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WFTV

From Alfawiki
WFTV
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryBroadcasting
PredecessorWLOF-TV
FoundedFebruary 1, 1958; 68 years ago (1958-02-01) in Orlando, Florida, United States
Headquarters
Orlando, Florida
,
United States
Area served
Central Florida (Orlando–Daytona Beach television market)
ProductsTelevision broadcasting
OwnerCox Media Group

WFTV (channel 9) operates as a television station based in Orlando, Florida, serving as an affiliate of the ABC. It is owned by Cox Media Group and operates alongside the independent station WRDQ (channel 27). Both stations maintain their studios on East South Street (SR 15) in downtown Orlando, while WFTV’s transmitter is located near Bithlo, Florida.

The station began broadcasting on February 1, 1958, under the call letters WLOF-TV, following a four-year licensing process. This launch provided Central Florida with full coverage from all three major networks. In 1963, the station adopted its current call sign, WFTV. Initially owned by Mid-Florida Television Corporation—a group led by the Brechner family and other investors—the station became involved in a significant FCC corruption probe. This investigation uncovered improper ex parte communications between an Orlando attorney and FCC commissioner Richard A. Mack. The resulting legal battles spanned over twenty years, involving proceedings before the FCC, federal courts, and the Supreme Court, addressing topics such as minority ownership policies and the integrity of parties involved.

In 1969, a court mandate required Mid-Florida to transfer operational control to Channel Nine of Orlando, Inc., a consortium composed of five companies competing for the license. After suffering a tragic tower collapse in 1973 and restoring full broadcast capacity by 1975, WFTV leveraged ABC’s growing popularity in the late 1970s to become Central Florida’s highest-rated station. In 1981, the consortium resolved ownership disputes by distributing shares among 67 stakeholders; many shareholders became millionaires when SFN Companies acquired WFTV in 1984 amid its expansion in broadcasting.

Within a year, SFN sold WFTV to Cox Media Group for a $60 million gain. Cox subsequently moved the station to larger facilities at its present location in 1990. Although competition has intensified since 2000, WFTV continues to hold a leading position in the Orlando–Daytona Beach television market.

Licensing and Development

After the FCC ended its four-year moratorium on television station grants in 1952, channel 9 was allocated to Orlando. Multiple local radio broadcasters—including WHOO, WORZ, and WLOF—submitted applications for channel 9; meanwhile, channels 6 and UHF channel 18 also attracted competing bids. By April 1953, seven applicants vied for three available channels; however, Orlando remained without an operational TV station.

In November 1953, ownership of WLOF transferred to a group headed by Joseph Brechner and John Kluge. This new entity filed for channel 9 under Mid-Florida Television Corporation. To prepare for television operations, they relocated their radio facilities to Orlo Vista. Meanwhile, Ed Lamb, owner of WHOO, faced loyalty hearings that led WHOO to withdraw from the channel 9 competition in November 1954, leaving only WLOF and WORZ as contenders.

FCC hearing examiner Basil Cooper initially recommended granting the license to WORZ in August 1955 due to its local ownership and service history. Mid-Florida Television contested this ruling; subsequently, the FCC Broadcast Bureau challenged Cooper’s recommendation in October. The full FCC reviewed both applications amid mutual allegations between parties in June 1956. In January 1957, Harris H. Thomson attempted to acquire controlling interest in WLOF radio but did not seek control over Mid-Florida Television Corporation.

On June 7, 1957, the FCC reversed its earlier stance and awarded channel 9 to Mid-Florida Television Corporation instead of WORZ. The decision cited concerns about WORZ’s ownership involvement in its application process. Shortly thereafter, Mid-Florida pursued an affiliation with NBC and commenced plans for building the station’s facilities. WORZ appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals but was unsuccessful in overturning it. In August of that year, WLOF-TV applied for authorization to operate at maximum power and initiated negotiations with ABC for network affiliation rather than NBC; these technical upgrades were approved despite objections from WORZ.

WLOF-TV officially began broadcasting on February 1, 1958, becoming Orlando’s second television station. Around this time, Daytona Beach’s WESH relocated its transmission tower closer to Orlando and assumed NBC affiliation for both markets. This development completed Central Florida’s trio of stations representing each major network. Following WLOF-TV’s debut, ABC programming transitioned away from Orlando’s WDBO-TV and WESH.

Ex parte influence controversy

Shortly after WLOF-TV began broadcasting, a controversy arose concerning the FCC's rulings in disputed television station cases. In January 1958, columnist Drew Pearson claimed that FCC commissioner Richard Mack was persuaded to grant Miami's channel 10 license to an entity connected with National Airlines. A congressional inquiry uncovered several ex parte contacts between lawyers and FCC commissioners, including the matter involving Orlando's channel 9. Investigator Stephen J. Angland testified that attorney William H. Dial, representing Mid-Florida Television, had social interactions with Mack. As a result, in October 1958, the FCC initiated an investigation into irregularities related to the channel 9 assignment. Although the Court of Appeals had upheld Mid-Florida’s license in 1957, WORZ appealed to the Supreme Court. Following the inquiry, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the appeals court for additional hearings.

WORZ contested the FCC's internal investigation and requested a formal hearing, which the FCC approved in early 1959 while awaiting appeals court decisions. By the end of that year, Kluge sold his interest in WLOF-TV to Brechner. In February 1961, James D. Cunningham, chief hearing examiner at the FCC, was appointed to manage the rehearing process scheduled for May. Cunningham’s ruling in September recommended revoking Mid-Florida’s rights to channel 9 due to Dial’s "improper influences" on Commissioner Mack and proposed barring Mid-Florida from reapplying. Mid-Florida contended that Dial acted independently without company approval, though company executives were likely aware.

Mid-Florida appealed to the full FCC panel, criticizing Cunningham’s conclusions as conjectural; WORZ labeled this move as a stalling strategy. During oral arguments in May 1962, Mid-Florida sought to differentiate its situation from other ex parte cases by denying corporate complicity, while WORZ requested interim authorization to begin broadcasting. In January 1963, the FCC informed the Court of Appeals that Mid-Florida’s license should be reconsidered but absolved company officials from misconduct due to their unawareness of Dial’s conduct; the commission vote stood at 4–1 with Commissioner Newton N. Minow dissenting.

On February 3, 1963, coinciding with its fifth anniversary, WLOF-TV rebranded itself as WFTV (Wonderful Florida Television).

Rehearing, new contenders, and temporary management

In February 1963, WORZ contested the FCC's report before the Court of Appeals, disputing revisions made to witness credibility assessments from 1961. By July, the appeals court remanded the case back to the FCC, endorsing elements of Minow's dissent and ordering oral arguments to determine whether WFTV’s license should continue, be awarded to WORZ, or if applications should be reopened. WORZ’s petition to the Supreme Court was denied in 1964.

Although the FCC's Broadcast Bureau recommended inviting new applications due to changes in Mid-Florida’s ownership structure, the commission disagreed and reaffirmed Mid-Florida Television Corporation's three-year license in June 1964, concluding its program testing phase. WORZ filed another appeal; in March 1965, the Court of Appeals ruled that the record was outdated and returned the matter to the FCC for acceptance of new applicants.

After a Supreme Court refusal to review the case, fresh applications for channel 9 were submitted during late 1965 and early 1966. Major applicants included:

  • Central Nine Corporation, led by attorney Richard G. Danner with investors such as former Orlando mayor J. Rolfe Davis;
  • Comint Corporation;
  • Florida 9 Broadcasting Company;
  • Florida Heartland Television, featuring the Gay–Bell group owning stations in Kentucky and Alabama;
  • Howard Weiss representing Chicago-based investors;
  • Mid-Florida Television Corporation;
  • Orange Nine, Inc., a WORZ successor owned by the Murrell family;
  • TV-9, Inc., headed by Rollins College president Hugh McKean.

Five applicants—Central Nine, Florida Heartland, Orange Nine, TV-9, and Weiss—formed Consolidated Nine, Inc., aiming for interim operating authority pending a permanent licensing decision; Comint, Florida 9 Broadcasting Company, and Mid-Florida remained eligible for future inclusion. The Murrell family withdrew their permanent application in September 1966 after over a decade of litigation due to skepticism about FCC enforcement against Mid-Florida.

Initially granted interim authority in April 1967 as serving public interest needs, Mid-Florida maintained operations while a comprehensive comparative hearing was designated by the FCC for all applicants. In September 1968, a Court of Appeals mandate required consideration of interim operation requests from competing parties for channels 9 and 12 (Jacksonville). Mid-Florida proposed collaboration with other applicants (excluding Weiss), offering facility leases and profit-sharing arrangements.

On January 10, 1969, interim operating authority was awarded to Consolidated Nine (comprising Central Nine, Florida Heartland, Orange Nine, and TV-9); Orange Nine soon withdrew from interim management. The permanent license comparative hearing commenced in March amid rigorous legal scrutiny—Brechner later recalled intense examination during testimony.

Effective April 1, 1969, control of WFTV was transferred from Mid-Florida to Channel Nine of Orlando, Inc., governed by representatives from Central Nine, Comint (which joined following Orange Nine's departure), Florida Heartland Television Company, Mid-Florida Television Corporation itself, and TV-9. While publicly affirming its intention to regain permanent control through ongoing FCC proceedings, Mid-Florida acknowledged Brechner’s exit after more than eleven years of ownership.

Channel 9 in the 1970s: Minority Stake and Martin Segal Involvement

In June 1970, FCC examiner Herbert Sharfman recommended awarding the WFTV license to Mid-Florida, highlighting the company's combined ownership and management structure, with Joseph and Marion Brechner holding 62 percent of shares and actively operating the station. This decision was upheld by the FCC review board in January 1972, which commended Mid-Florida’s strong broadcasting performance. After full FCC confirmation in September, four rival applicants appealed the ruling to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The court, in 1973, remanded the case back to the FCC with instructions emphasizing the importance of minority ownership to enhance programming diversity. Notably, two Black investors each owned seven percent of Comint's shares—significant given Orlando’s 25 percent Black demographic and lack of Black-owned media outlets. The court also raised concerns about Mid-Florida’s fitness due to board member Martin Segal’s legal issues stemming from a violent family incident and an FBI probe into gambling; Segal subsequently stepped down citing health reasons.

The FCC regarded the minority ownership mandate as a policy alteration and requested an en banc rehearing. In 1974, the full panel narrowly upheld this ruling, which the Supreme Court allowed to remain despite some dissenting opinions. This prompted additional hearings beginning in 1975. The United Church of Christ entered as a party, leveraging its prior victories in civil rights-related broadcast cases. Legal expenses were significant, with involved parties spending between $15,000 and $25,000 annually on legal representation. By this stage, FCC documentation on Channel 9 had grown to 37 volumes.

In December 1977, an administrative law judge again ruled in favor of Mid-Florida based on its integrated ownership and management but criticized how the FCC handled the proceedings. Opposing applicants appealed; while the review board identified bias issues, it ultimately prioritized ownership-management integration over minority ownership based on recent case law, awarding preference to TV-9, Inc., whose shareholders demonstrated 47.5 percent active management participation. The final verdict awaited full commission consideration.

During these years, WFTV underwent substantial growth. A partnership with WDBO-TV led to construction of a new 1,549-foot transmission tower at Bithlo in 1970, although delays occurred due to manufacturing setbacks at General Electric. Tragically, in June 1973, the tower collapsed during antenna installation for public broadcaster WMFE-TV, resulting in two worker fatalities. WFTV resumed transmissions within days using a borrowed 320-foot tower from Southern Bell.

This incident impacted local viewership: WESH surged into first place for news ratings while WDBO dropped to second and WFTV remained third. WFTV was the first among affected stations to transition to a replacement tower by October 1975. By 1978, buoyed by ABC's growing popularity and refreshed newscasts, WFTV ascended to Central Florida’s leading station position, particularly dominating noon and late evening time slots.

Resolution and Acquisition by SFN

The FCC’s longest-running case approached resolution in 1980. In October that year, five companies submitted a settlement proposal awarding station control to a joint venture comprising all five parties. By then, Channel 9’s file had expanded to 55 volumes. The agreement allocated capital interests of 28⅓ percent each to Mid-Florida, Comint, and TV-9; Florida Heartland Television received 10 percent; and Central Nine held 5 percent. Mid-Florida was compensated $3.5 million for station assets. Comint’s Black shareholders were granted an option to acquire an additional 14 percent three years after approval, while the United Church of Christ was reimbursed nearly $35,000 for legal expenses. The FCC endorsed this settlement in July 1981, concluding over twelve years of interim operations.

Following approval, inquiries about divesting WFTV became frequent among consortium members. In 1983, the FCC permitted station sales before three years of ownership elapsed. By February 1984, Comint’s James Robinson had fielded approximately thirty purchase offers. On February 22, 1984, all companies agreed to sell WFTV to SFN Companies based in Glenview, Illinois for $125 million—approximately two to three times its estimated value of $40–50 million from four years earlier. SFN was actively expanding its broadcasting portfolio after acquiring Western Broadcasting Company with stations across Montana, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. SFN CEO John R. Purcell acted promptly: upon learning a Sun Belt station might be available for acquisition—identified as WFTV—he expressed interest immediately, visited within a week, and finalized purchase terms within twenty-six hours—just ahead of a competing $135 million bid from a larger firm. Many of WFTV’s sixty-seven shareholders became millionaires following closure of the sale. Walter Windsor, who had served as general manager since joint ownership commenced in 1969, was appointed president of SFN Communications before retiring early in 1985.

Cox ownership

In June 1985, SFN transferred ownership of WFTV to Cox Broadcasting for $185 million, reflecting a $60 million increase in value over the previous year. Although SFN had not initially intended to sell, the influx of offers led to this decision. The transaction validated SFN’s leadership, including Purcell, who had faced criticism and stock setbacks following the acquisition of the station. This purchase represented Cox’s inaugural acquisition after the FCC raised the cap on television station ownership from seven to twelve. The sale was completed in September 1985.

Cox focused on modernizing WFTV’s infrastructure, as the original Central Boulevard facility was limited in space and functionality. In August 1987, the station announced plans to relocate to a new 70,000-square-foot building in downtown Orlando featuring two production studios. These studios commenced operations on January 1, 1990, allowing for enhanced production capacity and enabling non-news programming such as The Adventures of Superboy.

In 1995, WFTV entered into a time brokerage agreement to manage programming for WZWY (channel 27), which debuted as WRDQ in April 2000. WRDQ broadcasts WFTV newscasts and functions as an overflow channel during significant events like the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman trials, occasions when ABC daytime shows were temporarily shifted there.

Although Ocala and Marion County are part of the Orlando market, WFTV’s broadcast area overlaps with Gainesville’s WCJB-TV. To reduce duplication of ABC affiliates, Cox Communications removed WFTV from its Ocala lineup in 1998 but reinstated it in 2006.

On July 24, 2018, Cox Enterprises revealed it was "exploring strategic options" for Cox Media Group’s television stations, considering partnerships or mergers rather than outright sales. By February 2019, Apollo Global Management agreed to acquire Cox Media Group along with Northwest Broadcasting’s stations. Initially operating under the Terrier Media name, Apollo later retained the Cox Media Group branding after also acquiring Cox’s radio and advertising divisions. The deal closed on December 17, 2019.

News operation

Prior to the mid-1970s, WFTV was traditionally ranked third among Central Florida stations, constrained by a weaker ABC affiliation and signal despite offering a strong news product. Efforts to improve included hiring John Tesh as lead anchor in 1975.

The station’s turnaround accelerated following the installation of the replacement Bithlo tower in 1975. In 1976, WFTV brought on Robert Jordan—formerly news anchor/director at WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama—who invested significantly in enhancing the news department and overhauling its content. Jordan also recruited Carole Nelson to anchor the midday newscast. By 1978, WFTV led ratings for midday and late newscasts but still trailed behind WESH during early evening slots. Jordan served three terms as news director (1976–1981, 1982–1986, 2002–2012) and hired prominent figures including anchor Bob Opsahl. The station expanded its news schedule by adding a 5:30 p.m. newscast in 1981 and launching a morning newscast in 1984.

Since 2000, competition from WKMG-TV and WESH intensified, narrowing WFTV’s advantage particularly in late evening broadcasts. Between 1996 and 2001, viewership for late news dropped by approximately 40%, partly due to ABC’s weak prime-time lineup. To counter this decline, Cox rehired Jordan in 2002 with the goal of regaining audience share. Despite frequent changes in leadership—five news directors over six years—WFTV sustained its market dominance in advertising revenue and early evening ratings. Jordan brought Martie Salt from WFTS-TV; together with Opsahl on the anchor desk, they helped reverse declining ratings trends. Salt remained at WFTV for sixteen years before retiring in 2019; Opsahl retired earlier in 2016.

On June 29, 2006, WFTV became Florida’s first station—and Cox’s first—to air local newscasts in high definition. The station introduced a 4 p.m. newscast in 2013 and expanded it to a full hour within one month.

Beyond its own Eyewitness News broadcasts, WFTV has produced a nightly 10 p.m. newscast since the 1990s for other outlets: initially for WRBW (channel 65) beginning April 1997 and later for WRDQ starting in 2002. WRDQ added a weekday morning newscast at 7 a.m. in 2007 and a half-hour early evening broadcast at 6:30 p.m. in 2010 (discontinued by 2013). In 2014, WRDQ extended its nightly 10 p.m. newscast to an hour to better compete with Fox affiliate WOFL.

Distinguished current on-air personnel

  • Tom Terry – lead meteorologist (since 2002)

Prominent former on-air personnel

Subchannels

WFTV’s broadcast signal is divided into the following multiplexed subchannels:

Channel Virtual Resolution Aspect Ratio Identifier Content
9.1 9.11 720p 16:9 WFTV ABC network programming
9.2 9.12 480i 16:9 Laff Laff network content
9.3 9.13 480i 16:9 Mystery Ion Mystery programming
9.4 9.14 480i 16:9 MeToons MeTV Toons lineup
65.4 65.14 480i 16:9 Grio. QVC2 (WRBW)

These identical subchannels are also transmitted as channels 9.11 through 9.14 and channel 65.14 from WFTV’s digital translator located in Deltona, within Volusia County.

During the early 2000s, WFTV was at the forefront of Orlando’s shift to digital and HD broadcasting by initiating its digital signal in April of 2001—the earliest in the local market. The analog transmission on VHF channel 9 ceased on June 12, 2009, complying with the federally mandated digital transition; WFTV maintained digital broadcasts on UHF channel 39 while using virtual channel number 9.

In the year 2010, WFTV introduced a dedicated weather channel on subchannel 9.2 and had plans to simulcast GenTV affiliate WAWA-LD on a third subchannel. Nevertheless, the primary investor for WAWA-LD withdrew prior to the launch, resulting in termination of that collaboration.

In January of 2020, WFTV finalized its FCC spectrum repack process by relocating from channel 39 to channel 35. During upgrades to its transmission antenna, broadcasts were temporarily relayed from a backup facility situated in St. Cloud, Florida, approximately sixteen miles south of Christmas.

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