WUPW
WUPW is a Fox-affiliated broadcast television station serving Toledo, Ohio, under the Fox 36 brand.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WUPW is a full-power television station serving Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding northwestern Ohio market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 36 and is affiliated with the Fox network, using the consumer-facing brands Fox 36 and Fox Toledo. Its transmitter is located on Corduroy Road in Oregon, Ohio, while its principal studio operations are based in downtown Toledo on North Summit Street, alongside CBS affiliate WTOL. The station began broadcasting on September 22, 1985. It was initially planned under the call sign WDMA-TV but adopted WUPW before its first transmission. The station launched as an independent UHF outlet owned by a group of local investors and private companies. On October 6, 1986, it became one of Fox's charter affiliates, a relationship that has remained central to the station's identity. In its early years, WUPW operated from studios at Four SeaGate in downtown Toledo and developed a role as a local source of syndicated entertainment, cartoons, and Fox network programming. Ownership changed several times. Ellis Communications acquired the station in 1993. Ellis was subsequently absorbed into a broadcasting group associated with the Retirement Systems of Alabama and AFLAC, which became Raycom Media. When Raycom sought to acquire Malrite Communications Group in the late 1990s, federal ownership rules prevented it from retaining both WUPW and NBC affiliate WNWO-TV in the same market. Raycom retained WNWO and divested WUPW to Sunrise Television. Sunrise was later absorbed by LIN TV, placing WUPW within LIN's station portfolio for much of the 2000s. WUPW expanded its digital and online presence during the LIN era. In 2007 it adopted Fox Interactive Media's MyFox website platform, becoming one of the first Fox affiliates not owned by the network to use that system. It later moved to a platform developed by LIN and Fox and subsequently associated with EndPlay. The station also developed a local news operation, including prime-time news, afternoon news, morning cut-ins, weather coverage, and other locally focused programming. In 2012, LIN Media agreed to sell WUPW to American Spirit Media for a reported $22 million. The transaction closed on April 20, 2012, and was accompanied by a joint sales agreement with WTOL, then owned by Raycom Media. WUPW's separate in-house news department was discontinued, while WTOL assumed production of WUPW's local newscasts. The arrangement consolidated much of the stations' technical and newsroom infrastructure at WTOL's North Summit Street facility, although WUPW remained separately licensed and its management and sales functions were not simply identical to those of WTOL. The WTOL relationship continued through later ownership changes. Raycom's station assets and its agreement involving WTOL and WUPW passed to Tegna in 2019. WUPW has continued to operate as an American Spirit Media-licensed Fox affiliate, with WTOL providing local news and certain operational services. Its programming proposition combines Fox's national schedule, syndicated programming, local news, weather, sports-related coverage, public-service material, and digital content for viewers in the Toledo region. The station has also been involved in several carriage disputes. Negotiations with Time Warner Cable temporarily interrupted carriage in 2008. Buckeye CableSystem removed WUPW from its lineup in late 2012 during a rate and retransmission dispute before restoring it in January 2013. A separate dispute involving American Spirit Media, DirecTV, and AT&T U-verse lasted from September 2017 until January 2018, temporarily depriving satellite and U-verse customers of WUPW and Fox programming during portions of the professional and college football seasons and Major League Baseball postseason. Fox market-exclusivity rules also led Charter Communications to drop WUPW for some southeastern Michigan subscribers because Detroit Fox station WJBK was treated as the in-market Fox affiliate there. WUPW remains a local broadcast brand rather than a national consumer-products brand. Its value is tied to spectrum access, Fox affiliation, local advertising, retransmission arrangements, local journalism, and audience reach in the Toledo television market.
History
WUPW is a Toledo, Ohio television station that broadcasts on virtual channel 36 and carries Fox programming. It began service on September 22, 1985, as an independent station using the UHF channel 36 allocation. Although the station had originally been associated with the proposed call sign WDMA-TV, it adopted WUPW before signing on. Its initial ownership consisted of local investors and private companies, and its early studios were located at Four SeaGate in downtown Toledo. On October 6, 1986, WUPW joined Fox as a charter affiliate. The affiliation gave the station a stable national programming identity while it continued to air syndicated entertainment and local programming. WUPW was sold to Ellis Communications in 1993. Ellis later became part of a larger broadcasting group linked to the Retirement Systems of Alabama and AFLAC, which formed Raycom Media. Raycom's later acquisition plans created an ownership conflict in Toledo. When Raycom announced its intention to acquire Malrite Communications Group, it faced federal restrictions on common ownership of multiple stations in the same market. Raycom chose to retain NBC affiliate WNWO-TV and spun off WUPW to Sunrise Television. Sunrise was absorbed by LIN TV in May 2002, making WUPW a LIN-owned Fox affiliate during the 2000s. The station pursued several digital initiatives during this period. In 2007, WUPW adopted Fox Interactive Media's MyFox web platform, an early example of a Fox affiliate outside the network's direct ownership group using that system. It later moved to a platform developed by LIN and Fox and associated with EndPlay. WUPW also developed a substantial local news presence. WTOL produced the station's first prime-time newscast beginning in 1996, while WUPW subsequently created and expanded its own branded broadcasts, including Fox Toledo News at 10, Fox Toledo News First at 4, morning news and weather cut-ins, and a 6:30 p.m. broadcast. The station's news operation received regional Emmy recognition and Associated Press of Ohio citations according to the station's historical account. A major structural change came in 2012. LIN Media sold WUPW to American Spirit Media for a reported $22 million, and the sale closed on April 20. The transaction included a joint sales agreement with Raycom-owned WTOL. WUPW's employees moved into WTOL's facility, though the stations retained distinct ownership and certain separate business functions. On April 23, WTOL took over production of WUPW's local newscasts, ending the station's independent newsroom. A morning newscast was added in June 2012, and the shared operation moved to high-definition production. The station's carriage history reflects the economics of local broadcast television. Time Warner Cable temporarily lost authorization to carry WUPW in October 2008 before reaching a new agreement later that month. Some viewers in Erie and Huron counties subsequently received a different regional Fox station because of cable-market boundaries. In December 2012, Buckeye CableSystem removed WUPW during a dispute over retransmission rates and the implications of American Spirit Media's operating arrangement with WTOL. The station returned to the lineup in January 2013. WUPW was also removed from Charter Communications systems serving parts of southeastern Michigan in 2012. Fox contractual provisions protecting local affiliate exclusivity restricted duplicative carriage of an out-of-market Fox signal where Detroit's WJBK served as the designated local affiliate. In another prolonged dispute, American Spirit Media's agreement with DirecTV and AT&T U-verse expired at the end of August 2017. After an extension failed, the signals were withdrawn on September 21. The blackout continued for approximately four months and ended on January 30, 2018, affecting access to Fox entertainment and sports programming, including portions of the 2017 baseball postseason and football seasons. Raycom's relationship with WUPW continued after Raycom's merger-related changes. WTOL and the associated agreement moved to Tegna in January 2019. WUPW has remained licensed to American Spirit Media and continues to operate as a Fox affiliate with local news and other services produced or supported through its WTOL relationship. Its core brand proposition is regional: a Fox network outlet combining national programming with Toledo-area news, weather, sports, advertising, and digital services.
- 2012
American Spirit Media acquisition
[1]American Spirit Media acquires WUPW and enters a joint sales agreement with WTOL.
- 2012
WTOL takes over news production
[1]WUPW's in-house news department closes and WTOL begins producing the station's newscasts.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]WUPW ends analog broadcasting on June 12 as part of the United States digital television transition.
- 2007
MyFox website launch
[1]WUPW adopts Fox Interactive Media's MyFox web platform.
- 2002
Sunrise Television absorbed by LIN TV
[1]WUPW becomes part of LIN TV's station portfolio after Sunrise Television is absorbed.
- 1998
Divestiture connected with Raycom's acquisition plans
[1]WUPW is selected for divestiture because ownership rules prevented Raycom from retaining both WUPW and WNWO-TV in the Toledo market.
- 1993
Ellis Communications acquisition
[1]Ellis Communications acquires the station from its earlier ownership group.
- 1986
Fox affiliation begins
[1]WUPW joins Fox on October 6 as one of the network's charter affiliates.
- 1985
WUPW signs on
[1]The station begins broadcasting on September 22 as an independent UHF station on channel 36.
Products and positioning
A locally focused Fox affiliate serving the Toledo television market, combining national network programming with regional news, weather, sports coverage, and community-oriented digital content.
Broadcast television · 1985
Fox 36 broadcast service
The station's primary offering is a full-power over-the-air television service on virtual channel 36. It carries Fox's national schedule and supplements it with syndicated programs, local advertising, public-service material, weather information, and Toledo-focused programming.
Local news · 1996
Fox Toledo local news
WUPW has carried locally branded news at various times, including evening, prime-time, afternoon, and morning formats. Since 2012, WTOL has produced the station's local newscasts under the operating relationship between the two stations.
Weather information
StormTrack Doppler weather coverage
Weather programming associated with WUPW uses the StormTrack Doppler identity and can include severe-weather coverage. The station may also carry extended WTOL weather coverage when tornado warnings affect counties in its viewing area.
Digital media · 2007
Digital news and video
WUPW has maintained station websites and digital video services, moving from Fox's MyFox platform to later systems associated with LIN, Fox, and EndPlay. Current digital presentation may vary by operating provider and platform.
Brand decisions
2017
Withdraw retransmission consent from DirecTV and AT&T U-verseStrategyBackground
American Spirit Media and the distributors failed to renew their retransmission agreement after an extension period.
Action taken
The station's signal was withdrawn on September 21, 2017, after the extension expired.
Aftermath
The blackout lasted until January 30, 2018, when a new agreement was reached.
2012
Sell WUPW to American Spirit MediaM&ABackground
LIN Media sold WUPW to American Spirit Media while arranging a joint sales relationship with WTOL.
Action taken
The transaction closed on April 20, 2012, and WUPW staff moved into WTOL's facility while the station remained separately licensed.
Aftermath
WTOL assumed production of WUPW's local newscasts, and the station continued as an American Spirit Media-owned Fox affiliate.
2012
End the in-house newsroomStrategyBackground
The American Spirit Media acquisition was accompanied by a joint sales and operating relationship with WTOL.
Action taken
WUPW discontinued its internal news operation and transferred local-news production to WTOL.
Aftermath
WUPW continued to air local newscasts, but they were produced through the WTOL operation rather than by an independent WUPW newsroom.
Recent events
- 2017
DirecTV and AT&T U-verse blackout begins[1]
Pricing · Other
American Spirit Media withdrew retransmission permission after its contract with DirecTV and AT&T U-verse expired. The dispute lasted until January 30, 2018.
- 2012
WUPW sold to American Spirit Media[1]
M&A
LIN Media sold WUPW to American Spirit Media, with the transaction closing on April 20. The deal included a joint sales agreement with WTOL.
- 2012
WTOL assumes production of WUPW newscasts[1]
Leadership change
Following the American Spirit Media transaction, WUPW ended its in-house news operation and WTOL began producing the station's local newscasts.
- 2012
Buckeye CableSystem removes and restores WUPW[1]
Lawsuit · Pricing
Buckeye CableSystem stopped carrying WUPW on December 12 during a retransmission-rate dispute and restored the station on January 21, 2013.
- 1986
WUPW becomes a charter Fox affiliate[1]
Other
The station joined the Fox network on October 6, 1986, establishing the affiliation that continues to define its brand.
- 1985
WUPW begins broadcasting as a Toledo independent station[1]
Other
WUPW went on the air on September 22, 1985, as an independent UHF television station on channel 36.
Sources1 sources
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