WUPL

WUPL, virtual channel 54 (UHF digital channel 24), is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, United States that is licensed to Slidell. The station is owned by Tegna, as part of a duopoly with CBS affiliate WWL-TV (channel 4). The two stations share studio facilities and offices located on Rampart Street in the historic French Quarter district; WUPL maintains transmitter facilities located off Behrman Highway in the city's Algiers neighborhood.

History

As a UPN affiliate

The station first signed on the air on June 1, 1995, as an affiliate of the United Paramount Network (UPN). Prior to the station's sign-on, WHNO (channel 20) was approached by UPN for an affiliation, though WHNO's owner LeSEA Broadcasting declined all netlet offers on their stations through the country, as the programming planned for both UPN and competitor The WB conflicted with the company's core programming values; as a result, programming from UPN, which launched on January 16, 1995, was only available on New Orleans-area cable and satellite providers through New York City-based national superstation WWOR for the 5½ months prior to WUPL's debut. Along with programming from UPN, the station ran a general entertainment format, offering vintage off-network sitcoms, talk shows, court shows and other syndicated programs. WUPL was sold to Cox Enterprises in 1997. Cox subsequently sold the station to the Paramount Stations Group subsidiary of Viacom; as a result, WUPL became a UPN owned-and-operated station (Viacom launched UPN in a programming partnership with Chris-Craft Industries/United Television, and acquired a 50% interest in the network from Chris-Craft/United in 1996).