WVEN-TV
A Melbourne-licensed television station serving the Orlando market as TelevisaUnivision's Univision outlet.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WVEN-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Melbourne, Florida, and serving the Orlando and Central Florida television market. It broadcasts programming from Univision, the Spanish-language television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. Although its license city is Melbourne, the station's studios are shared with low-power UniMás outlet WRCF-CD on Douglas Avenue in Altamonte Springs, while its transmitter is located in Bithlo, Florida. The station began broadcasting on July 5, 1982, as WMOD, an English-language independent station. It was created by Southern Broadcasting Corporation, an investor group led by former United States representative Louis Frey Jr., and was the first broadcast television station established in Brevard County. Its launch was troubled by construction delays, equipment failures, a lightning strike affecting the transmission line, and the temporary installation of its antenna at a much lower point on the tower than intended. These problems harmed its early reputation and caused many advertisers to cancel their schedules. WMOD also faced a structural coverage problem. Federal aviation authorities opposed the proposed increase in tower height because of concerns about aircraft operating between Melbourne Regional Airport and Orlando Executive Airport. The resulting limitation kept the station's signal from reaching the more densely populated parts of the Orlando market as effectively as its owners had hoped. The weak market position contributed to staff reductions, programming cutbacks, and difficulty competing with established Orlando independents. Press Broadcasting acquired WMOD in 1985 and attempted to strengthen its programming and transmission facilities. Because the signal limitations persisted, Press entered into an arrangement under which the Home Shopping Network supplied much of the station's schedule and received an option to purchase it. That option was later assigned to Blackstar Communications, which took control in 1988. The station adopted the call sign WBSF and operated primarily as a home-shopping service. Press retained much of the syndicated programming inventory and used it in the launch of WKCF on another channel. USA Broadcasting purchased WBSF in 1998. The buyer intended to introduce its CityVision concept, which emphasized locally produced programming, but that plan did not become established in Orlando. Univision acquired USA Broadcasting's station group in 2000, and the former WBSF became part of the facilities used to launch Telefutura, the Spanish-language network later renamed UniMás. The station initially used the call signs WFUO and then WOTF-TV. For many years, the Orlando Univision and UniMás services were connected through separate facilities and an operating arrangement involving Entravision Communications. In December 2017, Univision and UniMás programming and call signs were realigned: the Univision service moved to the former channel 43 facility, which resumed the WVEN-TV call sign, while UniMás moved to the Entravision-owned channel 26 facility. Entravision continued handling local sales and promotional operations for WVEN-TV until the arrangement ended at the close of 2021. TelevisaUnivision assumed direct control on January 1, 2022. Today, WVEN-TV functions as a Spanish-language network station for the Orlando region. Its offering combines Univision's national entertainment, news, sports, and public-affairs programming with local-market distribution and promotion. The station is also part of TelevisaUnivision's broader Central Florida television portfolio, operating alongside WRCF-CD, the area's UniMás outlet.
History
WVEN-TV traces its history to an application filed in 1979 by Southern Broadcasting Corporation, an investor group led by former congressman Louis Frey Jr. The group sought to establish a new independent station on channel 43 in Melbourne, Florida. The Federal Communications Commission granted the construction permit in late 1980. Because a proposed tower location in Brevard County encountered aviation-related objections, the station pursued a site in neighboring Osceola County. The station was initially discussed under the call sign WKNA, but it was renamed WMOD before launch. Southern Broadcasting sold a majority interest to BMS Broadcasting Corporation of Baton Rouge in early 1982. WMOD was scheduled to begin service on July 4, 1982, but construction and technical failures prevented a successful debut. A live dedication was recorded rather than transmitted, a satellite dish was unusable, and a lightning strike affected work on the transmission system. The station finally went on air the following evening, using an antenna temporarily mounted at approximately 226 feet. The intended antenna position was restored later that month. WMOD started as an English-language independent station carrying movies and syndicated reruns. Its reception was limited because the station could not obtain approval for a substantially taller tower. The Federal Aviation Administration opposed the proposed height increase on the grounds that it could interfere with a visual flight corridor between Melbourne Regional Airport and Orlando Executive Airport. Although local airport and political interests supported the project, the FAA maintained its objection, including in a subsequent ruling in 1983. The weak signal affected the station's commercial prospects. A large proportion of advertisers withdrew after the troubled launch, and WMOD reduced expenses and laid off employees within its first year. Attempts to build a local identity included overnight variety programming, comedy, movies, high-school football, and a local news segment. These initiatives did not overcome the station's audience disadvantage, particularly against established Orlando independent WOFL. Press Broadcasting purchased WMOD in 1985. The New Jersey-based company invested in programming and investigated ways to improve transmission coverage. It eventually adopted a hybrid strategy: in 1986, WMOD entered an affiliation arrangement with the Home Shopping Network, which supplied as much as 18 hours of programming per day while Press continued to fill the remaining schedule. HSN received an option to acquire the station. Press also pursued a complicated channel and facility strategy involving a construction permit and a proposed exchange connected to an educational station in Cocoa. HSN assigned its purchase option to Blackstar Communications, a Black-owned broadcasting company associated with John D. Oxendine. Blackstar took control in April 1988, and the station changed its call sign to WBSF the following month. It then operated around the clock as a home-shopping station, with only limited non-shopping programming, including the youth program Teen Talk and children's shows. Press retained syndicated programming and used it to launch WKCF on channel 68 later in 1988. USA Broadcasting acquired WBSF in 1998. The company planned to use the station as part of its CityVision initiative, which was intended to emphasize locally produced programming. CityVision did not become established in Orlando, and USA Broadcasting subsequently sold its station group to Univision in a transaction announced in December 2000. Univision used the former WBSF facility in the creation of Telefutura, a second Spanish-language network launched in January 2002. The station used the WFUO call sign before becoming WOTF-TV. Univision already had an Orlando-area service associated with WVEN, while Entravision operated the local Univision service and later provided sales and promotional support for Univision-owned Telefutura stations in several markets. In 2013, Telefutura was renamed UniMás. In December 2017, the Orlando stations were realigned: the Univision programming and WVEN-TV call sign moved to the channel 43 facility, and UniMás programming and the WOTF-TV identity moved to the Entravision-owned channel 26 facility. Entravision continued operating WVEN-TV under an agreement until the end of 2021. Univision assumed direct operation on January 1, 2022. The station completed the United States digital television transition in 2009, when its analog service ended and its digital operation moved to channel 43. It later moved its digital transmission to channel 22 in January 2020 as part of the nationwide repacking following the federal spectrum auction. WVEN-TV now serves the Orlando region as a TelevisaUnivision-owned Univision station, with facilities shared with WRCF-CD in Altamonte Springs and a transmitter in Bithlo.
- 2022
Univision assumes direct operation
[1]Univision ended the Entravision operating arrangement and took direct control of WVEN-TV.
- 2020
Digital channel repack
[1]WVEN-TV moved its digital transmission to channel 22 as part of the post-spectrum-auction repack.
- 2017
Univision and UniMás realignment
[1]Programming and call signs were exchanged between the channel 43 and channel 26 facilities in the Orlando market.
- 2013
Telefutura becomes UniMás
[1]The Telefutura network was rebranded as UniMás.
- 2002
Telefutura launch
[1]The station became an outlet for Telefutura under the WFUO and later WOTF-TV call signs.
- 1998
USA Broadcasting acquisition
[1]USA Broadcasting purchased WBSF and considered using it for its CityVision local-programming format.
- 1988
Blackstar control and WBSF identity
[1]Blackstar Communications took control and converted the station primarily to home-shopping programming under the WBSF call sign.
- 1985
Press Broadcasting acquisition
[1]Press Broadcasting acquired WMOD and sought to improve its programming and technical reach.
- 1982
WMOD launches
[1]Channel 43 began broadcasting as WMOD, an English-language independent station.
- 1980
Construction permit granted
[1]The FCC granted Southern Broadcasting Corporation permission to build the station.
Products and positioning
A Spanish-language broadcast television outlet serving Central Florida as the Orlando-area Univision station.
Spanish-language broadcast television · 2017
Univision Orlando
WVEN-TV's principal service is the Orlando-market distribution of Univision programming. The schedule is supplied by the national Spanish-language network and includes entertainment, news, sports, public-affairs, and other television content for Spanish-speaking viewers in Central Florida.
English-language independent television · 1982
WMOD independent television service
The station's original service, launched in 1982, relied on movies, syndicated reruns, local experiments, and community-oriented programming such as high-school football. It operated as an independent station before later ownership changes shifted the format toward home shopping and Spanish-language network television.
Home-shopping television · 1988
WBSF home-shopping service
Under Blackstar Communications, the station operated primarily as a continuous home-shopping outlet. The schedule was dominated by Home Shopping Network programming, with limited local or children's content.
Spanish-language network television · 2002
Telefutura and UniMás Orlando
The facility was used to launch Telefutura in Orlando in 2002. Telefutura was renamed UniMás in 2013; after the 2017 realignment, UniMás programming moved to the channel 26 facility and WVEN-TV became the Univision outlet on channel 43.
Brand decisions
2022
Univision takes direct operational controlStrategyBackground
A long-running arrangement under which Entravision provided local sales and promotional operations in Orlando was concluded.
Action taken
Univision assumed direct control of WVEN-TV effective January 1, 2022.
Aftermath
WVEN-TV became a directly operated TelevisaUnivision station serving the Orlando market.
2017
Exchange of Univision and UniMás facilitiesGeneration changeBackground
Univision sought to realign its network services across several markets where Univision-owned and Entravision-owned facilities had different affiliations.
Action taken
The WVEN-TV call sign and Univision programming moved to the former channel 43 facility, while WOTF-TV and UniMás programming moved to the channel 26 facility.
Aftermath
WVEN-TV became the Univision service associated with the channel 43 facility, although Entravision continued handling operations until the end of 2021.
2000
Univision acquisition of USA BroadcastingM&ABackground
USA Broadcasting's CityVision initiative had not established a successful national station format, and the company reported substantial operating losses in 2000.
Action taken
Univision agreed to acquire the USA Broadcasting station group for $1.1 billion in cash.
Aftermath
The Orlando facility became part of the Telefutura network launched by Univision in 2002.
Acquisition price. $1.1 billion (Announced December 7, 2000)
1986
Adoption of an extensive Home Shopping Network scheduleStrategyBackground
Press Broadcasting faced persistent coverage limitations and difficulty competing as a conventional independent station.
Action taken
WMOD entered an affiliation arrangement allowing HSN programming to occupy as much as 18 hours of the daily schedule, while Press retained the remaining programming and received time to pursue technical and channel changes.
Aftermath
The arrangement ultimately led to an HSN purchase option that was assigned to Blackstar Communications, which converted the station to primarily home-shopping programming.
Sources2 sources
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