WFTC

WFTC is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving the Twin Cities region. Although historically associated with channel 29, the station currently operates primarily on digital channel 9.2 and is paired with Fox-owned sister station KMSP-TV, the market’s Fox affiliate. WFTC is programmed mainly as an independent station and also carries MyNetworkTV programming. Its over-the-air services are supplemented by KFTC in Bemidji and a network of translators serving portions of Minnesota. The station began broadcasting on October 6, 1982, as WFBT-TV on channel 29. Its original owners, Channel 29 Television and the Faith Broadcasting Network, intended to combine Christian ministry programs with family-oriented entertainment and classic television. The mixture failed to establish a strong commercial position: religious viewers objected to some secular programs, while general audiences were not consistently attracted to the ministry-heavy schedule. The station’s early ratings and advertising performance were weak. A change in ownership in 1984 brought a major repositioning. The Beverly Hills Hotel Corporation took control, changed the call sign to KITN-TV, and relaunched the station with syndicated entertainment, movies, and a much smaller religious component. Nationwide Communications acquired KITN in 1985. Under those owners, KITN developed an important sports profile, obtaining or sharing broadcast rights involving the Minnesota North Stars, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Twins, Big Ten athletics, and University of Minnesota sports at different points. The station marketed itself as “The KITN That Roars,” including a cougar-themed promotional identity. KITN became the Twin Cities’ Fox affiliate in 1988 after KMSP-TV declined to continue carrying Fox’s expanding schedule. The Fox affiliation gave channel 29 a stronger network platform, but increasing Fox programming gradually reduced the station’s ability to carry local sports. Clear Channel Television purchased the station in 1993 and changed its call sign to WFTC in September 1994, using the letters to evoke “Fox Twin Cities.” WFTC became Clear Channel’s largest-market television property and, by 2001, its highest-billing station. The station entered local news in April 2001 with a 9 p.m. newscast. That investment was complicated by News Corporation’s acquisition of Chris-Craft Television, owner of KMSP-TV. Fox elected to move its Twin Cities affiliation to KMSP, which had a stronger existing news operation, while WFTC became a UPN affiliate in September 2002. WFTC’s newsroom was integrated in part with KMSP’s operation; its late news was moved from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., but ratings declined and the newscast was discontinued in June 2006. After UPN and The WB were replaced by The CW in 2006, Fox created MyNetworkTV for stations left without a major network affiliation, including WFTC. The station subsequently carried MyNetworkTV while operating with a broader independent schedule. In 2017 it adopted the Fox 9+ brand and began airing a 7 p.m. local newscast produced in conjunction with KMSP. WFTC therefore functions today as part of Fox’s Twin Cities station operation rather than as a standalone full-service news outlet.

WFTC’s origins date to a 1976 application by the Faith Broadcasting Network for a Minneapolis television allocation on channel 29. The project encountered tower and construction complications before obtaining a construction permit in 1981. Faith later sold most of the station’s ownership to Channel 29 Television to improve its financial qualifications and secure access to the KMSP tower. WFBT-TV finally signed on in October 1982 from facilities in Brooklyn Park. The original concept combined Christian programming with family-friendly general entertainment. Religious productions came from local ministries and national suppliers, while the entertainment schedule included classic series and other programs considered suitable for broad audiences. The format did not attract enough viewers or advertisers, and the station’s early fundraising and ratings results were disappointing. The Beverly Hills Hotel Corporation acquired the station in 1984. Under its control, the call sign became KITN-TV and the schedule shifted toward syndicated series, movies, and sports. Nationwide Communications bought the station the following year. KITN competed actively for local sports rights, carrying packages involving the North Stars, Timberwolves, Twins, Big Ten, and Minnesota Golden Gophers. Its sports strategy helped distinguish it from other independent outlets even though it remained behind the market’s leading independent station in ratings. In 1988, KITN inherited Fox’s Twin Cities affiliation from KMSP-TV. Clear Channel Television purchased the station in 1993 and renamed it WFTC in 1994. The station continued as a Fox affiliate and became an increasingly valuable Clear Channel property. In 2001, it launched a local 9 p.m. newscast, but the investment coincided with uncertainty over Fox’s future in the market. News Corporation’s purchase of Chris-Craft Television gave Fox control of KMSP-TV, which had a more established news department and a stronger market profile. Fox subsequently exchanged WFTC with Clear Channel in a broader station transaction and moved the Fox affiliation to KMSP in September 2002. WFTC became a UPN affiliate, while its news programming was moved to 10 p.m. and operational functions were consolidated with KMSP. The WFTC newscast ended in 2006 after weak ratings. When UPN and The WB were replaced by The CW, Fox launched MyNetworkTV. WFTC joined that service while also functioning as an independent-style entertainment station. Fox Television Stations later developed a shared Fox 9+ identity for WFTC and KMSP-related local programming. Since 2017, WFTC has carried a 7 p.m. local newscast and continues to distribute television programming across the Twin Cities through its digital services, with KFTC in Bemidji rebroadcasting the principal services of WFTC and KMSP.

• 2017

  Fox 9+ branding introduced

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  WFTC adopted the Fox 9+ identity and began carrying a 7 p.m. local newscast.

• 2006

  News operation ends

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  WFTC’s local newscast was canceled on June 30 after the affiliation transition and weak ratings.

• 2002

  Affiliation exchange with KMSP

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Fox moved to KMSP and WFTC became a UPN affiliate on September 8.

• 2001

  Local news launches

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  WFTC introduced a weekday 9 p.m. newscast on April 23.

• 1999

  KFTC launches in Bemidji

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Clear Channel’s Bemidji station began operating as a WFTC satellite.

• 1994

  WFTC call sign adopted

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call letters to WFTC in September.

• 1993

  Clear Channel acquisition

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Clear Channel Television acquired the station from Nationwide Communications.

• 1988

  Fox affiliation begins

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  KITN became Fox’s Twin Cities affiliate after KMSP ended its relationship with the network.

• 1985

  Nationwide Communications acquisition

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Nationwide purchased KITN-TV and expanded its entertainment and sports strategy.

• 1984

  KITN-TV relaunch

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call sign and adopted a conventional independent format.

• 1982

  WFBT-TV signs on

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Broadcasting began on October 6 with ministry and family entertainment programming.

• 1981

  Construction permit issued

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  After ownership and tower disputes, the proposed channel 29 station received authorization to proceed.

• 1976

  Faith Broadcasting Network applies for channel 29

  [1]WFTCen.wikipedia.org

  Faith Broadcasting Network submitted an FCC application to build a family-oriented Christian independent station in Minneapolis.

A Fox-owned, locally branded independent television outlet serving the Twin Cities, combining syndicated and entertainment programming with selected local news and a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.

• Television broadcasting · 1982

  WFTC broadcast service

  The station’s core service provides entertainment, syndicated programming, local content, and network programming to viewers in the Minneapolis–St. Paul market through digital television. WFTC primarily operates as an independent outlet while maintaining a MyNetworkTV affiliation.

• Local television programming · 2017

  Fox 9+

  Introduced in 2017, Fox 9+ is the station’s local-facing identity and includes a 7 p.m. newscast produced within the Fox-owned Twin Cities television operation. The brand extends the Fox 9 presence beyond the primary KMSP channel.

• Television network affiliation · 2006

  MyNetworkTV programming

  WFTC carries MyNetworkTV programming as a secondary affiliation within an otherwise independent-style schedule. The affiliation began in 2006 after Fox’s former UPN stations were generally not selected for The CW.

• Sports broadcasting · 1984

  Sports telecasts

  Historically, the station built a strong local sports presence through broadcasts involving the Minnesota North Stars, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Twins, Big Ten athletics, and University of Minnesota teams. Most of these rights are historical rather than current.

• 2017Fox 9+

  Minneapolis–St. Paul

  WFTC adopted the Fox 9+ brand to connect its local programming with sister station KMSP-TV’s Fox 9 identity.

  Outcome. The rebrand accompanied the launch of a 7 p.m. local newscast.

  Source
• 1985The KITN That Roars

  Minneapolis–St. Paul

  KITN used an animal-themed promotional identity centered on a growling cougar to signal its aggressive new independent-station positioning.

  Outcome. The campaign supported the station’s entertainment and sports repositioning under Nationwide ownership.

  Source

• 2017

  Fox 9+ local programming expansionProduct launch

  Background

  Fox Television Stations maintained separate but coordinated services in the Twin Cities through KMSP and WFTC.

  Action taken

  WFTC adopted the Fox 9+ brand and began airing a 7 p.m. local newscast.

  Aftermath

  The station gained a clearer relationship to KMSP’s Fox 9 brand while retaining its own broadcast outlet.

  Source

• 2006

  Adoption of MyNetworkTVStrategy

  Background

  The UPN and WB networks were being replaced by The CW, while Fox stations that were not selected needed a new network service.

  Action taken

  Fox created MyNetworkTV and affiliated WFTC with the service.

  Aftermath

  WFTC continued as an independent-style entertainment station with a secondary network affiliation.

  Source

• 2002

  Fox–UPN affiliation switchStrategy

  Background

  News Corporation’s acquisition of KMSP’s owner gave Fox control of a station with a stronger news operation and market profile.

  Action taken

  Fox moved its affiliation to KMSP while WFTC took the UPN affiliation on September 8.

  Aftermath

  WFTC’s news and operating functions were partly consolidated with KMSP, and the station later became a MyNetworkTV outlet.

  Source

• 2001

  Launch of local 9 p.m. newscastProduct launch

  Background

  WFTC was the largest-market Fox affiliate without a local news operation and sought to broaden its service offering.

  Action taken

  The station launched Fox 29 News at 9 on April 23.

  Aftermath

  The newscast attracted a small audience compared with KMSP’s established late news and was later moved to 10 p.m. before cancellation in 2006.

  Source

• 1988

  Fox affiliation acquisitionStrategy

  Background

  KMSP-TV declined to continue carrying Fox’s expanding schedule, particularly after disputes over the network’s Saturday lineup.

  Action taken

  KITN-TV accepted Fox’s full Twin Cities affiliation beginning in September.

  Aftermath

  The station gained a national network platform and later changed its call sign to WFTC to reinforce the Fox connection.

  Source

• 1984

  Shift from Christian independent to general entertainment stationStrategy

  Background

  The initial ministry-heavy format produced weak ratings and limited advertising appeal.

  Action taken

  New ownership relaunched the station as KITN-TV with syndicated programs, movies, sports, and only limited religious programming.

  Aftermath

  The station became a more competitive independent and developed a substantial sports identity.

  Source

1. 1WFTCen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Fox Television Stationsfoxtvstations.com