KUTP

From Free net encyclopedia

KUTP is the UPN television affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations Group, and serves the Phoenix market with a general entertainment format of cartoons, sitcoms, reality shows, court shows, talk shows, and first-run programming from UPN.

Its transmitter is located on South Mountain in Phoenix.

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History

KUTP began broadcasting on January 1, 1986 as an independent station. It was owned by United Television. It ran a general entertainment format consisting of cartoons, drama shows, and old movies. Eventually it added off-network sitcoms as well as first-run talk and reality shows.

The station affiliated with UPN in January 1995, and picked up several sitcoms from KNXV in the wake of the affiliation switch in the market. As a UPN affiliate, KUTP began to add more syndicated first-run talk and reality shows.

In 2001, the station was bought by Fox, making it a sister station of KSAZ (who had took the Fox affiliation from the aforementioned KNXV in 1995). KUTP is now the television home of the NBA's Phoenix Suns.

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From UPN to My Network TV

Upon the creation of the CW in 2006, it was announced that KUTP would become an independent station after UPN ceases operations in September 2006. That move paved the way for local WB affiliate KASW to become the CW affiliate for Phoenix.

Although at first it appeared that the station was renamed "KUTP 45", similar to how most of the other Fox-owned UPN stations are modifying their branding, it actually changed its branding to PHX45, and is said as Phoenix 45.

On February 22, 2006, Fox announced that KUTP will be part of a new primetime network called My Network TV to launch September 5, 2006. My Network TV will be operated by Fox Television Stations, Inc. and Twentieth Television. It is expected that the station will be renamed "My45" at the same time, reflecting the new network's naming conventions.