WSTQ-LP

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WSTQ-LP, "CW 6", is the low-powered CW Television Network affiliate for Syracuse, New York. The station is owned by Barrington Broadcasting as part of a duopoly with WSTM-TV, channel 3, the area's NBC affiliate. It broadcasts its analog signal on channel 14, is available on most cable systems on channel 6, and broadcasts on DIRECTV Channel 14. Since WSTQ does not have a digital signal of its own, it can also be seen on WSTM's DT2 digital subchannel. WSTQ is operated out of WSTM's studios.

Although WSTQ has its own web address, "wstq.com", the web page is part of WSTM's website. WSTQ also airs a daily 10 PM newscast, produced by WSTM, known as CW 6 News at 10.

History

Channel 14 began broadcasting in 2000 and was owned by Venture Technologies Group, LLC. The station was known as WAWA-LP and was an independent. It showed very little syndicated shows as the majority of its line up was home shopping.

On October 20, 2001, 10 months after WNYS dropped its UPN affiliation, WAWA picked up the UPN affiliation for Syracuse.

For two years, WAWA fought to get the station on Time Warner Cable's Syracuse system. Due to the lack of programming on the channel, Time Warner refused to carry the station though it could also be argued that Time Warner's ownership of the rival WB network played some role. By federal law, it was not obligated to do so due to WAWA's status as a low-powered television station (which has no "must-carry" protection). Time Warner had already added WSBK out of Boston to its line-up in July of 2001 on channel 6, an addition done in lieu of a cost of nearly $1 million a year in out-of-market licensing fees.

At one point, WAWA even offered to pay Time Warner Cable to carry the station. Low-powered stations buying channel space on cable is commonplace, due to the lack of "must-carry" protection. The station took the case to the FCC and asked them to adopt a rule that would require Time Warner to black out WSBK's primetime UPN line up, whether they carried WAWA or not. In the end, the FCC ruled against WAWA.

In 2003, Raycom Media, owner of WSTM, purchased WAWA from Venture Technologies for an undisclosed amount of money. The station had its call letters changed to the current WSTQ-LP and was given the on-air branding of UPN 6, The Q. The WSTQ call were derived from WSTM. As a result of the owner change, the station moved into WSTM's studios. Raycom used "6" to reflect its cable slot, which they eventually got on July 1, 2003, following its acquisition from Raycom. The same "must-carry" laws that kept WAWA off Time Warner eventually got them on Time Warner. The law gives full-powered stations the option of "retransmission consent", or requesting compensation from cable systems to carry their station. In this case, full-powered WSTM can require cable systems like Time Warner to offer low-powered WSTQ on their systems as part of the compensation for carrying WSTM.

Until 2005, WSTQ carried the Bill Keeler Show, a daily (and later weekly) local comedy series. When the show did not register in the ratings and was losing money, Keeler yanked the show from the Syracuse market in 2005. Keeler also cited FCC requirements that would require his show to be captioned in the Syracuse market, an additional infrastructural expense.

On March 27, 2005, Raycom Media announced the sale of WSTQ and WSTM to Barrington Broadcasting.

As a result of the February 2006 announcement of the UPN and WB networks merging to create The CW, WSTQ announced in March that it would become Syracuse's affiliate with the new network. The station became a CW affiliate on September 18, 2006, and became known as CW 6.

Also in 2006, local "ION" affiliate WSPX has filed an application with the FCC to broadcast its digital signal on channel 14, where WSTQ is located now. If the application is granted, WSTQ will be required to relocate to another channel or cease broadcasting. WSTQ's signal is already broadcast as a subchannel of WSTM.

Newscast

File:Wstq news.jpg

Ad for the WSTM-produced WSTQ newscast.

As a result of WSTM becoming a sister station to WSTQ, WSTM began producing a weekday 10 PM newscast on WSTQ known as Action News at 10 on UPN 6, The Q. WSTM expanded WSTQ's 10 PM newscast to seven days a week on January 8, 2005. When the station became a CW affiliate, the newscast was renamed CW 6 News at 10.

Weekdays

Anchor: Matt Mulcahy
Weather: Mike Brookins
Sports: John Evenson

Weekends

Anchor: Kevin Schenk
Weather: Peter Hall

(WSTQ shares other WSTM news staff as well)

External links

Template:Barrington Broadcasting