveland, Ohio
WLTX-TV, Columbia, S.C.
KUSA-TV, Denver, Colo.
WZZM-TV, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich.
WFMY-TV, Greensboro, N.C.
WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, Fla.
WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, Fla.
WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tenn.
KTHV-TV, Little Rock, Ark.
WMAZ-TV, Macon, Ga.
KARE-TV, Minneapolis-St. Paul
KPNX-TV, Phoenix, Ariz.
WCSH-TV, Portland, Maine
KXTV-TV, Sacramento, Calif.
KSDK-TV, St. Louis, Mo.
WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C.
Gannett Newspapers on the Web
USA Today
USA WEEKEND
Alabama
The Montgomery Advertiser
Arizona
The Arizona Republic, Phoenix
Tucson Citizen
Arkansas
The Baxter Bulletin
California
The Desert Sun, Palm Springs
The Salinas Californian
Tulare Advance-Register
Visalia Times-Delta
Colorado
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Delaware
The News Journal, Wilmington
Florida
FLORIDA TODAY, Brevard County
The News-Press, Fort Myers
Pensacola News Journal
Tallahassee Democrat
Guam
Pacific Daily News, Hagatna
Indiana
The Indianapolis Star
Journal and Courier, Lafayette
The Star Press, Muncie
Palladium-Item, Richmond
Iowa
The Des Moines Register
Iowa City Press-Citizen
Kentucky
The Courier-Journal, Louisville
Kentucky Enquirer, Fort Mitchell
Louisiana
The Town Talk, Alexandria
The Daily Advertiser, Lafayette
The News-Star, Monroe
Daily World, Opelousas
The Times, Shreveport
Maryland
The Daily Times, Salisbury
Michigan
Battle Creek Enquirer
The Detroit Free Press
Lansing State Journal
Times Herald, Port Huron
Minnesota
St. Cloud Times
Mississippi
Hattiesburg American
The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson
Missouri
Springfield News-Leader
Montana
Great Falls Tribune
Nevada
Reno Gazette-Journal
New Jersey
Asbury Park Press
Courier News, Bridgewater
Courier-Post, Cherry Hill
Home News Tribune, East Brunswick
Daily Record, Morristown
The Daily Journal, Vineland
New York
Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton
Star-Gazette, Elmira
The Ithaca Journal
Poughkeepsie Journal
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
The Journal News, Westchester County
North Carolina
Asheville Citizen-Times
Ohio
Newspaper Network of Central Ohio
Telegraph-Forum, Bucyrus
Chillicothe Gazette
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Coshocton Tribune
The News-Messenger, Fremont
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
News Journal, Mansfield
The Marion Star
The Advocate, Newark
News Herald, Port Clinton
Times Recorder, Zanesville
Oregon
Statesman Journal, Salem
South Carolina
The Greenville News
South Dakota
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls
Tennessee
The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro
The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville
The Jackson Sun
The Tennessean, Nashville
Utah
The Spectrum, St. George
Vermont
The Burlington Free Press
Virginia
The Daily News Leader, Staunton
Washington
The Bellingham Herald
The Olympian, Olympia
Wisconsin
The Post-Crescent, Appleton
The Reporter, Fond du Lac
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Herald Times Reporter, Manitowoc
Marshfield News-Herald
Oshkosh Northwestern
The Sheboygan Press
Stevens Point Journal
Wausau Daily Herald
The Daily Tribune, Wisconsin
Rapids
Army Times Publishing Company
Army Times
Armed Forces Journal
Navy Times
Marine Corps Times
Air Force Times
Federal Times
Defense News
Military City
USA TODAY
USA TODAY
GANNETT U.K. LTD.
Newsquest Media Group