Channel 9 was the last of Syracuse's major network affiliates to sign on, doing so September 9, 1962 after a channel shuffle involving rival WHEN-TV and Rochester's WROC-TV allowed a third analog VHF station in Syracuse. The original call letters were WNYS-TV (now assigned to the MyNetworkTV affiliate in the area). It signed-on under the ownership of a group of local investors. The station has always been an ABC affiliate.
1968–1972[]
WNYS purchased by Providence-based The Outlet Company in 1971.
1972–1974[]
This logo scheme was also used by then-sister stations WDBO-TV (now WKMG-TV) in Orlando, WJAR-TV in Providence, WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio, and KSAT-TV in San Antonio.
1974–1978[]
WIXT (-TV)[]
1978–1983[]
The Outlet Company sold WNYS in 1978 to WNYS Acquisition Corp., which was a joint partnership of Coca-Cola's New York bottling division and former Washington Post president Larry H. Israel. The call sign was then changed to WIXT on March 1 with "IX" standing for Roman numeral 9.
The logo was also used by then-sister station WTOP-TV (now WUSA) in Washington, D.C. from 1974 to 1978.
1983–1996[]
Designer:
Unknown
Typography:
Eras
Launched:
1983
The Ackerley Group bought the station in 1982 and the -TV suffix was added to the WIXT calls.
Standalone logo
"That Special Feeling on 9, a special place!" (1983-1984) #1
"That Special Feeling on 9, a special place!" (1983-1984) #2
"We're With You, On Channel 9 With You!" (1984-1985)
Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) bought Ackerley in 2001, putting WIXT-TV under the same ownership as WSYR radio (570 AM).
WSYR-TV[]
2005–2011[]
Designer:
Giant Octopus
Typography:
FF Meta, Helvetica Neue
Launched:
June 13, 2005
The call sign was then changed to the current WSYR-TV on June 13, 2005. The change caused a small amount of confusion, as the WSYR-TV call letters had last resided on rival NBC affiliate WSTM-TV from its sign-on in 1950 until its sale to the Times Mirror Company in 1980.
Website ID, 2005
Alternate logo (2007–2011)
2011–present[]
Monochrome logo
With the switch to HD on January 29, 2011, WSYR introduced its "Circle 9", which is slightly similar to the one used by fellow ABC affiliate KMBC-TV in Kansas City; which has been using it along with minor design changes since 1982.
2011–2013[]
Designer:
Hothaus Creative
Typography:
Helvetica Neue
Launched:
January 29, 2011
On July 19, 2012, Newport Television announced the sale of WSYR-TV and all of its stations in New York State except WXXA-TV in Albany and WHAM-TV in Rochester to the Nexstar Broadcasting Group as part of a 22-station deal that involved Nexstar, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Cox Media Group. The transaction was completed on December 3.
1Owns a 75% stake of the network, the other 12.5% stake is co-owned between Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery. 2Joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery, in which Nexstar owns 31% while Warner Bros. Discovery owns the remaining 69%. 3Nexstar operates these stations owned by Mission Broadcasting. 4Nexstar operates this station owned by Cunningham Broadcasting. 5Nexstar operates this station owned by White Knight Broadcasting through an SSA. 6Nexstar operates this station owned by Vaughan Media. 7Predecessor company of LIN Media. 8Currently a repeater for WWLP. 9Nexstar operates this station owned by Londen Media Group.
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