WAAY-TV

Not to be confused with WWAY-TV.
==WAFG-TV==
===1959–1963===
The station's first broadcast was on August 1, 1959 as WAFG-TV. It was the second television outlet in the Huntsville region, signing on five years after NBC affiliate WMSL-TV (now WAFF). In addition, WAFG-TV is the longest serving station licensed to Huntsville, as WMSL was still licensed to Decatur at the time. From its launch, WAFG was Alabama's first primary ABC affiliate, which was an unusual arrangement for a two-station market, especially one as small as Huntsville was at the time.
==WAAY-TV==
===1963–1968===
31colortarget-med.jpg|Target 31: First in Huntsville ID (1965)
When the station was sold to Smith Broadcasting (owners of WAAY radio, now WLOR) in 1963, the call sign was changed to WAAY-TV. At the time Smith Broadcasting held a permit from the FCC to put a new station on the air broadcasting on UHF channel 25, but when the Smith family received the offer to purchase WAFG, they decided to take that instead of building a new facility. (Channel 25 was later licensed to Alabama Public Television station WHIQ.)
===1968–1974===
Screen Shot 2020-01-27 at 10.13.21 PM.png
WAAY-TV switched its network affiliation to NBC on September 2, 1968 but returned to ABC nine years later, on December 11, 1977, citing ABC's higher network ratings at that time and the lack of a duplicate ABC affiliate in Florence (where WOWL, now WHDF, was then an NBC affiliate) as reasons. Despite ABC's fall from first place in the 1980s in favor of a renewed NBC, WAAY still routinely came in first or second place in the ratings during the 1980s and 1990s. However, despite having left full NBC affiliation behind back in 1977, WAAY would once again clear some NBC programming during the 1980s.
===1974–1977===
===1977–1979===
Tv2-16.jpg|Alternate ID.
===1979–2007===
====1979–1990====
WAAY31NCenter.jpeg|"31 News Center" open (1978)
WAAY-TV 31 We're The One! 1978.jpg|WAAY "We're the One!" ID (1978-1979)
still-the-one-79.jpg|1979 coffee mug of WAAY
31EyewitnessNews.JPG|31 Eyewitness News open (1979)
31circle-79-logo.jpg|WAAY 1979 coffee mug
31-production-unit.jpg|WAAY's 1st production vehicle
31-live-eye-truck.gif|WAAY Live Eye Van
31-production-unit-back.jpg|WAAY Production Unit back side.
Tv1-1.jpg|WAAY "Chopper 31"
31-production-van.jpg|WAAY Production Van with doppler radar tower in background.
WAAY-TV Channel 31 promo Come on Along 1982-1983.jpg|WAAY Channel 31 ID (1982-1983)
31-eyewitness-news.gif|31 Eyewitness News logo (1982-198?)
ScreenHunter_30445 Nov. 19 09.38.jpg|WAAY "Olympic Coverage" ID for (1984)
WAAY-TV You'll Love It ABC 1985.png|WAAY "You'll Love It" promo (1986)
WAAY-TV 1985 Telop.png|WAAY Telop 1985 ID
WAAY-TV 31 Together 1986.jpg|WAAY "Together" promo (1986) #1
WAAY.png|WAAY "Together" promo (1986) #2
Screen shot 2017-07-22 at 9.56.02 AM (11).jpg
31eyewitnessnews88.JPG|31 Eyewitness News open (1988–1990)
31eyewitnessnews90.JPG|31 Eyewitness News 10:00 p.m. open (1988–1990)
Waaytv31.jpg|Station ID (1988–1990)
====1990–2000====
A star was added between the numbers, and the circle was removed. This version of the longtime 1970 numeral was used until 2007. Smith Broadcasting sold WAAY-TV to GOCOM Broadcasting (originally Grapevine Communications, later renamed Piedmont Communications) in 1999.
WAAY-TV 31 America's Watching ID 1990.jpg
Star1990-mug.jpg|WAAY mug (1990)
31eyewitnessnews1990.JPG|31 Eyewitness News open (1990–1991)
31eyewitnessnewsmorning.JPG|31 Eyewitness News morning open (1991–1994)
31eyewitnessnewsatten.JPG|31 Eyewitness News 10:00 p.m. open (1991–1994)
31-triathlon-92.jpg|WAAY Triathlon Mug (1992)
WAAY at this hr 92.jpeg|31 Eyewitness News At This Hour (1992)
Waayarsenio.JPG|Promo for "Arsenio Hall" (1993)
24 hour news 1993.jpeg|WAAY 24 Hour News logo (1993)
31 on the hour 93.jpeg|31 Eyewitness News On The Hour (1993)
31 on the hour a 1994.jpeg|31 News On The Hour (a) (1994)
31 news on the hour (b) 94.jpeg|31 News On The Hour (b) (1994)
31newsweekend.JPG|31 News open (1994–1997)
KSD.jpg|31 News open (1997–2000)
Waaylogobug.JPG|WAAY logo bug (1997)
31bldg.jpg
Livestar.jpg|WAAY LiveStar 31
Doppler.jpg|31 Doppler Max (1996)
Sticker.jpg|31 Doppler Max Sticker (1996)
Stormchaser97.jpg|31 Storm Chaser Van
WAAY Storm chaser 1998.jpeg|31 Storm Chaser logo (1998)
68CED894-240F-40C2-92E1-08C3CB260691.jpeg|Station ID (1999)
====2000–2007====
31-livestar-logo.gif
31waay.gif
31-waay.jpg
DopplerForce31.JPG|Doppler Force 31 ID (2000)
waay2000.JPG|"WAAY 31 News at Ten" open (2000)
WAAY2001.jpeg
Waay31newsatten.JPG|"WAAY 31 News Live at Ten" open (2001-2005)
31newsatsix.JPG|"WAAY 31 News Live at Six" open (2005)
In 2006, Piedmont Broadcasting agreed to sell WAAY to Calkins Media, a Pennsylvania-based company that owned several small newspapers in Pennsylvania and two other television stations, (WWSB in Sarasota, Florida and WTXL-TV in Tallahassee, Florida). The sale to Calkins became official on February 1, 2007. WAAY was Calkins' only broadcasting property outside of Florida.
===2007–2017===
On April 11, 2016, it was reported that Calkins would exit the broadcasting industry and sell its stations to Raycom Media. As Raycom already owned WAFF, WAAY's license was instead to be sold to American Spirit Media, with Raycom operating the station under a shared services agreement. However, on August 26, 2016, Calkins agreed to instead sell WAAY to Heartland Media, through its USA Television MidAmerica Holdings joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners. The sale was completed on April 30, 2017, making WAAY a sister station to adjacent market station WTVA in Tupelo-Columbus, Mississippi.
Original.jpg|WAAY 31 FirstNews logo (2010-2011)
WAAY open.png|WAAY 31 "Midday News open" (2007)
ScreenHunter 30453 Nov. 19 10.08.jpg|"WAAY 31 News at Ten" open (2008)
Waay31firstnewshd.png|WAAY 31 FirstNews HD logo (2011-2015)
WAAY31.png
ScreenHunter_30454 Nov. 19 10.10.jpg
WAAY-TV 31 logo.png|WAAY ABC 31 logo from April 2016
===2017–present===
Waay 31.png
WAAY 31 2022.svg|Version with the 2021 ABC logo (2022-present)
WAAY 31 ID (11-2020).png|Station ID (November 2020)
WAAY 31 10pm open 2017.png|WAAY 31 News 10pm open (2017-2023)
WAAY 31 News at 10 open (2023).png|WAAY 31 News 10pm open (2023-present)
31 storm tracker radar.jpeg|WAAY 31 StormTracker Early Warning Radar Network logo/bumper (2020)
WAAY-TV news opens
WAAY_2023.png
In October 2019, Allen Media Broadcasting announced that it would acquire eleven of Heartland Media's television stations, including WAAY and WTVA, for $290 million.
==External links==
Category:Television stations in the United States
Category:ABC network affiliates
Category:Former NBC network affiliates
Category:Former CBS network affiliates
Category:Huntsville, Alabama
Category:Alabama
Category:Entertainment Studios
Category:QVC affiliates
Category:Ion Television subchannel-only affiliates
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1959
Category:1959