WHOI (TV)

WHOI is the ABC-affiliated television station for North-Central Illinois that is licensed to Peoria. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on North Stewart Street in Creve Coeur, a village of Groveland Township. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, WHOI is operated through joint sales and shared services agreements by Quincy Newspapers (owner of NBC affiliate WEEK-TV).

The two outlets share studios together on Springfield Road, along I-474, in East Peoria. Although it is sister to Fox affiliate WYZZ-TV (owned by Sinclair's partner company, Cunningham Broadcasting), that outlet is operated separately by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group at the facility of CBS outlet WMBD-TV.

Digital channels

History

WHOI was Peoria's second television station, signing-on as WTVH on October 20, 1953. The station was founded by Hugh Norman and Edward Schoede. Hilltop Broadcasting, which co-owned the Peoria Journal Star bought the station in 1954. Its first studios were on Main Street in Peoria. Originally broadcasting an analog signal on VHF channel 8, it was a primary CBS affiliate but also carried shows from ABC and DuMont. WTVH lost DuMont when the network ceased operations in 1955, and lost CBS when WMBD-TV began broadcasting.