WPXV-TV

Last updated

WPXV-TV
Channels
BrandingIon
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Inyo Broadcast Holdings
  • (Inyo Broadcast Licenses LLC)
History
First air date
May 29, 1989(35 years ago) (1989-05-29)
Former call signs
WJCB (1989–1998)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 49 (UHF, 1989–2009)
  • Digital: 46 (UHF, until 2020)
Religious Ind. (1989–1997)
inTV (1997–1998)
Call sign meaning
Pax Virginia
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 67077
ERP 865 kW [2]
HAAT 348 m (1,142 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 36°49′0″N76°28′5″W / 36.81667°N 76.46806°W / 36.81667; -76.46806
Links
Public license information
Website iontelevision.com

WPXV-TV (channel 49) is a television station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, serving as the Ion Television affiliate for the Hampton Roads area. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station has studios on Nansemond Parkway in Suffolk, Virginia, adjacent to the transmitter tower it shares with ABC affiliate WVEC (channel 13).

Contents

History

WJCB

On August 9, 1985, Tidewater Christian Communications received the construction permit for a new channel 49 television station at Norfolk. Tidewater Christian, controlled by several Black ministers from Hampton Roads-area churches, set up shop in the former WVEC studios in Hampton and built WJCB. The station would broadcast religious programming and family-oriented secular shows. [3] The first general manager was Dwight Green, son of Church of God in Christ bishop Samuel L. Green Jr. [3]

Channel 49 signed on the air May 29, 1989. At the outset, WJCB was hampered by a weak signal, and local cable companies refused to add the new station to their lineups. [4] It did not appear on some Hampton Roads systems until must-carry rules were reinstated in 1993. [5]

In 1994, WJCB went through a management change, as stockholders successfully pushed for a court order to install a new board to manage the money-losing station. Under new management, WJCB added home shopping programming from ViaTV in 1994, in an attempt to boost its revenue. [6] A year later, the station dropped ViaTV for programs from the new America One network and Infomall, an infomercial service owned by Paxson Communications Corporation; these aired alongside music videos and religious programs. [7]

Lockwood Broadcasting purchased WJCB from Tidewater Christian Communications in 1996 for $6.75 million. [8] [9] Lockwood already owned a network of low-power TV stations headed by WPEN-LP. [10] The company moved to spend $1.5 million on an improved transmitter for channel 49 and new studio facilities and to move the syndicated inventory of WPEN to the full-power station. [11]

Lockwood had no intention of selling the newly purchased WJCB; however, Paxson presented it with an offer to buy the station for $14.75 million—more than twice what Lockwood had paid to purchase it from Tidewater Christian—and the sale to Paxson was announced in December. [8]

WPXV-TV

WPXV "Pax 49" logo, used from 1998 to 2005. Wpxv.gif
WPXV "Pax 49" logo, used from 1998 to 2005.

Paxson Communications changed the WJCB call letters to WPXV on March 2, 1998. Religious programming and infomercials as well as shopping programming continued to air on WPXV until August 31, when the station started airing Pax programming in the late afternoons and evenings with infomercials and religious programming during the day, with the launch of the then-new Pax network. [12] WPXV aired rebroadcasts of WAVY-TV's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. weeknights from 2003 to 2004 and had master control in WAVY's studios until 2004 when Paxson and NBC broke up the agreement. [13] [14]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WPXV-TV [15]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
49.1 720p 16:9 ION Ion Television
49.2Scripps Scripps News
49.3 480i Mystery Ion Mystery
49.4Defy TV Ion Plus [16]
49.5Laff Laff
49.6Jewelry JTV
49.7QVC QVC
49.8HSN HSN

The Worship Network was previously seen on WPXV-TV's fourth digital subchannel; [12] however, Ion dropped The Worship Network on all Ion owned and operated stations on January 31, 2010, at midnight. [17]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WPXV-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 49, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. [18] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 46, using virtual channel 49.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Television</span> American television network

Ion Television is an American broadcast television network and FAST streaming television channel owned by the Scripps Networks subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company. The network first began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, as Pax TV, focusing primarily on family-oriented entertainment programming. It rebranded as i: Independent Television on July 1, 2005, converting into a general entertainment network featuring recent and older acquired programs. The network adopted its identity as Ion Television on January 29, 2007, and for many years aired programming in daily binge blocks of one program, usually acquired procedural dramas. More recently, the network has acquired and begun airing many more shows of the same or similar format. The network also carries some holiday specials and films before Christmas.

WPXN-TV is a television station in New York City, serving as the local Ion Television outlet. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains offices on Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and transmits from atop One World Trade Center.

WPXW-TV is a television station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Washington, D.C. area. The station is owned by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, and maintains business offices in Fairfax Station, Virginia; its transmitter is located on River Road in Bethesda, Maryland. The Ion network is also broadcast in the region from WWPX-TV in Martinsburg, West Virginia, which shares the same subchannels as WPXW-TV, and on a subchannel of Scripps-owned ABC affiliate WMAR-TV in Baltimore.

WZPX-TV is a television station licensed to Battle Creek, Michigan, United States, serving as the Ion Television affiliate for West Michigan. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station maintains offices on Horizon Drive in Grand Rapids and a transmitter on South Norris Road in Orangeville Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUPX-TV</span> Independent TV station in Provo, Utah

KUPX-TV, branded Utah 16, is an independent television station licensed to Provo, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Fox affiliate KSTU. KUPX-TV's offices are located on Lawndale Drive in the southern section of Salt Lake City, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City.

KPXD-TV is a television station licensed to Arlington, Texas, United States, serving as the Ion Television outlet for the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, the station has offices on Six Flags Drive in Arlington, and its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas.

WIPX-TV is a television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, United States, serving the Indianapolis area as an affiliate of Ion Television. It is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings alongside Scripps News affiliate WCLJ-TV. WIPX-TV and WCLJ-TV share offices on Production Drive in southwestern Indianapolis; through a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WIPX-TV's spectrum from an antenna on SR 252 in Trafalgar, Indiana.

WHPX-TV is a television station licensed to New London, Connecticut, United States, serving as the Ion Television affiliate for the Hartford–New Haven market. The station is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, and maintains offices in New London and a transmitter on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, Connecticut.

WPXD-TV is a television station licensed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, serving as the Ion Television affiliate for the Detroit area. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station broadcasts from a transmitter on West 11 Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVEC</span> ABC affiliate in Hampton, Virginia

WVEC is a television station licensed to Hampton, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of ABC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios on Woodis Avenue in Norfolk; its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

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

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHRO-TV</span> PBS member station in Hampton–Norfolk, Virginia

WHRO-TV is a PBS member television station licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It is owned by the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association (HRETA), a consortium of 21 Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore school systems, alongside public radio stations WFOS, WHRV, and WHRO-FM (90.3). The four stations share studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk; WHRO-TV's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

WGNT is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Norfolk-licensed CBS affiliate WTKR. Both stations share studios on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk, while WGNT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, 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. It 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">WSKY-TV</span> Television station in the United States

WSKY-TV is an independent television station licensed to Manteo, North Carolina, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area. It is the flagship station of the Hampton, Virginia–based Lockwood Broadcast Group, and has studios on Salters Creek Road in Hampton; its transmitter is located near South Mills, North Carolina. Despite WSKY-TV being licensed to Manteo, the station maintains no physical presence there.

KPXB-TV is a television station licensed to Conroe, Texas, United States, serving as the Houston area outlet for the Ion Television network. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, and maintains a transmitter near Missouri City, in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County.

WRLM is a religious television station licensed to Canton, Ohio, United States, serving the Cleveland–Akron television market. The station is owned and operated by Tri-State Christian Television (TCT). Through a channel sharing agreement with PBS member station WEAO, the two stations transmit using WEAO's spectrum from an antenna in Copley, Ohio.

WQPX-TV is a television station licensed to Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, the station has offices on Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton, and its transmitter is located on Bald Mountain, northwest of Scranton and I-476.

WPEN-LP was a low-power television station licensed to Hampton, Virginia, United States, which served the Hampton Roads television market. The station began broadcasting in 1985; it then changed call signs to WPEN-LP on March 20, 1995. During its time on the air, it was an independent station, then picking up an affiliation with The Box, and later MTV2, before signing off in 2002. WPEN-LP was not related to the Philadelphia radio station WPEN.

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

WGBS-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Carrollton, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area and primarily airing paid programming. The station is owned by Joan Wright.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WPXV-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "Modification of a DTV Station Construction Permit Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Pryweller, Joseph (January 13, 1989). "New television station to enter local market". Daily Press. pp. C1, C2 . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ Pryweller, Joseph (July 22, 1989). "WAVY adds more news to its lineup". Daily Press. pp. C1, C5 . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ Nicholson, David (September 2, 1993). "NN cable now carries new channels, lineup". Daily Press. p. D4. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ Nicholson, David (July 9, 1994). "Programming, management change on WJCB". Daily Press. p. D1. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  7. ↑ Nicholson, David (August 26, 1995). "'buz tv' ditched from lineup on WTKR-TV". Daily Press. p. D1. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Nicholson, David (October 5, 1997). "Paxson snatches up WJCB-TV". Daily Press. pp. B8, B9 . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Hampton Roads By The Numbers - Daily Press". Articles.dailypress.com. February 5, 1998. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  10. ↑ Nicholson, David (October 23, 1996). "WPEN buys full-power TV station". Daily Press. p. B6. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Nicholson, David (April 5, 1997). "Lockwood buys WJCB, plans upgrade". Daily Press. p. D1. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  12. 1 2 "VARTV.com | Hampton Roads". Hamptonroads.vartv.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Norfolk, VA". Archived from the original on May 28, 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2004.
  14. ↑ Carter, Bill (August 23, 2004). "MEDIA; NBC Universal and Paxson: An Odd Dance to a Divorce". The New York Times.
  15. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WPXV
  16. ↑ Keys, Matthew (June 28, 2024). "Scripps replacing Defy TV with Ion Plus on broadcast TV". TheDesk.net. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  17. ↑ "January 2010 Newsletter". Worship Network. January 23, 2010. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  18. ↑ List of Digital Full-Power Stations
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.