WUCW
WUCW is a Minneapolis-licensed television station serving the Twin Cities as an affiliate of The CW.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WUCW is television station WUCW, broadcasting on channel 23 from Minneapolis and serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. The station is affiliated with The CW and is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Its studios are located in downtown Minneapolis, while its transmitter operates from the Telefarm site in Shoreview, Minnesota. Although the station is now identified primarily with The CW, its history reflects several major phases in American local television: subscription television, independent broadcasting, family-oriented programming, sports, network affiliation, and the syndication of locally originated entertainment. The station began broadcasting on September 22, 1982, under the call sign KTMA-TV. Its launch followed more than a decade of regulatory, ownership, financing, and transmitter-site delays. KTMA initially combined conventional advertiser-supported programming with Spectrum, a subscription television service associated with Buford Television and United Cable. Spectrum offered movies and sports, including selected Minnesota Twins baseball and Minnesota North Stars hockey games. The service reached a reported peak of approximately 27,000 Twin Cities subscribers in 1983, but its subscriber base and economics deteriorated. The movie service ended in September 1985, and the sports package concluded after the Twins' 1985 season. After the subscription operation ended, KTMA became a conventional independent station. Under the ownership of KTMA-TV Acquisition Corporation, led by general manager Donald H. O'Connor, it carried syndicated entertainment, music videos, locally produced programming, sports, and promotional events. The station struggled to compete with larger independent outlets and encountered financial problems. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1989. That period nevertheless produced the station's most enduring cultural contribution: Mystery Science Theater 3000, created by Joel Hodgson and developed with producer Jim Mallon and other local comedians. The program originated at KTMA in 1988 and became a cult television success after its intellectual property moved to Best Brains and the series was picked up nationally by The Comedy Channel, later Comedy Central, and subsequently the Sci-Fi Channel. Following the bankruptcy, Lakeland Group Television acquired the station. It relaunched in March 1992 as KLGT, initially emphasizing family and Christian-oriented programming. That approach produced weak ratings, and the station later broadened its programming. KLGT added Minnesota Twins games and Minnesota Timberwolves broadcasts, helping raise its local profile. On January 11, 1995, KLGT became an original affiliate of The WB, the national network created by Warner Bros. and its partners. It also participated in a short-lived local news experiment with WCCO-TV, offering an alternative 10 p.m. newscast called News of Your Choice. Sinclair Broadcast Group agreed to acquire KLGT in the late 1990s. The call sign changed to KMWB in November 1998, reflecting the station's Minnesota identity and WB affiliation. When The WB and UPN merged to form The CW in 2006, channel 23 adopted the WUCW call letters and became the Twin Cities' CW affiliate. The station remains a commercial broadcast outlet focused on network entertainment and syndicated television for the local market. Its brand has therefore evolved from a delayed subscription-TV launch into a locally recognized general-entertainment station whose most notable historical association is the creation of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
History
The origins of WUCW trace to a 1966 application by Viking Television, Inc. for a new Minneapolis station on channel 23. The Federal Communications Commission granted the application in 1969, but construction was delayed by disputes and practical problems involving the proposed Shoreview transmitter site. The station also explored subscription television, eventually working with American Subscription Television and Buford Television's Spectrum service. KTMA-TV finally signed on in September 1982. Its initial business model combined regular commercial broadcasting with subscription programming. Spectrum offered movies and a sports package featuring Minnesota Twins and North Stars games. Although the operation became one of United Cable's stronger subscription-TV systems by subscriber count, it did not achieve the expected financial results. Sports-rights difficulties, declining subscriptions, and competition from other broadcasters contributed to the service's closure in 1985. KTMA then operated as an independent station. New ownership invested in syndicated programming and local promotion, but the station remained commercially weaker than competing independents. It experimented with music videos, wrestling, talk programming, sports, holiday specials, and other locally produced formats. A particularly notable promotional event was an annual New Year's Eve comedy special featuring a rooftop melon drop. A 1986 billboard campaign for Elvira's Movie Macabre also generated complaints about its advertising slogan and ended early. The station's most important creative development occurred in 1988, when producer Jim Mallon and comedian Joel Hodgson developed Mystery Science Theater 3000 for KTMA. The low-budget series used film screenings and comedic commentary, with Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Josh Weinstein, and Kevin Murphy among the early creative contributors. KTMA produced an initial run, but financial problems prevented the station from continuing the program after 1989. Hodgson and Mallon acquired the program's intellectual property and moved production into a new company, Best Brains. The series subsequently gained national exposure through The Comedy Channel, later Comedy Central, and then the Sci-Fi Channel. KTMA entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989. A court-appointed trustee later removed O'Connor, and Lakeland Group Television emerged as the successful bidder for the station. The new owners relaunched it as KLGT in March 1992 with a family- and Christian-oriented format. That positioning produced limited ratings, so the station moved toward broader general entertainment and sports. It acquired selected Twins games and later Minnesota Timberwolves broadcasts, increasing its relevance within the local market. KLGT became an affiliate of The WB at that network's January 1995 launch. In the same year, it participated in News of Your Choice, a joint experiment with WCCO-TV that offered a second 10 p.m. newscast with a different story mix. The concept was discontinued after ratings for WCCO's late local-news programming declined. Sinclair Broadcast Group agreed to acquire KLGT in 1997, and the station changed its call sign to KMWB in 1998. In 2006, the merger of The WB and UPN created The CW. Channel 23 adopted the WUCW call sign and became the Twin Cities CW affiliate. The station continues to operate as a commercial local television outlet, carrying network and syndicated programming for the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.
- 2006
WUCW and The CW affiliation
[1]The station adopted WUCW after The WB and UPN combined to form The CW.
- 1998
KMWB call sign adopted
[1]Sinclair changed the station's call letters to KMWB.
- 1995
The WB affiliation begins
[1]KLGT became an original affiliate of The WB at the network's launch.
- 1992
KLGT relaunch
[1]After a change in ownership, the station relaunched as KLGT with a family- and Christian-oriented format.
- 1989
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
[1]KTMA sought bankruptcy protection amid undercapitalization and weak financial performance.
- 1988
Mystery Science Theater 3000 premieres
[1]The locally originated comedy series debuted on KTMA and later became nationally syndicated.
- 1985
Subscription service ends
[1]Spectrum's movie and sports operations ended after subscriber losses and sports-rights problems.
- 1982
KTMA-TV signs on
[1]Channel 23 began broadcasting on September 22 as KTMA-TV, carrying commercial and subscription programming.
- 1969
FCC grants the station application
[1]The FCC granted Viking Television authority to proceed with the proposed station.
- 1966
Initial channel 23 application
[1]Viking Television filed an application to build a Minneapolis television station on channel 23.
Products and positioning
Commercial television station and local affiliate of The CW serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul market
Broadcast television · 2006
WUCW local television service
The station's current core offering is over-the-air and distributed local-market television for the Minneapolis–St. Paul area. Programming is built around The CW network schedule, supplemented by syndicated content, station promotions, and commercial advertising.
Subscription television · 1982
Spectrum
Spectrum was the subscription-TV service carried by the station during its early KTMA years. It combined movie programming with a sports package that included selected Minnesota Twins baseball and Minnesota North Stars hockey games. The service ended in 1985.
Locally produced television series · 1988
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Created for KTMA by Joel Hodgson and developed with local production talent, the series presented movies with comedic commentary. Its KTMA run was brief, but the format later expanded nationally through Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel, becoming the station's best-known historical production.
Sports programming · 1994
Local sports broadcasts
Across different ownership and format periods, channel 23 carried selected Minnesota Twins games and Minnesota Timberwolves broadcasts. The sports additions helped KLGT improve its local visibility after the station moved away from its initial religious and family-oriented positioning.
Marketing campaigns
- 1995News of Your Choice
Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area
WCCO-TV produced an alternate 10 p.m. news presentation for KLGT, encouraging viewers to choose between different story mixes.
Outcome. The experiment was dropped later in 1995 after weak ratings for WCCO's newscasts.
- 1986Elvira's Movie Macabre billboard promotion
Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area
KTMA promoted its presentation of Elvira's Movie Macabre with a billboard campaign built around a deliberately provocative slogan.
Outcome. The campaign ended early after complaints from viewers and a municipal complaint from Farmington, Minnesota.
- 1986TV23's 23rd Annual New Year's Eve Extravaganza
Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area
KTMA introduced a live comedy New Year's Eve special hosted by station performer Kevin Murphy as Bob Bagadonuts, culminating in a rooftop melon drop.
Outcome. The event returned in 1987, 1988, and 1989 and became a recurring local station tradition.
Brand decisions
2006
Transition from The WB to The CWGeneration changeBackground
The WB and UPN combined their operations to create The CW network.
Action taken
Channel 23 adopted the WUCW call letters and became a CW affiliate.
Aftermath
WUCW retained a network-affiliate position in the Twin Cities market and continues to operate under The CW brand.
1997
Sinclair acquisition agreementM&ABackground
Sinclair sought to expand its portfolio of local television stations, while KLGT was available after several ownership and format changes.
Action taken
Sinclair agreed to purchase KLGT in a transaction reported at $52.5 million.
Aftermath
The station changed its call sign to KMWB in 1998 and later became WUCW under Sinclair ownership.
Reported acquisition price. $52.5 million (1997 agreement)
1995
Affiliation with The WBStrategyBackground
The launch of The WB created a new national network seeking local affiliates in major U.S. markets.
Action taken
KLGT joined The WB on January 11, 1995, while continuing to develop local sports and programming initiatives.
Aftermath
The affiliation established the station's network-TV role before the later transition to The CW.
1992
KLGT family-oriented relaunchStrategyBackground
Lakeland Group Television sought to reposition the post-bankruptcy station for a distinct audience.
Action taken
The station relaunched under the KLGT call sign with family- and Christian-oriented programming.
Aftermath
Low ratings led to a later move toward broader entertainment and sports programming.
1989
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filingOtherBackground
The independent station had struggled with undercapitalization, programming costs, and insufficient advertising performance.
Action taken
KTMA filed for Chapter 11 protection and continued operating while ownership and management arrangements were resolved.
Aftermath
A trustee removed O'Connor, and Lakeland Group Television later acquired the station out of bankruptcy.
1988
Commissioning of Mystery Science Theater 3000Product launchBackground
Production staff needed programming to fill a schedule gap and connected with Joel Hodgson through local comedy contacts.
Action taken
KTMA commissioned and aired the first locally produced run of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Aftermath
The station ended production during its 1989 financial crisis, but the creators moved the property to Best Brains and secured national distribution.
1985
Shift to a conventional independent formatStrategyBackground
The collapse of the Spectrum subscription operation left the station without its original specialized business model.
Action taken
KTMA moved toward music videos, syndicated entertainment, locally produced programs, and commercial broadcasting.
Aftermath
The station gained a broader programming identity but continued to face audience and financial pressure.
1982
Launch with subscription televisionProduct launchBackground
The new channel entered a market where subscription television was being tested as an alternative revenue model for UHF stations.
Action taken
KTMA-TV launched with both advertiser-supported programming and Spectrum subscription programming, including movies and sports.
Aftermath
Spectrum initially attracted substantial local interest but later declined and closed in 1985.
Recent events
- 2006
The WB and UPN merge into The CW[1]
M&A
Following the network merger, channel 23 became WUCW and assumed its current CW affiliation.
- 1998
KLGT changes call sign to KMWB[1]
Leadership change
The station adopted KMWB as its call sign while operating as a WB affiliate under Sinclair ownership.
- 1997
Sinclair agrees to acquire KLGT[1]
M&A
Sinclair Broadcast Group entered an agreement to purchase the station for a reported $52.5 million.
- 1995
KLGT becomes a WB launch affiliate[1]
Product launch
The station joined The WB when the network launched and introduced a short-lived collaborative news program with WCCO-TV.
- 1989
KTMA files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection[1]
Bankruptcy
The station sought bankruptcy protection after struggling with insufficient capitalization and weak commercial performance.
- 1988
KTMA launches Mystery Science Theater 3000[1]
Product launch
A locally produced comedy program created by Joel Hodgson premiered on KTMA and later became a nationally distributed cult series.
- 1983
Spectrum subscription television reaches its local peak[1]
Other
The station's subscription service reportedly reached about 27,000 Twin Cities subscribers while carrying movies and selected Minnesota sports.
- 1982
KTMA begins broadcasting on channel 23[1]
Product launch
The station signed on after an extended construction and transmitter-site approval process, initially combining commercial programming with subscription television.
Sources2 sources
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