Bippy when announcer is in booth". WVIZ's Brook Park studios were also utilized by WUAB. WUAB's lack of any physical assets in Lorain proper and film studio ownership was met with criticism by the Lorain Journal editorial board, which asked, "Why call it a Lorain station? Why give Lorain's TV franchise to outsiders who want to operate outside of Lorain? Why not give Lorain people an opportunity to operate a TV station in Lorain, to serve Lorain?" The less-than-optimal working arrangement while permanent studios were being constructed severely limited WUAB's local output; by comparison, WKBF-TV boasted an array of local programming and launched a news service. The combined Cleveland–Akron–Canton television market was ranked in 1968 as the eighth-largest in the United States, with the industry taking notice over the two competing UHF stations with well-financed ownership and substantial investment. Befitting its ownership by a film studio, WUAB placed an emphasis on feature films with a prime time showcase dubbed the UA Star Movie. Even with the existing limitations facing the station, WUAB successfully claimed a significant portion of WKBF-TV's audience by the spring of 1969. The Plain Dealer critic William Hinckley retrospectively noted WUAB almost immediately entered the marketplace with better overall programming than WKBF-TV, promptly dividing the available audience. WUAB's studios were completed in June 1969, with the next few months proving to be a turning point. Linn Sheldon, who joined WKBF-TV to host an afternoon movie in August 1968, left that station to join WUAB on December 1, 1969, reviving the acclaimed children's show "Barnaby" which he originated at KYW-TV. Several weeks earlier, a Saturday afternoon science fiction film showcase Mad Theatre launched, hosted by Sullivan under the Superhost persona. Sullivan created the character accidentally during rehearsals for a performance by The Four Lads when the audience reacted positively to his facial contortions; he then adopted a nasal vocalization to distinguish from his announcer voice. Another staff announcer, Jack Reynolds, began emceeing professional wrestling tapings at the station in 1969. Alice Weston, recognized as the first female television host in Cleveland, became the station's public affairs director and a talk show host. An emphasis was also placed on sports, as WUAB carried Ohio State Buckeyes football and men's basketball, Notre Dame Fighting Irish football and Cleveland Barons broadcasts. A daily early-afternoon movie showcase, the Prize Movie, launched with Reynolds as host, with WGAR personality John Lanigan taking over