WUNI

WUNI is a full-power television station licensed to Marlborough, Massachusetts, and serving the Boston metropolitan area and surrounding New England communities. The station broadcasts programming from the Spanish-language Univision network and is identified with virtual channel 66, although its transmission and operating arrangements have changed substantially over time. WUNI is owned by TelevisaUnivision, the parent company of the Univision network, while Entravision Communications operates the station under a joint sales agreement. The station is closely associated with WUTF-TV, the Boston-area UniMás affiliate operated by Entravision. The station began broadcasting on February 12, 1985, under the call sign WVJV-TV and the brand V-66. Its original format was an English-language music-video service known as “The Beat of Boston.” At a time when music videos were a major television category, WVJV combined progressive-rock and contemporary-pop videos and became the first Boston-area station to transmit in stereo. The station attracted attention and some cable carriage, but it could not sustain sufficient advertising revenue. It was sold to the Home Shopping Network in 1986 and soon converted to a home-shopping format, adopting the WHSH call sign in 1987. A major programming experiment followed in 1999, when Barry Diller’s USA Broadcasting attempted to turn several home-shopping stations into local independent outlets under the CityVision concept. Channel 66 became WHUB-TV, branded as Hub 66, and carried syndicated entertainment, films, cartoons, Boston University hockey, and Beanpot college hockey. The experiment was short-lived. USA Broadcasting abandoned the planned chainwide conversion in 2000 and placed its stations on the market. After a competitive sale process involving Disney/ABC and Univision Communications, Univision acquired the Boston station with the intention of making it an affiliate of Telefutura, the Spanish-language network later renamed UniMás. The station changed its call sign to WFUB and then WUTF during the transition, joining Telefutura on January 14, 2002. In 2013, Telefutura was relaunched as UniMás. The Boston market later underwent a call-sign and facility realignment. In December 2017, the WUNI and WUTF identities and programming arrangements were exchanged: the UniMás service moved to the Entravision facility using digital channel 29 and virtual channel 27, while the Univision service occupied the facility identified with WUNI and virtual channel 66. This arrangement preserved separate Univision and UniMás services for the market while aligning their technical facilities and operating relationships. WUNI’s local programming has included Spanish-language news and public-affairs content focused on New England. Its principal local newscast, Noticias Univision Nueva Inglaterra, launched in 2003 as a half-hour evening broadcast. The station initially used news footage supplied through a relationship with New England Cable News and later entered a content-sharing arrangement with WBZ-TV. WUNI also produced Despierta Boston, short local morning updates carried during Despierta América, beginning in 2007. The morning updates ended in 2009 amid economic pressures. The station has also carried or experimented with weekend news from other Univision-owned operations. Today, WUNI’s central role is to provide Univision’s Spanish-language network programming, local news updates, and community-oriented coverage to Hispanic audiences in the Boston and New England region. The station shares facilities and technical resources with other local broadcast operations, including WWJE-DT in Hudson and WUTF’s studios in Needham. In 2022, a transition to ATSC 3.0 broadcasting was announced, marking another step in the station’s technical development. WUNI remains an active local television brand within TelevisaUnivision’s U.S. broadcast portfolio.

WUNI traces its broadcast history to WVJV-TV, which signed on February 12, 1985, as V-66, the Beat of Boston. The station was established by New England radio broadcasters John Garabedian and Arnie Ginsburg. Its initial music-video format combined progressive rock with contemporary pop and was notable for being the first Boston-area television station to broadcast in stereo. Although the station gained viewers and cable distribution, it struggled to maintain audience loyalty and advertising revenue. It was sold to the Home Shopping Network in 1986 and changed its call sign to WHSH the following year. WHSH spent most of the next thirteen years carrying HSN shopping programming, supplemented by occasional local features. In 1999, USA Broadcasting, then controlled by Barry Diller, attempted to convert the station into a local independent outlet under the CityVision concept. The Boston station became WHUB-TV, promoted as Hub 66. Its programming included syndicated sitcoms and dramas, films, cartoons, and selected local sports, including Boston University hockey and the Beanpot tournament. USA Broadcasting abandoned the broader conversion strategy in 2000 and placed its stations up for sale. Univision Communications won the competition for the Boston station after Disney/ABC also pursued it. The intended result was a Spanish-language Telefutura affiliate. During the transition, the station briefly used the WFUB call sign before adopting WUTF. On January 14, 2002, it began carrying Telefutura, a general Spanish-language service offering entertainment, movies, serials, sports, and children’s programs. Telefutura was renamed UniMás in 2013. The Boston television market was reorganized in 2017. On December 4 of that year, the WUNI and WUTF call signs and programming arrangements were exchanged as part of a multi-market realignment. The UniMás service moved to the Entravision-owned facility using digital channel 29 and virtual channel 27, while the Univision service became associated with WUNI and virtual channel 66. TelevisaUnivision owns WUNI, and Entravision operates it under a joint sales agreement. WUNI shares physical and operational resources with other stations, including WWJE-DT in Hudson and WUTF’s Needham facilities. WUNI developed a local Spanish-language news presence in the 2000s. Noticias Univision Nueva Inglaterra launched on April 1, 2003, as a half-hour evening newscast. Sara Suarez served as anchor and news director, with Angel Salcedo initially joining as co-anchor. After Salcedo’s departure, Carlos Ruben Zapata and later Eduardo Guerrero filled the co-anchor role. The station first relied on a news-sharing relationship with New England Cable News and then moved to a content-sharing agreement with WBZ-TV in 2005. In 2007, WUNI added Despierta Boston, local morning updates carried during Despierta América. The updates ended in early 2009 as economic difficulties led to newsroom cutbacks. The station completed the United States’ federally mandated analog television shutdown on June 12, 2009. Its digital service used channel 27 while retaining virtual channel 66. In 2022, WUNI announced plans to adopt ATSC 3.0 technology. Its current role is as a Spanish-language Univision outlet for Boston and New England, combining network programming with a limited local news operation and regionally focused coverage.

• 2022

  ATSC 3.0 conversion announced

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  WUNI is announced as a station that will convert to next-generation ATSC 3.0 broadcasting.

• 2017

  WUNI and WUTF facilities and identities are realigned

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  A multi-market realignment moves UniMás programming to WUTF’s facility and associates WUNI with the Univision service on virtual channel 66.

• 2013

  Telefutura becomes UniMás

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The network carried by the station’s former arrangement is rebranded as UniMás.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The station shuts down its analog signal as part of the United States digital television transition.

• 2003

  Telefutura launches local evening news

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The Boston operation launches Noticias Univision Nueva Inglaterra, establishing a recurring local Spanish-language news service.

• 2002

  Station joins Telefutura

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  After interim call-sign changes, the station begins broadcasting Telefutura programming on January 14.

• 2000

  USA Broadcasting abandons CityVision expansion

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  USA Broadcasting ends plans to convert its station group into local independents and offers the stations for sale.

• 1999

  CityVision independent format launches

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The station becomes WHUB-TV and adopts the Hub 66 identity under USA Broadcasting’s CityVision experiment.

• 1987

  Call sign changes to WHSH

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the WHSH call sign while continuing its home-shopping format.

• 1986

  Station sold to Home Shopping Network

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  WVJV-TV moves from music videos to Home Shopping Network programming after advertising revenue proves insufficient.

• 1985

  WVJV-TV signs on as V-66

  [1]WUNIen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting from Massachusetts as V-66, the Beat of Boston, with an English-language music-video format.

A Spanish-language broadcast outlet serving Hispanic audiences in Boston and wider New England through Univision network programming, local news, and regional public-affairs coverage.

• Spanish-language broadcast television · 2017

  Univision network service

  WUNI’s principal offering is the Boston-area Univision network service. It carries Spanish-language entertainment, news, sports, specials, and other network programming for Hispanic viewers in Boston and surrounding New England communities. The service is distributed over the station’s broadcast signal and supported by local advertising and regional audience development.

• Local news · 2003

  Noticias Univision Nueva Inglaterra

  Noticias Univision Nueva Inglaterra is WUNI’s locally produced Spanish-language news brand. It launched as a half-hour evening newscast in 2003 and has covered regional news for the station’s New England audience. The station has used external news-sharing arrangements, first with New England Cable News and later with WBZ-TV, to supplement its local reporting resources.

• Local news updates · 2007

  Despierta Boston

  Despierta Boston was a local morning-news update service introduced during Univision’s Despierta América program. It provided short Boston-area updates at regular intervals during the morning broadcast and used branding adapted from the national program. The service was discontinued in early 2009 after economic pressures led to programming and staffing reductions.

• Music-video television · 1985

  V-66

  V-66 was the station’s original English-language music-video service, launched in 1985 as the Beat of Boston. Its playlist combined progressive rock and contemporary pop, reflecting the musical tastes associated with Boston radio. The format was an early local attempt to compete in the music-video television market but ended when the station was sold to Home Shopping Network in 1986.

• 2022

  ATSC 3.0 conversionOther

  Background

  Broadcasters have been adopting ATSC 3.0 as a next-generation digital television standard.

  Action taken

  WUNI announced that it would convert its broadcast operation to ATSC 3.0.

  Source

• 2017

  Call-sign and facility realignment with WUTFStrategy

  Background

  A multi-market realignment was designed to reorganize the Boston-area Univision and UniMás services and their associated technical facilities.

  Action taken

  WUTF’s UniMás programming moved to the Entravision facility using digital channel 29 and virtual channel 27, while the Univision service became associated with WUNI and virtual channel 66.

  Aftermath

  The Boston market continued to receive separate Univision and UniMás services under the reorganized identities and facilities.

  Source

• 2001

  Univision acquisition and Telefutura affiliation planM&A

  Background

  After USA Broadcasting put its stations up for sale, Disney/ABC and Univision Communications competed for the Boston outlet.

  Action taken

  Univision Communications acquired the station and prepared it as a charter Telefutura affiliate, with interim call-sign changes to WFUB and WUTF.

  Aftermath

  The station began Telefutura programming in January 2002; Telefutura was later renamed UniMás.

  Source

• 1999

  Adoption of the CityVision independent formatStrategy

  Background

  USA Broadcasting sought to replace home-shopping schedules with locally branded independent television services.

  Action taken

  Channel 66 became WHUB-TV, branded Hub 66, and added syndicated entertainment, films, cartoons, and selected local sports.

  Aftermath

  The format lasted only about five months before USA Broadcasting abandoned its expansion plan and returned the station to a cost-reduced interim schedule.

  Source

• 1986

  Switch from music videos to home shoppingStrategy

  Background

  The original music-video format attracted attention but did not generate enough sustained advertising revenue to support the station.

  Action taken

  The station was sold to Home Shopping Network and transitioned to HSN programming.

  Aftermath

  The station remained primarily a home-shopping outlet for more than a decade and later received the WHSH call sign.

  Source

1. 1WUNIen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Noticias Ya Nueva Inglaterranoticiasya.com