Media

Indianapolis had a newspaper before it even had roads or mail service—or even before Indiana became a state. Six months after the city of Indianapolis was founded, the Indianapolis Gazette began sharing news with its citizenry. Wisely, the fledging newspaper took a politically neutral stand. A year later, the Western Censor and Emigrants Guide began publishing. They took a decidedly political position, campaigning strongly against Andrew Jackson.

Since then, newspapers have come and gone. Today, the city has many publications, ranging from newspapers to business journals, alternative news, shopping circulars, and magazines. But there is only one daily newspaper—the Indianapolis Star.

The first radio station went on the air in the early 1920s, and Indianapolis got its own permanent station in 1924—WFRM. By the early 1940s, two other stations had hit the airwaves—WIBC and WISH. Take a look at the list below to see how many AM/FM stations are now available to listeners.

Network television began broadcasting locally in 1950. The local public TV station, WFYI, signed on in 1970 after dedicated volunteers went door to door in a fund-raising campaign. Now, through the wonders of cable and satellite, viewers can choose from a multitude of channels for round-the-clock viewing.

Following is a roundup of the city’s best-known media outlets, as well as some smaller ones. Whether you’re visiting Indianapolis or relocating here, you’ll find the local media to be a wealth of information on the city’s life.