Lima Communications Corp. History

Timeline of WLOK/WIMA/WLIO

1935: WBLY Radio, AM 1240 signs on here at Rice Ave.

February 28, 1939: WBLY Radio changes to WLOK.

April 18, 1953: WLOK-TV, Channel 73 [Pixley Inc.] signs on the air.

December 8, 1954: WLOK-TV sold to Northwestern Ohio Broadcasting Corporation [the owners of WIMA Radio].

December 9, 1954: WLOK Radio signs off for the last time.

April 24, 1955: WLOK-TV, Channel 73 changes to WIMA-TV, Channel 35.

March 1958: WIMA-TV begins airing NBC Programming in color.

March 1963: WIMA-TV begins the 5-year local transition from Black & White to Color which would be fully completed in 1968.

July 16-24, 1969: WIMA-TV provides live coverage from the home of Neil Armstrong's parents in Wapakoneta during the Apollo 11 moon landing to all three networks and world-wide satellite.

September 1, 1971: WIMA-TV changes to WLIO-TV as WIMA Radio is sold to Lima Broadcasting Corporation.

February 1, 1972: WLIO-TV sold to Toledo Blade [75%] and Midwestern Broadcasting [25%] of Toledo.

October 1982: Blade Communications [now Block Communications] buys out Midwestern Broadcasting, becomes sole owner of WLIO-TV.

December 28, 1984: "Easter's Parade" airs for the last time.

July 1986: WLIO-TV begins airing programs in Stereo.

March 4, 1996: WLIO-TV begins broadcasting 24/7.

November 18, 2002: WLIO, Digital Channel 8 signs on the air.

February 5, 2009: Block Communications Corporation purchases TV67 Inc. [WOHL/FOX, WLMO/CBS, WLQP/ABC and WFND-LP/America One-Findlay].

June 12, 2009: WLIO, Analog Channel 35 signs off for the last time @ 7:00am.

August 17, 2009: WOHL-CD, Digital Channel 35, signs on the air @ 7:00am. With that, WLIO [8.1-NBC/8.2-FOX] and WOHL-CD [35.1-ABC/35.2-CBS] becomes the first single operation in the United States to have all 4 major Television Networks.

This is just a brief overview of the history of this station. For a more in depth look into the history of WLOK, WIMA and WLIO/WOHL-CD, please go to www.wlio.org.