WQHS-DT
A Cleveland-area full-power Spanish-language television station affiliated with Univision and UniMás.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
WQHS-DT is a full-power television station serving Cleveland, Ohio, on channel 61. The station broadcasts Spanish-language programming from the Univision and UniMás networks and is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision. Its studios and transmitter are located on West Ridgewood Drive in Parma, a suburb of Cleveland. The station is notable as Ohio's only full-power Spanish-language television outlet. Unlike many large-market stations, WQHS-DT has generally relied on network programming rather than producing a substantial local news operation. The current station began broadcasting on March 3, 1981, under the call sign WCLQ-TV. Its launch restored service to Cleveland's channel 61 frequency, which had been unused since WKBF-TV closed in 1975. WCLQ-TV was initially designed around the emerging subscription-television business. During the day it carried advertiser-supported entertainment programming, while evenings were devoted to scrambled programming from Preview, a subscription service operated by Time Inc.'s American Television and Communications division. Preview reached almost 35,000 Cleveland-area subscribers at its peak, but cable competition, signal piracy, economic difficulties, and weak customer service undermined the service. Preview ended its Cleveland operation on August 31, 1983, leaving WCLQ-TV to operate as a conventional independent station. After Preview's closure, WCLQ-TV assembled a schedule of syndicated reruns, movies, sports packages, and limited locally produced programs. It carried properties including Dallas, Simon & Simon, The Love Boat, The A-Team, and The Honeymooners, as well as selected Cleveland State University sports, Big Ten events, and other programming. The station also revived the horror-host character The Ghoul, previously associated with WKBF-TV, and experimented with a youth-oriented variety program called Video Arcade. These efforts failed to establish a strong competitive position. The arrival of additional independent stations, particularly WOIO and WBNX-TV in 1985, intensified competition for viewers, advertising, and syndicated programming. Channel Communications sold WCLQ-TV to Silver King Broadcasting in 1986. Silver King was associated with the Home Shopping Network, and the station became one of the network's owned-and-operated outlets. The call sign changed to WQHS, and the station shifted to virtually continuous HSN programming, with a short transition period containing children's programs, films, and reruns. WQHS remained connected with the home-shopping format for the rest of the 1980s and most of the 1990s, apart from limited experiments such as a temporary simulcast of a local radio morning show. Silver King later became USA Broadcasting during a restructuring associated with HSN and its chairman Barry Diller. USA Broadcasting attempted to convert its stations into locally oriented entertainment independents under the CityVision concept, but the format did not perform well and the station group incurred substantial operating losses. Univision agreed to acquire USA Broadcasting's stations in 2000. The transaction brought Univision into Cleveland, where the Hispanic television audience had previously lacked a full-power broadcast station dedicated to Spanish-language programming. WQHS joined Univision on January 14, 2002. The transition made it the first Spanish-language broadcast television station serving the Cleveland region and established its present identity as a Univision outlet. The station also broadcasts UniMás programming, providing Spanish-language entertainment, sports, news, and network features to viewers in northeastern Ohio. Its history reflects several major changes in U.S. television: the rise and decline of subscription television, the expansion and consolidation of independent stations, the transformation of home-shopping outlets, and the growth of Spanish-language broadcasting.
History
Channel 61 in Cleveland was first occupied by WKBF-TV, a Kaiser Broadcasting independent station that operated from January 1968 until April 1975. WKBF was Cleveland's first commercial UHF station and the market's first independent television outlet, but it struggled financially while competing with WUAB. Kaiser closed the station and returned its license to the Federal Communications Commission. Interest in the frequency revived as subscription television developed. Cleveland Associates Co., a consortium of Chicago-area firms, applied in 1977 for a hybrid station that would combine conventional advertising-supported programming with encrypted subscription content. The FCC granted a construction permit, and WCLQ-TV signed on in March 1981. Preview supplied subscription programming during evening hours, while the station filled the rest of its schedule with general entertainment. Preview initially attracted a sizable subscriber base and carried selected Cleveland Cavaliers games, but cable expansion, decoder piracy, weak local economic conditions, and customer-service problems reduced its appeal. The service shut down in August 1983. WCLQ-TV then became a conventional independent station. It acquired syndicated series and movies, aired sports packages, and tried local projects including Video Arcade and a revival of The Ghoul. The station's financial performance remained weak. Channel Communications, a subsidiary of NASCO, purchased WCLQ-TV in 1984 and invested heavily in syndicated programming, but ratings remained below those of WUAB and the newer independents WOIO and WBNX-TV. Competitive pressure lowered advertising rates and made the station's expensive programming commitments difficult to sustain. Silver King Broadcasting purchased WCLQ-TV in August 1986. The transaction shifted the station toward the Home Shopping Network, and the WQHS call sign was adopted once the sale was completed in December. HSN programming eventually occupied the schedule around the clock, apart from limited experiments. During the ownership transition, Channel Communications faced claims from television distributors and studios over unpaid fees and entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings in October 1986; the case was later converted to Chapter 11. Silver King was renamed USA Broadcasting in 1998 after corporate restructuring connected to HSN. Under Barry Diller, USA Broadcasting sought to reposition its stations as locally focused general-entertainment outlets through the CityVision format. The experiment produced losses and was not broadly successful. Univision agreed in 2000 to acquire the station group for cash, giving the Spanish-language network an entry into Cleveland. WQHS began Univision service on January 14, 2002. The station has since served as a Spanish-language network outlet for Cleveland and northeastern Ohio, carrying Univision and UniMás content. The station's Parma facilities remain its principal studio and transmission base. Its institutional history therefore spans four distinct models: an early independent station, a subscription-television hybrid, a home-shopping outlet, and a Spanish-language network station.
- 2002
WQHS joins Univision
[1]WQHS begins Univision programming on January 14, becoming Cleveland's first full-power Spanish-language television station.
- 2000
Univision agrees to acquire USA Broadcasting stations
[1]Univision announces the purchase of the USA Broadcasting station group, including WQHS.
- 1986
Silver King acquisition and WQHS call sign
[1]Silver King buys the station; after the transaction closes, the station adopts WQHS and becomes an HSN outlet.
- 1984
Channel Communications acquires WCLQ-TV
[1]Channel Communications purchases the station and attempts to strengthen its independent-programming position.
- 1983
Preview service ends
[1]Preview ends its Cleveland operation on August 31, and WCLQ-TV moves to a conventional independent schedule.
- 1981
WCLQ-TV launches
[1]WCLQ-TV begins broadcasting on March 3 with a schedule combining general entertainment and Preview subscription television.
- 1977
Application for a new channel 61 station
[1]Cleveland Associates Co. files for a hybrid commercial and subscription television station.
- 1975
WKBF-TV shuts down
[1]Kaiser Broadcasting closes WKBF-TV and returns the channel 61 license to the FCC.
- 1968
WKBF-TV begins operating on channel 61
[1]The earlier license on Cleveland's channel 61 is used by WKBF-TV, the market's first commercial UHF station and an early independent outlet.
Products and positioning
A Spanish-language broadcast television service for the Cleveland metropolitan area and surrounding northeastern Ohio market, combining Univision and UniMás network content with local over-the-air distribution.
Spanish-language television network service · 2002
Univision programming
The station's principal network service consists of programming supplied by Univision, including Spanish-language entertainment, news, sports, specials, and other network features. WQHS distributes this programming over the Cleveland market through its full-power digital broadcast signal.
Spanish-language television network service
UniMás programming
WQHS also broadcasts programming associated with UniMás, extending the station's Spanish-language network offering beyond the primary Univision schedule. The service contributes additional entertainment and sports content for viewers in northeastern Ohio.
Subscription television · 1981
Preview subscription television
Preview was the original subscription service carried by WCLQ-TV. Encrypted movies, sports, and other programming were transmitted during designated evening hours to paying subscribers. The service initially attracted a substantial Cleveland subscriber base but ended locally in 1983 after cable competition and operational problems weakened demand.
Home-shopping television · 1986
Home Shopping Network programming
Following the 1986 acquisition by Silver King Broadcasting, WQHS became an owned-and-operated Home Shopping Network station. HSN programming occupied most or all of the schedule for many years, replacing the station's earlier independent entertainment format.
Brand decisions
2002
Launch of Univision service in ClevelandStrategyBackground
Cleveland had a significant Hispanic audience but had historically lacked a full-power Spanish-language television station.
Action taken
WQHS began carrying Univision programming on January 14, 2002, and later became associated with both Univision and UniMás programming.
Aftermath
WQHS established its current role as a Spanish-language broadcast outlet for the Cleveland market.
2000
Sale of USA Broadcasting stations to UnivisionM&ABackground
USA Broadcasting's CityVision local-programming strategy had not performed successfully across the group, and the company recorded significant operating losses.
Action taken
Univision agreed to acquire the USA Broadcasting station group, including WQHS, in a cash transaction.
Aftermath
The acquisition gave Univision an entry into Cleveland and prepared WQHS to become a Spanish-language network station.
Transaction value. $1.1 billion (2000 announced transaction)
1986
Conversion to a Home Shopping Network outletStrategyBackground
WCLQ-TV had struggled as an independent station amid weak ratings, expensive syndicated programming, and increased competition from other Cleveland independents.
Action taken
After Silver King Broadcasting acquired the station, it expanded HSN programming to most of the broadcast day and ultimately changed the call sign to WQHS.
Aftermath
The station abandoned its general-entertainment independent identity and operated primarily as an HSN outlet until the Univision acquisition.
Recent events
- 2002
WQHS-TV joins Univision in Cleveland[1]
M&A
WQHS-TV began carrying Univision programming on January 14, establishing the first full-power Spanish-language broadcast television service in the Cleveland region.
- 1986
WCLQ-TV sold to Silver King Broadcasting[1]
M&A
Silver King Broadcasting acquired WCLQ-TV and converted the station into a Home Shopping Network owned-and-operated outlet. The station subsequently adopted the WQHS call sign.
- 1986
Channel Communications enters bankruptcy proceedings[1]
Bankruptcy · Lawsuit
Channel Communications faced litigation over unpaid programming fees and entered bankruptcy proceedings during the transfer of WCLQ-TV to Silver King Broadcasting.
- 1983
Preview subscription service ends in Cleveland[1]
Other
The Preview subscription television service ended its Cleveland operation after losing subscribers to cable competition and other market pressures, forcing WCLQ-TV to adopt a full-time independent schedule.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wqhs-dt · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled