independent stations

CBS is ending its 58-year affiliation with LIN’s WISH Indianapolis on Dec. 31. WTTV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting, will be the new home for CBS programming. WISH GM Les Vann, even with his station stripped of major-network entertainment and sports, is keeping his sights set on the top. For starters, the strategy is to expand news programming by four hours each weekday. “We want to ultimately be the No. 1 independent television station in the country,” Vann says. “With our rich heritage, we can build to that point. We’re not starting from scratch here. This has been a very good television station for six decades.”