WTTE

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WTTE
Image:WTTE28newlogo.PNG
Columbus, Ohio
Branding FOX 28, NewsCenter
Slogan On Your Side, Your Weather Authority
Channels 28 (UHF) analog,
36 (UHF) digital
Affiliations Fox (since 1987)
Owner Cunningham Broadcasting (local marketing agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Founded June 15, 1985
Call letters meaning Television Twenty-Eight
Former affiliations UPN (secondary, 1995-97)
Website http://www.wtte28.com

WTTE "FOX 28" is the Fox television affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. The station broadcasts on channel 28 and broadcasts in stereo. On most cable television systems in the Columbus area, WTTE is channel 8. WTTE-DT (the digital service of WTTE) operates on channel 36. The station is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, but is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group through a local marketing agreement with the area's ABC-affiliate, WSYX-TV. However, WTTE is effectively owned by Sinclair due to Cunningham's ownership structure (see below). The station is operated out of WSYX' studio in Grandview Heights, a Columbus suburb.

WTTE began operations on June 15, 1985. It was owned by the Commercial Radio Institute, forerunner of the Sinclair Broadcast Group. It became a charter Fox affiliate in 1987.

The station began a 10 p.m. newscast in 1995, the second in Central Ohio, after attempt by WWHO produced by WCMH. Former FOX 28 Kids Club hostess Yolanda Harris was one of the original anchors.

In 1996, Sinclair merged with River City Broadcasting, which owned WSYX. FCC rules at the time did not allow one person to own two stations in a single market. Sinclair kept the longer-established WSYX and sold WTTE to Glencairn, Ltd., owned by former Sinclair executive Edwin Edwards. However, nearly all of Glencairn's stock was held by the Smith family, founders and owners of Sinclair. In effect, Sinclair still owned WTTE, and now had a duopoly in Columbus in violation of FCC rules. Sinclair and Glencairn further circumvented the rules by moving WTTE's operations to WSYX' studios under an LMA, with WSYX as senior partner. Glencairn owned 10 other stations, all in markets where Sinclair also had a station. By all accounts, Glencairn was a shell corporation with the sole purpose of allowing Sinclair to evade FCC ownership rules. By August of 1999, WTTE's newscast was absorbed into WSYX's news department, which currently produces WTTE's newscasts under the "NewsCenter" brand also used by WSYX.

Sinclair was eventually fined $40,000 for its illegal control of Glencairn. The two companies attempted to merge in 2001 after the FCC allowed duopolies. However, the FCC would not allow Sinclair to repurchase WTTE. The FCC does not allow duopolies between two of the four highest-rated stations in a single market. Also, the Columbus market, despite its size, has only seven full-power stations--too few to legally permit a duopoly. WTTE thus remained under the banner of Glencairn, which was renamed Cunningham Broadcasting. However, the Smith family still controls nearly all of Cunningham's stock, so Sinclair still effectively has a duopoly in Columbus.

In 2006, all Sinclair-owned Fox affiliates including WTTE extended their affiliation contracts until at least March 2012.

From 1995-97, WTTE carried a secondary affiliation with UPN. The UPN affiliation was then picked up by WWHO.

Monday to Friday

  • FOX 28 Good Day Columbus - 7-9am
  • FOX 28 NewsCenter at 10pm - 10-11pm


Broadcast television in the Columbus market  (Nielsen DMA #32)

WCMH 4 (NBC) - WSYX 6 (ABC - MNTV on DT2) - WGCT 8 (IND) - WBNS 10 (CBS) - WDEM-LP 17 (AS) - WCLL-CA 19 (Daystar) - WOUB 20 / WOUC 44 (PBS) - WBKA-CA 22 (A1) - W23BZ 23 (TBN) - WTTE 28 (Fox - The Tube on DT2) - WCSN-LP 32 (CSN) - WOSU 34 (PBS) - WXCB-CA 42 (TBN) - WSFJ 51 (ION) - WWHO 53 (The CW)

Fox Network Affiliates in the state of Ohio

WJW 8 (Cleveland) - WXIX 19 (Cincinnati) - WOHL-CA 25 (Lima) - WTTE 28 (Columbus) - WUPW 36 (Toledo) - WRGT 45 (Dayton) - WYFX-LP 62 (Youngstown)

See also: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, MyNetworkTV, CW and Other stations in Ohio
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