WNWT-LD

WNWT-LD is a low-power television station serving the New York City metropolitan television market. Although its license is classified as low power, the station operates through a channel-sharing arrangement with WJLP, allowing it to use WJLP's full-power transmission facilities and reach viewers across the market. The stations share studio facilities in Freehold Township, New Jersey, while their transmission facilities are located at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. The station traces its licensing history to 1989, when it was established as a proposed second over-the-air television station for Brooklyn. It did not begin broadcasting until 1998, initially using the call sign W38CL and a channel 38 allocation. Because channel 38 was subsequently associated with WWOR-TV's digital operation and WPXU-LP in Amityville, the station moved to channel 3 and later adopted the callsigns W03BM and WBQM-LP. During its early years, it carried music-video programming, first from The Box and later MTV2. In 2006, it changed to Cornerstone Television programming. Ownership and programming changed repeatedly during the station's first two decades. Renard Communications Corporation announced a proposed 2007 sale of WBQM-LP and WMBQ-CA to Equity Media Holdings for $8 million, but the transaction was not completed. Equity subsequently entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leaving Renard as the relevant owner at the time. In February 2012, Renard reached an agreement to sell WBQM-LD to Buenavision TV Network NY, LLC. Under Buenavision, the station adopted a Spanish-language independent format and briefly carried CNN en Español on multiple digital subchannels. CNN en Español was removed in 2014 after the service moved to WRNN-TV. The station's virtual channel identity changed several times as it navigated spectrum and market conflicts in the New York and Philadelphia areas. It used virtual channel 3 after its digital conversion, moved to channel 51 in late 2013, and later used temporary virtual channels 6 and 18 in 2019. These changes were intended to avoid confusion or conflicts with neighboring-market stations, including KYW-TV, NJ PBS, WPVI-TV, and WUVN. On August 1, 2019, it settled on virtual channel 37, an unusual assignment in North American television. In December 2018, Buenavision agreed to sell the station to PMCM TV for more than $300,000. The transaction closed in February 2019, making the station a sister outlet to WJLP. The call sign changed from WBQM-LD to WNWT-LD in April 2019. In May, the station became a primary affiliate of NewsNet. During the summer of 2019, it briefly carried weather programming that simulcast WJLP, while a weather service was placed on a secondary subchannel, before returning to NewsNet. In October 2021, PMCM announced an agreement to sell WNWT-LD and WJLP to Weigel Broadcasting for $62.5 million. Weigel completed the acquisition in January 2022. Several months afterward, WNWT-LD changed to Story Television, a Weigel-owned network focused on documentary and historical programming.

WNWT-LD originated as a proposed television station established in 1989 to serve Brooklyn and the surrounding New York market. Broadcasting did not begin until 1998, when the station operated as W38CL on channel 38 from a facility associated with Sound Shore Medical Center in New Rochelle. The original allocation became impractical after channel 38 was connected with WWOR-TV's digital operation and WPXU-LP, leading the station to move to channel 3 and use the call sign W03BM. The station's initial programming reflected the changing economics of low-power television. It carried The Box during the 1990s and later MTV2 following a transfer of programming interests involving Viacom. In early 2006, it switched to Cornerstone Television. The station was then associated with Renard Communications, which announced a proposed sale to Equity Media Holdings in 2007. The transaction, involving WBQM-LP and WMBQ-CA, was never completed, and Equity entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008. In February 2012, Renard reached a new agreement to sell WBQM-LD to Buenavision TV Network NY, LLC. By February 2013, the station was carrying CNN en Español on virtual channels 3.1 and 3.4, with Buenavision's own Spanish-language service on 3.2. Its virtual channel changed to 51 later that year, while its physical transmission frequency remained unchanged. CNN en Español left the station in 2014 after moving to WRNN-TV, returning WBQM-LD to a Spanish independent format. The station changed ownership again when Buenavision agreed in December 2018 to sell WBQM-LD to PMCM TV. The sale closed on February 19, 2019, making the station a sister property of WJLP. Its call sign became WNWT-LD on April 18, and it joined NewsNet as a primary affiliate on May 1. During July 2019, WNWT-LD used temporary virtual channels 6 and 18 and briefly carried weather reports that simulcast WJLP. The station later returned to NewsNet, while a weather service was assigned to a secondary subchannel. On August 1, 2019, the station adopted virtual channel 37. The sequence of virtual-channel changes reflected the scarcity of suitable assignments in the New York and Philadelphia markets and concerns about conflicts with established stations in neighboring areas. Its low-power license status was supplemented by a channel-sharing agreement with WJLP, enabling use of WJLP's full-power spectrum and broad market coverage. WNWT-LD and WJLP maintain studios in Freehold Township, New Jersey, and transmit from One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. PMCM announced in October 2021 that it would sell WNWT-LD and WJLP to Weigel Broadcasting of Chicago for $62.5 million. The acquisition closed on January 7, 2022. Following the transaction, WNWT-LD eventually moved away from its earlier NewsNet and weather-related arrangements and became an outlet for Weigel's Story Television network, which specializes in documentary and historical programming.

• 2022

  Acquired by Weigel Broadcasting

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Weigel completed its purchase of WNWT-LD and WJLP, after which WNWT-LD later adopted Story Television programming.

• 2019

  Becomes WNWT-LD and joins NewsNet

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Following its sale to PMCM, the station adopted the WNWT-LD call sign and became a primary NewsNet affiliate.

• 2019

  Adopts virtual channel 37

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station settled on virtual channel 37 after temporary assignments on channels 6 and 18.

• 2013

  CNN en Español affiliation

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  WBQM-LD began carrying CNN en Español on digital subchannels and changed its virtual channel from 3 to 51 later in the year.

• 2012

  Buenavision acquisition agreement

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Renard agreed to sell WBQM-LD to Buenavision TV Network NY, LLC.

• 2006

  Moves to Cornerstone Television

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed from music-oriented programming to Cornerstone Television.

• 1998

  Broadcasting begins as W38CL

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station began broadcasting on channel 38 under the W38CL call sign.

• 1989

  Station established

  [1]WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The predecessor license was established as a proposed second over-the-air television station for Brooklyn.

A New York metropolitan-area broadcast outlet positioned primarily as a distribution platform for national multicast network programming, currently Story Television, rather than as a conventional locally produced general-entertainment station.

• Digital multicast television network

  Story Television

  Story Television is the station's current network programming service under Weigel Broadcasting ownership. The network is oriented toward documentary, historical, and factual programming, giving WNWT-LD a national multicast identity rather than a primarily locally produced schedule.

• Television news network · 2019

  NewsNet

  WNWT-LD carried NewsNet as a primary affiliate beginning in May 2019. The affiliation formed part of the station's transition after its acquisition by PMCM and preceded its later move to Weigel's Story Television service.

• Spanish-language news network · 2013

  CNN en Español

  During its Buenavision period, the station transmitted CNN en Español on two digital subchannels while using another subchannel for local Buenavision programming. The arrangement ended in 2014 when CNN en Español moved to WRNN-TV.

• Spanish-language independent television · 2012

  Buenavision television service

  Buenavision programming occupied a digital subchannel after the station's acquisition by Buenavision TV Network NY. It represented the station's Spanish-language independent identity before later network affiliations and ownership changes.

• 2022

  Transitioned to Weigel Broadcasting ownershipM&A

  Background

  PMCM placed WNWT-LD and sister station WJLP under an acquisition agreement with Weigel Broadcasting.

  Action taken

  Weigel completed the transaction on January 7, 2022.

  Aftermath

  WNWT-LD later became a Story Television outlet within Weigel's multicast network portfolio.

  Transaction value. $62.5 million announced purchase price for WNWT-LD and WJLP combined (Announced October 2021; completed January 7, 2022)

  Source

• 2019

  Adopted NewsNet as primary affiliationStrategy

  Background

  After PMCM completed its acquisition of the former WBQM-LD, the station needed a new programming identity and became affiliated with NewsNet.

  Action taken

  WNWT-LD changed its call sign and began carrying NewsNet as its primary service on May 1, 2019.

  Aftermath

  The station later experimented with weather-related programming and ultimately moved to Story Television after its acquisition by Weigel Broadcasting.

  Source

• 2019

  Settled on virtual channel 37Generation change

  Background

  The station had used several virtual channels because of allocation constraints and potential conflicts with established stations in the New York, Philadelphia, and Hartford markets.

  Action taken

  On August 1, 2019, WNWT-LD adopted virtual channel 37 after temporary use of channels 6 and 18.

  Aftermath

  The assignment gave the station a stable on-screen channel identity while it continued using a channel-sharing arrangement with WJLP.

  Source

1. 1WNWT-LDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Buenavision TV Networkbuenavisiontv.com