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WBFF (channel 45) is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. It is one of two flagship stations of Sinclair Broadcast Group (based in nearby Hunt Valley), alongside ABC affiliate WJLA-TV (channel 7) in Washington, D.C. Sinclair maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Cunningham Broadcasting, owner of CW affiliate WNUV (channel 54), and a shared services agreement (SSA) with Deerfield Media, owner of Roar affiliate WUTB (channel 24).

Key Information

The three stations share studios on 41st Street off the Jones Falls Expressway on "Television Hill" in the Woodberry neighborhood of north Baltimore. Through a channel sharing agreement, WBFF and WUTB transmit using the former station's spectrum from an antenna adjacent to the studios.[3][4] The 1,280-foot (390 m) tall tower stands near the earlier landmark "candelabra tower" from the late 1950s in use by the city's original three main VHF stations (WMAR-TV, WBAL-TV, and WJZ-TV).

History

[edit]

WBFF first came on the air on April 11, 1971,[5] founded by what was then called the Chesapeake Television Corporation, which was controlled by Julian Sinclair Smith. The original meaning of its call sign was "Baltimore's Finest Features" because it primarily aired old movies in its earliest years.[6] It was Baltimore's second commercial UHF station and second independent station, signing on four years after WMET-TV (channel 24, frequency now occupied by WUTB) began operations. Both stations aired general entertainment programming, but WMET's owners experienced financial problems and were forced to take channel 24 off the air in 1972.

Even without direct competition, and operating on a small budget, WBFF still struggled for strong programming during the 1970s as Baltimore's network affiliates—WBAL-TV, WJZ-TV and WMAR-TV—continued to acquire off-network syndicated programs during this period. It did not help matters that Washington's WTTG and WDCA were readily available both over the air (Washington stations all provided a strong signal into Baltimore) and on cable. Channel 45 did find an advantage in having a decent library of movies, sitcoms[5] and westerns at its disposal. Like other independent stations of that era, WBFF also ran network programs preempted by the local affiliates, local public affairs programs, and played cartoons and series reruns in the afternoon for the after-school kids crowd in a show hosted by nostalgic "Captain Chesapeake" (played by George Lewis) along with his side-kick "Mondy" the sea monster played by James Uhrin (who continued to work at WBFF under the alias "Traffic Jam Jimmy")[5] as they cruised through the Bay. "Captain Chesapeake" was a fixture on WBFF from its beginnings until 1990, with his famous cheery greeting: "Ahoyyy Crewmembers!!"

This WBFF logo dates to the mid-1980s. The "C" in the logo is for Sinclair Broadcast Group's forerunner, Chesapeake Television.

Despite its financial troubles, WBFF became profitable enough that Julian Smith decided to expand his broadcast interests. Through a Chesapeake Television subsidiary, Commercial Radio Institute, Smith launched a new independent station in Pittsburgh, WPTT (now WPNT), in 1978. In 1984, Commercial Radio Institute signed on Smith's third station, independent WTTE in Columbus, Ohio. That same year, WBFF received local competition again when WNUV-TV, then a two-year-old subscription television outlet, began to adopt a general entertainment schedule during the daytime and full-time by 1986.

In 1985, Julian Smith merged his three stations into the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and around this time one of his sons, David D. Smith, took a prominent role in the operations of the three stations. In 1986, Sinclair agreed to affiliate WBFF and WTTE with the fledgling Fox Broadcasting Company, which debuted on October 9 of that year. The growth and rise of Fox coincided with that of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which expanded its reach beyond Baltimore, Columbus and Pittsburgh during the 1990s.

In June 1991, Sinclair opened up the station's news department with Baltimore's first 10 p.m. newscast co-anchored by Lisa Willis (formerly of WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey) and Jeff Barnd. Then, in September, Sinclair took the bold step of challenging WMAR-TV's pending license renewal and filing its own competing application for a new station. As WMAR-TV had been sold the previous June to the E. W. Scripps Company, Sinclair argued that an out-of-town corporation could not effectively serve the city's public interest and the valuable channel allocation—a channel 2 analog signal traveled a very long distance under normal conditions—should be granted to an established local broadcaster instead. The gambit did not work, and WMAR-TV remained on channel 2.[7]

WBFF nearly lost its Fox affiliation in 1994 when Fox entered talks with WJZ-TV, but it opted to affiliate with CBS instead.[8] WBAL-TV was also considered after the station dropped CBS, but opted to affiliate with NBC instead.[9]

In 1996, Channel 45 began airing Baltimore Ravens games via the NFL on Fox; the station is given at least two games a season to air (usually when the team plays host to an NFC team at M&T Bank Stadium); starting in 2014, when the NFL instituted its new 'cross-flex' broadcast rules, games can be arbitrarily moved from WJZ-TV to WBFF. Additionally, the station aired all Thursday Night Football games involving the Ravens from 2018 to 2021 through Fox's exclusive contract.

WBFF and WNUV's combined studio and office facility, in Baltimore's Woodberry neighborhood.

Sinclair purchased Abry Communications, owner of WNUV, in 1994. As duopolies were not allowed at the time, channel 54 was spun off to Glencairn Ltd., a company owned by former Sinclair executive Edwin Edwards. However, Glencairn's stock was almost entirely owned by the Smith family. In effect, Sinclair now had a duopoly in Baltimore—and had emasculated its major rival in its hometown. Sinclair further circumvented the rules by taking over WNUV's operations under a local marketing agreement (LMA), with WBFF as senior partner.

Sinclair tried to buy Glencairn outright in 2001, but was unable to buy WNUV due to the FCC's rules on duopolies. Despite its relatively large size, the Baltimore market has only seven full-power stations (or six, if two stations licensed in the market that are operated by Maryland Public Television are treated as one)—two fewer than what FCC regulations allow to legally permit a duopoly (the FCC requires a market to have eight unique station owners once a duopoly is formed, effectively limiting duopolies to markets with at least nine full-power stations). Glencairn changed its name to Cunningham Broadcasting and retained ownership of WNUV. However, nearly all of Cunningham's stock is held in trusts owned by the Smiths. This de facto duopoly continues to this day, while the close relationship between Sinclair and Glencairn/Cunningham has led to claims that Cunningham is merely a corporate shell that Sinclair uses in order to evade FCC ownership restrictions.

While WBFF entered the new century thriving as both locally and as a Fox affiliate, its network partner threatened the station's immediate future. In 2001, Fox's parent company, the News Corporation, became the new owner of Baltimore's UPN affiliate WUTB (the former WMET-TV) through its purchase of most of Chris-Craft Industries' television holdings. Rumors abounded that Fox was considering moving its programming from WBFF to WUTB. In a move made clearly to protect its home interests, Sinclair persuaded Fox to sign a long-term contract to keep WBFF with the network. The same threat re-emerged in January 2006, when UPN owner CBS Corporation and Time Warner, owners of The WB Television Network, announced that those two networks would be shut down and replaced by the new CW Television Network. However, a month after The CW's formation, News Corporation announced that WUTB and its other UPN affiliates would become the nuclei of its new MyNetworkTV service.

On May 1, 2006, the station launched its .2 digital channel with retro programming, the first non-weather subchannel in the market.[10]

On May 15, 2012, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Fox agreed to a five-year extension to the network's affiliation agreement with Sinclair's 19 Fox stations, including WBFF, that will run through 2017. This included an option (that was exercisable from July 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013) to allow Sinclair to purchase WUTB, resulting in the creation of a virtual triopoly with WBFF and WNUV; while giving Fox the option to buy any combination of six CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates (two of which were standalone stations affiliated with the latter service) owned by Sinclair in three of four markets: Raleigh (WLFL and WRDC), Las Vegas (KVCW and KVMY), Cincinnati (WSTR-TV) and Norfolk (WTVZ). Under the agreement and the WUTB purchase option, Sinclair would pay $52.7 million to continue WBFF's affiliation with Fox; however, if Fox exercised the option to buy any of the Sinclair stations that were included in the option, the affiliation payments would decrease to $25 million.[11] On November 29, 2012, Sinclair exercised its option to purchase WUTB through Deerfield Media for $2.7 million. Following the completion of the sale, WUTB began to be operated by Sinclair under a local marketing agreement, as with Deerfield's other stations.[12] In January 2013, Fox announced that it would not exercise its option to buy any of the Sinclair stations included in the earlier purchase option.[13] On May 6, 2013, the FCC granted its approval of WUTB to Deerfield Media.[14] Sinclair officially took over the operations of WUTB eight days later, although the sale was not formally consummated until June 1.[15] With the completion of the WUTB sale, this makes Baltimore the largest market where one company (outside of non-commercial public television station groups) operates a virtual triopoly between full-power stations. WBFF remains the only station in the Baltimore market never to change its primary network affiliate.

On the afternoon of April 28, 2016, WBFF's studios were evacuated in response to a threat by a person wearing a hoax bomb; the suspect also allegedly set his vehicle on fire in the station's parking lot. The suspect was later shot and apprehended by police; besides a desire to share end times prophecy content with the station (a USB drive with videos was confiscated by a security guard), no specific motive for the incident was determined.[16]

WBFF-DT2

[edit]

On May 1, 2006, WBFF launched a new service on its second digital subchannel (45.2) originally called WBFF-2,[10] which was later renamed Good TV.[17] This digital-only channel featured classic television programs'[10] (its format predated the existence of several nationally distributed digital multicast networks focused on classic television programming such as MeTV, Antenna TV and Retro Television Network). In addition, "Good TV" offered expanded coverage of church services on Sunday mornings, local events, and paid programming.[10] This channel ceased broadcasting on or around September 30, 2008, to make way for This TV until 2017, when it was replaced with TBD programming. In July 2021, TBD moved to WUTB; that station's previous "My TV Baltimore" programming, including the MyNetworkTV lineup, in turn moved to the 45.2 subchannel.

News operation

[edit]

WBFF presently broadcasts 55 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 9+1⁄2 hours each weekday, four hours on Saturdays and 3+1⁄2 hours on Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest local newscast output among Baltimore's broadcast television stations as well as in the state of Maryland in general. It is also the highest output of Sinclair Broadcast Group's stations (both out of its Fox affiliates and the company's overall television stations).

Sinclair decided to invest in developing a news department for WBFF, with the station launching a nightly 10 p.m. newscast on June 3, 1991, co-anchored by Lisa Willis (formerly of WWOR-TV) and Jeff Barnd. The station added a weekday morning newscast in March 2000. In February 2003, it added a weeknight 11 p.m. newscast that was broadcast from Sinclair's now-defunct centralized news service, News Central, located in Hunt Valley. The start time of the weekday morning newscast was moved to 5:30 a.m. and an early evening newscast at 5:30 p.m. was subsequently added to the schedule in January 2005. On June 2, 2008, WBFF became the first Baltimore television station to begin broadcast its local newscasts in high definition.

Jeff Barnd, a former WBFF news anchor, also hosted and provided commentary for the Sinclair-distributed syndicated news program American Crossroads. WBFF was featured in an episode during the third season of The Simple Life. On that episode, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie took control of the station's weekday morning newscast. The two read the weather forecast and messed with the teleprompter. Tony Harris, later a CNN anchor, was once WBFF's lead anchor (co-anchoring with Lisa Willis). In 2015, former WJZ-TV co-anchor Kai Jackson was named the station's lead anchor.

On January 24, 2011, WBFF expanded its weekday morning newscast from four to five hours to 5–10 a.m. weekdays, with the 9 a.m. edition called Fox 45 Good Day Baltimore. On April 9, 2012, WBFF expanded its early evening newscast by adding another half-hour at 5 p.m., shifting Judge Judy to a full-hour at 4 p.m.; the 5:30 p.m. newscast remains, but is treated as a separate newscast. In 2015 the station added a 4 p.m. newscast pushing Judge Judy back to 3 p.m.[18] On January 20, 2013, WBFF debuted weekend morning newscasts, featuring a two-hour Saturday morning newscast and three hours of newscasts on Sunday mornings (with the third hour of the Sunday newscast airing after Fox News Sunday).[19]

Controversy

[edit]

On December 21, 2014, WBFF's news operation came under criticism for airing a video that some allege had misleading edits.[20] The video was of a protest over police brutality in the aftermath of the killing of Eric Garner, where protesters, led by a Baltimore woman named Tawanda Jones, chanted "We won't stop. We can't stop till killer cops are in cellblocks." The video, as edited and shown on the station's 10 p.m. newscast, made it seem like protesters were chanting "kill a cop".[20][21] A day after the video aired, WBFF issued an apology over the edited video online, saying the report reflected an "honest misunderstanding" of what the protesters were chanting, and that the report has been removed from the station's website.[22] A news anchor for the station later made an in-person apology to Jones, who appeared during the station's 5:30 p.m. newscast.[21]

In the aftermath of the incident, reporter Melinda Roeder and photographer Greg McNair were fired from the station in connection with their alleged involvement with the video. The station's news director at the time, Mike Tomko, was suspended for one day.[23]

The station would again stoke controversy in June 2024, when the guild for The Baltimore Sun revealed that several stories in the newspaper had been repurposed from the news staff of WBFF without their prior knowledge, including existing content being edited around WBFF's own reporting rather than that of the reporter of The Sun. The paper had been acquired in February of the same year by a consortium led by Sinclair chairman David Smith and Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator who owns several stations that have shared service agreements with Sinclair and whose weekly program is carried by its stations. The station had come under fire at the same time for alarmism involving its coverage of crime occurring in the Fells Point neighborhood.[24]

In December 2024, The Sentencing Project released a report analyzing how juvenile crime is reported in six of Baltimore's leading media outlets. In the report, the organization found that problematic coverage of youth crime was especially prevalent on WBFF, with the station being much more likely to air fear-inducing and sensationalized coverage of crime incidents involving juveniles and perceived leniency in the justice system compared to other local news outlets, with 53 percent of stories about crime in Baltimore published from January to June 2024 being focused on juveniles and that 80 percent of the outlet's crime stories asserted that citywide youth crime rates were rising. This is despite city youth only making up about five percent of arrests in the city and actual juvenile crime data showing a mix of trends, but overall favorable long term trends toward juvenile crime. The report also alleged that reporters associated with WBFF and the Sinclair Broadcast Corporation engaged in bullying toward state legislators, with lawmakers reporting being chased to their cars "by media persons confronting them about a fictitious youth crime wave narrative that often relied on the repetition of sensationalized stories lacking the basics of sound reporting".[25]

Notable former on-air staff

[edit]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WBFF and WUTB[29]
License Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
WBFF 45.1 720p 16:9 WBFF45 Fox
45.2 MyTV MyNetworkTV
45.4 480i Charge! Charge!
WUTB 24.1 WUTB Roar

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

WBFF shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 45, on February 17, 2009, the original target date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 46,[30][31] using virtual channel 45.

WBFF announced in September 2015 that test broadcasts would begin in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., for ATSC 3.0 (dubbed "Futurecast") via a two-transmitter SFN with one transmitter in each city on UHF 43 delivering 4K UHDTV and mobile feeds to viewers.[32] This station, named WI9XXT, began experimental broadcasts on August 24, 2015, and the special temporary authority ended on February 25, 2016.[33][34] WI9XXT's broadcasts were from WRC-TV's tower in the northwest section of Washington, and from WBFF's tower in Woodberry, Baltimore.

As a part of the repacking process following the 2016–2017 FCC incentive auction, WBFF relocated to UHF channel 26 in 2020.[35]

References

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WBFF

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WBFF ( 45) is a Fox-affiliated licensed to , , , serving the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. Owned by , it operates as one of the company's flagship stations and provides , weather, sports, and entertainment programming. The station signed on April 11, 1971, as Baltimore's first commercial UHF , with call letters standing for "Baltimore's Finest Features." Founded by , WBFF laid the groundwork for what became , initially emphasizing children's programming before expanding into broader content. It joined the Fox network at its in 1986, securing a long-term affiliation that continues today. In 1991, WBFF launched a 10 p.m. newscast, establishing one of the earliest prime-time programs in the market and earning awards for investigative reporting on community issues. Sinclair Broadcast Group, headquartered nearby in Hunt Valley, has grown WBFF into a of its operations, which span 186 stations across 87 markets, reaching nearly 40% of U.S. television households. The station shares facilities with sister affiliate WNUV and maintains a focus on local journalism through initiatives like Project Baltimore, which exposes governmental inefficiencies and public safety concerns.

History

Establishment and independent era (1971–1985)

WBFF signed on the air on April 11, 1971, as channel 45, becoming Baltimore's first independent UHF . The station was established by Chesapeake Television Corporation, controlled by electrical engineer , who envisioned a UHF outlet to serve the local market amid limited VHF options. The call letters WBFF stood for "Baltimore's Finest Features," highlighting its initial emphasis on entertainment programming rather than . As an independent, WBFF programmed a mix of syndicated content typical of UHF stations in the era, including classic movies, off-network reruns, westerns, and cartoons. children's programming featured prominently, with host Captain Chesapeake (Ronnie Matz) presenting shows that engaged young audiences through pirate-themed adventures and educational segments. The station operated from studios in , drawing on a library of older films and series to differentiate from network-affiliated VHF competitors, though UHF signal propagation challenges initially limited viewership reach. Throughout the and early , WBFF expanded its appeal by acquiring rights to popular syndicated fare, fostering loyalty among viewers seeking alternatives to prime-time network schedules. The station avoided local newscasts during this period, prioritizing cost-effective entertainment to build market presence. In 1985, Chesapeake Television Corporation reorganized and renamed itself , Inc., marking a transition in corporate identity while maintaining independent operations.

Transition to Fox affiliation and expansion (1986–2000)

In 1986, Sinclair Broadcast Group, which had adopted its name that year, affiliated its flagship station WBFF with the newly launched Fox Broadcasting Company, effective with the network's debut on October 9. This transition from independent operation provided WBFF with access to Fox's initial lineup of syndicated and sports programming, including NFL games starting in 1994, boosting the station's competitive position in the Baltimore market against established network affiliates. The affiliation aligned with Sinclair's aggressive expansion strategy during the late 1980s and , as the network's rising popularity enabled the group to leverage improved ratings and revenue for acquisitions. Sinclair doubled its station count in the early through purchases and local marketing agreements (LMAs), including expansions in markets like and additional operations in . By the mid-, the company had gone public in 1995 and grown to operate dozens of stations, with WBFF serving as a model for integrating programming with local content. WBFF itself expanded its local offerings in 1991 by launching FOX45 News at Ten, its first primetime newscast, featuring anchors such as Lisa Willis and Jeff Barnd. This development marked a shift toward stronger production, complementing 's national schedule and contributing to the station's ratings growth. In 1996, Sinclair secured a multi-year renewal of WBFF's Fox affiliation through 2001, solidifying the partnership amid the network's expansion.

Digital era and Sinclair ownership developments (2001–present)


Under Sinclair Broadcast Group's longstanding ownership, WBFF advanced its digital broadcasting capabilities in the 2000s, launching a digital subchannel in 2006 using VertigoXmedia's Xstation "channel-in-a-box" solution to enable multicast programming. The station completed its full transition to digital operations on February 17, 2009, ahead of the national analog shutdown, consolidating its signal on VHF channel 45 after initially testing UHF channel 46. This shift allowed WBFF to introduce high-definition programming and additional subchannels, such as those affiliated with networks like Charge! and Comet in subsequent years, expanding viewer access to niche content. Sinclair consolidated WBFF's operations with sister stations in Baltimore, establishing a combined studio and office facility with CW affiliate WNUV in the city's Woodberry neighborhood by 2007 to streamline news production and administrative functions. Following Fox's 2012 sale of MyNetworkTV affiliate WUTB to Deerfield Media for $2.7 million, Sinclair entered a shared services agreement (SSA) to manage WUTB's programming and sales, effectively creating a duopoly extension alongside WBFF and WNUV, which Sinclair operates via a local marketing agreement with Cunningham Broadcasting. These arrangements enhanced resource sharing for local content while navigating FCC ownership limits. In 2021, WBFF participated in Baltimore's inaugural rollout alongside five other stations, enabling advanced features like HDR and interactive data services through the BitPath network, with WBFF and serving as charter members to support over 9 million viewers across regional traffic corridors. Sinclair's national expansion positioned WBFF as a key asset in its portfolio of 192 stations across 89 markets by 2018, emphasizing digital platform integration for advertising and content delivery. Amid license renewal challenges, the FCC approved four-year renewals for WBFF, , and WUTB in June 2025, rejecting petitions alleging undue control by Sinclair. In August 2025, providers approved sales enabling Sinclair to fully acquire WUTB, formalizing its control over Baltimore's three major commercial stations.
WBFF marked its 50th anniversary in 2021, reflecting on decades of evolution under Sinclair from to digital affiliate with enhanced . In October 2024, the station launched "Spotlight on ," a dedicated investigative unit targeting governmental inefficiencies at state and local levels, underscoring Sinclair's focus on accountability journalism.

Ownership and affiliations

Sinclair Broadcast Group acquisition and control

WBFF was launched on April 11, 1971, following its acquisition by through Chesapeake Television Corporation, which served as the precursor to . This initial purchase established WBFF as the foundational station of the enterprise, with the Smith family retaining control as the company expanded. has maintained direct ownership of WBFF since its inception, operating it as its flagship Fox affiliate in the Baltimore market. To achieve greater market dominance in , Sinclair pursued operational control over CW affiliate (channel 54) in the mid-1990s. In , Sinclair acquired Abry Communications, which held , but transferred the station to Glencairn Ltd.—a entity financed by the Smith family and led by figures closely tied to Sinclair—to navigate FCC prohibitions on of multiple stations in the same market. Under a (LMA), assumed management responsibilities for , including programming and advertising sales, effectively consolidating Sinclair's influence over both outlets. The arrangement drew FCC scrutiny, culminating in a 1998 determination that Sinclair exerted de facto control over Glencairn's holdings, violating attribution rules; the commission imposed a $40,000 fine. Following regulatory changes permitting duopolies in larger markets and the evolution of Glencairn into Cunningham Broadcasting—another Smith family-linked entity—Sinclair has continued to operate WNUV via a shared services agreement (SSA), enabling unified control of the Baltimore duopoly while adhering to nominal ownership separations. This structure has allowed Sinclair to centralize news production, content distribution, and revenue streams across WBFF and WNUV, amplifying its local broadcast reach.

Network affiliations and programming rights

WBFF serves as the Fox affiliate for the –Washington market, having joined the network upon its national launch on , 1986. As one of the charter affiliates selected by Fox's then-parent company, the station secured primary affiliation rights, enabling it to broadcast the network's primetime schedule, including dramas, comedies, reality competitions, and animated programming during the block on Sundays. This affiliation has remained uninterrupted, with WBFF carrying Fox's full suite of national programming, such as late-night shows and special events. The station holds broadcast rights to Fox's sports content, notably National Football Conference (NFC) games as part of the NFL on Fox package, which includes regular-season matchups, playoffs, and occasional Super Bowls when Fox holds rotational rights through 2033. WBFF also airs select MLB games during Fox's coverage of the World Series and other postseason events, alongside college football and other events under Fox Sports agreements. In non-network slots, WBFF acquires rights to syndicated programming for daytime, early fringe, and overnight periods, including educational/informational (E/I) children's shows like Xploration Station series (e.g., New Xploration DIY SCI) to fulfill FCC requirements, alongside paid programming and lifestyle content such as Raw Travel. The station's second digital subchannel (DT2) carries MyNetworkTV affiliation, broadcasting the service's Monday-through-Friday block of recent off-network sitcoms, dramas, and reality series, with weekends featuring movies and paid programming. Sinclair Broadcast Group, WBFF's owner, negotiates these syndicated rights collectively across its stations, emphasizing cost-effective acquisitions of popular reruns and infomercials to fill schedule gaps. Local programming rights, including newscasts produced in conjunction with sister station WNUV, complement the national feeds without conflicting with network exclusivity.

Broadcast operations

Main channel programming

WBFF's main channel primarily airs the Fox network's national programming, including its primetime lineup from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET on weekdays and , consisting of scripted dramas, comedies, reality series, and animated shows such as in the 8:00 p.m. slot and preceding it on certain nights. The station also carries events, notably National Football Conference games featuring the , broadcast on Sundays during the season under the network's selective coverage agreement. Local programming centers on newscasts produced under the "Fox 45 News" banner by the shared news operation with sister station . These include extended morning coverage titled Fox 45 Morning News starting at 5:00 a.m., an early evening edition at 4:30 p.m., and late-night broadcasts at 10:00 p.m. (occupying Fox's standard affiliates' news slot) and 11:00 p.m. Weekend newscasts feature shorter blocks, such as 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. editions of Fox 45 Morning News. Daytime and early fringe hours feature syndicated fare and federally mandated educational/informational programming for children, including shows like Xploration DIY SCI and Science Now in morning slots to comply with Children's Television Act requirements. Additional syndicated content, such as paid programming and infomercials like Retirement Legacy, fills late-night and select daytime periods, while historical schedules have included game shows like Family Feud, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune in the 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. window before primetime. Specific syndicated titles fluctuate based on market clearances and network preemptions, with no unique original non-news local shows currently emphasized beyond news extensions.

Digital subchannels and multicast services

WBFF transmits its digital signal on UHF channel 26, shared with WUTB following the FCC's 2017 , with WBFF's primary allocation on multiplex 26.3. The station's 45.1 carries its main network programming in high definition, branded as "Fox 45," including local news, sports, and syndicated content. Subchannel 45.2, airing on multiplex 26.4 in , simulcasts programming under the branding "My TV ." This affiliation shifted from WUTB to WBFF in July 2021 as part of Sinclair's operational consolidation, featuring syndicated series, movies, and off-network reruns targeted at younger demographics. Subchannel 45.4, broadcast on multiplex 26.7 in standard definition, carries Charge!, a Sinclair-owned digital multicast network launched in February 2017 that focuses on action-oriented movies and series from the 1980s and 1990s, such as Lethal Weapon and Walker, Texas Ranger. This subchannel expands WBFF's reach by providing niche entertainment without displacing primary network content. These multicast services leverage ATSC 1.0 to deliver multiple streams over a single frequency, enabling Sinclair to monetize unused spectrum capacity through national syndication deals while complying with FCC requirements. Prior configurations included temporary affiliations like TBD on 45.3 and on 45.4, but these were discontinued in favor of the current lineup by to align with network performance metrics.

News and editorial content

News format and local coverage focus

WBFF's news programming follows a conventional local television format, featuring anchor-led newscasts with field reporters, live shots, and segments on weather, traffic, and sports tailored to the metropolitan region. The station airs extended morning news blocks, including Fox 45 Morning News beginning at 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, alongside midday updates and flagship evening broadcasts at 10:00 p.m., which often lead with crime incidents and public safety developments in City and adjacent counties. Local coverage constitutes the core of WBFF's news output, prioritizing stories from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County, such as municipal governance, neighborhood violence, infrastructure projects, and community . Reporters deliver on-site accounts of breaking incidents, including police investigations and disruptions, supplemented by investigative series like FOX45 News In-Depth that scrutinize local programs such as violence intervention initiatives. This emphasis reflects the station's self-described role in furnishing ", forecasts, updates, notices of and items of interest in the community." The format incorporates syndicated elements for national context, such as Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson on weekends, but maintains a predominance of original local content, with dedicated teams covering education, business, and environmental issues specific to Maryland's central region. Weekend newscasts extend to four hours on Saturdays, providing sustained focus on regional developments amid reduced national network programming. Digital extensions via the station's app and website enable streaming of live newscasts and archived local reports, enhancing accessibility for viewers tracking hyper-local matters like school closings and harbor assessments.

Investigative reporting and public affairs

WBFF's investigative reporting is primarily conducted through Project Baltimore, an initiative launched in March 2017 that focuses on systemic issues within 's public education system, including fiscal mismanagement and academic underperformance. Led by investigative reporter Chris Papst, the unit has produced reports documenting, for instance, that Maryland taxpayers funded an estimated $219 million in 2024 for public school students whose whereabouts were unknown, with updated data indicating $168 million allocated despite enrollment discrepancies. Other investigations have exposed cases such as the conviction of a City Schools police officer for stealing $215,000 in taxpayer funds and declining student academic performance under district leadership. In October 2024, WBFF introduced Spotlight on , a dedicated investigative unit targeting governmental inefficiencies at state, county, and local levels, with an emphasis on accountability for public spending and policy failures. This effort expanded in March 2025 through a collaboration with WJLA and , adding up to 20 investigative reporters across platforms to broaden coverage of issues like procurement waste and regulatory lapses. Complementing these efforts, WBFF launched a 30-minute single-topic investigative program in July 2024, allowing extended examinations of complex local stories, such as funding shortfalls and municipal challenges. Public affairs coverage includes occasional special broadcasts addressing Baltimore's urban issues, such as and , often in partnership with other outlets to highlight community impacts from policy decisions. These segments prioritize data-driven critiques of public institutions, drawing on and firsthand accounts to substantiate claims of inefficiency.

Notable on-air personnel

anchored WBFF's news programs from 1993 until her retirement on November 26, 2019, accumulating over 26 years of service during which she covered major regional stories. In recognition of her contributions, she was inducted into the Mid-Atlantic ' Silver Circle in December 2019. Bruce Cunningham served as sports director and anchor from June 1991 until his retirement on March 31, 2022, marking a 31-year tenure at the station. He also handled public address announcing duties for home games from 1999 to 2019. Mary Bubala, an Emmy Award-winning with nearly 30 years of experience, joined WBFF as an and reporter in September 2019. Gerard Jebaily has been chief at WBFF, bringing expertise from and observing over 100 tornadoes during his career. Patrice Sanders has anchored WBFF newscasts, contributing to morning news segments and special features like "Up to the Challenge."

Controversies and criticisms

Allegations of conservative bias and mandated messaging

WBFF, as a flagship station of , has faced allegations of incorporating conservative-leaning editorial content mandated by its parent company, including "must-run" segments that critics argue promote right-wing perspectives under the guise of . Sinclair has required its affiliates, including WBFF, to air corporate-produced commentaries such as those by Mark Hyman, which have criticized liberal and Democratic figures like during election cycles. These segments, dating back to at least the early , are distributed from Sinclair's headquarters and obligatory for local stations, leading to claims that they undermine journalistic independence by injecting national conservative messaging into community broadcasts. In April 2018, WBFF and over 190 other Sinclair stations aired a scripted promotional message read by local anchors, warning against "biased and false news" from outlets like ABC, , and , which detractors interpreted as an effort to equate mainstream reporting with ""—a phrase associated with former President Donald Trump's critiques of unfavorable coverage. The promo, mandated by Sinclair, sparked widespread criticism for compelling anchors to deliver uniform corporate rhetoric, with analyses indicating it echoed conservative talking points on media distrust. Sinclair defended the segment as a defense of "fair and objective" reporting against national media slant, but the controversy contributed to public perception of the company, and by extension WBFF, as vehicles for centralized conservative advocacy. Further allegations center on Sinclair's "Terrorism Alert Desk" segments, which WBFF has broadcast as required content since around , providing daily updates on global threats often framed with emphasis on and —issues aligned with conservative policy priorities. Critics, including media watchdogs, have described these as fear-inducing and selectively focused to bolster right-leaning narratives, contrasting with the relative absence of similar mandates for progressive viewpoints. Studies of Sinclair acquisitions, including in markets like , have found post-takeover shifts toward increased national political coverage with a conservative tilt, such as greater emphasis on and stories over social welfare topics. Locally, WBFF drew a 2021 FCC complaint from State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby's office, accusing the station of "biased, inflammatory, and dangerous" coverage, including broadcasting Mosby's home address and pursuing her professionally during a period of heightened scrutiny over her handling of cases like the Freddie Gray protests. The complaint portrayed this as part of a deliberate "crusade" against Democratic officials, though WBFF countered that it reflected standard rather than partisanship. Such incidents have fueled broader claims that Sinclair's oversight encourages stations like WBFF to prioritize narratives critical of liberal policies and figures, with corporate donations to Republican causes—totaling millions from executives like Chairman David Smith—cited as evidence of underlying ideological influence.

Regulatory challenges and FCC actions

In May 2021, the office of Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against WBFF-TV, accusing the station of engaging in "heinous" broadcast practices through its investigative reporting on Mosby's office and related public corruption cases. The complaint, submitted by Mosby's communications director Zy Richardson, requested an FCC investigation into WBFF's news coverage, alleging violations of federal broadcasting standards amid the station's scrutiny of Mosby's handling of high-profile cases, including the prosecution of actors from the "Serial" podcast. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr responded by urging the agency to reject the complaint, describing it as a "blatantly unconstitutional attempt to intimidate and chill constitutionally protected journalistic activity" and an abuse of the FCC's processes. The Media Institute, a nonprofit media research organization, characterized Mosby's letter as "especially egregious," arguing it represented an improper effort by a government official to influence editorial content rather than addressing substantive regulatory issues. No formal FCC enforcement action resulted from the complaint, which aligned with broader criticisms of such filings as politically motivated attempts to suppress unfavorable coverage, particularly given WBFF's affiliation with Sinclair Broadcast Group and its focus on accountability journalism. In June 2025, the FCC renewed the broadcast licenses for WBFF alongside sister stations and WUTB in , rejecting associated license challenges that questioned the stations' operational compliance and ties to Sinclair. These renewals occurred despite ongoing of Sinclair's corporate practices, including prior company-wide FCC penalties for issues like children's programming violations and disclosure failures, though no station-specific fines were imposed on WBFF. The decision underscored the FCC's determination that WBFF met renewal criteria under Section 309 of the Communications Act, prioritizing evidence of service over petitioned allegations.

Responses from station management and factual accuracy assessments

Sinclair Broadcast Group executives, overseeing WBFF, have defended the station's practices against bias allegations by emphasizing that "must-run" commentary segments, such as those featuring , constitute less than one hour per week compared to over 35 hours of and are explicitly labeled to provide viewpoints underrepresented in national media. In a internal memo, of Scott Livingston accused outlets like of omitting facts and exhibiting bias in their reporting on Sinclair stations, while affirming the company's investment in local journalism and diverse perspectives. Following the 2018 controversy over promotional scripts read by anchors at Sinclair stations, including WBFF, requiring statements on and , management described the content as a defense of journalistic principles like fairness, accuracy, and amid public distrust in other outlets. Livingston called attacks on the promos ironic, stating they promoted objective reporting without political intent, while Executive Chairman dismissed the backlash as misunderstanding standard industry practices akin to network-mandated content. Smith further argued that the segments had been vetted by research firms and paralleled promotional efforts by major networks. In addressing claims of uneven political coverage, Sinclair highlighted factual instances of balance, such as offering equal interview opportunities to presidential campaigns in 2016, where omissions by critics like and demonstrated their own disregard for truth. Independent evaluations of WBFF's factual accuracy rate it as high, citing proper sourcing from wires like the , minimal in local reporting, and a clean record of no failed fact checks over the past five years, though noting right-center in editorial language and program selections like Sharyl Attkisson's Full Measure.

Technical specifications

Transmitter facilities and coverage

WBFF's transmitter facilities are situated on Television Hill in the Woodberry neighborhood of north , , sharing studio and office space with sister stations and WUTB at 2000 West 41st Street near the Jones Falls Expressway. The station's primary is a 1,280-foot (390 m) located adjacent to the historic candelabra tower on the hill, hosting antennas for WBFF, , and FM stations such as WWMX (106.5 MHz). This site, elevated at approximately 1,499 feet (457 m) above mean , has been a key broadcast hub since the late , with WBFF's tower added in 1987 to support its UHF operations. Technically, WBFF broadcasts on virtual channel 45 (Fox affiliation on 45.1), with its digital signal on RF channel 25 following the 2017 spectrum repack. The transmitter outputs an effective radiated power (ERP) of 420 kW using a Dielectric TUD-C5SP-10/36SPH-1-B directional antenna with 14.62 dB gain and 0.9° electrical beam tilt, achieving a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 1,223 feet (373 m). Coordinates for the transmitter are 39°20′10.4″N 76°38′57.9″W. The station's coverage extends across the Baltimore–Washington designated market area (DMA), ranked 21st nationally, with a primary noise-limited contour of about 56 miles radius, spanning roughly 9,894 square miles and reaching an estimated 8.2 million potential over-the-air viewers in central , , southeastern , and eastern . This includes strong signals over City, surrounding counties like Anne Arundel, , Carroll, Harford, and in , as well as parts of the Washington, D.C., suburbs, though terrain variations such as the can affect reception in fringe areas. WBFF also participates in a channel-sharing agreement with WUTB (facility ID 60552) on RF channel 26, optimizing spectrum use post-repack.

Analog-to-digital transition and spectrum repack

WBFF discontinued its analog signal on UHF channel 45 at midnight on February 17, 2009, aligning with the initial federal deadline for full-power stations before a national delay to June 12. The station's digital signal, which had been broadcasting since 1998 under FCC requirements for transitional DTV service, operated on UHF channel 46 with a virtual channel mapping to 45.1, maintaining compatibility for over-the-air viewers with digital tuners or converter boxes. This early transition in the Baltimore market facilitated spectrum efficiency but required local households without digital equipment to acquire FCC-subsidized converter boxes to continue receiving WBFF's Fox programming via analog antennas. Following the 2016–2017 FCC incentive auction, which repacked broadcast to free UHF bands for , WBFF was reassigned from RF channel 46 to RF channel 26 during of the repack process, the final phase concluding in July 2020. The station entered into a channel-sharing agreement with WUTB ( 24, MyNetworkTV affiliate, also Sinclair-owned), allowing both to transmit on the shared UHF channel 26 while preserving distinct virtual channels. WBFF completed on March 13, 2020, prompting a required rescan for antenna users to restore signal lock, with the station notifying viewers in advance to minimize disruptions. The reduced WBFF's physical channel spacing but preserved its coverage footprint through adjusted transmitter parameters, including an of approximately 550 kW and antenna of around 299 meters from its tower site. No significant service outages were reported beyond temporary rescans, though the shared arrangement optimized efficiency amid post-auction reallocations that relocated nearly 1,000 stations nationwide. This transition aligned with broader FCC goals of reclamation without compromising the station's primary service to the –Washington DMA.

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