WUPV
WUPV is a television station licensed to Ashland, Virginia, serving the Richmond market as an affiliate of The CW.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WUPV is a full-power television station licensed to Ashland, Virginia, and serving viewers in the Richmond, Virginia, area. The station operates on channel 65 and is affiliated with The CW, the U.S. broadcast network created through the 2006 combination of The WB and UPN. Its current identity is closely associated with the CW Richmond brand, while its broadcast license and call sign remain WUPV. The station began broadcasting on March 9, 1990, after several years of construction and financing difficulties. It was originally established as a religious-oriented outlet by Christel Inc., a company led by James E. Campana. Before WUPV went on the air, Campana had distributed leased-access religious programming over Henrico County cable systems. Building the full-power station required a substantial investment, the construction of a transmitter site in King William County, and resolution of zoning and financing problems. WUPV initially carried mostly religious programming, supplemented by secular programs, and gradually increased its family-oriented secular schedule. In 1994, locally based Bell Broadcasting acquired the station. WZXK, its call sign at the time, then secured an affiliation agreement with the newly forming WB network and became WAWB, branded as WB 65. In 1997, Bell sold the station to Lockwood Broadcasting. The new owner shifted the station's principal network affiliation to UPN and changed the call letters to WUPV. During its UPN period, the station used the brands UPN 65 and UPN Richmond. The affiliation change had wider consequences for Richmond television. Because WUPV moved from the WB to UPN, the WB lacked a full-time over-the-air affiliate in the market for much of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Some WB programs were later carried by NBC affiliate WWBT in limited and time-shifted windows, while Kids' WB programs aired on WRLH. Efforts to establish another full-time WB outlet encountered channel-allocation, technical, and procedural complications and did not produce a lasting competitor. When The WB and UPN were combined to create The CW in 2006, WUPV became the practical full-market home for the new network in Richmond. Lockwood signed a long-term affiliation agreement covering WUPV and other stations, but sold WUPV shortly before The CW launched. The station was acquired by Southeastern Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Community Newspaper Holdings, and operated under a local marketing arrangement with Raycom Media. Raycom later acquired WWBT, creating a closer relationship between WUPV and Richmond's NBC affiliate. In 2011, Southeastern Media Holdings and its stations were sold to Thomas Henson, with the ownership interests subsequently transferred to American Spirit Media. Raycom later exercised an option to acquire WUPV from American Spirit Media as part of the transaction surrounding Raycom's combination with Gray Television. The sale was approved in December 2018 and completed on January 2, 2019. WUPV is now owned by Gray Media and operates alongside WWBT and WRID-LD, with shared facilities on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond. The WUPV transmitter is located in King William County, northeast of Richmond. WUPV has carried several locally produced news formats over its history. A weeknight 10 p.m. newscast produced by WTVR-TV began in 2007, followed by weekend editions that were discontinued in 2008. WWBT began producing an early-evening newscast for WUPV in 2009; that program moved to the late-afternoon schedule and was eventually absorbed into WWBT's existing news output. More recent programming has included a 7 p.m. edition of NBC12 News on CW Richmond, launched in 2020, and a two-hour morning extension of 12 On Your Side Today introduced in June 2024. Beyond its network programming, WUPV is notable for its role in Richmond's television transition to newer transmission standards. The station ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, while retaining a digital UHF channel for its primary service. On April 11, 2022, WUPV and WCVW launched ATSC 3.0 service in the Richmond area. WUPV functions as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse, carrying the commercial television signals associated with the participating Richmond stations in Next Gen TV format while its services are also distributed through ATSC 1.0 arrangements on other local transmitters.
History
WUPV traces its origins to Christel Inc., a company led by James E. Campana that had provided leased-access religious programming on Henrico County cable systems since 1978. In 1986, Campana received a construction permit for a new channel 65 station licensed to Ashland. The project took several years to complete because of construction, zoning, and financing obstacles. A transmitter tower was eventually built in King William County after a proposed Hanover County site encountered zoning resistance. Financial pressure also delayed completion, including a period when the transmitter remained in storage while the station raised additional funds. The station finally began broadcasting on March 9, 1990, using the call sign WZXK. Its initial schedule was primarily religious, although secular and family-oriented programming became more prominent over time. Technical problems added to the station's challenges: a transmitter failure in 1992 required a replacement that could not be installed immediately because of funding constraints. Bell Broadcasting purchased WZXK in February 1994, while Christel continued to supply religious programming. Later that year, the station reached an agreement to affiliate with The WB, a network preparing to launch nationally. WZXK adopted the call sign WAWB and the WB 65 identity. In 1997, Bell sold the station to Lockwood Broadcasting, which arranged a primary UPN affiliation and changed the call letters to WUPV. The station used UPN 65 and later UPN Richmond branding. WUPV's move from The WB to UPN left Richmond without a full-time over-the-air WB affiliate. WWBT eventually carried selected WB programs, often outside their original network time slots, while WRLH carried Kids' WB content. A proposed replacement station faced a complicated channel-allocation process after federal changes affecting television channels 52 through 69. The application was repeatedly amended and contested, but the effort did not result in a full-time WB competitor before the network ended. The WB and UPN merged in 2006 to form The CW. WUPV became the natural Richmond affiliate because of its UPN status and its existing market coverage. Lockwood signed a long-term affiliation agreement in April 2006, but Southeastern Media Holdings acquired the station shortly before The CW's September 2006 launch. Southeastern Media Holdings was a subsidiary of Community Newspaper Holdings, and Raycom Media operated WUPV under a local marketing arrangement while retaining responsibility for most station functions apart from advertising sales. Raycom's Richmond presence expanded after it acquired Lincoln Financial Media in 2008, including NBC affiliate WWBT. WUPV's relationship with WWBT subsequently became important for local news production. In 2011, Community Newspaper Holdings sold Southeastern Media Holdings and four stations, including WUPV, to Thomas Henson for a transaction involving cash and assumed debt. Henson later transferred the relevant interests to American Spirit Media. In 2018, Gray Television announced an agreement to combine with Raycom. Before the broader merger closed, Raycom exercised options to purchase WUPV and another station from American Spirit Media. Regulatory approval was granted in December 2018, and the transaction closed on January 2, 2019, making WUPV a Gray-owned station. WUPV's local news history began with a WTVR-produced 10 p.m. newscast in March 2007. Weekend editions were added later that year but ended in October 2008, and the weekday program ended in November. In January 2009, WWBT launched a 6:30 p.m. newscast on WUPV. It moved to 4:30 p.m. in 2017 and was absorbed into WWBT's existing 4 p.m. newscast in 2019. A 7 p.m. local program, NBC12 News on CW Richmond, began in January 2020. By 2022 it was the station's principal local news program, and an additional two-hour morning news extension was introduced in June 2024. WUPV completed the United States digital transition by ending its analog channel 65 signal on June 12, 2009. Its digital service remained on a UHF channel, and the station was later affected by the 2016 wireless spectrum auction and a required channel move. On April 11, 2022, WUPV and WCVW launched ATSC 3.0 service for Richmond. WUPV now serves as one of the area's Next Gen TV transmitters and carries the participating commercial stations' services through its ATSC 3.0 multiplex, while ATSC 1.0 versions are hosted through the local station group.
- 2024
Morning news extension added
[1]WUPV begins carrying a two-hour extension of 12 On Your Side Today at 8 a.m.
- 2022
ATSC 3.0 service launches
[1]WUPV begins Next Gen TV broadcasting and operates as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse for participating Richmond commercial stations.
- 2020
Seven o'clock local news launches
[1]NBC12 News on CW Richmond begins airing on WUPV.
- 2019
Gray Television completes acquisition
[1]WUPV joins Gray Television following the completion of the Raycom-related transaction on January 2.
- 2011
Station transferred to American Spirit Media ownership
[1]Southeastern Media Holdings is sold and WUPV ultimately becomes part of American Spirit Media's portfolio.
- 2009
Analog television service ends
[1]WUPV shuts down its analog signal on June 12 as part of the United States full-power digital transition.
- 2007
First dedicated WUPV newscast launches
[1]WTVR-produced weekday and later weekend local newscasts begin on WUPV.
- 2006
WUPV becomes a CW affiliate
[1]The station joins The CW when The WB and UPN are combined into a single network.
- 1997
WUPV call sign and UPN affiliation begin
[1]Lockwood Broadcasting acquires the station, shifts its primary network affiliation to UPN, and introduces the WUPV call sign.
- 1995
Station joins The WB as WAWB
[1]The station adopts the WAWB call sign and the WB 65 identity.
Products and positioning
A Richmond-market broadcast television station combining national CW network programming with locally produced news and digital over-the-air television services.
Broadcast television network affiliate · 2006
The CW Richmond
WUPV's principal service is its Richmond-market affiliation with The CW. The service distributes the network's entertainment schedule over the station's primary broadcast signal and is marketed locally as CW Richmond. WUPV became the effective Richmond home of The CW at the network's launch in 2006 after previously carrying UPN programming.
Television news · 2007
Local news programming
WUPV carries locally produced news supplied by sister station WWBT. Its current and recent offerings include NBC12 News on CW Richmond in the 7 p.m. hour and a morning extension of 12 On Your Side Today. Earlier local-news experiments included a WTVR-produced 10 p.m. newscast and a WWBT-produced early-evening and afternoon program.
Digital broadcast transmission · 2022
ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV service
WUPV operates an ATSC 3.0 transmission facility serving the Richmond area. Launched in 2022 with WCVW, the service functions as a local Next Gen TV lighthouse and carries the participating commercial stations' broadcast services in the newer digital standard. The station also remains part of the area's ATSC 1.0 distribution arrangements.
Brand decisions
2022
Launch of ATSC 3.0 broadcastingProduct launchBackground
Broadcasters in Richmond established a shared Next Gen TV transmission arrangement.
Action taken
WUPV launched ATSC 3.0 service and began operating as one of the area's lighthouse transmitters.
Aftermath
The station became a central distribution point for multiple Richmond commercial television services in the newer broadcast standard.
2019
Integration into Gray Media's Richmond station groupM&ABackground
Raycom exercised its option to acquire WUPV from American Spirit Media in connection with Raycom's merger with Gray Television.
Action taken
The transaction was approved in December 2018 and closed on January 2, 2019, placing WUPV under Gray's ownership.
Aftermath
WUPV operates alongside WWBT and WRID-LD, sharing Richmond-area facilities and news resources.
2006
Affiliation with the newly formed CW networkStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN announced a combination that created The CW, requiring affiliates in markets served by the predecessor networks.
Action taken
WUPV signed a long-term affiliation agreement and became The CW's Richmond-area affiliate.
Aftermath
WUPV secured full-market carriage for the new network and has remained associated with The CW.
1997
Switch from The WB to UPNStrategyBackground
After Bell Broadcasting sold the station to Lockwood Broadcasting, the new owner pursued a primary affiliation with UPN.
Action taken
The station changed its call sign from WAWB to WUPV and adopted UPN-oriented branding.
Aftermath
Richmond temporarily lacked a full-time over-the-air WB affiliate, while WUPV became the market's UPN outlet.
Sources2 sources
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