WWOR-TV
Encyclopedia
WWOR-TV, virtual channel
9 (digital channel 38), is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV
programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey
and serving the Tri-State (NY-NJ-CT) metropolitan area
. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation
, and is a sister station to Fox network
flagship WNYW
(channel 5). WWOR-TV's studios and main offices are located south of Route 3 east of the Meadowlands Sports Complex
and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building
in Manhattan
. An application for the renewal of its license has been pending since 2007.
WWOR is available to subscribers of EchoStar's Dish Network
as part of their superstations
package except in markets where the local MyNetworkTV affiliate invokes Syndex to block access to the market.
WWOR-TV also has a Mobile DTV feed of sister station WNYW-TV 5.1 (via its subchannel on 9.2), broadcasting at 1.83 Mbit/s, with plans to add a subchannel of its own, also at 1.83 Mbit/s
On November 3, 2011, Fox Television Stations signed an affiliation agreement with Bounce TV
, to carry the network on the second digital subchannels of its MyNetworkTV-affiliated stations; WWOR-TV, along with Los Angeles sister station KCOP will be the group's initial affiliates of Bounce TV, with other stations possibly adding the network during the first quarter of 2012. This will be the first digital multicast network to air on any of FTSG's stations, and the second outside-owned multicaster to carry its programming on an O&O station group (The Local AccuWeather Channel
had an affiliation deal with the ABC Owned Television Stations, including WABC-TV
, from 2006 to 2010).
as 9.
(710 AM) and WOR-FM (98.7 MHz, later WXLO and now WRKS-FM
). Bamberger Broadcasting was a division of R. H. Macy and Company
and was named after the Bamberger's
department store chain. Exactly ten months earlier, Bamberger launched Washington, D.C.
's fourth television station, WOIC-TV (now WUSA
), also on channel 9.
On WOR-TV's opening night, a welcome address was read by WOR radio's morning host, John B. Gambling
. The only problem was the audio portion of the speech wasn't heard because of a technical glitch. The gremlin was fixed and Gambling repeated the message later that evening, prior to sign-off. That first broadcast and other early WOR-TV shows emanated from the New Amsterdam Roof Theatre, located near Times Square
. For a short time transmission from WOR TV Tower
in North Bergen, New Jersey
and later moved to the Empire State Building
.
WOR-TV entered the New York market as the last of the city's VHF stations to sign on, and one of three independents—the others being WPIX
(channel 11) and Newark, New Jersey
-based WATV (channel 13, later WNTA-TV). However, plans were underway to make both Channel 9 and its Washington sister station charter affiliates of the Mutual Television Network. WOR radio had enjoyed a long relationship with the Mutual Radio Network and WOR-TV was chosen to be the New York outlet for Mutual Television, which never went to air. Channel 9 remained an independent, while WOIC-TV was sold to a joint venture of the Washington Post and CBS
in 1950.
WOR-TV didn't get a network affiliation, but it did get a new owner in 1952, when Macy's/Bamberger's sold the WOR stations to the General Tire and Rubber Company, which already had broadcasting interests in four cities: in Boston
, with the regional Yankee Radio Network and WNAC-AM
-FM-TV
there; in Memphis
, with WHBQ
radio (who would launch a new television station
a year later); and KHJ-AM
-FM
-TV
in Los Angeles
and KFRC-AM
-FM
in San Francisco. The outlets in the latter two cities were operated by General Tire subsidiary Don Lee Broadcasting
, and the WOR stations were assigned to this subsidiary. In 1955, General Tire purchased RKO Radio Pictures, giving the company's TV stations access to RKO's film library, and soon after General Tire merged its broadcast interests as General Teleradio. In 1959, General Tire's broadcasting and film divisions were renamed as RKO General
.
During the 1950s, all three of New York's independents struggled to find acceptable programming. The field would increase by one in 1956 when former DuMont
flagship station WABD (channel 5, later WNEW-TV and now WNYW
) became an independent. Through this era, WOR-TV's programming was comparable to its rivals, with a blend of movies, children's programs, and public affairs shows. In 1962 the independent field was narrowed to three, as WOR-TV and its competition benefited from the sale of WNTA-TV to the non-profit Educational Broadcasting Corporation, who would convert channel 13 into a non-commercial educational station (it is now WNET
).
For much of 1960s, WOR-TV was a standard independent station for that time with a schedule composed of some local public affairs shows, off-network programs, children's shows such as Friendly Giant and Romper Room
(which moved over in 1966 from WNEW-TV), sports programming (see below), and a large catalog of movies, some of which came from the RKO Radio Pictures film library. The station had a tradition of showing King Kong
, Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young on Thanksgiving
and Godzilla
films on the day after Thanksgiving.
In 1962, nostalgia maven Joe Franklin
moved his daily talk program to WOR-TV from WABC-TV
, where it had run for the previous 12 years. When The Joe Franklin Show ended on August 6, 1993, its host had interviewed over 350,000 guests on over 28,000 episodes, making it one of the longest-running programs in television history, local or national. The long-running public affairs show Firing Line
got its start at WOR-TV in 1966 and ran on the station for 240 episodes until 1971, after which its host, William F. Buckley, Jr.
, moved the program to public television where it aired until its conclusion in 1999.
, The Dick Van Dyke Show
, Bonanza
, Ironside
and The Avengers
. But channel 9 was behind the other two independent stations in ratings. Beginning in 1972 the station began seeking a different programming strategy—one that was more adult-oriented with a heavy emphasis on films, reruns of hour-long network dramas, and sports. The station also gradually phased out most sitcoms and all children's programming with the exception of Romper Room. They also were the first New York City station to have a 12 p.m. newscast on weekdays, in addition to producing several hours a day of local talk shows (such as The Joe Franklin Show and public affairs programming such as Straight Talk and Meet the Mayors, titles that were shared by other RKO General television stations).
Later in the 1970s, WOR-TV looked towards the United Kingdom
for alternative offerings. In the week of September 6, 1976, WOR-TV offered programming from Thames Television
during prime time, completely presented as if Thames was actually running WOR-TV. Many of these shows had never before been seen on American television, and one of them provided America's first look at Thames' greatest export: The Benny Hill Show
. Also included that week was an episode of Man About the House
, which would be reinvented the following year on ABC
as Three's Company
. WOR-TV aired episodes of the BBC's science-fiction series Doctor Who
during this period as well.
Despite its ambitious programming, WOR-TV was perceived by people that preferred a more traditional independent to be an also-ran, even though the station was very profitable for RKO General. But with the advent of cable and satellite-delivered television, independent stations were being uplinked for regional and national distribution, thus gaining the title of "superstation
s". In April 1979, Syracuse, New York
-based Eastern Microwave, Inc. began distributing WOR-TV to cable and C-band satellite subscribers across the United States, joining WTBS (now WPCH-TV) in Atlanta and WGN-TV
in Chicago
as national superstations.
conditioned this renewal on that of its sister station, WNAC-TV in Boston. In 1980, the FCC stripped RKO of WNAC-TV's license due to a litany of offenses dating back to the 1960s, but ultimately because RKO had withheld evidence of corporate misconduct by General Tire. The decision meant that RKO lost WOR-TV's license and that of another sister station, KHJ-TV in Los Angeles (RKO General, Inc. (KHJ-TV), 3 FCC Rcd 5057 (1988)). However, an appeals court ruled that the FCC had erred in tying WOR-TV and KHJ-TV's renewals to WNAC-TV, and ordered new proceedings. RKO soon found itself under renewed pressure from the FCC, which began soliciting applications for all of the company's broadcast licenses in February 1983.
In order to buy itself some time, RKO (with the help of New Jersey senator Bill Bradley
) persuaded the U.S. Congress
to pass a law requiring the FCC to automatically renew the license of any VHF station that moved its license to New Jersey
, a state which for many years complained of being "underserved" by VHF stations from the New York City and Philadelphia markets. (With the 1962 conversion of Newark's channel 13 to non-commercial, New Jersey had no commercial VHF allocations located within the state.) RKO was able to retain WOR-TV by moving the channel 9 license to Secaucus
(seven miles west of Manhattan
) on April 20, 1983, but for all intents and purposes, it remained a New York City station. Three years later WOR-TV established a physical presence in New Jersey with the opening of their new studio facility, Nine Broadcast Plaza, on January 13, 1986. A month later, the New Jersey State Senate petitioned the FCC to approve an extension of the channel 9 signal into southern New Jersey. Because of various other issues, the request was denied.
The move to New Jersey did little to relieve the regulatory pressure on RKO, which opted to put WOR-TV up for sale in 1985. Westinghouse Broadcasting
, Cox Enterprises
, Chris-Craft Industries
, and MCA
/Universal
emerged as the leading suitors for WOR-TV, and the station was sold to MCA in late 1986. The announcement of this deal came just in the nick of time for RKO: in 1987, an administrative law judge recommended that RKO be stripped of its remaining broadcast properties due to a litany of misconduct. Eventually, WOR radio would be sold to Hartford, Connecticut
-based Buckley Broadcasting
, and WRKS-FM would go to Summit Broadcasting.
's top-rated sitcom The Cosby Show
. WWOR-TV also borrowed program formats used on the Westinghouse stations: a short-lived version of Evening Magazine
aired in primetime, and a locally produced talk show called People Are Talking ran at 11 a.m. That show would later change its title to 9 Broadcast Plaza (named after the station's Secaucus studio location), and then to The Richard Bey
Show for syndication.
In 1989, the FCC created the "Syndicated Exclusivity Rights" rule, otherwise known as "SyndEx." This rule stated that when a station in any market had the rights to air certain syndicated programs, the cable company had to block it out on out-of-town stations. Due to this rule, and to lighten the burden on cable companies, Eastern Microwave picked up broadcast rights to shows that were considered "SyndEx-proof" and could be inserted into WWOR's cable feed to replace programming that could not be aired nationally. Most of the programs came from the Universal and Quinn Martin
libraries, along with some shows from the Christian Science Monitors television service, as well as some holdovers from the pre-syndex era that had aired on the local New York feed before the law was passed. Eastern Microwave would eventually launch a separate feed for satellite and cable subscribers on January 1, 1990, known as the "WWOR EMI Service
".
In the fall of 1990, WWOR-TV began using Universal 9 for its on-air branding, highlighting its association with the MCA/Universal entertainment empire. However, MCA's ambitious ownership of the station ended when it was bought by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Osaka, Japan. Since the FCC does not allow foreign companies to own more than 25 percent of television stations, channel 9 would have to be sold once again. On January 1, 1991, MCA spun off the assets of WWOR-TV into a new company called Pinelands, Incorporated. However, the station continued to use Universal 9 as its on-air name until early 1992. In 1993 Pinelands was acquired by BHC Communications
, a Chris-Craft Industries
subsidiary, who had unsuccessfully bid for the station seven years earlier. In 1993, BHC aligned its unaffiliated stations with the Prime Time Entertainment Network
.
, and Viacom
's newly-acquired subsidiary Paramount Pictures
banded together to form the United Paramount Network
, the sixth U.S. television service when it debuted in January 1995. At the network's launch, WWOR-TV was UPN's "flagship" station. However, UPN did not allow WWOR's superstation feed to carry UPN programming nationally (In contrast The WB Television Network
allowed WGN-TV, one of WWOR's superstation counterparts, to air network programming on its cable feed during that network's early years.)
On January 1, 1997, with only a month's advance warning, Advance Entertainment Corporation, which had purchased the satellite distribution rights to WWOR from Eastern Microwave a few months earlier, stopped uplinking the national version. The EMI Service's transponder space was sold to Discovery Communications
for the then six-month-old Animal Planet
. Amid an outcry from satellite dish owners, National Programming Service, LLC uplinked the station again exclusively for satellite subscribers. The national feed was back to being the same feed as the one for the New York market. NPS dropped WWOR in 1999, in favor of Pax, but still carried the New York feed of WWOR on its Superstations package except in areas where the local UPN (and later, MyNetworkTV) affiliate invoked SyndEx to block it out.
In 2000, Chris-Craft announced that it was selling its television stations. It was believed that Viacom, which had gained complete control of UPN a year earlier by purchasing Chris-Craft's half of the network not long after buying CBS, would end up buying the group as a whole. However, Viacom lost the bid for the group to News Corporation
, making WWOR-TV a sister station to longtime rival WNYW. This created a unique situation in which the largest affiliate station of one network was owned by the operator of another network. While some cast doubt on UPN's future, Fox quickly cut a new affiliation deal with UPN.
On September 11, 2001, the transmitter facilities of WWOR-TV and eight other New York City television stations, and several radio stations, were destroyed when two hijacked airplanes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center
towers. The attacks delayed the closing of the Chris-Craft deal for several days. With its broadcast signal shut down, WWOR fed its signal directly to cable and satellite systems, running wall-to-wall 9/11 news coverage from CNN
and later the Fox News Channel
. Channel 9 resumed regular programming on September 17, 2001. The transmitter has since been relocated to an antenna located atop the Empire State Building
, along with most of the other major New York City stations.
Fox began integrating the operations of its two stations soon afterwards. In the fall of 2001, WWOR-TV began running Fox Kids
programs that were moved from WNYW. Channel 9 was the last commercial station remaining in New York City to air children's programming on weekdays, an ironic twist from 20 years earlier, before cancelling the shows in Fall 2006. WNYW also placed several of its under-performing programs on WWOR, and cherry-picked channel 9's stronger-performing programs for placement on channel 5's schedule. Currently, WWOR offers several "double-runs" of WNYW programming, but the two stations' individual schedules (outside of network programming) are much different. They also maintain separate news departments, although some staffers have switched from one station to the other.
. WPIX, which had been a WB affiliate since 1995, was announced as The CW's New York affiliate as part of a 10-year affiliation deal with channel 11's parent company Tribune Broadcasting
.
The CW's affiliation list did not include any of UPN affiliated Fox's stations. The network's officials were on record as preferring the "strongest" among the WB and UPN affiliates, and WPIX had been well ahead of WWOR-TV in the ratings for some time. On January 25, 2006, the day following the announcement of the creation of The CW, Fox removed all UPN references from its UPN affiliates' logos and branding campaigns, and stopped promoting UPN programming. Accordingly, WWOR changed its branding from UPN 9 to WWOR 9, (however, usually it was referred to on air as simply "9") and revamped its logo to just feature the boxed "9" with a small red strip on the left side. WWOR had just introduced a new news graphics package and a revised logo almost three weeks prior, with UPN branding. The formation of MyNetworkTV
, with WWOR-TV and the other Fox-owned UPN stations as the nuclei, was announced on February 22, 2006, less than a month later.
With the impending switch to MyNetworkTV, channel 9's on-air branding was changed to My 9. Starting on April 4, the My 9 moniker was used for broadcasts of Nets basketball and Yankees baseball. Two weeks later, on April 17, WWOR incorporated the My 9 brand into the remaining non-UPN elements of its branding, including news. On June 2, WWOR changed its logo again, this time adopting one similar to the MyNetworkTV logo presented at the launch announcement, and this logo was used with the network's launch in September.
Despite the announced launch date of MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, UPN continued to broadcast on stations across the country until September 15, 2006. While some UPN affiliates who switched to MyNetworkTV aired the final two weeks of UPN programming outside its regular primetime period, the Fox-owned stations, including WWOR, dropped UPN entirely on August 31, 2006.
and media watchdogs, who filed a complaint in November 2009 with the FCC, say that WWOR's performance was "clearly inadequate to meet its public interest obligations" and question the truthfulness of its application.
It was announced on February 17, 2011 that News Corporation
, parent company of WWOR-TV, is under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission
to determine whether the company misrepresented information about Channel 9's news operations and programming during a review of the station's license. News Corp had 30 days to respond to the allegations. If News Corporation,(which runs the arm that owns WNYW and WWOR, Fox Television Stations Group) which denies any wrongdoing, is found to have lied to the commission, it could potentially lose its license to operate both WWOR-TV and sister station WNYW, and company executives who are found to have provided false information could face jail time or be imposed with fines. There are claims that FOX Television Stations Group and WWOR had misreprensted the number of station employees in the state, and failed to mention that it had reduced local news coverage from 36.5 to 27.5 minutes.
baseball
in New York, carrying games of the Brooklyn Dodgers
(beginning in 1950
) and the New York Giants
(beginning in 1951
) until both teams moved to California
following the 1957 season
. From 1958
to 1961
the station aired a small schedule of Philadelphia Phillies
games, consisting of matchups against the Dodgers and Giants. In 1962
WOR-TV gained broadcast rights for the New York Mets
, the National League's new expansion team. The partnership between the station and the team would last through the 1998 season, after which the Mets moved their broadcasts to WPIX.
Channel 9 acquired rights for the NHL
's New York Rangers
and the NBA
's New York Knicks
in 1966, holding onto both teams until 1989 (when the two teams became cable-exclusive on the MSG Network
). The New York Islanders
, New York/New Jersey Nets
, local college basketball, New York Cosmos
soccer, WCW
and WWWF/WWF/WWE
wrestling also shared airtime on channel 9. For a generation of New York sports fans, the station became synonymous with its relationships with the Mets, Knicks, Rangers and Islanders.
From April 29, 1999 to September 15, 2006 and from October 3, 2008 to September 24, 2010, WWOR-TV aired WWE's Friday Night Smackdown while under both the UPN and MyNetwork TV affiliations.
In late September 2001, WWOR-TV aired a number of New York Yankees
baseball games that were originally scheduled to air on WNYW. In 2005, channel 9 picked up Yankees games on a full-time basis, with the broadcasts produced by the YES Network
. As YES produces the games, there is virtually no difference between games broadcast by YES and WWOR beyond a "my9" logo taking the space where the YES logomark usually resides in on-screen graphics.
Despite the presence of its sister station WNYW's long-running and successful news program at 10:00 p.m., WWOR was able to compete at 10:00 simply because both stations use separate studios. The WWOR newscast also has a larger focus on New Jersey issues, a condition the station has adhered to since its license was transferred from New York City to Secaucus.
On July 13, 2009, the 10:00 p.m. newscast was moved to 11:00 p.m. and was shortened to 30 minutes due to budget cuts. In addition, weekend newscasts and a Sunday night sports highlight program were eliminated. On June 27, 2011, WWOR returned the newscast to its previous 10 p.m. timeslot; the newscast, renamed The 10 O'Clock News, will remain a half-hour in length and air on weeknights only.
In areas of central New Jersey where the New York and Philadelphia markets overlap, both WWOR and WNYW share resources with their Philadelphia sister station WTXF-TV
. The stations share reporters for stories occurring in New Jersey counties served by both markets.
As of June 27, 2011, WWOR is the only English-language network owned-and-operated station
(O&O) that has in-house news operations who still produces local newscasts entirely in 4:3 standard definition
. Its 4:3 video is pillarboxed (CBS
-owned WWJ-TV
in Detroit produces its morning news show in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition; however, it otherwise does not have a full-time news department).
Anchors
Weather
Sports
Reporters
, Fox Deportes and National Geographic Wild
from Cablevision systems in New York
, New Jersey
and Connecticut
(News Corporation also pulled WNYW sister station WTXF (channel 29) in Philadelphia, from Cablevision's Philadelphia-area system). The removal of these channels was due to an impasse between Fox and Cablevision on a retransmission agreement renewal in which Cablevision claims that News Corporation demanded $150 million a year for access to 12 Fox channels, including those that News Corporation had removed in response to the dispute.
Cablevision called this an "act of corporate greed" on News Corporation's part, stating "This is an unfortunate attempt to get unreasonable and unfair fee increases from Cablevision and our customers." News Corporation responded to Cablevision's claims, stating "During the past year we’ve submitted numerous proposals to Cablevision in an effort to make sure you continue to receive Fox’s programming. Unfortunately, Cablevision has refused to recognize how much you value our programming and as of October 16, has dropped Fox’s television stations in New York (WNYW 5 and WWOR 9) and Philadelphia (WTXF 29) and Fox Networks’ cable channels: FOX Deportes, Nat Geo WILD, and Fox Business Network."
On October 14, 2010 Cablevision said that it was willing to submit to binding arbitration and called on Fox not to remove the channels, though News Corporation chose to reject Cablevision's call for arbitration, stating that it would "reward Cablevision for refusing to negotiate fairly". On October 30, 2010, News Corporation and Cablevision reached a deal, ending the dispute and restoring WWOR, WNYW, WTXF, and the three News Corp-owned cable channels to Cablevision's lineup.
west of Times Square
. This was a temporary setup; some time later the station moved uptown to a new facility on West 67th Street, near the present-day location of WABC-TV
.
During the early years of RKO General ownership, WOR-TV moved back to Times Square, and closer to its sister radio stations. Channel 9's studios were co-located with WOR radio at 1440 Broadway for several years, then in 1968 moved to new studios three blocks north at 1481 Broadway, while the station's offices remained at 1440 Broadway. In addition, for several years starting in 1953, it maintained a separate studio for news and special events programming at the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building. (http://hawkins.pair.com/wor-tv-NB_News.html#Move%20to%20Empire) When the WOR-TV license was moved to New Jersey in 1983, the station remained in New York City while a modern complex in Secaucus was being constructed. The new facility, Nine Broadcast Plaza, opened in April 1986.
In 2004, three years after the News Corporation bought the station, it announced that WWOR would leave Secaucus and be consolidated with WNYW at the Fox Television Center in Manhattan. The News Corporation planned to keep 9 Broadcast Plaza as a satellite relay station for WNYW and WWOR (the facility also performs master control operations for Fox-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate WUTB
in Baltimore
). While some office functions have been merged, plans for a full move were scuttled in late 2004 due to pressure from New Jersey Congressman
Steve Rothman
(whose congressional district includes Secaucus) and Senator Frank Lautenberg
. (http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_022604a.htm, http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_100804.htm) The two lawmakers contended that any move to Manhattan would violate WWOR's conditions of license. When the FCC renewed channel 9's license in 1983 (in accordance with the Bradley-sponsored law), it had required RKO to move the station's main studio to New Jersey and increase coverage of New Jersey events. Had the consolidation occurred, channel 9's news department would have been shut down, or at the very least downsized to the point that it would not be able to adequately cover New Jersey events.
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....
9 (digital channel 38), is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
and serving the Tri-State (NY-NJ-CT) metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, and is a sister station to Fox network
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...
flagship WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
(channel 5). WWOR-TV's studios and main offices are located south of Route 3 east of the Meadowlands Sports Complex
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. An application for the renewal of its license has been pending since 2007.
WWOR is available to subscribers of EchoStar's Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
as part of their superstations
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
package except in markets where the local MyNetworkTV affiliate invokes Syndex to block access to the market.
Digital programming
WWOR's digital signal on UHF 38 is multiplexed:| Channel | Video | Aspect Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,... |
Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1 | 720p 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 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 ... |
Main WWOR-TV programming / MyNetworkTV |
| 9.2 | 480i 480i 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC... |
4:3 |
WWOR-TV also has a Mobile DTV feed of sister station WNYW-TV 5.1 (via its subchannel on 9.2), broadcasting at 1.83 Mbit/s, with plans to add a subchannel of its own, also at 1.83 Mbit/s
On November 3, 2011, Fox Television Stations signed an affiliation agreement with Bounce TV
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is a United States television network airing on digital terrestrial television stations. Promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multicast broadcast network created exclusively for African Americans," Bounce TV launched on September 26, 2011 and features programming geared toward blacks in...
, to carry the network on the second digital subchannels of its MyNetworkTV-affiliated stations; WWOR-TV, along with Los Angeles sister station KCOP will be the group's initial affiliates of Bounce TV, with other stations possibly adding the network during the first quarter of 2012. This will be the first digital multicast network to air on any of FTSG's stations, and the second outside-owned multicaster to carry its programming on an O&O station group (The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
had an affiliation deal with the ABC Owned Television Stations, including WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
, from 2006 to 2010).
Analog-to-digital conversion
At 11:59 P.M. on June 12, 2009, WWOR-TV discontinued regular analog programming on channel 9. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 38, using PSIP to display its virtual channelVirtual 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....
as 9.
Early history
Channel 9 signed on the air on October 11, 1949 as WOR-TV, owned by the Bamberger Broadcasting Service, which also operated WOR radioWOR (AM)
WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
(710 AM) and WOR-FM (98.7 MHz, later WXLO and now WRKS-FM
WRKS-FM
WRKS , known by its on-air branding 98.7 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications...
). Bamberger Broadcasting was a division of R. H. Macy and Company
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
and was named after the Bamberger's
Bamberger's
Bamberger's was a department store chain with locations primarily in New Jersey, but also Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. The chain was headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.-History:Founded in 1893 by Louis Bamberger as L...
department store chain. Exactly ten months earlier, Bamberger launched Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
's fourth television station, WOIC-TV (now WUSA
WUSA (TV)
WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington, D.C.. Owned by the Gannett Company, WUSA is an affiliate of the CBS television network, and the longest-tenured affiliate of that network...
), also on channel 9.
On WOR-TV's opening night, a welcome address was read by WOR radio's morning host, John B. Gambling
John B. Gambling
John Bradley Gambling was an American radio personality. He was a member of the The Gambling family, 3 generations of whom - John B., John A. and John R...
. The only problem was the audio portion of the speech wasn't heard because of a technical glitch. The gremlin was fixed and Gambling repeated the message later that evening, prior to sign-off. That first broadcast and other early WOR-TV shows emanated from the New Amsterdam Roof Theatre, located near Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. For a short time transmission from WOR TV Tower
WOR TV Tower
WOR TV Tower was a 760 foot tall lattice tower used for FM- and TV-broadcasting at North Bergen, New Jersey, USA. The 420 ton tower was built in 1949. At the time of its construction, it was the tenth tallest man-made structure in the world. At the beginning of 1953, the TV transmissions were...
in North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...
and later moved to the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
.
WOR-TV entered the New York market as the last of the city's VHF stations to sign on, and one of three independents—the others being WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
(channel 11) and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
-based WATV (channel 13, later WNTA-TV). However, plans were underway to make both Channel 9 and its Washington sister station charter affiliates of the Mutual Television Network. WOR radio had enjoyed a long relationship with the Mutual Radio Network and WOR-TV was chosen to be the New York outlet for Mutual Television, which never went to air. Channel 9 remained an independent, while WOIC-TV was sold to a joint venture of the Washington Post 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...
in 1950.
WOR-TV didn't get a network affiliation, but it did get a new owner in 1952, when Macy's/Bamberger's sold the WOR stations to the General Tire and Rubber Company, which already had broadcasting interests in four cities: in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, with the regional Yankee Radio Network and WNAC-AM
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
-FM-TV
WHDH-TV
WHDH, digital channel 42 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest NBC station not owned by the network. Owned by Sunbeam Television, WHDH is a sister station to CW affiliate WLVI...
there; in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, with WHBQ
WHBQ (AM)
WHBQ is an AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States of America. Its frequency is 560 kHz. Although today it broadcasts sports news exclusively, the station became famous in the 1950s for playing rhythm and blues....
radio (who would launch a new television station
WHBQ-TV
WHBQ-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its studios and transmitter are located in Memphis.-Under RKO General:...
a year later); and KHJ-AM
KHJ (AM)
KHJ Radio in Los Angeles, California broadcasts Spanish-language entertainment programming as La Ranchera. It was also one of America's most formidable Top 40 radio stations in the 1960s and 1970s as 93 KHJ before changing its format in 1980....
-FM
KRTH-FM
KRTH is a U.S. oldies radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles Area. Its signal covers an extremely large area, due in part to height upon Mt...
-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and KFRC-AM
KFRC (defunct)
KFRC was a radio station in San Francisco, California in the United States, which made its first broadcast on Wednesday, September 24, 1924, from studios in the Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market Street. KFRC originally broadcast with 50 watts on the 270 meter wavelength , then moved to 660 kHz. in...
-FM
KMEL
KMEL is an Urban Contemporary-formatted radio station located in San Francisco, California, and owned by Clear Channel Communications....
in San Francisco. The outlets in the latter two cities were operated by General Tire subsidiary Don Lee Broadcasting
Don Lee (broadcaster)
Donald Musgrave Lee was the exclusive west coast distributor of Cadillac automobiles in the early 20th century. In 1919 Lee purchased the Earl Automobile Works of Hollywood, California. Harley Earl, the son of the company's owner, was kept on as manager...
, and the WOR stations were assigned to this subsidiary. In 1955, General Tire purchased RKO Radio Pictures, giving the company's TV stations access to RKO's film library, and soon after General Tire merged its broadcast interests as General Teleradio. In 1959, General Tire's broadcasting and film divisions were renamed as RKO General
RKO General
RKO General was the main holding company through 1991 for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber Company and, after General Tire's reorganization in the 1980s, GenCorp. The business was based around the consolidation of its parent company's broadcasting interests, dating to 1943, and...
.
During the 1950s, all three of New York's independents struggled to find acceptable programming. The field would increase by one in 1956 when former DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
flagship station WABD (channel 5, later WNEW-TV and now WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
) became an independent. Through this era, WOR-TV's programming was comparable to its rivals, with a blend of movies, children's programs, and public affairs shows. In 1962 the independent field was narrowed to three, as WOR-TV and its competition benefited from the sale of WNTA-TV to the non-profit Educational Broadcasting Corporation, who would convert channel 13 into a non-commercial educational station (it is now WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
).
For much of 1960s, WOR-TV was a standard independent station for that time with a schedule composed of some local public affairs shows, off-network programs, children's shows such as Friendly Giant and Romper Room
Romper Room
Romper Room is a children's television series that ran in the United States from 1953 to 1994 as well as at various times in Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the United Kingdom...
(which moved over in 1966 from WNEW-TV), sports programming (see below), and a large catalog of movies, some of which came from the RKO Radio Pictures film library. The station had a tradition of showing King Kong
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
, Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
and Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
films on the day after Thanksgiving.
In 1962, nostalgia maven Joe Franklin
Joe Franklin
Joe Franklin is an American radio and television personality. From New York City, Franklin is sometimes credited with hosting the first television talk show...
moved his daily talk program to WOR-TV from WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
, where it had run for the previous 12 years. When The Joe Franklin Show ended on August 6, 1993, its host had interviewed over 350,000 guests on over 28,000 episodes, making it one of the longest-running programs in television history, local or national. The long-running public affairs show Firing Line
Firing Line
Firing Line was an American public affairs show founded and hosted by conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. Its 1,504 episodes over 33 years made Firing Line the longest-running public affairs show in television history with a single host...
got its start at WOR-TV in 1966 and ran on the station for 240 episodes until 1971, after which its host, William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
, moved the program to public television where it aired until its conclusion in 1999.
1970s
By the early 1970s, WNEW-TV became the leading station for cartoons and sitcoms, while WPIX aired a similar format though with more movies. In the early 1970s, WOR-TV had shows such as The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
, The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
, Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
and The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
. But channel 9 was behind the other two independent stations in ratings. Beginning in 1972 the station began seeking a different programming strategy—one that was more adult-oriented with a heavy emphasis on films, reruns of hour-long network dramas, and sports. The station also gradually phased out most sitcoms and all children's programming with the exception of Romper Room. They also were the first New York City station to have a 12 p.m. newscast on weekdays, in addition to producing several hours a day of local talk shows (such as The Joe Franklin Show and public affairs programming such as Straight Talk and Meet the Mayors, titles that were shared by other RKO General television stations).
Later in the 1970s, WOR-TV looked towards the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for alternative offerings. In the week of September 6, 1976, WOR-TV offered programming from Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
during prime time, completely presented as if Thames was actually running WOR-TV. Many of these shows had never before been seen on American television, and one of them provided America's first look at Thames' greatest export: The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill.There were various incarnations of the show between 1951 and 1991, and it aired in over 140 countries. The show is generally sketch-based with heavy use of slapstick, mime, parody and double-entendre...
. Also included that week was an episode of Man About the House
Man About the House
Man About the House is a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of...
, which would be reinvented the following year on 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...
as Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
. WOR-TV aired episodes of the BBC's science-fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
during this period as well.
Despite its ambitious programming, WOR-TV was perceived by people that preferred a more traditional independent to be an also-ran, even though the station was very profitable for RKO General. But with the advent of cable and satellite-delivered television, independent stations were being uplinked for regional and national distribution, thus gaining the title of "superstation
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
s". In April 1979, Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
-based Eastern Microwave, Inc. began distributing WOR-TV to cable and C-band satellite subscribers across the United States, joining WTBS (now WPCH-TV) in Atlanta and WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as national superstations.
Troubles with the FCC
While WOR-TV was gaining national exposure, a battle for the station's survival—and that of its owner—was well underway. In 1975, RKO applied for renewal of its license to operate WOR-TV. The Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
conditioned this renewal on that of its sister station, WNAC-TV in Boston. In 1980, the FCC stripped RKO of WNAC-TV's license due to a litany of offenses dating back to the 1960s, but ultimately because RKO had withheld evidence of corporate misconduct by General Tire. The decision meant that RKO lost WOR-TV's license and that of another sister station, KHJ-TV in Los Angeles (RKO General, Inc. (KHJ-TV), 3 FCC Rcd 5057 (1988)). However, an appeals court ruled that the FCC had erred in tying WOR-TV and KHJ-TV's renewals to WNAC-TV, and ordered new proceedings. RKO soon found itself under renewed pressure from the FCC, which began soliciting applications for all of the company's broadcast licenses in February 1983.
Move to New Jersey
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
) persuaded the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to pass a law requiring the FCC to automatically renew the license of any VHF station that moved its license to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, a state which for many years complained of being "underserved" by VHF stations from the New York City and Philadelphia markets. (With the 1962 conversion of Newark's channel 13 to non-commercial, New Jersey had no commercial VHF allocations located within the state.) RKO was able to retain WOR-TV by moving the channel 9 license to Secaucus
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
(seven miles west of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
) on April 20, 1983, but for all intents and purposes, it remained a New York City station. Three years later WOR-TV established a physical presence in New Jersey with the opening of their new studio facility, Nine Broadcast Plaza, on January 13, 1986. A month later, the New Jersey State Senate petitioned the FCC to approve an extension of the channel 9 signal into southern New Jersey. Because of various other issues, the request was denied.
The move to New Jersey did little to relieve the regulatory pressure on RKO, which opted to put WOR-TV up for sale in 1985. Westinghouse Broadcasting
Westinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
, Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920...
, Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly-held American corporation traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It later took on the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris-Craft Boats...
, and MCA
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
/Universal
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
emerged as the leading suitors for WOR-TV, and the station was sold to MCA in late 1986. The announcement of this deal came just in the nick of time for RKO: in 1987, an administrative law judge recommended that RKO be stripped of its remaining broadcast properties due to a litany of misconduct. Eventually, WOR radio would be sold to Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
-based Buckley Broadcasting
Buckley Broadcasting
Buckley Radio owns and operates twenty radio stations in seven markets. In addition, the WOR Radio Network is operated as an independent syndicated programming provider with affiliates in over 400 markets.-New York:*WOR - New York, NY...
, and WRKS-FM would go to Summit Broadcasting.
As WWOR-TV
MCA assumed control of WOR-TV on April 21, 1987. Initially, only the calls changed (simply by adding a W), becoming WWOR-TV with a new logo and programming stayed pretty much the same. That fall, WWOR-TV relaunched as a station perceived as different from a year prior. The station dropped most of its public affairs shows, Romper Room was cut back to 30 minutes and moved to 6:00 a.m., all religious shows except for the Sunday Mass were dropped, cartoons were added to the station's morning lineup, and stronger syndicated shows were mixed in the early evenings. The late mornings consisted of classic sitcoms held over from the later RKO days and afternoons continued to consist of game shows, drama shows and movies also held over from the RKO days. Later that fall, in primetime, the Million Dollar Movie was relegated to weekends in favor of the new, controversial Morton Downey Jr. talk show, while the 8:00 newscast was moved to 10:00 p.m., and expanded to an hour. The overhaul continued in 1988, when it added evening sitcoms, including reruns of NBCNBC
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...
's top-rated sitcom 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...
. WWOR-TV also borrowed program formats used on the Westinghouse stations: a short-lived version of Evening Magazine
PM Magazine
PM/Evening Magazine was a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States...
aired in primetime, and a locally produced talk show called People Are Talking ran at 11 a.m. That show would later change its title to 9 Broadcast Plaza (named after the station's Secaucus studio location), and then to The Richard Bey
Richard Bey
Richard Wayne Bey is an American talk show host. He was popular in the 1990s as host of The Richard Bey Show, a daytime talk show containing ordinary people's personal stories incorporated into entertaining competitive games....
Show for syndication.
In 1989, the FCC created the "Syndicated Exclusivity Rights" rule, otherwise known as "SyndEx." This rule stated that when a station in any market had the rights to air certain syndicated programs, the cable company had to block it out on out-of-town stations. Due to this rule, and to lighten the burden on cable companies, Eastern Microwave picked up broadcast rights to shows that were considered "SyndEx-proof" and could be inserted into WWOR's cable feed to replace programming that could not be aired nationally. Most of the programs came from the Universal and Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin was one of the most successful American television producers. He had at least one television series running in prime time for 21 straight years , an industry record.-Early life:...
libraries, along with some shows from the Christian Science Monitors television service, as well as some holdovers from the pre-syndex era that had aired on the local New York feed before the law was passed. Eastern Microwave would eventually launch a separate feed for satellite and cable subscribers on January 1, 1990, known as the "WWOR EMI Service
WWOR EMI Service
WWOR EMI Service was a New York City-based American superstation for Secaucus, NJ-licensed WWOR-TV Channel 9, uplinked from Syracuse, New York to satellite by Eastern Microwave, Inc., who later sold the satellite distribution rights to Advance Entertainment Corporation, which was owned by Advance...
".
In the fall of 1990, WWOR-TV began using Universal 9 for its on-air branding, highlighting its association with the MCA/Universal entertainment empire. However, MCA's ambitious ownership of the station ended when it was bought by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Osaka, Japan. Since the FCC does not allow foreign companies to own more than 25 percent of television stations, channel 9 would have to be sold once again. On January 1, 1991, MCA spun off the assets of WWOR-TV into a new company called Pinelands, Incorporated. However, the station continued to use Universal 9 as its on-air name until early 1992. In 1993 Pinelands was acquired by BHC Communications
BHC Communications
BHC Communications, Inc. was the holding company for the broadcast property of Chris-Craft Industries. BHC is said to stand for "broadcasting holding company".-History:...
, a Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly-held American corporation traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It later took on the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris-Craft Boats...
subsidiary, who had unsuccessfully bid for the station seven years earlier. In 1993, BHC aligned its unaffiliated stations with the Prime Time Entertainment Network
Prime Time Entertainment Network
The Prime Time Entertainment Network was a United States television network launched in 1993 by the Prime Time Consortium, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Domestic Television and the Chris-Craft group of independent stations...
.
UPN affiliation
Two years later, Chris-Craft and its broadcasting subsidiary, BHC CommunicationsBHC Communications
BHC Communications, Inc. was the holding company for the broadcast property of Chris-Craft Industries. BHC is said to stand for "broadcasting holding company".-History:...
, and Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
's newly-acquired subsidiary Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
banded together to form the United Paramount Network
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...
, the sixth U.S. television service when it debuted in January 1995. At the network's launch, WWOR-TV was UPN's "flagship" station. However, UPN did not allow WWOR's superstation feed to carry UPN programming nationally (In contrast 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...
allowed WGN-TV, one of WWOR's superstation counterparts, to air network programming on its cable feed during that network's early years.)
On January 1, 1997, with only a month's advance warning, Advance Entertainment Corporation, which had purchased the satellite distribution rights to WWOR from Eastern Microwave a few months earlier, stopped uplinking the national version. The EMI Service's transponder space was sold to Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
for the then six-month-old Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
. Amid an outcry from satellite dish owners, National Programming Service, LLC uplinked the station again exclusively for satellite subscribers. The national feed was back to being the same feed as the one for the New York market. NPS dropped WWOR in 1999, in favor of Pax, but still carried the New York feed of WWOR on its Superstations package except in areas where the local UPN (and later, MyNetworkTV) affiliate invoked SyndEx to block it out.
In 2000, Chris-Craft announced that it was selling its television stations. It was believed that Viacom, which had gained complete control of UPN a year earlier by purchasing Chris-Craft's half of the network not long after buying CBS, would end up buying the group as a whole. However, Viacom lost the bid for the group to News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, making WWOR-TV a sister station to longtime rival WNYW. This created a unique situation in which the largest affiliate station of one network was owned by the operator of another network. While some cast doubt on UPN's future, Fox quickly cut a new affiliation deal with UPN.
On September 11, 2001, the transmitter facilities of WWOR-TV and eight other New York City television stations, and several radio stations, were destroyed when two hijacked airplanes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
towers. The attacks delayed the closing of the Chris-Craft deal for several days. With its broadcast signal shut down, WWOR fed its signal directly to cable and satellite systems, running wall-to-wall 9/11 news coverage from CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and later the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
. Channel 9 resumed regular programming on September 17, 2001. The transmitter has since been relocated to an antenna located atop the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, along with most of the other major New York City stations.
Fox began integrating the operations of its two stations soon afterwards. In the fall of 2001, WWOR-TV began running Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
programs that were moved from WNYW. Channel 9 was the last commercial station remaining in New York City to air children's programming on weekdays, an ironic twist from 20 years earlier, before cancelling the shows in Fall 2006. WNYW also placed several of its under-performing programs on WWOR, and cherry-picked channel 9's stronger-performing programs for placement on channel 5's schedule. Currently, WWOR offers several "double-runs" of WNYW programming, but the two stations' individual schedules (outside of network programming) are much different. They also maintain separate news departments, although some staffers have switched from one station to the other.
MyNetworkTV affiliation
On January 24, 2006, UPN and The WB announced that they would merge into a new network called The CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. WPIX, which had been a WB affiliate since 1995, was announced as The CW's New York affiliate as part of a 10-year affiliation deal with channel 11's parent company Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
.
The CW's affiliation list did not include any of UPN affiliated Fox's stations. The network's officials were on record as preferring the "strongest" among the WB and UPN affiliates, and WPIX had been well ahead of WWOR-TV in the ratings for some time. On January 25, 2006, the day following the announcement of the creation of The CW, Fox removed all UPN references from its UPN affiliates' logos and branding campaigns, and stopped promoting UPN programming. Accordingly, WWOR changed its branding from UPN 9 to WWOR 9, (however, usually it was referred to on air as simply "9") and revamped its logo to just feature the boxed "9" with a small red strip on the left side. WWOR had just introduced a new news graphics package and a revised logo almost three weeks prior, with UPN branding. The formation of MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
, with WWOR-TV and the other Fox-owned UPN stations as the nuclei, was announced on February 22, 2006, less than a month later.
With the impending switch to MyNetworkTV, channel 9's on-air branding was changed to My 9. Starting on April 4, the My 9 moniker was used for broadcasts of Nets basketball and Yankees baseball. Two weeks later, on April 17, WWOR incorporated the My 9 brand into the remaining non-UPN elements of its branding, including news. On June 2, WWOR changed its logo again, this time adopting one similar to the MyNetworkTV logo presented at the launch announcement, and this logo was used with the network's launch in September.
Despite the announced launch date of MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, UPN continued to broadcast on stations across the country until September 15, 2006. While some UPN affiliates who switched to MyNetworkTV aired the final two weeks of UPN programming outside its regular primetime period, the Fox-owned stations, including WWOR, dropped UPN entirely on August 31, 2006.
Pending license renewal
The station has has been waiting for renewal of its FCC license since 2007, the same year two petitions to deny the renewal of the license was submitted. New Jersey Senator Frank LautenbergFrank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
and media watchdogs, who filed a complaint in November 2009 with the FCC, say that WWOR's performance was "clearly inadequate to meet its public interest obligations" and question the truthfulness of its application.
It was announced on February 17, 2011 that News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, parent company of WWOR-TV, is under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
to determine whether the company misrepresented information about Channel 9's news operations and programming during a review of the station's license. News Corp had 30 days to respond to the allegations. If News Corporation,(which runs the arm that owns WNYW and WWOR, Fox Television Stations Group) which denies any wrongdoing, is found to have lied to the commission, it could potentially lose its license to operate both WWOR-TV and sister station WNYW, and company executives who are found to have provided false information could face jail time or be imposed with fines. There are claims that FOX Television Stations Group and WWOR had misreprensted the number of station employees in the state, and failed to mention that it had reduced local news coverage from 36.5 to 27.5 minutes.
Sports programming
As an independent station, channel 9's schedule was heavy on sports programming. Early in its history WOR-TV established itself as the home of National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in New York, carrying games of the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(beginning in 1950
1950 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies *All-Star Game, July 11 at Comiskey Park: National League, 4-3 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Carta Vieja *College World Series: Texas...
) and the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(beginning in 1951
1951 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games tiebreaker series over the Brooklyn Dodgers.-Major League Baseball:...
) until both teams moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
following the 1957 season
1957 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees ; Lew Burdette, MVP*All-Star Game, July 9 at Busch Stadium: American League, 6-5-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: California...
. From 1958
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
to 1961
1961 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds ; Whitey Ford, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 *All-Star Game , July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie...
the station aired a small schedule of Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
games, consisting of matchups against the Dodgers and Giants. In 1962
1962 in baseball
The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40–120 record of the New York Mets, the third-worst winning percentage and the record for most games lost since 1900.-Major League Baseball:...
WOR-TV gained broadcast rights for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, the National League's new expansion team. The partnership between the station and the team would last through the 1998 season, after which the Mets moved their broadcasts to WPIX.
Channel 9 acquired rights for the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 1966, holding onto both teams until 1989 (when the two teams became cable-exclusive on the MSG Network
MSG Network
The MSG Network, now shortened to simply MSG, is a regional cable television and radio network serving the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is focused on New York City sports teams...
). The New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, New York/New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, local college basketball, New York Cosmos
New York Cosmos
The New York Cosmos were an American soccer club based in New York City, New York and its suburbs. The team played home games in three stadiums around New York before moving in 1977 to Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, where it remained for the rest of its history...
soccer, WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and WWWF/WWF/WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestling also shared airtime on channel 9. For a generation of New York sports fans, the station became synonymous with its relationships with the Mets, Knicks, Rangers and Islanders.
From April 29, 1999 to September 15, 2006 and from October 3, 2008 to September 24, 2010, WWOR-TV aired WWE's Friday Night Smackdown while under both the UPN and MyNetwork TV affiliations.
In late September 2001, WWOR-TV aired a number of New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
baseball games that were originally scheduled to air on WNYW. In 2005, channel 9 picked up Yankees games on a full-time basis, with the broadcasts produced by the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
. As YES produces the games, there is virtually no difference between games broadcast by YES and WWOR beyond a "my9" logo taking the space where the YES logomark usually resides in on-screen graphics.
Newscasts
As most of New York's independent stations were during the 1960s and '70s, WOR-TV was a very minor player in the area of local news. Before 1971, the station did not carry any live news programming, but had an early morning audio-only newscast read by the duty staff announcer over the station logo. Then in 1971, WOR-TV launched its first live newscast, News at Noon, which was also the first midday newscast from any New York station and would be so until WPIX attempted a local broadcast at 12:30 PM in 1981. In 1983, following the move to New Jersey, channel 9 launched News 9: Primetime, which aired nightly at 8:00 p.m. After the MCA takeover in 1987, the 8:00 newscast was moved to the later time period of 10:00 p.m., and expanded to an hour. The Noon program, which was later merged into 9 Broadcast Plaza, ended in 1993 and was replaced with syndicated programming.Despite the presence of its sister station WNYW's long-running and successful news program at 10:00 p.m., WWOR was able to compete at 10:00 simply because both stations use separate studios. The WWOR newscast also has a larger focus on New Jersey issues, a condition the station has adhered to since its license was transferred from New York City to Secaucus.
On July 13, 2009, the 10:00 p.m. newscast was moved to 11:00 p.m. and was shortened to 30 minutes due to budget cuts. In addition, weekend newscasts and a Sunday night sports highlight program were eliminated. On June 27, 2011, WWOR returned the newscast to its previous 10 p.m. timeslot; the newscast, renamed The 10 O'Clock News, will remain a half-hour in length and air on weeknights only.
In areas of central New Jersey where the New York and Philadelphia markets overlap, both WWOR and WNYW share resources with their Philadelphia sister station WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV, virtual channel 29 , is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The stations share reporters for stories occurring in New Jersey counties served by both markets.
As of June 27, 2011, WWOR is the only English-language network owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated television stations in the United States
In the United States, owned-and-operated television stations constitute only a portion of their parent television networks, due to an ownership limit imposed by the Federal Communications Commission...
(O&O) that has in-house news operations who still produces local newscasts entirely in 4:3 standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
. Its 4:3 video is pillarboxed (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...
-owned WWJ-TV
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....
in Detroit produces its morning news show in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition; however, it otherwise does not have a full-time news department).
Newscast titles
- News at Noon (1949–1983 and 1987–1995)
- News 9: At Noon (1983–1987)
- News 9: Primetime (1983–1987)
- The News at Ten (1987–1988)
- Channel 9 News (1988–1998)
- News 9: Tonight (1995)
- UPN 9 News (1995–February 2006)
- 9 News (February–May 2006)
- My9 News (May 2006–June 2011)
- The 10 O'Clock News (June 2011–present)
Station slogans
- New York 9 (1949–1970)
- The Best of All Seasons (1970)
- The Great Combination (1973)
- Fun and Games (1978)
- More for You (1979)
- As You Like It (1980–1981)
- Now! (1981–1982)
- 9 On the Move (1984)
- Just Watch (1985–1986)
- Get It On UPN 9 (2002–2006)
- Get It On 9 (February–March 2006; used during transitional period from UPN to MyNetworkTV)
- Get It On My 9 (March–May 2006; used during transitional period from UPN to MyNetworkTV)
- Only on My 9 (May–September 2006; used during transitional period from UPN to MyNetworkTV)
- Watch and See for Yourself (September 2006–2009)
- Now That Looks Good (2009–2010)
- Look at Us Now (2010–June 2011)
- Now is the time for My 9 (June 2011-present)
News team (as of July 2011)
+ denotes personnel also seen on WNYWAnchors
- Brenda Blackmon - weeknights at 10 p.m.
- + Harry Martin - weeknights at 10 p.m.; also anchors the 6 p.m. newscast on sister station WNYW
Weather
- Audrey PuenteAudrey PuenteAudrey Puente is a meteorologist for WWOR-TV in New York City. She is the daughter of legendary Latin percussionist Tito Puente and the sister of musician Tito Puente, Jr.. Puente succeeded WWOR veteran meteorologist Storm Field in January 2007 as the station's main meteorologist...
- weeknights at 10 p.m.
Sports
- + Russ Salzberg - weeknights at 10 p.m.; also sports reporter for sister station WNYW
Reporters
- Pat CollinsPat Collins (film critic)Pat Collins is a film critic and three-time Emmy winner for WWOR-TV. Collins was an entertainment editor and film critic for Good Morning America, The CBS Morning News and from 1972-1977, hosted the Pat Collins Show which she won two Emmys on WCBS-TV....
- entertainment reporter/film critic - + 'Sharon Crowley - general assignment reporter
- Brenda Flanagan - general assignment reporter
- Barbara Nevins-Taylor - general assignment reporter
- Christine Persichette - general assignment reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Steve AdubatoSteve AdubatoSteve Adubato, Ph.D., has enjoyed a distinguished career as a broadcaster, author and motivational speaker. A university lecturer, Emmy Award-winning television anchor, and Star-Ledger columnist, Steve also served in the mid 1980s as New Jersey's youngest state legislator at age 26.Steve currently...
(now with PBS) - Al Albert
- Ernie AnastosErnie AnastosErnie Anastos is an American Emmy Award-winning New York City television news anchor. He was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, and has worked for several television stations in New York City during his career.-Career:...
(now with WNYWWNYWWNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
) - Remy BlumenfeldRemy BlumenfeldRemy Blumenfeld is a British Television executive and content creator who co-founded the production company Brighter Pictures which was bought by Endemol in 2001...
- Richard BeyRichard BeyRichard Wayne Bey is an American talk show host. He was popular in the 1990s as host of The Richard Bey Show, a daytime talk show containing ordinary people's personal stories incorporated into entertaining competitive games....
- Mario CantoneMario CantoneMario Cantone is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including Chappelle's Show. He also played Anthony Marentino on Sex and the City...
- Judith CristJudith CristJudith Crist is an American film critic. She appeared regularly on the Today show from 1964-1973 and has appeared in one film, Woody Allen's Stardust Memories...
- Morton Downey, Jr.Morton Downey, Jr.Morton Downey, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and later a television talk show host of the 1980s who pioneered the "trash TV" format on his program The Morton Downey Jr. Show....
(deceased) - Tom DunnTom DunnTom Dunn was an anchor and reporter at several New York and Florida television stations.Dunn was born in Warwick, New York, and was a child actor at radio station WAAT in Newark, New Jersey. He started in television at WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida in 1959 after leaving the army. He served as...
- Joe FranklinJoe FranklinJoe Franklin is an American radio and television personality. From New York City, Franklin is sometimes credited with hosting the first television talk show...
- Barry GrayBarry Gray (radio)Barry Gray was an influential American radio personality, often labeled as "The father of Talk Radio"....
- Tony GuidaTony GuidaTony Guida is a New York-based local television and radio personality. He is currently a news anchor for WCBS Newsradio 880 and a business correspondent for CBS News....
(now with NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
) - Lisi Harrison
- Ray HeathertonRay HeathertonRay Heatherton was an American singer, Broadway musical theatre performer, and a popular New York television personality in the early days of the medium.-Early career:...
(deceased) - Larry KenneyLarry KenneyLarry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
- Sara Lee KesslerSara Lee KesslerSara Lee Kessler is the former anchor for New York City's Channel 9 nightly local broadcast news program in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She was formerly a health reporter for New Jersey Network's nightly half hour NJN News broadcast...
- Walter KiernanWalter KiernanWalter J. Kiernan was an American radio, television, and print journalist and author, as well as television game show host during the early days of the medium.-Career:...
- Matt LauerMatt LauerMatthew Todd "Matt" Lauer . is an American television journalist best known as the host of NBC's The Today Show since 1997. He was previously a news anchor in New York and a local talk-show host in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence and Richmond...
(now with NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
) - Mike LupicaMike LupicaMichael Lupica is an American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.-Biography:...
- Ted MallieTed MallieTheodore A. Mallie was an American radio and television announcer.Mallie started at WOR-Mutual Radio in New York in the mid-1940s. There he announced on such programs as John Steele, Adventurer and I Love a Mystery...
- Malachy McCourtMalachy McCourtMalachy Gerard McCourt is an Irish-American actor, writer and politician. He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor in New York State, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He is the younger brother of Frank McCourt.-Personal life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt was raised...
- Mary Helen McPhillipsMary Helen McPhillips-T.V. & Radio Career:McPhillips worked for CBC and CHUM radio in Canada. She moved to New York to work for WOR-TV and radio. She spent 20 years at the company. She appeared on Straight Talk as a public-affairs host in the 70's and 80's, The Martha Deane program, News at Noon as news anchor in the...
- Sean MooneySean MooneySean Mooney is a former World Wrestling Federation play-by-play announcer. He was born and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.-WWF career:Mooney debuted on the May 15, 1988 edition of WWF Wrestling Challenge, replacing announcer Craig DeGeorge....
(now with Fox Sports Arizona) - Bill Ryan
- Rolland SmithRolland SmithRolland G. Smith is a former American television news reporter and anchor who is best known for his time in New York, where he was based for most of his long career. He served as an anchor for WNEW-TV WCBS and WWOR-TV in New York.-Broadcasting career:...
- Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
(now with The Howard Stern Show) - Phil TonkenPhil TonkenPhil Tonken was an American radio and television producer, announcer and voice-over artist....
- Lloyd Lindsay YoungLloyd Lindsay YoungLloyd Lindsay Young is a television weatherman who built a cult following of sorts with his over-the-top delivery and antics. He is the father of former KGET-TV weatherman George Lindsay Young, with whom he worked for several years in New York....
- John ZacherleJohn ZacherleJohn Zacherle is an American television host, radio personality and voice actor known for his long career as a television horror host broadcasting horror movies in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Best known for his character "Roland/Zacherley," he also did voice work for...
2010 Cablevision carriage dispute
At midnight on October 15, 2010, News Corporation pulled the signal of WWOR, along with Fox station WNYW, Fox Business NetworkFox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
, Fox Deportes and National Geographic Wild
National Geographic Wild
Nat Geo WILD is a cable TV channel focused on animal-related programs. It is a sister network to National Geographic Channel and it is the latest channel to be jointly launched by the National Geographic Society and Fox Cable Networks. It first launched in Hong Kong on January 1, 2006, focusing...
from Cablevision systems in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(News Corporation also pulled WNYW sister station WTXF (channel 29) in Philadelphia, from Cablevision's Philadelphia-area system). The removal of these channels was due to an impasse between Fox and Cablevision on a retransmission agreement renewal in which Cablevision claims that News Corporation demanded $150 million a year for access to 12 Fox channels, including those that News Corporation had removed in response to the dispute.
Cablevision called this an "act of corporate greed" on News Corporation's part, stating "This is an unfortunate attempt to get unreasonable and unfair fee increases from Cablevision and our customers." News Corporation responded to Cablevision's claims, stating "During the past year we’ve submitted numerous proposals to Cablevision in an effort to make sure you continue to receive Fox’s programming. Unfortunately, Cablevision has refused to recognize how much you value our programming and as of October 16, has dropped Fox’s television stations in New York (WNYW 5 and WWOR 9) and Philadelphia (WTXF 29) and Fox Networks’ cable channels: FOX Deportes, Nat Geo WILD, and Fox Business Network."
On October 14, 2010 Cablevision said that it was willing to submit to binding arbitration and called on Fox not to remove the channels, though News Corporation chose to reject Cablevision's call for arbitration, stating that it would "reward Cablevision for refusing to negotiate fairly". On October 30, 2010, News Corporation and Cablevision reached a deal, ending the dispute and restoring WWOR, WNYW, WTXF, and the three News Corp-owned cable channels to Cablevision's lineup.
Office locations
WOR-TV's first studio location was in the New Amsterdam Roof Theatre, located on 42nd Street42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
west of Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. This was a temporary setup; some time later the station moved uptown to a new facility on West 67th Street, near the present-day location of WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
.
During the early years of RKO General ownership, WOR-TV moved back to Times Square, and closer to its sister radio stations. Channel 9's studios were co-located with WOR radio at 1440 Broadway for several years, then in 1968 moved to new studios three blocks north at 1481 Broadway, while the station's offices remained at 1440 Broadway. In addition, for several years starting in 1953, it maintained a separate studio for news and special events programming at the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building. (http://hawkins.pair.com/wor-tv-NB_News.html#Move%20to%20Empire) When the WOR-TV license was moved to New Jersey in 1983, the station remained in New York City while a modern complex in Secaucus was being constructed. The new facility, Nine Broadcast Plaza, opened in April 1986.
In 2004, three years after the News Corporation bought the station, it announced that WWOR would leave Secaucus and be consolidated with WNYW at the Fox Television Center in Manhattan. The News Corporation planned to keep 9 Broadcast Plaza as a satellite relay station for WNYW and WWOR (the facility also performs master control operations for Fox-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate WUTB
WUTB
WUTB, digital channel 41, is the MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated television station for Baltimore, Maryland. Its transmitter is located near Gilson Park in Catonsville. The station has studios on Seton Drive in Baltimore near the city and county line...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
). While some office functions have been merged, plans for a full move were scuttled in late 2004 due to pressure from New Jersey Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Steve Rothman
Steve Rothman
Steven R. "Steve" Rothman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Rothman attended Washington University Law School...
(whose congressional district includes Secaucus) and Senator Frank Lautenberg
Frank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
. (http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_022604a.htm, http://www.house.gov/rothman/news_releases/rel_100804.htm) The two lawmakers contended that any move to Manhattan would violate WWOR's conditions of license. When the FCC renewed channel 9's license in 1983 (in accordance with the Bradley-sponsored law), it had required RKO to move the station's main studio to New Jersey and increase coverage of New Jersey events. Had the consolidation occurred, channel 9's news department would have been shut down, or at the very least downsized to the point that it would not be able to adequately cover New Jersey events.
Cultural references
- In the 1971 film ShaftShaft (1971 film)Shaft is a 1971 American blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Parks, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. An action film with elements of film noir, Shaft tells the story of a black private detective, John Shaft, who travels through Harlem and to the Italian mob neighborhoods in order to find the...
, a sign for WOR-TV's studios can be seen for a brief second in the opening sequence (look for the "stylised 9" logo as Richard RoundtreeRichard RoundtreeRichard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Born in New Rochelle, New York, Richard Roundtree graduated from...
, playing the film's title character, walks around Times Square). - A WOR-TV helicopter is shown in the 1975 film Dog Day AfternoonDog Day AfternoonDog Day Afternoon is a 1975 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, and produced by Martin Bregman. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penny Allen, James Broderick, and Carol Kane. The title refers to the "dog days of summer".The film was...
, complete with a video crew trying to get coverage of the bank hold-up; an NYPD helicopter forces WOR's helicopter out of the area. - In the 1983 film Without a TraceWithout a TraceWithout a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
, the main character, played by Kate NelliganKate NelliganPatricia Colleen "Kate" Nelligan is a Canadian BAFTA award winning stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Nelligan, the fourth of six children, was born in London, Ontario, the daughter of Josephine Alice , a schoolteacher, and Patrick Joseph Nelligan, a factory repairman and municipal...
, is interviewed live by a fictional WOR-TV reporter, who has a "9" flag on her microphone and identifies herself with "WOR-TV News". - In 1989/90, WWOR (then owned by MCA) was incorporated into the popular Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
ride, KongfrontationKongfrontationKongfrontation was a ride at the Universal Studios Florida theme park, in Orlando, Florida, the main attraction in the park's New York section. It opened as one of the original attractions at the park on June 7, 1990 and was closed on September 8, 2002. Revenge of the Mummy opened in its place on...
. This ride was sacrificed in 2003 for "Mummy: The Ride", a high-speed indoor rollercoaster. - Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's song "You Can Look, But You Better Not Touch" from his 1980 album, "The River" references Channel 9 in the lyrics. - Newscasts from the station can be seen in the movie Gremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
.
See also
- WOR (AM)WOR (AM)WOR is a class A , AM radio station located in New York, New York, U.S., operating on 710 kHz. The station has a talk format and has been owned by Buckley Broadcasting since 1987, after the station was sold by RKO. The station has conservative, or right-of-center hosts.Its call letters have no...
(710 kHz.) - WRKS-FMWRKS-FMWRKS , known by its on-air branding 98.7 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications...
, the former WOR-FM (98.7 MHz.) - RKO GeneralRKO GeneralRKO General was the main holding company through 1991 for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber Company and, after General Tire's reorganization in the 1980s, GenCorp. The business was based around the consolidation of its parent company's broadcasting interests, dating to 1943, and...
- WWOR EMI ServiceWWOR EMI ServiceWWOR EMI Service was a New York City-based American superstation for Secaucus, NJ-licensed WWOR-TV Channel 9, uplinked from Syracuse, New York to satellite by Eastern Microwave, Inc., who later sold the satellite distribution rights to Advance Entertainment Corporation, which was owned by Advance...
, the national version of WWOR-TV seen outside the New York market from 1979 to 1997
External links
- WOR/WWOR-TV Classic and Current Station IDs/Promos (Currently undergoing maintenance; date of return unknown)
- Two articles about WOR-TV's premiere night on the air in 1949
- "Thames on 9" -- WOR-TV's prime-time schedule from 6-10 September 1976, when Thames took over channel 9
- WWOR-TV logos and screenshots from 1950s to the present day