WPWR-TV

WPWR-TV, virtual channel 50 (UHF digital channel 51), is a MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated television station serving Chicago, Illinois, United States that is licensed to Gary, Indiana. The station is owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, as part of a duopoly with Fox owned-and-operated station WFLD (channel 32). The two stations share studio facilities located at Michigan Plaza in the Chicago Loop; WPWR's transmitter is located atop the Willis Tower on South Wacker Drive. On cable, the station is available on Comcast and WOW! cable channel 8.

History

As an independent station

Early time-share arrangement with WBBS-TV

The station first signed on the air on April 4, 1982 as a shared station operation broadcasting on UHF channel 60, split between English-language WPWR-TV and Spanish-language WBBS-TV. The Federal Communications Commission awarded the license to two locally based station owners who had competed heavily for the construction permit, and were the top contenders among a half-dozen applicants for the channel 60 license. Metrowest Corporation – owned by Fred Eychaner, which would later become Newsweb Corporation – was the original applicant for the UHF channel 60 license in 1978, and was the original owner of WPWR. Chicago resident Marcelino Miyares – who owned WBBS – assisted Eychaner in completing the construction of channel 60, and was actually the one that was granted the license. Under the arrangement, the combined operation operated as an independent station.