WQRF-TV (channel 39) is a television station in Rockford, Illinois, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual ABC/MyNetworkTV affiliate WTVO (channel 17) under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on North Meridian Road in Rockford, where WQRF-TV's transmitter is also located. History The station signed on November 27, 1978, as the market's fourth television outlet, first broadcasting from studios located on Kishwaukee Street between State and 1st streets in downtown Rockford. It was the last full-power analog television station to sign on in Rockford, while other stations in the area since then have either been low-powered, cable-only, or on digital subchannels. Airing an analog signal on UHF channel 39, WQRF was founded by local businessman Marvin Palmquist. The channel allotment was previously used by WTVO from its sign-on in 1953 until 1967. It was promoted as an independent, "family-oriented" alternative to the area's big three network affiliates. Palmquist sold the station to Orion Broadcasting in 1984. Overcoming a four-month wait to finally get on-the-air, WQRF's first program was an episode of the classic sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. Among some of the earlier programs to also air on the station were I Love Lucy, The Bob Newhart Show, The Jeffersons, The Dick Van Dyke Show and first-run fare such as Entertainment Tonight, the original nighttime edition of Family Feud, The PTL Club and The 700 Club. As it was the only Independent outlet in the market, WQRF stocked up much of its programming schedule with live sports including Major League Baseball (Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers), the NBA (Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks), NFL preseason action (Chicago Bears) and college sports (specifically Big Ten Conference football and basketball). Orion Broadcasting sold WQRF to Family Group Broadcasting in May 1986, sharing ownership and graphical imaging with WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, WVFT-TV in Roanoke, Virginia, WPGX in Panama City, Florida, WFGX in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and WLAX in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The station later relocated its operations to a new building located on South Main Street/IL 2 in Rockford. The station joined Fox in August 1989. For the network's first three years of existence, cable subscribers watched Fox through Chicago's WFLD, Madison's WMSN-TV, or Milwaukee's WCGV-TV, depending on the location. Within four years of joining