WIRK-Channel 21 was the first TV station based in West Palm Beach. It didn’t last long — going dark in 1956 after WJNO-Ch. 5 and WEAT-Ch. 12 signed on.

West Palm Beach is an unusual TV market. Depending on your point of view, the market got its first TV station in 1949 … or 1953. WIRK-Channel 21, based in West Palm, telecast a test pattern on Aug. 31, 1953, and started regular programming on Sept. 13, 1953. But WTVJ-Channel 4, based in Miami, started broadcasting in 1949 — and an upgrade to its tower and power in 1953-54 meant that viewers all the way to Vero Beach were able to get the CBS station’s strong signal. In fact, WTVJ remained the CBS affiliate for West Palm Beach up until 1989 — when an affiliate swap in Miami also shuffled the lineup in WPB. Thanks to Google’s Newspaper Archive, AmericanRadioHistory.com, and the Miami Archives blog for helping provide material for this page. Stations included below:

  • WTVJ (Channel 4 — Miami)
  • WJNO, WPTV (Channel 5 – West Palm Beach)
  • WEAT, WPEC (Channel 12 – West Palm Beach)
  • WIRK (Channel 21 – West Palm Beach)

To view our gallery of Miami TV station ads, click here.
To view our gallery of Orlando TV station ads, click here.

To view just the ads for Orlando TV newscasts, click here.

1949-00 1949-03-wtvj-first-night 1950-00 1950-05-wtvj-whats-my-line 1951-00 1951-10-wtvj-colgate-comedy-hour 1951-10-wtvj-ed-wynn-show 1951-10-wtvj-foreign-intrigue 1951-10-wtvj-meet-the-news 1952-00 1952-05-wtvj-russell-kefauver 1952-05-wtvj-russell-kefauver-2 1952-10-03-wtvj-ozzie-and-harriet 1952-10-03-wtvj-schlitz 1953-00 1953-09-13-wirk-tv-starts 1953-09-16-wirk-will-rogers 1953-09-24-wirk-jr 1953-11-01-wirk-tv-highlights 1953-11-09-wirk-highlights 1953-12-03-wirk-bishop-sheen 1953-12-a-get-all-three-miami-channels 1953-12-wtvj-christmas 1953-12-wtvj-christmas-day 1953-12-wtvj-dragnet 1953-12-wtvj-football-1 1953-12-wtvj-groucho 1953-12-wtvj-mama 1953-12-wtvj-mama-private 1953-12-wtvj-orange-bowl 1953-12-wtvj-private-secretary 1953-12-wtvj-you-are-there 1954-00 1954-04-wtvj-tower 1954-07-wtvj 1954-08-wjno-sign-on 1954-08-wtvj-welcomes-wjno 1954-09-wtvj-andy-gustafson-show 1954-09-wtvj-arthur-murray-party 1954-09-wtvj-fall-schedule 1954-09-wtvj-jack-of-sports 1954-09-wtvj-shower-of-stars 1954-10-wjno-jimmy-durante 1954-10-wjno-waterfront 1954-10-wtvj-climax 1954-10-wtvj-color 1954-11-wtvj-transmitter 1954-12-01-wjno-football 1954-12-24-wjno-football 1954-12-weat 1955-00 1955-01-wjno-texaco-star-theater 1955-01-wtvj-climax 1955-01-wtvj-danger 1955-01-wtvj-howard-brown-news 1955-01-wtvj-orange-bowl 1955-09-wtvj-arthur-godfrey 1955-11-03-weat-crossroads 1955-11-06-weat-football 1955-11-06-wjno-great-life 1955-11-09-wjno-spectacular 1955-11-10-wjno-ford 1955-11-14-wjno-dateline-2 1955-11-wtvj-cbs-shows 1955-11-wtvj-red-skelton 1955-wjno 1955-wtvj-south-florida 1956-00 1956-02-06-wjno-poliothon 1956-07-wwtvj 1956-11-wtvj-death-valley-days 1956-11-wtvj-shower-of-stars 1957-00 1957-01-03-wtvj-climax 1957-05-06-wtvj-gentlemens-agreement 1957-09-wtvj-action-in-north-atlantic 1957-09-wtvj-castle-on-the-hudson 1957-10-13-wtvj-edsel-show 1957-11-wtvj 1957-11-wtvj-cbs-shows 1957-11-wtvj-the-lodger 1957-12-wtvj-sunday-night 1958-00 1958-02-wtvj-editorials 1958-06-wtvj-evening-movei 1958-06-wtvj-jeffs-collie 1958-09-18-weat-jack-faircloth 1958-10-01-weat-welk 1958-11-wtvj-big-show 1958-11-wtvj-edward-g-robinson 1958-11-wtvj-errol-flynn-theater 1958-wtvj-broadcasting-yearbook 1959-00 1959-09-13-weat-gold-coast-panorama 1959-09-28-wtvj-december-bride 1959-09-28-wtvj-hennesey 1959-09-30-wtvj-doug-edwards 1959-09-30-wtvj-men-into-space 1959-10-01-wtvj-johnny-rango 1960-00 1960-09-03-wtvj-andy-griffith 1960-09-17-wtvj-checkmate 1960-09-18-wtvj-ge-theater-ronald-reagan 1960-09-19-wtvj-pete-gladys 1961-00 1961-09-wtvj-season-preview 1961-10-02-wtvj-new-shows 1961-10-04-wtvj-alvin 1961-10-09-wtvj-daytime 1961-10-10-wtvj-dobie-gillis 1961-11-16-weat-peter-gunn 1961-11-17-weat-brothers-brannagan 1961-11-19-weat-lfie-with-father 1961-11-wtvj-lassie 1962-00 1962-05-02-wptv-genie-magic-farm 1962-09-14-wptv-high-school-football 1962-09-14-wtvj-ripcord 1962-09-wtvj-beverly-hillbillies 1962-09-wtvj-friday-night 1962-09-wtvj-loretta-young 1962-09-wtvj-miami-hurricanes 1962-09-wtvj-new-shows 1962-09-wtvj-nfl-football 1962-09-wtvj-red-skelton 1963-00 1963-09-wtvj-morning-news 1963-09-wtvj-news 1963-09-wtvj-to-tell-the-truth 1964-00 1964-08-31-wptv-superman 1964-08-31-wptv-yogi-bear 1964-09-01-wptv-hucklebery-hound 1964-09-01-wptv-news 1964-09-01-wptv-sea-hunt 1964-09-12-wptv-college-football 1964-09-12-wptv-the-rogues 1964-09-14-wtvj-7-wonderful-nights 1964-09-16-wptv-virginian 1964-09-17-wptv-hazel 1964-09-19-wptv-flipper 1964-09-19-wptv-florida-gators-football 1964-09-20-wtvj-cbs-monday 1964-09-20-wtvj-cbs-wednesday 1964-10-03-wptv-olympics 1964-10-04-wptv-bill-dana 1964-10-04-wptv-saturday-night-movie 1965-00 1965-03-01-weat-world-news 1965-03-01-wptv-dateline-sports 1965-03-03-weat-equipment 1965-03-03-wptv-today 1965-03-04-weat-film-processing 1965-03-04-wptv-dateline-local-news 1965-03-04-wptv-news-final 1965-03-04-wtvj-newsnight 1965-03-05-weat-12-reasons 1965-03-05-weat-12-reasons-2 1965-03-05-weat-photographers 1965-03-05-wtvj-newsnight 1965-03-07-wptv-mornings 1965-03-08-weat-newscasters 1965-03-08-wptv-atlantic-weatherman 1965-03-08-wtvj-lineup 1965-09-11-wtvj-cbs-shows 1965-09-12-wtvj-a-sunday-shows 1965-09-12-wtvj-monday-tuesday 1965-09-12-wtvj-wednesday-thursday 1965-09-12-wtvj-x-friday-saturday-shows 1965-09-13-wtvj-meet-us-monday 1965-09-14-wtvj-tuesday-shows 1965-09-15-wtvj-watch-us-wednesday 1965-09-18-wtvj-saturday 1965-09-20-wtvj-steve-lawrence 1965-09-wtvj 1965-11-07-weat-shows 1965-11-07-wptv-number-1 1965-11-08-weat-shows 1965-11-08-weat-sports 1965-11-09-weat-weather 1965-11-11-wptv-news 1965-11-11-wptv-shows 1965-11-12-weat-football 1965-11-12-wptv-late-news 1965-11-14-weat-news 1965-11-14-wptv-branded 1965-11-14-wptv-days-of-our-lives 1965-11-14-wptv-news 1965-11-14-wtvj-sinatra 1965-11-wtvj-my-three-sons 1965-11-wtvj-news 1966-00 1966-02-15-wptv-jack-ledden-show 1966-02-16-wptv-i-spy 1966-02-16-wptv-jack-freese 1966-02-17-wptv-bill-gordon 1966-02-17-wptv-dean-martin 1966-02-18-wptv-jack-ledden 1966-02-21-wptv-andy-williams 1966-02-21-wptv-dr-kildare 1966-02-21-wptv-ray-marsh 1966-05-03-weat-election-results 1966-05-11-weat-batman 1966-09-08-wptv-super-heroes 1966-09-11-wptv-bonanza 1966-09-11-wptv-nbc-week 1966-09-13-weat-abc-week 1966-10-02-wtvj-news-in-color 1966-10-03-wtvj-news-in-color 1966-12-01-wtvj-bob-gallagher 1966-wftv-filming 1967-00 1967-09-wptv-nbc-week 1967-09-wptv-star-trek 1967-09-wtvj-fabulous-friday 1967-09-wtvj-mannix 1967-09-wtvj-pat-boone-hollywood 1968-00 1968-03-02-wtvj-news-weekend 1968-03-04-wptv-dateline 1968-03-04-wptv-eastside 1968-03-04-wtvj-daytime 1968-03-05-weat-cash 1968-03-05-wptv-dialing-for-dollars 1968-09-weat-dick-bate-news 1968-10-01-weat-abc-shows 1969-00 1969-11-19-wtvj-cbs-shows 1970-00 1970-03-17-wtvj-major-dundee 1970-09-12-wptv-nbc 1970-09-12-wptv-thursday-night 1970-09-14-wptv-chet-huntley 1970-09-14-wtvj-cbs-monday-night 1971-00 1971-09-17-weat-abc-friday 1971-09-17-wptv-nbc-week 1971-09-17-wtvj-friday-night 1971-09-18-weat-saturday-shows 1971-09-18-wptv-nbc-shows 1971-09-18-wtvj-cbs-saturday 1971-09-19-weat-jackson-five 1971-09-19-wptv-nbc-shows 1971-09-19-wtvj-sunday 1971-09-20-wtvj-cbs-monday 1971-09-wtvj-cbs-monday 1971-11-08-wtvj-national-geographic 1971-11-11-wtvj-tom-jones 1972-00 1972-11-04-weat-buck-owens 1972-11-04-wptv-marlon-brando 1972-11-04-wtvj-bob-newhart 1972-11-07-wptv-election 1972-11-08-weat-abc-shows 1973-00 1973-09-13-weat-hogans-heroes 1973-09-13-wptv-nbc73 1973-09-13-wtvj-lawrence-welk 1973-09-14-wptv-nbc73 1973-09-14-wtvj-ozzies-girls 1974-00 1974-02-01-wpec-lineup 1974-02-04-wpec-joyce 1974-02-12-wpec-news-team 1974-09-19-wptv-new-nbc 1974-09-19-wtvj-planet-of-the-apes 1975-00 1975-11-03-wtvj-merv 1975-11-08-wtvj-montage 1976-00 1976-10-02-wtvj-hot-ones 1976-10-04-wptv-wild-kingdom 1976-10-06-wptv-carter-ford-debate 1976-11-05-wtvj-snoopy 1977-00 1977-12-21-wtvj-cbs-shows 1977-wtvj-news