WBIR-TV

==1956–1960==
10171023 618838481531648 8346956126125851815 n.jpg
Originally signed on the air on August 12, 1956, as a primary CBS affiliate, taking that affiliation away from WTVK (UHF channel 26, now WVLT-TV on VHF channel 8). It was originally owned by a consortium headed by J. Lindsay Nunn and his son, Gilmore Nunn, owners of WBIR radio (1240 AM, now WIFA; and FM 103.5, now WIMZ-FM). The station's call letters come from Jesse W. "Jay" Birdwell, who founded WBIR radio in 1941; Birdwell sold the station to the Nunns in 1944. The Nunns shared ownership with WBIR general manager John P. Hart; Knoxville residents Robert and Martha Ashe, and the Taft family of Cincinnati. In October 1959, the Tafts' broadcast subsidiary, Radio Cincinnati, Inc. (later known as Taft Broadcasting), purchased the remaining 70% of the WBIR stations outright from the other parties.
==1960–1975==
===1960–1967===
WBIR Channel 10 1960.svg
In January 1961, Radio Cincinnati, Inc. sold WBIR-AM-FM-TV to the News-Piedmont Company of Greenville, South Carolina, owner of WFBC-AM-FM-TV in its home city. In 1967, News-Piedmont merged with Southern Broadcasting to form the Southeastern Broadcasting Corporation. Soon afterward, Southeastern sold off most of its radio stations (including WBIR-AM-FM), purchased four more television stations and changed its name to Multimedia, Inc. WBIR-TV shared flagship status with WFBC-TV (now WYFF).
===1968–1975===
==1975–1977==
WBIR Bob Newhart promo, 1977.png|Promo for The Bob Newhart Show, circa 1977
==1977–1995==
===1977–1983===
Wbir1078.jpg| 
WBIR-TV 10 Beverly Hillbillies Promo 1978.png|Promo for The Beverly Hillbillies, circa 1978
WBIR-TV 10 WKRP in Cincinnati Promo 1978.png|Promo for WKRP in Cincinnati, circa 1978
WBIR TV 10 MASH Promo 1978.png|Promo for M*A*S*H (TV series), circa 1978
WBIR-TV 10 Donahue Promo 1979.png|Promo for Donahue, circa 1979
WBIR-TV 10 Good Times Promo 1981.png|Promo for Good Times, circa 1981
WBIR-TV 10 WKRP in Cincinnati Promo 1981.png|Promo for WKRP in Cincinnati, circa 1981
WBIR-TV 10 The 1982 World's Fair Promo 1982.png|Promo for The 1982 World's Fair, circa 1982
WBIR-TV 10 Donahue Promo 1982.png|Promo for Donahue, circa 1982
WBIR82.png|"Great Moments for You on Channel 10" (1982–1983)
WBIR1.jpg
WBIR-TV 1982.png
===1983–1995===
WBIR-TV 10 (1983 Standalone).svg|Standalone logo
WBIR-TV 10 1983 CBS.png
WBIR1988-2.png
WBIR-TV 10 The Heartland Series Promo 1984.png|Promo for The Heartland Series, circa 1984
WBIR 1985 .png|"We've Got the Touch on Channel 10" (1985–1986)
WBIR85.png|"Share the Spirit of Channel 10" (1986–1987)
Screen Shot 2021-05-05 at 10.05.47 PM.png|"Come Home to the Best... Only on Channel 10"/"A New Beat of the Heart" (1988)
WBIR-TV added a heart located in the middle of its 1977 logo; the next logo has kept this same motif since. The station also received a new tagline called Straight from the Heart, which was also used by sister station WMAZ-TV (channel 13) in Macon, Georgia at that time. During this logo's run, channel 10 switched from CBS to NBC on September 10, 1988 due to WTVK (UHF channel 26, which moved to VHF channel 8 three months after the switch to become WKXT-TV; it is now WVLT-TV) having a weaker signal and ratings than WBIR-TV and NBC being the top-rated network at the time. The station also debuted a new tagline to promote the switch called NBC and Channel 10, A New Beat of the Heart. Multimedia merged with the Gannett Company in 1995. This logo was italicized for the station's newscasts.
==1995–present==
===1995-1997===
===1997–2008===
WBIR-TV 10 (1995).svg|Alternate variant
WBIR-TV 10 (1995 Standalone).svg|Standalone number
Wbir.jpg|logo with the Gannett byline
Site-nav-logo@2x (12).png|website logo
Footer-logo@2x (19).png|website logo with the Gannett byline
Site-masthead-logo@2x (17).png|alternate website logo with the Gannett byline
WBIR Station-Logo.jpg|News logo (2008-2013; continued to be used after the 2008 minor redesign)
Wbir.png|with grey background, used as app icon
WBIR NBC (Gannett) Station ID (January 2002)
In 1995, the logo was redesigned but the station kept the Straight From the Heart slogan and motif, which is still used today.
===2008–present===
WBIR 2008 (with Tegna slogan).svg|Logo with the Tegna corporate byline (2015–present)
WBIR 1.svg|Olympics logo (2010–present)
WBIR Olympics Print.svg|Olympics print logo
The 1995 logo, previously blue, is now black, in addition to the heart in the logo made smaller.
==External links==
*WBIR.com
Category:Television stations in the United States
Category:NBC network affiliates
Category:Quest network affiliates
Category:Former CBS network affiliates
Category:Knoxville, Tennessee
Category:Tennessee
Category:Tegna
Category:Multimedia Inc.
Category:1956
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1956
Category:Taft Television Stations
Category:Gannett Company