View source for WUVC-DT

{{Short description|Television station in Fayetteville, North Carolina}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign = WUVC-DT
| city = Fayetteville, North Carolina
| logo = WUVC40-012013.png
| logo_size = 180px
| image = WTNC-LD (2021).svg
| image_size = 180px
| location = {{ubl|[[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]]–[[Raleigh]]–|[[Durham, North Carolina]]}}
| country = United States
| branding = {{ubl|{{lang|es|italic=no|Univision 40 North Carolina}} (general)|{{lang|es|Noticias 40}} (newscasts)|{{lang|es|italic=no|UniMás Raleigh}} (40.2)}}
| digital = 22 ([[UHF]])
| virtual = 40
| subchannels = 
| translators = [[WTNC-LD]] 26.2 Raleigh
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''40.1:''' [[Univision]]|'''40.2:''' [[UniMás]]|''for others, see {{Section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner = [[TelevisaUnivision]]
| licensee = WUVC License Partnership, [[General partnership|G.P.]]
| founded = 
| airdate = {{start date and age|1981|6|1|p=y}}
| last_airdate = 
| callsign_meaning = Univision Carolina
| sister_stations = 
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|WKFT (1981–2003)|WUVC (2003)|WUVC-TV (2004–2009)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 40 (UHF, 1981–2009)|'''Digital:''' 38 (UHF, until 2019)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|[[Independent station|Independent]] (1981–1989, 1990–2003)|[[CBS]] (1989–1990, simulcast with [[WRAL-TV]])}}
| erp = 480 [[kW]]
| haat = {{convert|558|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 16517
| coordinates = {{coord|35|30|43.9|N|78|58|39.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.univision.com/local/north-carolina-wuvc}}
}}

'''WUVC-DT''' (channel 40) is a [[television station]] licensed to [[Fayetteville, North Carolina]], United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language [[Univision]] network to the [[Research Triangle]] region. It is [[owned and operated]] by [[TelevisaUnivision]] alongside [[Raleigh]]-licensed [[low-power broadcasting#Television|low-power]] [[UniMás]] station [[WTNC-LD]] (channel 26). The two stations share studios on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh; WUVC-DT's transmitter is located northeast of [[Broadway, North Carolina]].

WUVC-DT is also carried on [[Charter Spectrum]]'s cable systems in the [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] and [[Piedmont Triad|Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point]] [[media market|markets]].

==History==
===WKFT===
On February 26, 1980, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) granted a [[construction permit]] to Fayetteville Television, Inc., for a new commercial television station on channel 40 in Fayetteville.<ref name="hc">{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=86438 |title= History Cards for WUVC-DT|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--></ref> The station began broadcasting as [[independent station]] WKFT on June 1, 1981; studios were located in the old [[First Union]] Bank on Donaldson Street in downtown Fayetteville and transmitted its signal from a {{convert|750|ft|m|0|adj=on}} tower in [[unincorporated area#United States|unincorporated]] [[Cumberland County, North Carolina|Cumberland County]] on Cliffdale Road, with 1.54 million [[watt]]s of power (the tower site has since been [[municipal annexation|annexed]] into Fayetteville).<ref name="flickering">{{cite news|work=Fayetteville Observer|title=Fayetteville TV flickering out|first=Michael|last=Futch|date=December 14, 1997}}</ref> Fayetteville Television was organized by Robert Warren, a former Fayetteville reporter for [[WRAL-TV]] in Raleigh, who served as WKFT's first general manager. WKFT offered a general entertainment format consisting of [[animated cartoon|cartoons]], [[westerns]], [[religious broadcasting|religious shows]], [[drama (film and television)|dramas]] and classic [[sitcom]]s. The station put a fairly decent signal into the southern portion of the Triangle, but was harder to receive in the more densely populated areas of the market.

In 1985, the original owners sold WKFT to [[SJL Broadcasting]], which formed Central Carolina Television to manage the station. The new owners subsequently invested about $5 million to build a new {{convert|1800|ft|m|0|adj=on}} tower in Broadway, near the [[Harnett County, North Carolina|Harnett]]–[[Lee County, North Carolina|Lee]] county line. The new transmitter, activated in June 1986, operated with a full five million watts of power. It gave channel 40 a coverage area comparable to the established Triangle stations, got the station on cable systems in the Raleigh–[[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] area, and provided grade B coverage as far west as [[Greensboro]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71974529/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|date=June 20, 1986|page=10B|work=The News & Observer|title=Triangle gains second independent TV station}}</ref> The station also rebranded itself as "Counterforce 40" and significantly upgraded its programming, competing with [[WLFL]], the Triangle's largest independent, which joined the upstart [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network. However, it operated on a low budget, selling advertising mainly in the southern part of the market.

By 1989, WKFT was in dire financial straits, reportedly from debts owed to film studios for movies shown on the station. It had also failed in a bid to take the NBC affiliation from WPTF-TV (now [[WRDC]]).{{r|goeslive}} In November, the sale of channel 40 was announced to the Zenox Corporation for $5 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 40 TV station to be sold|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=November 10, 1989}}</ref>

===WRAL on WKFT===
On December 10, 1989, an ice storm collapsed the towers of WRAL-TV and WPTF-TV near [[Auburn, North Carolina|Auburn]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63197619/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|pages=1A, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63197748/tv-towers-off-us-70-collapse/ 12A]|title=Ice causes 2 TV towers to collapse|first=Michael|last=Haddigan|work=The News & Observer|date=December 11, 1989}}</ref> Within hours, WKFT had reached a deal to simulcast WRAL-TV's programming for almost all of its broadcast day as a public service. While WRAL was able to bring channel 5 back on the air before the end of the year at low power, it opted to remain on channel 40 even then in order to avoid any loss of viewership.<ref>{{cite news|title=WRAL TV to stay on WKFT at least through springtime|date=January 18, 1990|first=David|last=Bourne|work=Fayetteville Observer}}</ref> This arrangement displaced nearly all of channel 40's own programming. Overnight movies were added to WRAL-WKFT's schedule in order to provide make-goods for national commercials in WKFT's shows.{{r|decide}}

However, WRAL's extended stay on channel 40 also provided a respite for WKFT, whose future was in limbo. SJL's deal to sell the station to Zenox collapsed in early March.<ref name="decide">{{cite news|first=Bob|last=Langford|title=WKFT waiting for ratings to decide what to do|date=March 3, 1990|work=The News & Observer|page=10D|accessdate=February 24, 2021|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63198719/wkft-waiting-for-ratings-to-decide-what/}}</ref> WKFT didn't resume its own schedule until WRAL-TV returned to full power and the November sweeps book was over.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63199344/wral-gets-a-taste-of-its-tower/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|date=October 20, 1990|title=WRAL gets a taste of its own tower|work=The News & Observer|first=Bob|last=Langford|page=12D}}</ref> WRAL, which had purchased WKFT's tower and installed microwave equipment to add a roundup of Fayetteville news stories to its newscasts, continued a partnership with channel 40, which agreed to air any CBS programs channel 5 preempted.<ref name="comeback">{{cite news|title=Comeback: WKFT readies programming for upcoming return to the air|first=David|last=Bourne|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=September 24, 1990}}</ref>

While WKFT initially prepared programs for its return,{{r|comeback}} SJL announced in early November that it would take channel 40 silent at the end of the month if no buyer could be found for the station, citing the striking down of [[must-carry]] regulations in 1985 and regional economic upheaval from the deployment of [[Fort Bragg]] troops ahead of the [[Gulf War]]; SJL chairman George Lilly said that the station might already have left the air if not for the unexpected revenues from the WRAL agreement.<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Bourne|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=November 3, 1990|title=Channel 40 may shut down}}</ref> With days to go before the deadline, the station announced it would indeed remain on the air because it was nearing a deal to be sold.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63199657/is-it-time-for-wral-to-go-with-nbc/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|title=Is it time for WRAL to go with NBC?|page=5D|first=Bob|last=Langford|work=The News & Observer|date=November 28, 1990}}</ref>

===New ownership in the 1990s===
In the end, WKFT never went dark, but it was forced to declare bankruptcy on January 15, 1991, as program syndicators continued to ask for nearly $3 million in payments for future programming commitments.<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Bourne|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=January 16, 1991|title=TV Channel 40 forced to declare bankruptcy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63199995/wkft-parent-seeks-to-dissolve/|work=The News & Observer|title=WKFT parent seeks to dissolve|date=January 15, 1991|first=C.E.|last=Yandle|accessdate=February 24, 2021|page=1D}}</ref> Exporter Elbert M. Boyd bought the station out of bankruptcy for $1.4 million. It was the first broadcasting property for Boyd and his new company, Delta Broadcasting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63200242/exporter-aims-to-get-tv-station/|date=April 9, 1991|title=Exporter aims to get TV station shipshape|first=C.E.|last=Yandle|work=The News & Observer|accessdate=February 24, 2021|page=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63200273/exporter-reroutes-tv-station/ 8D]}}</ref> Under Boyd, the station turned around its finances, improved its coverage and tripled its ad rates.<ref>{{cite news|work=Fayetteville Observer|first=Michael|last=Fabey|title=TV stations turn it around|date=March 14, 1993}}</ref>

After two and a half years, Boyd sold the station to Allied Communications, an investor group including several conservative-aligned figures headed by [[Thomas F. Ellis]]; the $4.4 million deal saw Boyd retain a minority stake.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63200464/investors-to-buy-wkft-tv/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|title=Investors to buy WKFT-TV|pages=1D, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63200487/wkft/ 3D]|work=The News & Observer|first=C.E.|last=Yandle|date=November 30, 1993}}</ref> Allied carried out further improvements in programming and equipment; it also dropped the preempted WRAL programming, citing continued confusion over the station's identity from the yearlong simulcast.<ref>{{cite news|title=General manager aims for television turnaround|first=Michael|last=Futch|date=June 3, 1994|work=Fayetteville Observer}}</ref>

[[Bahakel Communications]] bought the station in 1997 for $19.5 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bankruptcy key in higher WKFT price|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=October 19, 1997|first=Michael|last=Futch}}</ref> As the 1990s went on, WKFT found it increasingly difficult to find stronger programming, in part because its main competitors—WLFL, WRDC, and WRAZ—had far wealthier owners and aired advertising that targeted the entire market. It lost out on bids for the Triangle [[The WB|WB]] and [[UPN]] affiliations, which went to WRAZ and WRDC respectively. The station was forced to move toward more [[Infomercial|paid programming]], though it briefly served as the over-the-air home of the [[Carolina Hurricanes]].

In December 2001, Bahakel put WKFT up for sale, alongside [[WBAK-TV]] in [[Terre Haute, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite news|title=WKFT owners put station up for sale|work=Fayetteville Observer|first=Michael|last=Futch|date=January 26, 2002}}</ref> While it was on the block, tragedy struck again, this time affecting WKFT's own tower. On March 14, 2002, a single-engine airplane struck the tower, causing it to collapse and leading to a fatal crash; a temporary transmitter was mounted on WRAL-TV's tower while the Broadway site was rebuilt.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tower collapse hasn't helped TV station sale|date=March 31, 2002|work=Fayetteville Observer|first=Michael|last=Futch}}</ref>

===Univision era===
[[File:WUVC40.png|140px|thumb|right|Former logo, used until December 31, 2012]]
Bahakel announced in December 2002 that it was selling WKFT to Univision Communications.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hispanic network to buy WKFT|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=December 5, 2002|first=Michael|last=Futch}}</ref> The sale was completed in April 2003; the station changed its call sign to WUVC and network affiliation to Univision on June 1 of that year, becoming North Carolina's first [[Spanish language in the United States|Spanish-language]] television station.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 13, 2003|title=Sale of WKFT to Univision is completed|work=Fayetteville Observer|first=Michael|last=Futch}}</ref> Its [[American English|English-language]] programming inventory was picked up by WLFL and WRDC. The station later moved from its longtime studios in downtown Fayetteville to a new facility in Raleigh.

==News operation==
In 1986, WKFT debuted a locally produced prime-time newscast at 10 p.m., which focused more on Fayetteville and the southern part of the Triangle market. The newscast was later cancelled in 1989. After Delta Broadcasting bought WKFT in 1991, news programming was reinstated, although relegated to hourly news updates. Between January 3 and April 18, 1995, WKFT produced a live noon newscast, with national segments provided by Conus Communications' [[All News Channel]].<ref name="goeslive">{{cite news|title=Fayetteville goes live with WKFT news broadcast|first=Michael|last=Futch|work=Fayetteville Observer|date=February 24, 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WKFT won't do news anymore|date=April 20, 1995|first=Michael|last=Futch|work=Fayetteville Observer}}</ref> The operation, mostly staffed by recent college graduates, also started the career of [[Dallas Woodhouse]], who would later work at [[WNCN]] and serve as executive director of the [[North Carolina Republican Party]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Futch|title=Correspondent leaves Raleigh station, WNCN|date=November 11, 2001|work=Fayetteville Observer}}</ref> Under Bahakel, the station featured nightly news briefs between 1997 and 2001.<ref>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Futch|title=Anchor, news leave station|date=December 12, 2001|work=Fayetteville Observer}}</ref>

After becoming a Univision-owned station, on April 19, 2004, WUVC launched the first Spanish-language news operation in North Carolina, with prime time news briefs branded as {{lang|es|Notibreves}}.<ref name=univision-notibreves>{{cite press release|title=WUVC Univision 40 to Air North Carolina's First Local Spanish Language News Briefs ("Notibreves") Starting April 19|publisher=[[Univision Communications]]|date=April 12, 2004|url=http://corporate.univision.com/2004/press/wuvc-univision-40-to-air-north-carolina%E2%80%99s-first-local-spanish-language-news-briefs-%E2%80%9Cnotibreves%E2%80%9D-starting-april-19/|access-date=November 15, 2011}}</ref> The station then expanded its programming to include a 6 p.m. newscast three nights a week.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71982368/|accessdate=February 24, 2021|title=WUVC expanding Spanish news|page=2B|first=Brooke|last=Cain|work=The News & Observer|date=August 28, 2011}}</ref> As part of an expansion of Univision's local news operations, the station added a weeknight 6 p.m. and 11&nbsp;p.m. newscast, titled {{lang|es|Noticias 40}}, on August 29, 2011; it is the first Spanish-language newscast in North Carolina.<ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/08/16/53294/wuvc-expands-with-6-pm-newscast WUVC Expands With 6 P.M. Newscast], It doesn't produce a weekend newscast but does update website ''TVNewsCheck'', August 16, 2011.</ref>

==Out-of-market cable carriage==
In recent years, WUVC has been carried on [[cable television|cable]] in multiple areas outside of the Triangle media market. That includes cable systems within the Greensboro, [[Greenville, North Carolina|Greenville]] and [[Myrtle Beach, SC]] markets in North Carolina.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://svtvstations.webs.com/svtvstations.htm |title=SVTV Stations - the things you care that others won't |access-date=September 9, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502223103/http://svtvstations.webs.com/svtvstations.htm |archive-date=May 2, 2012 }}</ref>

On October 16, 2013, WUVC replaced the national Univision feed on [[Time Warner Cable]] (now Spectrum)'s Charlotte-area systems.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/about-us/legal/regulatory-notices/programming-legal-notices/car-charlotte.html |title= Programming Legal Notices - Charlotte TWC |publisher= [[Time Warner Cable]] |access-date= October 19, 2013}}</ref> The station changed its branding from simply "Univision 40" to "Univision 40 North Carolina" (rather than "Univision 40 Carolina del Norte"), reflecting that it now reaches half the state via cable.

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
<section begin=subchannels />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WUVC-DT<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WUVC#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WUVC|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=November 23, 2024}}</ref> and WTNC-LD<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WTNC#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WTNC|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=November 23, 2024}}</ref>
! scope = "col" colspan="2"|[[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|[[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|[[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Short name
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Programming
|-
! scope = "col" | {{small|WUVC-DT}}||{{small|WTNC-LD}}
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.1 || 26.2
| rowspan=2|[[720p]] || rowspan=3|[[16:9]] || WUVC-DT || [[Univision]] 
|- 
! scope = "row" | 40.2 || 26.1
| UNIMAS || [[UniMás]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.3 || 26.3
| rowspan="5"|480i || style="background-color: #f2d1de;"|Confess || style="background-color: #f2d1de;"|Confess [[File:4 rounded rect pink.svg|14px|alt=MPEG-4 video|link=MPEG-4 Part 2]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.4 || 26.4
| [[4:3]] || GetTV || [[Get (TV network)|Get]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.5 || 26.5
| rowspan="3"|16:9 || Laff || [[Laff (TV network)|Laff]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.6 || 26.6
| Quest || [[Quest (American TV network)|Quest]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 40.8 || 26.8
| style="background-color: #f2d1de;"|BT2 || style="background-color: #f2d1de;"|[[Infomercial]]s [[File:4 rounded rect pink.svg|14px|alt=MPEG-4 video|link=MPEG-4 Part 2]]
|}
{{legend|#f2d1de|Subchannel broadcast with [[MPEG-4 Part 2|MPEG-4 video]]}}
<section end=subchannels />
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
WUVC ended regular programming on its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 40, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 38, using [[virtual channel]] 40.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[WTNC-LD]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.univision.com/local/north-carolina-wuvc}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030812004014/http://www.wkft-tv.com/abouttv40.htm Info about WKFT from former website]

{{Raleigh-Durham TV}}
{{Piedmont Triad TV}}
{{Charlotte TV}}
{{Other North Carolina Stations}}
{{Other Virginia Stations}}
{{Univision Communications}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wuvc-Dt}}
[[Category:1981 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Get (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Laff (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Quest (American TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Spanish-language television stations in North Carolina|UVC-DT]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1981]]
[[Category:Television stations in the Research Triangle|UVC-DT]]
[[Category:Univision affiliates]]