 | |
.png) | |
| |
|---|---|
| Channels | |
| Branding | Univision 61 |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | March 3, 1981 (44 years ago) (1981-03-03) |
Former call signs |
|
Former channel numbers |
|
| |
Call sign meaning | Former Home Shopping Network affiliation[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 60556 |
| ERP | 780kW |
| HAAT | 352 m (1,155 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 41°22′58″N81°42′6″W / 41.38278°N 81.70167°W /41.38278; -81.70167 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
WQHS-DT (channel 61) is atelevision station inCleveland, Ohio, United States, broadcasting the Spanish-language networksUnivision andUniMás.Owned and operated byTelevisaUnivision, it is the only full-power Spanish-language television station in the state of Ohio. WQHS-DT's studios and transmitter are located on West Ridgewood Drive in suburbanParma.
This station's sign-on in 1981 as WCLQ-TV marked the return of broadcasting over channel 61 in Cleveland, a frequency unused since the closure ofWKBF-TV six years earlier. It served as the market's original outlet forsubscription television servicePreview, and also carried a general slate of entertainment programming. Preview's 1983 closure forced WCLQ-TV to operate as a full-timeindependent station under the ownership of Channel Communications, which aggressively purchased syndicated reruns and movies but consistently ranked near the bottom of the local ratings. With the sign-on of two competing independent stations in 1985 and limited chance for profitability, the station was sold toSilver King Broadcasting, becoming one of the first owned-and-operated outlets for the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in 1986, when it changed its call sign to the present WQHS. The station was purchased by Univision in 2002 and has largely aired network programming since, with no local newscasts.
A previous license owned byKaiser Broadcasting occupied channel 61 asWKBF-TV from January 1968 to April 1975.[3][4] It was the firstindependent station to sign on in Cleveland and was Cleveland's first commercialultra high frequency (UHF) station.[5] WKBF struggled financially for the majority of its existence due to poor revenue growth; the station failed to achieve profitability while competing against rival independentWUAB (channel 43), which signed on nine months after WKBF in September 1968.[6] In April 1975, Kaiser Broadcasting shut down WKBF-TV, returned the license to theFederal Communications Commission (FCC), and sold off WKBF's assets to WUAB's owner,United Artists Broadcasting; Kaiser then purchased a minority ownership in that station, which it retained until WUAB was sold in 1977.[7]
Even though WKBF-TV had largely failed, interest in channel 61 was fueled by the imminent maturity ofsubscription television (STV) technology. In January 1977, Cleveland Associates Co.—a consortium ofChicago firms Froelich Corporation, Balaban Television Corporation, Friedland Corporation, and Bray Corporation—filed an application for a construction permit to build channel 61 as a station that would operate on a hybrid basis. The station would air commercial, advertiser-supported programs during the day and scrambled STV programs to paying subscribers at night.[8] Aconstruction permit was awarded by the FCC in 1978, and WCLQ-TV began broadcasting on March 3, 1981, with a special prime time airing of the movieThe Deer Hunter as its marquee program on launch day.[9] Four days later, WCLQ-TV began airing STV programs fromPreview, a division ofTime Inc.'s American Television and Communications, after 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on weekends; the remaining time was occupied by a general-entertainment independent lineup.[9][10] The station revived a character from the old WKBF-TV—The Ghoul, portrayed byRon Sweed—when it added ahorror movie showcase on September 25, 1982.[11]
Preview's run on WCLQ-TV initially boasted a subscription base of nearly 35,000 at its peak in February 1982.[12] The service carried selectCleveland Cavaliers games starting with the1981–82 season,[13] with executives mentioning a possible alliance with Cavaliers ownerTed Stepien's "Total Entertainment Network" as an additional programming tier.[14] Ultimately, Preview lost nearly half of their subscription base to cable television systems in the market's affluent suburbs, along withpiracy from different decoder boxes[15] and a struggling area economy.[16] Preview added a secondary service—the "adult"-themed Niteview—which only attracted half of Preview's subscribers, while the service itself was largely criticized for poor marketing and customer service.[14] In addition to Preview's struggles, WCLQ-TV faced low ratings and a lack of media exposure, with general manager Gary Brandt publicly musing aboutThe Chronicle-Telegram inElyria listing the station as "WQLC".[17] The station did make a further attempt at local programming withVideo Arcade, a daily variety show aimed at older children with various old films, cartoons,music videos viaVideo Jukebox, and a local version ofTV Powww.[18]
When Time Inc. announced the closure of Preview in Cleveland on May 12, 1983, the service had 22,000 subscribers;[19] for its final day on August 31, that number dropped to 14,000.[16] The shutdown announcement caught station executives off guard, as syndicated programming for the coming television season had largely been committed to months earlier.[20] WCLQ-TV filled the loss of Preview with a traditional mixture of off-network reruns, movies andIndependent Network News (anchored by former Cleveland newscasterBill Jorgensen); it also picked upCBS Late Night, whichWJKW declined.[21] WCLQ-TV also began carrying various sports packages—includingBig Ten Conference football and basketball,Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball, and selectNBA on CBS games WJKW deferred—but dropped much of these sports packages in the summer of 1985 for schedule consistency.[22] The Ghoul was cancelled in the spring of 1984, attributed to low ratings,[23] but it was later suggested that Brandt dropped it after an on-air skit involving ashed being set on fire outside of the studios.[24]
Balaban Broadcasting and the other partners in Cleveland Associates sold WCLQ-TV to Channel Communications, a subsidiary ofNashville, Tennessee–based NASCO, Inc., on May 4, 1984, for $14 million (equivalent to $42.4 million in 2024).[25] NASCO, which primarily handledNational Football League merchandise,[26] established Channel as adiversification move, purchasing WCLQ-TV along with two small-market network affiliates—KAIT inJonesboro, Arkansas, andKPLC inLake Charles, Louisiana—for a combined $48.8 million.[27] Brandt resigned in late April 1985, with Channel director of operations Jack White taking over as interim general manager; rumors among staffers suggested Brandt was not asked to leave willingly.[28] In a bid to remain competitive, WCLQ-TV acquired syndication rights toDallas,Simon & Simon andThe Love Boat in expensive contracts[15] and began usingErnest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) in promotional spots andbillboards.[29] Later purchases included reruns ofThe A-Team and "lost episodes" ofThe Honeymooners.[26]Dallas reruns fared poorly, only running on WCLQ-TV for six months before being removed from the schedule entirely.[30]
The explosion of stations was more than the individual markets could absorb. There simply were too many stations and not enough advertising dollars.
The summer of 1985 saw bothWOIO andWBNX-TV sign on as independents: while WBNX-TV was owned by the ministry oftelevangelistErnest Angley and positioned itself on family-oriented and religious fare,[32] WOIO was financially backed byMalrite Communications (owners ofWHK andWMMS) and Metroplex Communications (later owners ofWNCX andWERE).[25][33] WCLQ-TV's purchasing of expensive syndicated programming, in turn, increased prices for programming at both WOIO and WUAB substantially.[31] The additional competition also drove down ratings and advertising rates; WOIO general manager Dennis Thatcher noted that WCLQ was selling advertising at low prices that were "almostcable rate levels".[34] Driven into a financial crunch, WOIO's ownership group sought to sell outright to Malrite for an infusion of capital by June 1986, permissible by FCC regulations that typically barred common ownership of radio and UHF television stations except when the television station was in need of financial assistance. WCLQ-TV filed a petition to deny the sale.[35]
The aggressive approach Channel Communications took with WCLQ-TV failed to yield a positive return on investment.[36] The May 1985sweeps period saw WUAB with 9 percent of viewers, WOIO with 6 percent, and WCLQ-TV with 5 percent,[32] a trend that continued into the fall and spring.[26] In January 1986, Channel president Brian Byrnes initiated a study withShearson Lehman Brothers on possible options for the company, involving the sale of WCLQ-TV.[36] He conceded that NASCO's earnings in 1985 were "not as good" as 1984. Though he denied suggestions WCLQ-TV was losing over $2 million in an interview withCrain's Cleveland Business,[37] he toldThe Plain Dealer that the station was losing "a few million dollars" annually.[36] General manager Jack White claimed Shearson Lehman contacted Channel on behalf of an investor, fueling the possibility ofRupert Murdoch buying WCLQ-TV for his nascentFox Broadcasting Company.[26] Fox, however, opted to partner with WOIO on June 4, 1986, after WUAB parentGaylord Broadcasting declined to affiliate any of their stations with the network.[38]
I wouldn't pretend that this is a profit deal. Channel put a lot more than $1 million in this station. Estimates are that the station won't go into the black until September or October of 1987, and I think Channel was just tired of losing money. At least they didn't want to lose any more money.
After months of rumors,Clearwater, Florida–basedSilver King Broadcasting, parent company of the Home Shopping Network (HSN),[39] purchased WCLQ-TV for $15 million (equivalent to $43 million in 2024) on August 20, 1986.[40] While technically at a profit, Channel Communications sold WCLQ-TV at a significant loss after making expensive programming purchases, with the earliest estimates of profitability for the station coming sometime in 1987.[15] The following day, WCLQ-TV withdrew their petition contesting WOIO's sale to Malrite after failing to get support from the other television stations in the market and with the HSN sale rendering itmoot.[41]Lowell "Bud" Paxson, co-founder of HSN and co-owner of Silver King, previously announced plans to create a nationwide chain of stations supported by 14owned-and-operated outlets (twelve owned outright and two with minority interest, as per FCC regulations) and a network of full-time and part-time affiliates.[42] WCLQ-TV was the sixth station purchased by Silver King.[40]
WCLQ-TV expanded to 24-hour broadcasting on September 8, 1986, with HSN accounting for 18 hours daily.[40] The remaining six hours of programming—meant to fulfill advertising contracts and provide temporary cash flow[1]—included a block of children's programming,Honeymooners reruns, and a feature movie.[43] The sale also voided a new contract the station had signed for the Cleveland State Vikings; while White said the games would continue to air during the transition period,[34] the university moved their games to WOIO.[39] Several cable systems, includingWarner Cable in Akron and Canton, quietly dropped WCLQ-TV in favor ofCable Value Network.[44] WOIO and WUAB also had the option to purchase any syndicated programming dropped by WCLQ-TV.[34]
During the license transfer process, program distributors20th Century Fox Television,MCA Television, andParamount Television sued Channel over "billed and unpaid license fees" totaling $387,342 (equivalent to $1.11 million in 2024), forcing Channel intoChapter 7 bankruptcy on October 24, 1986,[45] later converted toChapter 11 by November.[39]Embassy Television also filed a petition with the FCC against the proposed sale of channel 61, claiming a loss of over $3 million in broken contracts by WCLQ-TV for the production company's situation comedies and movies.[46] Channel also owed $10 million to bankManufacturers Hanover.[47]Worldvision Enterprises later sued Channel for $1.9 million in unpaid bills (equivalent to $5.26 million in 2024) in late April 1987.[48] Channel had already sold KAIT and KPLC toCosmos Broadcasting in early October 1986, exiting broadcasting altogether.[27]
Once the sale was finalized on December 24, 1986, the remaining entertainment programming was dropped and the call sign changed to WQHS, reflecting the Silver King/HSN ownership.[1] Mark Dawidziak of theAkron Beacon Journal later referred to WCLQ-TV's demise as the station falling victim to the end of the "indy boom" within the television industry.[31] The station carried HSN programming around the clock with one notable exception: for a 13-week period in 1989,[49] WQHS carried a video simulcast ofWMJI's morning-drive show withJohn Lanigan, a programming experiment tried out at other HSN owned-and-operated stations.[50]
In the late 1990s, USA Broadcasting (renamed from Silver King in 1998 after a restructuring ofHSN, Inc. by chairmanBarry Diller[51]) began a years-long rollout to convert its HSN stations into general-entertainment independents using a local programming-heavy format known as "CityVision".[52] The first CityVision station,WAMI inMiami, launched in 1998,[53] and cheaper versions of CityVision were introduced in theAtlanta,Boston, andDallas–Fort Worth markets.[54] However, after the format failed to take off where it was introduced and the company registered operating losses of $62 million in 2000 (equivalent to $113 million in 2024), Diller opted to sell the station group to the Spanish-language networkUnivision on December 7, 2000, for $1.1 billion (equivalent to $2.01 billion in 2024) in cash.[55][56]
Seven of the USA Broadcasting stations acquired by Univision were in markets with an existing Univision station, but the deal marked Univision's entrance into the Cleveland market.[57] Cleveland had an estimated 25,000 Hispanic households and 77,000 viewers, perNielsen,[56] and had historically lagged other markets its size in the availability of non-English-language television programming.[58] As a result, throughout 2001, there was speculation that Univision would attempt to sell WQHS-TV, either to be paired with another Cleveland television station or as an outlet for games of theCleveland Indians baseball team, whose broadcasting contract with WUAB expired after 2001.[59] Even though speculation continued, WQHS-TV joined Univision on January 14, 2002, making it the first Spanish-language broadcast TV station in the region.[58]
In 2005, theUnited Church of Christ petitioned the FCC to deny a renewal of WQHS-TV's license over Univision's classification of atelenovela asE/I (educational/instructional);[60] the case was settled in 2007 with the payment of a $24 million fine by the network, covering violations of the law at WQHS and other Univision stations.[61]
WQHS has never produced a full-length local newscast. The first such newscasts in Spanish in the Cleveland market debuted in January 2022 whenGray Television, owner of WOIO and WUAB, launched Telemundo outletWTCL-LD (channel 6).[62]
WQHS-DT is broadcast from a transmitter on West Ridgewood Drive inParma.[2] Its signal ismultiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WQHS-DT | Univision |
| 61.2 | UNIMAS | UniMás | ||
| 61.3 | 480i | 4:3 | GET-TV | Get |
| 61.4 | 16:9 | Nosey | Confess | |
| 61.5 | HSN 2 | HSN2 | ||
| 61.6 | SHOP LC | Shop LC | ||
| 61.7 | BT2 | Infomercials | ||
| 61.8 | MSGold | MovieSphere Gold |
WQHS shut down its analog signal, overUHF channel 61, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 34, usingvirtual channel 61.[64] WQHS relocated its signal from channel 34 to channel 36[65] on August 2, 2019, as a result of the2016 United States wireless spectrum auction.[66][67]
Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state ofOhio | ||
|---|---|---|
Includes stations in out-of-state TV markets, but reaching a portion of Ohio | ||
| ABC | ||
| CBS | ||
| Fox | ||
| NBC | ||
| The CW | ||
| Ion Television | ||
| Independent | ||
| PBS | ||
| Religious | ||
| Spanish | ||
| Other | ||
| ATSC 3.0 | ||
| ||
| Corporate directors |
|  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US television networks |
| ||||
| Mexican television networks |
| ||||
| International networks |
| ||||
| Uforia Audio Network |
| ||||
| Univision Television Group |
| ||||
| Studios | |||||
| Univision Online | |||||
| Other holdings | |||||
| Former assets | |||||
| |||||
