Channel 3 first signed on the air on October 31, 1948, as WNBK, broadcasting on VHF channel 4. It was the second television station in Cleveland to debut, ten months after WEWS-TV (channel 5), and was the fourth of NBC's five original owned-and-operated stations to sign on, three weeks after WNBQ (now WMAQ-TV) in Chicago. WNBK was a sister station to WTAM radio (1100 AM), which was owned by NBC since 1930.
1952–1954
1954–1956
In May 1955, NBC agreed to trade WNBK and WTAM-AM-FM to Westinghouse Electric Corporation in return for KYW radio and WPTZ television in Philadelphia. The swap became official on January 22, 1956, as NBC moved its operations (including much of its Cleveland staff) to Philadelphia, with WPTZ becoming WRCV-TV.
KYW-TV
1956–1959
1959–1961
1961–1963
1963–1965
WKYC (-TV)
1965–19??
UNKNOWN YEAR
NBC re-assumed control of the Cleveland stations on June 19, 1965. Instead of restoring the previous WNBK and WTAM identities, the stations' new call letters became WKYC-AM-FM-TV, mostly as a nod to Westinghouse's stewardship of the stations. This logo was unusual in that it contained both the NBC "snake" and peacock logos. In a reverse of what took place in 1956, some radio and television staffers who worked for Westinghouse in Cleveland moved to Philadelphia along with the KYW call letters.
19??-19??
LOGO MISSING
UNKNOWN YEAR
19??-1975
LOGO MISSING
UNKNOWN YEAR
1976–1984
1976–1979
This Helvetica "3" logo was shared with KARD (currently known as KSNW) in Wichita, WSAV-TV in Savannah and KVBC (currently known as KHSV) in Las Vegas.
1979–1984
1984–1991
"Abstract 3"
1984–1986
From 1984-86, the logo was tilted upward.
1985–1986
1986–1991
In 1986, the logo was oriented straight. After years of sagging ratings and continuing to be the lowest-rated of the network's owned and operated stations, NBC sold majority control of WKYC (51%) to Multimedia, Inc. in 1990.
1991–1992
1992–2006
1992–1999
The Gannett Company purchased Multimedia on December 4, 1995. Under a December 1998 put-call agreement with NBC, Gannett increased its stake in WKYC-TV to 58% in April 1999 and to 64% in December 2000; it acquired the remaining 36% of the station from NBC in 2001.
