WNJU

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WNJU
Linden, New Jersey-Newark, New Jersey-New York, New York
Branding	Telemundo 47
Slogan	Mejorando Su Vida
Channels	47 (UHF) analog, 36 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	Telemundo (Since 1987)
Owner	NBC Universal
Founded	May 16, 1965
Call letters meaning	W New Jersey UHF
Former affiliations	Independent (1965-1987) & NetSpan (1984-1987)
Website	www.telemundo47.com

WNJU is the Telemundo flagship station for the New York City area. Owned by NBC Universal, WNJU broadcasts the Spanish language television network Telemundo to the New York City region from studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Their initial programming was a mix of English, Italian, Spanish and Asian shows.

[edit] History

On May 16, 1965 WNJU began broadcast operations as the first commercial UHF station in the New York City television market. During the middle 1960s, the station broadcast as live teenage dance show in the New York maket called Disc-O-Teen hosted by John Zacherle.

WNJU began programming many foreign languages at different times of the day in the 1960s. It was involved in some controversy when it aired bullfights, which some critics believed was too violent. It maintained an English-speaking audience a few hours a week during the 1970s when it was the only New York broadcast outlet for the World Wide Wrestling Federation.

By the late 1970s WNJU had mostly Spanish programming along with some weekend ethnic brokered programming. During the week WNJU ran English speaking religious programming until Noon. From 12:00 on they ran Spanish programming. On Sundays they also ran English Speaking religious shows in the mornings. In the 1980s the other foreign language programs disappeared and WNJU evolved to a Spanish format except in the early mornings. By 1984 WNJU worked with several Spanish Independent television stations not affiliated with Spanish International Network (now Univision) and formed Net Span. In 1985, they purchased KVEA in Los Angeles, KSTS in San Jose/San Francisco and WSCV in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. They would purchase WSNS in Chicago in 1988.

In 1987 Net Span added more affiliates and acquired more stations in Spanish markets. The name of the network would be changed to Telemundo. As time went on, the English-speaking religious shows would leave WNJU and by the early 1990s, they had all disappeared. In 2001 NBC would buy Telemundo making them owners of WNJU.

Originally its offices and studios were located inside of Symphony Hall in Newark, New Jersey but they moved out to their current location sometime in the late 1980s in nearby Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey.

In 2001, NBC Universal purchased the Telemundo television network, leading to sweeping changes in the subsequent affiliate stations. WNJU witnessed major overhauls, adopting similar opening graphics to those used at New York City's NBC affiliate WNBC, and adopting a tweaked version of its opening music sequence.

[edit] External links

• Telemundo47.com - Portada
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WNJU