Aurora/Chicago, Illinois United States |
|
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City | Aurora, Illinois |
Branding | UniMás Chicago |
Channels |
Digital: 50 (UHF) Virtual: 60 () |
Subchannels | (see article) |
Affiliations | UniMás (O&O) |
Owner |
Univision Communications (UniMas Chicago LLC) |
First air date | April 20, 1982 |
Call letters' meaning | C(X)hicago/Xtreme TeleFuTura (WCFT was already in use at the time of assignment) |
Sister station(s) |
TV: WGBO-DT Radio: WOJO, WPPN |
Former callsigns | WBBS-TV / WPWR-TV (1982–1987) WEHS (1987–1992) WEHS-TV (1992–2001) WXFT (2001–2003) WXFT-TV (2004–2009) |
Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 60 (UHF, 1982–2009) Digital: 59 (UHF, 2006–2009) |
Former affiliations |
Spanish Independent (1982–1987) HSN (1987–2002) TeleFutura (2002–2013) |
Transmitter power | 230 kW |
Height | 508.7 m |
Facility ID | 60539 |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°52′44″N 87°38′8.9″W / 41.87889°N 87.635806°WCoordinates: 41°52′44″N 87°38′8.9″W / 41.87889°N 87.635806°W |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
Website | tv |
WXFT-DT, virtual channel 60 (UHF digital channel 50), is an UniMás owned-and-operated television station serving Chicago, Illinois, United States that is licensed to Aurora. The station is owned by Univision Communications, as part of a duopoly with Univision owned-and-operated station WGBO-DT (channel 66).
The two stations share studio facilities located on Fairbanks Court (near Columbus Drive and Illinois Street) in the Streeterville neighborhood, with WXFT's transmitter located atop the Willis Tower on South Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. On cable, the station is available on Comcast Xfinity and RCN channel 15; there is a high definition feed offered on Comcast Xfinity digital channel 194 and RCN digital channel 614.
The UHF channel 60 allocation in the Chicago market was originally occupied by WLXT-TV, which signed on in 1969 and broadcast only during the evening hours and on weekends. Operating as an independent station, WLXT carried Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts and tape-delayed telecasts of Northern Illinois Huskies football games, among other programs; these and other programs carried by WLXT were transmitted in black-and-white. WLXT carried remote broadcasts of fast-pitch softball games from the Aurora Sealmasters team and quarter-mile drag racing from nearby Oswego Raceway.