WUAB

WUAB
CityLorain, Ohio
Channels
BrandingCW 43; 19 News
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
September 15, 1968
(56 years ago) (1968-09-15)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 43 (UHF, 1968–2009)
  • Digital: 28 (UHF, 1998–2018)
Call sign meaning
"United Artists Broadcasting"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID8532
ERP30 kW
HAAT333 m (1,093 ft)
Transmitter coordinates41°22′45″N 81°43′11″W / 41.37917°N 81.71972°W / 41.37917; -81.71972
Translator(s)18 (UHF) Akron
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.cw43.tv

WUAB (channel 43) is a television station licensed to Lorain, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD (channel 6) and Shaker Heights–licensed CBS affiliate WOIO (channel 19), the latter station whose full-power spectrum WUAB transmits over via a channel sharing agreement.[1] WUAB, WOIO and WTCL-LD share studios on the ground floor of the Reserve Square building in Downtown Cleveland, with WUAB and WOIO sharing transmitter facilities in suburban Parma.

Founded in 1968 by the United Artists film studio, from which its call sign is derived from, WUAB was originally one of two ultra high frequency (UHF) independent stations to sign on in the Cleveland market, doing so eight months after Kaiser Broadcasting's WKBF-TV signed on. Prevailing over WKBF-TV in a seven-year-long battle for advertisers and audience, WUAB became one of the highest-rated UHF independent stations in the country by 1971, aided by a strong lineup of off-network reruns, feature films, sporting events, and popular local talent. Purchased by Gaylord Broadcasting in 1977, WUAB bolstered its sports presence as the over-the-air home for Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers telecasts in 1980 and established a news department in 1988, with a cable television footprint spanning multiple states.

The station was acquired by Stephen J. Cannell in 1990 but taken over by WOIO owner Malrite Communications in 1994 via a local marketing agreement, taking effect at the same time WOIO became the market's CBS affiliate and helping provide that station with a news service. A charter affiliate for both UPN and The WB from 1995 to 1997, WUAB became an exclusive UPN affiliate until the network's 2006 closure, subsequently linking up with MyNetworkTV in 2006 and The CW in 2018. Acquired outright by Malrite's successor Raycom Media in 2000, WUAB and WOIO have been in Gray Television's portfolio from 2019 onward, adding startup Telemundo affiliate WTCL-LD as a third station in 2022.

  1. ^ a b
    • "Modification of a Licensed Facility for DTV Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
    • "License To Cover for DTV Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WUAB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.