WWHO

WWHO is a full-power television station identified on air as The CW Columbus. The station is licensed to Chillicothe, Ohio, and serves the broader Columbus television market. It is affiliated with The CW television network and is owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside WSYX, the market's ABC and Fox affiliate, with which WWHO shares facilities and operational resources. WWHO's transmitter is located in Columbus's Franklinton neighborhood, while its studios are at the WSYX and WTTE facility on Dublin Road northwest of downtown Columbus. The station began broadcasting on August 31, 1987, under the call sign WWAT. It was founded by Wendell A. Triplett and initially operated as an independent station from studios on U.S. Route 23 in Chillicothe. Because its original over-the-air signal had limitations in the Columbus market, the station used a Columbus-area translator and later benefited from expanded cable carriage following the adoption of cable must-carry rules. The station nevertheless developed into a competitor to WTTE, which had become a Fox affiliate in 1986. Fant Broadcasting acquired the station in 1994 for a reported $2 million, and the call letters changed to WWHO on April 15 of that year. The station adopted the on-air identity Who-53 and entered a local marketing agreement with WCMH-TV, Columbus's NBC affiliate. Under that arrangement, WCMH produced a 10 p.m. newscast for WWHO, and WWHO also occasionally carried NBC programming when WCMH was committed to special events or extended breaking-news coverage. WWHO became a charter affiliate of The WB on January 11, 1995. Its programming position changed after Paramount Stations Group, a Viacom subsidiary, agreed to acquire the station in 1997. WCMH's local marketing agreement ended, and WWHO subsequently carried UPN programming while retaining its primary WB relationship for a period. In 2000, UPN became the station's primary affiliation, with WB programs continuing secondarily under a program-licensing arrangement. The station used brands including UPN 53 and later UPN Columbus. Viacom Television Stations Group announced the sale of WWHO to LIN Television in February 2005. The station returned to a 10 p.m. news arrangement in September of that year through a newscast produced by WBNS-TV, but that service ended on December 31, 2008. WWHO became a CW affiliate after The WB and UPN were combined to form The CW in 2006. Its branding was refreshed shortly before the network launched, and the station adopted the market-facing identity The CW Columbus. Ownership and operating arrangements changed again in the early 2010s. Sinclair discussed purchasing WWHO from LIN in 2011, but that transaction did not proceed. LIN instead sold the station to Manhan Media, with the sale granted on December 20, 2011. After the sale closed, Manhan entered into a shared-services agreement with Sinclair. The arrangement made WWHO a sister station of WSYX and WTTE and gave Sinclair substantial operational control. WWHO moved into the WSYX/WTTE facility in 2013. Sinclair announced an outright acquisition of WWHO in August 2025, and the sale was completed on October 7, creating a legal duopoly with WSYX. WWHO has not maintained a standalone news department. It has historically carried news produced by WCMH-TV and WBNS-TV, and it currently carries selected WSYX and Fox 28 newscasts in repeat or overflow situations. Since January 2021, it has also aired Sinclair's nationally distributed The National Desk, including an evening edition beginning later that year. The station has additionally served specialized distribution and technical roles. It briefly supplied CW programming to the Zanesville market in 2008, provided WB and UPN service to portions of the Dayton market at different times, completed its analog shutdown in February 2009, and became a Columbus ATSC 3.0 lighthouse in January 2021.

WWHO commenced operations on August 31, 1987, as WWAT, an independent station licensed to Chillicothe and founded by Wendell A. Triplett. Its original facilities were on U.S. 23 in Chillicothe. A translator served Columbus viewers until 1992, when cable carriage expanded the station's reach in the Columbus market. The station competed with WTTE despite the limitations of its initial terrestrial signal. Fant Broadcasting purchased WWAT in 1994 for a reported $2 million. The call sign changed to WWHO on April 15, and the station used the Who-53 identity. WWHO entered a local marketing agreement with WCMH-TV. WCMH supplied a 10 p.m. newscast and occasionally provided NBC programming when its own schedule was occupied by the Columbus fireworks broadcast or extended news coverage. The arrangement ended after Paramount Stations Group acquired WWHO in 1997. WWHO became a charter WB affiliate in 1995. Following the Paramount transaction, it also carried UPN programming, initially as a secondary service while the WB affiliation remained primary. In 1998, the station carried overnight Pax programming while Pax sought a full-power Columbus affiliate; that arrangement ended when WSFJ-TV became the market's Pax outlet. WWHO made UPN its primary affiliation in 2000 while retaining WB prime-time programs under a licensing arrangement. Its branding evolved from UPN 53 to UPN Columbus. Viacom's station group announced the sale of WWHO to LIN Television in 2005. LIN restored a 10 p.m. newscast in September 2005, with production supplied by WBNS-TV. The newscast ended in 2008. WWHO was ultimately selected as a CW affiliate after The WB and UPN were consolidated into The CW in 2006. It launched with revised branding and became known as The CW Columbus. In 2011, Sinclair explored buying WWHO from LIN, but that proposed transaction was not completed. LIN instead sold the station to Manhan Media. The sale was granted in December 2011 and closed in early 2012. Manhan then entered into a shared-services agreement with Sinclair, linking WWHO operationally with WSYX and WTTE. WWHO moved its operations into the WSYX/WTTE studios in 2013. Sinclair later announced an outright purchase in August 2025; the transaction was completed on October 7. WWHO has never operated a separate news department. It has carried news produced by WCMH-TV and WBNS-TV, and it currently rebroadcasts selected WSYX and Fox 28 newscasts. Sinclair's The National Desk began airing on WWHO in January 2021, followed by an evening edition later that year. The station also briefly served Zanesville's cable CW needs in 2008 and historically delivered WB and UPN programming to parts of the Dayton market. It shut down its analog signal on February 17, 2009, retaining digital channel 46 with virtual channel 53. On January 7, 2021, WWHO became an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse, carrying services including T2, PickleballTV, GameLoop, and ROXi.

• 2025

  Sinclair ownership completed

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  Sinclair completes its outright acquisition of WWHO on October 7.

• 2021

  ATSC 3.0 lighthouse launch

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  The station launches a next-generation television multiplex for Columbus.

• 2009

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  WWHO shuts down its analog UHF signal as part of the federal digital television transition.

• 2006

  The CW affiliation begins

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  WWHO becomes the Columbus area's affiliate of the newly formed CW network.

• 1995

  WB affiliation begins

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  WWHO becomes a charter affiliate of The WB.

• 1994

  Fant Broadcasting acquisition and WWHO call sign

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  Fant Broadcasting acquires the station, which adopts the WWHO call letters and Who-53 identity.

• 1987

  WWAT signs on

  [1]WWHOen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting on August 31 as an independent station licensed to Chillicothe.

A local broadcast television outlet serving the Columbus market as a CW affiliate, with additional syndicated, news, digital multicast, and next-generation television services.

• Broadcast television affiliation · 2006

  The CW Columbus

  WWHO's principal on-air service is the Columbus-market CW affiliate, carrying network entertainment, daytime, prime-time, syndicated, and related programming under the The CW Columbus identity.

• Television news · 2021

  The National Desk

  A Sinclair-produced national news program that WWHO began airing in January 2021. The station later added an evening edition after its CW programming.

• Next-generation television · 2021

  ATSC 3.0 multiplex

  WWHO serves as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse for Columbus. The signal has included digital and interactive services such as T2, PickleballTV, GameLoop, and ROXi, some of which require an internet connection.

• 2025

  Sinclair completes outright acquisitionM&A

  Background

  WWHO had previously been owned by Manhan Media but operated under a shared-services agreement with Sinclair.

  Action taken

  Sinclair acquired WWHO outright on October 7, creating a legal duopoly with WSYX.

  Aftermath

  WWHO became directly owned by Sinclair while remaining operationally linked with WSYX and WTTE.

  Source

• 2021

  Launch ATSC 3.0 lighthouseProduct launch

  Background

  Broadcast groups were beginning to deploy ATSC 3.0 services while reallocating programming among shared television transmission facilities.

  Action taken

  WWHO launched as a Columbus ATSC 3.0 multiplex lighthouse and carried several digital and interactive services.

  Aftermath

  Its ATSC 1.0 services were relocated among the signals of other Columbus stations, while WWHO's spectrum supported next-generation services.

  Source

• 2006

  Adopt The CW affiliationStrategy

  Background

  The WB and UPN were being combined into the new CW network, and WWHO already carried programming from both networks.

  Action taken

  WWHO accepted a CW affiliation and refreshed its branding as The CW on WWHO-TV and later The CW Columbus.

  Aftermath

  The station became the Columbus market's CW outlet and has continued in that role.

  Source

1. 1WWHOen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The CW Columbus official websitecwcolumbus.com