WWOR-TV

WWOR-TV is a television station serving the New York metropolitan area from a license city of Secaucus, New Jersey. It broadcasts on digital channel 25 and is identified on air as channel 9, preserving the channel position associated with its long history as WOR-TV. The station is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of Fox Corporation, and is operated in conjunction with WNYW, the Fox network station serving New York. Although WWOR-TV is primarily programmed as an independent-style station, it remains the flagship station of MyNetworkTV, Fox Corporation's syndicated programming service. The station began broadcasting on October 11, 1949, as WOR-TV. Its original owner was Bamberger Broadcasting Service, a broadcasting subsidiary associated with R. H. Macy and Company and the Bamberger's department-store chain. The station was part of a broader WOR media operation that also included WOR radio. In the early 1950s, Bamberger Broadcasting became part of General Teleradio, which was subsequently integrated with General Tire's broadcasting interests. After General Tire acquired RKO Radio Pictures, the broadcasting operation became known as RKO General. This ownership gave WOR-TV access to a substantial film library and helped shape its identity as a major New York independent station. During its early decades, WOR-TV competed with WPIX and WNEW-TV, later WNYW, for viewers seeking movies, syndicated series, sports, children's programs, talk shows, and public-affairs programming. The station developed a distinctive local-programming profile. Joe Franklin's long-running talk program moved to WOR-TV in 1962 and remained a central part of its schedule for decades. The station also carried William F. Buckley Jr.'s public-affairs program Firing Line for several years, along with local news, interviews, civic programs, sports, imported programming, and films. In the 1970s, its schedule moved toward a more adult-oriented mix of feature films, dramatic reruns, game shows, sports, and local talk programming, while most children's programming and sitcoms were reduced. WWOR-TV's reach expanded beyond the New York market in 1979, when Eastern Microwave distributed the station nationally through cable and satellite systems. This made it one of the prominent American superstations, alongside WGN-TV and WTBS. The station experimented with international and specialty programming, including programs from Britain's Thames Television, BBC programming such as Doctor Who, and the Japan Tonight! programming block from Tokyo Broadcasting System. The station's regulatory and ownership history was unusually complex. RKO General faced extensive Federal Communications Commission scrutiny over the conduct of its parent company and the renewal of its broadcast licenses. In 1983, after federal legislation created a path for certain VHF stations to protect their licenses by moving to an underserved state, WOR-TV's license city was transferred from New York City to Secaucus, New Jersey. Its main operations later moved to Nine Broadcast Plaza in Secaucus in 1986, although the station continued to serve the New York market. RKO sold the station in 1986 to a Cox Enterprises and MCA joint venture; MCA subsequently became the sole owner. The call sign changed from WOR-TV to WWOR-TV on April 29, 1987, retaining the historic WOR identity while complying with broadcast call-sign rules. After later ownership changes involving Pinelands, Chris-Craft Industries, and BHC Communications, WWOR-TV became a charter affiliate of UPN in 1995. Viacom and Chris-Craft later divided UPN assets, and Fox acquired Chris-Craft's television stations in 2000. Fox ultimately gained control of WWOR-TV and WNYW, creating a major New York duopoly. When UPN ceased operations in 2006, WWOR-TV became the flagship affiliate of MyNetworkTV. The station's programming has since combined MyNetworkTV's weekday syndicated schedule with locally produced news, syndicated entertainment, sports an…

WWOR-TV signed on as WOR-TV on October 11, 1949. The station was established by Bamberger Broadcasting Service, a subsidiary connected with R. H. Macy and Company and the Bamberger's department-store chain. It joined WOR radio as part of a New York broadcasting operation and became the last of the city's original VHF stations to begin broadcasting. Early programs came from facilities associated with the New Amsterdam Theatre before the station developed purpose-built and leased facilities in Manhattan. Its transmitter initially operated from northern New Jersey and later moved to the Empire State Building. In the early 1950s, Bamberger Broadcasting adopted the General Teleradio name. The WOR stations were then combined with General Tire's broadcasting interests. General Tire's acquisition of RKO Radio Pictures in 1955 expanded the television operation's access to RKO's film library, and the broadcasting businesses were reorganized under the RKO General name in 1959. WOR-TV remained an independent station, carrying films, syndicated series, sports, children's shows, news, local talk, and public-affairs programming. Its principal competitors included WPIX and WNEW-TV, which later became WNYW. The station developed a durable local identity through programs such as The Joe Franklin Show, which moved to WOR-TV in 1962 after a long run elsewhere, and Firing Line, which began its WOR-TV run in 1966. During the 1960s and 1970s, the station gradually emphasized movies, dramatic reruns, sports, game shows, public affairs, and local talk programming. It also carried selected Spanish-language programs and experimented with imported British and Japanese programming. The station's annual Thanksgiving presentations of RKO-related monster films became a recognizable seasonal feature until the mid-1980s. WOR-TV became nationally distributed in April 1979, when Eastern Microwave began transmitting its signal to cable and satellite systems outside the New York area. As a superstation, the channel joined a small group of independent stations whose programming reached viewers across the United States. This expanded exposure also increased the station's strategic value, while complicating local rights and regulatory considerations. RKO General's relationship with the Federal Communications Commission became a major issue in the 1970s and 1980s. The FCC's concerns about RKO's corporate conduct affected license-renewal proceedings for several stations. After Congress created a mechanism intended to protect certain VHF stations that relocated their licenses to underserved states, RKO transferred WOR-TV's license city to Secaucus, New Jersey, on April 20, 1983. The station continued to target the New York market, but the move produced new obligations to cover New Jersey events and to maintain a principal studio in the state. Operations moved to Nine Broadcast Plaza in Secaucus on January 13, 1986. RKO placed the station on the market in 1985. A Cox Enterprises and MCA/Universal venture acquired it in late 1986, with MCA becoming sole owner after Cox withdrew. MCA completed the transaction in 1987, and the call sign changed to WWOR-TV on April 29 of that year. The additional W allowed the station to retain the established WOR branding while complying with contemporary FCC call-sign rules. Subsequent ownership passed through Pinelands, Chris-Craft Industries, and BHC Communications. WWOR-TV became a charter UPN affiliate in 1995. Fox acquired Chris-Craft's television stations in 2000, placing WWOR-TV and WNYW under common ownership. The stations eventually consolidated operations at the Fox Television Center on East 67th Street in Manhattan, while WWOR-TV retained its Secaucus license and a transmitter at One World Trade Center. When UPN ended in 2006, WWOR-TV became the flagship station of MyNetworkTV. In its current form, the station combines MyNetworkTV programming with syndicated entertainment, local news and public affairs, sports, specials, and other acquired programming. It remains an active station serving the New York metropolitan area, with its New Jersey licensing history continuing to distinguish it from other New York television outlets.

• 2006

  MyNetworkTV affiliation begins

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  After UPN closed, WWOR-TV became MyNetworkTV's flagship station.

• 2000

  Fox acquires WWOR-TV

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Fox's acquisition of Chris-Craft's television stations brought WWOR-TV into the Fox Television Stations portfolio.

• 1995

  UPN affiliation begins

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WWOR-TV became a charter affiliate of UPN.

• 1987

  WOR-TV is renamed WWOR-TV

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  MCA completed its acquisition and changed the call sign to WWOR-TV on April 29.

• 1986

  Main operations move to New Jersey

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station moved its principal operations to Nine Broadcast Plaza in Secaucus.

• 1983

  License city transferred to Secaucus

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WOR-TV moved its license city from New York City to Secaucus, New Jersey, while continuing to serve the New York metropolitan market.

• 1979

  WOR-TV becomes a national superstation

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Eastern Microwave began distributing the station to cable and satellite subscribers throughout the United States.

• 1962

  The Joe Franklin Show moves to WOR-TV

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Joe Franklin brought his long-running local talk program to WOR-TV, where it became one of the station's defining programs.

• 1955

  General Tire acquires RKO Radio Pictures

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition gave General Tire's broadcasting interests access to RKO's film assets and strengthened the station's movie-oriented programming resources.

• 1949

  WOR-TV signs on

  [1]WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Bamberger Broadcasting Service launched WOR-TV on October 11 as an independent VHF station serving the New York market.

A New York metropolitan television station with a New Jersey license, combining independent-station programming with flagship MyNetworkTV affiliation and shared Fox Television Stations operations.

• Television station · 1949

  WWOR-TV broadcast service

  The station's core offering is an over-the-air television service identified with channel 9 in the New York metropolitan area. It is licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey, and distributes a mixture of locally produced material, syndicated programs, sports, specials, and network-affiliated programming.

• Television programming service · 2006

  MyNetworkTV

  WWOR-TV is the flagship station of MyNetworkTV. The service supplies scheduled weekday programming, while the station supplements it with syndicated and locally selected content appropriate to the New York market.

• Broadcast programming · 1949

  Local news and public affairs

  WWOR-TV has historically carried local news, interviews, civic affairs, and community-oriented programs. Its New Jersey license has also been associated with regulatory expectations concerning coverage of New Jersey events and issues.

• 2006

  Become MyNetworkTV's flagship stationStrategy

  Background

  UPN ceased operations as part of the 2006 restructuring of American broadcast television networks.

  Action taken

  WWOR-TV adopted a flagship affiliation with MyNetworkTV, a Fox-launched programming service.

  Aftermath

  The station continued as a Fox-owned New York-area outlet with a hybrid schedule of MyNetworkTV and independent-style programming.

  Source

• 1995

  Join UPNStrategy

  Background

  The launch of UPN created a new national programming option for major independent television stations.

  Action taken

  WWOR-TV became a charter UPN affiliate.

  Aftermath

  The station operated with UPN programming until the network ended in 2006.

  Source

• 1987

  Adopt the WWOR-TV call signOther

  Background

  MCA wanted to preserve the long-established WOR identity after acquiring the television station, but FCC rules restricted identical base call signs for separately owned radio and television stations in the same market.

  Action taken

  The station added a second W and began using the WWOR-TV call sign.

  Aftermath

  The new call sign retained continuity with the station's historical branding while distinguishing it from WOR radio.

  Source

• 1983

  Transfer the license city to SecaucusStrategy

  Background

  RKO General faced serious FCC scrutiny over the renewal of its broadcast licenses, while New Jersey had long been viewed as underserved by commercial VHF television.

  Action taken

  WOR-TV's license city was changed from New York City to Secaucus, New Jersey, while the station continued operating as a New York-market outlet.

  Aftermath

  The move helped preserve the station's operating position but created additional New Jersey programming and studio obligations.

  Source

1. 1WWOR-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WWOR-TV official websitemy9nj.com