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WUPW

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WUPW
Channels
BrandingFox 36
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WTVG
History
FoundedAugust 1, 1983
First air date
September 22, 1985 (1985-09-22)
Former channel numbers
  • Analog: 36 (UHF, 1985–2009)
  • Digital: 46 (UHF, 2003–2020)
Independent (1985–1986)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
19190
ERP65 kW
HAAT370 m (1,214 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°39′22″N 83°26′41″W / 41.65611°N 83.44472°W / 41.65611; -83.44472
Links
Public license information
Websitefox36.com

WUPW (channel 36) is a television station in Toledo, Ohio, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Gray Media alongside ABC/CW affiliate WTVG (channel 13) and Findlay-based WFND-LD (channel 19). WUPW and WTVG share studios on Dorr Street (SR 246) in Toledo; WUPW's transmitter is located on Corduroy Road in Oregon, Ohio.

WUPW began broadcasting on September 22, 1985, as the Toledo area's first independent station, built by a consortium of Toledo investors including the former president of WDHO-TV. It affiliated with Fox when the network debuted in 1986 and otherwise offered a popular lineup of movies and syndicated programs. In 1993, it was sold to Ellis Communications, under whose ownership WUPW contracted with local CBS affiliate WTOL (channel 11) for a 10 p.m. local newscast beginning in January 1996. The newscast was not as successful in the ratings as comparable programs in other cities. WTOL continued to produce news for WUPW until 2000, when then-owner Sunrise Television brought news production in-house. Under Sunrise and its successor LIN Television, WUPW saw ratings increases and expanded with an early evening newscast at 4 (later 6:30) p.m.

In 2012, WUPW was sold to American Spirit Media, a company that contracted with Raycom Media–owned stations for services. The WUPW news department was folded into that of WTOL, with a morning newscast added to the lineup. American Spirit continued to hold the license and contract with WTOL for services even though, when Raycom and Gray merged in 2019, the merged Gray kept WTVG and divested WTOL to Tegna Inc. As a result, WTVG newscasts only began to air on WUPW in 2026, after Gray bought the station from American Spirit.

History

[edit]

Construction and early years

[edit]

In 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made changes to television station allocations in Toledo, Ohio, following negotiations with Canada. The result was that channels 54 and 60, previously assigned to the city, were deleted and replaced with channel 36. At that time, a non-profit Christian group was raising funds to apply for the channel.[2] That group was not in the field of five applicants that ultimately applied in 1981. Two of the groups had Toledo connections: tvUSA/Toledo, headed by Ed Hanna, and Toledo Telecasting, Inc., a group of local businessmen led by WDHO-TV (channel 24) president Arthur M. Dorfner. The remainder of the field included a firm owned by Malcolm Glazer; the Massachusetts- and Michigan-owned Channel 36, Inc.; and Toledo Family Television, headed by Atlanta businessman John McMullen.[3] The applications were designated for comparative hearing in May 1982,[4] and Toledo Telecasting was selected as the winner in April 1983.[5]

Four SeaGate, a midrise office building
Four SeaGate in downtown Toledo was home to WUPW's studios and offices from 1985 to 2012.

Toledo Telecasting faced delays in construction of the new station, originally designated WDMA, because the firm was waiting on the Internal Revenue Service to rule on whether interest from revenue bonds was taxable.[6] During this time, the call sign was changed to WUPW, and offices were set up at Four SeaGate downtown.[7] Channel 36 began broadcasting on September 22, 1985, as the market's first independent station with movies, syndicated reruns, cartoons, and sports.[8] The new station, which made an immediate mark with its movie lineup,[9] was immediately profitable[10] and joined the Fox network when it launched in October 1986.[11] In November 1986, the original owners filed to sell the station to The Independent Broadcasting Company, owned by Thomas Embrescia.[12]

Bert Ellis, the founder and former president of Act III Broadcasting, launched Ellis Communications in 1993, and WUPW was among its first acquisitions.[13] Under Ellis, the station began investigating the possibilities to start a local newscast.[14] In late 1995, WUPW reached an agreement with WTOL (channel 11) to launch a 10 p.m. weeknight newscast with a high story count and fast pace aimed at younger viewers, utilizing its own anchors and set but sharing resources with WTOL's newscasts.[15] It debuted on January 14, 1996, following NFL playoff football on Fox.[16][17] The WUPW newscast, known as Fox 36 News at Ten, was a ratings underperformer under WTOL's management; it had new and unfamiliar anchors, and its fast format was described in hindsight by Chris Borrelli of The Blade as "an impersonal, glorified headline service".[18] In May 1997, male anchor Paul Morrison was fired[19] and replaced by WTOL 5 p.m. anchor Jerry Anderson.[20] However, ratings did not improve.[18]

Independent news department

[edit]

In the four years WTOL produced the 10 p.m. news for WUPW, channel 36 was sold twice. Ellis Communications was acquired in 1996, and the acquiring firm named itself Raycom Media after Ellis's Raycom Sports syndication division.[21] Two years later, Raycom acquired Malrite Communications, which in Toledo owned WNWO-TV (channel 24). Under FCC rules of the time, Raycom could not keep both stations.[22] It sold WUPW for $73 million to Sunrise Television.[23][24] With the sale in progress, WTOL's news production contract was extended so as to give Sunrise time to negotiate a new deal,[25] and in May 1999, the two stations agreed on a three-year extension. However, WUPW general manager Randy Pratt expressed a desire to add weekend newscasts, as he felt their absence made it harder for viewers to make it part of their routines,[26] and Anderson was dismissed in May 1999, midway through a sweeps period in which ratings are measured.[27] WUPW also hired its own news director for the first time.[28]

The mixed ratings performance and a desire to have more control over the news product led WUPW to start its own news department in 2000. A studio and newsroom were set up at Four SeaGate, along with the hiring of 20 new employees and a total investment of $2 million.[29] On July 30, 2000, the WTOL-produced Fox 36 News at Ten made way for the WUPW-produced Fox Toledo News, airing seven nights a week.[30] From May 2000 to May 2001, WUPW's 10 p.m. audience share grew from 6% to 10%. That August, the station extended to a full hour plus a five-minute "Fastcast" at 11 p.m. opposite the network affiliates,[31] the latter of which was discontinued after less than two years.[32] In January 2002, LIN Television assumed management duties for WUPW and five other Sunrise-owned stations under a local marketing agreement,[33] months before buying the stations outright.[34]

After eight years of news at 10 p.m., WUPW expanded into a new time slot for the first time on January 5, 2004, with the debut of Toledo's first 4 p.m. newscast.[35] It initially failed to gain traction: that November, Nielsen Media Research found it had insufficient viewership to gain a 1% audience share.[36] However, by 2006, WUPW had more viewers at 4 and 10 p.m. than WNWO did at 5 and 11 p.m., respectively,[37] and the newscast was extended to a full hour.[38] In 2010, the 4 p.m. news hour was switched to a half-hour 6:30 p.m. newscast, at a time when station management believed there was a larger potential audience for a newscast;[39] that September, the station began to offer limited morning news and weather cut-ins in a two-hour programming block of syndicated sitcoms known as The Morning Zone.[40] Laura Emerson, who had been the lead female anchor for WUPW in its entire news history, departed the station in 2012 to work for WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky.[41]

Common operation with WTOL

[edit]

On January 11, 2012, it was announced LIN Media would sell WUPW to Charlotte, North Carolina-based American Spirit Media for $22 million.[42] As part of the acquisition, WUPW entered into a joint sales agreement (JSA) with Raycom Media's WTOL.[a] Three other American Spirit Media stations were located in markets with a Raycom-owned "Big Three" network–affiliated station, and the American Spirit Media stations in all three of those markets were also operated by Raycom through JSAs.[44] The acquisition and joint sales agreement was finalized by the two stations on April 20, 2012. All remaining WUPW staff moved to WTOL's facility, but WUPW's management and sales departments remained separate from their WTOL counterparts. The two stations combined newscasts under the brand Toledo News Now. Two WUPW reporters stayed with the WTOL–WUPW operation, while several WUPW newsroom personnel were hired instead by WTOL's principal competitor, WTVG (channel 13).[45] The newsroom combination resulted in the debut of a 7 a.m. morning newscast on June 11.[46] WUPW spent more than a month off of Buckeye CableSystem, the Toledo area's principal cable television provider, between December 2012 and January 2013 in a retransmission consent dispute.[47][48] Under the last amendment to the shared services agreement between WTOL and WUPW, WTOL produced a two-hour morning newscast and an hour-long 10 p.m. newscast on weekdays, plus a half-hour 10 p.m. newscast on weekends.[49]

American Spirit continued to hold WUPW's license through two sales of WTOL. In 2018, Raycom merged with Gray Television, owner of WTVG; under FCC rules of the time, it could not keep both stations. It sold WTOL and its agreement with WUPW to Tegna Inc. in a deal completed on January 2, 2019.[50][51][52][53][54] Nexstar Media Group acquired Tegna in a deal announced in August 2025[55] and completed in March 2026,[56] though integration action on the merger was later halted by a federal judge.[57]

Sale to Gray and duopoly with WTVG

[edit]

On July 1, 2026, Gray announced that it would acquire American Spirit Media's six stations for $50 million; WUPW was the only American Spirit-owned station that was not yet operated by a Gray station.[58] Unlike in 2018, this deal was permissible because of the 2025 federal appeals court decision Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri v. FCC, which struck down limitations on one company owning two of the top four stations in a market.[59]

With the sale to Gray, WUPW began airing newscasts from WTVG instead of WTOL effective September 28, 2026. The newscasts included the 7–9 a.m. Action News This Morning; hour-long weeknight noon, 4, and 10 p.m. newscasts; and a half-hour weekend 10 p.m. newscast for a total of 21 hours a week of news programming.[60]

Technical information and subchannels

[edit]

WUPW's transmitter is located on Corduroy Road in Oregon, Ohio.[1] The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WUPW[61]
Subchannel Res.Tooltip Display resolution Short name Programming
36.1 720pWUPW TVFox
36.2 480iBounceBounce TV
36.3 ION MYSIon Mystery
36.4 CourtTVCourt TV
36.5 ION +Ion Plus
36.6 StartTVStart TV

On June 12, 2009, WUPW turned off its analog signal following the digital television transition. The station's digital signal remained at its pre-transition channel 46, using virtual channel 36.[62] WUPW relocated its signal to channel 26 in 2020, as a result of the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.[63]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Raycom bought WTOL and sold WNWO when it acquired the Liberty Corporation stations in 2006.[43]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Facility Technical Data for WUPW". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "Toledoans Seeking New TV Frequency". The Blade. August 28, 1980. p. 30. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ Dresser, Norman (June 24, 1981). "Two Local Firms Included: Five Groups File To Operate Ch. 36 UHF Outlet In Toledo". The Blade. p. P-6. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Hearing Set For Local FCC Television License: 5 Companies Are Vying For Channel 36 In Toledo". The Blade. January 30, 1982. p. 2. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ "License OK'd For New Toledo Television Outlet". The Blade. April 23, 1983. p. 2. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Green, William (July 3, 1984). "Funding Problem Delays New TV Station". The Blade. p. 13. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ Ensign, Tom (September 15, 1985). "Channel 36 Proclaims Its Independence". The Blade. p. TV Tab 1. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ "If television hasn't moved you in years, today is your lucky day". The Blade. September 22, 1985. p. TV-9. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Detroit Is Too Darn Close In Toledo TV Execs' View". Variety. June 24, 1987. pp. 37, 46. ProQuest 1438475511.
  10. ↑ Ensign, Tom (October 9, 1986). "On Its First Anniversary, Ch. 36 Celebrates Success". The Blade. p. P-8. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Channels 36, 50 Taking Part In New Fox Network". The Blade. August 12, 1986. p. P-4. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting. Vol. 111, no. 21. November 24, 1986. p. 80. ISSN 0007-2028. ProQuest 1016910275.
  13. ↑ McLaughlin, Mary-Beth (July 15, 1993). "WUPW-TV purchased by communications firm based in Atlanta". The Blade. p. 33. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ Ensign, Tom (December 3, 1993). "Surprise! It's a news blackout". The Blade. p. P-1. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  15. ↑ Yonke, David (November 4, 1995). "Ch. 36 plans an evening newscast, with Ch. 11's help". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (January 8, 1996). "Channel 36 to present its initial newscast after Sunday football". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  17. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (January 15, 1996). "Channel 13 shifts personnel to aid newscasts". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  18. 1 2 Borrelli, Chris (January 18, 1998). "Fox 36 takes on an exhaustive search for 'The Young Tireds'". The Blade. pp. Peach 1, 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (June 2, 1997). "Ch. 36 stays mum on Morrison firing". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (July 10, 1997). "Anderson leaves WSPD radio for Ch. 36". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  21. ↑ Rathbun, Elizabeth A. (June 3, 1996). "Ellis buys Federal for $170 million". Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 126, no. 24. p. 13. ISSN 1068-6827. ProQuest 225353838.
  22. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (April 13, 1998). "WNWO's sale shocks staff". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ Borrelli, Christopher (July 28, 1998). "Fox 36 to be sold to Florida media firm". The Blade. p. 33. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  24. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (August 3, 1998). "WUPW's new buyers anticipate no changes". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  25. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (January 11, 1999). "Wither the weather? Everywhere". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  26. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (May 17, 1999). "Schaffer nominated for national recognition". p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  27. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (June 21, 1999). "Channel 24 sees increase in news ratings". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  28. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (August 2, 1999). "Baligian is leaving WSPD Radio". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  29. ↑ Borrelli, Chris (January 10, 2000). "WUPW plans independence day". The Blade. p. Peach 5. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  30. ↑ Liner, Elaine (June 26, 2000). "WUPW news to break free next month". The Blade. p. D3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  31. ↑ Lemmon, Russ (August 6, 2001). "WUPW adds half-hour to nightly news with Fastcast". The Blade. p. D3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  32. ↑ Lemmon, Russ (May 12, 2003). "Job-hunting Hormann gets Emmy nomination". The Blade. p. D3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  33. ↑ Batz, Bob (January 11, 2002). "Channel 2 to get new manager: Lin responsible for day-to-day operation". Dayton Daily News. p. 2E. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  34. ↑ Murphy, Jeremy (March 25, 2002). "LIN is looking to buy while others sell off". Mediaweek. Vol. 12, no. 12. p. 12. ISSN 1055-176X. ProQuest 213650319.
  35. ↑ Lemmon, Russ (January 5, 2004). "WUPW to launch newscast at 4 p.m." The Blade. p. D3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  36. ↑ Lemmon, Russ (December 21, 2004). "WTOL scores a major victory". The Blade. p. D3. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Ch. 36 takes over 3rd place in viewership". The Blade. December 23, 2006. pp. D3, D8. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  38. ↑ Malone, Michael (June 7, 2008). "Wholly Toledo". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  39. ↑ Baird, Kirk (January 9, 2010). "Ch. 36 moving newscast to 6:30 - Fowler leaving WNWO". The Blade. p. D3.
  40. ↑ "Happy Anniversary FOX Toledo!". Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  41. ↑ Baird, Kirk (January 6, 2012). "Emerson headed to Kentucky". The Blade. p. D3.
  42. ↑ Malone, Michael. "LIN Deals Toledo Fox Affiliate to American Spirit". Broadcasting and Cable. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  43. ↑ Romano, Allison (March 28, 2006). "Barrington Buys Dozen Raycom Stations". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  44. ↑ "LIN spins Toledo TV to Raycom partner". Television Business Report. January 11, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  45. ↑ Baird, Kirk (April 20, 2012). "TV news merger moving forward". The Blade. Block Communications. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  46. ↑ "New morning newscast in Toledo". The Blade. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  47. ↑ Turner, Kris (December 13, 2012). "Fox affiliate's legal dispute with Buckeye CableSystem also involves WTOL's owner". The Blade.
  48. ↑ Schmucker, Jane (January 21, 2013). "WUPW back on Buckeye Cable lineup". The Blade.
  49. ↑ "Amendment No. 7 to Shared Services Agreement" (PDF). Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. September 19, 2023.
  50. ↑ Miller, Mark K. (June 25, 2018). "Gray To Buy Raycom For $3.6 Billion". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  51. ↑ Eggerton, John (June 25, 2018). "Gray Buying Raycom for $3.6B". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
  52. ↑ Hayes, Dade (June 25, 2018). "Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. 3 Local TV Group". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
  53. ↑ "What the Raycom/Gray merger means for WTOL and you". WTOL. Raycom Media. June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  54. ↑ Baird, Kirk; Chavez, Jon (June 25, 2018). "Big TV ownership deal affects Toledo". The Blade. Block Communications. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  55. ↑ Miller, Mark K. (August 19, 2025). "Nexstar Buying Tegna For $6.2 Billion". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on August 19, 2025. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  56. ↑ Johnson, Ted (March 19, 2026). "Nexstar Closes Tegna Merger Following FCC And DOJ Approval". Deadline. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  57. ↑ Johnson, Ted; Hayes, Dade; Patten, Dominic (April 18, 2026). "Nexstar-Tegna Merger Frozen As Antitrust Battle Continues; CA AG Says "This Merger Is Illegal, Plain & Simple"". Deadline. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  58. ↑ "Gray Media Buying Six American Spirit Media Stations". TVNewsCheck. July 1, 2026. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  59. ↑ "Federal Court Vacates Portions of Local Television Ownership Rule". Wiley Rein. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  60. ↑ "13abc to Expand Local News Coverage and Weather Service on FOX 36". 13abc.com. September 24, 2026. Retrieved September 25, 2026. (The newscast information is in the video in this article.)
  61. ↑ "RabbitEars TV Query for WUPW". RabbitEars. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  62. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  63. ↑ "FCC TV Spectrum Phase Assignment Table" (CSV). Federal Communications Commission. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
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