Celebrating 70 Years: How WNDU got its start

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - This week marks a special moment in television history, more specifically our television history. It’s the 70th anniversary of WNDU!

The station was a project launched by none other than Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, who at the time was a young priest in charge at the University of Notre Dame.

In a television clip from those first broadcasts, Fr. Hesburgh said, “Television, you know, will have a tremendous impact in the years and the centuries to come on the whole culture and educational values of our country, and we want to be a part of that story.”

It’s a story that takes us back to 1955, when television in America was all the rage.

As Fr. Hesburgh explained, he didn’t want Notre Dame to miss out on the TV opportunity.

“I think I knew that it was a new reality bursting on the scene, and no one knew where it was going to go,” Fr. Hesburgh said in a 2005 interview. “It seemed to me that we would be derelict as a university if we didn’t get involved.”

So, they built WNDU right on campus. The modest building housed the commercial television station and NBC affiliate and served as a classroom for communications students.

“It’s been a learning experience for hundreds and hundreds of very bright, talented students, and I’m grateful for that,” Fr. Hesburgh said. “I don’t regret that decision. I mean, I’ve probably made some bad decisions along the way, but I think that was one of the good ones.”

In 1981, a new station was built. Our current home sits at the edge of campus along State Road 933.

New owners came in 2005 when Notre Dame sold the station to Gray Television.

While so much has changed in the world of television, some things remain the same: a dedication to excellence and integrity established 70 years ago.

“Certainly, we’ve done a lot more than we would if we had stayed out of the competition, because education is accomplished in many ways,” Fr. Hesburgh said. “I think it’s fair to say that we have many people in the industry today and a leadership position that wouldn’t be there if they hadn’t had this experience at WNDU. I think we benefited from it, as well as benefiting the local community.”

Fr. Hesburgh passed away in 2015 at the age of 97.

Be sure to join us the rest of this week as we celebrate 70 years of WNDU!