WJRT-TV channel 12 (RF and PSIP) is the ABC affiliate for the Flint and Tri-Cities areas from studios on Lapeer Road just outside of Downtown. It is owned by Gray Television.
Timeline
- 1958: Signs on for the first time, owned by Goodwill Stations, who also owned the WJR AM radio station in nearby Detroit, from which the television station derives it's calls. Goodwill had originally intended for the transmitter to be near Clarkston, but the FCC denied that on the grounds of how it would primarily serve the Detroit market. The transmitter is erected near Chesaning instead.
- 1964: Station acquired by Captial Cities Communications after a merger.
- 1965: Spun off to Poole Broadcasting.
- 1967: 12 becomes first Michigan station outside Detroit to commence regular color broadcasts.
- 1978: Sold to Knight-Ridder.
- 1989: Purchased by SJL Broadcasting.
- 1994: ABC announces intentions to purchase the station.
- 1995: 12 becomes an ABC owned-and-operated station, reuniting it with WJR radio for the first time in 31 years.
- 2000: Launches website.
- 2002: Commences digital broadcasts on RF 36.
- 2009: WJRT, along with every full-power station serving Flint, discontinues analog broadcasts. Digital broadcasts then move to RF 12, formerly held by the analog signal.
- 2010: Sold back to SJL Broadcasting, at this point this SJL Broadcasting is an entirely different company formed from the remnants from the previous SJL Broadcasting.
- 2014: Sold to Gray Television.
