WLUC-DT2
 | |
| Marquette, Michigan United States | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
Fox UP (general) Fox UP News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | Upper Michigan's Source |
| Channels |
Digital: WLUC-DT 35.2 (UHF) Virtual: 6.2 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | Fox (2009–present) |
| Owner |
Gray Television (Gray Television Licensee, LLC) |
| First air date | 2005 |
| Call letters' meaning | see WLUC |
| Former affiliations |
The Tube NBC Weather Plus Universal Sports America One |
| Transmitter power | 83 kW (digital) |
| Height | 262 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 21259 (digital) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 46°20′12.6″N 87°50′56.7″W / 46.336833°N 87.849083°W (digital) |
| Licensing authority | FCC (digital) |
WLUC-DT2 is the Fox-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula. It is a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WLUC-TV that is owned by Gray Television. Over-the-air, the station broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 35.2 (or virtual channel 6.2 PSIP) from a transmitter on South Helen Lake Road in Republic Township southeast of unincorporated Republic. The station can also be seen on DirecTV channel 7 in high definition and Charter channel 11 and in high definition on digital channel 706.
Its parent station has studios on U.S. 41/M-28 in Negaunee of Negaunee Township. Although WLUC-DT2 does not have its own web address, it maintains a separate section within the main channel's website.
History
While under Raycom Media ownership, this subchannel signed-on for the first time in late-2005 carrying The Tube Music Network. After that network shut down October 1, 2007 due to a lack of advertising revenue, NBC Weather Plus was added. Later, the 24-hour automated weather channel was dropped in favor of Universal Sports. Throughout its association with those three services, WLUC-DT2 was carried on Charter digital channel 306.
In July 2009, WLUC announced it would begin carrying Fox on this second digital subchannel starting August 17. At this point, Universal Sports was dropped after programming from America One was added in a secondary nature. The subchannel replaced WZMQ (formerly WMQF) as the market's Fox affiliate in the wake of the Equity Media Holdings bankruptcy, and the digital transition effectively taking WMQF off the air due to lack of digital facilities.
WZMQ is now back on-the-air after being sold to new owners, switching to This TV, and moving MyNetworkTV to a new second digital subchannel. In 2012, Me-TV began airing on WZMQ's main feed with MyNetworkTV and This TV on the second digital subchannel while a third feed was launched Antenna TV. Before adding Fox to this subchannel, WLUC carried some programming from the network in the early-1990s before WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin switched to Fox. Although subject to blackout restrictions, WLUC-DT2 (FOX UP) was a primary NFL affiliate of Green Bay Packers football during the 2012 season due the majority of the local fans supportive of Green Bay despite a sizable minority fans more loyal to Detroit which is more than twice the driving distance from Marquette.
In addition to this Fox subchannel offered from WLUC, the network is available in the Upper Peninsula over-the-air from WLUK in Menominee County and through a low-powered digital translator of that station in Escanaba. Gogebic County is covered by KQDS-TV from Duluth, Minnesota. The Eastern Upper Peninsula is covered by WWUP-DT 10.2 (a standard definition digital simulcast of WFQX-TV from Cadillac).
In 2012, lobbying from WLUC, combined with new affiliation requirements from Fox disallowing cable carriage from other affiliates outside a station's market, forced WLUK from most cable systems in the western and central portions of the Upper Peninsula. There were no changes on DirecTV since WLUK was never available to viewers outside Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula. As Sinclair acquired WLUK from their owners LIN Media as part of LIN's merger with Media General in mid-December 2014, the issues between WLUK and WLUC-DT2, including the Escanaba translator issue, are expected to be resolved under common ownership.
The station used to be an affiliate of America One during the late-night and morning hours, which also provided the station's programming for E/I requirements. This ended as more syndicated programming was placed on the Fox UP schedule, along with Sinclair's existing contracts to provide E/I programming for their stations.
Programming
Syndicated programming on WLUC-DT2 includes Two and a Half Men, Family Guy (which also airs first run episodes), The Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, Family Feud, and Celebrity Name Game among others.
Newscasts
After WLUC-DT2 added Fox, it offered a nationally syndicated newscast weeknights at 6:30 taped in advance. Known as INN News, the program was produced for America One by the Independent News Network from studios on Tremont Avenue in Davenport, Iowa. This was eventually dropped in favor syndicated programming as the subchannel developed more.
On September 8, 2009, WLUC-DT2 added the area's second weeknight prime time newscast to its schedule known as Your Fox UP News in Primetime. The thirty-minute broadcast competes with another half-hour show airing at the same time on CW affiliate WBKP that is produced by ABC affiliate WBUP. WLUC-DT2's news originates from a secondary set at the U.S. 41/M-28 studios featuring a separate graphics scheme and unique segments such as viewer feedback and daily polls. There is no regular sports segment seen during the broadcast although a quick update can be given on teams with local and regional interest.
Your Fox UP News in Primetime maintains a separate news anchor and reporter assigned exclusively to WLUC-DT2 although additional reporters can also be seen. The on-air team includes news anchor Justin Razavi, Chief Meteorologist Karl Bohnak (with an AMS Seal of Approval), and reporter Rachel Droze. Fox UP used to air a local lifestyle/outdoors program known as XUP that was hosted by Nick "Juice" Terbrack. In addition to its main studios, WLUC operates bureaus in Escanaba (on Ludington Street), Iron Mountain (on South Stephenson Avenue/U.S. 2/U.S. 141), and Houghton (on Sheldon Avenue/U.S. 41). The Iron Mountain Bureau also serves Kingsford while the Houghton Bureau also serves Hancock.