Station History

Quick Facts

• Mailing Address: 4 Seagate, Toledo, Ohio 43604
• Branding is FOX Toledo
• Digital Channels: 46 (UHF) 36.1 (Virtual)
• Network Affiliation: FOX (1986 - present)
• Owner: LIN Media
• Founded: September 22, 1985
• Former affiliations: Independent (1985-1986)
• Transmitter Power:
       110 kW/356 m (digital)
• Website: www.foxtoledo.com
• Tower: 372-meter high-guy aerial mast for the transmission of FM radio and TV programs in Oregon, Ohio. It was completed in 1985 and is the property of LIN Media.
  
  WUPW is the FOX television affiliate station for Toledo, Ohio. It is known on-air as "FOX Toledo." It is owned by the LIN Television 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, syndicated game/reality, talk and courtroom shows.

History - Highlights

• 1985: WUPW goes on-air September 22, 1985 as an independent television station broadcasting on analog Channel 36.
• 1986: Becomes a charter FOX network affiliate.
• 1996: Launches FOX Toledo News @ 10
• 2001: FOX Toledo News @ 10 expands to 1-hour. Wins first EMMY AWARD for "Outstanding Daily Newscast."
• 2002: LIN Television Corporation (now LIN Media) becomes new owner.
• 2003: Launches website - wupw.com
• 2004: Launches FOX Toledo News First @ Four.
• 2005: Launches first "Face of FOX Toledo" Contest.
• 2008: Website re-launches as foxtoledo.com.
• 2010: FOX Toledo News First @ Four changes time-period to become "FOX Toledo News @ 6:30."

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.  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).

Newscasts

FOX Toledo News at 6:30 (Weekdays 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)

• Laura Emerson
• Shaun Hegarty
• Chief Meteorologist Doug Moats

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

• Laura Emerson
• Shaun Hegarty
• Chief Meteorologist Doug Moats
• Sports Director Howard Chen

FOX Toledo News Weekend (Saturday and Sunday,  10-10:30 p.m.)

• Allison Brown
• Weathercaster Bruce Slusher
• Howard Chen

Personalities

News Anchors

• Laura Emerson
• Shaun Hegarty
• Allison Brown

Stormtracker Weather

• Doug Moats, Chief Meteorologist
• Bruce Slusher, Weathercaster
• Larry Whatley, Weathercaster

Hardcore Sports

• Howard Chen, Sports Director
• Joe Rychnovsky, Reporter, Fill-In Anchor

Rychnovsky Recap (Sunday 10:30 - 11 p.m.)

• Joe Rychnovsky, Host

Reporters

• Allison Brown
• Sharia Davis
• Shaun Hegarty
• Kristi Leigh
• Kevin Miliken
• Heather Miller
• Kevin Mullan
• Mike O'Rourke - "The Garden Guy"

Awards -  FOX Toledo News has won a variety of Ohio Associaton of Broadcasting Awards plus the following:

• 2009 - EMMY AWARD: Weekend Newscast - Market 41+ "FOX Toledo News Weekend"
• 2008 - Associated Press: Extraordinary Coverage of a Scheduled Event  - Fox Toledo Hardcore "BCS Championship Monday"

Associated Press: Second Place (2008, 2009) best station website 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+) "FOX Toledo News First at Four"

EMMY AWARD: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) "FOX Toledo News First at Ten"

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

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

• 2004 - EMMY AWARD: Outstanding Daytime Newscast (Market 41+)  "FOX Toledo News First at Four"
• 2003 - EMMY AWARD: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) "FOX Toledo News at Ten"
• 2002 - EMMY AWARD: Outstanding Daily Newscast (Market 41+) "FOX Toledo News at Ten"
• 2001 - EMMY AWARD: "FOX Toledo News at Ten"

Face of FOX Toledo

• Leah D'Emilio: 2005 - 06
• Abby Bollenbacher: 2006 - 07
• Julia Johnston: 2007 - 09
• Ashley Johncola: 2009 - 10
• Heather Cook: 2010-11