WDBD

WDBD is a commercial television station serving Jackson, Mississippi, as an affiliate of the Fox network. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 40 and is identified on air primarily through the Fox 40 brand. Its programming mix combines Fox network entertainment, sports, syndicated programming, locally produced news, weather and public-affairs content, and digital or multicast services where applicable. WDBD’s primary coverage area is the Jackson–Vicksburg market, with its transmitter located southeast of Raymond, Mississippi, on Thigpen Road. WDBD began broadcasting on November 30, 1984, as the Jackson market’s first independent television outlet and the first Mississippi station to launch without a network affiliation. The station was initially owned by Jackson Family Television, a group associated with Brenda Harrison and H. Bernard Dixon, while Media Central operated it under a local marketing agreement. Dixon became the sole owner soon after launch, and Media Central later assumed ownership. During the station’s early years WDBD moved through several ownership arrangements, including Donatelli & Klein, Pegasus Broadcasting and Jackson Television-related operations. The station became Jackson’s first Fox affiliate on July 6, 1987. That affiliation established the identity that later became central to the station’s market position, although a payment dispute between Pegasus Broadcasting and Fox caused WDBD to leave Fox for The WB in October 2001. Jackson temporarily lacked a full-power over-the-air Fox affiliate until a related station, WUFX, began carrying Fox programming in 2003. In 2006, amid the planned merger of The WB and UPN into The CW and the launch of MyNetworkTV, WDBD and WUFX exchanged affiliations. WDBD returned to Fox and adopted the Fox 40 branding, while WUFX moved toward MyNetworkTV. WDBD’s news operation developed in stages. An earlier regional program, Mississippi News Tonight, launched in 1991 but ended in 1992 after weak ratings and inconsistent viewership. A locally oriented prime-time news department was re-established in 2008, followed by high-definition broadcasting in 2009 and additional early-evening and morning newscasts in 2010 and 2011. After American Spirit Media acquired the station in 2012, WDBD’s independent news department was closed and its local news programming was produced by WLBT, the Jackson NBC affiliate. WDBD and WLBT subsequently operated a combined news operation while maintaining distinct Fox-branded presentation for WDBD. American Spirit Media acquired WDBD in a transaction completed in November 2012. Raycom Media, then the owner of WLBT, assumed operational responsibility under a shared services agreement. Gray Media later became the operator following its acquisition of Raycom. WDBD shares downtown Jackson studios on South Jefferson Street with WLBT and WLOO, while its transmission facilities remain separate. The arrangement illustrates the station’s current position: it is an independently branded Fox outlet with American Spirit Media ownership and Gray operational support. A retransmission-consent dispute involving American Spirit Media, DirecTV and AT&T U-verse interrupted carriage in late 2017 and was resolved in January 2018. Gray announced a proposed acquisition of American Spirit Media’s stations, including WDBD, in 2026; the transaction’s completion and final ownership status require verification.

WDBD began broadcasting on November 30, 1984, serving Jackson, Mississippi, as the market’s first independent station. It was also the first Mississippi television station to launch without a network affiliation. Jackson Family Television initially held the license, with Brenda Harrison and H. Bernard Dixon among the original owners, while Media Central operated the station through a local marketing agreement. Harrison sold her interest to Dixon shortly after launch, and Media Central later became the owner while it was undergoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. On July 6, 1987, WDBD became Jackson’s first Fox affiliate. The affiliation gave the station a clear national programming identity, although its relationship with Fox later broke down. In October 2001, during a payment dispute between Pegasus Broadcasting and Fox, WDBD switched to The WB. The change left the Jackson area without a conventional over-the-air Fox affiliate for nearly two years. Fox programming eventually returned to the market through WUFX, which signed on in the Vicksburg area in 2003. Ownership changed several times. Donatelli & Klein acquired WDBD in 1989, making it a sister station to WDSI in Chattanooga. Pegasus Broadcasting acquired Donatelli & Klein in 1993. Jackson Television-related operations later operated WDBD, WUFX and WXMS-LP. In 2006, the station’s affiliation strategy changed again as the television industry prepared for the creation of The CW and MyNetworkTV. WDBD and WUFX exchanged affiliations, allowing WDBD to return to Fox and adopt the Fox 40 identity. WDBD’s news history includes an unsuccessful early experiment and a later expansion. Mississippi News Tonight premiered in 1991 as a regional production shared with WXXV-TV in Gulfport, but the program ended in April 1992 after low ratings and inconsistent viewership. In August 2008, WDBD created a second news department and launched Fox 40 News at 9. The station expanded its local schedule with high-definition production in 2009, an early-evening newscast and a late news program in 2010, and a weekday morning program in 2011. The morning show was initially called Fox 40 & Friends and was later renamed Fox 40 A.M. and then Fox 40 Morning News. Roundtable Broadcasting agreed to sell WDBD and WXMS-LP to American Spirit Media in 2012. The transaction closed on November 13 of that year. Raycom Media, then owner of WLBT, took over station operations under a shared services agreement. WDBD’s standalone news department was closed, resulting in staff reductions, and WLBT began producing the station’s newscasts. WDBD retained Fox-branded news presentation, while the stations shared much of their personnel, facilities and production infrastructure. The stations share studios on South Jefferson Street in downtown Jackson. WDBD’s transmitter is located on Thigpen Road southeast of Raymond. The station shut down its analog UHF signal on May 4, 2009, and moved its digital operation from pre-transition VHF channel 6 to UHF channel 40. The UHF facility was upgraded to full power to improve reception in Jackson’s outer suburbs and reaches portions of neighboring television markets. A retransmission-consent dispute between American Spirit Media and DirecTV/AT&T U-verse began after the prior contract expired on August 31, 2017. Following a three-week extension and unsuccessful negotiations, carriage ended on September 21. The dispute was resolved in January 2018. Gray Media announced in 2026 that it intended to acquire American Spirit Media’s six stations, including WDBD, but the proposed transaction’s completion should be independently confirmed before treating Gray as the station’s owner rather than its operator.

• 2018

  Retransmission dispute resolved

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  The carriage interruption involving DirecTV and AT&T U-verse ends after negotiations with American Spirit Media.

• 2012

  American Spirit Media acquisition

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  American Spirit Media acquires WDBD and places its operations under a shared services agreement with WLBT.

• 2009

  Digital and high-definition transition

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  The station ends analog broadcasting, moves its digital signal to UHF channel 40 and begins high-definition news production.

• 2008

  Local news department re-established

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  WDBD launches a new prime-time local news service.

• 2006

  Return to Fox and Fox 40 branding

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  WDBD swaps affiliations with WUFX and resumes Fox programming.

• 2001

  Switch to The WB

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  WDBD changes affiliations after a payment dispute with Fox.

• 1991

  Mississippi News Tonight launches

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins carrying a regional news program produced in cooperation with WXXV-TV.

• 1987

  First Fox affiliation

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  WDBD joins Fox on July 6 and becomes the first Fox affiliate in the Jackson market.

• 1984

  WDBD begins broadcasting

  [1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  WDBD signs on November 30 as Jackson’s first independent television station.

A locally branded Fox television station combining national Fox programming with Jackson-focused news, weather, sports and advertising services.

• Network affiliation · 1987

  Fox network programming

  WDBD’s principal programming product is its Fox affiliation, which supplies national entertainment, sports and news-related programming. The station localizes the network service through Jackson-market advertising, station identification, weather information and locally relevant promotions. Although WDBD operated as an independent station and later as a WB affiliate for periods of its history, Fox has been its principal current identity since the 2006 affiliation change.

• Local news · 2008

  Fox 40 News

  Fox 40 News is WDBD’s locally branded news offering. It includes scheduled newscasts and coverage of breaking news, weather, traffic, public affairs and events in central Mississippi. Since 2012, the programming has been produced through the station’s operating relationship with WLBT rather than by a fully separate WDBD newsroom, while retaining Fox 40 presentation and branding.

• Morning news · 2011

  Fox 40 Morning News

  The weekday morning service was introduced in 2011 as Fox 40 & Friends, later renamed Fox 40 A.M. and Fox 40 Morning News. It provides a local alternative to national morning television, with early-day headlines, weather and community information for viewers in the Jackson area.

• Commercial media service · 1984

  Television advertising

  WDBD sells local and regional advertising inventory across its Fox programming and locally branded news schedule. Its shared facilities and operating relationship with WLBT support cross-station sales and production capabilities within the Jackson market.

• 2012

  Acquisition by American Spirit MediaM&A

  Background

  Roundtable Broadcasting sought to sell WDBD and WXMS-LP, while American Spirit Media pursued a structure that would pair WDBD’s operations with WLBT.

  Action taken

  American Spirit Media acquired WDBD, and Raycom Media took over operational services under an SSA.

  Aftermath

  WDBD’s standalone newsroom was closed and its newscasts were produced by WLBT from shared Jackson facilities.

  Source

• 2006

  Affiliation exchange with WUFXGeneration change

  Background

  The planned combination of The WB and UPN into The CW coincided with the launch of MyNetworkTV, requiring affiliation changes in the Jackson market.

  Action taken

  WDBD and WUFX exchanged affiliations, returning WDBD to Fox and placing WUFX on a MyNetworkTV-oriented path.

  Aftermath

  WDBD resumed its Fox 40 identity and has continued as the Jackson market’s Fox affiliate.

  Source

• 2001

  Change from Fox to The WBStrategy

  Background

  Pegasus Broadcasting and Fox failed to reach agreement over affiliation payments and related terms.

  Action taken

  WDBD left Fox on October 7, 2001, and began carrying The WB.

  Aftermath

  Jackson temporarily lacked a full-power over-the-air Fox affiliate until Fox returned through WUFX in 2003.

  Source

• 2026

  Gray Media announces proposed acquisition of American Spirit Media stations[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Regulation

  Gray Media announced a proposed $50 million purchase of six American Spirit Media stations, including WDBD. Completion and final regulatory status require verification.

• 2017

  American Spirit Media carriage dispute with DirecTV and AT&T U-verse[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Pricing

  After retransmission agreements expired on August 31, 2017, American Spirit Media withdrew permission for DirecTV and AT&T U-verse to carry its stations following an unsuccessful extension period. The dispute was resolved in January 2018.

• 2012

  American Spirit Media assumes ownership and shared operations[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  American Spirit Media acquired WDBD in a transaction completed November 13, 2012. Raycom Media assumed operational responsibility under a shared services agreement with WLBT.

• 2009

  WDBD begins high-definition newscasts[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  WDBD converted its weeknight prime-time newscast to high definition on January 24, 2009, becoming the first Jackson television station to make the upgrade.

• 2008

  WDBD launches a new local prime-time news operation[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The station established a new news department and began airing a locally produced prime-time newscast under the Fox 40 News at 9 name.

• 2006

  WDBD returns to Fox during the WB and UPN network transition[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  WDBD and WUFX exchanged affiliations in preparation for the launch of The CW and MyNetworkTV, returning WDBD to Fox as Fox 40.

• 2001

  WDBD leaves Fox for The WB amid affiliation dispute[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Regulation

  A payment and affiliation disagreement between Pegasus Broadcasting and Fox led WDBD to join The WB on October 7, 2001.

• 1987

  WDBD becomes Jackson’s first Fox affiliate[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product generation

  The station joined Fox on July 6, 1987, establishing the network relationship that later became central to its Fox 40 identity.

• 1984

  WDBD signs on as Jackson’s first independent television station[1]WDBDen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  WDBD began broadcasting on November 30, 1984, initially operating as an independent station without a network affiliation.

1. 1WDBDen.wikipedia.org