WWNY-TV
CBS-affiliated television station serving the Watertown, New York area.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
WWNY-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Carthage, New York, and serving the Watertown television market and the wider North Country region. It operates as the market's CBS affiliate on virtual channel 7 and is owned by Gray Media. The station's main studios are on Arcade Street in downtown Watertown, while its primary transmitter is located on Champion Hill along New York State Route 126. WWNY-TV is operated alongside low-power and Class A sister stations associated with the WNYF brand, including Fox affiliate WNYF-CD in Watertown and translator facilities serving portions of northern New York. The station began broadcasting in October 1954 under the call sign WCNY-TV. Its original owner, the Watertown Daily Times, also owned local radio station WWNY, creating a closely integrated newspaper-and-broadcasting operation. WCNY-TV carried programming from more than one network during its early years, including CBS and ABC, and briefly had an association with the NTA Film Network. CBS became its enduring primary affiliation, and the station benefited from the strength of CBS programming during the late 1950s and 1960s. A distinctive feature of WWNY-TV's history is the scarcity of VHF television licenses in the Watertown area. Because Watertown was situated among several established television markets in New York, Vermont, Ontario, and Quebec, federal frequency-allocation rules left the area with unusually limited access to commercial VHF service. Channel 7 consequently became the area's principal television outlet and, for many years, its only locally based commercial station. Its signal and programming also attracted viewers in eastern Ontario. This early market position helped WWNY establish a durable ratings lead and a strong local-news franchise. The station adopted the WWNY-TV call sign in July 1965 after federal rules permitted television and radio stations licensed in different communities to share a base call sign. From 1958 through 1971, it also carried educational programming supplied by the St. Lawrence Valley Educational Television Council. When that organization established its own public television service, WWNY donated its original studios to the new educational station. WWNY-TV moved to its present downtown Watertown-area facility in 1970. The Johnson family sold the station to United Communications Corporation in 1981 for a reported $8.2 million, following a dispute connected with federal policy encouraging newspaper owners to divest television properties in the same market. WWNY remained the dominant local outlet after the ownership change. Before a competing full-power commercial station appeared in 1988, it was effectively Watertown's only commercial television station. During this period it carried the complete CBS schedule while selecting some popular ABC and NBC programs for unaffiliated portions of its schedule. It also carried limited Fox programming, particularly sports, during the network's early expansion. WWNY gradually reduced non-CBS programming during the 1980s and 1990s. ABC programming left the schedule after WFYF, now WWTI, began operating as the market's ABC affiliate. Some NBC programs continued for years, with selected prime-time shows lasting until 1995. Fox content was largely removed in the early 1990s, although Fox sports programming continued in limited form into the late 1990s. The station retained its central role through cable carriage, which broadened access to network programming from stations in Syracuse and Plattsburgh. Local news has been central to the WWNY brand since its first night on air, when it presented a short late-evening local update. The station has historically led local Nielsen ratings by a wide margin. Its competitors made several attempts to produce local newscasts, but those efforts did not displace WWNY's position; since 2004, WWNY has been the only station in the market described as maintaining a functioning news department. The station expanded its weekday morning output substantially, moving from brief cut-ins in the early 1980s to a 90-minute morning news operation by 2004. In 2001, WWNY created a 35-minute 10 p.m. newscast for its Fox-affiliated sister outlet under the title 7 News Tonight on Fox. Initially its audience was limited by the sister station's low-power distribution and lack of cable carriage, but the program reached a broader audience after a cable agreement took effect later that year. Related morning programming continues through a combination of simulcast and Fox-specific output. WWNY began digital transmission on UHF channel 35 in May 2003 and offered CBS programming in high definition. It became digital-only in February 2009. Digital facilities associated with the station and its sister operations were later used to expand high-definition Fox distribution and improve service to northern parts of the market. A Massena-licensed translator, now known as WWNY-CD, extends the WWNY service into parts of St. Lawrence County. Gray Television announced its acquisition of United Communications' stations, including WWNY-TV and the associated WNYF properties, in February 2019. Gray assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement on March 1, and the transaction closed on May 1, 2019. The station is now part of Gray Media's national portfolio while continuing to operate as a locally focused CBS affiliate with news, weather, sports, syndicated programming, and digital services for the Watertown area.
History
WWNY-TV began broadcasting on October 14, 1954, under the call sign WCNY-TV after receiving special temporary authority. The station was established by the Watertown Daily Times, which also owned WWNY radio in Watertown. From its beginning, the station was primarily associated with CBS, although its early schedule included selected programming from ABC and NBC and a brief NTA Film Network affiliation. The Watertown market's geography gave channel 7 unusual importance. Federal allocation rules placed Watertown between several larger markets in upstate New York, Vermont, Ontario, and Quebec, restricting the number of available VHF licenses. WWNY consequently became the only locally based commercial television station in the area for many years. Its VHF signal reached a broad rural region and attracted substantial viewership in eastern Ontario. The station's early lack of direct competition helped it establish a lasting local-news and ratings advantage. In July 1965, WCNY-TV changed its call letters to WWNY-TV, aligning the station with its radio sister stations after federal rules allowed shared base call signs across different license communities. The station also provided educational programming between 1958 and 1971 through the St. Lawrence Valley Educational Television Council. When the council launched WNPE-TV, now WPBS-TV, WWNY donated its former studios to the new public television service. WWNY had moved to its current Arcade Street-area facility in downtown Watertown in February 1970. The Johnson family sold WWNY to United Communications Corporation in 1981 for $8.2 million. The transaction followed an unsuccessful effort to resist federal pressure on newspaper companies that owned television stations in the same market. Under United, WWNY continued to operate as a broad-service CBS affiliate. Before WFYF, now WWTI, launched in 1988, WWNY was effectively the area's sole commercial station. It carried CBS's full schedule while selecting popular ABC and NBC programs for other periods, and it carried limited Fox programming during the network's early years. Non-CBS programming was gradually removed during the 1980s and 1990s as competing affiliates became established. ABC ended when WFYF launched, while NBC programming remained in selected periods until 1995. Fox programming also largely disappeared in the early 1990s, with some Fox sports content continuing until 1998. The station's local identity, strong signal, and established news department allowed it to remain the leading source of broadcast news in the market. WWNY's news operation dates to its first broadcast night, when it presented a five-minute local update. It remained the market's dominant news provider even after competitors attempted local newscasts. The station expanded its weekday morning news from short insert segments in the early 1980s to a 90-minute program by 2004. In April 2001, it launched a 10 p.m. newscast on Fox-affiliated WNYF. Cable carriage beginning in the fall of 2001 expanded the audience for that program beyond viewers able to receive the low-power station over the air. The station entered the digital era in May 2003, transmitting on UHF channel 35 and carrying high-definition CBS programming. It completed the transition to digital-only broadcasting in February 2009. Related translator and sister-station facilities were reorganized over subsequent years to improve coverage in St. Lawrence County and to provide high-definition Fox service. On February 8, 2019, Gray Television announced its purchase of United Communications' television stations, including WWNY-TV and the WNYF properties. Gray began operating the stations under a local marketing agreement on March 1, and the acquisition closed on May 1. WWNY-TV remains a CBS affiliate serving the Watertown area, with its business centered on local news, weather, sports, community information, network programming, advertising, and digital distribution.
- 2019
Gray Television acquisition closes
[1]Gray Television completed its acquisition of WWNY-TV and related United Communications stations on May 1.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]WWNY became digital-only during the United States transition to digital television.
- 2004
Morning news operation expands
[1]The station began producing 90 minutes of weekday morning news.
- 2003
Digital transmission begins
[1]WWNY launched digital broadcasting on UHF channel 35 and introduced high-definition CBS programming.
- 2001
Prime-time news launches on WNYF
[1]WWNY began producing a 10 p.m. weekday newscast for its Fox-affiliated sister station, later expanded through cable carriage.
- 1988
Local commercial competition expands
[1]WFYF, now WWTI, signed on as an ABC affiliate, ending WWNY's period as the Watertown market's only commercial station.
- 1981
United Communications acquires WWNY
[1]The Johnson family sold the station to United Communications Corporation.
- 1971
Educational television service becomes independent
[1]After the local educational television council established its own PBS member station, WWNY donated its original studios to the new service.
- 1970
Station moves to downtown Watertown facility
[1]WWNY moved to its current studio location near the Watertown Daily Times offices on Arcade Street.
- 1965
Call sign changes to WWNY-TV
[1]WCNY-TV adopted the WWNY-TV call sign in July, aligning its identity with its radio sister stations.
Products and positioning
A dominant, locally focused CBS affiliate and news provider for the Watertown and North Country television market.
Local television news · 1954
WWNY 7 News
WWNY's primary local-news operation covers Watertown and the surrounding North Country, with reporting, weather, sports, public-affairs information, and breaking-news updates. The operation has been central to the station's identity since its first broadcast and has historically held the leading local-news position in the market.
Morning television news · 2004
7 News This Morning
WWNY's weekday morning news service provides early local news, traffic, weather, and community information. The operation also supports a simulcast and a Fox-oriented second hour carried by sister station WNYF.
Network television affiliation · 1954
CBS network service
WWNY-TV distributes CBS entertainment, news, sports, and daytime programming to the Watertown market. CBS has been the station's principal network affiliation since its launch, despite the station's earlier practice of carrying selected programming from other networks.
Brand decisions
2019
Transfer ownership to Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
United Communications agreed to sell its television stations to Gray Television.
Action taken
Gray assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement and completed the acquisition on May 1.
Aftermath
WWNY-TV became part of Gray's station group while retaining its CBS affiliation and Watertown-focused local operation.
2003
Launch digital and high-definition broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
The United States television industry was transitioning from analog transmission to digital broadcasting.
Action taken
WWNY began digital transmission on UHF channel 35 and added high-definition CBS programming.
Aftermath
The station continued the transition toward all-digital service and later used related digital facilities to expand sister-station coverage.
1965
Adopt the WWNY-TV call signStrategyBackground
Federal rules began allowing television and radio stations licensed in different communities to share a base call sign.
Action taken
The station changed its identity from WCNY-TV to WWNY-TV to match its radio sister stations.
Aftermath
The WWNY-TV name became the station's enduring broadcast identity.
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