Post-Newsweek Stations is the owner of WDIV-TV, or virtual channel 4, a television station affiliated with NBC. WDIV-TV is the group’s flagship station and is based in Detroit, Michigan. Therefore, the news broadcast is known as Channel 4 Detroit News. It is also the group’s home base, which sees the Post-Newsweek station offices located next to the WDIC-TV studios. Along with its flagship status, all of the group’s stations were included under the ‘Local’ brand umbrella.

Before 1978, the Detroit Channel 4 news station was known as WWJ-TV. The new name came after the Evening News Association swapped stations with the Washington Post to get around regulations the FCC was considering at the time. Although it was ultimately not approved, the new policy would have limited ownership of the press and television media in the same market. WWJ-TV was renamed WDIV-TV, so the ‘D’ stood for ‘Detroit’ and the ‘IV’ stood for the number ‘4’ written in Roman numerals

WDIV stands out for a number of firsts in its broadcasting history. When he signed with WWDT in 1946, it became the first television station in Michigan. It aired regularly a year after demo programming that ran for one day in 1946. WDIV, which is also said to mean “Where Detroit is Vital,” also achieved the first television broadcast of Red Wings games, Detroit Tigers and Lions. It was also the first Michigan television station to broadcast in color in 1954.

WDIV ended its analog television broadcast in the first half of 2009, converting completely to digital broadcasting. This marked the end of 62 years of broadcasting on channel 4. Although their digital broadcasts are broadcast on pre-transition channel 45, their virtual channel still reads ‘4’ thanks to the System and Program Information Protocol (PSIP). used to transmit to digital television receivers.