Station History

Quick Facts

• WUPW is located in Toledo, Ohio
• Branding is FOX Toledo
• Slogan is "First. Fast. Fair." "Just You Watch!"
• Channels are 36 (UHF) analog and 46 (UHF) digital
• Digital Channels: 36.1 / 46.1 /  (Main WUPW Programming / High Definition)
• Affiliations: Fox
• Owner: LIN TV
• Founded: September 22, 1985
• Former affiliations: Independent (1985-1986)
• Transmitter Power:
       1950 kW/373 m(analog)
       110 kW/356 m (digital)
• Website: foxtoledo.com

 Tower: 372-meter high-guy aerial mast for the transmission of FM radio and TV programs in  Oregon, Ohio (Geographical coordinates: 41°39′21″N, 83°26′40″W).
 It was completed in 1985 and is the property of LIN Broadcasting.

WUPW is the Fox television affiliate station for Toledo, Ohio. It is known on-air as "FOX Toledo." It is owned by the LIN TV Corporation. Its transmitter is located in Oregon, Ohio, and its studios are located in Four Seagate in Downtown Toledo.

In addition to news and Fox network programming, WUPW also carries many off-network sitcoms and a few syndicated game/reality, talk and courtroom shows.

History

WUPW went on the air in mid-September, 1985 as an independent television station. It became a charter Fox network affiliate in 1986.

In the 1990s, the station began to air a 10pm newscast produced by WTOL.

The partnership between the two stations ended in 2000, and WUPW launched its own news department.

WUPW was the only Toledo over-the-air television station to air cartoons weekday afternoons. The station added a 4pm newscast after Fox discontinued kids' weekday programming in 2001.

Originally, WUPW was owned by a consortium of local investors and private companies. They sold the station to Atlanta-based Ellis Communications in 1993. Three years later, Ellis Communications' stations, including WUPW, were merged with another broadcasting group to form Raycom Media.

After Raycom acquired Malrite Broadcasting (which owned NBC affiliate WNWO-TV) in 1999, WUPW was spun off to Sunrise Television due to FCC rules at the time prohibiting common ownership of two stations in the same market, as Raycom opted to keep the longer-established WNWO at that time. LIN acquired the station in 2002 through its purchase of Sunrise Television. Ironically, Raycom bought WTOL in 2006 after Liberty Broadcasting merged with Raycom (WNWO was sold to Barrington Broadcasting due to current FCC rules prohibiting common ownership of two of the four largest stations in a single market).

Newscast

FOX Toledo News First at Four (Weekdays 4-5 p.m.)

• Laura Emerson
• Chief Meteorologist Doug Moats

FOX Toledo News First at Ten (Weekdays 10-11 p.m.)

• Laura Emerson
• Chief Meteorologist Doug Moats

FOX Toledo News First at Ten (Weekends / Saturday and Sunday,  10-10:30 p.m.)

• Tiffany Tarpley
• Weathercaster Bruce Slusher
• Howard Chen

Personalities

News Anchors

• Laura Emerson
• Tiffany Tarpley

Stormtracker Weather

• Doug Moats, Chief Meteorologist
• Bruce Slusher, Weathercaster

Hardcore Sports

• Howard Chen, Weekend Anchor/Reporter
• Joe Rychnovsky, Reporter, Fill-In Anchor

Reporters

• Kristi Leigh
• Allison Brown
• Shaun Hegarty
• Heather Miller
• Sharia Davis
• Tiffany Tarpley
• Michelle Zepeda
• Barrett Andrews
• Kelly Miner
• Joe Rychnovsky

 

Awards

2008

Associated Press:  Extraordinary Coverage of a Scheduled Event  - Fox Toledo Hardcore "BCS Championship Monday"

Associated Press: Second Place best station Web site in division (Toledo, Youngstown, Dayton) - Angel Belford, Internet Director, and Tim Andrassy, Web Producer.
 
National Association of Television Arts and Sciences:  Emmy Award for "Outstanding Weekend Newscast"
 
Toledo Press Club:  Touchstone Award for "Excellence in Journalism" - Broadcast - Fox Toledo Hardcore Sports for “BCS Championship Monday.”

2005

Emmy Award: Outstanding Daytime Newscast (Market 41+) for "FOX Toledo News First at Four"

Emmy Award: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) for "FOX Toledo News First at Ten"

Ohio Associated Press: First Place, Extraordinary Coverage of a Scheduled Event for "You Decide 2005 Election Preview Special"

Press Club of Toledo Touchstone Awards: Excellence in Journalism Award for "You Decide 2005 Election Preview Special"

2004

Emmy Award: Outstanding Daytime Newscast (Market 41+) for "FOX Toledo News First at Four"

2003

Emmy Award: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) for "FOX Toledo News at Ten"

2002

Emmy Award: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) for "FOX Toledo News at Ten"

Face of FOX Toledo

Between 2005-2006, Leah D'Emilio was the Face of FOX Toledo. She was seen on commercials as well as at local media events. She is now the "Face of Jim White Honda". Abby Bollenbacher was named Leah's successor in 2006. Both girls now reside in Los Angelos, California and are pursuiing careers in acting.

In 2007, Julia Johnston was named Face of FOX Toledo.

in 2009, Ashley Johncola was named Face of FOX Toledo.