WRDQ
WRDQ is an independent television station serving Orlando and Central Florida, owned by Cox Media Group alongside ABC affiliate WFTV.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WRDQ is an independent, full-power television station licensed to Orlando, Florida, and identified with virtual channel 27. It operates as part of Cox Media Group’s Orlando television operation alongside ABC affiliate WFTV, channel 9. The stations share studios on East South Street in downtown Orlando, while WRDQ’s transmitter is located near Bithlo, Florida. The station’s origins date to an effort to add a new Orlando television allocation to the FCC’s table of assignments. In 1984, the FCC approved channel 27 for Orlando subject to technical restrictions designed to prevent interference with nearby stations, including WMFE-TV and WOFL, as well as a station on channel 26 in Daytona Beach. In 1988, an FCC administrative law judge awarded the construction permit to Reece Associates Ltd., a company associated with former WFTV reporter and anchor Marsha Reece, her husband Rudy Reece, and outside investors. Reece’s proposal included programming intended to serve Orlando’s Black community. Appeals by unsuccessful applicants continued into 1992, delaying the project and prompting Reece to leave WFTV to concentrate on developing the station. The proposed station encountered additional obstacles involving transmitter siting. A planned tower location in Lake County faced opposition from nearby residents after upscale housing was built in the area, and county officials rejected the proposed zoning in 1994. In 1995, Reece Associates entered into a time brokerage agreement with WFTV and planned to colocate the new operation with WFTV. The station was initially designated WZWY, but construction and tower issues continued to delay its launch. WRDQ eventually began broadcasting on April 23, 2000, using a new 1,875-foot tower in Kissimmee. Its initial schedule included repeats of talk programs, classic television series, and broadcasts of Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball. The regulatory environment changed shortly before launch: in August 1999, the FCC began permitting ownership combinations involving two commercially licensed television stations in the same market under specified conditions. Cox Communications subsequently exercised an option to acquire WRDQ outright on February 1, 2001, creating an Orlando duopoly with WFTV. The station has remained closely integrated with WFTV in programming, news production, facilities, and technical operations. WRDQ’s programming model combines syndicated entertainment, sports, special-event coverage, and local news supplied or produced by WFTV. It launched a WFTV-produced 10 p.m. newscast in January 2002, added a weekday 7 a.m. morning newscast in 2007, and introduced a 6:30 p.m. half-hour newscast in 2010. The early-evening newscast was discontinued in 2013, while the 10 p.m. broadcast was expanded to an hour in 2014 to compete more directly with WOFL’s late news. The station has also functioned as an overflow outlet for major news and public-interest events. During the 2011 Casey Anthony trial, WRDQ carried extensive daytime trial coverage, allowing WFTV to balance the proceedings with its regular ABC schedule and later with portions of the trial that generated the greatest audience interest. ABC daytime programming was temporarily shifted to WRDQ for part of that trial and again during WFTV’s coverage of the 2013 George Zimmerman trial. In sports, WRDQ became the local television outlet for Orlando City SC soccer in 2016, replacing WOFL and WRBW. The arrangement lasted through the 2018 season before the team returned to a multi-station arrangement involving WOFL and WRBW in 2019. WRDQ also carries a leased subchannel used to provide a high-power signal for WTMO-CD, Orlando’s Telemundo station. The station launched its digital signal in 2002, ended analog broadcasting in 2009, and moved its post-transition digital operation to UHF channel 27.
History
WRDQ’s history began with the search for an additional television channel in the Orlando market. In 1984, Allen Sheets petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to add channel 27 to Orlando’s allocation. The proposal had to address the technical constraints of the analog television era, including spacing requirements involving nearby stations on channels 24 and 35 and a co-channel station on channel 26 in Daytona Beach. The Bithlo tower area east of Orlando made the allocation technically feasible, subject to a transmitter-location condition imposed by the FCC. In August 1988, an FCC administrative law judge awarded the construction permit to Reece Associates Ltd. The company was associated with Marsha Reece, a former WFTV anchor and reporter, her husband Rudy Reece, and outside investors. Reece had been one of nine applicants. Her proposed format included programming for Orlando’s Black community, giving the project a local-service orientation beyond simply adding another general entertainment channel. The losing applicants pursued appeals, which were not finally dismissed until 1992. Reece then left her position at WFTV to develop the station full time. The Seminole Tribe of Florida was at one point considered as a possible investor, although it did not become the station’s owner. Construction was delayed by difficulties over the transmitter site. After upscale homes were built near the proposed tower location in Clermont, residents opposed the project, and Lake County officials rejected the required zoning in February 1994 by an 8–0 vote. In 1995, Reece signed a time brokerage agreement with WFTV and agreed to colocate the proposed station at WFTV’s offices. The station was then identified as WZWY, but the tower dispute continued to prevent an immediate launch. The project ultimately moved forward with a new 1,875-foot tower in Kissimmee. The station adopted the call sign WRDQ and began broadcasting on April 23, 2000. Its initial schedule consisted of repeated talk programming, classic television series, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball. A significant regulatory change helped determine its ownership structure. In August 1999, the FCC began permitting certain duopolies involving commercially licensed television stations. Cox, which had already been involved with WRDQ through its relationship with WFTV and the time brokerage arrangement, exercised an option to purchase the station on February 1, 2001. The transaction created a same-market ownership combination with WFTV that has shaped WRDQ’s operations ever since. WRDQ developed as an independent station rather than as an affiliate of a major broadcast network. Its programming has consequently emphasized syndicated shows, locally produced news, sports, and special-event coverage. WFTV supplied much of the station’s news identity. A 10 p.m. newscast began in January 2002, followed by a weekday 7 a.m. newscast in 2007 and a 6:30 p.m. newscast in 2010. The 6:30 p.m. program ended in 2013, while the 10 p.m. broadcast was expanded to one hour in 2014 to strengthen the station’s competition with Fox affiliate WOFL. The station has periodically served as a scheduling outlet for WFTV and ABC programming when major events required extended coverage. During the 2011 Casey Anthony trial, WRDQ carried the proceedings for much of the weekday day, initially from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As the trial progressed, WFTV assumed more of the coverage, particularly the portions expected to attract the largest audience, while WRDQ carried more procedural material. ABC authorized the temporary movement of daytime programming to WRDQ for the remainder of the trial. A similar temporary arrangement occurred during WFTV’s coverage of the George Zimmerman trial in 2013. Sports have been another part of WRDQ’s independent-station role. In 2016, it became a television broadcaster for Orlando City SC soccer, replacing WOFL and WRBW. The agreement covered the 2016 through 2018 period; in 2019, the team reached a new arrangement involving WOFL and WRBW. WRDQ also expanded its technical usefulness through digital multicast operations. Cox began leasing one of its subchannels in 2013 to provide a high-power simulcast signal for WTMO-CD, Orlando’s Telemundo station. WRDQ introduced a digital signal on April 1, 2002. It ended analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, and its post-transition digital operation moved from pre-transition UHF channel 14 to UHF channel 27. The station remains a Cox Media Group independent outlet serving the Orlando area, with shared downtown studios, a transmitter near Bithlo, local news supplied through its WFTV relationship, and a schedule built around syndicated programming, special coverage, sports, and multicast distribution.
- 2019
Orlando City SC television rights move to another arrangement
[1]The club reached a new multi-year agreement involving WOFL and WRBW.
- 2016
Orlando City SC broadcasts begin
[1]WRDQ became a local television outlet for Orlando City SC soccer.
- 2014
10 p.m. newscast expands
[1]The late newscast was expanded to one hour.
- 2013
WTMO-CD subchannel arrangement begins
[1]Cox began leasing a WRDQ digital subchannel for a high-power rebroadcast of Orlando Telemundo station WTMO-CD.
- 2010
6:30 p.m. newscast launches
[1]WRDQ added a half-hour early-evening newscast.
- 2007
Weekday morning newscast added
[1]The station added a 7 a.m. weekday news program.
- 2002
Digital broadcasting begins
[1]WRDQ began operating a digital signal on April 1.
- 2002
10 p.m. newscast launches
[1]WRDQ began airing a local late-evening newscast produced through its WFTV relationship.
- 2001
Cox completes acquisition of WRDQ
[1]Cox exercised its purchase option and placed WRDQ under common ownership with WFTV.
- 2000
WRDQ launches
[1]WRDQ began broadcasting on April 23 from a new tower in Kissimmee.
Products and positioning
A locally focused independent station that complements Cox Media Group’s WFTV operation through syndicated programming, additional local news windows, sports, special-event coverage, and broadcast capacity.
Independent television station · 2000
WRDQ broadcast channel
WRDQ is a full-power independent television station serving Orlando and Central Florida on channel 27. Its schedule is built from syndicated entertainment, local news, sports, and special-event programming rather than a major-network affiliation. The station shares downtown Orlando facilities with WFTV and uses a transmitter near Bithlo.
Television news · 2002
WRDQ local news
WRDQ’s local news offering is closely connected to WFTV. It began with a 10 p.m. newscast in 2002, later added a weekday morning program and a short-lived 6:30 p.m. broadcast, and subsequently expanded its late news to an hour. The programming gives Cox an additional news outlet in the Orlando market and supports competition with other local stations.
Digital television distribution · 2013
WRDQ digital multicast carriage
A WRDQ digital subchannel has been leased for carriage of WTMO-CD, Orlando’s Telemundo station. The arrangement uses WRDQ’s full-power broadcast infrastructure to provide a higher-power signal for the low-power Spanish-language outlet.
Sports broadcasting · 2016
Orlando City SC television broadcasts
WRDQ carried Orlando City SC soccer during the 2016–2018 period. The broadcasts formed part of the station’s role as an independent outlet able to carry local sports and other programming not tied to a national network schedule.
Brand decisions
2016
Orlando City SC broadcast partnership beginsProduct launchBackground
Orlando City SC sought a local television outlet for its soccer coverage.
Action taken
WRDQ replaced WOFL and WRBW as a local television broadcaster for the club.
Aftermath
The arrangement continued through 2018 before the club moved to a new agreement involving WOFL and WRBW in 2019.
2011
Trial coverage is shifted between WRDQ and WFTVStrategyBackground
The Casey Anthony trial attracted substantial local interest and required extended daytime television coverage.
Action taken
Cox initially used WRDQ for most of the weekday trial coverage, then moved increasingly prominent portions to WFTV and temporarily placed ABC daytime programming on WRDQ.
Aftermath
Coverage returned to the normal WFTV schedule after the trial concluded. A comparable temporary use of WRDQ occurred during WFTV’s 2013 George Zimmerman trial coverage.
2001
Cox exercises option to acquire WRDQM&ABackground
WRDQ had been developed through a programming and facilities relationship with WFTV. FCC rules began permitting certain commercial television duopolies shortly before the station launched.
Action taken
Cox purchased WRDQ outright on February 1, 2001, creating common ownership with WFTV in Orlando.
Aftermath
WRDQ became an independent sister station to WFTV and continued to share facilities, news resources, and selected programming functions with it.
Recent events
- 2016
WRDQ becomes an Orlando City SC television outlet[1]
Product launch
WRDQ began broadcasting Orlando City SC soccer, replacing WOFL and WRBW as the team’s local television outlet for the 2016–2018 period.
- 2011
WRDQ carries extensive Casey Anthony trial coverage[1]
Other
The station temporarily carried the trial for much of the weekday daytime schedule, with coverage later concentrated on WFTV as audience and scheduling needs changed.
- 2007
WRDQ expands its local news role[1]
Product launch
WRDQ added a weekday morning newscast produced by or associated with WFTV, following its earlier 10 p.m. news launch.
- 2001
Cox acquires WRDQ and forms an Orlando television duopoly[1]
M&A
Cox exercised its option to acquire WRDQ outright on February 1, 2001, bringing the station under common ownership with WFTV.
- 2000
WRDQ begins broadcasting in Orlando[1]
Other
The station launched on April 23, 2000, as an independent outlet with syndicated talk programming, classic television series, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball.
Sources2 sources
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