WSTR-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WSTR-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = My64
analog = 64 (UHF)
digital = 33 (UHF)
other_chs = W66AQ Dayton
affiliations = MyNetworkTV
network =
founded = January 28, 1980
location = Cincinnati, Ohio
callsign_meaning = STaR 64
(former station moniker)
former_callsigns = WBTI (1980-1984)
WIII (1985-1990)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
licensee = WSTR Licensee, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = independent (1980-1995)
UPN (1995-1998)
The WB (1998-2006)
effective_radiated_power = 5000 kW (analog)
675 kW (digital)
HAAT = 337 m (analog)
319 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 11204
coordinates = coord|39|12|0|N|84|31|21.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.my64.tv/ www.my64.tv]

WSTR-TV (My64) is a broadcast television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, affiliated with My Network TV. It broadcasts on channel 64. Its digital channel is 33, and is carried in Cincinnati on Time Warner Cable channel 11. WSTR is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Its transmitter is Star Tower. The station's studios are located near the intersection of I-75 and Towne Street (exit 8) in Elmwood Place.

WSTR also operates a translator, W66AQ, located in Dayton (Dayton has its own MyNetworkTV affiliate via a digital subchannel of sister station WRGT-TV).

History

Channel 64 signed on in January 1980 as WBTI. It was owned by Buford Television. The station ran cartoons from 6-9am, religious programming from 9am to noon, a movie from noon to 2pm, cartoons for the rest of the afternoon, and subscription television service (ON-TV) in the evening. In late 1982, the station began to run ON TV from noon to 3pm, in addition to the evenings. The station began to run ON TV full time in 1983, except for the religious programming which remained at the same time slot.

WBTI was sold to United Cable in November 1984, and resumed general entertainment programming from 6am to 7pm (with religious programing during mid-morning) in January 1985 under the WIII call sign, with the slogan, "The "eyes" of Cincinnati". The station dropped ON TV completely in June of that year, and began to air cartoons, classic sitcoms, old movies, religious programming, and drama; still, it continued to underperform in the ratings.

The station was sold to Abry in 1987. It changed its call letters to WSTR-TV in 1990, and became known as "Star 64" on air. Under Abry, the station acquired other syndicated shows, and became a founding UPN affiliate in January 1995, with the branding UPN 64. The Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired Abry in 1996, and became the owner of WSTR-TV.

WSTR-TV switched affiliations with WBQC in 1998, becoming a WB affiliate. Beginning in December 2003, the station aired Sinclair's News Central evening news program, in an attempt to compete with WXIX-TV's 10:00 news offering. However, WSTR announced that it would drop the show on February 24, 2006, citing a small audience compared to WXIX during the 10:00 time slot.cite news|author=Sara Pearce|first=Sara|last=Pearce|url=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060211/ENT/602110327/-1/all|title=Ch. 64 to drop local newscast|work=The Cincinnati Enquirer|publisher=Gannett|date=2006-02-11|accessdate=2006-05-20] Effective September 2006, UPN and The WB will merge to form The CW Television Network, and WSTR, being a full-power station, seemed to be most likely to become CW's Cincinnati affiliate. On March 2, 2006, however, it was announced that WSTR would affiliate with My Network TV, Fox's new network launching at the same time.cite press release|publisher=Sinclair Broadcast Group|date=2006-05-02|url=http://sbgi.net/press/release_200652_162.shtml|title=SBG Enters Into Affiliation Agreement With The CW Network|accessdate=2006-05-20] cite news|author=Allison Romano|first=Allison|last=Romano|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6312455.html|title=Sinclair Signs On to MyNetworkTV|work=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=2006-03-02|accessdate=2006-05-20] This seemingly opened the door for WBQC to potentially become the CW's Cincinnati affiliate, but on April 19, the CW announced an agreement to be carried on a digital subchannel of WKRC-TV instead. (WBQC will become an independent station at that time.)

On April 26, 2006, it was announced that WSTR would soon replace their 10pm newscast with one produced jointly with WKRC-TV (Channel 12).cite press release|publisher=Sinclair Broadcast Group|date=2006-04-24|url=http://sbgi.net/press/release_2006424_158.shtml|title=WSTR & WKRC Enter Into 10PM News Share In Cincinnati|accessdate=2006-05-20] This resulted, once the WB ended and My Network TV began, in a CBS affiliate's newscast being carried on a station affiliated with a Fox-affiliated network.However, WKRC has announced its intent to move the newscast to the CinCW network which is on WKRC's digital subchannel 12.2 in August 2008. WSTR management has experessed interest in partnering with other local stations to produce a newscast, but will run sydicated shows otherwise.cite news|author=John Kiesewetter Pearce|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|url=http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2008/04/channel-64-losing-news-again.asp|title=Channel 64 Losing News -- Again|work=The Cincinnati Enquirer|publisher=Gannett|date=2008-04-18|accessdate=2008-04-29]

Digital television

WSTR-DT

"WSTR-DT broadcasts on digital channel 33."

External links

* [http://www.my64.tv/ My 64 Online]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20060211205854/http://www.wb64.net/cincinnati_oh/station/index.shtml Station Information] – station information and a brief history
*TVQ|WSTR
*TVQ|W66AQ
*BIA|WSTR|TV|TV

References