WFTT-TV

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WFTT-TV
Tampa, Florida
Branding Telefutura 50
Channels 50 (UHF) analog
Affiliations Telefutura
Owner Univision
(managed by Entravision)
Founded February 1, 1988
Call letters meaning W TeleFuTura Tampa,
or W FifTy Tampa
Former callsigns WBHS (1988-2002)
Former affiliations HSN (1988-2002)

WFTT-TV is the Telefutura affiliate for Tampa Bay, owned by Univision and operated by Entravision, owners of WVEA-TV. The station, which broadcasts on UHF channel 50, is based at WVEA's studios on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, and transmits from Riverview.

WFTT can be seen on cable throughout the Bay Area on Bright House channel 5, it is seen on Comcast in Sarasota County on channel 23.

[edit] History

WFTT signed on in 1987 as WBHS, the flagship station of the Home Shopping Network, running its programming 24 hours a day. HSN programming was supplemented with locally produced public affairs and human interest briefs for four and a half minutes each hour, which exceeded the number of hours independent stations provided local programming (over 12 broadcast hours a week, counting repeats). Sundays were devoted to required E/I children's programming, including 1970s shows like "New Zoo Revue", to expose them to a younger audience.

WBHS's original owner was HSN's broadcasting arm Silver King Broadcasting. In 1993, Barry Diller and Universal acquired HSN, renaming it USA Broadcasting. USA originally had plans for a new chain of independents on these stations, but the idea didn't expand farther than Miami, Atlanta, Dallas and Boston. WBHS remained an HSN station until January 14, 2002.

In 2002, Univision bolstered its audience and launched a new second Spanish network, Telefutura, through the acquisition of USA's stations. With Univsion already on WVEA, channel 50 became a Telefutura affiliate, with new calls WFTT.

[edit] External links