WZPX-TV

Last updated

WZPX-TV
City Battle Creek, Michigan
Channels
BrandingIon Television
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Inyo Broadcast Holdings
  • (Inyo Broadcast Licenses LLC)
History
First air date
October 11, 1996(27 years ago) (1996-10-11)
Former call signs
  • WJUE (1996–1997)
  • WILV (1997–1998)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 43 (UHF, 1996–2009)
  • Digital: 44 (UHF, until 2019)
  • inTV (1996–1998)
  • UPN (secondary, 1996–1999)
  • The WB (secondary, 1999–2006)
Call sign meaning
Pax
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 71871
ERP 400 kW [2]
HAAT 278.2 m (913 ft) [2]
Transmitter coordinates 42°34′15.5″N85°28′8.9″W / 42.570972°N 85.469139°W / 42.570972; -85.469139 [2]
Links
Public license information
Website iontelevision.com

WZPX-TV (channel 43) 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. [2]

Contents

Until 2019, the station's transmitter was located in Vermontville Township in western Eaton County (in the Lansing market).

History

WZPX first signed on the air on October 11, 1996, as WJUE, carrying infomercials for most of the day as part of Paxson Communications' inTV service, along with programming from the United Paramount Network (UPN) as a secondary affiliation. The station's original licensee was Horizon Broadcasting Corporation, which Paxson Communications acquired before the station's sign-on. When Paxson bought WBSX-TV in Ann Arbor (now WPXD-TV), WJUE was spun off to DP Media, a sister company because of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership rules in effect at the time. WBSX's transmitter was located near Chelsea in northwestern Washtenaw County, which was close enough to the Ingham County line to give WBSX city-grade coverage of Lansing. Jackson, the second-largest city in the Lansing market, also got a fairly strong signal from WBSX. At the time, the FCC normally did not allow common ownership of stations with overlapping signals, and would not even consider granting a waiver for a city-grade overlap. Even though the two stations were in different markets, the FCC ruled that WJUE and WBSX were effectively a duopoly, forcing WJUE's sale. However, Paxson continued to operate the station under a local marketing agreement (LMA). Within a year, the station changed its call letters to WILV.

On August 31, 1998, the station became a charter affiliate of Pax TV, and changed its call letters to the current WZPX-TV. One year later, on August 31, 1999, UPN programming moved to Grand Rapids-based WXSP-CA (channel 15). On October 6 of that year, WZPX became a secondary affiliate of The WB. UPN would later find an affiliate in Lansing on WHTV (channel 18) on October 16, 2000. During this time, the network's Detroit owned-and-operated station WKBD-TV was carried as an out-of-market signal on local cable providers. In 2000, when the FCC relaxed its ownership rules to allow ownership of stations with overlapping coverage, Paxson repurchased the station outright.

As UPN, WB and Pax TV all offered prime time programming on weekdays, WZPX had scheduling conflicts during its affiliations with the former two networks. It carried the Pax programs on the same days and times as other stations, programs from UPN delayed to 11 p.m. and midnight, respectively, and programs from The WB on a one-day delay, two hours before prime time. For example, WB primetime programs that aired on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in other markets aired on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. on WZPX; promotional spots for these programs announced their local time slots. The station carried a brief announcement when switching between programs from the differing networks. The Disney's One Too/UPN Kids blocks ran on weekday mornings, while Kids' WB ran on weekday afternoons; the Kids' WB Saturday block still aired on Saturday mornings. The Pax programming bumped from the afternoon slot simply moved earlier in the day in place of infomercials that would normally air in that slot at the time. In part, because the station had the added draw of UPN and later WB programming, WZPX was at one point one of Pax TV's highest-rated affiliates.

Despite the large signal overlap between WZPX and WPXD, Lansing-area cable providers opted to carry WZPX as the Ion Television station since its signal was broadcast closer from Vermontville Township, within the Lansing television market. WPXD has since moved its transmitter to a tower in Southfield; as a result, its signal no longer covers Lansing or Jackson.

Due to the closure of The WB on September 17, 2006, WZPX became solely an Ion owned-and-operated station (The CW and MyNetworkTV chose to affiliate with subchannels of WWMT and WXSP-CD, respectively, allowing full prime time carriage of their schedules). [3] [4]

Sale to Scripps and resale to Inyo

On September 24, 2020, the Cincinnati-based E. W. Scripps Company announced that it would purchase Ion Media for $2.65 billion, with financing from Berkshire Hathaway. With this purchase, Scripps divested 23 Ion-owned stations, allowing the merged company to fully comply with the FCC local and national ownership regulations. Scripps has agreed to a transaction with Inyo Broadcast Holdings, who has agreed to maintain Ion affiliations for the stations. Had Scripps decided to keep WZPX-TV, it would have become a sister station to Fox affiliate WXMI (channel 17). [5] [6] [7]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
43.1 720p 16:9 ION Ion Television
43.2 480i Court TV Court TV
43.3Grit Grit
43.4Laff Laff
43.5Mystery Ion Mystery
43.6SCRIPPS Scripps News
43.7Jewelry Jewelry TV
43.8HSN HSN
43.9QVC QVC

Analog-to-digital conversion

WZPX-TV's digital signal on UHF channel 44 signed on November 1, 2008 (The Worship Network was removed from all Ion-owned stations, including WZPX, on February 1, 2010). The station shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 43, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. [9] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 44, using virtual channel 43.

Related Research Articles

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

Ion Television is an American broadcast television network 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 airs programming in daily binge blocks of one program, usually acquired procedural dramas. The network also carries some holiday specials and films before Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXSP-CD</span> MyNetworkTV affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan

WXSP-CD is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Grand Rapids–licensed NBC affiliate WOOD-TV and Battle Creek–licensed ABC affiliate WOTV. The stations share studios on College Avenue Southeast in the Heritage Hill section of Grand Rapids, while WXSP-CD's transmitter is located in Walker. Another repeater station licensed to Grand Rapids, WOLP-CD, utilizes and is co-located with WOOD-TV's transmitter southwest of Middleville.

WYPX-TV is a television station licensed to Amsterdam, New York, United States, serving the Capital District as an affiliate of Ion Television. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station has offices on Charles Boulevard in Guilderland, and its transmitter is located in the Helderberg Escarpment in New Scotland.

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

KUPX-TV, branded on-air as 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBDT</span> CW TV station in Springfield, Ohio

WBDT is a television station licensed to Springfield, Ohio, United States, serving the Dayton area as a de facto owned-and-operated station of The CW. It is owned by Vaughan Media, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of NBC affiliate WDTN and majority owner of The CW, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on South Dixie Drive in Moraine. Through a channel sharing agreement, WBDT, along with Richmond, Indiana–licensed Ion Television O&O WKOI-TV, share WDTN's digital channel from WDTN's transmitter facility on Frytown Road in southwest Dayton.

WPXX-TV is a television station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with Ion Television. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, WPXX-TV maintains studios and transmitter facilities on Brother Boulevard in Bartlett, Tennessee. The station also serves as the de facto Ion outlet for the Jackson, Tennessee and Jonesboro, Arkansas markets.

WBUI is a television station licensed to Decatur, Illinois, United States, serving the Central Illinois region as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by GOCOM Media, LLC, alongside Springfield-licensed Fox affiliate WRSP-TV, channel 55. GOCOM maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Springfield-licensed ABC affiliate WICS, channel 20, for the provision of certain services. WBUI, WRSP and WICS share studios on East Cook Street in Springfield's Eastside; WBUI maintains an advertising sales office on South Main Street/US 51 in downtown Decatur and transmitter facilities in Whitmore Township.

KKPX-TV is a television station licensed to San Jose, California, United States, serving as the Ion Television outlet for the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, and has offices on Price Avenue in Redwood City; its transmitter is located atop San Bruno Mountain.

KPXE-TV is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with Ion Television. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station maintains offices on Oak Street and Cleaver Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, and its transmitter is located in the city's Brown Estates section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPXD-TV</span> Ion Television station in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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 maintains studios and transmitter facilities on West 11 Mile Road in Southfield, Michigan.

WGPX-TV is a television station licensed to Burlington, North Carolina, United States, serving the Piedmont Triad region as an affiliate of Ion Television. The station is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, and maintains offices on North O'Henry Boulevard in Greensboro; its transmitter is located in Randleman, North Carolina.

WPXC-TV is a television station licensed to Brunswick, Georgia, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Jacksonville, Florida, area. It is the only major commercial station in the Jacksonville market that is licensed in Georgia. The station is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, and has studios on Blythe Island Highway/State Route 303 in southwestern Brunswick; its transmitter is located in unincorporated southwestern Camden County, Georgia.

WPXJ-TV is a television station licensed to Batavia, New York, United States, serving the Buffalo area as an affiliate of Ion Television. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station maintains offices on Exchange Street in Buffalo, and its transmitter is located in Cowlesville, New York.

WUPX-TV is a television station licensed to Richmond, Kentucky, United States, serving the Lexington area as an affiliate of Ion Television. The station is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, and maintains a transmitter on High Bridge Road north of Bryantsville, Kentucky.

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.

WPXE-TV is a television station licensed to Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Milwaukee area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongside NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV, with engineering and some master control operations run out of WTMJ-TV's Radio City facility on East Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. WPXE's transmitter is located on the WITI TV Tower on East Capitol Drive in Shorewood, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KPXJ</span> CW affiliate in Minden, Louisiana

KPXJ is a television station licensed to Minden, Louisiana, United States, serving the Shreveport area as an affiliate of The CW. The station is owned by locally based KTBS, LLC, alongside ABC affiliate KTBS-TV. The two stations share studios on East Kings Highway on the eastern side of Shreveport; KPXJ's transmitter is located near St. Johns Baptist Church Road in rural northern Caddo Parish.

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.

WNPX-TV is a television station licensed to Franklin, Tennessee, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Nashville area. It is owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company alongside CBS affiliate WTVF. WNPX-TV's transmitter is located near Cross Plains, Tennessee.

WIPX-LD is a low-power religious television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, owned and operated by the Daystar Television Network. The station's transmitter is located on Walnut Drive in Indianapolis' northwest side. It is operated separately from full-power sister station WDTI in the city.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WZPX-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Modification of a DTV Station Construction Permit Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. March 11, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  3. ↑ CW Adds Seven More Affiliates, Broadcasting & Cable , April 4, 2006.
  4. ↑ My LIN TV: 4 More For New Fox Net, Broadcasting & Cable , April 26, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Breaking News – Scripps Creates National Television Networks Business with Acquisition of ION Media". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  6. ↑ Cimilluca, Dana. "E.W. Scripps Agrees to Buy ION Media for $2.65 billion in Berkshire-Backed Deal" . Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ E.W. Scripps scales up with $2.65 billion Berkshire-backed deal for ION Media
  8. "RabbitEars TV Query for WZPX". www.rabbitears.info.
  9. ↑ "List of Digital Full-Power Stations" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
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.