ABC7 Chicago

U.S. center to center-left

Background

The station first signed on as WENR-TV on September 17, 1948, making it one of the earliest ABC-affiliated television stations in the country and Chicago's third TV outlet. In 1953 it merged with the earlier WBKB-TV and took that call sign; in 1968 the FCC approved the change to WLS-TV, call letters inherited from a Sears-linked AM radio station whose acronym stood for 'World's Largest Store.' ABC acquired full ownership early in its history, and in 1986 the network's parent was sold to Capital Cities, Inc. Disney then purchased Capital Cities/ABC in January 1996, bringing WLS-TV under Disney ownership where it has remained. The station is a dominant Chicago-market newscast and has a long record of hosting political candidate debates. Media bias trackers such as Media Bias/Fact Check rate its website as 'Least Biased,' reflecting its focus on local news over opinion content. In 2026, the Trump administration's FCC, citing a controversial Jimmy Kimmel monologue, ordered ABC-owned stations — including WLS-TV — to file early license renewals, a move ABC called 'punitive' and unconstitutional; WLS-TV ran on-air campaigns asking viewers to contact the FCC in opposition, putting the station in an openly adversarial posture toward the administration.

Sources

1. WLS-TV – Wikipedia
2. About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago – ABC Owned Television Stations
3. ABC7 Chicago celebrates 75 years of broadcasting – ABC7 Chicago
4. ABC7Chicago.com – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
5. ABC 7 Chicago fights back against FCC broadcast license review – Axios Chicago
6. Trump's FCC Orders ABC to File Broadcast TV License Renewals Within 30 Days – Variety
7. ABC Stations Say FCC's Early Call for License Renewal Is Unconstitutional – WTTW
8. WLS-TV urges Chicago viewers to join fight against FCC license review – Crain's Chicago Business

Profile compiled 2026-09-14; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

← Back to track record