WCLJ-TV

WCLJ-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Bloomington, Indiana, and serving viewers in the Indianapolis television market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 42 and is associated with the Indianapolis-area television facilities of WIPX-TV, an Ion Television affiliate also licensed to Bloomington. WCLJ-TV is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings and operates within a shared-facility and channel-sharing arrangement with WIPX-TV. The station began broadcasting on August 27, 1987. It was constructed by the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which initially used the facility for religious television programming. Its ownership and programming role changed substantially after the Federal Communications Commission incentive auction. TBN entered an agreement with Ion Media Networks in November 2017 giving Ion an option to acquire WCLJ-TV and several other TBN stations whose spectrum had been sold in the auction. Ion exercised that option in May 2018, and the transaction closed on September 25, 2018. Following the acquisition, Ion moved Ion Life onto WCLJ-TV. The station thereby helped provide Ion Life with Indianapolis-market coverage comparable to the coverage of WIPX-TV's primary digital channel. Ion Life was subsequently rebranded as Ion Plus. WCLJ-TV also carried a succession of digital multicast services associated with Scripps Networks and other network operators. Its programming history therefore reflects the increasingly flexible role of digital television stations: rather than functioning solely as traditional single-channel affiliates, such stations may distribute several specialized networks through multicast subchannels. WCLJ-TV's technical configuration changed in 2018. On April 1 of that year, the station discontinued its separate non-shared signal and began operating only through a channel-sharing arrangement using WIPX-TV's spectrum. The two stations transmit from an antenna near State Road 252 in Trafalgar, Indiana, while their offices are located together on Production Drive in southwestern Indianapolis. This arrangement allows the stations to continue serving the market while using spectrum more efficiently. In 2020, WCLJ-TV was among the Ion Media stations transferred to Inyo Broadcast Holdings. The transfer was connected to regulatory ownership constraints surrounding the E. W. Scripps Company's ownership of WRTV in Indianapolis and its acquisition of Ion Media stations. WCLJ-TV has since remained part of the Inyo station portfolio. The station's current broadcast identity is associated with Bounce TV, a digital multicast network focused primarily on entertainment programming, rather than with the Ion Plus schedule it carried after the 2018 acquisition. WCLJ-TV completed its digital transition before the nationwide deadline. It ended analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, and moved its digital operation from pre-transition UHF channel 56 to UHF channel 42, the station's former analog frequency. As a local broadcast outlet, its principal offering is free over-the-air television programming distributed through its digital signal and related multicast services.

WCLJ-TV was established as a Bloomington, Indiana, television station by the Trinity Broadcasting Network and commenced broadcasting on August 27, 1987. Its original identity was tied to TBN's religious programming operations. The station later became part of the changing U.S. broadcast landscape shaped by digital television, multicast networks, spectrum auctions, and channel sharing. The station's technical history includes an early completion of the U.S. digital television transition. WCLJ-TV ended its analog transmission on February 17, 2009, several months before the nationwide full-power-station deadline. Its digital signal moved from pre-transition UHF channel 56 to channel 42, corresponding to its former analog channel. The change reflected the federal repacking of broadcast spectrum and the removal of channels 52 through 69 from television use. WCLJ-TV's digital subchannels were reorganized during the 2010s. In June 2015, JUCE and Smile of a Child programming were consolidated onto a single digital service arrangement, while TBN Salsa was added to another subchannel. Children's programming formerly associated with Smile of a Child continued to be carried during daytime hours on channel 42.3. A major ownership change followed the FCC incentive auction. TBN entered an agreement with Ion Media Networks on November 14, 2017, granting Ion an option to acquire WCLJ-TV and three other TBN stations whose spectrum had been sold. Ion exercised the option on May 24, 2018, and completed the purchase on September 25, 2018. The transaction placed WCLJ-TV under common ownership with WIPX-TV, an existing Ion Television station licensed to Bloomington. Ion immediately used WCLJ-TV to distribute Ion Life, later known as Ion Plus. This gave the network a full-market Indianapolis presence comparable to the coverage obtained through WIPX-TV's principal digital service. Over time, WCLJ-TV carried various digital multicast services, including services associated with Scripps Networks. On April 1, 2018, the station shut down its independent transmission and retained service through a channel-sharing arrangement with WIPX-TV. The two stations share facilities in southwestern Indianapolis and transmit from a common antenna near Trafalgar, Indiana. In 2020, WCLJ-TV and WIPX-TV were among the Ion Media stations transferred to Inyo Broadcast Holdings. The restructuring was associated with the E. W. Scripps Company's inability to own the Ion stations while also owning Indianapolis station WRTV under applicable broadcast ownership rules. WCLJ-TV is currently identified with Bounce TV programming. Its principal business function is the distribution of national digital multicast programming to the Indianapolis market through a licensed local television facility.

• 2020

  Station transferred to Inyo Broadcast Holdings

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCLJ-TV becomes part of the Inyo Broadcast Holdings portfolio of former Ion Media stations.

• 2018

  Ion acquisition closes

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Ion Media completes its purchase of WCLJ-TV, creating common ownership with WIPX-TV.

• 2018

  Channel-sharing operation begins

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station turns off its separate signal and uses WIPX-TV's spectrum and transmission infrastructure.

• 2017

  Ion receives an acquisition option

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  TBN grants Ion Media an option to acquire WCLJ-TV after the station's spectrum participates in the FCC incentive auction.

• 2015

  Multicast lineup reorganized

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adjusts its TBN-related subchannels and adds TBN Salsa to its digital lineup.

• 2009

  Analog transmission ends

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WCLJ-TV ends analog broadcasting and relocates its digital operation to UHF channel 42.

• 1987

  WCLJ-TV launches

  [1]WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The Trinity Broadcasting Network-built station begins broadcasting on August 27 as a Bloomington-licensed outlet.

A Bloomington-licensed Indianapolis-market digital television station whose role has shifted from a TBN-built religious broadcaster to a multicast outlet carrying national entertainment networks, including Bounce TV.

• Digital multicast television network

  Bounce TV

  WCLJ-TV's current broadcast identity is associated with Bounce TV, a national digital multicast network offering entertainment-oriented programming. The service is distributed locally through the station's digital television operation for viewers in the Indianapolis market.

• Digital multicast television network · 2018

  Ion Life / Ion Plus

  After Ion Media acquired WCLJ-TV in 2018, the station carried Ion Life, later renamed Ion Plus. The service was placed on WCLJ-TV to extend its Indianapolis-market coverage and complement the programming carried on WIPX-TV.

• Religious and specialty television programming · 2015

  TBN digital multicast services

  Before and during the station's TBN ownership period, WCLJ-TV distributed several digital multicast services associated with the Trinity Broadcasting Network, including JUCE, Smile of a Child, and TBN Salsa. The lineup was reorganized in 2015 to accommodate additional services.

• 2020

  Transfer to Inyo Broadcast HoldingsM&A

  Background

  Ion Media stations were reorganized in connection with broadcast ownership constraints affecting the E. W. Scripps Company and Indianapolis station WRTV.

  Action taken

  WCLJ-TV was spun off with other Ion Media stations to Inyo Broadcast Holdings.

  Aftermath

  Inyo became the station's owner while WCLJ-TV continued its relationship with WIPX-TV and its shared transmission operation.

  Source

• 2018

  Ion Media acquires WCLJ-TVM&A

  Background

  WCLJ-TV's spectrum was sold in the FCC incentive auction, and TBN granted Ion Media an option to purchase the station license.

  Action taken

  Ion Media exercised the option in May and completed the acquisition on September 25, bringing WCLJ-TV under common ownership with WIPX-TV.

  Aftermath

  Ion placed Ion Life on the station and used it to strengthen the network's Indianapolis-market coverage.

  Source

• 2018

  Adoption of channel sharingStrategy

  Background

  The station's post-auction operating configuration allowed it to share transmission resources with commonly owned WIPX-TV.

  Action taken

  WCLJ-TV discontinued its separate signal on April 1 and began transmitting through WIPX-TV's spectrum and antenna facilities.

  Aftermath

  Both stations continued serving the Indianapolis area from shared technical infrastructure, with offices in southwestern Indianapolis and transmission facilities near Trafalgar.

  Source

• 2009

  Early analog shutdown and digital channel relocationStrategy

  Background

  Federal digital television conversion and spectrum-reallocation requirements were changing the operating frequencies available to full-power television stations.

  Action taken

  WCLJ-TV ended its analog channel 42 transmission on February 17 and shifted its digital operation from pre-transition channel 56 to channel 42.

  Aftermath

  The station continued as a digital broadcaster using its former analog channel identity.

  Source

1. 1WCLJ-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ion Lifeionlife.com