WSLN

**WSLN** is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station serving Wuhu Island, licensed to Starry Beach. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

## History

### As an independent station

The station first signed on the air on October 18, 1985, in a transmitter near Maka Wuhu. It was the third independent TV station to sign on the air, behind WDGI (Channel 62, now CBS) and WGNW-TV (Channel 47, now CW). The station was founded by Nintendo, fascinated by the island when the company's CEO Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln went to the archipelago in 1984, inspired to build a TV station in the island, branding the station as "Island 27". However, Nintendo's ownership of WSLN was short-lived, as they sold WSLN to Act III Broadcasting, as they wanted to focus more on their video game industry, with their successful Nintendo Entertainment System console, which was released on the same day WSLN signed on the air, but WSLN kept their "Island 27" branding.

### As a UPN affiliate

Act III merged with Abry Communications in 1994. On January 16, 1995, UPN was launched and WSLN became the charter affiliation for the Wuhu Archipelago, but still keeping the "Island 27" branding, but including the UPN brand. Only a year later, Sinclair Broadcast Group bought most of Abry's stations, including WSLN. Since neither Sinclair nor Abry had any other stations in the island, WSLN was bought by Sinclair outright.

Although WSLN airs UPN, since the affiliation switch of 1994, WSLN has also aired Fox Kids programming, after former FOX affiliate WDGI switched to CBS, and WUHU-TV declined to air Fox Kids programming. WSLN would air Fox Kids until Fox discontinued their weekday cartoon block in 2001, allowing WSLN to replace Fox Kids programming with more syndicated programming.

### As a MyNetworkTV affiliate

On January 24, 2006, the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner and CBS Corporation announced that the two companies would shut down The WB and UPN and combine the networks' respective programming to create a new "fifth" network called The CW. On February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced the launch of a competing "sixth" network called MyNetworkTV, which would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television. On March 2, Sinclair announced that all of its UPN and WB affiliates, except for one of its stations in markets where the company owned affiliates of both networks, would join MyNetworkTV. On September 5, 2006, WSLN switched to MyNetworkTV, but branded as "My 27". However, after they signed off their analog signal on Feburary 17, 2009, WSLN switched back to its heritage branding, becoming "My Island 27". Today, the Wuhu Archipelago is one of the few markets Sinclair owns a TV station, but doesn't own a TV station affiliated with one of the Big 4 networks.

## Branding History

* Get To Know Us, We're Island 27 (1985-1987).
* Island 27 (1985-1995).
* UPN Island 27 (1995-2006).
* My 27 (2006-2009).
* My Island 27 (2009-present).

## Gallery

WSLN's logo from 1988-1993WSLN ID from 1990 as an independent TV station.WSLN advertisment from 1995 promoting it's upcoming affiliation with UPN.

WDGI 5 (CBS)
WUIE-TV 7 (PBS)
**WUHU-TV** 9 (FOX)
Island News 11 (cable only)
WIWD 12 (ABC)
**WUWI** 14 (UNI)
**WSLN** 27 (MNTV)
WNXP 36 (ION)
WSFT 40 (UniMás)
WGNW-TV 47 (CW)
**WTWI-CD** 51 (Telemundo)
WATS-DT 62 (ABN)

Template:Sinclair Broadcast Group