WUTF-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WUTF-TV
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = TeleFutura 66 Boston
analog = 66 (UHF)
digital = 23 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = TeleFutura
network =
founded =
airdate = February 12, 1985
location = Marlborough-Boston, Massachusetts
callsign_meaning = Univision TeleFutura
former_callsigns = WVJV-TV (1985-1987)
WHSH (1987-1992)
WHSH-TV (1992-2000)
WHUB-TV (2000-2001)
WFUB (2001)
WUTF (2001-2003)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Univision Communications, Inc.
"(managed by Entravision Communications Corporation)"
licensee = TeleFutura Boston, LLC
sister_stations = WUNI
former_affiliations = music videos (1985-1987)
HSN (1987-2000)
independent (2000-2001)
HSN (2001-2002)
effective_radiated_power = 3311 kW (analog)
100 kW (digital)
HAAT = 356 m (analog)
333.8 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 60551
coordinates = coord|42|23|2.8|N|71|29|35.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=6&schid=1611 TeleFutura]

WUTF-TV is a television station in the Boston market. Owned by the Univision Broadcast Group and managed locally by Entravision, the station is an affiliate of the Telefutura network. As such, they have an advertising relationship with Univision affiliate WUNI-TV.

History

WUTF-TV signed on for the first time on February 12, 1985 [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=234780] as WVJV-TV ("V-66, the Beat of Boston"), playing music videos at a time when they were a major part of the American culture (this was just four years after MTV signed on). At that time, the owners were long-time New England radio men John Garabedian (current host of the nationally syndicated radio show Open House Party) and Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg. Garabedian also owned WGTR (now WBIX); both WVJV and WGTR were located in Natick MA. The music format combined progressive rock WBCN and pop contemporary Kiss 108. Irrespective of the so-called "must-carry" rule requiring cable systems to carry the station, many cable systems freely chose to carry V66 as opposed to VH1. WVJV was also the first station in the Boston area to transmit in stereo. By mid-1986, music videos were starting to wane in popularity and the station's advertising sales were insufficient to ensure the station's long-term viability, so the station was sold to the Home Shopping Network, which changed the callsign to WHSH-TV. For the next thirteen years, WHSH ran HSN's shopping programs with some local feature segments in-between. A documentary film, tentatively titled "Life on the V", is currently being produced by Christian de Rezendes and Eric Green.

In the late 1990s, Barry Diller, who was the owner of HSN and their broadcast television arm (Silver King Television), began plans to turn his stations into true independents. On August 1, 2000, this format was implemented on channel 66 under the new WHUB-TV callsign, with a main focus on many of the types of programming that appeared for a long time on WSBK, as well as some first-run syndicated programs and WABU/WBPX's old rights to Boston University ice hockey games, which included the annual Beanpot tournament. However, what had become USA Broadcasting was preparing to sell its stations to the right buyer, which ended up to be Univision. As such, the station reverted to WHSH-TV's old HSN programming on February 1, 2001 [http://www.bostonradio.org/bri/v04/msg03967.html] , although the callsign remained WHUB-TV. (The Beanpot moved to AT&T 3 -- now CN8 New England -- for 2001, and have since switched to NESN. WHUB's independent format did not last long enough to actually air the tournament.)

By November 2001, WHUB-TV changed to the new Telefutura callsign of WFUB, likely for "TeleFUtura Boston". However, for reasons only known to Univision, the station changed the callsign again just one month later, to the current WUTF-TV ( [http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-011217.html] , [http://www.bostonradio.org/nerw/nerw-011224.html] ) -- both while still running the HSN programming. It wasn't until January 14, 2002 that channel 66 finally became a charter Telefutura affiliate, offering a general entertainment format with Spanish movies, serials, sports and children's shows.

Logos

ee also

*WUNI-TV

External links

* [http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=6&schid=1611 TeleFutura]
*TVQ|WUTF
*BIA|WUTF|TV|TV
* [http://www.worcestermass.com/dynamix/v66.shtml]