WUTV
WUTV is a broadcast television station in
Buffalo, New York, affiliated with the
Fox network. It broadcasts on channel 29. WUTV is owned by the
Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also owns
WNYO, the
WB affiliate in the Buffalo market. WUTV's transmitter is located on
Grand Island, New York at 951 Whitehaven Road.
WUTV does not currently air a newscast (and has not done so for many years), making Buffalo the largest television market in the US whose Fox affiliate does not offer news. Rather, they advertise the newscast of
WNYO on their station. WUTV heavily targets its Canadian audience in
Toronto and
Southern Ontario, whom the station assumes would rather watch syndicated entertainment programming, such as
sitcom reruns, than Buffalo news.
WUTV began operation on
December 21 1970 as a general entertainment
independent station, airing cartoons, sitcoms, old movies, and drama shows. The station was owned by Ultravision Broadcasting Company from which the UTV in the WUTV callsign originate. Ultravision head and WUTV founder Stan Jasinski had first filed an application for the station's licence in
1963. WUTV was the only independent station in Buffalo for many years. The station was owned by Citadel Broadcasting by the early
1980s.
In
1989,
Act III Broadcasting (which owned WNYB/49, now
WNYO) offered to buy WUTV, and Citadel accepted. Act III then integrated WNYB's programming into WUTV's lineup, and sold WNYB to Tri-State Christian Television (Act III was known for such acquisition practices).
The sale was finalized in June
1990, and WUTV replaced WNYB as the market's
Fox affiliate. Abry became the owner of WUTV in
1994 following its purchase of the Act III group, and WUTV began to carry a secondary
UPN affiliation in
1995. (The UPN affiliation subsequently moved to
WNGS in
1997, then
WNLO in
2003.)
Sinclair became the owner of WUTV in
1997 following its purchase of Abry, and bought WNYO in
2001, making WUTV and WNYO sister stations under more relaxed station ownership rules.
Get to know us (1980 - 1985)
The Great Entertainer (1985 - 1990)
Gimme Fox (1995 - 1996)
Only One Buffalo... Only One FOX... FOX 29 (1998 - 2000)
Just One Buffalo... Just One Fox*U's place (
1996 -
1997) hosted by Craig. It also features a television buddy U.
*The station is also known for regularly airing "ambulance chaser" commercials.
*Fox Kids (Fox Box) 1992-2001
*
WUTV Fox 29 Homepage
