WUTV
Encyclopedia
WUTV, virtual channel
29, is the Fox
-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York
. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 14. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group
, in a duopoly with the area's MyNetworkTV
affiliate WNYO-TV
. Its transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York
at 951 Whitehaven Road.
As of February 2008, WUTV is the Fox network feed received on the Cayman Islands. It joined the Primetime 24
lineup in 2009, serving most of the Caribbean islands, thanks in large part to its international focus.http://www.lcisat.com/availableservices.php
Digital channels>
Virtual
channel
Video
Format
Programming
29.1
720p
16:9
main WUTV programming / Fox HD
29.2
490i
4:3
country music / TCN
WUTV completed its digital transition on February 17, 2009 at 11:59:59, making WUTV the first digital only television station in Buffalo. The station maintained a "nightlight" service through March 3 before shutting off the analog service entirely. WUTV, along with PBS
station WNED-TV
were the only stations in Buffalo not terminating on the new June 12 date.
, airing cartoons like Astro Boy and Yogi Bear
, sitcoms such as Ozzie and Harriet and The Munsters
, Sci-Fi shows such as Lost in Space
, Ultraman
, Invaders
and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
, along with old movies and drama shows. The station was owned by Ultravision Broadcasting Company, from which the "UTV" in the WUTV callsign originates. Ultravision was a company owned by Stan Jasinski, who also owned Buffalo's WMMJ
(AM 1300) at the time; shortly thereafter, Jasinski spun off WMMJ to country musician Ramblin' Lou Schriver, who turned it into present-day WXRL
. (The WUTV call sign
was originally to be used for a station in Youngstown, Ohio
with a construction permit
on channel 21
that never aired; NBC
affiliate WFMJ-TV
purchased the permit and moved their station from channel 73
to their present-day channel 21 that the Youngstown WUTV permit originally was for).
Ultravision head and WUTV founder Stan Jasinski had first filed an application for the station's licence in 1963. WUTV was the only independent station in Buffalo for many years. The station was owned by Citadel Communications
, a Bronxville
-based company not related to the larger radio station owner Citadel Broadcasting
, by the early 1980s. In 1986, WUTV became an affiliate of the new Fox Broadcasting Company
, but this only lasted until 1989, when the affiliation shifted to WNYB. In 1989, Act III Broadcasting
(which owned WNYB/49, now WNYO
) offered to buy WUTV, and Citadel accepted. Act III then integrated WNYB's programming into WUTV's lineup, and sold WNYB to Tri-State Christian Television (Act III was known for such acquisition practices).
The sale was finalized in June 1990, and WUTV replaced WNYB to once again become the market's Fox affiliate. Abry became the owner of WUTV in 1994 following its purchase of the Act III group, and WUTV began to carry a secondary UPN
affiliation in 1995 (the UPN affiliation subsequently moved to WNGS and WONS
in 1997, then WNLO
in 2003). Sinclair became the owner of WUTV in 1997 following its purchase of Abry, and bought WNYO in 2001, making WUTV and WNYO sister stations under more relaxed station ownership rules.
After Sinclair came to a retransmission consent
agreement in February 2007 nationally with Time Warner Cable
, WUTV and WNYO's HDTV signals are now carried by that cable provider locally. WUTV's high-definition signal is not available on the other cable provider in the region, Atlantic Broadband
. The agreement expires at the end of 2010, and the two companies have not yet reached an agreement. In the event Sinclair pulls WUTV from the air, a separate agreement allows Fox programming to be piped in from out of market. This makes WUTV particularly vulnerable to a prolonged blackout, since much of its syndicated programming can be seen on other cable channels (such as TBS
, WGN and TV Guide Network), the station has no local programming, and much of its daytime programming consists of infomercial
s.
Sinclair and Fox recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for Sinclair's 19 Fox affiliates, including WUTV. WUTV's affiliation contract now expires in March 2012. http://www.sbgi.net/press/2006/release_200652_160.shtml
carried WUTV in the Ottawa
and London
regions; after this date, Rogers switched to WJBK
Detroit as the Fox affiliate 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, New York
, 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 Buffalo stations would attract were they to receive an expanded viewing audience across Ontario. Since Detroit is a much larger market than either Buffalo or Rochester, advertising prices would be much higher and thus it would not be economical for Canadian advertisers 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 (Erie, Pennsylvania
) was of lower quality than that of the Detroit CBS affiliate, WWJ
. Hence, Rogers London switched from WSEE to WWJ and, as in Ottawa, decided to switch its Fox affiliate from WUTV to WJBK to ensure uniformity of the source city for all the U.S. network television signals.. Rogers continues to carry WUTV in both Standard and High Definition for customers in the Golden Horseshoe
, including Toronto
.
Cogeco Cable carries WUTV in Standard Definition for its customers in the Golden Horseshoe, but instead carries Detroit's WJBK in High Definition. For many years, WUTV was carried on cable in Quebec as far east as Gaspe. WUTV was once carried on Montreal
cable up until 1997
, when Vidéotron
replaced WUTV with WFFF-TV
in Burlington, Vermont
(the Fox station that signed on the air at the time). Originally, its WUHF
sister in Rochester was carried on cable in the Western Montreal suburbs for 1995
only. Those stations were the first Fox stations to be carried on Montreal cable. It also returned temporarily when WFFF-TV
was off the air for a brief time in the mid-2000s.
Because of their Canadian coverage the station does play O Canada
along with The Star Spangled Banner and a display of both the American and Canadian national flags during their early Monday morning sign-off for maintenance between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
whose Fox affiliate does not offer news. (The station will very rarely pre-empt programs for Fox News-produced breaking news coverage when necessary.) Because WUTV airs no locally-produced programming whatsoever, it is sometimes referred to as the largest TV station in America without a camera.
With no newscast of its own to promote, WUTV regularly runs promotions for the WGRZ-produced newscast of sister station WNYO.
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
29, is the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 14. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
, in a duopoly with the area's MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate WNYO-TV
WNYO-TV
WNYO-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York, serving the western region of New York state. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 49 from a transmitter at Ironwood Golf Course in Bennington's Cowlesville section. The station can also be seen...
. Its transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York
Grand Island, New York
Grand Island is a town and an island in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the town population is 20,374. This represents an increase of 9.41% from the 2000 census figure . The current town name derives from the French name La Grande Île, as Grand Island is the largest island in...
at 951 Whitehaven Road.
As of February 2008, WUTV is the Fox network feed received on the Cayman Islands. It joined the Primetime 24
Primetime 24
Primetime 24 is a special package offered on C band satellite sent out to viewers who mainly live in Latin America, the Caribbean, and very rural areas of the United States and Canada; urban areas could receive the package as well, though reception is subject to Federal Communications Commission ...
lineup in 2009, serving most of the Caribbean islands, thanks in large part to its international focus.http://www.lcisat.com/availableservices.php
Digital television
The station's digital signal is broadcast on UHF channel 14.channel
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
WUTV completed its digital transition on February 17, 2009 at 11:59:59, making WUTV the first digital only television station in Buffalo. The station maintained a "nightlight" service through March 3 before shutting off the analog service entirely. WUTV, along with PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
station WNED-TV
WNED-TV
WNED-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public televisionstation in Buffalo, New York. Owned by the Western New York Public Broadcasting Association, it broadcasts on digital channel 43 from studios in downtown Buffalo and a transmitter located in Grand Island, New York...
were the only stations in Buffalo not terminating on the new June 12 date.
History
WUTV began operation on December 21, 1970 as a general entertainment independent stationIndependent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
, airing cartoons like Astro Boy and Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
, sitcoms such as Ozzie and Harriet and The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
, Sci-Fi shows such as Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
, Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
, Invaders
Invaders
Invaders may refer to:*those who participate in an invasion*Invaders , a Marvel Comics group of World War II superheroes*Invaders , of the DC Comics universe...
and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is an American science fiction film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, released by 20th Century Fox in 1961. The story was written by Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett. Walter Pidgeon starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson, with Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane...
, along with old movies and drama shows. The station was owned by Ultravision Broadcasting Company, from which the "UTV" in the WUTV callsign originates. Ultravision was a company owned by Stan Jasinski, who also owned Buffalo's WMMJ
WXRL
WXRL is an AM radio station located in Lancaster, New York, serving the greater Buffalo market. The station is owned and operated by Ramblin' Lou Schriver, a well known local country music performer, under the name Dome Communications.-History:...
(AM 1300) at the time; shortly thereafter, Jasinski spun off WMMJ to country musician Ramblin' Lou Schriver, who turned it into present-day WXRL
WXRL
WXRL is an AM radio station located in Lancaster, New York, serving the greater Buffalo market. The station is owned and operated by Ramblin' Lou Schriver, a well known local country music performer, under the name Dome Communications.-History:...
. (The WUTV 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...
was originally to be used for a station in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
with a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
on channel 21
Channel 21
Channel 21 could refer to:* Channel 21 , a German television channel formerly known as "RTL Shop"TV21 could refer to:* TV Century 21Channel 21 refers to several television stations:...
that never aired; NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate WFMJ-TV
WFMJ-TV
WFMJ-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Youngstown, Ohio. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 20 from a transmitter on Mabel Street in Youngstown. Owned by the Maag family, the station has studios on West Boardman Street in downtown Youngstown. WFMJ-TV is...
purchased the permit and moved their station from channel 73
Channel 73
Channel 73 has been removed from television use in 1983. It was formerly used by a handful of television stations in North America which broadcast on 824-830 MHz. In the United States, channel 70-83 served primarily as a "translator band" for repeater transmitters filling gaps in coverage for...
to their present-day channel 21 that the Youngstown WUTV permit originally was for).
Ultravision head and WUTV founder Stan Jasinski had first filed an application for the station's licence in 1963. WUTV was the only independent station in Buffalo for many years. The station was owned by Citadel Communications
Citadel Communications
Citadel Communications Ltd. is a Bronxville, NY-based private broadcasting company that operates 5 full-power television stations and 1 low-power station...
, a Bronxville
Bronxville, New York
Bronxville is an affluent village within the town of Eastchester, New York, in the United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately north of midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County. At the 2010 census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323...
-based company not related to the larger radio station owner Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
, by the early 1980s. In 1986, WUTV became an affiliate of the new Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, but this only lasted until 1989, when the affiliation shifted to WNYB. In 1989, Act III Broadcasting
Act III Broadcasting
Act III Broadcasting was a company that owned several television stations that started as independents, and later became Fox affiliates. The stations were located in medium-sized markets, and the company existed from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, eventually to be sold to Abry in 1994...
(which owned WNYB/49, now WNYO
WNYO-TV
WNYO-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York, serving the western region of New York state. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 49 from a transmitter at Ironwood Golf Course in Bennington's Cowlesville section. The station can also be seen...
) offered to buy WUTV, and Citadel accepted. Act III then integrated WNYB's programming into WUTV's lineup, and sold WNYB to Tri-State Christian Television (Act III was known for such acquisition practices).
The sale was finalized in June 1990, and WUTV replaced WNYB to once again become the market's Fox affiliate. Abry became the owner of WUTV in 1994 following its purchase of the Act III group, and WUTV began to carry a secondary 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...
affiliation in 1995 (the UPN affiliation subsequently moved to WNGS and WONS
WONS-LP
WONS-LP channel 25 is a low-powered television station located in Olean, New York, owned by Colonial Radio Group, also owners of several radio stations in the market.-History:...
in 1997, then WNLO
WNLO
WNLO is the CW-affiliated television station for Western New York licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter on the eastern side of Grand Island. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 11 and Verizon FiOS channel 23...
in 2003). Sinclair became the owner of WUTV in 1997 following its purchase of Abry, and bought WNYO in 2001, making WUTV and WNYO sister stations under more relaxed station ownership rules.
After Sinclair came to a retransmission consent
Retransmission consent
Retransmission consent is an option granted to US television stations as part of the law that granted such stations the option to elect must-carry rights. Under retransmission consent, a full-power US television station may elect to negotiate with a cable system operator for carriage of its...
agreement in February 2007 nationally with Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, WUTV and WNYO's HDTV signals are now carried by that cable provider locally. WUTV's high-definition signal is not available on the other cable provider in the region, Atlantic Broadband
Atlantic Broadband
Atlantic Broadband is a privately held cable company with headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. The company has over 700 employees and 285,000 customers in four operating regions: Florida, Maryland/Delaware, South Carolina and Central Pennsylvania...
. The agreement expires at the end of 2010, and the two companies have not yet reached an agreement. In the event Sinclair pulls WUTV from the air, a separate agreement allows Fox programming to be piped in from out of market. This makes WUTV particularly vulnerable to a prolonged blackout, since much of its syndicated programming can be seen on other cable channels (such as TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
, WGN and TV Guide Network), the station has no local programming, and much of its daytime programming consists of infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s.
Sinclair and Fox recently finalized a six-year affiliation contract extension for Sinclair's 19 Fox affiliates, including WUTV. WUTV's affiliation contract now expires in March 2012. http://www.sbgi.net/press/2006/release_200652_160.shtml
Canadian coverage
Up until 2003, Rogers CableRogers Cable
Rogers Cable Inc., a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, in Manitoba, Southern & Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.The...
carried WUTV in the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
regions; after this date, Rogers switched to WJBK
WJBK
WJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
Detroit as the Fox affiliate available in these markets. The reason for the switch in Ottawa was twofold. The main reason was that MCI
MCI Inc.
MCI, Inc. is an American telecommunications subsidiary of Verizon Communications that is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia...
, the company which microwaved U.S. network television signals to Ottawa from Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, had decided to discontinue this service (until 2003, the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
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 Buffalo stations would attract were they to receive an expanded viewing audience across Ontario. Since Detroit is a much larger market than either Buffalo or Rochester, advertising prices would be much higher and thus it would not be economical for Canadian advertisers 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 (Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
) was of lower quality than that of the Detroit CBS affiliate, WWJ
WWJ-TV
WWJ-TV, virtual channel 62 , is the CBS-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan. It is co-owned with Detroit's CW station, WKBD-TV , and the two stations share a studio in Southfield, Michigan, a Detroit suburb....
. Hence, Rogers London switched from WSEE to WWJ and, as in Ottawa, decided to switch its Fox affiliate from WUTV to WJBK to ensure uniformity of the source city for all the U.S. network television signals.. Rogers continues to carry WUTV in both Standard and High Definition for customers in the Golden Horseshoe
Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe is a densely populated and industrialized region centred around the Greater Toronto Area at the western end of Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Georgian Bay. Most of it is also part of the Quebec City...
, including Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Cogeco Cable carries WUTV in Standard Definition for its customers in the Golden Horseshoe, but instead carries Detroit's WJBK in High Definition. For many years, WUTV was carried on cable in Quebec as far east as Gaspe. WUTV was once carried on Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
cable up until 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
, when Vidéotron
Vidéotron
Vidéotron GP is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Currently, the company primarily serves Quebec, as well as the francophone...
replaced WUTV with WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield...
in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
(the Fox station that signed on the air at the time). Originally, its WUHF
WUHF
WUHF is the Fox-affiliated television station for Rochester, New York. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 28 from a transmitter on Pinnacle Hill on the border between Rochester and Brighton. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 7 and in high definition on...
sister in Rochester was carried on cable in the Western Montreal suburbs for 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
only. Those stations were the first Fox stations to be carried on Montreal cable. It also returned temporarily when WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV
WFFF-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Vermont's Champlain Valley and Upstate New York's North Country. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter on Vermont's highest peak, Mount Mansfield...
was off the air for a brief time in the mid-2000s.
Because of their Canadian coverage the station does play O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
along with The Star Spangled Banner and a display of both the American and Canadian national flags during their early Monday morning sign-off for maintenance between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
Programming
WUTV does not currently air a newscast (and has not done so since at least the late 1970s, if ever), making Buffalo the largest television market in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
whose Fox affiliate does not offer news. (The station will very rarely pre-empt programs for Fox News-produced breaking news coverage when necessary.) Because WUTV airs no locally-produced programming whatsoever, it is sometimes referred to as the largest TV station in America without a camera.
With no newscast of its own to promote, WUTV regularly runs promotions for the WGRZ-produced newscast of sister station WNYO.
Station slogans
- 29 Good Times (mid 1970s)
- 29 Plays Favorites (late 1970s)
- Get To Know Us (1980–1985)
- The Great Entertainer (1985–1990)
- It's On Fox 29! (early 1990s; local version of Fox ad campaign)
- It Could Only Happen on Fox 29 (1994; local version of Fox ad campaign)
- Fox 29 is Kickin' It (1994–1995; local version of Fox ad campaign)
- Gimme Fox (1995–1996)
- Just One Buffalo... Just One Fox (1997–1998; local version of Fox ad campaign)
- Only One Buffalo... Only One Fox... Fox 29 (1998–2000; local version of Fox ad campaign)
- You Are Watching Fox 29, WUTV Buffalo, Serving Western New York and Southern Ontario