WRBW

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WRBW
city =
station_
station_slogan = Orlando's My65
station_branding = My65
analog = 65 (UHF)
digital = 41 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = MyNetworkTV
network =
founded =
airdate = June 6, 1994
location = Orlando, Florida
callsign_meaning = RainBoW Media
(original owner and station branding)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Fox Television Stations
licensee = Fox Television Stations, Inc.
sister_stations = WOFL
former_affiliations = independent (1994-1995)
UPN (1995-2006)
ABC secondary (late 1990s)
effective_radiated_power = 5000 kW (analog)
763 kW (digital)
HAAT = 491.6 m (analog)
515.4 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 54940
coordinates = coord|28|36|36.4|N|81|3|34.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.my65orlando.com/ www.my65orlando.com]

WRBW-TV is the MyNetworkTV owned and operated station serving the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, Florida television market. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations Group, along with Fox station WOFL Channel 35. Known on-air as "My65", the station offers sitcoms, cartoons, court shows, and talk/reality shows. Its transmitter is located in Christmas, Florida.

History

The station began operation as a locally owned independent station in June 1994, airing vintage sitcoms, cartoons, and old movies. In January 1995 it affiliated with the newly-launched UPN. Since UPN only provided limited network programming, WRBW still programmed as an independent station.

United Television (part owner of UPN) bought WRBW in 1998, making WRBW a network owned and operated station (and the first of such in Orlando). Fox acquired United's properties in 2001, including WRBW. Since it was a UPN station on a very high channel number, Fox did not even bother with moving affiliation from WOFL to WRBW. So later on, Fox acquired WOFL in a swap deal with Meredith Corporation for KPTV in Portland, giving itself a duopoly in the Orlando market. Both stations are also the only ones in the market to be O&O's of any major network, with WRBW being the first under United as a UPN affiliate. Fox subsequently moved WRBW's operations to the WOFL studios in Lake Mary.

In the 1990s, the station aired a 10pm newscast produced by WFTV; the newscast later moved to WRDQ. In this period, especially during the wildfire plagued summer of 1998, there were occasions to which ABC Sports programming was moved to channel 65 in order for WFTV to provide wall to wall coverage.

There continues to be speculations that a 10pm newscast may return to WRBW. Station officials have not ruled out that possibility, even though it would place WRBW in direct competition against its sister station, WOFL—however that may not be the case if the newscast is set for 11 PM.

In January 2006 UPN and The WB announced that they would merge into a new network, The CW. As announced on March 1, 2006, WB affiliate WKCF is the CW affiliate for Orlando. As a result, UPN branding ceased and the station began to bill itself as "WRBW 65". Similar modifications were made to the other Fox-owned UPN affiliates. WRBW's website, however, retained the "UPN 65" logo until more than a week after this change.

On February 22, 2006, Fox announced that WRBW would be part of a new primetime network called MyNetworkTV to launch September 5, 2006. The new network is operated by Fox Television Stations, Inc. and Twentieth Television. Accordingly, the station has now rebranded to "my65", reflecting the naming conventions of the new network. The website has also changed in keeping with the new name.

Occasionally, WRBW may now air Fox network programming whenever WOFL cannot in the event of an emergency. WRBW has normally broadcast just a color bar test pattern and tone on its digital sub-channel (65.2). However, the subchannel has also been used occasionally to provide a standard definition (480i) feed of the signals of co-owned WOFL (Orlando), WOGX (Ocala), or even WRBW's own programming at times. There appears to be no rationale for these sporadic and irregular changes apart from possibly using these video sources for testing purposes.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , WRBW will continue digital broadcasts on its current pre-transition channel number, 41. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101233278&formid=387&fac_num=54940 CDBS Print ] ] However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display WRBW's virtual channel as 65.

References

External links

* [http://www.my65orlando.com/index.shtml Station Website]
* [http://www.mynetworktv.com/ MyNetworkTV Website]
*TVQ|WRBW
*BIA|WRBW|TV|TV