70 Things You Might Not Know About WFMY News 2 As We Celebrate 70 Years!

GREENSBORO, N.C. — WFMY News 2 is celebrating 70 years. On August 18, 1949, WFMY News 2 became the first station in North Carolina to do a live television broadcast.

Here are some other things you might not know about our past that is very much a part of the Piedmont Triad and WFMY News 2!

1. February 1948 – Greensboro News Co. files an FCC application to operate a TV station in Greensboro
2. September 22, 1949 – WFMY-TV signs on the air as the 76th commercial station in the country
3. WFMY News 2 first broadcasts were made from a small building on Davie Street in downtown Greensboro.
4. June 17, 1949 – WFMY-TV signs contract with CBS-TV
5. August 30, 1949 – WFMY-TV successfully completes the first FM-TV simulcast in the Carolinas.
6. January 4, 1950 – WFMY-TV airs film coverage of UNC’s Cotton Bowl game with Rice
7. March 5, 1950 – WFMY-TV airs first TV coverage of the Greater Greensboro Open
8. April 1950 – WFMY-TV presents the first live political telecast in the state
9. October 1950 – WFMY-TV airs first live coverage of a World Series
10. December 24, 1950 – WFMY-TV broadcasts its first live professional NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.
11. September 22, 1951 – Power increases from 1,670 watts to 16,720 watts.
12. February 1951 – WFMY-TV airs the first locally produced children’s program in the state. The show is called “Six Gun Playhouse,” but would later be called “The Old Rebel Show.”
13. October 15, 1951 – WFMY-TV and CBS air the first episode of “I Love Lucy.”
14. August 1952 – WFMY-TV and CBS air the National Political Conventions from Chicago
15. January 1, 1955 – WFMY-TV moves into its new facility in Northeast Greensboro
16. March 1956 – WFMY-TV transmits its first program in color. It was of a film program from North Carolina’s Azalea Festival in Wilmington.
17. April 6, 1956 – WFMY-TV and CBS air for the first time The Masters Golf tournament live from the Augusta National. The final four holes were covered with the use of six cameras.
18. August 1956 – CBS and WFMY-TV provides coverage of the sinking of the luxury liner Andrea Doria.
19. November 11, 1956 – Greensboro Senior High Band performs during the halftime of the Redskins-Lions game
20. March 1957 – WFMY-TV travels to Kansas City as UNC wins NCAA Basketball Championship. At the time, Sports Director Charlie Harville and Chief Photographer Buddy Moore make the trip together to provide live coverage.
21. December 16, 1957 – Lee Kinard’s “Good Morning Show” premiers
22. January 31, 1958 – WFMY News 2 covers the launch of America’s first satellite, Explorer 1 from Cape Canaveral, Florida
23. September 1959 – WFMY-TV purchases first 2-inch videotape machine.
24. September 1959 – As part of WFMY-TV’s 10th Anniversary celebration, the station carries a high school football game. Greensboro Senior High vs Fayetteville becomes the first High School game to be televised.
25. February 1960 – WFMY-TV and CBS telecast the Winter Olympics from Squaw Valley, CA
26. February 1960 – WFMY-TV begins coverage of the sit-ins at Woolworths and the Civil Rights movement
27. August 9, 1960 – As part of his campaign for President, Richard Nixon held news conference in WFMY-TV studios
28. October 3, 1960 – First broadcast of “The Andy Griffith Show”
29. October 7, 1960 – WFMY-TV and CBS televise the first Presidential debate between Kennedy and Nixon
30. November 1960 – WFMY-TV produces its first local documentary, “The Ones Who Quit” wins a North Carolina School Bell Award.
31. May 5, 1961 – WFMY-TV and CBS carry live the flight of the first American to fly in space. Alan Shepard completes a 15-minute sub-orbital flight.
32. September 1961 – CBS and WFMY-TV carry live the selection of the Maria Beale Fletcher as North Carolina’s first and only Miss America
33. October 12, 1961 – WFMY-TV covers President Kennedy’s visit to Chapel Hill for University Day.
34. January 1962 – WFMY-TV holds its first Holiday Bloodmobile Drive
35. February 20, 1962 – WFMY-TV and CBS carry live the first American to orbit the earth. John Glenn completes 3 orbits in 4 hours and 56 minutes.
36. November 22, 1963 – WFMY-TV and CBS join for non-stop coverage of the Kennedy assassination
37. September 1963 – CBS Evening News goes to 30 minutes
38. February 1964 – Ed Sullivan brings The Beatles to CBS and WFMY-TV.
39. April 4, 1968 – WFMY-TV covers the Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.
40. September 1968 – WFMY-TV airs CBS’ first broadcast of “60 Minutes”
41. July 16, 1969 – WFMY News 2’s Dave Wright and Photographer Bill Gordon travel to the Kennedy Space Center for the launch of Apollo 11 and man’s first trip to the moon.
42. July 21, 1969 – CBS and WFMY-TV carry live “The Epic Journey of Apollo 11.” Man’s first landing on the moon.
43. September 22, 1969 – CBS Newman Charles Kuralt in town for WFMY-TV’s 20th anniversary, anchors the Channel 2 Midday News.
44. April 1972 – Sandra Hughes begins work as a reporter for WFMY News 2.
45. July 1973 – WFMY-TV introduces the first weather radar in the market
46. July 4, 1976 – WFMY-TV and CBS celebrate America’s 200th birthday.
47. September 1975 – WFMY-TV puts into operation its first portable mini-camera for electronic newsgathering.
48. September 1977 – WFMY-TV installs microwave sending and receiving facilities in Greensboro and High Point to provide live telecasts from remote locations.
49. January 1980 – WFMY News 2 introduces SKY2 helicopter news coverage.
50. June 18, 1980 – WFMY-TV changed over to a new 2,000 foot, $3 million transmission tower
51. September 1980 – WFMY-TV increases programming to 24 hours a day
52. WFMY News 2 expands its newscast to one hour
53. April 1983 – WFMY-TV, WRAL, WBTV form nation’s first regional television news network, the Carolina News Network.
54. March 30, 1984 – WFMY-TV covers live the “Welcome Home” celebration of US Astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair
55. September 25, 1984 – While on a rescue mission, SKY2 crashes killing Pilot Tom Haroski
56. February 1, 1988 – WFMY-TV is purchased by Gannett Co., Inc.
57. October 21, 1988 – 5 volunteers are honored at a luncheon at the Greensboro-High Point Marriott Hotel as part of WFMY News 2’s first “2 Those Who Care Awards.”
58. February 1989 – WFMY-TV introduces the market’s first Doppler Weather radar.
59. March 14, 1989 – 10 Special volunteers are honored as the “2 Those Who Care Awards Show” as we know it today.
60. November 2, 1992 – WFMY-TV launches it’s Food 2 Families program.
61. December 10, 1992 - WFMY-TV introduces its first Satellite news gathering vehicle.
62. August 1993 – WFMY News 2 introduces its 5pm Newscast.
63. July 20, 1996 – WFMY-TV introduces its “Tools for School” campaign.
64. November 14, 1998 – WFMY-TV inaugurates it’s “Gifts 2 Read” program.
65. December 1998 – WFMY-TV introduces live digital first alert Doppler Radar
66. April 18, 2002 – WFMY-TV broadcasts its first program in HDTV
67. WFMY News 2 used to have its own cooking show called, “What’s Cooking Today.” It was hosted by Cordelia Burgess Kelly.
68. WFMY News 2’s “The Old Rebel” show starred, George Perry, the Rebel, Jim Tucker, Pecos Pete, Lee Marshal, the clown, Uncle Roy Griffin, and Jim Wiglesworth, puppeteer.
69. You might not know this but the WFMY News 2 station parking lot used to turn into a dance party! Teens used to put their best dance moves into action on the RC Dance Party TV show. The Dance Party Show was hosted by Bob Waddell who would often join in the fun.
70. The Good Morning Show launched December 1957 and Lee Kinard was the writer, producer and anchor of the show. He was also responsible for the show's format and it was his idea to have weather. Believe it or not, WFMY News 2's Good Morning Show is the reason you see weather in morning shows across the country. It's the oldest and longest running morning show in America.

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