Post-Fox affiliation
On May 11, 2011, Fox announced that it would drop its affiliation with WTVW and affiliate with a subchannel of WEVV-TV that already carried programming from MyNetworkTV, effective July 1 (WEVV's main channel remains with CBS)—in effect, resulting in Fox returning to its original affiliate in Evansville. The move came as Fox aggressively sought a higher share of retransmission earnings gained by its affiliates as part of affiliation agreements, an approach that openly irked WTVW owner Nexstar.[21] Nexstar would subsequently be stripped of its Fox affiliations in Springfield, Missouri (KSFX-TV), and Fort Wayne (WFFT-TV) as well, and Nexstar decided to drop the Fox affiliation from its Terre Haute affiliate (WFXW), which would regain its former ABC affiliation under the new callsign WAWV-TV.[22][23] The last Fox network program to air on WTVW was a repeat of Glee at 8 p.m. CT on June 30.
WTVW became an independent station on July 1, 2011, as WEVV-DT2 took the Fox affiliation;[14] rebranded as Local 7, the station replaced Fox prime time shows with syndicated programming on weeknights, westerns on Saturdays and movies on Sundays. WTVW would also introduce increased local programming, including coverage of local high school and college sports.[24] The shift made Evansville one of the only television markets in the United States with only four out of the six broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and The CW) having primary affiliations in a five-station market, with the remaining two (Fox and MyNetworkTV) as digital multicast channels, along with one of the few markets where an analog-era VHF station had no network affiliation while all the market's UHF stations did.
The Western programming, as well as other classic television programs that were part of the overnight schedule, were provided by Weigel Broadcasting's MeTV, which mainly airs on digital subchannels in most of the network's markets, though WTVW ran programming recorded from the network's national feed to be aired later in the station's schedule to compensate for current-day syndication rights.[25] Although WTSN-CD became a full MeTV affiliate in November 2011,[26] WTVW continued to air these programs until January 31, 2013 (though the amount of MeTV programming seen on the station was reduced in September 2012), and MeTV continues to list WTVW as carrying a partial schedule.[27]
On August 8, 2011, Nexstar announced it would purchase WEHT from Gilmore Broadcasting Corporation while selling WTVW to Nexstar's sister company Mission Broadcasting (which then began operating WTVW under a shared services agreement), effectively placing WTVW under the co-management of the station that accepted the ABC affiliation that WTVW formerly carried prior to affiliating with Fox.[28] As a result, Nexstar moved WTVW's operations into the WEHT studios in Henderson, Kentucky.[29] Under the SSA, FCC filings by Nexstar placed a limit on the amount of news programming seen on WTVW's overall schedule to 15% (equivalent to 25 hours per week). News amounted to 21% of the station's schedule due to the expansions of its weekday morning and weekend 6 p.m. newscasts,[30] WTVW eliminated newscasts seen in time periods where WEHT aired their own newscasts in order to comply.[31] The transactions were completed on December 1, 2011.[32]
