My Madison TV
Encyclopedia
TVW is the digital television subchannel of Madison, Wisconsin
station WISC-TV
and is affiliated with MyNetworkTV
. The station is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media, WISC-TV's owners, and is available over-the-air on digital subchannel 50.2 (or virtual channel 3.2 through the PSIP protocol
), as well as on channel 14 on DirecTV
and cable television
systems in south central Wisconsin
.
for the Madison media market
. At its launch, programming was made up of syndicated shows, limited local news & productions, regional sporting events (including Milwaukee Bucks
basketball), and a national affiliation with Bloomberg Television
. However, WiSC2 was only available to one localized outlying cable area and a low-power line-of-sight programming service provider and not the main cable service in Madison; this setup severely limited its potential audience. In 1998, a deal was struck which brought The WB Television Network
to the station (at the time, the WB was only seen on area cable systems through Superstation WGN
, which dropped WB programming in 1999). This affiliation was instrumental in getting the channel added to the cable service provider for Madison. The station was then re-branded TVW (which stands for Television Wisconsin, Inc., the licence holder for WISC-TV
). TVW carried the full WB schedule, along with a mix of syndicated programming, Wisconsin Badgers
sports, and local shows produced by Channel 3 and Charter Cable.
TVW aired as a Charter Communications
-exclusive channel on Channel 14 until fall 2000, when WISC added TVW to HDTV subchannel 3-2, allowing it to be available over-the-air to digital television
viewers. TVW would become WB14 in September 2001, though the "TVW" name was retained as an official identification.
August 2002 would see a network change for WB14: After ACME Communications
purchased Madison's then-UPN affiliate, WHPN, the two stations would swap network affiliations, with WHPN becoming a WB
affiliate (under the new WBUW
call sign
), while WB14 would change to "UPN 14" and become Madison's UPN
affiliate. UPN had already had some history with WISC-TV, as the station carried UPN on a secondary basis from 1995 until WHPN's launch in 1999.
On March 8, 2006, Morgan Murphy Media and Fox Entertainment Group
announced that UPN 14 would be the Madison affiliate for the new MyNetworkTV
service. The station's on-air name changed over to My Madison TV on August 7, 2006. The station continued to air UPN programming after midnight from MyNetworkTV's September 4 debut until UPN's closure on September 15.
During the week of July 1, 2009, My Madison TV reverted on-air identification back to TVW. Unveiling a logo absent of any network or channel identification, the rebranding was meant to emphasize a connection to Madison and Wisconsin in TVW's programming.
lineup, the TVW schedule consists mainly of local and syndicated programming, including original programs Steven and Chris
, Family Feud
, and Inside Edition
, and reruns of The Cosby Show
, 'Til Death
, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent
. TVW also airs same-day rebroadcasts of Dr. Phil
, which airs earlier on the day on WISC-TV 3.1. On weekends, TVW airs live sports programming from ESPN Plus
, including college sports involving the Mid-American
and Southeastern
conferences. TVW also serves as a second outlet for WISC-TV programming when Channel 3 has prior commitments.
Local programs that are produced by and air on WISC-TV
also appear on TVW, including Urban Theater
(a music performance show hosted by John Urban) and Sidelines (a sports panel discussion show hosted by The Capital Times columnist Mike Lucas that also airs in Eastern Wisconsin on Time Warner Cable Sports 32
). TVW also airs local high school sports events under the "PrepMania" banner.
In January 2004, WISC-TV
launched UPN14 News at Nine, a 5-minute news update featuring local and national headlines plus a brief weather presentation. The program was expanded to 30 minutes in September 2005 and rechristened News 3 at 9 on UPN14 (now titled News 3 at 9 on tvw). Additionally, WISC's early morning news programming is rerun later in the morning on TVW (while WISC airs The Early Show
).
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
station WISC-TV
WISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
and is affiliated with MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
. The station is owned and operated by Morgan Murphy Media, WISC-TV's owners, and is available over-the-air on digital subchannel 50.2 (or virtual channel 3.2 through the PSIP protocol
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
), as well as on channel 14 on DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
systems in south central Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
History
TVW dates back to 1996, when it launched as WiSC2; the channel started out as a second programming provider from WISC-TVWISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
for the Madison media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. At its launch, programming was made up of syndicated shows, limited local news & productions, regional sporting events (including Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
basketball), and a national affiliation with Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
. However, WiSC2 was only available to one localized outlying cable area and a low-power line-of-sight programming service provider and not the main cable service in Madison; this setup severely limited its potential audience. In 1998, a deal was struck which brought The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
to the station (at the time, the WB was only seen on area cable systems through Superstation WGN
Superstation WGN
WGN America is a Chicago-based American superstation feed of WGN-TV, owned by Tribune Broadcasting. WGN America offers its national programming across North America without the CW network programming and most syndicated programs that are carried on the Chicago area feed...
, which dropped WB programming in 1999). This affiliation was instrumental in getting the channel added to the cable service provider for Madison. The station was then re-branded TVW (which stands for Television Wisconsin, Inc., the licence holder for WISC-TV
WISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
). TVW carried the full WB schedule, along with a mix of syndicated programming, Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
sports, and local shows produced by Channel 3 and Charter Cable.
TVW aired as a Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
-exclusive channel on Channel 14 until fall 2000, when WISC added TVW to HDTV subchannel 3-2, allowing it to be available over-the-air to digital television
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
viewers. TVW would become WB14 in September 2001, though the "TVW" name was retained as an official identification.
August 2002 would see a network change for WB14: After ACME Communications
ACME Communications
ACME Communications is a United States-based television broadcasting company. The company was co-founded by current Chairman and former CEO Jamie Kellner, who previously served as a Fox Television Network executive and was founding CEO of The WB Television Network. Kellner used the name Acme as a...
purchased Madison's then-UPN affiliate, WHPN, the two stations would swap network affiliations, with WHPN becoming a WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
affiliate (under the new WBUW
WBUW
WBUW is a television station affiliated with The CW. Though licensed to Janesville, Wisconsin, the station is branded as Madison's CW, and serves all of Madison, south-central Wisconsin, and portions of Northern Illinois...
call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
), while WB14 would change to "UPN 14" and become Madison's UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
affiliate. UPN had already had some history with WISC-TV, as the station carried UPN on a secondary basis from 1995 until WHPN's launch in 1999.
On March 8, 2006, Morgan Murphy Media and Fox Entertainment Group
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
announced that UPN 14 would be the Madison affiliate for the new MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
service. The station's on-air name changed over to My Madison TV on August 7, 2006. The station continued to air UPN programming after midnight from MyNetworkTV's September 4 debut until UPN's closure on September 15.
During the week of July 1, 2009, My Madison TV reverted on-air identification back to TVW. Unveiling a logo absent of any network or channel identification, the rebranding was meant to emphasize a connection to Madison and Wisconsin in TVW's programming.
Programming
Aside from the MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
lineup, the TVW schedule consists mainly of local and syndicated programming, including original programs Steven and Chris
Steven and Chris
Steven and Chris is a Canadian television talk show, which debuted on CBC Television on January 14, 2008. The show is hosted by Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman, formerly of the home renovation show Designer Guys, who host celebrity guests and talk about topics ranging from entertainment, cooking,...
, Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
, and Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, and reruns of The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, 'Til Death
'Til Death
’Til Death is an American sitcom which aired on the Fox network from September 7, 2006, to June 20, 2010. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who were also the writers and executive-producers...
, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
. TVW also airs same-day rebroadcasts of Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil (TV series)
Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002...
, which airs earlier on the day on WISC-TV 3.1. On weekends, TVW airs live sports programming from ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus
ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American television program syndicator. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, including college sports involving the Mid-American
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
and Southeastern
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
conferences. TVW also serves as a second outlet for WISC-TV programming when Channel 3 has prior commitments.
Local programs that are produced by and air on WISC-TV
WISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
also appear on TVW, including Urban Theater
Urban Theater
The Urban Theater is a half-hour syndicated television show which features musical performances recorded live in a production studio. The name is a play on the host's last name . It premiered on July 3, 2000 and is still in production...
(a music performance show hosted by John Urban) and Sidelines (a sports panel discussion show hosted by The Capital Times columnist Mike Lucas that also airs in Eastern Wisconsin on Time Warner Cable Sports 32
Time Warner Cable Sports 32
Time Warner Cable Sports 32 is a regional sports network operated by the Milwaukee and Eastern Wisconsin cable franchise of Time Warner Cable. Broadcasting on Channel 32 exclusively on Time Warner systems in the Milwaukee and Green Bay/Fox Cities areas, the channel launched in February 2007...
). TVW also airs local high school sports events under the "PrepMania" banner.
In January 2004, WISC-TV
WISC-TV
WISC-TV is the CBS affiliate television station for Madison, Wisconsin. The station is the flagship of Madison-based Morgan Murphy Media, and has been affiliated with CBS since its launch on June 24, 1956...
launched UPN14 News at Nine, a 5-minute news update featuring local and national headlines plus a brief weather presentation. The program was expanded to 30 minutes in September 2005 and rechristened News 3 at 9 on UPN14 (now titled News 3 at 9 on tvw). Additionally, WISC's early morning news programming is rerun later in the morning on TVW (while WISC airs The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
).