WBUI
A CW-affiliated television station licensed to Decatur, Illinois, serving viewers across Central Illinois.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WBUI is a full-power television station licensed to Decatur, Illinois, and serving the Central Illinois television market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 23 and operates as an affiliate of The CW. Although its license city is Decatur, its principal operational relationships and much of its infrastructure are tied to the broader Springfield–Decatur–Champaign market. WBUI maintains an advertising sales office in downtown Decatur, transmitter facilities in Whitmore Township between Oreana and Interstate 72, and shared studio and support arrangements in Springfield. The station began broadcasting on May 14, 1984, under the call sign WFHL. It was established by the local Foursquare Church and initially divided its schedule between Christian programming and general entertainment. Religious content included The 700 Club and locally produced religious programs, while the remainder of the schedule featured syndicated cartoons, family-oriented dramas, classic situation comedies, westerns, older films, and other low-cost syndicated material. In 1998, Paxson Communications acquired the station and changed its call sign to WPXU. Under Paxson, WBUI's predecessor carried a heavily infomercial-based schedule before joining the Pax TV network at that network's launch on August 31, 1998. A secondary UPN affiliation was added later that year. The station's programming identity changed again in 1999, when ACME Communications purchased it and adopted the WBUI call sign as the station became an affiliate of The WB. Some syndicated entertainment returned after the sale, and the station continued a secondary UPN relationship for a period. As the market developed, its schedule gradually shifted away from older cartoons and classic sitcoms toward newer sitcoms, talk shows, and court programs. WBUI became a sole WB affiliate in 2002 after another local station assumed the UPN affiliation. When The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW in 2006, WBUI became a CW affiliate by default, while the former UPN outlet joined MyNetworkTV. This affiliation has remained the station's defining network relationship. GOCOM Media announced its purchase of WBUI from ACME Communications in June 2007. Because the Central Illinois market had limited ownership capacity and already contained another television duopoly, the transaction required a Federal Communications Commission waiver under the agency's failed-station policy. The FCC approved the transaction in September 2007, and the sale closed on October 25. After the change in ownership, WBUI moved its operating functions from its original Decatur studios to facilities associated with sister station WRSP-TV in Springfield. In December 2012, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired the non-license assets of GOCOM's television stations, including WBUI and WRSP/WCCU, in a transaction reported at approximately $25.6 million. Sinclair subsequently supplied sales and other non-programming services through shared-services and joint-sales arrangements, while GOCOM remained associated with the station's licenses. WBUI and related stations were eventually consolidated into facilities used by WICS, the Springfield-licensed ABC affiliate owned by Rincon Broadcasting Group. Under service arrangements involving WICS, the ABC station also supplied certain weather segments for WBUI, including the branded C-More Weather forecasts. WBUI has also carried additional digital programming, including This TV on a secondary subchannel. Like other full-power U.S. stations, it completed the transition from analog broadcasting to digital transmission in 2009.
History
WBUI began service on May 14, 1984, as WFHL, a Decatur station owned by the local Foursquare Church. Its early schedule combined Christian programming, including The 700 Club and local religious shows, with syndicated cartoons, family entertainment, classic comedies, westerns, older films, and other general-interest programs. The station originally operated from studios on North Parkway Court in Decatur. Paxson Communications acquired the station in 1998 and renamed it WPXU. The new owner initially filled much of the schedule with infomercials before placing the station with Pax TV when that network launched on August 31, 1998. WPXU also took a secondary UPN affiliation in October of that year, while the former syndicated schedule was largely removed. ACME Communications purchased the station on June 2, 1999. It introduced the WBUI call sign and made the station an affiliate of The WB. Some syndicated entertainment returned, including classic sitcoms and cartoons, and the station retained a secondary UPN affiliation for several years. The schedule later evolved toward more recent sitcoms, talk shows, and court programs, with most older cartoons and classic sitcoms gradually phased out between approximately 2000 and 2005. WBUI became a sole WB affiliate in 2002 after WCFN, now WCIX, assumed the UPN affiliation. In September 2006, the merger of The WB and UPN created The CW. WBUI received the CW affiliation, while WCFN joined MyNetworkTV. This made The CW the station's principal network identity. On June 20, 2007, GOCOM Media announced plans to purchase WBUI from ACME. The transaction faced ownership restrictions because the Central Illinois market did not ordinarily permit another duopoly. ACME represented that WBUI was losing money and that it had been unable to find a buyer without a duopoly waiver. The FCC approved a failed-station waiver on September 14, 2007, and the transaction closed on October 25. WBUI subsequently moved its operations from its original Decatur studios to facilities associated with WRSP-TV in Springfield. Sinclair Broadcast Group completed the purchase of GOCOM's non-license assets on December 31, 2012. Sinclair supplied sales and other non-programming services under shared-services and joint-sales agreements. WBUI was initially operated separately from WICS and WICD, but its Springfield functions were later consolidated into the WICS facility. GOCOM continued to be identified with the station's ownership of the broadcast licenses. WBUI has also participated in operational arrangements with WICS, the Springfield ABC affiliate owned by Rincon Broadcasting Group. For a period, WICS's weekday morning meteorologist prepared recorded forecasts for WBUI's programming and website under the C-More Weather name, a reference to the station's CW identity. The station has carried digital multicast programming, including This TV Illinois. On February 17, 2009, WBUI ended analog broadcasting on channel 23 and retained virtual channel 23 through its digital signal on physical UHF channel 22.
- 2012
Sinclair acquires non-license assets
[1]Sinclair completed the purchase of GOCOM's non-license assets connected with WBUI and related stations.
- 2009
Digital transition completed
[1]WBUI discontinued analog transmission and continued digitally on physical channel 22 using virtual channel 23.
- 2007
GOCOM Media purchase closes
[1]GOCOM Media completed its acquisition of WBUI on October 25 after receiving an FCC waiver.
- 2006
WBUI joins The CW
[1]Following the combination of The WB and UPN, WBUI became a CW affiliate.
- 2002
WBUI becomes a sole WB affiliate
[1]After WCFN took the UPN affiliation, WBUI no longer carried UPN as a secondary network.
- 1999
ACME adopts the WBUI identity
[1]ACME Communications acquired the station, changed the call sign to WBUI, and affiliated it with The WB.
- 1998
Paxson acquires and renames the station
[1]Paxson Communications purchased WFHL, renamed it WPXU, and shifted its schedule toward infomercials and Pax TV programming.
- 1998
Secondary UPN affiliation begins
[1]WPXU added UPN as a secondary affiliation in October.
- 1984
WFHL begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on in Decatur on May 14 as WFHL under ownership associated with the local Foursquare Church.
Products and positioning
A locally licensed Central Illinois broadcast outlet combining national CW programming with syndicated entertainment, digital multicast content, and locally sold television advertising.
Broadcast television station · 1984
WBUI Channel 23
WBUI's principal broadcast service is a full-power television signal licensed to Decatur and serving Central Illinois. The station carries The CW's network schedule alongside syndicated programming, station promotions, advertising, and other locally managed content. Its virtual channel remains 23, while its post-transition digital transmission uses physical UHF channel 22.
Digital multicast television
This TV Illinois
This TV Illinois is a digital multicast service associated with WBUI. It extends the station's programming portfolio beyond its primary CW service through a secondary broadcast stream.
Local weather feature
C-More Weather
C-More Weather was a branded weather feature supplied through an arrangement with WICS. A WICS weekday morning meteorologist prepared forecasts that were recorded in advance for broadcast on WBUI and publication through the station's website.
Brand decisions
2012
Sale of GOCOM's non-license assets to SinclairM&ABackground
GOCOM arranged the sale of the non-license assets associated with WBUI and related television stations.
Action taken
Sinclair Broadcast Group completed the transaction and began providing sales and other non-programming services under shared-services and joint-sales arrangements.
Aftermath
WBUI's operational functions were eventually consolidated into facilities used by WICS in Springfield.
Reported transaction value. $25.6 million (Transaction completed December 31, 2012)
2007
Pursuit of a failed-station waiver for the GOCOM acquisitionM&ABackground
The proposed purchase of WBUI by GOCOM faced the FCC's duopoly restrictions because of the ownership structure of the Central Illinois market. ACME stated that the station was losing money and that it had not found a buyer that could proceed without a waiver.
Action taken
The FCC granted a failed-station waiver and approved the transaction, which closed on October 25, 2007.
Aftermath
WBUI changed operational facilities, moving from its original Decatur studios into facilities associated with WRSP-TV in Springfield.
Recent events
- 2012
Sinclair acquires non-license assets of GOCOM television stations[1]
M&A
Sinclair Broadcast Group completed the purchase of the non-license assets of GOCOM's television stations, including WBUI, and began providing sales and other operational services under shared-services and joint-sales agreements.
- 2009
WBUI completes the U.S. analog-to-digital television transition[1]
Product generation · Regulation
WBUI ended analog transmission on UHF channel 23 and continued digitally on UHF channel 22 while retaining virtual channel 23.
- 2007
GOCOM Media announces agreement to acquire WBUI from ACME Communications[1]
M&A
GOCOM Media announced its planned acquisition of WBUI, a transaction that required regulatory approval because of ownership concentration limits in the Central Illinois market.
- 2007
FCC approves GOCOM Media's purchase of WBUI[1]
M&A · Regulation
The Federal Communications Commission approved the sale after granting a failed-station waiver under the agency's duopoly rules.
- 2007
GOCOM Media completes acquisition of WBUI[1]
M&A
The purchase formally closed on October 25, 2007, after which WBUI's operations moved from its original Decatur facility to facilities associated with WRSP-TV in Springfield.
Sources2 sources
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