WLWC
A New Bedford-licensed television station serving the Providence, Rhode Island, market, currently affiliated with Bounce TV.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
WLWC is a full-power television station licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, and serving the Providence–New Bedford market. Although its city of license is in Massachusetts, the station is one of the principal broadcast outlets serving Providence, alongside WLNE-TV. Its signal and programming history have been shaped by the unusual geography of the market, which crosses the Massachusetts–Rhode Island border and overlaps with stations based in Boston. The station began broadcasting on April 14, 1997, as an affiliate of The WB. Its launch followed more than a decade of difficulty in bringing the channel to air. The original construction permit was granted in 1982 to Metrovision, a company associated with Franklin D. Graham. The proposed station initially used the call sign WFDG, but financial problems, construction delays, and ownership changes prevented it from launching. Fant Broadcasting acquired the permit in January 1995, changed the call sign to WLWC later that year, and arranged for Outlet Communications—and subsequently NBC-owned WJAR—to operate the station under a local marketing agreement. At launch, WLWC carried WB programming, syndicated shows, and a locally produced 10 p.m. newscast called TV 28 News at 10. The newscast was produced by WJAR and was discontinued within months. In 1997, Fant transferred WLWC and another station to Paramount Stations Group in a transaction connected with the exchange of WVIT in Hartford. The change brought WLWC into the Viacom/Paramount station portfolio and added UPN programming. WLWC later became primarily a UPN outlet while continuing to carry selected WB programming under a program-licensing arrangement. Its technical and operational relationship with Boston's WSBK-TV and WBZ-TV became increasingly important, with certain master-control, programming, sales, and administrative functions handled from Boston. Following the 2000 Viacom–CBS combination and Viacom's 2005 corporate split, WLWC became part of CBS Corporation. It was selected as one of the CBS-owned UPN stations that would affiliate with The CW, the network created through the combination of UPN and The WB. The station launched CW programming in 2006 and remained associated with the network until the affiliation moved to another local outlet after the station's spectrum transaction. CBS sold WLWC in a 2007 station-group transaction to an entity backed by Cerberus Capital Management. The stations were placed in Four Points Media Group, whose operations were later managed by Nexstar Broadcasting Group. Four Points sold the station group to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2012, but Sinclair sold WLWC to OTA Broadcasting in 2013. OTA's principal interest was the value of the station's broadcast spectrum rather than long-term operation as a conventional television outlet. WLWC's spectrum was sold in the Federal Communications Commission's incentive auction for approximately $125.9 million. The station retained its license and virtual channel identity through a channel-sharing arrangement with WPXQ-TV, an Ion Television-owned station. In 2017, Nexstar acquired WLWC's non-spectrum assets, while the station's former CW programming moved to a subchannel of WNAC-TV. WLWC then carried Ion-related programming through its shared facilities. Ion acquired the station's license in 2018. After E. W. Scripps Company acquired Ion Media in 2021, WLWC was transferred to Inyo Broadcast Holdings as part of the regulatory restructuring associated with that transaction. WLWC became a Court TV affiliate in 2021 after Ion Plus was discontinued. According to the supplied reference material, it became a Bounce TV affiliate in February 2026, and Scripps announced an agreement to repurchase the Inyo stations on February 26, 2026. WLWC's principal identity is therefore that of a local broadcast station whose network affiliations, ownership, and technical configuration have changed repeatedly while continuing to serve the Providence–New Bedford area.
History
WLWC's origins date to an FCC construction permit granted on November 8, 1982, to Metrovision Inc., a company controlled by Franklin D. Graham. The proposed station was initially assigned the call letters WFDG and was intended to operate from facilities in East Freetown, Massachusetts. Construction began, but financial difficulties prevented the permit holder from completing the project and placing the station on the air. Fant Broadcasting acquired the permit on January 3, 1995, and the call sign was changed to WLWC on August 1 of that year. Fant had already developed an operating relationship with Outlet Communications, the owner of Providence NBC affiliate WJAR. Under a local marketing agreement signed in December 1994, WJAR supplied operational support for WLWC. After NBC acquired Outlet in 1996, WJAR continued preparing the new station for launch. WLWC finally began broadcasting on April 14, 1997, as a WB affiliate. Its initial schedule combined WB programs with syndicated entertainment and a WJAR-produced 10 p.m. newscast, TV 28 News at 10. The newscast was short-lived and was canceled by September of that year. On July 31, 1997, NBC announced a three-way station transaction that transferred WLWC and Fant's WWHO to Paramount Stations Group, while WVIT in Hartford became an NBC-owned-and-operated station. Under Paramount and Viacom, WLWC added UPN programming and developed a close relationship with Boston UPN affiliate WSBK-TV. Because of ownership restrictions involving overlapping signals in Boston and Providence, Straightline Communications initially held the WLWC license while WSBK operated the station under an LMA. Viacom acquired WLWC outright in 2001. The station's operations became integrated with Boston facilities after the Viacom–CBS corporate combination. When Viacom and CBS separated in 2005, WLWC moved with the television stations into CBS Corporation. In 2006, UPN and The WB were combined into The CW, and WLWC became one of the CBS-owned stations selected for the new network. The affiliation reflected WLWC's existing dual relationship with both predecessor networks. During this period, the station carried a mixture of network, syndicated, sports, and public-affairs programming. Its schedule at various times included children's programming, Boston-produced news and sports segments, The Daily Buzz, Phantom Gourmet, ACC sports, and local public-affairs programs. CBS announced in February 2007 that it would sell WLWC and seven other stations to a Cerberus Capital Management-backed holding company. The stations were organized under Four Points Media Group, which assumed control later that year; the transaction formally closed in January 2008. Nexstar Broadcasting Group began operating the Four Points stations in 2009. Four Points later sold the group to Sinclair Broadcast Group, with the WLWC transaction closing in January 2012. Sinclair sold WLWC to OTA Broadcasting in April 2013. OTA Broadcasting was created around the value of broadcast spectrum and had limited long-term interest in maintaining its stations as conventional full-power broadcasters. WLWC's spectrum was particularly valuable because of the dense and overlapping television environment in New England. In the FCC's incentive auction, OTA sold the spectrum for $125,932,367. WLWC did not disappear entirely: it retained its virtual channel number and entered a channel-sharing agreement with WPXQ-TV. The station ceased its previous transmission arrangement in October 2017, and its former CW programming moved to WNAC-TV's second digital channel. Nexstar acquired WLWC's non-spectrum assets in 2017. Ion acquired the WLWC license in 2018 after regulatory changes made the transaction possible. The station's broadcast identity subsequently became tied to Ion's programming portfolio. In 2021, WLWC became a Court TV affiliate after the closure of Ion Plus. The station was transferred to Inyo Broadcast Holdings when Scripps acquired Ion Media and restructured ownership of several stations to satisfy regulatory requirements. The supplied reference material states that WLWC joined Bounce TV in February 2026 and that Scripps announced an agreement to repurchase the Inyo stations on February 26, 2026. Its history illustrates the effects of network consolidation, local marketing agreements, ownership limits, digital transition, spectrum monetization, and channel sharing on a local American television station.
- 2026
Bounce TV affiliation begins
[1]The station became affiliated with Bounce TV in February 2026.
- 2021
Court TV affiliation begins
[1]WLWC replaced Ion Plus programming with Court TV.
- 2018
Ion acquires WLWC license
[1]Ion exercised an option to acquire the license, with the sale closing in February.
- 2017
Spectrum auction and channel sharing
[1]WLWC's spectrum was sold through the FCC incentive auction, followed by a channel-sharing arrangement with WPXQ-TV.
- 2013
OTA Broadcasting acquisition closes
[1]OTA Broadcasting completed its purchase of WLWC from Sinclair.
- 2012
Sinclair acquisition closes
[1]Sinclair completed its acquisition of the Four Points station group, including WLWC.
- 2008
Four Points transaction closes
[1]The Cerberus-backed acquisition of WLWC and the other Four Points stations formally closed on January 10.
- 2008
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]WLWC discontinued regular analog programming on UHF channel 28 while continuing digital service using virtual channel 28.
- 2006
WLWC joins The CW
[1]WLWC became a charter CBS-owned affiliate of The CW following the combination of UPN and The WB.
- 2001
Viacom acquires the license
[1]Viacom purchased WLWC outright after a period in which Straightline Communications held the license and WSBK operated the station.
Products and positioning
A local broadcast television outlet serving the Providence–New Bedford market, with its identity determined primarily by its network affiliation, digital channel placement, and coverage of viewers in southeastern New England.
Television station · 1997
WLWC broadcast service
WLWC is a full-power local television service licensed to New Bedford and targeted to viewers throughout the Providence–New Bedford market. It has retained virtual channel 28 through major changes in ownership, network affiliation, and transmission structure. Since its spectrum sale, the station has operated through a channel-sharing arrangement rather than maintaining its former independent physical spectrum allocation.
Television network affiliation · 2026
Bounce TV programming
Bounce TV is WLWC's reported affiliation beginning in February 2026. The network's schedule provides syndicated entertainment and library programming through the station's local broadcast signal and digital distribution arrangements.
Television network affiliation · 2006
CW programming
WLWC carried The CW from the network's launch in 2006 until the affiliation moved to another local station after WLWC's spectrum sale and channel-sharing transition. During this period, the station also carried related children's programming blocks and selected syndicated content.
Brand decisions
2026
Change affiliation to Bounce TVStrategyBackground
WLWC's network schedule changed again after its period as a Court TV affiliate.
Action taken
The station became affiliated with Bounce TV in February 2026.
Aftermath
WLWC continued providing broadcast service to the Providence–New Bedford market under its virtual channel 28 identity.
2021
Replace Ion Plus with Court TVStrategyBackground
Ion Plus was discontinued, requiring WLWC to adopt a new network schedule.
Action taken
WLWC became a Court TV affiliate on February 28, 2021.
Aftermath
The station continued operating as a network-affiliated digital television outlet under the Inyo ownership structure.
2017
Retain service through channel sharing after spectrum saleStrategyBackground
OTA Broadcasting sold WLWC's physical spectrum in the FCC incentive auction, but the station retained value through its license and virtual channel.
Action taken
WLWC entered a channel-sharing agreement with WPXQ-TV and continued using virtual channel 28.
Aftermath
The former CW affiliation moved to WNAC-TV, while WLWC carried Ion-related programming on its shared transmission facilities.
FCC incentive-auction proceeds for WLWC spectrum. $125,932,367 (2017 FCC incentive auction)
Recent events
- 2026
WLWC becomes a Bounce TV affiliate[1]
Other
The station changed its network affiliation to Bounce TV in February 2026.
- 2021
WLWC becomes a Court TV affiliate[1]
Other
WLWC adopted Court TV programming after Ion Plus was discontinued.
- 2017
WLWC spectrum sold in FCC incentive auction[1]
Regulation
OTA Broadcasting sold WLWC's spectrum in the FCC incentive auction for approximately $125.9 million, while arranging for continued service through channel sharing.
- 2017
WLWC begins channel sharing with WPXQ-TV[1]
Other
WLWC ceased using its former dedicated physical broadcast capacity and began sharing transmission facilities with WPXQ-TV while retaining virtual channel 28.
- 2013
WLWC is sold to OTA Broadcasting[1]
M&A
Sinclair sold WLWC to OTA Broadcasting, a company focused on acquiring television assets with valuable spectrum positions.
- 2012
Sinclair acquires Four Points stations[1]
M&A
Sinclair Broadcast Group completed its acquisition of Four Points Media Group, including WLWC.
- 2010
WLWC invokes network non-duplication protections[1]
Regulation
The station invoked FCC network non-duplication rules, leading Comcast to black out certain CW programming from WLVI-TV in Fall River.
- 2007
CBS sells WLWC station group to Cerberus-backed Four Points[1]
M&A
CBS announced the sale of WLWC and seven other stations to a Cerberus Capital Management-backed holding company later known as Four Points Media Group.
- 2006
WLWC selected for The CW network[1]
Other
WLWC was included among CBS's UPN stations selected to affiliate with The CW after the creation of the combined network.
- 2000
WLWC changes primary network affiliation to UPN[1]
Other
The station became primarily affiliated with UPN while retaining selected WB programming under a separate program arrangement.
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