The station signed on the air on May 30,1949 under the call sign WFBM-TV with a documentary entitled "Crucible of Speed" covering the history of the Indianapolis 500, followed by the inaugural live television broadcast of the event.
The station signed on the air on May 30,1949 as WFBM-TV, owned by the Bitner Group along with WFBM radio (1260 AM, now WNDE). Indiana's oldest television station was launched with a documentary entitled "Crucible of Speed" covering the history of the Indianapolis 500, followed by the inaugural live television broadcast of the event.