WFTV

WFTV
Location	Orlando, FL
Branding	WFTV Channel 9 (general) Channel 9 Eyewitness News (newscasts)
Slogan	Coverage You Can Count On
Channel Number	9
Subchannels	9.1: WFTV-HD 9.2: Laff 9.3: Escape
Affiliation	ABC
First Air Date	February 1, 1958
Call Letter Meaning(s)	Florida TeleVision
Former Affiliation	DT3: GritTV (2014–2015)
Former Channel Number(s)	Analog: 9 (VHF, 1958–2009)
Former Call Letters	WLOF-TV (1958–1963)
Sister station(s)	WRDQ
Owner	Cox Media Group

WFTV, virtual channel 9 (UHF digital channel 39), is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Orlando, Florida, United States. The station is owned by the Cox Media Group subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, and is part of a duopoly with independent station WRDQ (channel 27). The two stations share studios on East South Street (SR 15) in downtown Orlando; WFTV's transmitter is located between Bithlo and Christmas.

The station's signal is relayed through one UHF digital translator, broadcasting on channel 20 in Deltona (transmitting from WNUE-FM's tower). On cable, the station is available on channel 7 on Charter Spectrum, channel 10 on Comcast Xfinity, and channel 9 on CenturyLink Prism and in outlying areas. WFTV is also carried on cable providers in Polk and Citrus counties, which are part of the Tampa Bay market, although non-local programming is subject to blackout due to the FCC's network non-duplication and syndication exclusivity rules.

History

The station first signed on the air on February 1, 1958 under the callsign WLOF-TV (standing for "We Love Orlando, Florida"). It has been an ABC affiliate since the station's inception. For years, the station was owned by the Mid-Florida Television Corporation, which was a consortium of local investors. Channel 9 changed its callsign to the current WFTV in 1963. In 1984, the station was purchased by the SFN Companies. SFN in turn sold the station to Cox Broadcasting (now Cox Media Group) in 1985. In 1987, WFTV announced that they would move from their original location on West Central Boulevard, to a new studio located at their present-day location.

Since July 2006, WFTV is seen on the co-owned Cox cable system in Ocala (standard definition channel 9 and high definition channel 729) in addition to Gainesville's WCJB-TV. Ocala and Marion County are both part of the Orlando market. Prior to this, the Cox system in Ocala only offered WCJB due to contractual obligations even though that city is not in the same television market as Gainesville. To further complicate matters for viewers in the area of northwest Marion County, WNBW-DT, an NBC affiliate located in Gainesville and in operation since 2008, also identifies itself as channel 9, using that channel as its PSIP, though broadcasting on VHF channel 9 itself, as opposed to WFTV, which broadcasts on UHF channel 39, but also using a PSIP of 9. WNBW is not seen on the Cox or Spectrum systems serving Marion County.

TV stations in Florida
WPLG, Miami WFTS, Tampa WWSB, Sarasota WCJB, Gainesville WJXX, Jacksonville WTXL, Tallahassee WMBB, Panama City WEAR, Pensacola WFTV, Orlando WZVN, Fort Myers WPBF, Tequesta

TV stations in East Central Florida and the Space Coast, including Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne

WESH 2 (NBC) WKMG 6 (CBS) WFTV 9 (ABC) WDSC 15 (ETV) WKCF 18 (CW) W21AU-D 21 (ATeVe) WUCF 24 (PBS) WOTF 26 (Grit) WRDQ 27 (Ind) WFEF-LD 28 (Comet) WRCF-CD 29 (UMas) WTMO-CD/WKME-CD/WMVJ-CD 31 (TLM) W32DJ-D 32 (3ABN) WOFL 35 (Fox) WZXZ-CD 36 (SSN) WHDO-CD 38 (Biz) WVEN 43 (UNI) WTGL 45 (Rel) WATV-LD 47 (AZA) WDTO-LD 50 (Daystar) WHLV 52 (TBN) WACX 55 (Rel) WOPX 56 (Ion) WRBW 65 (MNTV) WEFS 68 (ETV)