WRNN-TV Associates
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Headquarters | Rye Brook , United States |
Key people | Richard French III (General Manager) |
| Products | Television broadcasting |
WRNN-TV (channel 48) is a television broadcaster licensed to New Rochelle, New York, serving the greater New York City region as an affiliate of Shop LC. It operates as the principal station of WRNN-TV Associates, headquartered in Rye Brook, with studios situated on Westchester Avenue. WRNN-TV shares transmission facilities with WWOR-TV (channel 9) under a channel sharing agreement, utilizing WWOR-TV's spectrum from a transmission tower located atop One World Trade Center.
W62AA
The frequency of channel 62 was initially occupied in the New York metropolitan area by W62AA, established in 1970 by Screen Gems Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. This station functioned as a translator for the independent outlet WNJU-TV (channel 47). While most major broadcasters had relocated their transmitters to the World Trade Center by 1975, W62AA continued operations from the Empire State Building to enhance northern coverage. The emergence of cellular technology in 1982 prompted plans to repurpose upper band channels for mobile communications. Prior to this change, WNJU-TV extended its broadcast reach northward, making W62AA obsolete. Consequently, the translator shut down in 1983—the same year a construction permit was issued for a full-power station on channel 62 in Kingston, New York, awarded to a consortium led by Albany entrepreneur Edward Swyer. The channel 62 allocation resumed use two years afterward.
As WTZA
Broadcasting from Kingston recommenced on December 15, 1985, under the call sign WTZA, an independent station serving New York State’s Mid-Hudson area. Its signal also covered the Capital District and northern suburbs of New York City. The call letters symbolized its broadcast region and slogan—"From the Tappan Zee to Albany." This market was unique due to its lack of a dedicated local station, given its proximity to both New York and Albany–Schenectady–Troy markets.
Owned by Swyer’s group, which became WTZA-TV Associates, the station operated as a conventional independent outlet featuring movies, syndicated reruns, children’s shows, public affairs programming, and sports—including high school and college events as well as Army football games. WTZA maintained a modest but efficient news department led by former CNN executive producer Gerry Harrington. Its weather segments served both New York City and Albany audiences despite limited physical presence in those locations.
Initially successful, WTZA began facing challenges in the early 1990s after losing syndication rights to larger stations in New York City and Albany. Its licensing within the highly competitive New York City market further complicated matters. In 1993, Swyer sold WTZA to Richard French Jr., a businessman from Harrison, who converted it into a family-operated enterprise involving his wife and three sons. Richard French III assumed the role of general manager and became the station’s public representative.
Transition to WRNN and targeting New York City
In early 1995, WTZA shifted most of its programming to infomercials. By October that year, it rebranded as WRNN-TV—Your Regional News Network—and adopted a news-centric format featuring continuous weekday coverage seven days a week. The station expanded its reach throughout the Hudson Valley by establishing bureaus in New York’s Capital District and Long Island, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut. Under General Manager Richard French III, previously affiliated with the Democratic Party, WRNN adopted a left-leaning editorial stance and partnered with All News Channel for national programming.
Financial cutbacks in 1999 curtailed news broadcasts to weekday evenings only, coinciding with WRNN’s strategic shift toward focusing on New York City—the first time since 1983 that channel 62 aimed at this market primarily through cable distribution. Bureaus outside NYC were closed as attention centered on the city despite limited over-the-air signal reach and absence from major cable providers. WRNN opened a studio in Manhattan and arranged simulcasts on a low-power station to qualify for must-carry cable regulations.
This focus on NYC resulted in diminished coverage north of Kingston, WRNN’s city of license. The station later pursued must-carry status in Albany despite having minimal signal presence there. The simulcast targeting NYC ended within two years; it took several more years before WRNN secured carriage on NYC cable systems and DirecTV’s local channel lineup. In 2005, a new main studio was inaugurated in Rye Brook while maintaining facilities in Kingston and Manhattan.
WRNN’s news lineup has evolved over time. By February 2017, programming included regional and international news shows such as Richard French Live alongside NHK’s English-language Newsline. Beginning in June 2009, WRNN produced newscasts for Verizon Fios’s FiOS1 channel until Verizon terminated this arrangement in August 2019. FiOS1 ceased operations in November that year, resulting in significant workforce reductions at RNN.
Spectrum sale and channel sharing arrangement
During the FCC's spectrum incentive auction, WRNN's broadcast spectrum was sold for $212 million, marking one of the highest bids in the auction. The station's ownership confirmed plans to maintain broadcasting through an alternative tower prior to the completion of the auction transition.
On February 16, 2018, WRNN submitted documentation to the FCC indicating it had entered into a channel sharing agreement with WWOR-TV (channel 9), a Fox Television Stations property licensed in Secaucus, New Jersey. Because WWOR’s signal coverage was limited in Kingston, WRNN officially changed its city of license to New Rochelle, New York. The channel sharing with WWOR commenced on May 1, 2018.
Affiliation with ShopHQ
On May 20, 2021, RNN and iMedia Brands reached an agreement to affiliate the majority of RNN’s stations, including WRNN, with the home shopping network ShopHQ. WRNN began airing ShopHQ content on June 28, 2021. As a result, Richard French Live broadcast its final original news analysis episode on May 28, 2021; French attributed the show's conclusion to personal reasons without referencing the ShopHQ affiliation. A modified version featuring progressive radio personalities along with French’s commentary continues to be broadcast to fulfill FCC public affairs obligations.
iMedia Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 28, 2023. Subsequently, on July 10, iMedia announced intentions to sell its assets—including ShopHQ—to RNN Media Group for $50 million. However, this transaction was canceled in August when a $55 million offer from IV Brands, owned by entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava, was accepted instead.
Transition to Shop LC affiliation
Starting in 2024, WRNN’s station group switched its affiliation to Shop LC while retaining its primary focus on home shopping programming.
Newscenter Now
In 2007, WRNN collaborated with The Journal News to introduce Newscenter Now, a two-hour evening newscast airing weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., produced at WRNN’s studios in Rye Brook. The anchor team featured Christa Lauri, Andrew Whitman, Stacy Ann Gooden, and Ben Sosenko.
The program concluded on September 27, 2008, and was replaced by syndicated shows alongside the locally produced Real Politics Live. The Newscenter Now brand was also applied to a half-hour newscast focused on Long Island news, which has since been discontinued.
Sports coverage
WTZA formerly aired local collegiate sports broadcasts including Army football prior to ESPN’s contract acquisition, home games of the Hudson Valley Renegades minor league baseball team, and Manhattan College basketball matches. Additionally, from 1986 through 1995, it carried Marist College basketball home games with Brian Kenny serving as the play-by-play announcer.
Prominent former on-air personnel
Digital subchannels
On March 6, 2007, WRNN added an affiliation with the Funimation Channel on digital subchannel 48.3; this partnership ended in July 2009. By August of that year, subchannel 48.2 was retransmitting China Central Television’s English-language service (CCTV-9), which switched to Blue Ocean Network by January 2010.
Beginning March 1, 2010, channel 48.2 aired Spanish-language Mega TV but replaced it with Al Jazeera English on August 1, 2011. Following the launch of Al Jazeera America, Al Jazeera English was dropped on August 20, 2013; thereafter this subchannel simulcast WRNN’s main programming.
On July 1, 2011, WRNN introduced a fourth subchannel carrying the Global Christian Network (GCN), which also aired on WEBR-CD in New York City; however, GCN has since been removed from WRNN’s offerings. In February 2012, a fifth subchannel was launched featuring NHK World—Japan’s international English-language broadcaster.
Analog-to-digital conversion
In 2004, the FCC permitted select full-power UHF stations operating on channels 52 through 69 to initiate an early switch from analog to digital broadcasting. WRNN submitted an application to terminate its analog transmissions on channel 62 and continue exclusively on digital channel 48, a proposal the FCC approved in July 2004. That same year, WRNN ceased its analog signal, maintaining virtual channel 48 in accordance with FCC guidelines. The nationwide analog-to-digital transition for television was fully completed on June 12, 2009.
Other stations owned by RNN
WRNN broadened its reach by acquiring various stations across the country, programming them similarly to its main station with content such as Richard French Live.
Current
| Market | Station | Current Affiliation | Year acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | KSCI | Shop LC | 2020 | |
| San Francisco | KCNS | Shop LC | 2020 | |
| Washington, DC | WMDE | Shop LC | 2018 | Based in Dover, Delaware; categorized in Washington DMA by Nielsen. |
| Boston | WMFP | OnTV4U | 2020 | |
| WWDP | Shop LC | 2017 | ||
| Philadelphia | WMCN-TV | Shop LC | 2017 | |
| WPHY-CD | Independent | 2020 | Mainly airs infomercials. | |
| WTVE | OnTV4U | 2020 | Primarily infomercial programming. | |
| Dallas | KFWD | Shop LC | 2020 | |
| Houston | KUBE-TV | Shop LC | 2020 |
Formerly owned TV stations
| Market | Station | Current affiliation | Year acquired | Year sold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | KIKU | Multicultural Independent | 2020 | 2022 | Transferred ownership to Allen Media Broadcasting. |