Renaissance Broadcasting
Encyclopedia : R : RE : REN : Renaissance Broadcasting
Renaissance Broadcasting, founded in 1982 by Michael Finkelstien, was a company that owned several UHF television stations, it was sold to Tribune Broadcasting in 1997.
History
WTXX was not the first independent station in the Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut television market, it wasn't even independent then: WHCT-TV (now WUVN), became an independent in 1959 after CBS sold the struggling O&O to RKO General, who in turn sold the station to Dr. Eugene Scott in 1972, afterwards general entertainment programs disappeared in stages until 1979. Hartford/New Haven's "Big Three" stations were ABC affiliate WTNH channel 8, CBS affiliate WFSB channel 3 (formerly WTIC-TV), and NBC affiliates WHNB (now WVIT) channel 30 in New Britain and WATR channel 20 in Waterbury. WKNB's signal was not strong enough to cover all of Connecticut, this was where WATR came in.
With the rise of cable television, Connecticut viewers started watching independent stations from New York City and Boston, but this did not satisfy their needs. In 1978, Viacom purchased channel 30, changed its calls to WVIT, and boosted its power to cover all of Connecticut, forcing WATR to drop its NBC affiliation after it expired in 1982. At that point, WATR was sold to businessman Michael Finkelstien and a few other investors, who turned the station into WTXX, with a general entertainment format of cartoons, classic sitcoms, old movies, sports, and drama shows. The station did retain some religious shows from 10 AM to noon for a few years, but still, it was a huge success because they were the only general entertainment station in the market.
Later that year Finklestien, signed on WDZL (now WBZL) channel 39 in Miami, which at the time had three major network affiliates, an independent general entertainment station, a Spanish-language station, a subscription TV station, and a Trinity Broadcasting Network station that was previously a religious based independent. WDZL was profitable, but not as much as WTXX was.
In 1986, Finkelstein started buying existing stations, and created a holding company for them, Renaissance Broadcasting: NBC affiliate WPCQ channel 36 (which they renamed WCNC-TV) in Charlotte from Group W, and independent stations WPMT channel 43 in York/Harrisburg/Lancaster and KTXL channel 40 in Sacramento, the latter 2 of which became Fox affiliates.
In 1987, after failing to acquire WTVJ channel 4 (now 6) in Miami upon CBS announcing plans to buy WCIX (which became a Fox affiliate), Telepictures (now part of Warner Bros. Television) opted to exit broadcast television altogether, selling its only station, Fox affiliate WPGH-TV channel 53 in Pittsburgh, which they purchased from Meredith Corporation in 1986, to Renaissance. 2 years later, they sold WCNC to the Providence Journal Company (now part of Belo).
In 1989, the Miami market was in for a huge shakeup: NBC purchased WTVJ and pulled its affiliation from WSVN channel 7, CBS purchased WCIX and moved its affiliation there, and the Fox affiliation moved to WSVN. Much of WCIX's syndicated programming moved to WDZL, as WSVN opted to go towards a news-intensive format like that of many Fox affiliates today.
In 1990, Renaissance put WPGH up for sale, because it was losing money from overpaying for programming so that WPTT channel 22 (now WPMY) could not air it. In August of 1991, the Sinclair Broadcast Group bought WPGH, moved some of WPTT's programming there, and sold WPTT to its general manager, Eddie Edwards. WPTT then began airing Home Shopping Network programming nearly 24 hours a day, but in January of 1992 Sinclair began managing the station through a local marketing agreement (or LMA), airing 10 hours of shows and movies that WPGH had no time to air, the deal became full time by 1996, with Sinclair buying channel 22 outright in 2001
In 1993 Renaissance merged with Chase Broadcasting, which owned Fox affiliates KDVR channel 31 in Denver, WTIC-TV channel 61 in Hartford, WPTY-TV channel 24 in Memphis, WATL channel 36 in Atlanta, and WXIN channel 59 in Indianapolis.
Renaissance sold a few stations then: WPTY to Clear Channel Communications, WATL and KDVR to Fox, and WTXX to a Roman Catholic organization called Counterpoint Communications, the latter because duopolies were forbidden at the time. Renaissance wanted a full-time LMA with WTXX, buying most of its broadcast day -- except for a couple hours in which air Catholic shows would air -- but WTXX only wanted to sell 8 hours per day while airing Home Shopping Network programing for 13 hours and religious shows the rest of the day. As a result, WTXX began an LMA with WVIT instead, airing cartoons and a few syndicated shows. Viacom added UPN programming to WTXX in 1995, as Viacom had owned part of UPN, then in 1996 the LMA became full-time. 2 years later, in 1998, WVIT (which had been sold to NBC), decided to end the local marketing agreement with WTXX. WTXX's new LMA partner was -- in all irony -- WTIC-TV, which by then was owned by Tribune. Much of the programming airing on WTXX from the LMA with WVIT carried over, and WTIC bought some more shows as well.
In 1995, WDZL became an affiliate of The WB Television Network, and that same year Fox sold its owned-and-operated station in Dallas/Fort Worth, KDAF channel 33, to Renaissance after signing an affiliation deal with New World Communications, which owned CBS affiliate KDFW channel 4, although Fox would buy New World a few years later, including a local marketing agreement with indepenent station KDFI channel 27. KDAF then became a WB affiliate. In 1997, Renaissance merged with Tribune Broadcasting.
This company and another company, Renaissance Broadcasting of Vineland (based in Vineland, New Jersey), which owned WRBV channel 65 (now WUVP) from 1981 to 1985, are in no way related to each other, other than similar names.
Television stations formerly owned by Renaissance Broadcasting
| Current DMA# | Market | Station | Years Owned | Current Affiliation | Current Owner |
| 7. | Dallas/Fort Worth | KDAF 33 | 1995-1997 | WB (CW fall 2006) | Tribune Broadcasting |
| 9. | Atlanta | WATL 36 | 1993 | WB (My Network TV fall 2006) | Tribune Broadcasting (pending sale to Gannett) |
| 18. | Denver | KDVR 31 | 1993 | Fox | Fox Television Stations Group (Fox O&O) |
| 19. | Sacramento | KTXL 40 | 1987-1997 | Fox | Tribune Broadcasting |
| 17. | Miami/Ft. Lauderdale | WDZL 39 (now WBZL) | 1982-1997 | WB (CW fall 2006) | Tribune Broadcasting |
| 22. | Pittsburgh | WPGH 53 | 1987-1991 | Fox | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| 25. | Indianapolis | WXIN 59 | 1993-1997 | Fox | Tribune Broadcasting |
| 27. | Charlotte | WPCQ 36 (now WCNC-TV) | 1986-1988 | NBC | Belo |
| 28. | Hartford | WTXX 20 | 1982-1992 | WB (CW fall 2006) | Tribune Broadcasting |
| WTIC-TV 61 | 1993-1997 | Fox | Tribune Broadcasting | ||
| 40. | Harrisburg | WPMT 43 | 1986-1997 | Fox | Tribune Broadcasting |
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