WALA-TV
WALA-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station serving the Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida, market under the Fox 10 brand.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WALA-TV, branded as Fox 10, is a commercial television station licensed to Mobile, Alabama, and serving communities across southwest Alabama and northwest Florida. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 10 and is affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Gray Media and operates alongside Telemundo affiliate WMBP-LD. WALA maintains its principal studios on Satchel Paige Drive in Mobile, an additional studio and news bureau on Executive Plaza Drive in Pensacola, Florida, and a transmitter site in Spanish Fort, Alabama. The station began broadcasting on January 14, 1953, under the ownership of local businessman W. O. Pape, who also owned WALA radio. At launch it carried programming from NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont, although NBC was its principal affiliation because of WALA radio’s relationship with the predecessor of the NBC radio network. As the Mobile–Pensacola market developed, WALA relinquished CBS and ABC programming to newer stations, including WKRG-TV and WEAR-TV. During the late 1950s it also briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network. For much of its first four decades, WALA was the leading local television station in the market. Its established position supported strong syndicated programming and highly rated local newscasts. Ownership changed several times: W. O. Pape sold the station to Roywood Corporation in 1964, and Roywood sold it to Universal Communications Corporation, the broadcasting arm of The Detroit News, in 1969. After Gannett acquired the Evening News Association in 1986, regulatory restrictions involving Gannett’s ownership of the Pensacola News Journal required WALA to be divested. Knight Ridder Broadcasting purchased it in February 1986 and later sold it to Burnham Broadcasting in 1989. WALA’s most consequential programming change came at the end of 1995. Following the rapid expansion of Fox into established VHF stations, WALA ended its 42-year NBC affiliation after the December 31, 1995, broadcast of the NBC Sunday Night Movie presentation of Final Analysis. It became a Fox affiliate and adopted the Fox 10 identity, while NBC programming moved to WPMI-TV. The switch preserved WALA’s local-news strength and led to expanded morning and evening newscasts. Unlike many stations that joined Fox during the same period, WALA also carried the network’s Fox Kids programming until Fox discontinued weekday children’s programming in 2001 and ended its broader children’s schedule in 2008. The station subsequently passed through several ownership groups. Silver King Broadcasting acquired the former SF Broadcasting stations in 1996, and Emmis Communications bought them in 1998. Emmis later acquired WBPG, now WFNA, creating a Mobile-area station combination whose operations were consolidated at WALA’s facility. LIN TV Corporation acquired WALA in 2005 and purchased WBPG outright in 2006. LIN and Media General merged in 2014, but ownership limits required WALA to be sold; Meredith Corporation completed its acquisition of the station in December 2014. Gray Television acquired Meredith’s local media division in 2021, completing the transaction on December 1 of that year. WALA’s core offering remains local television news, weather, traffic, community features, syndicated programming, and Fox network content. Its news operation has historically been one of the market’s strongest, retaining a leading position even after the move from NBC to Fox. The station also produces Studio 10, a weekday morning lifestyle and entertainment program, and previously operated a 24-hour local weather service called Weather Now. In sports programming, WALA began carrying selected New Orleans Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season and became part of Gray’s Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network for the 2024–25 season, expanding its role as a regional broadcast outlet.
History
WALA-TV began operations on January 14, 1953, making it the oldest continuously operating television station in Mobile. It was established by W. O. Pape, who also owned WALA radio. The station initially presented programming from NBC, ABC, CBS, and DuMont, with NBC as its principal network relationship. Its radio sister’s connection to the NBC Red Network helped support that arrangement. Once WKRG-TV and WEAR-TV entered the market, WALA surrendered CBS and ABC programming and concentrated more heavily on NBC and local programming. It briefly carried the NTA Film Network in the late 1950s. The station developed a strong competitive position through its local newscasts, established audience, and access to syndicated programming. W. O. Pape sold WALA to Roywood Corporation in 1964. Five years later, Roywood transferred the station to Universal Communications Corporation, the television arm of The Detroit News. WALA remained a major local outlet during this period and generally led the market’s ratings, particularly in news. Regulatory ownership restrictions shaped the next phase of the station’s history. When Gannett acquired the Evening News Association in 1986, it also became associated with the Pensacola News Journal. FCC rules then restricted common ownership of a newspaper and television station in the same market, requiring WALA to be sold shortly after the merger. Knight Ridder Broadcasting acquired the station on February 19, 1986, and Burnham Broadcasting purchased it in 1989. The growth of Fox during the 1990s changed WALA’s network identity. Fox, seeking established VHF stations after obtaining National Football Conference broadcast rights, expanded its affiliate strategy beyond its original UHF-heavy footprint. In 1994, Fox and Savoy Pictures formed SF Broadcasting, which acquired WALA and several other Burnham stations. The transaction was completed in 1995. On December 31, 1995, WALA ended its 42-year NBC affiliation and joined Fox. WPMI-TV assumed the NBC affiliation. WALA adopted the Fox 10 brand, expanded its local-news schedule, and carried Fox Kids programming during the period when Fox still operated a children’s block. Silver King Broadcasting acquired the SF stations in 1996 after its parent company, USA Networks, purchased Savoy Pictures. In 1998, the stations were sold to Emmis Communications. Emmis later acquired WBPG, creating a local station combination with WALA and consolidating operations at WALA’s Satchel Paige Drive facility. LIN TV acquired WALA and several other Emmis stations in 2005, then purchased WBPG outright in 2006. During the transition, WALA carried a simulcast of WBPG on a digital subchannel before WBPG developed its own digital service. LIN’s ownership also brought changes to the station’s digital presence. WALA launched a Fox Interactive-based website in 2007 and later adopted a related platform developed through a partnership involving LIN TV and News Corporation. As television consumption shifted toward digital platforms, the station continued to combine broadcast news with web video, weather information, and market-specific reporting. LIN Media announced a merger with Media General in 2014. Because Media General already owned WKRG-TV and the two stations were among the market’s highly rated outlets, ownership rules required a divestiture. WALA was sold to Meredith Corporation for $86 million, with the sale closing on December 19, 2014. Media General later abandoned its planned acquisition of Meredith and instead agreed to be acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2016, leaving WALA within Meredith’s local media portfolio. Gray Television announced the purchase of Meredith’s local media division in May 2021 and completed the transaction on December 1, 2021. WALA thereby became part of Gray’s regional station network, alongside stations such as WBRC in Birmingham and WVUE-DT in New Orleans. The station continues to operate from Mobile with a Pensacola bureau and serves the wider Gulf Coast market. In addition to its regular Fox programming and local news, WALA has offered specialized local services. Its former Weather Now channel provided continuous weather coverage on Cox’s digital service in Pensacola, although it was not distributed by Comcast Xfinity on the Alabama side of the market. WALA also produces Studio 10, a weekday lifestyle and entertainment program. Gray expanded the station’s sports role through agreements with the New Orleans Pelicans, first scheduling selected games in 2023–24 and then incorporating WALA into the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network for the 2024–25 season.
- 2024
Expanded Pelicans coverage
[1]WALA becomes part of Gray’s Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network arrangement for Pelicans broadcasts.
- 2021
Gray Media ownership begins
[1]Gray Television completes its acquisition of Meredith’s local media division on December 1.
- 2014
Sale to Meredith
[1]Meredith acquires WALA from Media General for $86 million to resolve a Mobile-market ownership conflict.
- 2005
Acquisition by LIN TV
[1]LIN TV acquires WALA as part of a larger purchase of Emmis television assets.
- 1998
Sale to Emmis Communications
[1]Emmis Communications acquires WALA and its associated Fox stations from USA Broadcasting.
- 1996
Silver King acquisition
[1]Silver King Broadcasting completes its acquisition of the former SF Broadcasting stations, including WALA.
- 1995
WALA joins Fox
[1]The station ends its NBC affiliation on December 31 and becomes a Fox affiliate branded Fox 10.
- 1989
Sale to Burnham Broadcasting
[1]Burnham Broadcasting acquires WALA from Knight Ridder.
- 1986
Acquisition by Knight Ridder
[1]Knight Ridder purchases WALA after Gannett is required to divest the station because of newspaper–television ownership restrictions.
- 1969
Acquisition by Universal Communications
[1]Roywood sells WALA to Universal Communications, the broadcasting arm of The Detroit News.
Products and positioning
A locally dominant Fox affiliate positioned around comprehensive news, weather, regional information, community programming, and broad free-to-air entertainment for the Mobile–Pensacola market.
Local television news · 1995
Fox 10 News
WALA’s principal local-news brand, covering Mobile, the Gulf Coast, southwest Alabama, and northwest Florida. The operation includes morning, daytime, evening, and late news, together with weather, traffic, investigative, public-affairs, and community reporting. Its local-news identity predates the station’s 1995 move from NBC to Fox and has remained central to its market positioning.
Lifestyle and entertainment program
Studio 10
A weekday hour-long program focused on local lifestyle, entertainment, community, and promotional features. The show airs in the morning and combines interviews and local segments with weather information. Some segments are commercially supported or paid for by participating guests and organizations.
Local weather channel
Weather Now
A former 24-hour local weather service associated with WALA. It was distributed on Cox Communications’ digital channel 698 in Pensacola, but was not carried on Comcast Xfinity on the Alabama side of the market. Its current status is not established in the supplied reference material.
Regional sports programming · 2023
New Orleans Pelicans broadcasts
WALA carries selected New Orleans Pelicans games through Gray’s Gulf Coast sports distribution agreements. The station first received an agreement for ten games in the 2023–24 season and was later included in the broader Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network arrangement for the 2024–25 season.
Brand decisions
2024
Participation in Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment NetworkStrategyBackground
Gray and the New Orleans Pelicans developed a wider regional broadcast arrangement for Gray-owned stations across the Gulf South.
Action taken
WALA joined the network and was scheduled to carry nearly all Pelicans games during the 2024–25 season.
Aftermath
The deal expanded WALA’s programming beyond news and entertainment into recurring regional sports coverage.
2023
Initial Pelicans broadcast agreementProduct launchBackground
Gray sought to expand local and regional sports programming across its Gulf South station group.
Action taken
WALA agreed to air ten New Orleans Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season.
Aftermath
The arrangement was broadened the following year through the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network.
2014
Divestiture to Meredith following the LIN–Media General mergerM&ABackground
Media General already owned WKRG-TV in the same market, and ownership rules prevented the combined company from retaining both stations under the applicable market conditions.
Action taken
Media General selected WALA for sale to Meredith, with the transaction closing on December 19, 2014.
Aftermath
WALA left the LIN/Media General group and continued as a Meredith-owned station until Gray Television acquired Meredith’s local media division in 2021.
Sale price. 86000000 (2014 transaction)
1995
Switch from NBC to FoxStrategyBackground
Fox was expanding its national affiliate base and seeking established VHF stations with strong local audiences. WALA’s NBC affiliation had lasted more than four decades, while WPMI-TV was positioned to take over NBC service in the market.
Action taken
WALA ended its NBC affiliation on December 31, 1995, adopted the Fox 10 identity, and expanded local news while carrying Fox network programming.
Aftermath
The station retained a strong local-news position and continued to be a leading news outlet in the Mobile–Pensacola market despite losing its long-standing Big Three affiliation.
- WPMI-TV — WPMI-TV assumed the NBC affiliation formerly held by WALA.
Sources2 sources
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