View source for WCIU-TV

{{Short description|Television station in Chicago}}
{{Distinguish|WICU-TV}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = WCIU-TV
| city                   =
| logo                   = WCIU the U logo 2024.png
| logo_size              = 200px
| branding               = {{ubl|The U|The U Too (26.2)|MeTV Chicago (26.3)}}
| digital                = 23 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 26
| subchannels            =
| translators            =
| affiliations           = {{ubl|'''26.1:''' [[Independent station|Independent]]|'''[[WMEU-CD|26.2]]:''' The U Too (Independent)|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner                  = [[Weigel Broadcasting]]
| licensee               = WCIU-TV [[Limited Partnership]]
| location               = [[Chicago]], Illinois
| country                = United States
| airdate                = {{Start date and age|1964|2|6|p=y}}
| last_airdate           =
| callsign_meaning       = Chicago Independent UHF
| sister_stations        = [[WWME-CD]], [[WMEU-CD]], [[WRME-LD]]
| former_callsigns       =
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 26 (UHF, 1964–2009)|'''Digital:''' 27 (UHF, 2002–2019)}}
| former_affiliations    = {{ubl|Independent (1964–1968 and 1995–2019)|[[Univision|SIN/Univision]] (1968–1985 and 1989–1994)| [[Telemundo|NetSpan/Telemundo]] (1985–1989)|[[Kids' WB]] (secondary, 1995–2004)|[[The CW]] (2019–2024)}}
| erp                    = 1,000 [[kW]]
| haat                   = {{convert|473|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id            = 71428
| coordinates            = {{coord|41|52|44.1|N|87|38|10.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority    = [[FCC]]
| website                = {{URL|https://www.wciu.com}}
}}

'''WCIU-TV''' (channel 26) is an [[independent television station]] in [[Chicago]], Illinois, United States. It is the [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] television property of locally based [[Weigel Broadcasting]], which has owned the station since its inception, and is [[sister station|sister]] to two [[low-power broadcasting#Television|low-power]] stations: independent outlet [[WMEU-CD]] (channel 48) and [[MeTV]]/[[Heroes & Icons]] flagship [[WWME-CD]] (channel 23). The stations share studios on [[Halsted Street]] in the [[Greektown, Chicago|Greektown]] neighborhood; WCIU-TV's transmitter is located atop the [[Willis Tower]] in the [[Chicago Loop]].

WCIU-TV was previously an affiliate of [[The CW]]; it was the largest CW affiliate by market size that was not [[Owned-and-operated station|owned or operated]] by [[Nexstar Media Group]], which owns 75% of the network. This changed on September 1, 2024, when The CW [[The CW#Paramount's withdrawal and affiliation realignment|returned]] to Nexstar-owned [[WGN-TV]]. [[Gray Media]]–owned [[WPCH-TV]] in [[Atlanta]] now holds the title.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-01 |title=The CW moving from WCIU back to WGN in September 1, 2024 |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/05/01/the-cw-chicago-wgn-wciu |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
===Early history===
Founded by John J. Weigel (the father of Chicago sportscaster [[Tim Weigel]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=John J. Weigel, 89|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/12/16/john-j-weigel-89/|last=McCann|first=Tom|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=December 16, 2002|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> the station first signed on the air on February 6, 1964, as Chicago's first UHF station. It has been owned by Weigel Broadcasting since its inception. WCIU has spent much of its history carrying [[multiculturalism|multi-ethnic]] entertainment programming. At its sign-on, channel 26 operated as an [[independent station]]; the call letters stand for "Chicago Independent UHF". A minority stake was held by businessman Howard Shapiro, who founded appliance store chain C.E.T. (Chicago Engineers for Television). Shapiro and his brother Gene took over Weigel Broadcasting and WCIU in 1966.<ref name="Neal Sabin">{{cite web|title=Neal Sabin: The programming mastermind behind Me-TV|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/06/29/neal-sabin-the-programming-mastermind-behind-me-tv/|last=Channick|first=Robert|work=Chicago Tribune|date=June 29, 2014|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

From the late 1960s until 1985, WCIU carried [[religious broadcasting|religious programs]] during the early morning. The station ran ''The Stock Market Observer''—a business news block similar in format to the present-day cable channel [[CNBC]]—from about 8&nbsp;a.m. to 3:30&nbsp;p.m. each weekday; the service broadcast from the trading floor of the [[Chicago Board of Trade]], with WCIU originally maintaining studio facilities at the top floor of the [[Chicago Board of Trade Building]] on West Jackson Boulevard. After 5&nbsp;p.m. each weekday, the station ran [[Spanish language in the United States|Spanish language]] entertainment programming—including controversial [[bullfighting]] matches—from the Spanish International Network (the forerunner to [[Univision]]). During the weekend, WCIU ran a blend of religious programs, Spanish language programs, [[Infomercial|paid programming]] and various other ethnically oriented shows.

From 1966 to 1970, the station aired ''Kiddie A-Go-Go'', a children's [[puppet]] and dance program which was hosted by [[Elaine Mulqueen]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Chicago Television|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D83ACkuGv_gC&pg=PA51|first=Daniel|last=Berger|first2=Steve|last2=Jajkowski|publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]]|page=52|date=January 1, 2010|isbn = 9780738577135|access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> Several popular musical groups performed on the show, including [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]] and [[New Colony Six]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bartlett woman starred in Chicago children's television|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120531/news/705319791/|work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]|date=May 31, 2014|access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> In 1970, channel 26 became the birthplace of the groundbreaking [[African American]] music program ''[[Soul Train]]'', hosted by its creator (and then-WCIU station employee) [[Don Cornelius]]. The show later entered into national [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] and moved production to [[Los Angeles]] the following year, although WCIU continued to produce a local version of ''Soul Train'' exclusively for the Chicago market until 1976, initially and simultaneously with the Los Angeles-based version, with Cornelius himself as host, succeeded by Clinton Ghent, the main producer under Cornelius.<ref>{{cite web|title=Soul Train Local|url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/soultrain|work=[[Chicago Reader]]|date=October 2, 2008|access-date=May 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Channel 26's Contrast High|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/04/13/channel-26s-contrast-high/|last=Sulski|first=Jim|work=Chicago Tribune|date=April 13, 1992|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

After WXXW (channel 20, allocation later occupied by [[PBS]] [[network affiliate#Member stations|member station]] [[WYCC]])—the second-to-last television station in the market that continued to broadcast in [[black-and-white]]—went [[dark (broadcasting)|dark]] in 1974, channel 26 remained the only television station in Chicago that still broadcast its programming in monochrome. Just prior to the Christmas season of 1974, the station installed and tested [[color television|color]] transmission equipment, which broadcast on a [[low-power broadcasting|low-power]] relay station located in [[Lincoln Park]]. In November 1974, the color and black-and-white signals traded transmitter facilities for the remainder of the holiday season; on December 31, 1974, the translator was taken offline as channel 26 started to broadcast in color full-time.

In the summer of 1985, the SIN affiliation moved to [[WSNS-TV]] (channel 44); WCIU, meanwhile, became affiliated part-time with NetSpan—which would eventually evolve into [[Telemundo]]—shortly thereafter. Later in the 1980s, Weigel Broadcasting expanded coverage of WCIU-TV to areas of western Illinois, [[northwest Indiana]] and [[Eastern Ridges and Lowlands|southeastern]] [[Wisconsin]] through [[broadcast relay station#Broadcast translators|translator stations]]. In 1983, the station signed on W55AS (channel 55, now [[WBME-CD]] on channel 41) to relay WCIU's programming into the [[Milwaukee]] market. In 1987, WCIU launched two additional translators, W33AR (channel 33, now [[WFBN-LD]]) in [[Rockford, Illinois]] (which was converted into a simulcast of sister station [[WYTU-LD]] (channel 63) in Milwaukee in August 2012, to provide Telemundo programming into the Rockford market, as WSNS provides weak to [[Broadcast range|rimshot]] signal coverage to that area; Telemundo eventually moved to the station's second subchannel to accommodate [[TouchVision]], followed by [[Heroes & Icons|H&I]] currently), and W12BK (channel 69, now [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[WMYS-LD]]) in [[South Bend, Indiana]].

On October 13, 1988, WSNS-TV announced that it would switch its affiliation to Telemundo after that station's affiliation agreement with Univision concluded on December 31; two months later on December 16, WCIU—whose contract with Telemundo was set to expire the following month—signed an affiliation agreement with Univision, returning the station to that network after two years. The two stations switched affiliations on January 10, 1989.<ref>{{cite web|title=WSNS Switches To Telemundo From Univision|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/10/14/wsns-switches-to-telemundo-from-univision/|last=Storch|first=Charles|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 14, 1988|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Chicago's two major Hispanic television stations will...|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-12-16/business/8802250097_1_univision-telemundo-stations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123091043/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-12-16/business/8802250097_1_univision-telemundo-stations|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 23, 2016|work=Chicago Tribune|date=December 16, 1988|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

===Return to full-time independence===
[[File:WCIU-TheU.png|thumb|right|210px|Former logo, from 2008 to 2017; The "U" in the logo was used since December 31, 1994]]
In 1993, Univision asked WCIU to drop all of its English-language programming, including ''Stock Market Observer'', and carry the network's programming full-time. WCIU refused, which led Univision to purchase then-[[American English|English language]] independent station [[WGBO-TV]] (channel 66) from Combined Broadcasting for $35 million on January 10, 1994, with the intent of moving its programming there the following January. That summer, Howard Shapiro hired Neal Sabin—former [[Program director#Broadcasting|program director]] at [[WPWR-TV]] (channel 50)—as WCIU's vice president and [[general manager]], who decided to remake WCIU into a conventional English-language general entertainment independent station. Univision assumed ownership of WGBO in August 1994, but was forced to run that station as an independent station for five months afterward as WCIU's affiliation contract with Univision did not expire until the end of the year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Univision Tunes Into WGBO|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/08/03/univision-tunes-into-wgbo/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=August 3, 1994|access-date=February 16, 2014}}</ref>  On December 31, 1994, WCIU switched to English-language general entertainment programming full-time and rebranded as "The U".<ref>{{cite web|title=Combined to sell WGBO-TV to Univision network|url=https://variety.com/1994/tv/news/combined-to-sell-wgbo-tv-to-univision-network-117269/|last=Benson|first=Jim|work=Variety|date=January 10, 1994|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=New Vision Likely For Channel 66|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/03/14/new-vision-likely-for-channel-66/|last=Jones|first=Tim|work=Chicago Tribune|date=March 14, 1994|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Univision Tunes Into WGBO|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/08/03/univision-tunes-into-wgbo/|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 3, 1994|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Channel 26 Dances To New Local Tune|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4262584.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409220639/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4262584.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 9, 2016|last=Feder|first=Robert|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=December 21, 1994|access-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Swap Languages">{{cite web|title=TV Stations Get Set To Swap Languages|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/12/30/tv-stations-get-set-to-swap-languages/|last=Jones|first=Tim|work=Chicago Tribune|date=December 30, 1994|access-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref><ref name="WCIU Declares Independence">{{cite web|title=WCIU-Ch. 26 Declares Its Independence|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/01/01/wciu-ch-26-declares-its-independence/|last=Nidetz|first=Steve|work=Chicago Tribune|date=January 1, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> In the spring of 1995, WCIU and low-powered [[sister station]] W23AT (channel 23, later WFBT-CA; now [[WWME-CD]]) moved their operations from the Chicago Board of Trade building into a {{convert|64000|sqft|m2|0|adj=on}} studio facility at 30 North Halsted Street in Chicago's [[Near West Side, Chicago|Near West Side]] community.<ref>{{cite web|title=WCIU, WFBT To Move From CBOT Building|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/11/01/wciu-wfbt-to-move-from-cbot-building/|last=Nidetz|first=Steve|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 1, 1994|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

Upon the conversion, channel 26 picked up most of WGBO's syndicated programming inventory, along with newly purchased shows that were not carried by any of the other Chicago stations; it also moved its remaining ethnic programming to WFBT.<ref name="Swap Languages"/> Channel 26's programming began to feature mostly classic [[sitcom]]s and [[drama series]] (such as ''[[The Munsters]]'', ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'', ''[[The Rockford Files]]'' and ''[[Leave It to Beaver]]''). The station also revived the [[horror film|horror]]/[[sci-fi movie]] showcase ''[[Svengoolie]]'', which had previously run in the market on [[WFLD]] (channel 32) in two different incarnations between 1970 and that station's conversion into a [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] owned-and-operated station in 1986; [[Rich Koz]]—who reprised the role he previously played in WFLD's ''Son of Svengoolie'' for WCIU's revival of the showcase—also co-hosted the station's New Year's Eve relaunch celebration on December 31, 1994, alongside controversial talk show host [[Morton Downey Jr.]] (who himself hosted a short-lived talk show on the station, ''Downey'', which briefly aired nationally on CNBC later in 1995) and served as one of the "U'z Guys," a group of hosts for various blocks of the station's programming.<ref name="Neal Sabin"/><ref name="WCIU Declares Independence"/> Initially, the station continued to run the ''Stock Market Observer'' from 8:30&nbsp;a.m. to 3:30&nbsp;p.m. and entertainment programming in all other weekday timeslots and throughout much of the broadcast day on weekends. WCIU then added a weekday block of children's programs from 7 to 9&nbsp;a.m. in March 1995.

On February 19, 1995, WCIU signed a multi-year agreement with [[The WB]] to carry the network's children's program block, [[Kids' WB]], upon its debut on September 9, 1995. The WB's primary affiliate in the market, [[WGN-TV]] (channel 9), opted not to carry the block and continued to run its [[WGN Morning News|morning newscast]] and an afternoon sitcom block in the time slots where Kids' WB would normally air on other WB affiliates (however, WGN's [[NewsNation|superstation]] feed for cable providers outside of the Chicago area and satellite providers nationwide carried Kids' WB programming, in addition to The WB's prime time schedule). The agreement also allowed WCIU to carry WB prime time programming in the event that WGN-TV chose to preempt it in order to air [[Chicago Cubs|Cubs]], [[White Sox]] and [[Chicago Bulls|Bulls]] evening games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Warner Deal Puts Kids' Shows On WCIU-Ch. 26|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/02/19/warner-deal-puts-kids-shows-on-wciu-ch-26/|last=Nidetz|first=Steve|work=Chicago Tribune|date=February 19, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WCIU Takes Kids' WB|url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/wciu-takes-kids-wb-99124527/|last=Flint|first=Joe|work=Variety|date=February 26, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

In order to make room for the Kids' WB block, the full ''Stock Market Observer'' broadcast moved to WFBT-CA, on September 9. The weekday business news programming was then reduced to a {{frac|3|1|2}}-hour block from 8:30&nbsp;a.m. to noon, a move which was criticized by some viewers; although it cited that Weigel had "no intention of killing" the program, Sabin cited the program's niche format and limited ratings and revenue for the block's shift to WFBT, in order for channel 26 to carry more profitable entertainment programming.<ref>{{cite web|title='Market Observer' Will Take Its Ticker To WSBT-Ch. 23|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/08/02/market-observer-will-take-its-ticker-to-wsbt-ch-23/|last=Nidetz|first=Steve|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 2, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Stock Observers Are Turned Off By Program Switch|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/09/15/stock-observers-are-turned-off-by-program-switch/|last=Gruber|first=William|work=Chicago Tribune|date=September 15, 1995|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> In 2000, the program was rebranded as "WebFN", a joint venture between Weigel and [[Reuters|Bridge Information Systems]] (which also aired on Milwaukee sister station WMLW-CA).<ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/06/18/webfncoms-test-drive-designed-to-eventually-arrive-on-tv/ Webfn.com's 'Test Drive' Designed To Eventually Arrive On TV], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', June 18, 2000, Retrieved December 25, 2016.</ref>"WebFN" would eventually feature several anchors formerly employed with [[WMAQ (AM)|WMAQ radio]] (670 AM) after that station was replaced by [[sports talk]] outlet [[WSCR]] in 2000.

[[File:WCIU the U logo 2017.svg|thumb|right|150px|Former logo, 2017–2019; the logo would then be used on WMEU from 2019 to 2024]]
By the late 1990s, WCIU began adding more recent sitcoms; the station began to add more syndicated first-run [[talk show|talk]] and [[reality shows]] onto its daytime lineup in 2000. In September 2001, WCIU dropped the morning children's block, reducing children's programming to the afternoon. In September 2004, the station dropped the Kids' WB weekday and Saturday blocks, which moved to WGN-TV, resulting in that station clearing the entire WB network schedule for the first time. Classic sitcoms gradually disappeared from WCIU's schedule between 2001 and 2004 (some of these programs would find their way onto WFBT when it began running a classic television programming block called "[[MeTV]]", which would become that station's full-time format under the callsign WWME-CA on January 1, 2005). Early in 2005, the business news format was scaled back to include only the existing syndicated program ''[[First Business]]'', which Weigel had assumed production responsibilities for in 2003 after WebFN went bankrupt.<ref name="Closing Bell Tolls">{{cite web|title=Closing bell tolls for 'First Business News'|url=http://www.robertfeder.com/2014/11/17/closing-bell-tolls-for-first-business-news/|last=Feder|first=Robert|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 17, 2014|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> That program continued until the end of 2014 under Weigel ownership, and the [[Chicago Board Options Exchange]] took over responsibilities for the program as ''Business First AM''; it continues to air in Chicago on [[Comcast Network|CN100]] and the [[Total Living Network]].

===Switch to The CW (2019–2024)===
[[File:WCIU-DT1 2019 CW Logo.svg|thumb|Logo as "CW26", used from 2019 to 2024]]
On April 18, 2019, Weigel Broadcasting signed an agreement with [[CBS Corporation]] through which WCIU-TV would take over as [[The CW]]'s Chicago-area affiliate on September 1, replacing WPWR-TV, which had been carrying the network's programming since September 1, 2016. To accommodate the CW prime time lineup, WCIU moved its evening lineup of syndicated programs to WMEU-CD/WCIU-DT2.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weigel's WCIU Chicago Adds CW Affiliation|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/234122/weigels-wciu-chicago-adds-cw-affiliation/|first=Mark K.|last=Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU to become CW Network affiliate|url=https://www.robertfeder.com/2019/04/18/weigel-broadcastings-wciu-become-cw-network-affiliate/|first=Robert|last=Feder|website=RobertFeder.com|date=April 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2019/05/04/wciu-the-u-cw/|title=Chicago CW affiliation moving again – triggering a series of changes|first=Michael P.|last=Hill|website=NewscastStudio|date=May 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>[https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/weigels-wciu-takes-over-chicago-cw-affiliation-in-september "Weigel's WCIU Takes Over Chicago CW Affiliation in September"], [[Broadcasting & Cable]], April 19, 2019, Retrieved June 7, 2019.</ref> WMEU-CD/WCIU-DT2, which has been known as "The U Too", took the branding of "The U" on September 1. The new "The U" would also become the new home of the major [[high school sports]] championships of the [[Illinois High School Association]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-ihsa-football-basketball-state-championships-tv-weigel-20190715-joivcalsqff6rboe46zyxkekmu-story.html|title=Weigel's The U is the new Chicago TV home for Illinois' high school football and basketball state championships|last=Rosenthal|first=Phil|date=July 15, 2019|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=July 15, 2019}}</ref> Channel 26 was the third station in Chicago to affiliate with The CW, after WGN-TV (2006–2016) and WPWR-TV (2016–2019). Weigel already had experience running a CW affiliate, as it owns [[WCWW-LD]] in the adjacent South Bend market.

Like WPWR (which is under a channel sharing agreement with sister station WFLD), WCIU carries its main channel at [[720p]], below The CW's default [[1080i]] resolution, due to running several standard definition subchannels, along with The U in 720p.

===Second return to independence (2024–present)===
On May 1, 2024, it was announced that The CW would return to WGN-TV in September and WCIU-TV would revert to independent status.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jevens |first1=Darel |title=The CW moving from WCIU back to WGN in September |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2024/05/01/the-cw-chicago-wgn-wciu |website=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=May 1, 2024}}</ref> By that July, in conjunction with the announcement of WCIU acquiring syndicated reruns of ''[[Bob Hearts Abishola]]'', the station announced it would revive "The U" as its branding, with the brand moving from its previous home at WMEU, with the move; the rebrand would take effect on August 1, during the final month of the CW affiliation, with the station promoting the relaunch with a slightly modified version of their original slogan, "The U'z ''STILL'' Got It!".

==Programming==
===Local programming===
WCIU-TV has broadcast many locally produced programs over the years; among them are ''Ultrascope'' (a program sponsored by [[Sears]] that was used to sell UHF-capable televisions and boxes within their Chicago area stores, and featured a format similar to [[Music Choice]] featuring a clock/album cover display and album audio which aired daily from 9&nbsp;a.m. to 5&nbsp;p.m.), ''Ted and the Angel'' (a talk show hosted by Ted Weber and [[Angel Tompkins]] from 1967 to 1968, which was nominated for a Regional [[Emmy Award]] in its first year; Weber later hosted two other WCIU programs, ''Ted Weber In Old Town'' and ''The C.E.T. Amateur Hour''). ''The Homework Show'' (1995–2006), ''U Dance with B96'' (an ''[[American Bandstand]]''-style music/dance show hosted by DJs from [[WBBM-FM]], 1995–1997),<ref name="Neal Sabin"/> ''Stooge-A-Palooza'' (a showcase of [[Three Stooges]] shorts with Rich Koz, 2003–2010),<ref name="WCIU Relishes Independence">{{cite news|title=Station relishes independence|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/05/15/station-relishes-independence/|first=Barbara|last=Rose|first2=Jim|last2=Kirk|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=May 15, 2003|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> ''Soul Train'' (1970–1976, local version only; nationally syndicated version from Los Angeles was seen from 1971 to 2006, locally on WBBM-TV and later, WGN-TV),<ref name="WCIU Relishes Independence"/> ''The Bob Lewandowski Show'', (1964–1995), ''Outdoor Sportsman'' (1978–1985; originally aired on WSNS-TV, it was produced and hosted by local outdoorsman Joe Wyer), ''Stock Market Observer'' (1968–2000), ''WebFN'' (2000–2003, replaced the ''Stock Market Observer''), ''Kiddie-A-Go-Go'' (1964–1967), ''Western Theatre with Two Ton Baker'' (1964–1965), ''Marty Faye Show'', ''The Chicago Party'' (c. 1982), ''Eddie Korosa's [[Polka]] Party'' (c. 1978) and ''First Business'' (a business news program which Weigel took over production in 2003, replacing ''WebFN'', and syndicated nationally through [[MGM Television]] until 2014).<ref name="Closing Bell Tolls"/>

Current local programs seen on WCIU include the horror/sci-fi film showcase ''Svengoolie'' (which is syndicated to MeTV and other Weigel stations), religious program ''Rock of Ages'' and the children's program ''[[Green Screen Adventures]]'' (which also syndicated to MeTV, This TV and other Weigel stations).<ref>{{cite news|title=Svengoolie scares up a national show|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/04/01/svengoolie-scares-up-a-national-show/|first=William|last=Hageman|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=April 1, 2011|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

In 2022, WCIU became the home of the [[Chicago Thanksgiving Parade]], after the parade had been relegated to low-power television in 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagothanksgivingparade.com/the-chicago-thanksgiving-parade-celebrates-88-years-of-entertaining-families-across-the-city-and-country-with-marching-bands-festive-floats-staged-performances-and-equestrian-units-all-led-by-cele/ | title=The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade Celebrates 88 Years of Entertaining Families Across the City and Country with Marching Bands, Festive Floats, Staged Performances, and Equestrian Units, All Led by Celebrity Co-Hosts Jen Lilley & Jesse Hutch – Chicago Thanksgiving Parade }}</ref>

===Sports programming===
On July 8, 1999, WGN-TV and WCIU-TV entered into a programming arrangement involving sports coverage, which allowed channel 26 to carry select Chicago Bulls basketball and White Sox baseball games, and a handful of Cubs baseball games that are produced by and contracted to air on WGN-TV, due to that station's network affiliation contracts (with The CW and previously The WB) that limit the number of programming preemptions that WGN-TV is allowed on an annual basis, and rights restrictions enforced by the [[NBA]] which limited the number of Bulls telecasts aired on WGN's national [[superstation]] feed WGN America—prior to that channel's removal of WGN-produced programs upon its conversion into a basic cable channel in December 2014—to fifteen games per season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 26 gets Cubs, Bulls next season|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68772028.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329134931/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68772028.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2015|first=Ted|last=Cox|newspaper=Daily Herald|publisher=Paddock Publications|date=July 9, 1999|access-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref><ref>Confirmed by WGN-TV {{cite web|title=WGN-TV Contact Page|url=http://wgnsuperstation.trb.com/about/site/feedback|website=[[NewsNation|Superstation WGN]]|publisher=[[Tribune Broadcasting]]|access-date=June 8, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628154223/http://wgnsuperstation.trb.com/about/site/feedback/|archive-date=June 28, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>''Chicago Professional Sports L.P. & WGN Continental Broadcasting Co. vs. National Basketball Association.'' 961 Fed. 2d 667 (7th Cir. 1992)</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WGN A Good Sport For A Reason|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/10/27/wgn-a-good-sport-for-a-reason/|first=Jim|last=Kirk|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=October 27, 1999|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Remotes To Get Workout In 2000|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1999/07/09/remotes-to-get-workout-in-2000/|first=Ed|last=Sherman|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=July 9, 1999|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref>

Sports broadcasts on WCIU were previously branded under the "BullsNet", "HawksNet", "CubsNet" and "SoxNet" banners until 2010, when they were rebranded under the umbrella title ''[[WGN Sports]] on The U''. In 2011, all White Sox, [[Blackhawks]], Bulls and Cubs games televised on WCIU began to be syndicated to local stations in central Illinois and [[Iowa]] through the "WGN Sports Network" service. Prior to this, select Bulls games aired by WCIU and WGN had been simulcast to many of these same stations. In April 2006, WCIU began broadcasting White Sox, Cubs and Bulls home games in high definition, with away games following suit in April 2008. In February 2015, Weigel Broadcasting discontinued its agreement with Tribune Broadcasting to carry Cubs and White Sox telecasts produced by WGN, so as to not have the game broadcasts conflict with the [[WLS-TV]]-produced prime time newscast on WCIU (with WPWR-TV taking over as an overflow feed for WGN).<ref name=trib-whitesoxwpwr>{{cite news|title=White Sox add WPWR-Ch. 50 to station rotation|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-white-sox-channel-50-20150219-story.html|first=Ed|last=Sherman|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=February 19, 2015|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> The Blackhawks returned in [[2024–25 Chicago Blackhawks season|2025]]; with one game airing due to a Bulls and White Sox conflict on [[Chicago Sports Network]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5923353/2024/11/15/chicago-blackhawks-chsn-app-subscription/|title=Blackhawks players know CHSN fiasco risks sending team back into 'oblivion'|author1=Mark Lazerus|publisher=[[The Athletic]]|date=November 15, 2024}}</ref> The White Sox also returned in [[2025 Chicago White Sox season|2025]]. Chicago Sports Network and WCIU reached an agreement to simulcast seven games beginning in July. The simulcast will include a three-game series against the Cubs in late July.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wciu.com/articles/catch-chsn-live-simulcasts-of-seven-white-sox-home-games-on-the-u|title=Catch CHSN Simulcasts of Seven White Sox Home Games on The U|publisher=WCIU|date=July 23, 2025|access-date=July 23, 2025}}</ref>

In [[2021 Chicago Sky season|2021]], WCIU began airing a limited amount of [[Chicago Sky]] games.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sky.wnba.com/news/chicago-sky-announce-tv-schedule-for-2021-season|title=Chicago Sky Announce TV Schedule for 2021 Season|publisher=Chicago Sky|date=May 10, 2021|access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref> From 2022 to 2024, the limited games on WCIU were aired in partnership with [[Marquee Sports Network]], which also streamed these games on Marquee Plus.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/chicago-sky-announce-2023-full-broadcast-schedule/n-5961479|title=Chicago Sky Announce 2023 Full Broadcast Schedule|publisher=OurSportsCentral|date=May 16, 2023|access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref> In [[2025 Chicago Sky season|2025]], WCIU acquired the exclusive local rights to the Sky.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sky.wnba.com/news/sky-announce-local-broadcast-schedule-in-conjunction-with-the-u|title=Sky Announce Local Broadcast Schedule In Conjunction With The U|publisher=Chicago Sky|date=March 27, 2025|access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref>

From [[2010 Chicago Bears season|2010]] until [[2016 Chicago Bears season|2016]], WCIU has served as a local over-the-air broadcaster of [[NFL]] games involving the [[Chicago Bears]] that are televised by [[ESPN]]'s ''[[Monday Night Football]]''. WLS-TV (channel 7), WCIU's news partner, is an owned-and-operated station of [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (itself a sister network to ESPN through ABC parent [[The Walt Disney Company]]'s majority ownership of the cable network), but has chosen to exercise its [[right of first refusal]] to carry ''MNF'' games, deferring most games aired since 2010 in order to air ''[[Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' (due to the program's popularity and the structure of its live voting requirements) during that program's fall season. It also carried a Cubs game in lieu of WLS-TV in mid-September 2019 (when The CW was still in its summer season), as ABC unexpectedly scheduled the [[Bachelor in Paradise (season 6)|sixth-season finale of ''Bachelor in Paradise'']] for the same evening. This was no longer an issue to any Chicago broadcast station beginning in 2020 with the move of all Chicago professional sports locally to [[NBC Sports Chicago]] and [[Marquee Sports Network]] (outside network telecasts and the Bears).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-abc-bachelor-in-paradise-20190912-srkxrfj46na2tobkmt7byu4zz4-story.html|title=Tuesday's Cubs-Reds game will be bumped off ABC-7 by the 'Bachelor in Paradise' finale. Here's where to find it.|last=Rosenthal|first=Phil|date=September 12, 2019|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=September 16, 2019}}</ref>

The station refused carriage of the 2023 [[LIV Golf]] season after the controversial golf league contracted with The CW (now majority-owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]]) to carry their tournaments; in Chicago, it airs on Nexstar's WGN-TV instead, though Weigel does carry it on WCWW-LD in South Bend, making it likely that existing programming commitments (including to the [[Illinois High School Association]]) and a strong weekend syndication schedule led Weigel to decline the coverage. WCIU has also declined to air The CW's coverage of [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] football and men's basketball games.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==Newscasts==
Alongside the ''Stock Market Observer'', WCIU's first standalone local news programming effort debuted in 1968, when it launched a half-hour weeknight 10&nbsp;p.m. newscast titled ''A Black's View of the News'', a program focusing on news and commentary relevant to Chicago's African American community. The program—which served as a launching pad for eventual ''Soul Train'' host Don Cornelius—was canceled in 1982.<ref name="WCIU Relishes Independence"/>

In September 2009, WCIU debuted ''You and Me This Morning'', a weekday [[breakfast television#United States|morning program]] featuring a broad mix of entertainment news, lifestyle features and weather forecasts. The program—which effectively maintains a lighter format, which does not incorporate conventional general news segments—originally aired in the form of locally produced [[interstitial program|inserts]] of varying length interspersed within what otherwise was a three-hour block of syndicated programming on WCIU and classic television series on WWME-CA from 6 to 8&nbsp;a.m.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weigel Launching Morning Content Mix|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/weigel-launching-morning-content-mix/35066|first=Michael|last=Malone|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=July 7, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Weigel's WCIU Getting Into A.M. News Fray – In A Small, Unconventional Way|url=http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2009/07/weigels-wciu-getting-into-am-news-fray-in-a-small-unconventional-way.html|first=Phil|last=Rosenthal|author-link=Phil Rosenthal|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=July 6, 2009}}</ref> Although it trails behind the ''WGN Morning News'' on WGN-TV and ''Good Day Chicago'' on WFLD (as well as the national morning programs on [[Today (American TV program)|WMAQ-TV]], [[Good Morning America|WLS-TV]] and [[CBS Mornings|WBBM-TV]] that the second hour of the program also competes against) in the ratings, viewership for the program has increased since its debut; in particular, its ratings doubled from an average of 40,000 viewers in May 2012 to 73,000 in May 2014. ''You & Me This Morning'' expanded into a full three-hour program (running from 6 to 9&nbsp;a.m.) on September 8, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=WCIU-Ch. 26 morning show expanding|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-wciu-morning-show-0904-biz-20140903-story.html|first=Robert|last=Channick|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=September 3, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='You & Me This Morning' tacks on another hour to Chicago talk show|url=http://entertainment.suntimes.com/entertainment-news/morning-tacks-another-hour-chicago-talk-show/|first=Lori|last=Rackl|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]]|date=September 8, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='You & Me This Morning' adds third hour|url=http://www.robertfeder.com/2014/06/09/you-me-this-morning-adds-third-hour/|first=Robert|last=Feder|author-link=Robert Feder|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=June 9, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WCIU Adds An Hour To 'You & Me This Morning'|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/79062/wciu-adds-an-hour-to-you--me-this-morning|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=September 8, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref>

{{further|WLS-TV#News operation}}
On December 14, 2014, WCIU entered into a news share agreement with ABC owned-and-operated station WLS-TV to produce a weeknight-only 7&nbsp;p.m. newscast for channel 26. Titled ''ABC 7 [[Eyewitness News]] at 7:00 on The U'', the program debuted on January 12, 2015, as the third prime time newscast among the Chicago market's commercial television stations, behind the longer established in-house 9&nbsp;p.m. newscasts on WGN-TV and Fox owned-and-operated station WFLD (channel 32). With the news share agreement, WLS-TV became the fifth ABC-owned station to produce a newscast for a separately owned station in its home market (along with existing programs produced by ABC O&Os in [[WTVD|Raleigh]], [[WPVI-TV|Philadelphia]], [[KGO-TV|San Francisco]] and [[KABC-TV|Los Angeles]] for [[WLFL]], [[WPHL-TV]], [[KOFY-TV]] and [[KDOC-TV]] in the respective markets, and a since-cancelled newscast produced by [[KFSN-TV]] for [[KAIL]] in [[Fresno]]).<ref name=trib-wlswciu>{{cite web|title=WLS-Ch. 7 and WCIU-Ch. 26 team up for 7 p.m. news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-wls-wciu-news-biz-1217-20141216-story.html|first=Robert|last=Channick|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=December 14, 2014|access-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WLS To Produce 7 P.M. Newscast On WCIU|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/81602/wls-to-produce-7-pm-newscast-on-wciu?ref=search|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=December 16, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref> WLS-TV newscasts on WCIU featured news anchors [[Cheryl Burton]] and [[Linda Yu]], along with chief meteorologist [[Jerry Taft]] and [[Jim Rose (sports anchor)|Jim Rose]] on sports. On July 29, 2019, WCIU-TV and WLS-TV jointly announced that the newscast would end on August 30, a move related to WCIU's affiliation with The CW.<ref name="feder-wls7pmnewsend">{{cite news |last1=Feder |first1=Robert |author-link1=Robert Feder |title=ABC 7 to end 7 p.m. newscast on The U |url=https://www.robertfeder.com/2019/07/29/abc-7-end-7-p-m-newscast-u/ |access-date=July 30, 2019 |work=www.robertfeder.com |date=July 29, 2019}}</ref>

On June 14, 2017, WCIU announced that it would launch ''The Jam'', a new morning show that would replace ''You and Me This Morning'' in the 6 to 8&nbsp;a.m. timeslot that summer at a date to be determined. The program—which the station's head of programming and creative, Steve Bailey, described would "promise[...] to be bold and unfiltered"—will feature a mix of local and national news headlines (as well as opinions on the featured stories by its hosts), entertainment and pop culture news, and weather forecasts. The program's concept is based in part on ''[[The Daily Buzz]]'', a syndicated morning news program that ran from 2002 to 2015, which Bailey (who joined Weigel Broadcasting in October 2016, after serving as director of programming and [[affiliate marketing]] at [[Media General]]) had previously worked as the program's vice president of marketing and promotions.<ref>{{cite web|title=WCIU To Launch New Morning Show, 'The Jam'|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/marketshare/2017/06/14/wciu-to-launch-new-morning-show-the-jam/|last=Greeley|first=Paul|work=TV News Check|date=June 14, 2017|access-date=June 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dawning on The U: Will viewers toast 'The Jam' in mornings?|url=http://www.robertfeder.com/2017/06/15/coming-u-will-viewers-toast-jam-mornings/|last=Feder|first=Robert|work=RobertFeder.com|date=June 15, 2017|access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref>

==Technical information==

===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of WCIU-TV<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wciu.com/images/channel_grid_chicago.pdf|title=WCIU Channel Grid|publisher=WCIU-TV|accessdate=May 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=RabbitEars TV Query for WCIU|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WCIU#station|website=[[RabbitEars]]|access-date=September 5, 2015}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.1
| rowspan="2"| [[720p]] || rowspan="8"|[[16:9]] || The U || Main WCIU-TV programming
|- style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"
! scope = "row" | [[WMEU-CD|26.2]]
| U Too || [[WMEU-CD]] ([[Independent station|Independent]])<ref name=utoo>{{cite web|url=http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2010/10/wciu-parent-weigel-to-drop-foreign-subchannel-launch-the-u-too.html|title=WCIU Parent Weigel to Drop Foreign Subchannel, Launch The U Too|last=Rosenthal|first=Phil|work=Chicago Tribune|date=October 5, 2010|access-date=November 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name=weigel>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/458073-WCUU_Launches_The_U_Too_Subchannel.php|title=WCUU Launches The U Too Subchannel|last=Malone|first=Michael|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=October 5, 2010|access-date=November 2, 2014}}</ref>
|-
! scope = "row" | [[WWME-CD|26.3]]
| rowspan="6"|[[480i]] || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|MeTV || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|[[MeTV]] ([[WWME-CD]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.4
| HEROES || [[Heroes & Icons]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.5
| STORY || [[Story Television]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.6
| CATCHY || [[Catchy Comedy]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.7
| TOONS || [[MeTV Toons]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.8
| WEST || [[WEST (TV network)|WEST]]
|}
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}

===Subchannel history===
In July 2008, Weigel Broadcasting announced the launch of [[This TV]], a national subchannel network operated as a [[joint venture]] between [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and Weigel.<ref>{{cite news|title=MGM Links with Weigel Broadcdasting for Digital Subchannel Offering|url=http://archive.chicagotribune.com/2008/jul/28/business/chi-080728mgm-weigel|first=Phil|last=Rosenthal|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=July 28, 2008}}</ref> This TV officially launched with WCIU as its flagship station (airing on [[digital subchannel]] 26.5) on November 1, 2008.<ref name=this>{{cite web|title=Weigel, MGM Hope "This" Thing's a Hit|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/weigel-mgm-hope-things-hit/85323|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=October 27, 2008}}</ref> This TV moved to the third digital subchannel of WGN-TV on November 1, 2013, as a result of the May 13, 2013, announcement that WGN owner [[Tribune Broadcasting]] would acquire Weigel's 50% ownership interest in This TV.<ref name=tribune>{{cite web|title=Tribune Replaces Weigel As Partner on This TV|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/tribune-replaces-weigel-partner-tv/44044|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=May 14, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tribune To Program MGM's This TV|url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/200225/tribune-to-program-mgms-this-tv.html#axzz2TTQuRgvO|first=Fern|last=Siegel|website=MediaPost|publisher=MediaPost Publications|date=May 13, 2013}}</ref> [[Bounce TV]] (which was already carried on WWME-CD 23.2) began to occupy This TV's former subchannel, moving from WWME 23.2 to WCIU 26.5.

On December 1, 2010, WCIU dropped its ethnic programming service FBT on digital subchannel 26.6 and replaced it a simulcast of the station's main channel. Two weeks later on December 15, the 26.6 subchannel was dropped and its programming was shifted to digital channel 26.2 (replacing a simulcast of sister station WWME-CA, which moved to WCIU digital subchannel 26.3) where it continued to simulcast most of WCIU's main programming. In addition, virtual channel 48.1 was discontinued (to be later used by the digital signal of [[WMEU-CA]]) while 23.1 reverted to being the [[virtual channel]] number for WWME-CA (23.2 was also discontinued at that time; it has since been restored, and now serves as an affiliate of Heroes & Icons).

On January 4, 2011, MGM and Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to turn the MeTV format that originated on sister station WWME-CA into a national network.<ref>{{cite news|title=MGM, Weigel Taking Me-TV Nationwide|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/mgm-weigel-taking-me-tv-nationwide/111512|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=January 4, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=MGM Launches Classic TV Service to Roar Like the Fonz|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/mgm-creating-classic-tv-channel-to-roar-like-the-fonz-.html|first=Meg|last=James|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 4, 2011}}</ref> The national MeTV service launched on WWME and WCIU digital subchannel 26.3 on December 15, 2010.

The following day on January 5, digital subchannel 26.2 was relaunched with its own general entertainment format, branded as "The U Too"—a nod to the main channel's longtime branding, "The U".<ref name=utoo/><ref name=weigel/> The service features some time-shifted programming from WCIU's main channel, including some syndicated programs not seen in the Chicago market prior to the format conversion. It also broadcast a handful of [[DePaul University|DePaul]] [[DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball|Blue Demons]] and other [[college basketball|basketball]] games from the "old" [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]]; "The U Too" currently serves as the over-the-air broadcaster of [[WNBA]] games from the [[Chicago Sky]] and [[American Hockey League|AHL]] [[ice hockey|hockey]] games from the [[Chicago Wolves]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Sky land TV deal with WCIU parent|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130521/BLOGS04/130529973/chicago-sky-land-tv-deal-with-wciu-parent|first=Danny|last=Ecker|newspaper=[[Crain's Chicago Business]]|publisher=[[Crain Communications]]|date=May 21, 2013|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Wolves doubling number of games on network TV|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20131001/BLOGS04/131009993/chicago-wolves-doubling-number-of-games-on-network-tv|first=Danny|last=Ecker|newspaper=Crain's Chicago Business|publisher=Crain Communications|date=October 1, 2013|access-date=September 8, 2015}}</ref> From January 10, 2011, to September 2013, The U Too subchannel was also simulcast on the analog signal of WWME-CA until The U Too began broadcasting in [[high-definition television|high definition]] on WMEU-CD channel 48.1 (the 26.2 version of the U Too signal remains in 16:9 [[standard definition]] [[widescreen]]). Currently, WWME-CA's analog signal simulcasts Heroes & Icons as aired on digital subchannel 26.4.

On May 4, 2021, Weigel announced that WCIU-DT5 would become the inaugural affiliate of MeTV spinoff MeTV Plus upon its May 15 launch; Bounce TV was reported to move its Chicago affiliate to a subchannel of WCPX at that time. The channel would air a variety of sitcoms and drama series, similar to the format of original spinoff MeToo, and is believed to be Weigel's answer to [[Rewind TV]], a spinoff of [[Antenna TV]] launched by [[Nexstar Media Group]] that September.<ref>[https://www.robertfeder.com/2021/05/03/weigel-expands-memorable-entertainment-menu-metv-plus/ Robert Feder: "Weigel expands memorable entertainment menu with ‘MeTV Plus’"]</ref>

===Analog-to-digital conversion===
On June 12, 2009, the date of the [[Digital television transition in the United States|federally mandated switch from analog to digital television for full-power stations]], WCIU-TV shut down its analog signal. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 27,<ref name="FCCForm387">[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101232235&formid=387&fac_num=71428 CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> using virtual channel 26.

From June 13, 2009, to January 9, 2011, WCIU-TV's main programming was simulcast on sister station WWME-CA (channel 23) to provide a [[Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act|nightlight]] service as the low-power station continued to operate an analog signal. From June 13 to July 12, 2009, the station ran newscasts from [[WMAQ-TV]] (channel 5) and WGN-TV for viewers that either were not ready for the digital transition or had problems receiving WGN and WMAQ's signals after the June 12 digital transition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weigel's Analog Nightlight Could Help Chicago Stations With Reception Issues|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/technology/weigels-analog-nightlight-could-help-chicago-stations-reception-issues/46911|first=John|last=Eggerton|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=June 17, 2009}}</ref> WWME-CA continued to operate an analog signal on UHF channel 23.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.wciu.com/}}
* {{URL|http://www.chicagotelevision.com/menofuhf.htm|The Bob Leandowski Show fansite}}

{{Chicago TV}}
{{Illinois TV}}
{{Indiana TV}}
{{Weigel Broadcasting}}
{{Soul Train}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wciu-Tv}}
[[Category:1964 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Catchy Comedy affiliates]]
[[Category:Heroes & Icons affiliates]]
[[Category:Independent television stations in the United States]]
[[Category:MeTV affiliates]]
[[Category:MeTV Toons affiliates]]
[[Category:Soul Train]]
[[Category:Story Television affiliates]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1964]]
[[Category:Television stations in Chicago|CIU]]
[[Category:Weigel Broadcasting]]
[[Category:WEST (TV network) affiliates]]