WBXZ-LD

WBXZ-LD is a low-power television station serving Buffalo, New York, United States. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 56 and has historically used a series of physical frequencies and call-sign variants during the transition from analog to digital television. Rather than operating as a conventional full-power local news station, WBXZ-LD has primarily functioned as a digital multicast outlet, assembling several national specialty networks and locally programmed services on its over-the-air signal. The call sign originated during the station's earlier affiliation with The Box, a music-video television service. Before the digital transition, the station operated in analog on channel 56, but it had to vacate that frequency after the Federal Communications Commission removed it from the broadcast spectrum. Following the transition, the station temporarily operated on channel 17 under Special Temporary Authority and later moved to physical channel 23 while retaining virtual channel 56. The changes reflected both spectrum reallocation and the complex reassignment history of the Buffalo market's television frequencies. The station was previously associated with broadcaster Craig Fox, who owned several low-power stations in New York State. In December 2013, retired police officer Steven Ritchie acquired the then-silent station. Ritchie described the operation as largely a hobby project rather than a business expected to produce substantial profits. He also indicated that he wanted to avoid taking business from Buffalo's other locally owned station, WBBZ-TV. WBXZ-LP returned to the air with test programming on April 17, 2014. During 2014, the station explored carrying several Luken Communications networks, including Retro Television Network, PBJ, and Heartland. Those plans were complicated by technical and financial obstacles: the transmitter location at One Seneca Center could not readily accommodate the large satellite dish needed for the proposed service, while Luken was experiencing financial problems. Instead, WBXZ carried Cozi TV on 56.1 and a locally programmed service called Throwback TV on another digital subchannel. Retro and Rev'n were added in December 2014, and Buzzr followed after its launch. The station's lineup changed frequently. Luken networks and Buzzr were removed in June 2016 after technical difficulties, although some services later returned. Ebru TV and AMGTV appeared briefly as replacement programming. Retro returned in 2017, while Tuff TV was added and later dropped. Buzzr and Jewelry Television were added again in 2018, and NewsNet joined the lineup when that network launched in the fall of that year. This TV began airing on WBXZ in September 2019 after taking over an affiliation previously held by WVTT. The resulting operation combined established national entertainment, shopping, news, and specialty services with locally assembled programming. On April 13, 2023, Bridge Media Networks announced an agreement to acquire WBXZ-LD from Ritchie for $800,000. Bridge Media Networks was the parent company of NewsNet and Sports News Highlights and was backed by entrepreneur Manoj Bhargava. Ritchie transferred control on July 1, 2023. The transaction made WBXZ-LD Bhargava's first television station property in New York and created plans to restore NewsNet as an owned-and-operated service on the station. NewsNet operations were abruptly ended by Bhargava on August 2, 2024. WBXZ then became an owned-and-operated ShopHQ outlet, reflecting another shift within Bhargava-associated media holdings. ShopHQ was itself shut down by the same business group in April 2025. The station's post-closure operating status and current programming are not established by the supplied reference material. Its history illustrates the opportunities and constraints of low-power digital television: relatively low-cost local operation, reliance on national multicast networks, repeated affiliation changes, technical limitations, and exposure to the financial condition of small network owners.

WBXZ-LD is a Buffalo low-power television station whose identity has been shaped by spectrum changes, digital multicast television, and repeated changes in ownership and network affiliation. It formerly broadcast in analog on channel 56 and was associated with The Box, the music-video network that inspired its call sign. After the Federal Communications Commission removed the analog channel from the broadcast spectrum, the station had to move as part of the digital transition. It temporarily used channel 17 under Special Temporary Authority before moving to physical channel 23 and retaining virtual channel 56. The station was previously owned by Craig Fox, who operated several similar low-power facilities in New York State. In December 2013, retired police officer Steven Ritchie acquired the station while it was silent. Ritchie characterized the station as a hobby-oriented project and said that he did not expect it to be profitable. His comments reflected the economics of low-power broadcasting, where a small facility can operate with limited resources but often depends on inexpensive syndicated or multicast programming rather than a large local production staff. WBXZ-LP returned to the air with test programming on April 17, 2014. The station initially planned to carry multiple networks supplied by Luken Communications, including Retro Television Network, PBJ, and Heartland. Those plans encountered practical barriers. The transmitter site at One Seneca Center could not easily accommodate the large satellite dish needed to receive the proposed services, and Luken was experiencing financial difficulties. Consequently, the station carried Cozi TV as its principal service and used another subchannel for Throwback TV, a locally programmed outlet built around lower-cost programming. The station continued to experiment with its digital lineup. Retro and Rev'n were added in December 2014, followed by Buzzr after that network launched. In June 2016, Luken's networks and Buzzr were removed after technical difficulties. Ebru TV and AMGTV briefly filled some of the available capacity. Retro returned in July 2017, while Tuff TV was also present for a period before being dropped. Buzzr was restored in February 2018, and Jewelry Television was added soon afterward. NewsNet joined the station when it launched in the fall of 2018, bringing the number of available digital services to 11. This TV began airing on WBXZ in September 2019 after the affiliation moved from WVTT. Rev'n was restored after Tuff TV ceased operations in August 2018, but Rev'n was later replaced by the returning AMGTV in August 2020. A major ownership change occurred in 2023. On April 13, Bridge Media Networks announced that it would acquire WBXZ-LD from Ritchie for $800,000. Bridge Media Networks was the parent company of NewsNet and Sports News Highlights and had financial backing from Manoj Bhargava. The proposed transaction gave Bhargava his first television station property in New York. The new ownership intended to return NewsNet to WBXZ as an owned-and-operated network outlet. Ritchie discussed the sale in a June 13 social-media post, recalling the station's repeated, often FCC-related frequency changes and its limited-budget operating model. Control passed to Bhargava on July 1. The Bridge Media Networks period was short-lived. Bhargava ended NewsNet operations abruptly on August 2, 2024. WBXZ subsequently became a ShopHQ owned-and-operated station, tying the facility to another Bhargava-associated network. ShopHQ was shut down in April 2025. The supplied reference does not establish whether WBXZ-LD continued broadcasting afterward or what its final programming lineup became. The station therefore remains best understood as a low-power digital broadcast asset with an uncertain current status, rather than as a stable national consumer-facing brand.

• 2025

  ShopHQ shuts down

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  ShopHQ was shut down by the associated business group, leaving the station's later status unresolved in the available material.

• 2024

  NewsNet operations end

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  NewsNet ceased operations under Manoj Bhargava, and WBXZ shifted to ShopHQ programming.

• 2023

  Bridge Media Networks announces acquisition

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Bridge Media Networks announced a $800,000 acquisition of WBXZ-LD from Steven Ritchie.

• 2023

  Control transfers to Bridge Media Networks

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Bridge Media Networks took control of WBXZ-LD on July 1.

• 2018

  NewsNet joins the lineup

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  WBXZ began carrying NewsNet when the news network launched in the fall.

• 2016

  Several multicast services are removed

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Luken networks and Buzzr were pulled from the station after technical difficulties.

• 2014

  Digital operation resumes

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  WBXZ returned to the air with test programming on April 17 after changing frequencies during the digital transition.

• 2014

  Retro TV and Rev'n are added

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station added Retro Television Network and Rev'n to its expanding digital multicast lineup in December.

• 2013

  Steven Ritchie acquires the silent station

  [1]WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Retired police officer Steven Ritchie purchased the then-silent WBXZ facility and described it as primarily a hobby project.

A low-power, low-cost digital broadcast platform focused on multicast network carriage and locally assembled specialty programming rather than a large full-power local-news operation.

• Digital multicast television network

  Cozi TV

  Cozi TV has been WBXZ's principal and most persistent network affiliation. The service specializes in classic television series and other library entertainment programming, giving the station a recognizable primary offering within its over-the-air digital signal.

• Locally programmed television service · 2014

  Throwback TV

  Throwback TV was a locally programmed WBXZ service assembled from low-cost and library programming. It reflected the station's small-scale operating model and provided a locally controlled complement to nationally supplied multicast networks.

• Digital news network · 2018

  NewsNet

  NewsNet was carried by WBXZ beginning around the network's 2018 launch and was later intended to return as an owned-and-operated service after Bridge Media Networks acquired the station. NewsNet operations ended on August 2, 2024.

• Digital multicast television network · 2014

  Retro TV

  Retro TV was among the networks considered for WBXZ's digital relaunch and was added in December 2014. It was removed during the 2016 technical disruption and returned in July 2017.

• Digital multicast television network · 2019

  This TV

  This TV joined WBXZ in September 2019 after the station took over the affiliation from WVTT. Its carriage was part of the station's broader strategy of filling digital subchannels with established national entertainment services.

• Home-shopping television network · 2024

  ShopHQ

  ShopHQ became an owned-and-operated service on WBXZ after NewsNet ended operations in 2024. The associated ShopHQ operation was shut down in April 2025.

• 2024

  Shift from NewsNet to ShopHQStrategy

  Background

  NewsNet operations were ended by Manoj Bhargava on August 2, 2024.

  Action taken

  WBXZ became a ShopHQ owned-and-operated station within the same broader business group.

  Aftermath

  ShopHQ was later shut down in April 2025, and the supplied sources do not establish WBXZ-LD's subsequent programming or operating status.

  Source

• 2023

  Bridge Media Networks acquires WBXZ-LDM&A

  Background

  Bridge Media Networks sought a station for its NewsNet-related operations and announced an agreement to purchase WBXZ from Steven Ritchie.

  Action taken

  Bridge Media Networks agreed to acquire the station for $800,000 and took control on July 1, with plans to restore NewsNet as an owned-and-operated service.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition made WBXZ part of the Bhargava-backed Bridge Media Networks portfolio, although the NewsNet operation later ended abruptly.

  Acquisition price. $800,000 (Announced April 13, 2023; control transferred July 1, 2023)

  Source

• 2014

  Adopt a digital multicast modelStrategy

  Background

  After the analog channel was vacated and the station moved through several digital frequencies, WBXZ needed a low-cost operating model suitable for a low-power facility.

  Action taken

  The station assembled a lineup combining Cozi TV, locally programmed Throwback TV, and a succession of national multicast networks.

  Aftermath

  WBXZ became a flexible digital subchannel platform, but its lineup remained dependent on technical feasibility and the financial stability of network suppliers.

  Source

1. 1WBXZ-LDen.wikipedia.org