Another notable non-building local landmark is the Weather 9. More than just a lit sign, it was a beacon providing the weather forecast at a glance – if you knew the poem (created by a viewer with the winning entry):
When the Weather 9 is red; warmer weather is ahead.
When the Weather 9 is green; cooler weather is foreseen.
When the Weather 9 is white; little change is
When the Weather 9 is flashing by night or day; precipitation is on the way.
Initially it was located high on the station’s tower located at the station on Grand Avenue It was later relocated to the north side of the building following renovations.
WAOW Channel 9 debuted in 1965, serving Wausau and Central Wisconsin as part of Mid-Continent Broadcasting, which also included Channel 27 in Madison and Channel 19 in La Crosse, operating as an ABC affiliate.
The first program broadcast was a Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox game. The White Sox beat the Twins 13-5.
The schedule included popular shows like Bewitched, Batman, Outer Limits, Dating Game, and The Avengers.
Other events of note:
1972 – Liberty Broadcasting Inc. purchased group including Channel 9
1974 – FCC granted okay to expand tower by 220 feet
1985 – TAK Communications, Inc. of Vienna, VA purchased group including Channel 9 (WOAW)
Tak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
in 1991 and would be taken over by a group of creditors less than three years later.
1985 – FCC allowed WAOW an Omni-Directional signal pattern. It allowed them to a full circle signal delivery at full optimum power which expanded their reach by a lot.
1995 – Shockley Communications Corp. of Madison purchased WAOW
2001, Quincy Newspapers, Inc. (Quincy Media, Inc.) purchased WAOW
2002 – first in Wausau to broadcast in HD
2009 – converted to digital fully
2021 – Allen Media Group purchased
Thank you to Bob Becker for the older photos!
