WBAY-TV first took to the air on March 17, 1953, becoming the second television station in Wisconsin (after Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV), as well as the first in Wisconsin to launch after the lifting of the FCC's 1948-1952 freeze on television licenses. WBAY-TV was originally owned by the Norbertine Order of Priests, whose abbey is in neighboring De Pere and who operate St. Norbert College in that city. The Norbertines already operated WBAY radio (1360 AM, the present-day WTAQ) in Green Bay and WHBY radio in Appleton when WBAY-TV launched.
As with WTMJ when it was the only station in the Milwaukee market, WBAY originally provided Green Bay audiences with programming from all four networks at the time, primarily with CBS but also secondary arrangements with ABC, DuMont, and NBC. As other stations in Northeast Wisconsin would commence operations, ABC and NBC programming would peel off from WBAY, which would become solely a CBS affiliate when DuMont ceased broadcasting in 1956.
1958–1962[]
1962–1965[]
SVG NEEDED
1965–1969[]
BETTER LOGO NEEDED
1969-1977[]
SVG NEEDED
During the use of this logo, the Norbertines would sell WBAY to Nationwide Communications, which purchased the station from 1974 and operated it until 1993.
1977-1978[]
SVG NEEDED
1979–1984[]
SVG NEEDED
"Great Moments on TV2"
"We've Got the Touch, You and TV2"
The 2 Power jingle: "For the people... For the news... 2 Power, Action News!"
1984–1986[]
SVG NEEDED
Monochrome ad for "Action Sports" (the "N" logo was that of owner Nationwide Communications)
Christmas logo
"You and TV2, We've Got the Touch"
1986–present[]
This "Circle 2" has been used by WBAY-TV in one variation or another since 1986. The logo has survived an affiliation swap (from CBS to ABC, in 1992), as well as sales to Young Broadcasting (in 1994, along with its two ABC-affiliated sisters WATE-TV/Knoxville and WRIC-TV/Richmond), Media General (in 2013), and Gray Television (WBAY's current owner, in 2017).
1986–1992[]
SVG NEEDED
Station ID from 1986-1987 WRGB of Albany/Schenectady, New York (a fellow CBS affiliate at that time), as well as WRTV in Indianapolis, IN and WVIA-TV in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA, used the same exact background in their 1986-1987 station ID.
"TV2 Spirit" (1987–1988)
Station ID from 1988-1992 By this time, WBAY-TV used the same graphics package as WTMJ-TV and WAND.
"The Look of Northeast Wisconsin is TV2" (1991-1992)
1992–2003[]
SVG NEEDED
In 1991, CBS purchased the assets of Midwest Television to acquire its long-dominant affiliate WCCO-TV (channel 4) in Minneapolis/St. Paul. However, CBS originally wanted to sell WFRV-TV (channel 5) and its sister station WJMN-TV (channel 3) in Escanaba/Marquette in order to keep its affiliation with WBAY. CBS later kept WFRV/WJMN and WBAY announced that it would affiliate with ABC. On March 15, 1992, WBAY became an ABC affiliate; the CBS affiliation went to WFRV.
"If It's Northeast Wisconsin, It Must Be TV2" (1992)
"Watched by More People in Northeastern Wisconsin, TV2, ABC" (1993)
“StormCenter 2” logo
2003–2011[]
SVG NEEDED
2011–2013[]
SVG NEEDED
Action 2 News high-definition logo (2011–2013)
Storm Center 2 HD logo (2011–2013)
Storm Center 2 24/7 logo (2011–2019)
2013–present[]
SVG NEEDED
Action 2 News logo (2013–present)
Storm Center 2 logo (2013–2019)
First Alert website logo (2019–present)
Timesaver Traffic logo (2015–2019)
Flat gradient version
With blue 2013 ABC logo
With 2021 ABC logo
With 1962 ABC logo, currently appears on the website