WPTV is celebrating 65 years of broadcasting in South Florida, and we thank you, our viewers and digital users, for making WPTV the top-rated television station in the area.
The station began broadcasting on Aug. 22, 1954, with the call letters WJNO-TV. The call letters were changed to WPTV in 1956 after the station was purchased by the Phipps family. WPTV has been owned by the E.W. Scripps Company (then called Scripps-Howard Broadcasting) since 1961.
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At sign-on, the first words heard on-air were, "The power has just been turned on for WJNO-TV channel 5 by Frank M. Folsom, President of The Radio Corporation of America."
Today, WPTV broadcasts 6½ hours of locally produced newscasts each weekday, and another 3½ hours Monday-Friday for WFLX-Fox 29. In addition to weekend newscasts for both stations, WPTV also airs a weekly political program called To The Point.
The news sharing partnership with WFLX began in 2011 with then-owner Raycom Media and continues with Gray Television.
From May 1971 until March 2001, WPTV was located on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach. On March 16, 2001, the station moved to its current location at the corner of Australian Avenue and Banyan Boulevard.
Our Contact 5 Investigators have won multiple awards and our commitment to the environment is showcased daily in our Protecting Paradise segments and digital stories.
"For 65 years now, WPTV has been committed to serving our community. We’re extremely proud of our long and successful history of journalism and service to those in our neighborhoods, and we are forever changed by the many lives who have touched us throughout the years," said Lloyd Bucher, WPTV's vice president and general manager.
"We give thanks to our employees, business partners, and viewers for whom we are most appreciative. And while this anniversary is an opportunity to look back and give thanks, it’s also a reminder of how much has changed through the decades.
"WPTV has always been about innovation and reaching our communities when and where they need us. And that remains our mission as we move forward. From early morning through late at night, and from the comfort of your own television sets to the smartphone within arms-reach, WPTV has been, and will always be, committed to giving light and letting our viewers find their own way.”
At 65, WPTV is more than just a TV station. We are 24/7 a news organization with a large team of digital writers and producers who publish content around the clock on our website and our free app, on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and OTT platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Android TV.