It was March 15, 1949, when WICU-TV first signed on the air 75 years ago to broadcast in Erie, Pennsylvania, and across the tri-state region.

The television station, although it has grown to broadcast in faraway places, continues to serve the public its address at 3514 State St. where it all began.

It was the first building built in the country to be a television station. There's even bricks from the White House installed in our building, thanks to our founder Edward Lamb.

For our 70th anniversary, we invited the community to a bayfront bash. You shared why you depend on us, and we shared special stories reminding you of our legacy. 

From the earliest days, we served our community - broadcasting about automobile safety on the lawn of our studio with the likes of Erie Insurance founder H.O. Hirt, inviting children in to celebrate birthdays and wind up cartoons with totally local character "Pappy" - played by Skip Letcher.

We've even provided wall-to-wall weather coverage through the years when hard storms hit, from the winter of 1956 to recent scary storms.

You won't find anyone more proud of that early legacy than Tim Reed, whose uncle Mike Csop put the station on the air and served as chief engineer for more than four decades.

"It meant a lot to him that this was the first building in the country to house the television station, the first television station in Erie, the first to go color, the first with videotape," said Reed. "There were so many firsts; it just meant a lot to him."

Reed is the keeper of his uncle's significant archive of Erie broadcast history, and he believes that legacy is evident to the community in the work we do every day.

"Whenever a story happens, people tune to channel 12," said Reed. "They know this station's history; they know that they can trust channel 12. I'd have to say the one word to describe my uncle and his legacy is community."

A lot of talent has passed through our doors and gone on to big broadcasting jobs. Dylan Dreyer is perhaps the most famous.

Some have stayed like Mike Ruzzi, marking 40 years. Why did he stay?

"I think, Lisa, it's the community," said Ruzzi. "You meet so many great community people, and it has an impact on especially when you're first starting out. To be around those people, the contributions that they've made to the Erie region makes you want to stick around."

We checked in with Evan Lovett Jones, who stuck around for about 20 years, right in the middle of our history as the station transitioned from black and white to color.

"I really did start with black and white film," said Lovett Jones. "We really did say film at 11, and it was true."

Lovett Jones watched evolving technology make a huge difference in how quickly you get the news.

"In our time, we've gone from black and white film to digital, and who knows where things are going to go," said Lovett Jones.
It's been remarkable, but it's all it's all benefited the viewer. It's much more immediate, and it's a case of don't just take our word for it here it is here and now."

He loved those long, no-deadline days in surrounding counties, just finding and telling stories.

"It's really what I loved most was telling people stories from places that didn't see television cameras around very much," said Lovett Jones.

Amanda Post is another homegrown talent who decided to stick around.

"I've been here for over 20 years now, and of course, I have a degree in education," said Post. "I taught 1st grade. If you would have said to me as a child one day you're going to be on that TV just like everybody else, I would have said no, no way, but here I am. It's just been a tremendous career change and a life change, and I'm just so privileged, and I feel so happy to be here."

A lot has happened in the last five years that made being happy to be here a little more challenging.

Erie News Now worked hard, sometimes risking our safety to inform you, our community, through the global COVID-19 pandemic, wearing masks, using poles to conduct interviews, and helping our viewers find and get those first vaccines.

We've worked to help you navigate politically divisive times with Erie sometimes in the crosshairs of the national divide.

It's the accessible size of the market that appeals to Ethan Kibbe.

"You get to meet everybody; you get to cover everything," said Kibbe. "One day you're with the president of the United States, and the next day you're with people who are upset because of a nuisance nightclub in East Erie. It's that breadth and width of everything you get to do."

It's the mentors that matter to Elspeth Mizner.

"Being able to come to work at a place that I grew up watching watching yourself watching Mike watching Eva and being able to call these people now coworkers now is such a cool thing," said Mizner. "The best part about it is that you get to learn from people that you grew up watching."

We've added new programs like First at Four with lots of live guests.

"I love our blue couches and sitting down in that relaxed format and talking with people about the things they're building, the companies they're growing, and the the nonprofits they're building," said Kara Coleman. "It's just it's really great. We feel really connected."

At no time did we feel more connected to our viewers than when we lost our colleague Emily Matson.

You made it clear for 75 years; members of our family are members of your family. For the next 75 years, we pledge to keep that legacy that started in 1949 alive.

" I do know one thing WICU will still be there," said Reed. "In 1949, the slogan was 'The World on View.' While in 2024, it's still 'The World on View' but, maybe this time, in high-definition."

Lisa Adams has been here for 45 of those 75 years and says she, too, is honored to have built a career here and be part of the WICU legacy.