WFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. WFTC is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, which also owns MyNetworkTV and co-located Fox network station KMSP-TV (channel 9).
The two stations share studio facilities in Eden Prairie, and a transmission tower in Shoreview. WFTC is also rebroadcasted on several low-power stations across Minnesota, and on one full-power station: KFTC (channel 26) in Bemidji, Minnesota.
Prior to joining MyNetworkTV, WFTC was affiliated with the United Paramount Network (UPN), from September 8, 2002 to August 31, 2006.
Early history
The station signed on air on September 13, 1982 as WFBT (for "Family Bible Television"). It was a Christian station offering a family-oriented lineup consisting of classic reruns and religious programming. In 1984 The station was sold to the Beverly Hills Hotel Corporation, who changed its call letters to KITN-TV (known colloquially as Kitten as in, "The KITN That Roars!"), and changed the programming to that of a mainstream independent station. BHHC sold it a year later to Nationwide Communications, the broadcasting subsidiary of Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance.
Along with becoming a traditional independent, KITN-TV also acquired broadcast rights to the NHL's Minnesota North Stars, and also aired University of Minnesota college football games. It then picked up the Fox affiliation from KMSP-TV in 1988 and became known as Fox 29. The station again changed its call sign to WFTC in 1994 (for "Fox Twin Cities"), with the additional change using the W first-letter identifier over the K, allowed for by its transmitter location on the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
As part of its liquidation of its broadcasting interests, Nationwide Communications sold WFTC to Clear Channel Communications in 1994. In 2001, Clear Channel spun-off the station to Fox Television Stations in exchange for KMOL-TV (now WOAI-TV) in San Antonio and KTVX in Salt Lake City. Both stations were acquired by Fox through its purchase of Chris-Craft Industries' broadcast properties, which included KMSP-TV. As soon as its newest duopoly was in place, Fox then switched the affiliations of the stations on September 8, 2002: Fox programming returned to KMSP, and UPN shows moved from KMSP to WFTC.
Switch to MyNetworkTV
On January 24, 2006, the UPN and WB networks announced that they would merge into a new network called the CW. The following day (January 25), WFTC changed its branding from UPN 29 to WFTC 29, and revamped its logo to just feature the boxed "29". The station also announced that they would no longer promote any UPN programing. Similar changes were also made to Fox's other UPN affiliates, as the CW network list did not include WFTC or its sister stations. The formation of MyNetworkTV, of which WFTC and the other Fox-owned UPN stations have become affiliates, was announced on February 22, 2006, less than a month later. But it wasn't until May 2, 2006 that the CW announced outgoing WB affiliate KMWB-TV (now WUCW) as its Twin Cities station.
On June 2, 2006, with the impending switch to MyNetworkTV, WFTC's on-air branding was changed to My 29, using the new slogan on its newscasts and other non-UPN programming elements. On June 30, 2006, WFTC aired its final 10 p.m. newscast, and moved that program to sister station KMSP-TV.
Despite the announced launch date of MyNetworkTV (September 5), UPN continued to broadcast on stations across the country until September 15, 2006. While some UPN affiliates who switched to MyNetworkTV aired the final two weeks of UPN programming outside its regular primetime period, the Fox-owned stations, including WFTC, dropped UPN entirely on August 31, 2006.
On September 9, 2006 WFTC began carrying the 4Kids TV lineup for the first time since 2002, when the station was a Fox affiliate airing what was then Fox Kids.
In addition WFTC may carry Fox network programming should it be preempted by KMSP in the event of a local special or an emergency such as a breaking news story.
Trivia
- WFTC is one of a few stations to have been affiliated with both News Corporation-owned networks, Fox and My Network TV.
News operations
Under Clear Channel ownership, WFTC launched a 60-minute newscast at 9:00 pm in 2001, where it faced competition from KMSP's established hour-long news program. After Fox assumed control of the station, WFTC moved the newscast to 10:00 p.m., and shortened it to 30 minutes. Though this move protected new sister station KMSP, WFTC now faced stiff competition from late newscasts on KARE, KSTP-TV, and WCCO-TV. Channel 29's effort lasted five years, ending on June 30, 2006, and has been replaced with syndicated programming. The 10:00 news program was then moved to KMSP as part of an expanded late news programming block.
WFTC News Personalities At Time of Newscast Cancellation
Switched to KMSP-TV News:
Former Anchors, Reporters, and Meteorologists:
Translator stations
In addition to KFTC channel 26 in Bemidji, WFTC is rebroadcasted on a network of translators to other regions of the state:
References
External links
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Broadcast television in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market (Nielsen DMA #15) |
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Metro stations
KTCA 2 (PBS, HD on DT2) - WCCO 4 (CBS) - KSTP 5 (ABC, News/WX on DT2) - WTMS-CA 7 (TFU) - KMSP 9 (Fox) - KARE 11 (NBC, WX+ on DT2, Guide on DT3) - WUMN-CA 13 (UNI) - KTCI 17 (PBS, MN on DT2, Kids on DT3, Create on DT4, WX on DT5) - WUCW 23 (The CW) - WFTC 29 (MNTV) - KPXM 41 (ION, qubo on DT2, Life on DT3, Worship on DT4) - KSTC 45 (Ind)
Outer Areas
KCCO 7 / KCCW 12 (CBS) - KAWE 9 / KAWB 22 (PBS, HD on DT1, SD on DT2, Kids on DT3, Create on DT4, Plus on DT5, MN on DT6) - KWCM 10 / KSMN 20 (PBS, Create on DT2, MN on DT3, HD on DT4) - KFTC 26 (MNTV) - WHWC 28 (PBS/WPT, WIS on DT2, Create on DT3, Kids on DT4) - KSAX 42 / KRWF 43 (ABC)
Defunct broadcast stations
K45AR 45 (Ind, Eagle Bend)
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Minnesota broadcast television markets: Duluth • Fargo/Grand Forks, ND • La Crosse/Eau Claire, WI • Minneapolis-St. Paul • Mankato • Rochester-Austin-Mason City, IA • Sioux Falls, SD
Wisconsin broadcast television markets: Eau Claire • Green Bay • Madison • Marquette, MI • Milwaukee • Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN • Superior/Duluth, MN • Wausau |
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