An independent station is a broadcast station, usually a television station, not affiliated with a larger broadcast network. As such, it only broadcasts syndicated programs it has purchased; brokered programming, for which a third party pays the station for airtime; and local programs that it produces itself.
In North American and Japanese television, independent stations with general entertainment formats emerged as a distinct class of station because their lack of network affiliation led to unique strategies in program content, scheduling, and promotion, as well as different economics compared to major network affiliates. The Big Three networks in the United States — ABC, CBS, and NBC — traditionally provided a substantial number of program hours per day to their affiliates, whereas later network startups—Fox, UPN, and The WB (the latter two were succeeded by The CW and, to a lesser extent, MyNetworkTV)—provided substantially fewer shows to their affiliates. Through the early 1990s, Fox affiliates were often considered independents.
The term independent station most often is used to refer to stations with general entertainment formats. Historically, these stations specialized in children's programming, syndicated reruns or first-run shows, and sports coverage.
Some independent stations, mostly those once having been affiliated with a major network, produce substantial amounts of news and public affairs programming. The model for these stations was WSVN in Miami, an NBC affiliate that switched to Fox in January 1989 and dramatically expanded its news output. Further affiliation changes and news expansions from the 1990s onward have produced a number of additional stations, such as KTVK in Phoenix (an ABC affiliate until 1995); WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida (a CBS affiliate until 2002); and WHDH in Boston (an NBC affiliate until 2017), as well as stations such as WGN-TV in Chicago and KUSI-TV in San Diego that never held a major network affiliation.
However, in a broader sense, there are independent stations that focus on a specific genre of television programming. For instance, religious independent stations buy and schedule, or produce locally, evangelism and study programs, and ethnic independent stations purchase or produce programs in specific languages or catering to specific communities.
During the 1950s and 1960s, independent stations filled their broadcast hours with movies, sports, cartoons, filmed travelogues, and some locally produced television programs, including in some instances newscasts and children's programs. Independents that were on the air during this period would sign-on at times later than that of stations affiliated with a television network, some not doing so until the early or mid-afternoon hours. Another source of programming became available to independent stations by the mid-1960s: reruns of network programs which, after completing their initial runs, were sold into syndication.
As cable television franchises began to be incorporated around the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, independent stations from large and mid-sized markets were imported by these systems via wire or microwave relay to smaller media markets, which often only had stations that were affiliated with the Big Three television networks (ABC, NBC and CBS); these independents became the first "superstations," which were distributed on a statewide or regional basis. In December 1976, Ted Turner decided to uplink his struggling Atlanta, Georgia station WTCG to satellite for national distribution. Soon, other companies decided to copy Turner's idea and applied for satellite uplinks to distribute other stations; WGN-TV in Chicago, KTVU in Oakland-San Francisco, and WPIX and WOR-TV in New York City would begin to be distributed nationally during the late 1970s and early 1980s (in the case of KTVU, it would revert to being a regional superstation by the early part of the latter decade).
By the start of the 1970s, independent stations typically aired children's programming in the morning and afternoon hours, and movies and other adult-oriented shows (some stations aired paid religious programs) during the midday hours. They counterprogrammed local network-affiliated stations' news programs with syndicated reruns – usually sitcoms and hour-long dramas – in the early evening, and movies during prime time and late night hours. In some areas, independent stations carried network programs that were not aired by a local affiliate.
In larger markets such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, independent stations benefited from a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that barred network-affiliated stations within the top 50 television markets from airing network-originated programs in the hour preceding prime time. This legislation, known as the Prime Time Access Rule, was in effect from 1971 to 1995, and as a result independents faced less competition for syndicated reruns. Some stations in larger markets (such as WGN-TV in Chicago; KTLA, KCOP-TV and KHJ-TV in Los Angeles; KWGN-TV in Denver; and (W)WOR-TV, WPIX and WNEW-TV in New York City) ventured into local news broadcasts, usually airing at 10:00 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones, and 9:00 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones. Network stations aired their late newscasts an hour later.
From the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, independent stations in several U.S. cities, particularly those that had yet to receive a cable franchise, carried a form of a network affiliation through subscription television networks (such as ON TV, Spectrum and SelecTV); these services – which were formatted very similarly to their pay cable counterparts – ran sports, uncut and commercial-free movies (both mainstream and pornographic, broadcasts of the latter often created legal issues that were eventually largely cleared up due to an FCC regulation that legally allowed the broadcast of programs featuring content that would otherwise be deemed indecent when broadcast "in the clear" if the encrypted signal was not visible or audible to nonsubscribers), and on some services, television specials. Independents usually ran the services during the evening and overnight hours in lieu of running movies and other programs acquired off the syndication market by the station, although a few eventually began to carry these services for most of the broadcast day. The services required the use of decoder boxes to access the service's programming (some of which were fairly easy to unencrypt due to the transmission methods stations used to scramble the signal during the service's broadcast hours); some required the payment of an additional one-time fee to receive events and adult films. As cities added cable franchises, thus allowing people to subscribe to conventional premium television networks like HBO and Showtime, nearly all of the over-the-air subscription services had shuttered operations by the end of the 1980s.
Until the late 1970s, independent stations were usually limited to the larger American television markets, due to several factors. Most smaller markets did not have a large enough population to support four commercial stations. Even in markets that were large enough to support a fourth station, the only available license was on a UHF channel allocation. During the analog television era, the reception quality of UHF stations was not nearly as good as stations on the VHF band, especially in areas with rugged terrain (the reverse is true in the present day with the transmission of digital signals) or in markets that cover large geographic areas. Since independent stations had to buy an additional 16 hours of programming per day – a burden not faced by network-affiliated stations – these factors made prospective owners skittish about signing on a television station as an independent. By the 1970s, however, cable television had gained enough penetration to make independent stations viable in smaller markets. This was especially true in markets that were either located in rugged terrain or covered large areas; in these regions, cable (and later satellite) are all but essential for acceptable television. Nearly 300 independent stations existed in the United States by the mid-1980s, in markets of varying sizes,[1] up from fewer than 100 in 1980. They could buy new shows without cash using barter syndication.[2] Many stations belonged to the Association of Independent Television Stations (INTV), a group similar to the National Association of Broadcasters, and which lobbied the FCC on behalf of independents.
In the 1980s, television syndicators began offering original, first-run series such as Solid Gold, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Star Search, Independent Network News and (as well as canceled network series revived for first-run syndication such as Fame, Too Close for Comfort, Charles in Charge, It's a Living and Baywatch), and made-for-television movies and miniseries like Sadat. This trend primarily benefited independent stations. Independents scheduled these first-run programs during prime time and on weekends.
In the United States, many independent stations were commonly owned. Companies that operated three or more independents included:
In 1986 several independent outlets, led by the Metromedia stations, formed the Fox Broadcasting Company,[3] [4] the first major venture at a fourth U.S. broadcast television network since the DuMont Television Network shut down in August 1956 (which resulted in some of its affiliates, including those owned by Metromedia, becoming independents). Fox made efforts, slowly at first, to have its affiliates emulate a network programming style as much as possible; but in turn, Fox only carried a late-night talk show at its launch in October 1986, and beginning in April 1987, offered one night of prime time programming a week (on Sundays). The network only programmed two hours of prime time programming each night (and, beginning in the 1990s, some children's programming through Fox Kids), but gradually expanded its prime time lineup to all seven nights until January 1993. Fox's owned-and-operated stations left INTV in March 1992.[5]
The lack of programming in other dayparts forced most Fox affiliates to maintain the same programming model as independent stations during non-prime time slots, and during its early years, on nights without prime time programming from the network. Fox coerced most of its affiliates to air prime time newscasts (there were some holdouts as late as 2013, while many others opted to run outsourced local newscasts from a competing network affiliate) as well as news programming in other dayparts common with other major network affiliates. When a complicated six-station affiliation switch in South Florida saw WSVN in Miami switch from NBC to Fox in 1989, the station adopted a news-intensive format unlike any independent station or Fox affiliate prior, a scheduling choice initially ridiculed in local media but quickly attracted industry attention and saw ratings success. This model was copied by stations owned by New World Communications and SF Broadcasting that switched to Fox in the mid-1990s, and to other news-producing Fox and minor network affiliates, and independent stations, by the 2000s.
In September 1993, many independents began carrying the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN), an ad-hoc programming service that emulated a network model, which featured drama series and made-for-TV movies intended for first-run syndication. In January 1995, many remaining independents, including those that carried PTEN, joined upstart networks The WB[6] and the United Paramount Network (UPN). The WB, UPN and their affiliates used a very similar programming model to that initially used by Fox and its stations during their first four years of existence (although neither network would expand their prime time lineups to all seven nights); the launch of those networks resulted in PTEN's demise in 1997, as most stations that became affiliates of UPN and The WB (whose respective founding parents, Chris-Craft Industries and Time Warner, jointly owned PTEN) either dropped the service or moved its lineup out of prime time when those networks launched. Other stations banded together to become charter outlets of the Pax TV (now Ion Television) network in August 1998, although some of the stations that aligned with Pax had earlier affiliated with its predecessor, the Infomall TV Network (inTV), two years before.
The launches of these networks drastically reduced the number of independent stations in the United States; some mid-sized markets would not regain a general entertainment independent until the early 2000s, through sign-ons of unaffiliated stations and disaffiliations by existing stations from other commercial and noncommercial networks. In 2001, Univision Communications purchased several English language independents in larger markets (which mostly operated as Home Shopping Network affiliates until the late 1990s) from USA Broadcasting to form the nuclei of the upstart Spanish language network Telefutura (now UniMás), which launched in January 2002. Several stations affiliated with The WB and UPN became independent again when the respective parent companies of those networks (Time Warner and CBS Corporation) decided to shut them down to form The CW, which launched in September 2006 with a schedule dominated by shows held over from and an affiliate body primarily made up of stations previously aligned with its two predecessors.[7] Some of the newly independent stations subsequently found a new network home through MyNetworkTV, itself created out of the prospect that the UPN affiliates of corporate sister Fox Television Stations would become independents due to The CW choosing to affiliate with CBS Television Stations and Tribune Broadcasting stations in overlapping markets.[8]
As a result of the various network launches that have occurred since the 1986 launch of Fox, true independent stations have become a rarity. The smallest stations, which in the past would have been forced to adopt a locally originated independent program schedule, now have other options – 24-hour-a-day networks that require no local or syndicated programming for the station to carry; some of these networks, such as AMG TV or America One, follow a full-service variety format, while others are devoted primarily to classic television (such as MeTV) and/or films, or carry mainly niche programming. Many stations that are affiliated with the larger post-1980s networks still behave much like independents, as they program far more hours a day than a station affiliated with one of the Big Three networks.
This is especially the case with MyNetworkTV, whose efforts to offer first-run programming were largely unsuccessful. By 2009, the network had abandoned its first-run programming efforts and became a "programming service", with its programming now focused upon off-network reruns of drama series.[9] [10] After this transition, many of MyNetworkTV's affiliates began to downplay their affiliation with the network and move the block to alternate timeslots (such as late-night); network owner Fox Television Stations rebranded most of its MyNetworkTV stations as offshoots of their parent Fox stations (such as "Fox 11 Plus" for KCOP-TV) [11] [12]
Current independents follow a very different program format from their predecessors. While sitcom reruns are still popular, expanded newscasts and other syndicated programs such as talk shows; courtroom shows; reruns of recent scripted comedy and drama series; and no-cost public domain programming are common. Another type of content being added to many independent station lineups in recent years has been brokered programming, including infomercials, home shopping and televangelist programs; the Federal Communications Commission did not allow infomercials to be broadcast on American television until 1984, but since then, it has proven to be a lucrative, if somewhat polarizing with viewers, way to fill airtime. During the 1990s when infomercials gained popularity, many stations began broadcasting 24 hours a day rather than signing off at night. By filling the overnight hours with infomercials, the station would be able to generate extra revenue where they had previously been off the air. Home shopping programs (mainly simulcasts of cable services that also have over-the-air distribution such as QVC and the Home Shopping Network) or syndicated programs fill overnight time periods on stations that do not run infomercials during that day part.
Since the FCC revised its media ownership rules to permit station duopolies in August 1999, independents that operate on a standalone basis have become quite rare in the United States and, in turn, independents that are senior partners in duopolies are fairly uncommon. With the proliferation of duopolies and local marketing agreements since that point, most independent stations are operated alongside a major network affiliate (more commonly, one of either ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox), which may share syndicated programming with and/or produce newscasts in non-competitive timeslots for its unaffiliated sister. This is because in most markets, independents tend to have lower viewership than that of a network affiliate, and usually fall within part of the FCC's duopoly criteria (which allows a company to own two stations in the same market if one is not among the four highest-rated at the time of an ownership transaction).
| Media market | State | Stations | First air date | Last air date | Current network | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WXXA-TV 23 | July 30, 1982 | Fox | ||||
| WUSV 45 (now WCWN) | March 22, 1982 | The CW | ||||
| WOCD 55 (now WYPX-TV) | December 14, 1987 | Ion | ||||
| Anchorage | Alaska | KTBY 4 | December 2, 1983 | Fox | ||
| KYES-TV 5 (now KAUU) | January 21, 1990 | 5.1 CBS5.4 MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KDMD 33 | October 1, 1989 | 33.1 Ion33.2 Telemundo | ||||
| KCFT-CD 35 | July 17, 1984 | |||||
| Atlanta | Georgia | WATC-DT 57 | April 14, 1996 | |||
| WQXI-TV/WATL-TV 36 | December 18, 1954 (original incarnation)August 16, 1969 (2nd incarnation) July 5, 1976 (current incarnation) | May 31, 1955 (original incarnation)April 1, 1971 (2nd incarnation) | MyNetworkTV | |||
| WGNX 46 (now WANF) | June 6, 1971 | CBS | ||||
| WHOT 34 (now WUVG-DT) | April 18, 1989 | Univision | ||||
| WJRJ-TV/WTCG/WTBS 17 (now WPCH-TV) | September 1, 1967 | The CW | ||||
| WVEU/WUPA 69 | August 22, 1981 | |||||
| Austin | Texas | KBVO 42(now KEYE-TV) | December 4, 1983 | CBS | ||
| Baltimore | Maryland | WBFF 45 | April 11, 1971 | Fox | ||
| WMAR-TV 2 | October 27, 1947 | ABC | ||||
| WNUV-TV 54 | July 1, 1982 | The CW | ||||
| Baton Rouge | Louisiana | KZUP-CD 20 | November 26, 2002 | |||
| Beaumont | Texas | KBMT-LD 64 (now KUIL-LD 12.5) | 2003 | MyNetworkTV | ||
| Birmingham | Alabama | WTTO 21 | April 21, 1982 | The CW | ||
| WABM 68 | January 31, 1986 | 68.1 MyNetworkTV68.2 ABC | ||||
| Bloomington-Peoria | WBLN/WYZZ-TV 43 | October 18, 1982 | Fox | |||
| Boise | Idaho | KTRV-TV 12 | October 18, 1981 | Ion | ||
| Boston | Massachusetts | WSBK-TV 38 | October 12, 1964 | |||
| WKBG-TV/WLVI-TV 56 | December 21, 1966 | The CW | ||||
| WXNE-TV 25 (now WFXT) | October 10, 1977 | Fox | ||||
| WSMW-TV/WHLL 66 (now WUNI) | February 12, 1985 | Univision | ||||
| WQTV/WABU 68 (now WBPX-TV) | January 2, 1979 | Ion | ||||
| WXPO-TV/WNDS/WZMY-TV/WBIN-TV 50 (now WWJE-DT) | September 5, 1983 | True Crime Network | ||||
| WSMW-TV/WHLL 27 (now WUTF-TV) | January 1, 1970 | UniMas | ||||
| WWDP 46 | December 6, 1986 | ShopHQ | ||||
| WDPX-TV 58 | January 16, 1984 | Grit | ||||
| WNEU 60 | August 14, 1987 | Telemundo | ||||
| WMFP 62 | October 16, 1987 | OnTV4U | ||||
| WHDH 7 | May 22, 1982 | |||||
| Buffalo | New York | WUTV 29 | December 21, 1970 | Fox | ||
| WNLO 23 | May 13, 1987 | The CW | ||||
| WBBZ-TV 67 | March 12, 1993 | MeTV/Independent | ||||
| WNYO-TV 49 | September 1, 1987 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Charlotte | North Carolina | WAXN-TV 64 | October 15, 1994 | |||
| WCCB 18 | September 5, 1961 (2nd incarnation)November 1, 1964 (current incarnation) | May 16, 1963 (2nd incarnation) | The CW | |||
| WJZY 46 | March 9, 1987 | Fox | ||||
| WRET-TV 36 (now WCNC-TV) | July 9, 1967 | NBC | ||||
| WHKY-TV 14 (now WWJS) | February 14, 1968 | Sonlife | ||||
| Chicago | Illinois | WGN-TV 9 | April 5, 1948 | |||
| WFLD 32 | January 4, 1966 | Fox | ||||
| WSNS-TV 44 | April 5, 1970 | Telemundo | ||||
| WCIU-TV 26 | February 6, 1964 | 26.1 The CW26.2 Independent | ||||
| WPWR-TV 60 (now WPWR-TV 50) | April 4, 1982 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WGBO-TV 66 (now WGBO-DT) | September 18, 1981 | Univision | ||||
| WMEU-CD 48 | October 28, 1987 | |||||
| Chico | California | KCVU-TV 20 | May 14, 1986 | Fox | ||
| Christiansted | U.S. Virgin Islands | WCVI-TV 23 | May 16, 1997 | 23.1 CBS23.2 ABC | ||
| Cincinnati | Ohio | WXIX-TV 19 | August 1, 1968 | Fox | ||
| WIII-TV/WSTR-TV 64 | January 29, 1980 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Cleveland-Akron | Ohio | WUAB 43 | September 15, 1968 | The CW | ||
| WBNX-TV 55 | December 1, 1985 | |||||
| WKBF-TV 61 | January 19, 1968 | April 25, 1975 | ||||
| WCLQ 61 | March 3, 1981 | Univision | ||||
| WOIO 19 | May 19, 1985 | 19.1 CBS19.2 MeTV/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WMFD-TV 68 | January 10, 1986 | |||||
| WGGN-TV 52 | December 5, 1982 | |||||
| Colorado Springs-Pueblo | Colorado | KXRM 21 | January 22, 1985 | Fox | ||
| KXTU 57 | November 5, 1999 | The CW | ||||
| KWHS 51 | 1992 | CTN | ||||
| Columbus | Georgia | WXTX 54 | August 29, 1983 | Fox | ||
| Columbus | Ohio | WTTE 28 | June 1, 1984 | TBD | ||
| WWAT 53 (now WWHO) | August 31, 1987 | The CW | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Texas | KDFI 27 | January 26, 1981 | MyNetworkTV | ||
| KFWD 52 | September 1, 1988 | Shop LC | ||||
| KLDT 55 (now KAZD) | March 18, 1997 | 55.1 Spectrum News 155.2 MeTV | ||||
| KMEC-TVKBFI-TV/KXTX-TV/KDTV/ KRLD-TV 33 (now KDAF) | September 29, 1980 | The CW | ||||
| KSTR-TV 49 (now KSTR-DT) | April 17, 1984 | UniMas | ||||
| KTVT 11 | September 11, 1955 | CBS | ||||
| KTXA 21 | January 4, 1981 | |||||
| KXTX-TV 39 | February 5, 1968 | Telemundo | ||||
| Davenport -Rock Island | Iowa -Illinois | KLJB 18 | July 28, 1985 | Fox | ||
| Dayton | Ohio | WSWO-TV 26 | July 14, 1968 | December 6, 1972 | ||
| WKTR-TV/WOET-TV 16 (now WPTD) | March 20, 1967 | PBS | ||||
| WTJC/WDPX 26 (now WBDT) | September 7, 1980 | The CW | ||||
| WRGT-TV 45 | September 23, 1984 | Dabl | ||||
| Denver | Colorado | KWGN-TV 2 | July 18, 1952 | The CW | ||
| KCDO-TV 3 | December 18, 1963 | |||||
| KDVR 31 | August 10, 1983 | Fox | ||||
| KTVD 20 | December 1, 1988 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Detroit | Michigan | WKBD-TV 50 | January 10, 1965 | |||
| WMYD 20 | September 15, 1968 | The CW | ||||
| WGPR-TV 62 (now WWJ-TV) | September 29, 1975 | CBS | ||||
| WADL 38 | May 20, 1989 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Des Moines | Iowa | KCBR/KDSM-TV 17 | March 7, 1983 | Fox | ||
| El Paso | Texas | KILT 13 (now KVIA-TV 7) | September 1, 1956 | 7.1 ABC7.2 The CW | ||
| KCIK-TV 14 (now KFOX-TV) | August 1, 1979 | Fox | ||||
| KJLF-TV 65 (now KTFN) | June 22, 1991 | UniMas | ||||
| Evansville | Indiana | WTVW 7 | August 21, 1956 | The CW | ||
| Fargo | North Dakota | KVRR 15 | February 14, 1983 | Fox | ||
| KNRR 12 | January 1, 1986 | Fox | ||||
| KBRR 10 | September 1985 | Fox | ||||
| Fresno-Visalia | California | KMPH-TV 26 | October 11, 1971 | Fox | ||
| KAIL 53 (now KAIL 7) | December 18, 1961 | TCT | ||||
| Fort Wayne | Indiana | WFFT 55 | December 21, 1977 | Fox | ||
| Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek | Michigan | WXMI 17 | March 18, 1982 | Fox | ||
| Green Bay-Appleton | Wisconsin | KFIZ-TV 34 | August 1, 1968 | November 30, 1972 | Independent/NET/PBS | |
| WXGZ-TV/WACY-TV 32 | March 7, 1984 (original incarnation)June 1994 (current incarnation) | February 14, 1992 (original incarnation) | ||||
| WSCO/WPXG/WIWB/WCWF 14 | February 22, 1984 (original incarnation)April 30, 1997 (current incarnation) | 1987 (original incarnation) | The CW | |||
| WLRE/WGBA-TV 26 | December 31, 1980 | NBC | ||||
| Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point | North Carolina | WGNN-TV/WJTM/WNRW-TV 45 (now WXLV-TV) | September 22, 1979 | ABC | ||
| WGGT 48 | May 9, 1981 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WRDG/WAAP 16 (now WGPX-TV) | August 7, 1984 | Ion | ||||
| WEJC 20 (now WCWG) | October 30, 1985 | The CW | ||||
| WLXI 61 (now WLXI 43) | March 5, 1984 | TCT | ||||
| Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville | South Carolina North Carolina | WAXA/WFBC-TV 40 (now WMYA-TV) | December 11, 1953 | Dabl | ||
| WGGS-TV 16 | October 29, 1972 | |||||
| WHNS 21 | April 1, 1984 | Fox | ||||
| WASV-TV 62 (now WYCW) | October 31, 1984 | The CW | ||||
| WNEG-TV 32 (now WGTA) | September 9, 1984 | MeTV | ||||
| Harrisburg-Lancaster-York | Pennsylvania | WPMT 43 | December 21, 1952 | Fox | ||
| Hartford-New Haven | Connecticut | WHCT 18 (now WUVN) | September 25, 1954 | Univision | ||
| WCCT-TV 20 | September 10, 1953 | The CW | ||||
| WTIC-TV 3 (now WFSB) | September 23, 1957 | CBS | ||||
| WTIC-TV 61 | September 17, 1984 | Fox | ||||
| WTWS 26 (now WHPX-TV) | September 15, 1986 | Ion | ||||
| WWAX-LD 27 | March 11, 2013 | |||||
| Hilo | Hawaii | KOHA-TV/KHBC-TV 13 (now KSIX-TV) | August 22, 1983 | 13.1 NBC13.2 Independent 13.3 CBS | ||
| Honolulu | Hawaii | KIKU-TV/KHNL 13 | July 4, 1962 | 13.1 NBC13.2 Independent 13.3 Telemundo | ||
| KHAI-TV/KIKU 20 | December 30, 1983 | |||||
| KFVE 5/KFVE 9 (now KHII-TV) | February 7, 1988 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KWHE 14 | August 23, 1986 | |||||
| Houston | Texas | KHTV 39 (now KIAH) | January 6, 1967 | The CW | ||
| KRIV 26 | August 15, 1971 | Fox | ||||
| KTXH 20 | November 7, 1982 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KCVH-LP 30 (now KCVH-LD 6) | November 2, 1988 | |||||
| KNWS-TV 51 (now KYAZ) | November 3, 1993 | MeTV | ||||
| KTBU 55 | July 15, 1998 | Quest | ||||
| KUBE-TV 57 | May 18, 1988 | Shop LC | ||||
| Indianapolis | Indiana | WURD/WHMB-TV 40 | February 22, 1971 | |||
| WTTV 4 | November 11, 1949 | 4.1 CBS4.2 Independent | ||||
| WWKI-TV/WTTK 29 | May 1, 1988 | 29.1 CBS29.2 Independent | ||||
| WXIN 59 | February 1, 1984 | Fox | ||||
| WMCC-TV 23 (now WNDY-TV) | October 19, 1987 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Jackson | Mississippi | WDBD 40 | November 30, 1984 | Fox | ||
| Jacksonville | Florida | WAWS 30 (now WFOX-TV) | February 15, 1981 | 30.1 Fox30.2 MyNetworkTV/MeTV 30.4 Telemundo | ||
| WJXT 4 | September 15, 1949 | |||||
| WXAO-TV/WNFT/WTEV-TV 49 (now WJAX-TV) | August 1, 1980 | CBS | ||||
| Kansas City | Missouri | KBMA-TV/KSHB-TV 41 | September 28, 1970 | NBC | ||
| KZKC/KSMO-TV 62 | December 7, 1983 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KMCI-TV 38 | February 1, 1988 | |||||
| KUJH-LP 31 | April 23, 1996 | June 9, 2014 | ||||
| Knoxville | Tennessee | WKCH-TV/WTNZ-TV 43 | December 31, 1983 | Fox | ||
| WMAK/WKNX-TV 7 | July 31, 2004 | |||||
| Lafayette | Louisiana | KADN-TV 15 | March 1, 1980 | Fox | ||
| Lansing | Michigan | WSYM-TV 47 | December 1, 1982 | 47.1 Fox47.4 MyNetworkTV | ||
| Las Vegas | Nevada | KVVU-TV 5 | September 10, 1967 | Fox | ||
| KHSV 21 | July 31, 1984 | MeTV | ||||
| KFBT 33 (now KVCW) | July 30, 1989 | 33.1 The CW33.2 MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KTUD-CA 25 | February 12, 1999 | October 10, 2013 | ||||
| KMCC 34 | August 21, 2003 | |||||
| Louisville | Kentucky | WDRB-TV 41 | February 21, 1971 | Fox | ||
| WBNA 21 | April 2, 1986 | |||||
| Los Angeles | California | KTLA 5 | January 22, 1947 | The CW | ||
| KFI-TV/KHJ-TV/KCAL-TV 9 | October 6, 1948 | |||||
| KLAC-TV/KCOP-TV 13 | September 17, 1948 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KIIX/KPOL-TV/KWHY-TV 22 | March 29, 1965 | |||||
| KDOC-TV 56 | October 1, 1982 | TCT | ||||
| KCET 28 | September 28, 1964 | PBS | ||||
| KSCI 18 | June 30, 1977 | Shop LC | ||||
| KBEH 63 | August 17, 1985 | Canal de la Fe | ||||
| KTTV 11 | January 1, 1949 | Fox | ||||
| KMTW-TV/KBSC-TV 52 (now KVEA) | June 29, 1966 | Telemundo | ||||
| Madison | Wisconsin | WISC-TV 3.2 (branded as "TVW") | September 2000 | MyNetworkTV | ||
| WHPN-TV/WBUW/WIFS 57 | June 30, 1999 | Ion | ||||
| WMSN-TV 47 | June 8, 1986 | Fox | ||||
| WZCK-LD 8 | June 9, 1992 | OnTV4U | ||||
| Memphis | Tennessee | WPTY-TV 24 (now WATN-TV) | September 10, 1978 | ABC | ||
| WMKW-TV/WLMT 30 | April 18, 1983 | The CW/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale | Florida | WCIX 6 (now WFOR-TV 4) | September 20, 1967 | CBS | ||
| WBFS-TV 33 | December 9, 1984 | |||||
| WDZL/WBZL/WSFL-TV 39 | October 16, 1982 | The CW | ||||
| WYHS/WYHS-TV/WAMI-TV 69 (now WAMI-DT) | August 10, 1988 | UniMas | ||||
| WSMS-TV/WKID 51 (now WSCV) | December 6, 1968 | Telemundo | ||||
| Milwaukee | Wisconsin | WOKY-TV/WXIX 19/WXIX/WUHF/WVTV 18 | October 3, 1953 (original incarnation)July 20, 1959 (current incarnation) | April 1, 1959 (original incarnation) | 18.1 The CW24.1 MyNetworkTV | |
| WCGV-TV 24 (now WVTV-DT2 24) | March 24, 1980 | January 8, 2018 | MyNetworkTV | |||
| WDJT-TV 58 | November 10, 1988 | CBS | ||||
| WJJA/WBME-TV/WMLW-TV 49 | January 27, 1990 | |||||
| W65BT 65/W41CI/WMLW-CA 41 (now WBME-CD) | 1983 | MeTV | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | Minnesota | WTCN-TV/WUSA 11 (now KARE) | September 1, 1953 | NBC | ||
| KEYD-TV/KMGM-TV/KMSP-TV 9 (now KMSP-TV 9.9) | January 9, 1955 | 9.9 Fox9.10 MyNetworkTV (SD simulcast) | ||||
| WFBT/KITN-TV 29 (now WFTC 9.2) | October 11, 1982 | 9.1 Fox (SD simulcast)9.2 MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KVBM/KSTC-TV 45 (now KSTC-TV 5.2) | June 19, 1994 | |||||
| KTMA/KLGT/KMWB 23 (now WUCW) | September 22, 1982 | The CW | ||||
| KXLI 41 (now KPXM-TV) | November 24, 1982 | Ion | ||||
| K34HO-D 34.2 | 1998 | |||||
| K21GN-D 21 | ||||||
| Mobile -Pensacola | Alabama Florida | WPMI 15 | March 12, 1982 | NBC | ||
| WFGX 35 | April 7, 1987 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WJTC 44 | December 24, 1984 | |||||
| Nashville | Tennessee | WMCV/WTLT/WZTV 17 | August 5, 1968 | 17.1 Fox17.2 The CW | ||
| WCAY-TV/WXMT 30 (now WUXP-TV) | February 18, 1984 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| New Orleans | Louisiana | WLAE-TV 32 | July 8, 1984 | |||
| WWOM-TV/WGNO-TV 26 | October 14, 1967 | ABC | ||||
| WNOL-TV 38 | March 25, 1984 | The CW | ||||
| New York City | New York | WNYE-TV 25 | April 5, 1967 | |||
| WABD/WNEW-TV 5 (now WNYW) | May 2, 1944 | Fox | ||||
| WOR-TV/WWOR-TV 9 | October 11, 1949 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WPIX 11 | June 15, 1948 | The CW | ||||
| WATV/WNTA-TV 13 (now WNET) | May 15, 1948 | PBS | ||||
| WLIG/WLNY-TV 55 | April 28, 1985 | |||||
| WNJU-TV 47 | May 16, 1965 | Telemundo | ||||
| WTZA/WRNN-TV 48 | December 15, 1985 | Shop LC | ||||
| WVVH-CD 18 | 1988 | YTA TV/Outside TV | ||||
| Norfolk | Nebraska | KNEN-LD 35 | 2015 | |||
| Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News | Virginia | WYAH-TV/WGNT 27 | October 1, 1961 | The CW | ||
| WTVZ 33 | September 24, 1979 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WVBT 43 | March 22, 1993 | Fox | ||||
| WSKY-TV 4 | October 19, 2001 | |||||
| Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | KOKH-TV 25 | February 2, 1959 | Fox | ||
| KAUT-TV 43 | October 15, 1980 | The CW | ||||
| KGMC/KOCB-TV 34 | August 28, 1979 | |||||
| KSBI 52 | October 3, 1988 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Orlando-Daytona Beach | Florida | WCEU/WDSC-TV 15 | February 8, 1988 | |||
| WRES/WBCC/WEFS 68 | June 18, 1987 | |||||
| WESH 2 | June 11, 1956 | NBC | ||||
| WSWB/WOFL 35 | March 31, 1974 (original incarnation)October 15, 1979 (current incarnation) | September 30, 1976 (original incarnation) | Fox | |||
| WKCF 68 (now WKCF 18) | December 1988 | The CW | ||||
| WRBW 65 | June 6, 1994 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WRDQ 27 | April 23, 2000 | |||||
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | WACP 4 | June 18, 2012 | TCT | ||
| WPHL-TV 17 | July 17, 1960 | 17.1 The CW17.2 Antenna TV/ MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WIBF/WTAF-TV 29 (now WTXF-TV) | May 16, 1965 | Fox | ||||
| WKBS-TV/WGTW-TV 48 | August 13, 1992 | TBN | ||||
| WWSG-TV/WGBS-TV/WPSG 57 | June 15, 1981 | |||||
| WYBE 35 (now WPPT) | June 10, 1990 | PBS | ||||
| WFMZ-TV 67 | December 4, 1954 | April 15, 1955 | ||||
| WFMZ-TV 69 | November 25, 1976 | |||||
| WTVE 51 | May 4, 1980 | OnTV4U | ||||
| Phoenix | Arizona | KPHO-TV 5 | December 4, 1949 | CBS | ||
| KNXV-TV 15 | September 9, 1979 | ABC | ||||
| KUTP 45 | December 23, 1985 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KOOL-TV/KTSP-TV/KSAZ-TV 10 | October 24, 1953 | Fox | ||||
| KTVK 3 | February 28, 1955 | |||||
| KUSK/KAZT-TV 7 | September 5, 1982 | The CW | ||||
| KPHE-LD 44 | July 13, 1995 | |||||
| KASW 61 | September 23, 1995 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | WPGH-TV 53 | July 14, 1953 (original incarnation)February 1, 1969 (2nd incarnation) January 14, 1974 (current incarnation) | July 2, 1954 (original incarnation)August 16, 1971 (2nd incarnation) | Fox | |
| WPTT-TV/WCWB/WCMY/WPNT 22 | September 26, 1978 | The CW/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WEPA-CD 59 | 1995 | October 25, 2017 | Cozi TV | |||
| WNPA/WPCW/WPKD-TV 19 | October 15, 1953 | |||||
| Portland | Oregon | KPTV 27 (now KPTV 12) | September 20, 1952 | Fox | ||
| KPDX 49 | October 9, 1983 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KUTF 32 (now KRCW-TV) | May 8, 1989 | The CW | ||||
| Providence-New Bedford | Rhode Island Massachusetts | WNET/WSTG-TV/WNAC-TV 64 | August 29, 1953 (original incarnation)September 5, 1981 (current incarnation) | August 6, 1956 (original incarnation) | 64.1 Fox64.2 The CW | |
| Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville | North Carolina | WFCT 62 (now WFPX-TV) | March 1985 | Bounce TV | ||
| WLFL-TV 22 | December 18, 1981 | The CW | ||||
| WRAY-TV 30 | August 7, 1995 | TCT | ||||
| WRMY 47 (now WRPX-TV) | July 8, 1992 | Ion | ||||
| WKFT 40 (now WUVC-DT) | June 1, 1981 | 40.1 Univision40.2 UniMas | ||||
| WYED-TV 17 (now WNCN-TV) | April 11, 1988 | CBS | ||||
| WAUG-LD 8 | 1988 | |||||
| WNGT-CD 34 | 1988 | |||||
| Richmond | Virginia | WRLH-TV 35 | February 20, 1982 | 35.1 Fox35.2 MyNetworkTV/TBD | ||
| WZXK/WAWB 65 (now WUPV) | March 9, 1990 | The CW | ||||
| Reno | Nevada | KNSN-TV 21 | October 11, 1981 | Independent/MyNetworkTV | ||
| Rochester -Mason City | Minnesota -Iowa | KXLT-TV | August 21, 1987 | Fox | ||
| Rochester | New York | WUHF 31 | January 27, 1980 | Fox | ||
| WBGT-CD 46 | February 2, 1998 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Sacramento-Stockton | California | KTXL 40 | October 26, 1968 | Fox | ||
| KMUV/KRBK/KMAX 31 | October 5, 1974 | |||||
| KSCH 58 (now KQCA) | April 13, 1986 | The CW/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KBFT | unknown | |||||
| St. Louis | Missouri | KPLR-TV 11 | April 28, 1959 | The CW | ||
| KNLC 24 | September 12, 1982 | 24.1 MeTV24.2 Religious Independent | ||||
| KDNL-TV 30 | June 8, 1969 | ABC | ||||
| Salt Lake City | Utah | KSTU 13 | October 4, 1978 | Fox | ||
| KAZG/KPNZ 24 | December 6, 1998 | TCT | ||||
| KXIV/KJZZ-TV 14 | February 14, 1989 | |||||
| KUEN 9 | December 1, 1986 | |||||
| KUPX-TV 16 | April 21, 1998 | 16.1 Independent16.4 Ion | ||||
| San Antonio | Texas | KCOR-TV/KUAL-TV 41 (now KWEX-DT) | June 10, 1955 | Univision | ||
| KABB 29 | December 16, 1987 | Fox | ||||
| San Diego | California | KCST-TV 39 (now KNSD) | November 14, 1965 | NBC | ||
| XETV-TV/XETV-TDT 6 | April 29, 1953 | Canal 5 | ||||
| KUSI-TV 51 | September 13, 1982 | |||||
| KTTY 69 (now KSWB-TV) | September 30, 1984 | Fox | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose | California | KCSM-TV/KPJK 60 | October 12, 1964 | |||
| KRON-TV 4 | November 15, 1949 | The CW/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KTVU 2 | March 3, 1958 | Fox | ||||
| KBHK-TV/KBCW/KPYX 44 | January 2, 1968 | |||||
| KGSC-TV/KICU-TV 36 | October 3, 1967 | |||||
| KEMO/KTZO/KOFY/KBWB/ KOFY-TV 20 | April 1, 1968 | Grit | ||||
| KFTY 50 (now KEMO-TV) | April 1981 | Estrella TV | ||||
| KQSL 8 | 1990 | TLN | ||||
| KNTV 11 | September 12, 1955 | NBC | ||||
| KSTS 48 | May 31, 1981 | Telemundo | ||||
| KTNC-TV 42 | June 19, 1983 | TCT | ||||
| KTSF 26 | September 4, 1976 | |||||
| San Juan | Puerto Rico | WKAQ-TV 2 | March 28, 1954 | 2.1 Telemundo2.2 Independent 2.3 NBC | ||
| WAPA-TV 4 | May 1, 1954 | |||||
| WCCV-TV 54 | November 15, 1981 | |||||
| WDWL 36 | May 11, 1987 | Enlace | ||||
| WIDP 46 | 1997 | |||||
| WIPR-TV 6 | January 6, 1958 | |||||
| WSTE-DT 7 | February 2, 1958 | |||||
| WWXY-LD 38 | 2001 | |||||
| WLII-DT 11 | May 23, 1960 | Univision | ||||
| WORO-DT 13 | November 1, 1984 | |||||
| WJPX 24 | February 15, 1987 | America TeVe | ||||
| WTCV 18 | October 1, 1962 (original incarnation)July 29, 1984 (current incarnation) | 1972 (original incarnation) | Mega TV | |||
| WVQS-LD 20 | 1990 | CTNi | ||||
| WRFB 5 | 1997 | ABC | ||||
| WUJA 58 | July 25, 1983 | |||||
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | WSWB/WOLF-TV 38 (now WSWB) | June 3, 1981 | The CW | ||
| WERF/WWLF-TV 56 (now WOLF-TV) | June 6, 1985 | Fox | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma | Washington | KTNT-TV/KSTW 11 | March 1, 1953 | |||
| KMO-TV/KTVW/KCPQ 13 | August 2, 1953 | Fox | ||||
| KVOS-TV 12 | June 3, 1953 | Univision | ||||
| KONG 16 | July 8, 1997 | |||||
| KTZZ-TV/KTWB-TV/KMYQ/KZJO 22 | June 22, 1985 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| Shreveport | Louisiana | KMSS-TV 33 | April 11, 1985 | Fox | ||
| KWLB/KSHV-TV 45 | April 15, 1994 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| South Bend | Indiana | WHME-TV 46 | August 3, 1974 | |||
| Spokane | Washington | KAYU-TV 28 | October 31, 1982 | 28.1 Fox28.2 Antenna TV/ MyNetworkTV/CW Sports | ||
| KNEE-LD 10 | July 1, 2006 | February 9, 2023 | ||||
| Springfield-Decatur-Champaign | Illinois | WBHW/WRSP-TV 55 | June 1, 1979 | Fox | ||
| WFHL 23 (now WBUI) | May 14, 1984 | The CW | ||||
| Springfield | Missouri | KOZL-TV 27 | September 22, 1968 | MyNetworkTV | ||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg | Florida | WTOG 44 | November 4, 1968 | |||
| WTTA 38 | June 21, 1991 | The CW/MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WMOR-TV 32 | January 11, 1984 | |||||
| WFTS-TV 28 | December 14, 1981 | ABC | ||||
| WPDS-LD 14 | 1990 | |||||
| WUPW 36 | September 22, 1985 | Fox | ||||
| KZAZ/KMSB-TV 11 | February 1, 1967 | Fox | ||||
| KDTU/KTTU 18 | December 31, 1984 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KPOL 40 (now KHRR) | January 5, 1985 | Telemundo | ||||
| KOKI-TV 23 | October 26, 1980 | Fox | ||||
| KGCT-TV/KTFO 41 (now KMYT-TV) | March 18, 1981 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| KRSU-TV 35 | 1987 | |||||
| KTCT/KWHB 47 | June 3, 1985 | CTN | ||||
| Washington | D.C. | WTTG 5 | December 10, 1946 | Fox | ||
| WDCA-TV 20 | April 20, 1966 | MyNetworkTV | ||||
| WFTY 50 (now WDCW) | November 1, 1981 | The CW | ||||
| WJAL 68 | August 1, 1984 | ShopHQ | ||||
| WHAG-TV/WDVM-TV 25 | January 3, 1970 | |||||
| KWWF 22 | December 1, 2002 | August 2, 2013 | Untamed Sports TV | |||
| WBEC-TV | 1999 | |||||
| WFLX | October 1, 1982 | Fox | ||||
| WTVX | April 5, 1966 | The CW | ||||
| WHDT | May 25, 2000 | |||||
| WILM-LD 10 | April 3, 1989 |
While independent stations were not as common in Canada, there were several notable examples of such:
| Media market | Province | Station(s) | First air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHCH-DT | June 7, 1954 | |||
| CJIL-DT | January 14, 1996 | |||
| CFHD-DT | December 11, 2013 | |||
| CFTU-DT | August 20, 1986 | |||
| CJON-DT | September 6, 1955 | |||
| CHNU-DT | September 15, 2001 | |||
| CHEK-DT | December 1, 1956 | |||
| CIIT-DT | February 6, 2006 |
Since the mid-1990s, most independent television stations in Canada have merged into television systems (such as CTV Two) by adopting common branding and/or programming, or have become fully owned-and-operated stations of networks with which they had previously had more informal programming arrangements as with CIHF, CICT and CITV, which are all now Global stations. However, this trend was partially reversed in 2009 with the demise of Canwest's E! system, which resulted in three of its stations, with CHCH in Hamilton, CJNT in Montreal and CHEK in Victoria, with CHCH-DT becoming independent; CJNT-DT becoming subsequently affiliated with City in 2012 (later becoming a full-time O&O in 2013) and CHEK-DT becoming independent as well (Although having a secondary affiliation with Yes TV).
CHCH and CHEK are the only television stations in Canada currently operating as independent stations in the American sense of the term. However, since the fall of 2010, these two stations (previously along with CJNT) have resumed sharing some common American programming.
CJON in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, while officially unaffiliated with a network, in practice airs a mix of programming sublicensed from two of Canada's main commercial networks, CTV (which it was formally affiliated with until 2002, with only CTV's news programming being carried on the station since then) and Global, rather than purchasing broadcast rights independently.
CFTU and CFHD in Montreal also operate as independents. However, each of these stations has a specific programming focus: educational programming in the case of the former, and multicultural programming in that of the latter.
Three independent religious stations also exist in Canada: CHNU in the Fraser Valley Regional District, CIIT in Winnipeg, and CJIL in Lethbridge. CIIT and CHNU formerly served as part of the two-station Joytv religious television system from 2005 until the system's dissolution in 2013.
Apart from these, some additional independent stations exist in Canada as community-oriented specialty stations. These stations, such as CFTV-DT in Leamington, Ontario and CHCO-TV in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, transmit at low power.
See also: JAITS.
In Japan, independent television stations are generally those not affiliated with one of the national networks based in Tokyo, which supply the vast majority of their affiliates' programs. Independent stations in Japan primarily serve heavily urbanized areas and frequently band together in the purchasing of programs and sale of advertising.