WILK-TV

WNEP-TV

Company type	Television station
Industry	Broadcasting
Founder	William Scranton (originally WARM-TV)
Headquarters	Moosic, Pennsylvania , United States
Area served	Northeastern Pennsylvania
Products	ABC network affiliate television broadcasting
Owner	Tegna Inc.

WNEP-TV (channel 16), licensed to Scranton, Pennsylvania, functions as the ABC network affiliate for the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. Owned by Tegna Inc., its studios are situated on Montage Mountain Road in Moosic. Both WNEP-TV and PBS affiliate WVIA-TV (channel 44) share transmission facilities through a channel-sharing arrangement, broadcasting via WNEP-TV's spectrum from an antenna located at Penobscot Knob near Mountain Top.

Additionally, WNEP-TV operates a digital replacement translator on UHF channel 22, licensed to Waymart, with its transmitter positioned in Forest City. This translator mitigates signal disruption caused by wind turbines managed by NextEra Energy Resources at the Waymart Wind Farm.

WILK-TV and WARM-TV

Initially, Northeastern Pennsylvania was served by two ABC affiliates: WILK-TV on channel 34, owned by WILK radio, which began operations in Wilkes-Barre on September 15, 1953; and WARM-TV on channel 16 based in Scranton, owned by future Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton and WARM radio, launching on February 9, 1954. During the late 1950s, WILK-TV briefly associated with the NTA Film Network.

In an effort to gain an edge over competitors, WILK commenced broadcasting at 2 p.m. instead of the typical 3 p.m. in 1953. However, a last-minute technical fault nearly postponed the debut until engineers restored transmission moments before the scheduled start.

Without satellite technology available at the time, ABC’s feed from New York faced delivery challenges. To overcome this, WILK established a microwave relay tower in Effort, Pennsylvania—located approximately east of Wilkes-Barre—to transmit the network signal to its Penobscot Knob transmitter. When New York feeds were unavailable, engineers frequently switched to Philadelphia’s WFIL-TV (now WPVI-TV), an ABC owned-and-operated station.

Both WILK-TV and WARM-TV operated at financial losses due to ABC’s relatively weak market position compared to NBC and CBS until the 1970s. Their continued existence was largely supported by their affiliation with established local radio broadcasters.

Merger and transition

By 1955, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were consolidated into a single television market. On October 17, 1957, WILK-TV and WARM-TV merged to form one ABC affiliate serving Northeastern Pennsylvania. The merged entity retained WILK-TV's license but utilized WARM-TV's channel 16 frequency to achieve broader coverage more economically across the mountainous terrain. Buffalo-based Transcontinent Television Corporation acquired a majority 60% interest, with remaining shares divided among the original owners; William Scranton served as chairman. The newly formed station, named WNEP-TV and licensed to Scranton, operated from both Wilkes-Barre and a newly established Scranton studio. In 1962, operations were centralized near Avoca close to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. The Penobscot Knob transmitter from WILK-TV remained in use; meanwhile, WARM-TV’s transmitter was later donated to PBS member WVIA-TV.

The former WILK-TV facility functioned as a satellite repeater until 1958; its channel 34 allocation was reassigned in 1962 to Binghamton, New York for ABC affiliate WBJA-TV (now WIVT).

Despite increasing power output to 1.5 million watts and expanding coverage across fifteen counties, WNEP-TV faced rating difficulties due to viewer rivalry between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and its affiliation with ABC—then the smallest network. The Scranton–Wilkes-Barre market was Pennsylvania’s smallest with full representation from all three major networks.

Transcontinent exited broadcasting in 1964 by selling WNEP-TV to Taft Broadcasting. Following Taft’s acquisition of Philadelphia independent station WIBF-TV (now WTXF-TV) in 1969, FCC regulations limiting ownership of stations with overlapping signals forced Taft to divest channel 16 despite an initial waiver. In late 1973, employees formed NEP Communications and purchased the station.

Under NEP’s management, news director Elden Hale implemented a regional focus branding the station as serving “Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania,” extending coverage into previously underserved areas and introducing the region’s first news helicopter. This strategy improved ratings significantly; by November 1976, WNEP achieved first place for the first time in ten years and has maintained a leading position since ABC became the top-rated network in 1978.

The New York Times Company acquired WNEP in 1985. In 1989, the station relocated to new studios in Moosic designed after Times’ Huntsville facility but on a larger scale. NEP Communications retained its production arm as NEP Broadcasting, specializing in remote broadcasts for major events such as the Olympics and Academy Awards.

On January 4, 2007, The Times Company sold its television division—including WNEP—to Oak Hill Capital Partners for $575 million; Oak Hill subsequently established Local TV LLC as its holding company.

On July 1, 2013, Local TV announced it would sell its portfolio of nineteen stations to Tribune Company for $2.75 billion. Since Tribune owns The Morning Call newspaper based in Allentown within WNEP’s viewing area—and FCC cross-ownership rules prohibit common ownership of newspapers and television stations in the same market—Tribune transferred ownership of WNEP to Dreamcatcher Broadcasting, controlled by former Tribune executive Ed Wilson. Tribune manages WNEP via a shared services agreement with an option for reacquisition. The transaction was finalized on December 27, 2013.

In 2014, Tribune declared plans to separate its newspaper assets—including The Morning Call—into Tribune Publishing Company; this split was completed in August that year. Tribune has not yet announced intentions regarding acquiring Dreamcatcher outright.

Collapse of Analog Broadcast Tower

On December 16, 2007, WNEP-TV's analog transmission tower for channel 16 at Penobscot Knob succumbed to extreme ice accumulation, high winds, and heavy snowfall, resulting in the destruction of the transmitter facility. Fortunately, no injuries occurred. The collapse also damaged the FM antenna and transmitter of WCLH, which shared the tower location. Although the digital broadcast on channel 49 experienced a brief power outage, it was swiftly restored. Cable and satellite services were reinstated later that same day. By January 1, 2008, WNEP had partially resumed its analog over-the-air broadcasts using a nearby American Tower that supported both WNEP-DT and WOLF-TV/DT antennas.

The falling guy wire from WNEP’s tower struck the adjacent WVIA-TV analog and digital tower, severing its top portion and temporarily taking WVIA-TV’s analog channel 44 off the air until service was reestablished via a backup tower. The WVIA-FM antenna remained unharmed on the lower section of that tower. Additionally, power disruptions affected CBS affiliate WYOU (channel 22) and NBC affiliate WBRE-TV (channel 28), causing temporary broadcast interruptions.

WNEP intended to commence operations from a new tower on June 12, 2009; however, delays in antenna delivery postponed full functionality until later that year. On December 5, 2009, to prevent interference with Telemundo O&O WWSI in Atlantic City, New Jersey, WNEP shifted its broadcast from channel 49 to channel 50.

Following an FCC-approved request on February 15, 2010, WNEP briefly reactivated its channel 49 facility to provide support for WVIA-TV after a partial collapse and electrical fire damaged WVIA’s transmitter building and equipment.

Failed Acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group

On May 8, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group—owner of Fox affiliate WOLF-TV, CW affiliate WSWB, and MyNetworkTV affiliate WQMY since 2014—announced an agreement to purchase Tribune Media for $3.9 billion plus $2.7 billion in assumed debt. Due to intricate shared services agreements within the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre market—where Sinclair already controlled WOLF, WSWB, and WQMY—ownership conflicts emerged. Both WNEP and WOLF rank among the market’s top four stations, limiting permissible duopolies given the scarcity of independently owned full-power stations. Sinclair CEO Christopher Ripley identified this market as one of three requiring divestitures to resolve regulatory issues.

To comply with these requirements, on April 24, 2018, Sinclair revealed plans to sell non-license assets of WOLF-TV, WQMY, and WSWB along with eight additional stations—including KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City and WRLH-TV in Richmond—to Standard Media Group, a broadcast holding company supported by private equity firm Standard General, for $441.1 million. Sinclair exercised options allowing Standard Media Group to acquire these stations outright under FCC guidelines.

However, on July 18, 2018, the FCC directed an administrative law judge review of the Sinclair–Tribune merger amid concerns about Sinclair’s transparency regarding station sales. Subsequently, on August 9, Tribune terminated the merger agreement and filed a breach of contract lawsuit accusing Sinclair of prolonged regulatory negotiations, refusal to divest necessary stations in overlapping markets, and proposing questionable asset sales to entities linked to Sinclair executives to maintain effective control over required properties.

Acquisition by Nexstar Media Group and Subsequent Sale to Tegna Inc.

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar Media Group, headquartered in Irving, Texas and owner of NBC affiliate WBRE-TV since 1997 as well as operator of CBS affiliate WYOU-TV since 1996 under a shared services agreement with Mission Broadcasting, declared its intention to purchase Tribune Media's assets for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. Due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules restricting ownership of more than two stations or multiple leading stations within the same market, Nexstar was unable to acquire WNEP either directly or indirectly. To adhere to these regulations, Nexstar was required to divest either WNEP or both WBRE and WYOU to unrelated entities. On January 31, 2019, Nexstar announced that WNEP, together with WTKR and WGNT in Norfolk, Virginia, would be sold to independent buyers to resolve these ownership conflicts.

Subsequently, on March 20, 2019, Tegna Inc., based in McLean, Virginia, revealed plans to acquire WNEP from Nexstar following the finalization of the merger. This transaction was part of a larger $1.32 billion deal involving the sale of nineteen stations operated by Nexstar and Tribune to Tegna and the E. W. Scripps Company (which obtained New York City's WPIX, later reacquired by Nexstar). Additionally, Harrisburg's sister station WPMT was included in Tegna's acquisitions during this divestiture process, marking Tegna's expansion into the Pennsylvania market.

The FCC granted approval for the sale on September 16, 2019, with the transaction closing three days afterward.

Local programming

WNEP has historically prioritized producing original content rather than relying heavily on syndicated programming. Among its most successful local shows was the children's program The Land of Hatchy Milatchy, which featured hosts such as Miss Judy who interacted directly with viewers. This program notably inspired a scene in the television series The Office. Another significant local production was Uncle Ted's Ghoul School, which included Bill O'Reilly as a writer during the mid-1970s when he also briefly served as a reporter for the station. Additionally, WNEP created local adaptations of Bowling for Dollars and Dialing for Dollars.

At present, WNEP produces two locally originated shows: Pennsylvania Outdoor Life, focusing on hunting and fishing topics and airing Sundays at 11 a.m., and Home & Backyard, which covers home improvement, cooking, and gardening subjects, broadcast Saturdays at 10 a.m. The station also actively participates in community initiatives such as the former MDA Labor Day Telethon and Scranton’s annual Santa Parade.

News operation

Known for its strong local news presence under the brand Newswatch 16, WNEP consistently ranks among the top-rated stations nationwide. It has maintained dominance in northeastern Pennsylvania’s ratings for nearly four decades, frequently drawing more viewers than all its competitors combined. In 2000, its weekday morning newscast achieved market shares ranging from 50% to 60%. Notable on-air figures have included Chief Meteorologist Tom Clark (1981–2016) and anchor Marisa Burke (1984–2016).

The station airs a total of 41 hours of locally produced newscasts weekly, incorporating distinctive elements such as a scale model train set displayed behind the weather desk and the viewer engagement segment Talkback 16. Over time, WNEP expanded its news lineup by introducing a noon newscast in 1981 followed by a 5 p.m. edition in 1987.

From its studios, WNEP produced a nightly 10 p.m. newscast for Fox affiliates WOLF-TV (channel 38) and later channel 56 until 2010 when WOLF shifted production to rival station WBRE; afterward, WNEP launched its own 10 p.m. newscast on its subchannel WNEP 2. This secondary channel also carries Antenna TV programming.

Between 1984 and 2009, WNEP operated "Skycam 16," which was the only news helicopter serving the market at that time. The station also broadcasts live nightly Pennsylvania Lottery drawings including Mega Millions and Powerball.

In March 2009, WNEP extended its weekday morning news coverage by two hours on WNEP 2 and became the first station in the area to up-convert news broadcasts to widescreen 720p resolution. Later that year, it added a newscast at 4 p.m. In February 2011, WNEP unveiled an HD-capable set and commenced full high-definition newscasts by July, establishing itself as the market leader in broadcast quality within Scranton–Wilkes-Barre.

Since 1994, an updated version of Al Ham's "Move Closer to Your World" has served as WNEP’s theme music. Following Tegna’s acquisition, viewer feedback prompted the station to retain this classic theme instead of adopting Tegna’s proprietary "C Clarity" theme music. In March 2020, while adopting Tegna’s standardized news graphics package, WNEP preserved its traditional theme music as a compromise between modernization and heritage.

Distinguished Former On-Air Personnel

• Bill O'Reilly – correspondent during the 1970s
• Dan Patrick – correspondent in the 1970s

Representation in Popular Media

A live segment conducted by WNEP journalist Sofia Ojeda at the 2014 Wayne County Fair turned 5-year-old Noah Ritter into an internet phenomenon. This clip was subsequently transformed into a musical piece titled "Apparently" by The Gregory Brothers through their "songification" process.

On HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, John Oliver showcased audience reactions to the station’s miniature train display located on its weather deck. Oliver’s production team constructed an enlarged version featuring exaggerated regional landmarks, which was eventually donated to Scranton’s Electric City Trolley Museum in late 2017 after proving too large for the studio space.

Digital Subchannels

<section begin=subs />

Subchannels operated by WNEP-TV and WVIA-TV

License	Channel	Resolution	Aspect Ratio	Identifier	Content
WNEP-TV	16.1	720p	16:9	WNEP-TV	ABC
	16.2	480i		WNEP2	Antenna TV
WVIA-TV	44.1	720p		WVIA-HD	PBS
	44.2	480i		PBSKids	PBS Kids
	44.3			Create	Create

<section end=subs /> On January 1, 2011, WNEP became one of the original affiliates of Antenna TV, broadcasting the network on digital subchannel 16.2, which replaced RTV.

Transition from Analog to Digital

In compliance with the nationwide digital transition mandate, WNEP-TV discontinued its analog transmission on UHF channel 16 on June 12, 2009. Its digital broadcast remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 49 but utilized virtual channel 16 for viewer consistency.

Translator Stations

Covering a vast and mountainous region east of the Mississippi River, WNEP maintains an extensive network of translators to ensure reliable signal reception throughout its viewing area.

The full multiplex of WNEP/WVIA is also transmitted via WVIA-owned stations W20EI-D and W29EU-D.

• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Allentown–Bethlehem (Philadelphia market)
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Clarks Summit
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Clarks Summit
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Mansfield (Elmira, New York market)
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Mansfield (Elmira, New York market)
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Pottsville
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Towanda
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Towanda
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Towanda
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Waymart
• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility Williamsport

Previously Operated Translator

• Template:FCC-LMS-Facility State College (Johnstown–Altoona market)

Coverage Beyond Market Boundaries

Prior to January 2013, two cable providers in the Lehigh Valley included WNEP in their lineups before the area was reassigned to the Philadelphia market dominated by WPVI. Following this change, Service Electric and RCN removed WNEP due to syndication exclusivity conflicts with WPVI. Currently, many viewers in Lehigh Valley receive WNEP through its Allentown-based translator via over-the-air signals.

Within New York State, Charter Spectrum offers WNEP service in Highland Lake, Sullivan County, which falls under the New York City media market.