KPXL-TV

KPXL-TV is a television station licensed to Uvalde, Texas, and serving viewers in and around the San Antonio television market. It operates as an affiliate of Ion Television, the national entertainment network associated with Ion Media. The station broadcasts on channel 26 and is identified by the KPXL-TV call sign, while its licensed community is Uvalde and its broader audience is concentrated in south-central Texas. The station began broadcasting on February 19, 1999. Paxson Communications constructed and launched KPXL-TV as an owned-and-operated station of Pax TV, a network originally positioned around family-oriented entertainment. During its early operating period, the station also carried overnight religious programming from The Worship Network. Pax TV later developed into a broader general-entertainment service, first adopting the i: Independent Television identity and ultimately becoming Ion Television. KPXL-TV remained part of that network evolution and now functions primarily as a national-network outlet rather than as a locally originated general-news station. KPXL-TV has had limited involvement in local news distribution. From 1999 to 2000, it was affiliated with The News of Texas. Between 2000 and 2004, the station carried rebroadcasts of newscasts produced by San Antonio NBC affiliate KMOL-TV, including evening editions at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. KMOL-TV changed its call sign to WOAI-TV in 2002. These arrangements gave KPXL-TV a local-news presence for part of its early history, but the station later centered its schedule on Ion programming. The station's transmission facilities are located off Highway 173 and Ranch-to-Market Road 689 near the Medina–Bandera county line, west-northwest of Lakehills. KPXL-TV completed the United States digital television transition through a flash cut on June 12, 2009. Because its original construction permit was granted after the Federal Communications Commission finalized the digital television allotment plan, the station did not receive a separate companion digital channel; instead, its digital signal moved directly to UHF channel 26 when analog broadcasting ended. Ownership changed as part of the broader consolidation of Ion Media. On September 24, 2020, The E. W. Scripps Company announced an agreement to acquire Ion Media for $2.65 billion, with financing from Berkshire Hathaway. The transaction placed KPXL-TV within Scripps' television portfolio through Ion Media. As an Ion outlet, KPXL-TV's principal role is to deliver the network's nationally distributed entertainment schedule to the San Antonio market, supported by the station's over-the-air broadcast infrastructure and associated digital subchannels where applicable.

KPXL-TV began broadcasting on February 19, 1999, after being built and signed on by Paxson Communications. It launched as an owned-and-operated station of Pax TV, a network designed initially around family-oriented programming. During the overnight period, the station carried religious content from The Worship Network. Pax TV subsequently broadened its programming strategy and changed identities, becoming i: Independent Television before adopting the Ion Television name. KPXL-TV followed this network continuity and became an Ion outlet serving the San Antonio area. In its first years, KPXL-TV experimented with locally relevant programming and news relationships. It was affiliated with The News of Texas from 1999 to 2000. From 2000 through 2004, the station aired rebroadcasts of KMOL-TV newscasts at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. KMOL-TV changed its call sign to WOAI-TV in 2002. These arrangements supplied KPXL-TV with news content from an established San Antonio station, although the station's principal identity remained tied to its network affiliation. KPXL-TV's licensed city is Uvalde, while its broadcast service is directed toward the larger San Antonio television market. Its transmitter facilities are situated off Highway 173 and Ranch-to-Market Road 689 near the Medina–Bandera county line, west-northwest of Lakehills. The station broadcasts on UHF channel 26. Because its original construction permit was issued after the Federal Communications Commission finalized the digital television allotment plan on April 21, 1997, KPXL-TV was not assigned a separate companion digital channel. On June 12, 2009, the station discontinued regular analog programming and completed a digital flash cut on UHF channel 26. This made KPXL-TV part of the United States transition from analog to digital television without changing its primary channel number. Its digital operation supports the station's over-the-air distribution and any associated multiplexed services authorized for the facility. The station's ownership later became part of a major broadcast transaction. On September 24, 2020, The E. W. Scripps Company announced that it would acquire Ion Media for $2.65 billion, using financing from Berkshire Hathaway. As part of the transaction structure, 23 stations were designated for divestiture to Inyo Broadcast Holdings, while the Ion affiliations were to be maintained. The acquisition placed KPXL-TV within the Ion Media portfolio controlled by Scripps. The station's current role is primarily that of a local transmission outlet for Ion Television's nationally distributed entertainment schedule in south-central Texas.

• 2020

  Scripps announces Ion Media acquisition

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The E. W. Scripps Company announced its planned acquisition of Ion Media for $2.65 billion, placing KPXL-TV within the Scripps-owned Ion portfolio.

• 2009

  Digital flash cut

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KPXL-TV ended analog broadcasting on June 12 and moved its digital signal to UHF channel 26.

• 2004

  News rebroadcasts end

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KPXL-TV's rebroadcasts of the San Antonio affiliate's newscasts ended after a run lasting from 2000 to 2004.

• 2002

  KMOL-TV becomes WOAI-TV

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The San Antonio station whose newscasts were rebroadcast by KPXL-TV changed its call sign from KMOL-TV to WOAI-TV.

• 2000

  Local news rebroadcast arrangement begins

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KPXL-TV began airing rebroadcasts of KMOL-TV newscasts and had previously carried The News of Texas through 2000.

• 1999

  KPXL-TV begins broadcasting

  [1]KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Paxson Communications launched KPXL-TV on February 19 as a Pax TV owned-and-operated station licensed to Uvalde, Texas.

A local broadcast outlet carrying Ion Television's nationally distributed general-entertainment programming in the San Antonio, Texas market.

• Television station · 1999

  KPXL-TV broadcast service

  KPXL-TV is the station's primary over-the-air television service on UHF channel 26. Licensed to Uvalde and serving the San Antonio area, it distributes Ion Television programming to viewers in south-central Texas through its digital transmitter facilities.

• Network affiliation

  Ion Television programming

  The station's principal programming offering is the nationally distributed Ion Television schedule. KPXL-TV functions as the local broadcast outlet for the network, rather than as a separately branded entertainment producer with a large local programming slate.

• 2020

  Acquisition of Ion Media by ScrippsM&A

  Background

  The E. W. Scripps Company sought to expand its television holdings through the purchase of Ion Media, which owned or operated KPXL-TV and other Ion stations.

  Action taken

  Scripps announced an agreement to acquire Ion Media for $2.65 billion, with financing from Berkshire Hathaway. The transaction contemplated divesting 23 stations while maintaining Ion affiliations.

  Aftermath

  KPXL-TV became part of the Ion Media operations within the Scripps group.

  Acquisition price. 2.65 billion USD (Announced September 24, 2020)

  Source

• 2009

  Digital transition flash cutOther

  Background

  KPXL-TV did not receive a separate companion digital channel because its original construction permit was issued after the FCC finalized the digital television allotment plan.

  Action taken

  The station discontinued analog programming and activated its digital signal on UHF channel 26 on June 12, 2009.

  Aftermath

  KPXL-TV continued serving its market on channel 26 as a digital television station.

  Source

1. 1KPXL-TVen.wikipedia.org