WRNN-TV

WRNN-TV is a full-power television station licensed to New Rochelle, New York, and serving the New York City metropolitan area. The station is associated with RNN Media Group, a television business operated by the French family, and functions as the flagship and namesake outlet of the group. Its principal studio and administrative facilities are in Rye Brook, New York, with historical and continuing operational links to facilities in Kingston and Manhattan. The station currently uses a channel-sharing arrangement with WWOR-TV, transmitting through WWOR's spectrum from the antenna atop One World Trade Center. The station's direct predecessor was WTZA, which returned channel 62 to the air on December 15, 1985, from Kingston. WTZA was established as an independent station intended to serve the Mid-Hudson Valley, a region that had historically lacked a locally based television outlet because of its proximity to both the New York City and Albany markets. Its call letters referred to the area between the Tappan Zee and Albany, and its schedule combined syndicated series, films, children's programs, public-affairs content, local sports, and a modest news operation. The station also reached portions of the Capital District and northern suburbs of New York City. WTZA's commercial position weakened in the early 1990s as larger New York City and Albany stations secured territorial rights to attractive syndicated programs. In 1993, the station was sold to Harrison, New York businessman Richard French Jr. The new ownership turned the outlet into a more family-centered operation. His son, Richard French III, became general manager and later served as news director and the principal host of the station's signature public-affairs programming. In 1995, the station adopted the WRNN-TV call sign and the slogan “Your Regional News Network.” General-entertainment programming was progressively replaced with a news-intensive schedule. At its height, WRNN offered extensive weekday coverage and maintained bureaus in locations including the Capital District, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Its programming emphasized regional politics, public affairs, and news analysis, although the station's coverage and editorial focus increasingly reflected the French family's Westchester base. Financial constraints reduced the news schedule in 1999, and the station subsequently experimented with targeting New York City viewers through cable distribution, a Manhattan studio, and a temporary simulcast on a low-power station. WRNN continued to vary its mix of locally produced news, political discussion, syndicated material, and international programming. It partnered with The Journal News on Newscenter Now in 2007 and produced programming for Verizon FiOS1 from 2009 until that service ended in November 2019. Richard French Live remained a recognizable component of the station's identity until its original news-analysis format ended in May 2021. A major structural change came through the FCC spectrum incentive auction. WRNN's broadcast spectrum was sold for $212 million, after which the station entered a channel-sharing agreement with Fox Television Stations and WWOR-TV. Because WWOR's transmission facilities did not adequately serve Kingston, WRNN changed its city of license to New Rochelle. Channel sharing began on May 1, 2018. In 2021, WRNN became an affiliate of the home-shopping service ShopHQ, replacing much of its former news-oriented schedule. Following iMedia Brands' 2023 bankruptcy and the subsequent change in ownership and affiliation arrangements, the station group moved to Shop LC programming beginning in 2024. WRNN remains an operating broadcast station, but its present role is primarily that of a home-shopping affiliate supplemented by limited public-affairs content and selected station programming.

The channel allocation later associated with WRNN-TV has a complex New York metropolitan history. Channel 62 was first used in the area by W62AA, a translator established in 1970 by Screen Gems Broadcasting, then associated with Columbia Pictures. W62AA rebroadcast WNJU-TV and operated from the Empire State Building after many major New York stations moved their transmitters to the World Trade Center. The translator left the air in 1983 after changes in the upper UHF spectrum and the expansion of WNJU's own coverage. A full-power station using the channel allocation was authorized for Kingston, New York, in 1983. The facility returned to the air on December 15, 1985, under the call letters WTZA. Its initial ownership group was led by Albany-area businessman Edward Swyer and operated under WTZA-TV Associates. The call letters represented the station's intended coverage region, described by the slogan “From the Tappan Zee to Albany.” WTZA served the Mid-Hudson Valley as an independent station, using films, syndicated reruns, children's programs, public affairs, and sports to fill its schedule. It broadcast local college and high-school sports, Army football, Hudson Valley Renegades baseball, and college basketball, including Marist College games. WTZA also developed a small local news operation under former CNN executive producer Gerry Harrington. The station attempted to cover the broad area between New York City and Albany, including weather forecasts for both metropolitan regions. Its geographic position gave it a potentially useful regional footprint, but also placed it in competition with larger stations that controlled the most desirable syndicated programming. By the early 1990s, WTZA was losing access to prominent programs as New York City and Albany outlets asserted territorial rights. The station was sold in 1993 to Harrison businessman Richard French Jr. Under French ownership, the station became a family-run enterprise. Richard French III became general manager and eventually assumed responsibility for news direction and on-air political programming. In early 1995, much of the remaining general-entertainment schedule was replaced by infomercials. In October of that year, the station became WRNN-TV, with “Your Regional News Network” serving as both identity and programming promise. WRNN initially operated a highly ambitious news format, with programming seven days a week and round-the-clock weekday coverage. It established bureaus in the Capital District and Long Island and in neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut, while adding a strong emphasis on regional politics and public affairs. The format was expensive to sustain. Budget pressure reduced the news schedule in 1999 to weekday evenings. Around the same period, WRNN attempted to broaden its relevance in New York City. It opened a Manhattan studio and arranged for its evening news to be simulcast on a low-power station, partly to pursue cable carriage and must-carry visibility. The strategy was constrained by the station's weak over-the-air reach in the five boroughs and by the absence of carriage on the area's dominant cable systems. The New York City effort eventually ended, although WRNN later gained broader cable and satellite distribution. WRNN opened a principal studio facility in Rye Brook in 2005 while retaining facilities in Kingston and Manhattan. Its programming continued to change over time. In 2007, it partnered with The Journal News on Newscenter Now, a two-hour weeknight newscast. The program ended in September 2008 and was replaced by syndicated programming and Real Politics Live. In 2009, WRNN began producing news for Verizon FiOS1, a regional news service carried on Verizon Fios systems. Verizon later declined to renew its agreement with RNN, and FiOS1 shut down in November 2019. The station's transmission model changed substantially after the FCC incentive auction. WRNN's spectrum was sold for $212 million. In a 2018 FCC filing, the station disclosed a channel-sharing agreement with Fox Television Stations and WWOR-TV. Because WWOR's transmission system did not adequately cover Kingston, WRNN changed its city of license to New Rochelle. The shared operation began on May 1, 2018, with transmission using WWOR's spectrum from One World Trade Center. WRNN's programming identity changed again in 2021. RNN and iMedia Brands agreed to affiliate most RNN stations with ShopHQ, and WRNN began carrying the home-shopping network on June 28. Richard French Live ended its original news-analysis format shortly beforehand, although a reformatted version containing recorded commentary and material from progressive radio personalities continued to provide limited public-affairs programming. iMedia Brands entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023. A proposed sale of its assets to RNN Media Group was later superseded by another bid for ShopHQ. Beginning in 2024, WRNN's station group switched its home-shopping affiliation to Shop LC. The station remains active as a New York-area broadcaster with a primarily commercial home-shopping schedule.

• 2024

  Shop LC affiliation begins

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station group changed its home-shopping affiliation from ShopHQ to Shop LC.

• 2023

  ShopHQ ownership process follows iMedia bankruptcy

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  iMedia Brands entered Chapter 11, followed by competing proposals concerning ShopHQ's assets.

• 2021

  ShopHQ affiliation begins

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WRNN began carrying ShopHQ programming after an affiliation agreement between RNN and iMedia Brands.

• 2018

  Channel-sharing operation begins

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WRNN changed its city of license to New Rochelle and began sharing WWOR-TV's broadcast channel.

• 2009

  FiOS1 production begins

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  RNN began producing news programming for Verizon FiOS1.

• 2007

  Newscenter Now launches

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WRNN and The Journal News introduced a two-hour weekday evening newscast.

• 2005

  Rye Brook studio opens

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WRNN established a new principal studio facility in Rye Brook.

• 1999

  News schedule reduced

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Financial pressure led WRNN to reduce its extensive news operation to weekday evening programming.

• 1995

  WTZA becomes WRNN-TV

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted the WRNN-TV call sign and moved toward a regional news-centered format.

• 1993

  Richard French Jr. acquires the station

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Ownership passed from the Swyer-led group to Richard French Jr.

• 1985

  WTZA launches

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The channel returned to the air as WTZA, an independent station serving the Mid-Hudson Valley.

• 1983

  Full-power Kingston authorization issued

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  A construction permit was issued for a full-power station using the channel allocation in Kingston, New York.

• 1970

  W62AA begins metropolitan translator service

  [1]WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Channel 62 was used by W62AA, a translator for WNJU-TV established by Screen Gems Broadcasting.

A regional New York television station that evolved from a Mid-Hudson independent outlet into a news-focused broadcaster and later a home-shopping affiliate.

• Broadcast television station · 1985

  WRNN-TV broadcast service

  WRNN-TV is a full-power television station licensed to New Rochelle and serving the New York City area. It broadcasts through a channel-sharing arrangement with WWOR-TV, using transmission facilities associated with One World Trade Center. The station's schedule has shifted over time from independent general entertainment to regional news, public affairs, and ultimately home-shopping programming.

• Home-shopping television · 2024

  Shop LC

  Shop LC is WRNN-TV's current primary affiliation, beginning in 2024. It supplies home-shopping programming and replaced the station's prior ShopHQ affiliation while preserving the station's largely commercial shopping-oriented schedule.

• Public affairs and news analysis

  Richard French Live

  Richard French Live was WRNN's signature locally produced political and news-analysis program, hosted by Richard French III. Its original format ended in May 2021. A reformatted version with recorded commentary and segments involving syndicated progressive radio personalities continued to provide limited public-affairs programming.

• Local news · 2007

  Newscenter Now

  Newscenter Now was a two-hour weekday evening newscast created through a partnership between WRNN and The Journal News. Produced from WRNN's Rye Brook studios, it emphasized in-depth regional coverage and ran until September 2008.

• Regional news production · 2009

  FiOS1 news programming

  From 2009 through 2019, RNN produced news programming for Verizon's FiOS1 regional channel. The service relied on RNN's production capabilities and distribution across Verizon Fios systems before Verizon declined to renew its agreement.

• 2007Newscenter Now

  Westchester County · Hudson Valley · New York metropolitan area

  WRNN partnered with The Journal News to promote a weekday two-hour in-depth local newscast from the station's Rye Brook facility.

  Outcome. The program ended in September 2008 and was replaced by syndicated programming and Real Politics Live.

  Source
• 1995Your Regional News Network

  Hudson Valley · Capital District · New York metropolitan area

  The WRNN identity was introduced as part of a strategic repositioning from an independent general-entertainment station into a broad regional news and public-affairs service.

  Outcome. The news-centered identity became the station's defining brand for many years, although the schedule was later reduced and ultimately displaced by home-shopping programming.

  Source

• 2024

  Switch from ShopHQ to Shop LCStrategy

  Background

  Following changes surrounding iMedia Brands and ShopHQ, the RNN station group changed its home-shopping relationships.

  Action taken

  WRNN began carrying Shop LC while retaining its primary home-shopping format.

  Aftermath

  WRNN continued operating as a commercial shopping-oriented station rather than returning to its former full-scale local-news model.

  Source

• 2021

  Move into home-shopping affiliationStrategy

  Background

  RNN and iMedia Brands sought to affiliate most RNN stations with ShopHQ.

  Action taken

  WRNN began carrying ShopHQ programming on June 28, while its original Richard French Live news-analysis format ended shortly beforehand.

  Aftermath

  The station's schedule became primarily home-shopping oriented, with limited public-affairs material retained.

  Source

• 2017

  Spectrum sale and transition to shared transmissionOther

  Background

  The FCC incentive auction created an opportunity for broadcasters to relinquish or repurpose spectrum.

  Action taken

  WRNN sold its broadcast spectrum and arranged to continue operating through a channel-sharing agreement with WWOR-TV.

  Aftermath

  WRNN changed its city of license to New Rochelle and began sharing WWOR's transmission facilities in 2018.

  Spectrum sale proceeds. $212 million (FCC incentive auction, announced before the 2018 transition)

  Source

• 1995

  Repositioning as a regional news networkStrategy

  Background

  WTZA faced increasing competition for syndicated programming from larger stations in New York City and Albany.

  Action taken

  The station changed its call letters to WRNN-TV and replaced much of its general-entertainment schedule with news and public-affairs programming.

  Aftermath

  WRNN gained a distinct regional-news identity but later reduced its schedule because of budget constraints.

  Source

1. 1WRNN-TVen.wikipedia.org