WUTV
kW | |
HAAT | 329 m (1,079 ft) |
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Transmitter coordinates | 43°1′32.2″N 78°55′42.1″W / 43.025611°N 78.928361°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | wutv29 |
WUTV (channel 29) is a television station in Buffalo, New York, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WNYO-TV (channel 49). The two stations share studios on Hertel Avenue near Military Road in Buffalo; WUTV's transmitter is located on Whitehaven Road (near I-190) in Grand Island, New York, behind its former main studio building.
Since February 2008, WUTV serves as the Fox network feed received in the Cayman Islands. It joined the Primetime 24 lineup in 2009, serving most of the Caribbean islands.[3] The station is also broadcast in parts of Canada, in particular throughout the adjacent Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area.
History
WUTV signed on the air on December 21, 1970, as a general entertainment
WUTV was the only independent station in Buffalo for many years; its schedule included
On October 9, 1986, WUTV became one of the original charter affiliates of the newly launched Fox network. At the time, Fox only aired late-night programming five days a week, so WUTV was still essentially programmed as an independent station. However, by 1989, WUTV was one of several Fox affiliates nationwide that were disappointed with the network's weak prime time programming offerings, particularly on Saturday nights, which were bogging down WUTV's otherwise successful lineup. Fox then signed an agreement with WNYB-TV (channel 49, now WNYO-TV) to become its new Buffalo affiliate, and WUTV reverted to being an independent station full-time, effective September 1, 1989.[4]
Ahead of the disaffiliation from Fox, Act III Broadcasting (a company controlled by Norman Lear) offered to buy WUTV, and Citadel accepted.[5] This proceeded by a duopoly waiver from WUHF in Rochester, citing cross-ownership, which was normally not allowed by the FCC, and regularly did not allow a waiver in the process, until 2000 (Act III did apply for a waiver for the station).[6] The sale was finalized in June 1990, and Lear moved WNYB-TV's stronger programming to WUTV, in turn bringing the Fox affiliation back to the station. The Buffalo Sabres, who held a minority stake in the new WUTV, which was then sold WNYB-TV to Tri-State Christian Television (Act III was known for such acquisition practices).[7]
On January 16, 1995, WUTV became a secondary affiliate of the upstart
Since the
After Sinclair came to a
The second subchannel was affiliated with The Country Network until early 2017 when it was announced to be switching over to TBD.[13] On June 1, 2017, both digital subchannels were replaced, 29.2 with the previously announced TBD and 29.3 with Charge!.[14]
Newscasts
Until 2013, WUTV did not air news programming, making Buffalo the largest television market in the United States whose Fox affiliate did not offer any newscasts at all (Sinclair is believed to have paid a large fee to Fox to avoid the network's mandate that its affiliates carry local news). The station long opted to air syndicated programming instead of carrying news programming, as it is within range of the Toronto market and features advertising targeted at Southern Ontario viewers, along with the large number of stations within the Buffalo market and those receivable in the market from Hamilton and Toronto that already produce local newscasts.
This lack of local news programming ended on April 8, 2013, as the 10 p.m. newscast produced by
In March 2021, WUTV established a studio to produce content for Sinclair's national news programming, such as The National Desk. The station does not produce long-form news programming from this studio and continued to carry the WGRZ-produced program in the meantime.[17]
On July 1, 2021, WUTV introduced a new in-house newscast; it used resources from other Sinclair-owned stations in the state of New York, with its anchors based out of WSTM-TV in Syracuse and its weather and sports segments produced from WHAM-TV in Rochester.[18] The program failed to make much of a ratings impression; in the November 2022 sweeps period, the WIVB–WNLO newscast attracted four times as many viewers. As a result, Sinclair discontinued it effective January 27, 2023, with Sinclair's national news service, The National Desk, airing in its stead. Four people lost their jobs: a news director, two reporters, and a photographer.[19]
Notable former on-air staff
- Mike Catalana – sports director (2021–23)[19]
- Maryalice Demler – weeknights at 10 p.m.
- Kevin O'Connell– chief weather anchor (fired in 2018 due to an endorsement dispute)
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
29.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
WUTVFOX | Fox |
29.2 | 480i | 4:3 |
TBD | TBD |
29.3 | Charge! | Charge! | ||
49.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WNYO-MY | MyNetworkTV (WNYO-TV) |
Analog-to-digital conversion
WUTV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over
As part of the
Canadian coverage
Up until 2003, Rogers Cable carried WUTV in Ottawa and London, Ontario; that year, Rogers replaced WUTV with Detroit owned-and-operated station WJBK as the Fox station available in these markets. The reason for the switch in Ottawa was twofold. The main reason was that MCI, the company which microwaved U.S. network television signals to Ottawa from Rochester, had decided to discontinue this service (until 2003, the ABC, NBC, and CBS stations available in Ottawa had originated from Rochester). Secondly, Rogers chose Detroit as the new source for U.S. television network signals because Canadian broadcasters were concerned about the increased Canadian advertising revenues that Buffalo stations would attract, were they to receive an expanded viewing audience across Ontario. Since Detroit (which like Buffalo, is located adjacent to a Canadian media market) is a much larger market than either Buffalo or Rochester, advertising prices would be much higher and it would therefore not be economical for Canadian businesses to purchase advertising time on such stations.
Although WUTV was the Fox affiliate available in Ottawa, Rogers decided to switch to WJBK in order to ensure uniformity in the source cities for all U.S. network television signals. Rogers switched to WJBK in the London market because the signal for the CBS affiliate available in London, WSEE-TV (out of Erie, Pennsylvania) was of lower quality than that of Detroit's CBS station, WWJ-TV. Hence, Rogers' London system switched from WSEE-TV to WWJ-TV and, as in Ottawa, decided to switch its Fox affiliate from WUTV to WJBK for source city uniformity for the U.S. network signals.[23] Rogers continues to carry WUTV in both standard and high definition for customers in the Golden Horseshoe, including Toronto.
Because of its Canadian coverage, the station plays the respective American and Canadian
References
- ^ a b c "Digital TV Market Listing for WUTV". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WUTV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Available Services
- ^ "FOX NETWORK, CH. 29 SPLIT; CH. 49 IS THE NEW SUITOR". The Buffalo News. May 2, 1989. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (August 7, 1989). "LEAR HEADS GROUP BUYING CHANNEL 29". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (June 27, 1990). "SHUFFLING OF CHANNELS 29, 49 TO RESULT IN SHIFT OF PROGRAMS". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (August 19, 1989). "POWER PLAY MAY SHIFT SABRE ROAD GAMES TO CH. 29". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Flint, Joe (October 2, 1995). "ABRY CHOICE IS CLEAR; SULLIVAN TO TOP ACT III". Variety. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Sinclair to purchase Sullivan Deal could be worth $1 billion, gives firm 14 new TV stations; Most are Fox affiliates; Company continues to gain outlets in mid-size markets; Broadcasting". Baltimore Sun. February 25, 1998. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "NFL cross flex policy involving Bills is costing Ch.4 big time at a bad time". October 2014.
- ^ Sinclair Reups With Fox, Gets WUTB Option, TVNewsCheck, May 15, 2012.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (October 22, 2014). "Grit TV aims to capture men when it comes here shortly via sub-channel". The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ "New WUTV sub-channel coming aimed at millenials". The Buffalo News. BH Media. January 10, 2017.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (June 20, 2017). "Answers to reader questions about the Mets, high-def & 'This is Us'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (March 27, 2013). Ch. 2's 10 p.m. newscast headed to WUTV. The Buffalo News. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
- ^ "Sinclair controversy makes brief stop in Buffalo, but is less relevant here". April 12, 2018.
- ^ "NorthEast Radio Watch 3/29/2021: 97 Rock's Very Bad Morning". March 29, 2021.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (June 22, 2021). "WUTV's new newscast will rely on news, weather and sports anchors outside of Buffalo". The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
- ^ a b Pergament, Alan (January 11, 2023). "WUTV's 10 p.m. newscast ending Jan. 27, eliminating four jobs in Buffalo". The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
- ^ All Full-Power Television Stations by DMA, Indicating Those Terminating Analog Service Before or on February 17, 2009, Federal Communications Commission, February 16, 2009
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ "UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
- Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. November 18, 2003. Retrieved September 9, 2009.