WUHF
Fox television affiliate serving Rochester, New York, and surrounding areas.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WUHF is a full-power television station serving the Rochester, New York, market. Broadcasting on virtual channel 31, it is affiliated with the Fox network and is commonly identified on air as Fox Rochester. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and operates alongside ABC and CW affiliate WHAM-TV, which is also associated with Sinclair. WUHF’s studios are located at WHAM-TV’s facility on West Henrietta Road in Henrietta, while its transmitter is situated on Pinnacle Hill near the Rochester–Brighton boundary. The station began broadcasting on January 27, 1980, as Rochester’s only independent television station. Its early schedule consisted of a broad mixture of syndicated entertainment: cartoons, classic and contemporary sitcoms, films, dramatic series, and religious programming. Under Malrite ownership and general manager Jerry Carr, WUHF also developed locally distinctive programming. One notable example was All Night Live, a live overnight program hosted by cartoonist Brian Bram in 1983 and 1984. The show gave regional musical acts a television platform and reflected the experimental character of independent television during the period. WUHF became a charter Fox affiliate on October 9, 1986. Fox initially offered only limited programming, so the station continued to operate much like an independent for several years. Its schedule gradually shifted away from religious programs and traditional syndicated entertainment toward talk shows, reality programs, and court shows. Fox’s weekday children’s programming was discontinued at the end of 2001, ending WUHF’s regular weekday cartoon block. The station changed its branding to Fox Rochester in 1999, although it continued to use a Fox 31 logo for part of the following decade. Its ownership passed through several broadcasting groups. Act III Broadcasting acquired WUHF from Malrite in 1989, and the station later became part of Sullivan Broadcasting under Abry ownership. Sinclair gained control of WUHF through its acquisition of Sullivan-related assets in the late 1990s and ultimately became the station’s owner. WUHF has used several operational and news-production arrangements. In 1997 it launched an in-house news department and a prime-time newscast, initially called Fox News First and later The Ten O’Clock News. Sinclair’s News Central model was introduced in 2003, combining local material with centrally produced national reports and commentary. In 2005, after a shared-services arrangement with Nexstar, WUHF moved operations to the facilities of CBS affiliate WROC-TV and began airing the WROC-produced Fox First at 10. That arrangement ended in late 2013 after Sinclair acquired the non-license assets of WHAM-TV and related assets were transferred through Deerfield Media. Beginning in 2014, WHAM-TV produced WUHF’s 10 p.m. newscast and supplied Good Day Rochester, a weekday morning program. WUHF entered digital broadcasting in 2004 under special temporary authority. It ended regular analog transmission on February 17, 2009, using a temporary nightlight loop until March 3, while retaining digital broadcasting on UHF channel 28 with virtual channel 31. The station has also participated in digital multicast distribution, including a short-lived second subchannel carrying The Tube music-video network. Beyond its primary Rochester service area, WUHF has historically been distributed by Canadian cable and satellite providers, particularly in parts of western Canada and communities around Lake Ontario.
History
WUHF commenced operations on January 27, 1980, as a general-entertainment independent station in Rochester, New York. It was owned by Malrite and managed by Jerry Carr. At launch, the station filled its schedule with cartoons, sitcoms, movies, dramatic programs, syndicated series, and religious broadcasts. Because Rochester had no other independent station at the time, WUHF occupied a distinctive position between the market's network affiliates and the growing number of independent UHF outlets appearing across the United States. The station also experimented with locally originated programming. In 1983, underground cartoonist Brian Bram created and hosted All Night Live, a live overnight program broadcast on Friday and Saturday nights. The program ran from midnight until 7 a.m. and featured regional musical performers, including Personal Effects, Cousin Al and the Relatives, and The Degrads. Although unusual in format, it demonstrated how independent stations could use long overnight schedules to develop local identity and showcase artists who had limited access to conventional television. On October 9, 1986, WUHF became a charter affiliate of the newly established Fox network in Rochester. Fox's initial schedule was small, beginning with limited offerings such as The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers. The network did not provide a full week of programming until later, so WUHF continued to rely heavily on syndicated material and functioned partly as an independent. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the station reduced its religious programming and gradually moved from classic sitcoms, films, and drama series toward talk shows, reality television, and court programs. Ownership changed several times. Act III Broadcasting acquired WUHF from Malrite in 1989. Act III also acquired Buffalo station WUTV, creating regulatory complications because the stations' service areas overlapped. The company sought a Federal Communications Commission waiver and attempted to sell WUHF, but a buyer was not found. In 1995, WUHF became part of a broader transaction involving Abry and Sullivan Broadcasting. Sinclair Broadcast Group gained control through its acquisition of Sullivan-related assets in the late 1990s. The station introduced its own news department on November 30, 1997. The prime-time program was initially called Fox News First and was subsequently renamed The Ten O'Clock News. In 2003, WUHF adopted Sinclair's News Central model, which combined locally produced segments with centralized national reports and commentary. In 2005, Sinclair entered a shared-services arrangement with Nexstar, whose Rochester CBS affiliate was WROC-TV. WUHF's operations moved to WROC-TV's facility, and WROC began producing Fox First at 10. The program was initially a half-hour and was later expanded, with additional time devoted to sports coverage. Sinclair later acquired the non-license assets of WHAM-TV, while the station license and other regulated assets were transferred to Sinclair-affiliated Deerfield Media. At the end of 2013, WUHF ended its WROC-TV services arrangement and moved its operations to WHAM-TV's Henrietta facility. From January 1, 2014, WHAM-TV produced WUHF's late news and supplied the weekday morning program Good Day Rochester. WUHF began digital broadcasting in 2004 under special temporary authority. In 2006 it added The Tube music-video network to a second digital subchannel, but that service disappeared after the network ceased operations in 2007. The station ended regular analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, and transmitted a nightlight loop until March 3. Its digital signal uses UHF channel 28 while retaining virtual channel 31. WUHF has also been distributed outside the Rochester market through Canadian cable and satellite systems, making it available in selected communities in Ontario, western Canada, and other areas where Fox programming was carried by a distant signal.
- 2014
WHAM-TV begins producing WUHF news
[1]WHAM-TV assumes production of the station's late newscast and launches the Good Day Rochester morning block on WUHF.
- 2013
WHAM-TV becomes the operating partner
[1]WUHF ends its shared-services arrangement with Nexstar and relocates operations to WHAM-TV's Henrietta facility.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]WUHF ends regular analog transmission and continues digitally on channel 28 with virtual channel 31.
- 2005
Operations move to WROC-TV facilities
[1]A Sinclair–Nexstar services arrangement moves WUHF operations and news production to WROC-TV.
- 2004
Digital signal begins
[1]WUHF starts digital broadcasting under special temporary FCC authority.
- 1999
Fox Rochester branding adopted
[1]The station changes its primary branding to Fox Rochester while continuing to use Fox 31 visual identity for several years.
- 1997
Local news department launches
[1]WUHF begins producing a nightly prime-time newscast and a Sunday sports program.
- 1989
Act III Broadcasting acquires WUHF
[1]Act III purchases the station from Malrite.
- 1986
Fox affiliation begins
[1]WUHF becomes Rochester's charter Fox affiliate on October 9.
- 1983
All Night Live introduces regional music acts
[1]Brian Bram begins hosting a live overnight program featuring performers from the Rochester region.
Products and positioning
Local Fox affiliate combining network entertainment and sports with Rochester-area news, weather, and community coverage.
Network television · 1986
Fox network programming
WUHF carries Fox's entertainment, sports, and other network programming for viewers in the Rochester market. The affiliation began in 1986, when Fox offered a much smaller schedule than it does today, and expanded as the network developed into a full-service national broadcaster.
Television news · 1997
Local news programming
WUHF's local news offering has included a prime-time late newscast, sports coverage, and a weekday morning program. Production has shifted among WUHF itself, Sinclair's centralized News Central operation, WROC-TV, and WHAM-TV. The station's late news is associated with the Fox First at 10 format, while Good Day Rochester provides morning coverage.
Broadcast transmission · 2004
Digital television service
WUHF operates as a digital full-power television station using physical UHF channel 28 and virtual channel 31. It previously carried The Tube music-video network on a second digital subchannel and has participated in multiplexed digital distribution arrangements with other Rochester stations.
Brand decisions
2013
Move operations to WHAM-TVStrategyBackground
Sinclair acquired the non-FCC assets of ABC affiliate WHAM-TV, creating a new operating relationship for its Rochester stations.
Action taken
WUHF ended its Nexstar services agreement and relocated its studio and operating functions to WHAM-TV's Henrietta facility.
Aftermath
Beginning in 2014, WHAM-TV produced WUHF's late newscast and morning news programming.
2005
Enter a shared-services arrangement with NexstarStrategyBackground
Sinclair and Nexstar arranged for WROC-TV to provide operational and news-production support for WUHF.
Action taken
WUHF moved its operations to WROC-TV's Rochester facilities, and WROC produced Fox First at 10.
Aftermath
The arrangement continued until the end of 2013, when WUHF shifted operations to WHAM-TV's Henrietta facility.
2003
Adopt Sinclair's News Central formatStrategyBackground
Sinclair was centralizing portions of local-news production across its station group.
Action taken
WUHF replaced its prior news structure with the News Central model, combining local segments with centrally produced national material and commentary.
Aftermath
The format was later replaced by news produced through a services arrangement with WROC-TV.
1986
Join the Fox networkStrategyBackground
WUHF was operating as Rochester's sole independent station when the newly formed Fox network began assembling its affiliate base.
Action taken
The station became a charter Fox affiliate while continuing to supplement the network's limited early schedule with syndicated programming.
Aftermath
WUHF developed into Rochester's long-term Fox outlet and gradually shifted its schedule toward the network's expanding entertainment and sports lineup.
Recent events
- 2014
WHAM-TV assumes production of WUHF newscasts[1]
Leadership change
After the WROC-TV services arrangement ended, WHAM-TV took over the 10 p.m. newscast and began providing the Good Day Rochester morning program for WUHF.
- 2012
WUHF's local newscasts transition to high definition[1]
Product generation
WUHF's 10 p.m. newscast was included in WROC-TV's transition to high-definition local news production.
- 2005
WUHF moves news production to WROC-TV[1]
Other
Following a shared-services arrangement involving Sinclair and Nexstar, WROC-TV began producing WUHF's Fox First at 10 newscast.
- 2003
WUHF adopts Sinclair's News Central format[1]
Other
The station replaced much of its locally produced news structure with Sinclair's centralized format, combining local segments with nationally produced reports and commentary.
- 1997
WUHF launches its own prime-time news operation[1]
Product launch
WUHF established a news department and introduced a nightly prime-time newscast, later known as The Ten O'Clock News.
- 1986
WUHF becomes a charter Fox affiliate[1]
Other
The station joined Fox on October 9, becoming the network's Rochester affiliate while retaining much of its independent-style schedule during Fox's early years.
- 1980
WUHF begins broadcasting as Rochester's first independent station[1]
Other
WUHF launched on January 27 as the only independent television station in the Rochester market, carrying syndicated entertainment, films, cartoons, drama, and religious programming.
Sources2 sources
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