WFXR

Last updated

WFXR
New WFXR logo 2021.png
City Roanoke, Virginia
Channels
BrandingWFXR
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WWCW
History
FoundedJanuary 25, 1983
First air date
November 13, 1986(37 years ago) (1986-11-13)
Former call signs
  • WVFT (1986–1993)
  • WFXR-TV (1993–2009)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 27 (UHF, 1986–2009)
  • Digital: 17 (UHF, 2005–2019)
Call sign meaning
"Fox Roanoke"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID 24813
ERP 944 kW
HAAT 607.3 m (1,992 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 37°11′47.8″N80°9′14.6″W / 37.196611°N 80.154056°W / 37.196611; -80.154056
Repeater(s) WWCW 21.2 Lynchburg
Links
Public license information
Website www.wfxrtv.com

WFXR (channel 27) is a television station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Lynchburg-licensed CW station WWCW (channel 21). The two stations share studios at the Valleypointe office park on Valleypoint Parkway in northeastern Roanoke County; WFXR's transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in southwestern Roanoke County. WWCW broadcasts WFXR's Fox programming from its transmitter on Thaxton Mountain in Bedford County as one of its subchannels and vice versa.

Contents

WFXR is the third station to occupy channel 27 in Roanoke. After seven years of battles over the permit and construction, it began broadcasting on November 13, 1986, as WVFT, the market's second new general-entertainment independent station in twelve months. The market proved unable to bear both WVFT and WJPR (channel 21), which had gone on the air earlier that year, due to insufficient advertising revenue and signal issues; in April 1989, the station's owner, Family Group Broadcasting, filed for bankruptcy protection. In 1990, Henry A. Ash of Tampa, Florida, acquired both stations out of bankruptcy, receiving a federal waiver to own the combination. On August 20, 1990, they began simulcasting as "Fox 21/27", the Fox affiliate for the market; WJPR had been airing Fox programming since October 1986.

WVFT and WJPR were acquired in 1993 by Grant Communications, and WVFT changed its call sign to WFXR-TV. Under Grant, the stations began airing a local newscast produced by WSLS-TV and also acquired The WB and later The CW affiliation in the market, which was initially aired in overnight hours and then on a local cable channel. With the conversion to digital broadcasting, the Fox and CW services were broadcast as subchannels in both Roanoke and Lynchburg, with channel 21 recognized as the originating station for The CW. Nexstar acquired WFXR and WWCW in 2013 and moved them into new, larger studios two years later, allowing them to begin producing their own news programming.

Early history of channel 27 in Roanoke

Ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 27 in Roanoke was originally occupied by WROV-TV, which operated for less than five months from March 2 to July 18, 1953. [2] [3] It was the first UHF television station in the United States to cease operation. [4] Southwestern Virginia is very mountainous, hindering adequate UHF reception. Further, nationally, UHF stations faced economic difficulties because not all television sets were manufactured with built-in UHF tuners, which did not change until the All-Channel Receiver Act came into force in 1964. [5] [6] After WROV's owners sought channel 7, as part of a settlement with the Times-World Corporation, that company acquired WROV-TV's physical assets in exchange for approval to build channel 7 as WDBJ-TV. [7]

Later occupying the channel 27 frequency was WRFT-TV/WRLU, which operated as the market's secondary ABC affiliate from 1966 to 1974 [8] [9] and again from 1974 to 1975. [10] At the time, the area's primary ABC affiliate, WLVA-TV (channel 13, now WSET-TV) in Lynchburg, provided only marginal signal coverage in Roanoke. [11]

History

Construction battle

Interest around the use of channel 27 at Roanoke emerged again in the late 1970s and coalesced around two groups. The first group to express its interest was Roanoke Christian Broadcasting (RCB), which proposed a Christian station. [12] By June, three groups sought the channel: RCB, a second Christian group, and a consortium of businessmen [13] known as Western Virginia Television Corporation (WVTC). [14]

The entrance of WVTC into the latter caused two Christian groups—RCB and the Evangel Foursquare Church—to unite their efforts. [15] RCB and WVTC, the only two channel 27 applicants, fought not only in comparative hearing at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) but in Virginia courts, where WVTC alleged that RCB had plagiarized engineering data from its application. [16] Evangel Foursquare had separated from RCB by 1981, when the FCC approved the addition of channel 38 to Roanoke, [17] which would eventually be used by its WEFC beginning in January 1986. [18]

In June 1982, an FCC administrative law judge released an initial decision in favor of Roanoke Christian Broadcasting, with the primary deciding factor being the larger overlap of ownership and management in the RCB bid. [19] WVTC protested to the FCC Review Board, which upheld the initial decision; meanwhile, the plagiarism lawsuit was dismissed after a judge ruled insufficient evidence was presented, even though RCB admitted to copying nine pages of what it described as public domain engineering information. [20] The FCC's commissioners affirmed the permit grant to RCB in March 1984. [21]

WVFT: The Family Group years

Two years passed without activity on the channel. In March 1986, in an effort to get the station on air and citing the appeals from the original decision that had kept away investors, Roanoke Christian Broadcasting sold the permit to a partnership in which it owned five percent and the remainder was held by Family Group Broadcasting, a chain of independent stations based in Tampa, Florida. [22] Family Group began fitting out studios on Colonial Avenue Southwest in the Franklin-Colonial area of Roanoke, and the call letters WVFT (for "Western Virginia Family Television") were adopted. [23]

After delays in constructing its transmitter facility, WVFT began broadcasting on November 13, 1986, as the second independent in the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. [24] Its primary competitor was WJPR (channel 21) in Lynchburg, which had gone on the air that March. [25] After signing on, the station was sued by WVTF, a Roanoke public radio station owned by the Virginia Tech Foundation, which feared some donors might send their contributions to WVFT instead of WVTF. [26] A federal judge found in the television station's favor, [27] and the suit was eventually dropped. [28]

WVFT's financial condition began to show signs of stress in late 1988, as neither it nor WJPR was able to find sufficient advertising revenue. It was apparent that the Roanoke–Lynchburg market was not large enough to sustain what were essentially two independent stations; WJPR, like many early Fox affiliates, was mostly programmed as an independent. [29] In December, the city of Roanoke sued WVFT seeking nearly $47,000 in unpaid property taxes for a two-year period. [30] The company attempted to sell WVFT along with two operating Wisconsin stations—WGBA-TV in Green Bay and WLAX in La Crosse—and a third unbuilt Wisconsin station to Krypton Broadcasting in March 1989 in a package worth $10.5 million. [31] Krypton, which touted its large film library, proposed to drive down programming costs at channel 27 by airing many of its own titles. [29] However, that deal never closed. The subsidiaries of Family Group that held WVFT and the Wisconsin stations filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in April 1989. [32] This made WVFT the second television station in the market to file for bankruptcy protection within six months, having been preceded in Chapter 11 by WJPR in November 1988. [33]

Merger with WJPR

On September 13 and 15, 1989, bankruptcy courts in Lynchburg and Tampa, Florida, gave NewSouth Broadcasting, a company owned by Timothy Brumlik of Altamonte Springs, Florida, permission to purchase WJPR and WVFT with the intention of consolidating their programming. The deal began to fall apart on the 15th, however, when Brumlik was arrested on charges of laundering up to $12 million in Colombian drug money. [34] Officials alleged that Brumlik's ownership of TeleOnce in Puerto Rico was a front for two important Latin American media men: Remigio Ángel González, reported to be a business partner with Manuel Noriega in a Panamanian television station, and Julio Vera Gutiérrez, a Peruvian citizen. [35]

The indictment scrambled the picture for the stations Brumlik sought to buy. At the time of his arrest, he had been approved by bankruptcy courts or the FCC to buy WJPR and WVFT; WKCH-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee; and the then-unbuilt WGNM in Macon, Georgia. [34] [35] [36] With regard to WJPR and WVFT, his arrest and indictment caused him to be unable to fulfill commitments required by the bankruptcy courts. Instead, Henry A. Ash, a Tampa life insurance broker, bid on both stations with the same goal: to combine them. [37] Ash's Roanoke–Lynchburg TV Acquisition Corporation—with WJPR majority owner Thomas Carney as a stockholder—received court approval to buy both stations, paying $2.95 million for WJPR and $1.25 million for WVFT, in February 1990. It then filed with the FCC for a waiver of its rule that prohibited ownership of stations with overlapping signal coverage areas, believing that the market could bear one independent station but not two. [38]

On August 20, 1990, with the purchases pending at the FCC, WVFT began simulcasting WJPR, expanding Fox network coverage to the market's western portions for the first time. [39] FCC approval followed the next month. [40] Key in winning approval was the fact that adding channel 27 to channel 21 provided Fox service to an additional 213,000 people; the commission found it unlikely that the stations could exist separately given their financial problems and local terrain. [41]

Grant ownership

On September 15, 1993, WVFT and WJPR were purchased by Grant Communications, owned by Milton Grant. The sale to Grant came after Carney and Ash opted to split their interests in Roanoke–Lynchburg TV Acquisition Corporation. [42] In October 1993, WVFT had its call letters changed to WFXR-TV. [43] Grant also upgraded the station's equipment, and the Fox network itself matured during the first years of Grant ownership. [44]

WJPR–WFXR became a secondary affiliate of The WB in 1999, when the network ceased airing its programming on Superstation WGN nationally. [45] Programs aired in overnight hours until February 1, 2001, when WJPR/WFXR launched a cable-only WB affiliate known as "WBVA-TV" and seen on Cox Communications channel 5. It was also announced at that time that "WBVA" would become a full-power service on channel 21 in May 2001, [46] though instead it was broadcast as a subchannel from the WJPR transmitter beginning in April 2002. [47] In 2006, when The WB and UPN merged into The CW, channels 21 and 27 obtained the rights to the affiliation in the market, with the cable channel going by "WCW5-TV" and the call letters on channel 21 changing to WWCW. [48] [49] As early as 2007, The CW was airing in high definition from the WWCW transmitter and in standard definition from the WFXR transmitter (and vice versa for Fox), ensuring coverage of both services in the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas. [47]

Nexstar ownership

On November 6, 2013, the Irving, Texas–based Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced that it would purchase the Grant stations, including WFXR and WWCW, for $87.5 million. The sale was approved by the FCC on November 3, 2014, and was finalized one month later on December 1. [50] [51] [52] [53]

In March 2015, Joseph McNamara—who was appointed as vice president for the stations three months earlier in December 2014—announced that Nexstar planned to move WFXR/WWCW's operations and staff into a new, larger 14,830-square-foot (1,000 m2) studio facility at the Valleypointe office park in northeastern Roanoke County, near Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport. [54] WFXR and WWCW migrated their operations into the new facility—which cost $3 million to build—during the week of September 14, 2015. [55] [56]

On January 27, 2016, Nexstar announced it would acquire Media General for $4.6 billion. Nexstar opted to retain WFXR and WWCW over Media General-owned WSLS-TV, which was divested to Graham Media Group. [57] [58] [59]

News operation

News share with WSLS-TV

In 1996, WJPR/WFXR entered into a news share agreement with NBC affiliate WSLS-TV, allowing that station to produce a 10 p.m. newscast for WJPR/WFXR. The agreement formally began when The Fox 10 O'Clock News premiered on October 28, 1996; the newscast originally aired for a half-hour five nights a week. WDBJ attempted to beat the two stations to the punch by launching News 7 Primetime on WEFC that September; that program was a ratings failure and lasted one year. [60] [61] Weekend editions of the 10 p.m. newscast were added in January 2000; the weeknight editions expanded to one hour in 2003. The program originated from a secondary set at the WSLS studios on 3rd Street in downtown Roanoke; WSLS-TV contributed one anchor, while the other was employed by Grant along with a producer. [62] [60] On March 12, 2012, WFXR launched a two-hour weekday morning newscast from 7 to 9 a.m.; the program was originally anchored by former WDBJ anchor Bob Grebe and Patrick McKee providing weather updates. [63]

Start of in-house news operations

One reason for the studio relocation in 2015 was to bring news production in-house after 19 years. On September 17, 2015, WFXR announced that the news department would launch on October 1, with the expansion of its weekday morning news program—retitled Good Day Virginia—from two hours to four (with the premiere of an additional two-hour broadcast from 5 to 7 a.m.) and the weekend editions of its 10 p.m. newscast—retitled WFXR News First at 10—to one hour. [64] Subsequently, in November, the station debuted a half-hour local sports highlight program on Friday nights following the 10 p.m. newscast. [55] [56]

The formation of the news department and concurrent move to the Valleypointe facility resulted in the hiring of 33 news and production employees to WFXR's staff, in addition to the Nexstar employees that had already been contributing to the station's newscasts (including 10 p.m. co-anchor Becky Freemal and morning anchor Tara Wheeler). [55] [56]

Technical information

WFXR is broadcast from Poor Mountain. Television and Radio Tower Farm on Poor Mountain in Roanoke Virginia.jpg
WFXR is broadcast from Poor Mountain.

Subchannels

WFXR and WWCW broadcast two shared channels (Fox on 27.1 and 21.2 and The CW on 27.2 and 21.1) and two unique diginets each.

Subchannels of WFXR [65]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
27.1 720p 16:9 WFXR-HD Fox
27.2 WWCW-HD The CW (WWCW)
27.3 480i Bounce Bounce TV
27.4ANT TV Antenna TV
  Simulcast of subchannels of another station

Analog-to-digital conversion

WFXR discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 27, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 17, using virtual channel 27. [66]

Notes

  1. The WB was aired on the main channel from 1999 to 2001, when local cable channel "WBVA" was launched. This was then added as a subchannel to both stations beginning in 2002.

Related Research Articles

KHNL is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of NBC and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KGMB. The two stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in downtown Honolulu; KHNL's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii. KHNL is also rebroadcast on the island of Hawaiʻi, Maui, and Kauaʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSEE</span> NBC affiliate in Fresno, California

KSEE is a television station in Fresno, California, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside CBS affiliate KGPE. The two stations share studios on McKinley Avenue in eastern Fresno; KSEE's transmitter is located on Bear Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEYE-TV</span> CBS/Telemundo affiliate in Austin, Texas

KEYE-TV is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on Metric Boulevard in North Austin and a transmitter on Waymaker Way on the city's west side.

WLAX, licensed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, and WEUX, licensed to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, are two television stations affiliated with Fox network for the La Crosse–Eau Claire market. The stations are owned by Nexstar Media Group. WLAX maintains studios at Interchange Place in La Crosse and a transmitter in La Crescent, Minnesota, while WEUX has offices on WIS 93 in Eau Claire and a transmitter southeast of Colfax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLJB</span> Fox affiliate in Davenport, Iowa

KLJB is a television station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Quad Cities area. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of Rock Island, Illinois–licensed CBS affiliate WHBF-TV and Burlington, Iowa–licensed CW owned-and-operated station KGCW, for the provision of certain services. The three stations share studios in the Telco Building on 18th Street in downtown Rock Island; KLJB's transmitter is located near Orion, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAVY-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Portsmouth, Virginia

WAVY-TV is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Virginia Beach–licensed dual Fox affiliate/CW owned-and-operated station WVBT. The two stations share studios on Wavy Street in downtown Portsmouth; WAVY-TV's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

WGNT is an independent television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Norfolk-licensed CBS affiliate WTKR. The two stations share studios on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk; WGNT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVBT</span> Fox/CW affiliate in Virginia Beach, Virginia

WVBT is a television station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of the Fox network. Its second digital subchannel serves as an owned-and-operated station of The CW. WVBT is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Portsmouth-licensed NBC affiliate WAVY-TV. The two stations share studios on Wavy Street in downtown Portsmouth; WVBT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRIC-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Petersburg, Virginia

WRIC-TV is a television station licensed to Petersburg, Virginia, United States, serving the Richmond area as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios in unincorporated Chesterfield County, overlooking Powhite Parkway just south of the Midlothian Turnpike interchange. Its transmitter is located in Bon Air, on a tower shared with local PBS member stations WCVE and WCVW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSLS-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia

WSLS-TV is a television station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States, serving the Roanoke–Lynchburg market as an affiliate of NBC. Owned by Graham Media Group, the station maintains studios on Fifth Street in Roanoke, and its transmitter is located on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County. It is the third-oldest continuously operating station in Virginia, behind Richmond's WTVR-TV and Norfolk's WTKR, as well as the state's oldest station west of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDBJ</span> CBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia

WDBJ is a television station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Danville-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WZBJ, channel 24. WDBJ and WZBJ share studios on Hershberger Road in northwest Roanoke; through a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WDBJ's spectrum from an antenna on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVIR-TV</span> NBC/CW affiliate in Charlottesville, Virginia

WVIR-TV is a television station in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus. Owned by Gray Television, the station has studios on East Market Street in downtown Charlottesville, and its primary transmitter is located on Carters Mountain south of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Grant</span> American disc jockey and TV station owner (1923–2007)

Milton Grant was an American disc jockey and owner of television stations. Born in New York City, it was in Washington, D.C., where he made his mark as a disc jockey at radio stations WINX and WOL. Beginning in the early 1950s, he began appearing on Washington television station WTTG. From 1956 to 1961, he hosted the six-time-a-week The Milt Grant Show on WTTG; it was Washington's primary teen dance show on TV and made him a Washington icon of the period. When WTTG abruptly canceled the show in 1961, Grant continued to host programs on a "Teen Network" of four regional radio stations.

WZBJ is a television station licensed to Danville, Virginia, United States, serving the Roanoke–Lynchburg market as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Roanoke-licensed CBS affiliate WDBJ. WZBJ and WDBJ share studios on Hershberger Road in northwest Roanoke; through a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WDBJ's spectrum from an antenna on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County.

WZDX is a television station in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on North Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, and its transmitter is located on Monte Sano Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFDX-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Wichita Falls, Texas

KFDX-TV is a television station licensed to Wichita Falls, Texas, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the western Texoma area. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate KJBO-LD ; Nexstar also provides certain services to Fox affiliate KJTL under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The three stations share studios near Seymour Highway and Turtle Creek Road in Wichita Falls, where KFDX-TV's transmitter is also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KGCW</span> CW TV station in Burlington, Iowa

KGCW is a television station licensed to Burlington, Iowa, United States, serving as the CW network outlet for the Quad Cities area. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside regional CBS affiliate WHBF-TV. Nexstar also provides certain services to Fox affiliate KLJB under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The three stations share studios in the Telco Building on 18th Street in downtown Rock Island, Illinois; KGCW's transmitter is located near Orion, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVEO-TV</span> NBC/CBS affiliate in Brownsville, Texas

KVEO-TV is a television station licensed to Brownsville, Texas, United States, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Harlingen-licensed KGBT-TV, which airs Antenna TV and MyNetworkTV. The two stations share studios on West Expressway in Harlingen; KVEO-TV's transmitter is located in Santa Maria, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WROV-TV</span> Television station in Virginia, United States

WROV-TV was a television station on ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 27 in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It broadcast from March 2 to July 18, 1953, becoming the first UHF station in the United States to cease broadcasting. Its failure was the first of many in the early days of UHF television, which was hindered by signal issues in mountainous areas and the lack of UHF tuning on all television sets—a problem not resolved until the All-Channel Receiver Act took effect in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWCW</span> CW TV station in Lynchburg, Virginia

WWCW is a television station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, United States, serving as the CW outlet for the Roanoke–Lynchburg market. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Roanoke-licensed Fox affiliate WFXR. The two stations share studios at the Valleypointe office park on Valleypointe Parkway in northeastern Roanoke County; WWCW operates an advertising sales office on Airport Road, along Lynchburg's southwestern border with Campbell County. The station's transmitter is located on Thaxton Mountain in unincorporated central Bedford County. WFXR broadcasts WWCW's CW programming from its transmitter on Poor Mountain in Roanoke County as one of its subchannels and vice versa.

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for WFXR". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "City's Second TV Station Begins Regular Broadcasts". The World-News. March 3, 1953. p. 7. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "WROV-TV Folds Saturday; Asks Switch to Channel 7". The World-News. July 15, 1953. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Roanoke Points Up Post-Freeze Problems" (PDF). Television Digest. July 18, 1953. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  5. Beatty, J. Frank (July 13, 1953). "What Happened in Roanoke?" (PDF). Broadcasting. pp. 115–118. ProQuest   1401202784. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  6. "All-Channel TV Ruled Mandatory". The Akron Beacon Journal. UPI. November 23, 1962. p. 17. Retrieved August 8, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  7. Middleton, Norwood (January 30, 1955). "Agreement Reached Looking to New TV Station In Roanoke: Times-World To Acquire WROV Rights". The Roanoke Times. p. 1, 2. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "WRFT-TV" (PDF). Television Factbook. 1967. p. 749-b. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  9. "Roanoke ABC Station Crippled By Walkout". The Southwest Times. UPI. May 2, 1974. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  10. "Debt Puts Channel 27 Off Air In Roanoke". Daily Press. Associated Press. February 12, 1975. p. 13. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  11. "WRLU-TV may lose license". The World-News. December 16, 1975. p. 4. Archived from the original on February 14, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  12. Gladden, Chris (March 30, 1979). "Religious Group Plans New Use For Old Channel 27". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-1, B-7. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  13. Poff, Mag (June 12, 1979). "3 groups seek license for Ch. 27". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-1, B-3. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  14. Poff, Mag (September 6, 1979). "TV firm to apply for station in city". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-1, B-2. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  15. Poff, Mag (September 14, 1979). "Christian groups combine efforts to get TV license". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-8. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  16. Kegley, George (July 29, 1980). "Suit claims broadcasting firm plagiarized engineering data". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-2. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Fourth TV channel OK'd for Roanoke". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. December 15, 1981. p. 9. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Going on air". Roanoke Times and World-News. January 3, 1986. p. B6. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  19. Warren, Lucian (June 25, 1982). "Permit for Christian TV station approved". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B-3. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  20. Kegley, George (March 5, 1983). "Suit against Christian TV firm dismissed in Roanoke court". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. A-6. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Roanoke Christian gets permit for TV station". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. March 17, 1984. p. A-5. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  22. DeBell, Jeff (March 21, 1986). "Limited partnership sought for Channel 27". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. A9. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  23. Payne, Melinda J. (October 11, 1986). "More TV for Western Va.: WVFT hopes to sign on Wednesday on Ch. 27". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. C1, C3. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  24. Payne, Melinda J. (November 13, 1986). "Problems solved, Channel 27 goes on air at last". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B12. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  25. DeBell, Jeff (March 28, 1986). "Channel 10 will begin broadcasting in stereo". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B4. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  26. "TV station's call letters challenged". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Associated Press. February 20, 1987. p. C-10. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Roanoke TV station can keep call letters". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Associated Press. March 20, 1987. p. C-4. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  28. "Radio station drops call-letter lawsuit". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Associated Press. September 2, 1987. p. C-5. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  29. 1 2 Payne, Melinda J. (January 28, 1989). "Double vision: Despite financial concerns, independents say they're going to stick it out until the end". Roanoke Times and World-News. pp. Extra 1, 8. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  30. "Taxes unpaid, suit against station says". Roanoke Times and World-News. December 28, 1988. p. B2. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  31. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 6, 1989. p. 60. ProQuest   1014728066. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  32. Weyen, Wendy (April 15, 1989). "Broadcast empire crumbling at edges". St. Petersburg Times. p. 6B. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  33. Kegley, George (November 15, 1988). "WJPR seeks Chapter 11 protection". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. B1. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  34. 1 2 Kegley, George; Milteer, Chuck (September 23, 1989). "Stations' sales put in doubt: Indictment may foil 2 TV deals". Roanoke Times and World-News. p. A3, A6. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  35. 1 2 Powelson, Richard (September 19, 1989). "Prospective WKCH buyer linked to alleged partner of Gen. Noriega". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. A1, A2. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  36. Norton, Erle (September 21, 1989). "Religious group almost sold license to man accused of money-laundering". The Macon Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. p. 1A, 4A. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  37. Milteer, Chuck (October 18, 1989). "TV stations get new bid". Roanoke Times and World-News. p. B7. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  38. Milteer, Chuck (February 1, 1990). "2 stations may be merged". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. C6. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  39. Milteer, Chuck (August 5, 1990). "WVFT-27 to broadcast Channel 21 programs". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. p. C6. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  40. "Sale of TV stations wins FCC approval". Roanoke Times and World-News. Roanoke, Virginia. September 11, 1990. p. A5. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  41. "FCC OK's satellite TV for Lynchburg–Roanoke, Va" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 17, 1990. p. 72. ProQuest   1014729870. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  42. Hatter, Melanie S. (October 7, 1993). "Fox affiliate going for a new look". Roanoke Times and World-News. p. B8. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  43. Hatter, Melanie (October 25, 1993). "Roanoke's Channel 27 is now WFXR". Roanoke Times and World-News. p. Extra 2. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  44. Lowe, Cody (April 14, 1995). "Playing with the big guys: Local Fox affiliate is now making its mark in the ratings". The Roanoke Times. p. Extra 1, 9. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  45. Berrier, Ralph Jr. (October 7, 1999). "'Buffy' to stake out the pre-dawn hours". The Roanoke Times. p. Extra 2. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  46. Macy, Beth (January 30, 2001). "New station to begin airing Warner Brothers lineup". The Roanoke Times. p. Extra 1. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  47. 1 2 "Fox 21/27 Information". Fox 21/27. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  48. Harper, Marques G. (May 20, 2006). "The CW announces its lineup". The Roanoke Times. p. Extra 3. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  49. Berman, Mark (September 27, 2006). "New MO for Daddy Ditmore". The Roanoke Times. p. C5 via Newspapers.com.
  50. Malone, Michael (November 6, 2013). "Nexstar to Acquire Seven Grant Stations For $87.5 Million". Broadcasting & Cable . Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  51. "Nexstar To Pay $87.5M For 7 Grant Stations". TVNewsCheck. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  52. "At Last, FCC OKs Nexstar Buy Of Grant TVs". TVNewsCheck. November 3, 2014. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  53. "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 1, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  54. Berrier, Ralph Jr. (March 12, 2015). "Roanoke's Fox 21/27 plans big changes". The Roanoke Times . Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  55. 1 2 3 Berrier, Ralph Jr. (September 17, 2015). "Fox 21/27 moves into new studio, plans more news programs". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  56. 1 2 3 "Nexstar Completes New Facility In Roanoke". TVNewsCheck. September 17, 2015. Archived from the original on September 9, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  57. "Nexstar-Media General: It's A Done Deal". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  58. Picker, Leslie (January 27, 2016). "Nexstar Clinches Deal to Acquire Media General". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  59. Miller, Mark K. (May 27, 2016). "Nexstar Selling Five Stations in Four Markets". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  60. 1 2 Lowe, Cody (September 9, 1996). "WDBJ inaugurates 10 p.m. newscast". The Roanoke Times. p. Extra 2. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  61. Berrier, Ralph Jr. (August 8, 1997). "Channel 7 cancels WEFC 10 p.m. news: Newscast made debut in September". The Roanoke Times. p. B4. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  62. Lowe, Cody (September 7, 1996). "Local station changes include Fox newscast". The Roanoke Times. p. Spectator 1, 3. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  63. Knox, Merrill (February 1, 2012). "Bob Grebe Leaves WDBJ to Anchor at Rival WFXR". TVSpy. Mediabistro Holdings. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  64. "WFXR's commitment to local news". WFXR. Nexstar Broadcasting Group. October 1, 2015. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  65. "RabbitEars TV Query for WFXR". RabbitEars . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  66. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.