WUPV
{{Short description|Television station in Ashland–Richmond, Virginia}}
{{distinguish|WUVP-DT}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WUPV
| city = Ashland, Virginia
| atsc3 = yes
| logo = WUPV 2024.svg
| logo_size = 220px
| logo_alt = The CW network logo in orange with black lettering "Richmond" above
| branding = CW Richmond
| digital = 8 (VHF)
| virtual = 65
| affiliations = {{ubl|65.1: The CW|for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}}}
| network =
| country = United States
| founded =
| airdate = {{start date and age|1990|3|9|p=y}}
| last_airdate =
| location = Ashland–Richmond–Petersburg, Virginia
| callsign_meaning = UPN Virginia, referencing previous affiliation
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WZXK (1990–1994)|WAWB (1994–1997)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|Analog: 65 (UHF, 1990–2009)|Digital: 47 (UHF, 2002–2019)}}
| translators = WRID-LD 65.6 Richmond
| owner = Gray Media
| licensee = Gray Television Licensee, LLC
| operator =
| sister_stations = WWBT, WRID-LD
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|Independent (1990–1995)|The WB (1995–1997)|UPN (1997–2006)|The WB (August−September 2006, temporary CW transition)}}
| erp = 30 kW
| haat = {{convert|257|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 10897
| coordinates = {{coord|37|44|32|N|77|15|14|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = FCC
| website = {{URL|https://www.12onyourside.com/cw-richmond/}}
}}
WUPV (channel 65) is a television station licensed to Ashland, Virginia, United States, serving the Richmond area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Gray Media alongside NBC affiliate WWBT (channel 12) and WRID-LD (channel 48). The stations share studios on Midlothian Turnpike (US 60) in Richmond, while WUPV's transmitter is located northeast of Richmond in King William County, {{convert|1.6|mi|km}} west of Enfield. WRID repeats its main channel from the WWBT transmitter behind the studios in the inner ring of Richmond on its third subchannel, mapped to WUPV-DT6.
Established as a religious TV station in 1990, WZXK joined The WB in 1995 (as WAWB) and switched to UPN in 1997, adopting its present call sign. The result of the switch was to leave The WB without a full-time outlet in Richmond; the network's attempts to build an additional local station were unsuccessful for legal and technical reasons. The station joined The CW on its 2006 launch and today serves as one of two ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) transmitters in central Virginia. The station airs one local newscast from the WWBT newsroom.
History
Christel Inc., run by James E. Campana, had broadcast leased-access religious programming on cable systems in Henrico County since 1978. In 1986, he was granted a construction permit for channel 65 in Ashland after settling with a competing applicant and began a years-long construction process that would involve more than $2 million in funds.{{cite news|page=19|title=Christel Broadcasting gets OK on Christian TV station|work=Richmond News Leader|date=December 15, 1986}} The call letters WZXK were chosen at the suggestion of an attorney who knew they'd be available and after 10 suggestions were turned down by the FCC.{{cite news|title=Road has been long for new station|date=January 27, 1989|first=Douglas|last=Durden|page=B-10|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} Meanwhile, a tower was built in King William County in 1989 after Hanover County refused to concede a zoning variance to build the mast.{{cite news|first=Katherine|last=Phillips|work=Richmond News Leader|title=Religious TV Channel 65 nears air time|date=January 26, 1989|page=17}} Construction was almost halted on the rest of the project due to a sudden cash crunch; the transmitter was left sitting in a warehouse in Kentucky for a time because Christel needed to pay another $118,000.{{cite news|page=A-13|title=Channel 65's signals jammed by cash problems|first=Katherine|last=Phillips|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=July 15, 1989}}
Channel 65 finally appeared on March 9, 1990. It aired primarily religious programming with some secular shows.{{cite news|title=WZXK: Religious station was dream|page=C-1|first=Douglas|last=Durden|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=March 8, 1990}} However, it also dealt with financial and technical struggles which sometimes converged. In 1992, the station's transmitter failed, but it took time to raise the funds to replace it.{{cite news|title=Channel 65 to replace transmitter: Financial problems plague area's only religious station|first=Kim|last=Setzer Epps|page=B-6|date=July 27, 1992|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} That fall, the amount of family secular programming increased.{{cite news|page=E-15|first=Katherine|last=Phillips|title=Independent religious TV station adopts increasingly secular image|date=September 26, 1992|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}}
In February 1994, locally based Bell Broadcasting purchased WZXK, with Christel continuing to program religious fare on the station. That fall, WZXK reached an affiliation deal with the soon-to-launch WB network and became WAWB "WB 65".{{cite news|page=F-4|first=Katherine|last=Phillips|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|title=WZXK joining fledgling WB network|date=August 27, 1994}} In 1997, Bell Broadcasting sold the station to Lockwood Broadcasting of Hampton, Virginia,{{cite news|page=C-10|title=Hampton firm to buy WAWB-Channel 65|date=May 31, 1997|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} which negotiated to take the primary UPN affiliation.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122299241/moesha-star-trek-voyager-to-have-a/|date=August 23, 1997|page=F4|first=Douglas|last=Durden|title='Moesha,' 'Star Trek: Voyager' to have a new home—Channel 65|newspaper=Richmond Times-Dispatch|location=|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 5, 2023|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405041638/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122299241/moesha-star-trek-voyager-to-have/|url-status=live}} With this move, WAWB took the current call sign of WUPV; it branded first as "UPN 65"{{cite news|date=June 23, 2000|title=WUPV dents ratings, is recognized by UPN|page=D-5|first=Douglas|last=Durden|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} and then "UPN Richmond" during its tenure with the network.{{cite news|page=C-5|date=September 6, 2002|title=Stations slate syndicated series|first=Douglas|last=Durden|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}}
After the affiliation swap, there was no over-the-air carrier of WB programming in Richmond until selected shows turned up on NBC affiliate WWBT in 1999;{{cite news|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|page=C-1|first=Douglas|last=Durden|title=Premiere week no longer spans just seven days|date=September 3, 1999}} some programs aired first in the afternoon and then in overnight hours through August 31, 2006. This arrangement led to Richmond being one of the worst markets for WB network ratings. One problem was that WWBT could not carry the entire WB prime time lineup; due to time limitations involved in timeshifting network programs and removing show promotions, the station opted not to carry the network's Friday night schedule.{{cite news|title=Television stations|first=Douglas|last=Durden|date=August 8, 2004|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|page=85}} Kids' WB programming was cleared on WRLH. While an attempt was made to launch a new station which would have been run by ACME Communications,{{cite news|page=C-7|title=WB affiliate may be here eventually|first=Douglas|last=Durden|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=October 20, 2000}} the proposal died in a technical morass related to the removal of channels 60–69 and 52–59 from television use. The original application, which had been made by Television Capital Corporation of Richmond, specified channel 63 (last used in 1988 when WVRN-TV folded), had to be amended twice to change its channel (first to 52 and then to 39), and was contested on procedural grounds by Lockwood.{{cite news|page=C-3|first=Douglas|last=Durden|date=June 29, 2001|title=WB's Richmond future still seems up in the air|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}}
In 2006, The WB and UPN merged to form The CW. With The CW effectively forced by default to affiliate with WUPV for full-market distribution, Lockwood entered into a long-term affiliation agreement for three of its stations in April 2006.{{cite news|date=April 5, 2006|page=C-1|title=Merged WB-UPN network to air here|first=Douglas|last=Durden|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} Just days before the new network's launch that September, Lockwood sold WUPV to Southeastern Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Community Newspaper Holdings. That company's stations were all operated under local marketing agreements, covering all station functions but ad sales, by Raycom Media, then-owner of Richmond CBS affiliate WTVR-TV.{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Rayner|page=B-9|date=September 14, 2006|title=WUPV being sold to Ala. firm - The station will become the local affiliate for the CW network on Sunday|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} In 2008, Raycom acquired Lincoln Financial Media and WWBT;{{Cite news|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/fcc-approves-raycom-media-station-purchase-31981|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=March 25, 2008|first=John|last=Eggerton|title=FCC Approves Raycom Media Station Purchase|access-date=February 28, 2024|archive-date=May 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528200604/https://www.nexttv.com/news/fcc-approves-raycom-media-station-purchase-31981|url-status=live}} WTVR was sold to Local TV LLC in 2009.{{cite news |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=March 31, 2009 |first=Michael |last=Malone |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-tv-closes-wtvr-41618 |title=Local TV Closes on WTVR |access-date=April 1, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726224519/https://www.nexttv.com/news/local-tv-closes-wtvr-41618 }}
In 2011, Community Newspaper Holdings sold Southeastern Media Holdings and its four stations (including WUPV) to Thomas Henson (which later transferred in the same year its shares to American Spirit Media, which he owned) for $24 million and the assumption of $50 million in debt.{{cite news|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/48106/community-newspaper-selling-4-stations|date=January 3, 2011|first=Harry A.|last=Jessell|title=Community Newspaper Selling 4 Stations|work=TVNewsCheck|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=December 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222221115/https://tvnewscheck.com/article/48106/community-newspaper-selling-4-stations/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1427177&Service=DT&Form_id=316&Facility_id=72871|title=BALCDT-20110829ABS Application for Consent to Assign Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License, or to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073011/http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1427177&Service=DT&Form_id=316&Facility_id=72871|url-status=live}}
=Sale to Gray Television=
On June 25, 2018, Atlanta-based Gray Television announced it had reached an agreement with Raycom to merge their respective broadcasting assets (consisting of Raycom's 63 existing owned-and/or-operated television stations, and Gray's 93 television stations) under the former's corporate umbrella in a cash-and-stock merger transaction valued at $3.6 billion.{{cite press release|title=Gray and Raycom to Combine in a $3.6 Billion Transaction|url=https://www.raycommedia.com/gray-and-raycom-to-combine-in-a-3-6-billion-transaction/#amnewsers|website=Raycom Media|date=June 25, 2018|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=June 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161249/https://www.raycommedia.com/gray-and-raycom-to-combine-in-a-3-6-billion-transaction/#amnewsers|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/114556/gray-to-buy-raycom-for-36-billion|title=Gray To Buy Raycom For $3.6 Billion|last=Miller|first=Mark K.|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheckMedia|date=June 25, 2018|access-date=June 25, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Gray Buying Raycom for $3.6B|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/gray-buying-raycom-for-3-6b|first=John|last=Eggerton|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=June 25, 2018|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810183153/https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/gray-buying-raycom-for-3-6b|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. 3 Local TV Group|url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/grey-acquiring-raycom-for-3-65-billion-forming-no-3-local-tv-group-1202416667/|first=Dade|last=Hayes|website=Deadline Hollywood|publisher=Penske Media Corporation|date=June 25, 2018|access-date=January 4, 2019|archive-date=August 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826073827/https://deadline.com/2018/06/grey-acquiring-raycom-for-3-65-billion-forming-no-3-local-tv-group-1202416667/|url-status=live}} In advance of the merger, Raycom exercised its options to purchase WUPV and KYOU in Ottumwa, Iowa, outright from American Spirit Media.{{Cite web|url=http://graytv.gcs-web.com/static-files/775a5136-b239-4648-971a-c80e44d6f526|publisher=Gray Television|page=13|title=Form 10-Q|date=May 8, 2019|access-date=August 18, 2023|archive-date=August 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805060413/https://graytv.gcs-web.com/static-files/775a5136-b239-4648-971a-c80e44d6f526|url-status=live}} The sale was approved on December 20 of that year{{cite news|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fcc-ok-with-gray-raycom-merger|title=FCC OK with Gray/Raycom Merger|publisher=Broadcasting & Cable|date=December 20, 2018|access-date=July 21, 2019|archive-date=April 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405165927/https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fcc-ok-with-gray-raycom-merger|url-status=live}} and was completed on January 2, 2019.{{cite news|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/227754/gray-closes-3-6-billion-raycom-merger/|title=Gray Closes On $3.6 Billion Raycom Merger|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheckMedia|date=January 2, 2019|access-date=July 21, 2019|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103060110/https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/227754/gray-closes-3-6-billion-raycom-merger/|url-status=live}}
Newscasts
{{see|WWBT#News operation}}
On March 5, 2007, WUPV launched a 35-minute weeknight newscast produced by WTVR called The CW News @ 10. This competed against WRLH's nightly hour-long broadcast, which is produced by WWBT. Weekend newscasts began on October 20, 2007, and ended a year later on October 19, 2008; the final weeknight show aired on November 7. The change was cited as a business decision,{{cite news|title='CW News @ 10' a thing of the past|page=B-10|first=Melissa|last=Ruggieri|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=November 11, 2008}} though it had been previously stated that WWBT would eventually become the news provider for WUPV in addition to WRLH.{{cite news|title=Raycom now owns two area TV stations - Ala. company gets Richmond's WWBT and will sell WTVR|page=A-1|first=Daniel|last=Neman|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|date=April 2, 2008}}
In January 2009, a new 6:30 p.m. newscast from WWBT was launched on WUPV.{{cite news|date=November 26, 2008|title=NBC12's Cox chosen to anchor CW newscast|page=B-10|first=Melissa|last=Ruggieri|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch}} The newscast moved to 4:30 p.m. in 2017 and was absorbed by WWBT's existing 4:00 p.m. newscast in 2019. By 2022, the only local news program on WUPV was a half-hour 7 p.m. newscast, NBC12 News on CW Richmond, started in January 2020.{{cite web|url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/dfcea72c-2c8b-ee5c-70a9-db00950007f5/4f7934d1-d27c-4dd9-8b3b-97b4a06ab4d0.pdf|title=WUPV Quarterly List of Programming Providing the Most Significant Treatment of Community Issues|date=March 31, 2022|website=publicfiles.fcc.gov}} A two-hour extension of 12 On Your Side Today, airing at 8 a.m., debuted in June 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Expanded edition of 12 News Today comes to CW Richmond |url=https://www.12onyourside.com/2024/06/13/expanded-edition-12-news-today-comes-cw-richmond/ |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=WWBT |language=en}}
Technical information
=Subchannels=
WUPV provides five subchannels, which are carried in ATSC 1.0 format on the multiplexes of the other stations participating in the ATSC 3.0 arrangement.
| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannels provided by WUPV (ATSC 1.0){{Cite web |title=Digital TV Market Listing for WWBT |url=https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=30833 |access-date=December 16, 2022 |website=rabbitears.info |archive-date=December 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216205118/https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=30833 |url-status=live }}
! scope = "col" | Channel ! scope = "col" | Res. ! scope = "col" | Aspect ! scope = "col" | Short name ! scope = "col" | Programming ! scope = "col" | ATSC 1.0 host |
| scope = "row" | 65.1 |
|---|
| scope = "row" | 65.2 |
| scope = "row" | 65.3 |
| scope = "row" | 65.4 |
| scope = "row" | 65.5
| StartTV || Start TV |
In the immediate Richmond area, WRID-LD provides second transmissions of the main program streams of WWBT (12.6) and WUPV (65.6) on the UHF band.{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WRID#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WRID-LD|access-date=May 27, 2022|website=RabbitEars|archive-date=May 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527235000/https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WRID#station|url-status=live}}
=ATSC 3.0 lighthouse=
On April 11, 2022, WUPV and WCVW launched ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) signals in the Richmond area. The WUPV multiplex transmits all five of Richmond's commercial stations in the format.{{Cite news |last=Eggerton |first=John |date=April 11, 2022 |title=ATSC 3.0 Signals Now Blanketing Richmond |language=en |work=Broadcasting & Cable |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/atsc-30-signals-now-blanketing-richmond |access-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527161414/https://www.nexttv.com/news/atsc-30-signals-now-blanketing-richmond |url-status=live }}
| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannels of WUPV (ATSC 3.0){{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WUPV#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WUPV|access-date=May 27, 2022|website=RabbitEars|archive-date=May 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528074954/https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WUPV#station|url-status=live}} ! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Channel ! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Res. ! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Short name ! style="background-color: #bdbdff" scope = "col" | Programming |
| scope = "row" | 6.1
| 1080p || style="background-color:#ffe8d0|WTVR || style="background-color:#ffe8d0|CBS (WTVR-TV) File:Action lock 2 - orange.svg |
|---|
| scope = "row" | 8.1 |
| scope = "row" | 12.1
| 1080p || style="background-color:#ffe8d0|WWBT-HD || style="background-color:#ffe8d0|NBC (WWBT) File:Action lock 2 - orange.svg |
| scope = "row" | 35.1 |
| scope = "row" | 35.10
| rowspan=3|1080p || style="background-color:#ffffd0|T2 || style="background-color:#ffffd0|T2 |
| scope = "row" | 35.11
| style="background-color:#ffffd0|PBTV || style="background-color:#ffffd0|Pickleballtv |
| scope = "row" | 65.1
| style="background-color:#ffe8d0|WUPV-HD || style="background-color:#ffe8d0|The CW File:Action lock 2 - orange.svg |
{{legend|#ffe8d0|Subchannel broadcast with digital rights management}}
{{legend|#ffffd0|Subchannel streamed via the Internet{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/static.php?name=atsc3_streaming|title=ATSC 3.0 Streams Delivered Via Internet|website=RabbitEars.info|accessdate=March 24, 2024}}}}
=Analog-to-digital conversion=
WUPV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 65, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 47.{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2006 |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |access-date=August 29, 2021 |publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} American Spirit Media was paid to move WUPV to the VHF band in the 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.{{Cite news|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/american-spirit-media-announces-spectrum-auction-results/|work=TVSpy|date=February 17, 2017|title=American Spirit Media Announces Spectrum Auction Results|first=Kevin|last=Eck}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Richmond TV}}
{{CW Virginia}}
{{Gray TV}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wupv}}
Category:1990 establishments in Virginia
Category:ATSC 3.0 television stations
Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates
Category:Laff (TV network) affiliates
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1990