WNFM

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"WNFM-TV" (cable only) WBSP-CA
Ft. Myers / Naples, Florida
Branding	My TV 8 (cable slot)
Slogan	Southwest Florida's MyNetworkTV
Channels	cable 8 (WNFM) 9 (WBSP-CA) analog, no digital
Affiliations	MyNetworkTV
Owner	Comcast (WNFM) Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation (WBSP-CA)
Founded	January 16, 1995 (cable channel 8)
Call letters meaning	Naples / Ft. Myers
Former affiliations	UPN (1995-2006)
Transmitter Power	0.06 kW (WBSP)
Website	mytv8.com

"WNFM-TV" is the cable-only MyNetworkTV television affiliate serving the Southwest Florida area. The WNFM callsign is fictional, as the station is a cable-only station. The station broadcasts on Comcast channel 8, hence the "My TV 8" branding. Other stations in Southwest Florida that use their cable locations for on-air identification include: WBBH "NBC 2", WFTX "FOX 4", WXCW "CW 6", and WZVN "ABC 7".

For non-cable viewers, WNFM is also available over-the-air on WBSP-CA, a low-powered, Class A station. Licenced to Naples, WBSP-CA broadcasts an analog signal on channel 9 from a transmitter located near the Gulf of Mexico in North Naples. As a result of the staion being low-powered, it is unlikely that its signal reaches Charlotte County or even northern areas of Lee County. WBSP-CA is a full-time, straight simulcast of WNFM and there is no logo or separate website for WBSP-CA. Cable-only WNFM is owned by Comcast while WBSP-CA is owned by Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation.

Together, the two stations serve: Ft. Myers, Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Estero, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, and Cape Coral. Along with MyNetworkTV primetime and syndicated programming, the station is the broadcast home of the Florida Everblades ice hockey team. In addition, WNFM air a program called D'Latinos Morning News, which airs in Spanish, and is shown weekdays at 7 AM. It is hosted by Mayela Rosales, Martin Ycaza, and Carlos Zapata.

Contents 1 History 1.1 WEVU-CA Channel 4 1.2 WBSP-CA Channel 9 1.3 Old Websites 1.4 MyNetworkTV 2 Newscast 3 Logo Gallery 4 External Links

[edit] History

The channel 8 location on local cable systems began broadcasting on January 16, 1995. The station was affiliated with the new UPN network and was known on-air as UPN 8. On October 16, 1995, the cable station received the WEVU-TV callsign and used them in a fictional manner. The WEVU calls were previously used on what is now WZVN channel 26, the area's ABC affiliate. At some point, the fictional call letters were changed to the current WNFM-TV, which refers to the Naples / Ft. Myers area that the station serves. Along with UPN network programs, the station offered various syndicated programming.

[edit] WEVU-CA Channel 4

When the cable station changed its fictional call letters, the WEVU calls were acquired by a new low-powered, Class A, television station on channel 4 in Ft. Myers. At some point, WEVU-CA signed on and became a part-time simulcast of WNFM, which offered non-cable viewers access to UPN network programming. WEVU-CA was owned by Holston Valley Broadcasting, but was sold to Equity Broadcasting sometime in 2006 and became an affiliate of Univision. According to Equity's website, they also own WUVF-CA, Southwest Florida's official Univision affiliate. [1] The current broadcasting status of WEVU-CA is unknown at this time.

[edit] WBSP-CA Channel 9

At an unknown point in time, another low-powered (Class A) television station, WBSP-CA channel 9, signed on in Naples as a simulcast of WEVU-CA. In late September of 2004, the station changed to channel 7. [2] Although this switch has occured on paper, the low-powered channel 7 signal has yet to begin broadcasting. According to FCC records, there is a construction permit to build a new transmitter on or nearby the WZVN tower which is located northeast of Bonita Springs at the Lee and Collier County line. [3]

Current "Zap2It.com" television listings show that WBSP-CA is the over-the-air, full-time simulcast of WNFM. [4] It is unknown when the channel 7 signal will be built and begin its broadcasting. When channel 7 signs on, this will increase the broadcasting power of WBSP-CA which will greatly improve the station's signal reach.

[edit] Old Websites

There is an out-of-date website that continues to show WEVU-CA and WBSP-CA to be UPN affiliates. That website is maintained by Holston Valley Broadcasting Corporation. [5] At one point, WEVU-CA and WBSP-CA were listed on another website as sister stations to two television stations in the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Western Virginia: ABC affiliate WKPT and MyNetworkTV affiliate WAPK-CA. This listing does not exist anymore.

[edit] MyNetworkTV

On January 24, 2006, the WB and UPN networks announced that they would cease broadcasting and merge to create a new broadcast television network. The new network would be called The CW, the letters representing the first initial of its corporate parents CBS (the parent company of UPN) and the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner. The CW began broadcasting on September 18, 2006. At that time WTVK, the area's WB affiliate, became the CW affiliate for Southwest Florida.

On February 22, 2006, FOX announced that they would start up another new broadcast television network called MyNetworkTV. The new network, which is sister to FOX, is operated by FOX Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created to give UPN and WB stations, not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates, another option besides becoming independent. The network began broadcasting on September 5, 2006. At that point, WNFM and WBSP became the MyNetworkTV affiliates for Southwest Florida.

On July 30, 2006, access to WNFM's website ended and it was unknown if the station would create another website, if any, under another web address. The old web address of the station, "upn-8.com", redirected to the main MyNetworkTV page. It was unknown at that point if the old website was being redone, or that the station would no longer have one.

On August 10, 2006, the station became known as My TV 8. A new website for the station was made public, "mytv8.com", featuring a new MyNetworkTV logo. Also, WNFM's new website featured a promotion for a new 10 PM newscast, called ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 10 on My TV 8, which began showing on the station later that month. This became the second newscast at 10 PM in the market, competing with FOX affiliate WFTX.

On March 26, 2007, the area's CBS affiliate WINK-TV began producing a daily 10 PM newscast on WXCW. This is now the third 10 PM newscast in the market.

[edit] Newscast

WNFM's 10 PM newscast is produced by the area's ABC affiliate WZVN and airs seven days a week.

ABC 7 Gulfshore News at 10 on My TV 8 (10 to 10:30 PM)

Weekdays

• Anchors:
  • Len Jennings
  • Stacey Deffenbaugh

• Weather:
  • Jim Reif

• Sports:
  • Jason Kurtz

Weekends

• Anchor:
  • Bay Scroggins

• Weather:
  • Jim Clarke

• Sports:
  • Noah Pransky

the WZVN-produced WNFM newscasts use additional news personnel from WZVN, see the main WZVN article for a complete listing

[edit] Logo Gallery

WEVU's first UPN logo and as a cable-only station.	WEVU (now known as WNFM) second and final UPN logo used until August of 2006.	Old logo for low-powered WEVU-CA and WBSP-CA, as two over-the-air part-time WNFM repeaters.	WNFM's current logo.
Ad for Gulfshore News at 10 from WMFM's website.	Ad for spanish morning news from WNFM's website.

[edit] External Links

• Station Website
• MyNetworkTV Website
• WZVN Website
• D'Latinos Morning News Website (in Spanish)
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WBSP-CA