KWWF

KWWF was a television station licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, serving the Eastern Iowa television market. The station broadcast on channel 22 and transmitted from a site near Walker, Iowa. It began operations on December 1, 2002, initially using a low-cost schedule made up of infomercials, home-shopping programming, and public-domain reruns. It later carried religious programming supplied by LeSEA Broadcasting. A significant change came in 2004, when Equity Broadcasting acquired KWWF and repositioned it as a general-entertainment station. On September 13, 2004, it became an affiliate of UPN. Under Equity, the station's master-control operation was based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with programming and signal distribution relayed by satellite to the Iowa transmitter and local cable systems. UPN affiliation also helped KWWF obtain broader cable carriage across its market. KWWF's network position changed after UPN and The WB were combined into The CW. Equity Broadcasting declined to affiliate its stations with The CW and did not adopt the replacement MyNetworkTV service. In the Waterloo market, KWKB received those network affiliations, while KWWF turned to Equity's Retro Television Network. Most RTN programming was subsequently moved away from KWWF in 2008 and placed on a digital subchannel of KWWL. KWWF then operated as an independent station, showing syndicated programming and selected live productions associated with Equity's television operations. The station's later years were shaped by Equity Broadcasting's financial collapse and by the technical requirements of the United States digital-television transition. KWWF was sold at auction to Valley Bank on April 16, 2009, as part of Equity's bankruptcy proceedings. Valley Bank later sought approval to sell the station to an ownership group associated with Fusion Communications. Because KWWF had received an original construction permit after the Federal Communications Commission's 1997 digital-allotment deadline, it did not receive a separate digital companion channel. It therefore had to perform a flash cut from analog to digital service. The station ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, the final deadline established after the digital-transition schedule was extended by federal legislation. Fusion Communications constructed a temporary digital facility near Walker, allowing KWWF to preserve a signal for cable viewers. Following the transition, the station carried Untamed Sports TV. Although the station transmitted in 720p, the network's programming feed was not maintained in high definition and the schedule was distributed in standard definition. Fusion Communications was acquired by Stratus Media Holdings in 2012. KWWF stopped broadcasting on August 2, 2013, citing financial difficulties. Its owners filed a request with the FCC for authority to remain silent on August 8, 2013. Stratus ultimately surrendered the station's license on March 14, 2014, and the FCC canceled it approximately one week later. KWWF therefore ceased to exist as an operating broadcast station and is now a defunct television brand.

KWWF was established as a channel 22 television station licensed to Waterloo, Iowa, and serving the Eastern Iowa market. It launched on December 1, 2002. Its first schedule reflected the economics of a new independent station, relying on infomercials, home-shopping content, and public-domain reruns. The station later added religious programs supplied by LeSEA Broadcasting. Equity Broadcasting purchased KWWF in 2004 and quickly changed its role from a largely low-cost independent outlet to a general-entertainment station. The station became affiliated with UPN on September 13, 2004, and gained additional cable carriage around the market. Equity's centralized operating structure placed KWWF's master control in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Iowa transmitter and area cable systems received the station's programming through a satellite distribution arrangement. The end of UPN created another transition. When UPN and The WB were combined to form The CW, Equity Broadcasting refused to affiliate its stations with the new network. KWWF also did not take the alternative MyNetworkTV affiliation; those affiliations went to KWKB in the market. Equity instead used its own Retro Television Network to fill the programming gap. In 2008, however, most RTN content was shifted from KWWF to a digital subchannel of KWWL. KWWF reverted to an independent schedule consisting of syndicated programs and a limited number of live shows produced by Equity and distributed among its affiliated stations. The station's ownership and technical future became uncertain during Equity Broadcasting's financial troubles. Equity's parent corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2008. KWWF faced a special digital-transition problem because its original construction permit was granted after the FCC finalized its digital television allotment plan in 1997. It therefore had no companion digital channel and had to replace its analog operation with a digital signal in a flash cut. The station's filings indicated that it might have to go silent if financing and court approval for digital facilities could not be obtained. KWWF was sold at auction to Valley Bank on April 16, 2009. Valley Bank subsequently filed to sell the station to an ownership group connected with Fusion Communications. The federal DTV Delay Act moved the national transition deadline to June 12, 2009. Fusion built a temporary digital site near Walker, allowing KWWF to preserve service to cable systems. On June 12, the station ended its analog transmission and moved from the former Equity facility to Fusion's Iowa master-control operation. It later carried Untamed Sports TV. The station transmitted using a 720p format, although Untamed Sports did not provide a high-definition feed and its programming was delivered in standard definition. Fusion Communications was acquired by Stratus Media Holdings in 2012. KWWF's operation did not remain financially sustainable. It ceased broadcasting on August 2, 2013, and its owners filed an FCC notification of suspension of operations and request for silent special temporary authority on August 8. Stratus surrendered the license on March 14, 2014. The FCC canceled the license roughly one week later, ending KWWF's legal existence as a broadcast station.

• 2014

  License surrendered and canceled

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  Stratus surrenders KWWF's license on March 14, and the FCC cancels it about a week later.

• 2013

  Broadcast operations cease

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  KWWF stops broadcasting on August 2 because of financial difficulties.

• 2012

  Fusion Communications acquired by Stratus Media Holdings

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  Stratus Media Holdings acquires Fusion Communications, placing KWWF under Stratus ownership.

• 2009

  Bankruptcy auction and digital transition

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  Valley Bank acquires the station at auction, while Fusion Communications arranges a temporary digital facility. KWWF ends analog broadcasting on June 12.

• 2008

  RTN programming largely moves to KWWL

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  Most Retro Television Network programming leaves KWWF for a digital subchannel of KWWL, and KWWF resumes independent programming.

• 2006

  Transition to Retro Television Network

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  After Equity declines The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliations, KWWF adopts programming from Equity's Retro Television Network.

• 2004

  Equity Broadcasting acquisition and UPN affiliation

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  Equity Broadcasting acquires KWWF and turns it toward general entertainment. The station joins UPN on September 13.

• 2002

  Station launches

  [1]KWWFen.wikipedia.org

  KWWF begins broadcasting on December 1 from Waterloo, initially using infomercials, home shopping, public-domain reruns, and later religious programming.

KWWF evolved from a low-cost independent station into a general-entertainment broadcaster, then operated through several network and syndicated-programming models before closing.

• Television broadcasting · 2002

  KWWF channel 22 broadcast service

  KWWF's core offering was an over-the-air television service licensed to Waterloo and aimed at viewers in Eastern Iowa. Its schedule changed substantially over time, moving from infomercials, shopping, reruns, and religious programming to general entertainment, UPN programming, Retro Television Network content, syndicated shows, and later Untamed Sports TV.

• Network-affiliated programming · 2004

  UPN affiliation

  From September 2004 until the end of UPN's operation, KWWF carried programming from the United Paramount Network. The affiliation marked the station's principal move into a conventional general-entertainment network schedule and supported wider carriage on cable systems in the Eastern Iowa market.

• Classic television programming · 2006

  Retro Television Network programming

  KWWF adopted Equity Broadcasting's Retro Television Network programming after Equity declined to affiliate the station with The CW or MyNetworkTV. Most of this programming was removed from KWWF in 2008 and transferred to a digital subchannel of KWWL.

• Sports television programming · 2009

  Untamed Sports TV programming

  After its 2009 digital transition, KWWF was affiliated with Untamed Sports TV. The station transmitted in 720p, but the network did not maintain a high-definition programming feed, so the schedule was carried in standard definition.

• 2013

  KWWF suspends broadcastingStrategy

  Background

  The station faced continuing financial difficulties after multiple ownership and programming changes.

  Action taken

  KWWF ceased broadcasting on August 2 and filed an FCC notification seeking authority to remain silent.

  Aftermath

  Stratus surrendered the license in March 2014, after which the FCC canceled it.

  Source

• 2009

  KWWF completes a flash cut to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  Because its original construction permit was issued after the FCC's digital allotment plan, KWWF did not have a separate companion digital channel. Equity's bankruptcy also complicated financing and construction of digital facilities.

  Action taken

  Fusion Communications built a temporary digital site near Walker, and KWWF ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009.

  Aftermath

  The station continued supplying a signal to cable systems and later carried Untamed Sports TV, although its programming was distributed in standard definition.

  Source

• 2006

  Equity declines The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliationsStrategy

  Background

  The creation of The CW ended UPN programming and created a need for replacement network affiliations.

  Action taken

  Equity refused to affiliate KWWF with The CW and did not select MyNetworkTV, instead using its own Retro Television Network.

  Aftermath

  KWKB received the replacement network affiliations in the market, while KWWF carried RTN programming before later returning to an independent schedule.

  Source

• 2004

  Equity Broadcasting acquires KWWFM&A

  Background

  KWWF began as a small independent station with a low-cost schedule. Equity Broadcasting acquired it and sought to reposition it as a general-entertainment outlet.

  Action taken

  Equity purchased the station and added a UPN affiliation on September 13, 2004.

  Aftermath

  KWWF gained a more conventional network schedule and broader cable carriage in the Eastern Iowa market.

  Source

1. 1KWWFen.wikipedia.org