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.

09/16/2025

Check your wine: Costco has recalled a bottle of its wine over a spontaneous shattering risk.

Costco asks that you don’t try and return the item and offers safe disposal guidance instead.

09/16/2025

For each touchdown he scores in 2025, Jordan Love will donate new cleats to every player on a youth sports team in Wisconsin and his hometown.

More on QB1's mission: https://shorturl.at/YNmU1

09/16/2025

A 51-year-old man accused of driving his vehicle onto a sidewalk toward pedestrians after complaining about “devil music” faced a Manitowoc County judge Monday.

MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – A 51-year-old man accused of driving his vehicle onto a sidewalk toward pedestrians after complaining about “devil music” faced a Manitowoc County judge M…

09/16/2025

The Monday morning commute for some in Green Bay was met with barriers, trucks and signs that construction season is in full swing.

More on the closures: https://shorturl.at/lunn2

09/15/2025

Kaukauna High School students are working to bring life to the city's most popular sledding hill.

KAUKAUNA, Wis. (WFRV) – Kaukauna High School students are working to bring life to the city’s most popular sledding hill. Locals know the hill as Mount Misery, but Kaukauna High S…

09/15/2025

A house in Neenah was boarded up on Friday after being the source of multiple drug and noise complaints.

NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – A house in Neenah was boarded up on Friday after being the source of multiple drug and noise complaints. According to the Neenah Police Department, city officials and la…

09/15/2025

An investigation is underway after an inmate died on Sunday at the Sheboygan County Detention Center.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WFRV) – An investigation is underway after an inmate died on Sunday at the Sheboygan County Detention Center. According to the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office, on Sep…

09/15/2025

A 64-year-old bear hunting guide in Oconto County was hit with a one-year ban for illegal bear baiting on federal property.

OCONTO COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A 64-year-old bear hunting guide in Oconto County was hit with a one-year ban for illegal bear baiting on federal property. According to Richard Frohling, the Act…

09/15/2025

President Donald Trump announced on social media that the U.S. military again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. military again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel.

09/15/2025

The Fox Crossing Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying several juveniles seen at Michels Quarry on Saturday, Sept. 13.

FOX CROSSING, Wis. (WFRV) – The Fox Crossing Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying several juveniles seen at Michels Quarry late Saturday night. From the police …

09/15/2025

Searchers have finally found the wreckage of a cargo schooner that sank during a ferocious storm almost 140 years ago off the Wisconsin coastline.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — After decades of scouring the bottom of Lake Michigan, searchers have finally found the wreckage of a cargo schooner that sank during a ferocious storm almost 140 years ago off…

09/15/2025

After adding All-Pro Micah Parsons and getting off to a 2-0 start, ticket prices for Green Bay Packers home games have gone up slightly.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – After adding All-Pro Micah Parsons and getting off to a 2-0 start, ticket prices for Green Bay Packers home games have gone up slightly. With six regular-season home games …

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