WIVI

WIVI (channel 50) is an independent station serving the Detroit market. It is owned by CBS News and Stations along with CBS O&O WZZD. 
== History ==
WIVI first signed on the air on January 10, 1965, under the ownership of Kaiser Broadcasting, owned by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. It started with an all-sports format, predating ESPN by some 14 years; WIVI began broadcasting at 5 p.m. on that date, with its first program being a college basketball game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Iowa State Cyclones. It eventually became a typical UHF independent station running cartoons, sitcoms and older movies. WIVI has been broadcasting in color since it first went on the air in 1965. Some locally produced programs such as The Lou Gordon Program were broadcast in black and white until the station upgraded to color studio cameras in the late 1960s. WIVI briefly gained a network affiliation in the spring of 1967, when it became the Detroit affiliate of the short-lived United Network. For many years, it aired an afternoon movie hosted by Detroit legend Bill Kennedy. WIVI also produced a hard-hitting weekly talk show, The Lou Gordon Program, which aired from the late 1960s until 1977 and was seen on all Kaiser stations (and a few non-Kaiser outlets). However, sports remained a central part of WIVI schedule, and it was the over-the-air home for Red Wings hockey and Pistons basketball for 30+ years, as well as Tigers baseball for a decade.
In 1972, the Kaiser Broadcasting Corporation partnered with Field Communications in Kaiser Broadcasting Co. which included WIVI-TV, four other Kaiser stations and Field's single station in Chicago. In 1977, the bulk of Kaiser Broadcasting Corporation, including WIVI, was sold to Field.
In 1982, Field put all its stations up for sale; however, the company had a difficult time selling WIVI-TV for the amount of money it wanted, despite its success. As a result, Field was forced to hold onto channel 18. The station dropped the -TV suffix from its call letters, becoming simply WIVI once again. The programming remained the same as before, with one notable exception: in the late 1980s, WIVI began airing Late Night with David Letterman when NBC affiliate WGID (channel 12) declined to clear it; this mirrored a similar situation in the mid-1970s, when WGID declined to air Saturday Night Live – the first two seasons of the show originally aired in the Detroit market on WIVI. Coincidentally, one of the show's original cast members, Gilda Radner, was born in Detroit.
The Ghoul Show aired in Detroit on WIVI from 1971 to 1975; the show featured late-night horror movie host Ron Sweed in the title role and was produced by WIVI's Kaiser-owned Cleveland, Ohio sister station WKBN (now New Line Network owned-and-operated station WNLCO). Although never produced at WIVI itself, the program was very popular and was one of the few local programs that aired on WIVI that was not related to sports. In 1986, Fox began broadcasting and wanted to affiliate with WIVI, but Field Communications turned them down (Fox would affiliate with WLTY). WIVI remained independent for the next 9 years.
In January 1995, Field Communications received an offer they couldn't refuse when Journal Media Group wanted to buy the station for over $15 million. Field Communications accepted the offer, and for the first time in 18 years, WIVI had a new owner. That same month, WIVI became a charter affiliate of The WB. Also, WIVI launched their own newscast. In 2006, WIVI became an affiliate of The CW after leaving The WB.
=== New Channel Number ===
On June 10, 2016, Journal Media looked into possibly moving WIVI's channel number from channel 18 (where they've been since they signed on in 1965). After much discussion, it was announced that WIVI would be moving from channel 18 to channel 50 and be rebranded as CW 50 Detroit, which took effect on September 19.
=== Return to Independence ===
After Nexstar purchased 75% of The CW, CBS News and Stations announced that its CW affiliates (including WIVI) would become independent on September 1, 2023. As a result, CW programming moved to WXID-TV (channel 20).
== Gallery ==
WIVI 1977.jpg|Former logo (1977-mid 1980's)
Unnamed (1).png|Former logo (2006–2016)
Category:Channel 50
Category:Detroit
Category:CW network affiliates
Category:Former WB network affiliates
Category:Independent television stations
Category:Michigan
Category:CBS News and Stations
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1965