Editing WNUV (section)

===Going full-time independent===
With Super TV no longer broadcasting, WNUV overhauled its evening programming and made aggressive moves in an effort to become what Salditch called "the Cadillac of independents".<ref name="Balt860401">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941311/wnuvs-night-move-channel-54-enters-pri/|date=April 1, 1986|pages=1C, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-wnuv-starts-prime-time/122941332/ 4C]|title=WNUV's night move: Channel 54 enters prime time with Super TV off air|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051337/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941311/wnuvs-night-move-channel-54-enters/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue --> Later that year, the station picked up ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', an [[NBC]] program not cleared by WMAR-TV; the program had previously aired on WBFF, which dropped Carson to make room for ''[[The Late Show (1986 talk show)|The Late Show]] Starring [[Joan Rivers]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/08/28/the-tv-column/fef42878-2e3f-4aed-b983-24882cd171a3/| title = The TV Column|first=John|last=Carmody|date=August 28, 1986| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

New-Vision sold WNUV to a company formed by Boston investors Andrew Banks and Royce Yudkoff in a deal announced in December 1988.<ref name="Even881212">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941349/independent-channel-54-sold-to-boston-gr/|date=December 12, 1988|page=D5|first=Steve|last=McKerrow|title=Independent Channel 54 sold to Boston group|newspaper=The Evening Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051338/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941349/independent-channel-54-sold-to-boston/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Mon --> Banks and Yudkoff formed ABRY Communications—named from their initials. The FCC approved of their purchase in March 1989, and the new owners embarked on a campaign to upgrade the station's transmitting equipment;<ref name="Even890519">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941441/channel-54-will-boost-power-and-add-reru/|date=May 19, 1989|page=C9|first=Steve|last=McKerrow|title=Channel 54 will boost power and add reruns|newspaper=The Evening Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051338/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941441/channel-54-will-boost-power-and-add/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> the power levels that had been adequate for specially designed antennas as an STV station were insufficient for typical over-the-air receiving equipment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Independent TV's atypical ABRY Communications|id={{ProQuest|1016932790}}|first1=Joe|last1=Flint|first2=Geoffrey|last2=Foisie|date=July 8, 1991|work=Broadcasting|pages=43–44|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-07-08.pdf|access-date=April 17, 2023|archive-date=November 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108155952/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1991/BC-1991-07-08.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, ABRY moved its corporate headquarters to Baltimore.<ref name="Balt890519">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123010067/goal-to-entertain-tops-list-as-wnuv-reva/|date=May 19, 1989|pages=1E, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123010092/wnuv-adds-programs/ 4E]|first=Henry|last=Scarupa|title=Goal to entertain tops list as WNUV revamps its lineup|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 17, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051347/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123010067/goal-to-entertain-tops-list-as-wnuv/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> ABRY also aimed to capitalize on WBFF's commitment to the expanding [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] network to case channel 54 as Baltimore's only true independent station.<ref name="Even890823">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941479/channel-54s-power-to-get-big-boost/|date=August 23, 1989|page=B4|first=Michael|last=Hill|title=Channel 54's power to get big boost|newspaper=The Evening Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 16, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051338/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122941479/channel-54s-power-to-get-big-boost/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Wed --> It launched a campaign allowing the public to vote on programs for its schedule,<ref name="Carmodycolumn">{{cite news|last=Carmody|first=John|title=The TV Column|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/08/30/the-tv-column/9dec19e6-2a00-4832-b227-14c801f9d672/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 30, 1989|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-date=June 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617115642/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/08/30/the-tv-column/9dec19e6-2a00-4832-b227-14c801f9d672/|url-status=live}}</ref> a promotional tool successful enough that ABRY duplicated it in relaunching [[KSMO-TV]] in [[Kansas City]] in 1991.<ref name="Kans910316">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117920973/channel-62-viewers-to-vote-on-programs/|date=March 16, 1991|page=E-2|title=Channel 62 viewers to vote on programs|newspaper=The Kansas City Star|location=|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=February 4, 2023|archive-date=February 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205203104/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117920973/channel-62-viewers-to-vote-on-programs/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat -->

In [[1994 Baltimore Orioles season|1994]], WNUV picked up the broadcast rights to some [[Baltimore Orioles]] games produced by [[Home Team Sports]].<ref name="Balt940429">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123015131/turners-full-court-press-scores-with-nb/|date=April 29, 1994|page=11C|first=Ray|last=Frager|title=Turner's full-court press scores with NBA viewers|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 17, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051348/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123015131/turners-full-court-press-scores-with/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> The station showed Orioles games through [[2006 Baltimore Orioles season|2006]], sharing what ultimately was a package of 65 over-the-air telecasts with [[WJZ-TV]]; only WJZ-TV carried games in 2007.<ref name="Balt070302">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123015177/thorne-says-honesty-will-be-his-policy-o/|date=March 2, 2007|page=2F|first=Ray|last=Frager|title=Thorne says honesty will be his policy on O's|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 17, 2023|archive-date=April 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417051338/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123015177/thorne-says-honesty-will-be-his-policy/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Fri --> From 1993 to 1994, the station aired ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' in lieu of WBAL-TV, which declined to carry the show.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-07-30-1993211231-story.html|title=Letterman lands Baltimore slot with WNUV|date=July 30, 1993|first=David|last=Zurawik|author-link=David Zurawik|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=June 22, 2021|archive-date=June 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622114821/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-07-30-1993211231-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>