WTNZ

WTNZ is a commercial television station serving Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding East Tennessee market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 43 and is affiliated with the Fox network. Its principal role is as a local broadcast outlet carrying Fox network programming, syndicated television, paid programming, and locally relevant news and weather content. WTNZ is owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group and operates alongside independent station WKNX-TV, with the two stations sharing facilities on Executive Park Drive in Knoxville's Green Valley area. WTNZ's transmitter is located on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville. The station originated with a construction permit granted on November 3, 1982, to Knoxville Family Television, Limited Partnership. It signed on as WKCH-TV on December 31, 1983, becoming Knoxville's first full-market commercial station launched since WBIR-TV had begun broadcasting 27 years earlier. At launch, WKCH-TV operated as an independent station. Its early programming model reflected the economics of independent television in the 1980s: a locally based outlet combining syndicated entertainment, acquired programming, short local news updates, and other content assembled outside the major broadcast networks. Management and ownership were initially closely associated with Media Central, a company that provided consulting and other services to independent stations and held a substantial interest in channel 43. Although many Media Central stations declined to affiliate with Fox when the network launched in 1986, WKCH-TV joined Fox in 1987. That affiliation became the central identity of the station and ultimately led to its long-running Fox 43 branding. The station experienced ownership uncertainty after Media Central entered bankruptcy protection in 1987. A proposed 1989 sale to NewSouth Broadcasting became entangled in legal and regulatory complications after the prospective owner, Timothy S. Brumlik, was arrested on money-laundering charges connected by authorities to Colombian drug interests. The proposed transaction was subsequently challenged by the station's trustee and did not become the station's final ownership arrangement. Despite the uncertainty, WKCH-TV continued to expand and was recognized in contemporary accounts as a rapidly growing Fox affiliate. FCVS Communications acquired the station in 1990 and invested in its transmission facilities and community involvement. In 1993, FCVS sold its broadcast holdings, including WKCH-TV, to Ellis Communications. Ellis changed the station's call sign to WTNZ in 1994 and moved its studio operations to Executive Park Drive. Ellis Communications was later folded into Raycom Media in 1996. WTNZ also developed a significant local-news presence through agreements with other Knoxville television stations. WVLT-TV began producing the station's first regular local newscast, the Fox 43 Ten O'Clock News, in 1998. After that arrangement ended in 2001, WATE-TV produced WTNZ's local news for approximately a decade. On March 28, 2011, WBIR-TV assumed production, expanded the weeknight evening newscast to an hour, and later supplied a two-hour weekday morning program. WBIR-produced programming was further expanded with a half-hour 6:30 p.m. newscast in 2017. WTNZ transitioned from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009, the federally designated date for the full-power television transition in the United States. Its digital signal uses UHF channel 34 while retaining virtual channel 43. In 2018, Raycom Media agreed to be acquired by Gray Television. Gray retained its Knoxville duopoly involving WVLT-TV and WBXX-TV and sold WTNZ to Lockwood Broadcast Group. The sale, which also included several other Fox affiliates, was completed on January 2, 2019. WTNZ remains an active Fox affiliate and a local broadcast brand in the Knoxville market.

WTNZ traces its origins to a construction permit granted on November 3, 1982, to Knoxville Family Television, Limited Partnership, for a station on Knoxville's channel 43. The frequency had previously been used by WBIR-TV as a UHF relay intended to improve reception in parts of Knoxville where the station's VHF signal was inadequate. After that relay was discontinued, the channel became available for a new full-power commercial service. The resulting station launched on December 31, 1983, as WKCH-TV. It operated from studios on Central Street and was Knoxville's first independent station serving the full market. Its launch also made it the first new full-market commercial television station in Knoxville since WBIR-TV had begun broadcasting 27 years earlier. The opening transmission reportedly required a repeat of the introductory remarks because the audio was not initially carried correctly. In its early years, WKCH-TV was associated with Media Central, which provided management and consulting services to independent stations and held much of the station's ownership interest. Like several other Media Central outlets, WKCH-TV did not affiliate with Fox when the network launched in 1986. It joined Fox the following year, shifting from a strictly independent identity to the network-affiliate model that became the foundation of its subsequent brand. Ownership became complicated when Media Central sought bankruptcy protection in 1987. The station remained under bankruptcy-related uncertainty for more than two years. In June 1989, a bankruptcy judge approved a proposed sale to NewSouth Broadcasting, owned by Timothy S. Brumlik. The transaction encountered serious complications while awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval. Brumlik was arrested by federal and Florida authorities on money-laundering charges associated by prosecutors with Colombian drug interests. Authorities also alleged that his ownership of TeleOnce in Puerto Rico concealed relationships with Latin American media figures. In November 1989, the station's trustee moved to cancel the proposed sale, citing the uncertainty generated by the criminal case. The transaction did not become the station's lasting ownership arrangement. FCVS Communications acquired WKCH-TV in 1990. During FCVS ownership, the station increased its community involvement and upgraded its transmission facilities. FCVS later received an unsolicited offer for its broadcast assets and sold WKCH-TV, WACH in Columbia, South Carolina, and WEVU-TV in Naples, Florida, to Ellis Communications in 1993. Ellis undertook further changes in Knoxville. In 1994, it changed the station's call sign from WKCH-TV to WTNZ and moved the studios to Executive Park Drive, near the I-75/I-40 corridor. Ellis Communications was folded into Raycom Media in late 1996, bringing WTNZ into the Raycom station group. Local news developed through a succession of production partnerships. Soon after going on the air, channel 43 carried short news updates. In 1998, WVLT-TV began producing the station's first regular local newscast, the Fox 43 Ten O'Clock News. The arrangement ended in 2001, when WTNZ entered a comparable agreement with WATE-TV. After roughly ten years, the WTNZ-WATE relationship ended and WBIR-TV became the production partner. Beginning March 28, 2011, WBIR produced a nightly newscast that was expanded to an hour on weeknights. WBIR also supplied a two-hour morning show later in 2011 and added a half-hour 6:30 p.m. newscast in 2017. WTNZ ended analog transmission on June 12, 2009, in accordance with the United States full-power digital television transition. The station's digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 34 and continued to identify over the air as virtual channel 43. A major ownership change followed the 2018 restructuring of the Knoxville television market. Raycom Media agreed to be acquired by Gray Television on June 25, 2018. Gray retained its existing Knoxville stations, WVLT-TV and WBXX-TV, and therefore sold WTNZ to satisfy ownership and regulatory considerations. On August 20, 2018, Gray announced the sale of WTNZ, together with Fox affiliates WFXG, WPGX, and WDFX-TV, to Lockwood Broadcast Group. The transaction closed on January 2, 2019. Under Lockwood, WTNZ operates alongside WKNX-TV, an independent station, from shared Knoxville facilities on Executive Park Drive. Its transmitter remains on Sharp's Ridge in North Knoxville.

• 2019

  Lockwood ownership begins

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  Lockwood Broadcast Group completed its purchase of WTNZ from Raycom Media on January 2.

• 2017

  6:30 p.m. newscast added

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  WBIR-TV added a half-hour early-evening newscast produced for WTNZ.

• 2011

  WBIR news-production agreement begins

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  WBIR-TV took over production of WTNZ's nightly news and expanded the local-news schedule.

• 2009

  Analog shutdown

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  WTNZ ended analog broadcasting and continued with a digital signal on channel 34 using virtual channel 43.

• 1998

  First regular local newscast

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  WVLT-TV began producing the Fox 43 Ten O'Clock News for the station.

• 1994

  WTNZ identity introduced

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  Ellis Communications changed the call sign to WTNZ and moved the station's studios.

• 1990

  FCVS Communications acquisition

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  FCVS Communications acquired WKCH-TV and upgraded its facilities and community presence.

• 1987

  Fox affiliation begins

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  WKCH-TV joined Fox after initially declining affiliation when the network launched.

• 1983

  WKCH-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  The station signed on December 31 as an independent television outlet.

• 1982

  Construction permit granted

  [1]WTNZen.wikipedia.org

  Knoxville Family Television, Limited Partnership received authorization to build a commercial station on channel 43 in Knoxville.

A local Fox network affiliate providing network entertainment and sports programming, local news, weather, and syndicated content to viewers in Knoxville and East Tennessee.

• Network television · 1987

  Fox network programming

  WTNZ's core programming service is its Fox affiliation, which supplies network entertainment, sports, news, and other scheduled programming for viewers in the Knoxville market. The Fox relationship began in 1987 and remains the station's principal programming and brand association.

• Television news · 1998

  Local news programming

  WTNZ carries local news, weather, and related reporting produced through agreements with other Knoxville television stations. News production has been supplied at different times by WVLT-TV, WATE-TV, and WBIR-TV, with WBIR assuming production in 2011 and later expanding the schedule.

• Over-the-air television · 2009

  Digital broadcast service

  The station's digital terrestrial service broadcasts using UHF channel 34 while presenting virtual channel 43 to viewers. The digital operation replaced WTNZ's analog signal during the United States television transition in 2009.

• 1989

  Proposed ownership sale linked to money-laundering case

  A proposed sale of WKCH-TV to NewSouth Broadcasting was disrupted after prospective owner Timothy S. Brumlik was arrested on money-laundering charges. The station's trustee sought to cancel the transaction while it was pending before the FCC, citing the resulting uncertainty over ownership.

  Source

Read more

• 2019

  Complete sale to Lockwood Broadcast GroupM&A

  Background

  Gray Television's acquisition of Raycom Media required changes to station ownership in Knoxville, where Gray already operated WVLT-TV and WBXX-TV.

  Action taken

  WTNZ was sold to Lockwood Broadcast Group, with the transaction closing on January 2, 2019.

  Aftermath

  WTNZ continued as a Fox affiliate and began operating alongside Lockwood's independent WKNX-TV.

  Source

• 2011

  Transfer local-news production to WBIR-TVOther

  Background

  WTNZ's approximately decade-long news-production relationship with WATE-TV ended.

  Action taken

  WBIR-TV began producing WTNZ's nightly local newscast on March 28 and expanded the weeknight program to one hour, with a morning program added later in the year.

  Aftermath

  The agreement increased the amount of locally produced news carried by WTNZ and was later expanded with a 6:30 p.m. newscast in 2017.

  Source

• 1994

  Rebrand as WTNZ and relocate studiosStrategy

  Background

  Ellis Communications sought to strengthen the station's operating identity after acquiring it from FCVS Communications.

  Action taken

  Ellis changed the call sign from WKCH-TV to WTNZ and moved the studios to Executive Park Drive.

  Aftermath

  The WTNZ call sign became the station's long-term broadcast identity in the Knoxville market.

  Source

• 1987

  Join the Fox networkStrategy

  Background

  WKCH-TV initially operated as an independent station and did not affiliate with Fox at the network's launch.

  Action taken

  The station affiliated with Fox in 1987, adopting a network-based programming strategy.

  Aftermath

  Fox became the station's defining network relationship and supported its later Fox 43 identity.

  Source

1. 1WTNZen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WTNZ official websitewtnzfox43.revrocket.us