WAAY-TV, ABC television affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama, United States
WAAY-TV is a television station in Huntsville, Alabama, broadcasting on virtual channel 31 using UHF frequency 32 and affiliated with the ABC network. Its main studio sits on Monte Sano Boulevard, where the station produces news programs, weather reports, and entertainment content across multiple digital subchannels including Ion, Dabl, QVC, and a local weather network.
The station launched on August 1, 1959, as WAFG-TV, becoming the second television station in the Huntsville region and the first ABC station in Alabama at that time. The Smith family acquired it in 1963 and renamed it WAAY-TV; it later switched to NBC but returned to ABC in 1977, where it has remained affiliated.
The station took its name from a local radio station called WAAY, owned by the Smith family who acquired the television operation in 1963. It has become part of daily life in Huntsville, recognized by many residents as a familiar source of information and connection to their community.
The studios are located on Monte Sano Boulevard in Huntsville, with signal transmission from an elevated position to ensure good coverage across the region. Viewers can easily access the station on channel 31 and enjoy online content plus services like closed captioning for deaf and hard of hearing audiences.
The station pioneered weather radar systems in 1974 and tracked a major tornado outbreak in real time, helping viewers see the severity of the storms as they unfolded. It also played a role in early internet services in the region, launching HiWAAY Information Services in the 1990s.
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