WFRV Local 5

The official account of WFRV-TV Local 5 News. Green Bay, Fox Valley, Lakeshore, and the Northwoods. Overnight WFRV-TV5 became an integral part of the community.

Early in the 1950s, a group of local Green Bay businessmen met to form Valley Telecasting Company. Upon approval from the Federal Communications Commission, WNAM-TV went on the air on April 25, 1955, from Neenah with test patterns. Shortly thereafter, the call letters were changed to WFRV, which stands for Fox River Valley, and the license was moved to Green Bay. With 100,000 watts of power, Chann

el 5 began broadcast programming at 6:45pm on June 1 as an ABC and Dumont Network affiliate. That evening began with a special dedication program followed by a full night of network shows. Television viewers from as far south as Beaver Dam, north to Marquette, Michigan, and from as far west as Wisconsin Rapids to Port Washington on the western shore of Lake Michigan could pick up Channel 5. From sign-on to sign-off, the finest in television programming was presented to viewers of WFRV-TV5, including such favorites as: “The Adventures Of Rin Tin Tin”; “Ozark Jubilee”, a fast-paced country music variety show featuring Red Foley; the award-winning show “Kukla, Fran And Ollie”; “Break The Bank”, an all-cash quiz show; “Make Room For Daddy”; and America’s best-known rider, “The Lone Ranger”. In 1959, WFRV-TV5 switched network affiliation from ABC to NBC and became part of the “Proud as a Peacock” family. Up to this point, television was still viewed in black and white, then in 1965, WFRV-TV5 became the first station in the area to broadcast in living color. WFRV-TV5 viewers saw change once again in April of 1983 when the station switched affiliations from NBC back to ABC. In 1992, CBS Inc. obtained WFRV-TV and its sister station WJMN-TV in Escanaba, Michigan, thus making Green Bay the smallest television market owned and operated by the broadcast network. At that time, CBS Inc. owned and operated 14 television stations, and its programs are seen on an additional 200 affiliates across the United States. On February 16, 2001, WFRV-TV was the first station in the Green Bay market to go digital on the assigned channel of 56. To improve the signal and antenna strength, on September 30, 2005, WFRV-TV switched digital channels from 56 to 39. WFRV-TV became a part of a world-class company, Liberty Media Corporation, on April 16, 2007. Liberty also owned stakes in the cable channels Court TV, QVC, Starz Entertainment, and even the Atlanta Braves. WFRV was the first broadcast station that they ever owned. And on July 1, 2011, WFRV and WJMN joined the broadcast family of Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., Which today operates 197 television stations across the U. S. Throughout its history, WFRV-TV 5 has always held a strong commitment to the communities it serves, and today it is committed more than ever to be involved, including servicing the viewers with the best possible local news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming.

12/20/2025

Officials say the crash was at a low speed, but the car was stuck in a ditch as it caught fire, trapping the driver inside.

12/20/2025

An escaped inmate in Wisconsin is back in custody over a week after he failed to report back from his authorized work release at the required time.

(WFRV) – Officials in central Wisconsin announced that a runaway inmate is back in custody nine days after he failed to report back to jail from an authorized release. The Juneau County Sheri…

12/20/2025

Doug Gottlieb is a complicated figure, and much of that complexity has been self-inflicted, but as Local 5 Sports' Kyle Malzhan tells us—his focus is far clearer now.

12/20/2025

A 38-year-old Wisconsin man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for driving about 100 mph on the wrong side of a highway while intoxicated during a New Year’s Day pursuit.

ROCK COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A 38-year-old Wisconsin man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for driving about 100 mph on the wrong side of a highway while intoxicated during a New Year…

12/20/2025

The U.S. military conducted strikes against several Islamic State sites in Syria on Friday, retaliating a week after 3 Americans were killed in an ambush. This story may be updated throughout the night.

12/20/2025

The laws allow specific vehicles to surpass the normal weight limits on frozen roads.

12/19/2025

Friday night will become cold again with nighttime lows dropping to the lower teens with some snow on Saturday morning. Storm Team 5 Nathan Himpsl's forecast for the upcoming holidays is in the comments below!

12/19/2025

The two defendants in a fatal shooting 2.5 years ago in Fond du Lac have been sentenced after a long and chaotic day at the courthouse.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – The two defendants in a fatal shooting 2.5 years ago in Fond du Lac have been sentenced after a long and chaotic day at the courthouse. Parise Larry, who was 14 at …

12/19/2025

Officials say at least two people are in custody following the incidents, which prompted over two dozen law enforcement officials to respond.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – Officials have provided an update on the fight that broke out during the sentencing hearing for 16-year-old Parise Larry for his conviction in a 2023 fatal shooting…

12/19/2025

The mass outages come at a brutal time as Christmas shopping continues for those looking to order online; however, no specific cause is known.

12/19/2025

The Justice Department on Friday publicly released a portion of the Epstein files in response to a law that garnered near-unanimous support from both parties in Congress.

The Justice Department on Friday publicly released a portion of the Epstein files in response to a law that garnered near unanimous support from both parties in Congress. The highly antic…

12/19/2025

Officials credited witnesses for both reporting the crash and for rushing to provide aid to the victim, who suffered life-threatening injuries.

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Officials in Oshkosh say that an investigation of a hit-and-run leading to a pedestrian suffering life-threatening injuries has resulted in an arrest four days later. A…

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