CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – 22News has been informing and working for the people of western Massachusetts for 70 years!

WWLP began broadcasting on March 17, 1953. The station first went on the air on UHF channel 61 and was an NBC affiliate from the start. WWLP has the distinction of being one of the first UHF television stations in the country.

The station was founded by William L. Putnam and his company, Springfield Television. William L. Putnam is where the W-L-P comes from. We switched frequencies to Channel 22 on July 2, 1955.

Our original studios were on Provin Mountain in Feeding Hills and we broadcast from the top of the mountain until New Year’s Eve 1999 when we moved to our broadcast center in Chicopee. Today, 22News is part of the Nexstar Media Group, the largest television station owner in the country.

Through the years, from Tom Colton and the Big News, Bill Putnam and his editorials, At Home with Kitty Broman, and John Quill, Rollie Jacobs, Keith Silver, As Schools Match Wits, Sy Becker and Barry Kriger, just some of the names who you welcomed into your homes for the last 70 years.

Rich Tettemer, Adam Strzempko, and Brian Lapis remember John Quill on the 70th Anniversary of 22News

It all started back in 1953 and ever since then, 22News has been rated as the most-watched news operation in western Massachusetts. We are the region’s leader on all screens and platforms, on the air, online at WWLP.com, and on the 22News Mobile App.

And our mission continues…always improving, always informing, and always working for you.