WWTV
WWTV is a CBS-affiliated television station serving Northern Michigan, operating alongside full-time satellite station WWUP under the 9&10 News brand.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WWTV is a television station licensed to Cadillac, Michigan, and affiliated with CBS. Together with WWUP-TV, channel 10 in Sault Ste. Marie, it forms the regional 9&10 News operation, one of the principal broadcast news brands in Northern Michigan. WWUP functions as a full-time satellite of WWTV and does not maintain a separate local physical operation in Sault Ste. Marie beyond its transmission facilities. The combined service covers 23 counties in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula and three counties in the eastern Upper Peninsula, with the signal also reaching portions of Northern Ontario, including the area around Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The station began broadcasting on January 1, 1954, after delays postponed its originally expected December 1953 launch. It was the first television station north of Lansing in Michigan. WWTV began as a CBS affiliate and also carried selected ABC and DuMont programming during the early years of television. After WPBN-TV launched in Traverse City, the two stations shared some ABC programming until the arrival of WGTU in 1971 established a dedicated ABC affiliate for the area. WWTV’s call sign and channel history reflect several important technical and regulatory changes. Sparton Corporation initially obtained the license for channel 13. In 1962, the station exchanged channel assignments with WZZM in Grand Rapids and moved to channel 9, allowing a substantial increase in power and broader coverage across the northern Lower Peninsula. That same year, owner John Fetzer launched WWUP as a full-time satellite. The two stations later became collectively known as TV 9&10, a name that was replaced around 1998 by 9&10 News. Ownership changed several times. Fetzer, who also owned the Detroit Tigers, acquired WWTV in 1958 and introduced Tigers baseball to Northern Michigan viewers. After a 1961 transmitter fire destroyed the station building, the operation was rebuilt. Fetzer sold the stations to Ralph Wilson in 1979, and Heritage Broadcast Group acquired them in 1986. Heritage remains the station owner. Since 2007, WWTV and WWUP have also provided specified services to WFQX-TV and WFUP through a shared-services agreement with Cadillac Telecasting. News is central to the brand’s identity. WWTV/WWUP has historically led the local Nielsen ratings, in part because its coverage is designed for the entire Northern Michigan region rather than being concentrated primarily on Traverse City. The operation produces approximately 42 hours of news each week, including local morning programming, evening newscasts, weather coverage, sports programs, and high-school sports reports. Its Doppler 9&10 Radar Network uses National Weather Service radar data, while Sports Extra and Sports Overtime extend the station’s regional sports coverage. The station also operates a news bureau in Petoskey. WWTV has emphasized technical modernization throughout its history. It began color broadcasting in 1967, transitioned from analog to digital transmission in 2009, added a digital fill-in translator serving portions of the Traverse City area in 2011, and moved its news operation to high definition in 2013. A major fire destroyed the former station building in August 2018 and temporarily disrupted over-the-air and pay-television distribution. In 2025, most operations moved to an office suite in Traverse City, while the Cadillac studio was sold to the Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District. Master control remained in a smaller Cadillac facility after a technical overhaul intended to streamline operations.
History
WWTV traces its origins to Sparton Corporation, a Jackson, Michigan, radio manufacturer that obtained the license for channel 13 in June 1953. The station was assigned the WWTV call letters and initially planned to begin service in December of that year. Promotional representatives traveled to New York to present what they called the Northern Michigan story to prospective advertisers, but operational delays postponed the launch. WWTV transmitted regular test patterns beginning December 13, 1953, and commenced regular programming on January 1, 1954. From its first day, WWTV was a CBS affiliate. It also carried secondary ABC and DuMont programming at a time when network coverage in rural markets was incomplete. DuMont ceased operations in 1956. After WPBN-TV began serving Traverse City, WWTV and WPBN shared selected ABC programming, with each station carrying different portions of the schedule. That arrangement ended in 1971 when WGTU became the market’s dedicated ABC affiliate. John Fetzer purchased WWTV in 1958. His ownership connected the station with the Detroit Tigers, which Fetzer owned, and brought Tigers baseball broadcasts to Northern Michigan. In 1961, a fire at the transmitter site spread to the studio and destroyed the building. The operation was rebuilt with new equipment. The following year, WWTV exchanged channel assignments with WZZM in Grand Rapids and moved to channel 9. The new assignment permitted a substantial power increase and improved coverage across the northern Lower Peninsula. On June 15, 1962, Fetzer launched WWUP-TV on channel 10 in Sault Ste. Marie as a full-time satellite of WWTV. The stations began color broadcasting in 1967. Their collective identity was initially expressed as TV 9&10, a brand used from the 1960s until approximately 1998, when the operation adopted the 9&10 News name. In 1979, Fetzer sold the stations to Ralph Wilson, owner of the Buffalo Bills. Heritage Broadcast Group acquired them in 1986 under the leadership of Detroit businessman Mario Iacobelli. Heritage Broadcasting Company continues to own WWTV and WWUP, operating under the 910 Media Group identity. The station’s regional role expanded in 2007 after Cadillac Telecasting acquired WFQX-TV, the market’s Fox affiliate, from Rockfleet Broadcasting. Following regulatory approval, Cadillac Telecasting entered a shared-services agreement with WWTV and WWUP. The arrangement supported additional newscasts produced by the WWTV news operation, including a weeknight 10 p.m. program on WFQX beginning October 31, 2007, and the market’s first 7 p.m. newscast beginning in January 2008. WWTV and WWUP ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, and moved their digital signals to the former analog channels. To address gaps created by the transition, the FCC granted WWTV a permit in 2010 for a digital fill-in translator. The translator began service in December 2011, primarily improving coverage in parts of the Traverse City area. In April 2013, WWTV and WFQX became the market’s only stations broadcasting local news in high definition. The station has maintained a strong emphasis on regional news, weather, and sports. Its news operation covers a large geographic area and produces roughly 42 hours of programming per week. The Doppler 9&10 Radar Network incorporates data from National Weather Service sites, with the principal source associated with the Gaylord forecast office. The station also produces Sports Extra after late news during much of the week and Sports Overtime, a Friday program featuring highlights from numerous area high-school events. Long-serving personalities include John McGowan, who joined the on-air staff in 1977 and worked as a sports director and anchor until a stroke in 2014, and meteorologist Michael Stevens, who joined the morning program in 2010 and became chief meteorologist in 2024. A major operational crisis occurred on August 30, 2018, when fire destroyed the former 1961 building and compromised the transmitter portion of the facility. WWTV had to restore its over-the-air and pay-television services incrementally, with the broadcast signal initially returning at reduced power before installation of a replacement transmitter. In 2025, the station moved most operations to Traverse City, citing the size and cost of maintaining the Cadillac facility. The former Cadillac studio was sold to the Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District, while master control remained in a smaller Cadillac building after a technical redesign by Key Code Media.
- 2025
Most operations move to Traverse City
[1]WWTV consolidated most activities in Traverse City while retaining a smaller Cadillac master-control facility.
- 2018
Fire destroys the former station building
[1]A fire destroyed the station’s former building and disrupted transmission operations.
- 2017
Cadillac studio relocation
[1]WWTV moved studios and offices from the Tustin transmitter site to a renovated Cadillac building.
- 2013
Local news moves to high definition
[1]WWTV and WFQX became the only stations in the market then offering local news in HD.
- 2011
Digital fill-in translator begins operation
[1]A translator began improving over-the-air reception in portions of the Traverse City area.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]WWTV and WWUP completed the federal digital television transition.
- 2007
Shared-services agreement with WFQX begins
[1]Following WFQX’s sale to Cadillac Telecasting, WWTV and WWUP began providing specified services under an SSA.
- 1998
The stations adopt the 9&10 News identity
[1]The long-running TV 9&10 collective brand was replaced by the 9&10 News identity.
- 1986
Heritage Broadcast Group acquires WWTV and WWUP
[1]Heritage Broadcast Group, led by Mario Iacobelli, acquired the two-station operation.
- 1979
Fetzer sells the stations to Ralph Wilson
[1]Ownership passed from John Fetzer to Ralph Wilson, the Buffalo Bills owner.
Products and positioning
A region-wide Northern Michigan television news and CBS affiliate brand emphasizing broad geographic coverage, local weather, sports, and high-volume news production.
Local television news · 1998
9&10 News
The station’s principal local news service, produced for WWTV and WWUP and distributed across Northern Michigan. It combines regional reporting with local weather, sports, public-affairs coverage, and digital video. The operation is designed to cover a broad multi-county market and historically produces an unusually large volume of weekly news for a small-market station.
Local morning news
Michigan This Morning
WWTV’s morning news and information program, featuring regional headlines, weather, traffic, and community coverage. A portion of the program’s schedule was moved to WFQX after CBS required affiliates to carry The Early Show in its entirety.
Weather service
Doppler 9&10 Radar Network
A branded weather presentation using live National Weather Service radar data from regional sites. The primary data source is associated with the NWS forecast office in Gaylord, Michigan, and the system supports weather forecasts for the station’s large geographic coverage area.
Sports news
Sports Extra
An extended sports segment carried after late local news from Monday through Thursday. It provides additional regional sports reporting beyond the standard newscast.
High-school sports program
Sports Overtime
A Friday-night sports program focused on high-school athletics across Northern Michigan. Its reports regularly include highlights from more than a dozen area events during the high-school sports season.
Full-time satellite television station · 1962
WWUP-TV
WWUP-TV, channel 10 in Sault Ste. Marie, operates as WWTV’s full-time satellite. Apart from its transmission facilities, it does not maintain a separate physical operation in Sault Ste. Marie, but extends the WWTV CBS and local-news service into the eastern Upper Peninsula.
Controversies
Viewer poll over Dan Rather career special
WWTV/WWUP drew local and national attention after asking viewers whether the station should air a CBS special about the career of Dan Rather as he prepared to leave the CBS Evening News. The station dropped the poll after the controversy and broadcast the special.
Marketing campaigns
- 1953The Northern Michigan Story
Northern Michigan · New York advertising market
Before launch, Sparton sent advertising representatives and promotional contestants to New York to present Northern Michigan as an emerging television market and attract advertisers to the new station.
Outcome. The launch campaign supported preparations for WWTV’s eventual January 1954 debut, although the planned December start was delayed.
Brand decisions
2025
Operational consolidation in Traverse CityStrategyBackground
Management determined that the Cadillac studio was larger and more expensive to maintain than the operation required.
Action taken
Most operations moved to an office suite in Traverse City, the Cadillac studio was sold, and master control was retained in a smaller Cadillac building.
Aftermath
A technical overhaul was undertaken to reduce the staffing and facility requirements of master control while maintaining the regional broadcast service.
2013
High-definition local news launchGeneration changeBackground
Local television viewers were increasingly receiving programming through high-definition platforms.
Action taken
WWTV and WFQX converted their local news broadcasts to high definition.
Aftermath
The stations became the only local television outlets in the market then broadcasting news in HD.
2009
Digital television transitionGeneration changeBackground
Federal digital television requirements required the stations to end analog transmission.
Action taken
WWTV and WWUP shut down their analog signals and moved digital transmission to the former analog channels.
Aftermath
The stations continued service digitally, later adding a fill-in translator to address localized reception gaps.
2007
Shared-services agreement with WFQX-TVM&ABackground
Cadillac Telecasting acquired the area’s Fox affiliate, WFQX-TV, from Rockfleet Broadcasting.
Action taken
WWTV and WWUP entered an SSA to provide certain services to WFQX and its satellite WFUP.
Aftermath
The relationship enabled additional WFQX newscasts produced by the WWTV news operation.
1962
Move from channel 13 to channel 9Generation changeBackground
The station’s original channel assignment limited its potential coverage of Northern Michigan.
Action taken
WWTV exchanged channel assignments with WZZM and moved to channel 9, enabling a higher-power signal.
Aftermath
The move expanded the station’s reach across the northern Lower Peninsula and reinforced its regional-service model.
1962
Launch of WWUP as a full-time satelliteStrategyBackground
The eastern Upper Peninsula was geographically difficult to serve from a single Northern Michigan transmitter.
Action taken
WWTV launched WWUP-TV in Sault Ste. Marie as a full-time satellite.
Aftermath
The combined operation extended CBS and WWTV programming into the eastern Upper Peninsula and parts of Northern Ontario.
Recent events
- 2025
WWTV shifts most operations to Traverse City[1]
Other
Most operations moved to an office suite in Traverse City, while the former Cadillac studio was sold to the Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District and master control was consolidated in a smaller Cadillac facility.
- 2018
Fire destroys WWTV’s former station building[1]
Other
A fire destroyed the 1961 station building and damaged transmitter facilities, temporarily disrupting over-the-air and pay-television distribution. Service returned in stages, initially at reduced power.
- 2017
WWTV relocates studios and offices to Cadillac[1]
Other
The station moved its studios and offices from the transmitter site near Tustin to a renovated building in Cadillac.
- 2014
WWTV’s long-serving personality John McGowan suffers a stroke[1]
Leadership change
John McGowan, who had been part of the station’s on-air roster since 1977, suffered a stroke and subsequently ended his long station career.
- 2013
WWTV and WFQX begin broadcasting news in high definition[1]
Product generation
The stations became the first and only television outlets in the market at that time to provide local news in high definition.
- 2011
WWTV translator begins operation[1]
Product launch
The digital fill-in translator began operating to address coverage limitations affecting some viewers after the digital transition.
- 2010
FCC approves WWTV digital fill-in translator[1]
Regulation · Product launch
The FCC granted a construction permit for a digital translator intended to improve over-the-air service in portions of the Traverse City area.
- 2009
WWTV and WWUP complete the U.S. digital television transition[1]
Regulation
The stations ended analog transmission and moved their digital operations to the former analog channel assignments.
- 2008
WWTV launches Northern Michigan’s first 7 p.m. newscast[1]
Product launch
Following CBS scheduling requirements for The Early Show, the third hour of Michigan This Morning moved to WFQX, which also received a new 7 p.m. local newscast.
- 2007
WWTV/WWUP begins shared-services relationship with WFQX-TV[1]
M&A · Other
After Cadillac Telecasting acquired WFQX-TV, it entered into a shared-services agreement with WWTV and WWUP.
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