WFVX-LD
A low-power television station serving Bangor, Maine, as a Fox affiliate with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WFVX-LD is a television station serving the Bangor, Maine, market. The station carries programming from the Fox network and also has a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Rockfleet Broadcasting, which operates WFVX alongside ABC affiliate WVII-TV. The two stations share facilities on Target Industrial Circle in West Bangor and use a transmitter on Black Cap Mountain near the Penobscot and Hancock county line. The station originated with a construction permit granted on January 12, 1995, for a low-power station on channel 22. Its original call sign was W22BU. After the death of original owner Dale Buschow in 1998, the station was acquired by MS Communications on January 3, 2001. MS Communications had planned to develop wireless-cable networks, but its stations did not proceed beyond test-pattern transmissions. Rockfleet Broadcasting acquired W22BU in 2003 and placed it on the air as a Fox affiliate on April 13 of that year. The call sign changed to WFVX-LP the next day, using call letters transferred from a Michigan satellite station associated with another Fox affiliate. WFVX filled a significant gap in Bangor television distribution. Before its launch, Fox programming reached the market through cable carriage of Portland station WPXT and, for a period, through Foxnet after WPXT changed affiliations. Fox sports programming had also appeared through several local low-power or independent outlets. Rockfleet's launch of WFVX established a dedicated Fox outlet in the Bangor market and consolidated programming that had previously been carried through other local arrangements. The station added MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation on December 6, 2006. MyNetworkTV programming was scheduled overnight in a delayed time slot rather than during the network's conventional evening window. WFVX also carried overnight home-shopping and specialty programming, including Shop at Home until that service ended in March 2008 and Jewelry Television thereafter. Although WFVX held a low-power license, the station's programming was distributed through WVII's full-power digital infrastructure. WVII added a digital subchannel carrying WFVX programming in 2009, helping provide broad reception throughout the Bangor market. WFVX later received authorization for a digital flash-cut, and its call sign changed from WFVX-LP to WFVX-LD on January 23, 2013, reflecting its low-power digital status. Local programming has been limited compared with that of a full-service network station. WVII produces Fox 22 News at 10, a weekday prime-time newscast, along with morning news programming and a weekend 10 p.m. broadcast. The station has also aired syndicated, sports, collegiate, and specialty programming. Among its notable sports arrangements were carriage of New England Patriots Television Network content and agreements covering Husson University and University of Maine athletics. In 2013, the University of Maine arrangement made WFVX and WVII television outlets for the Black Bear Sports Network, replacing WABI-TV as its television flagship. WFVX and WVII temporarily adopted blue-and-yellow logos on February 28, 2022, to express support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion. The station remains a Bangor-area Fox outlet whose identity is closely linked to Rockfleet's broader WVII operation, locally produced news, network entertainment, sports, and secondary syndicated programming.
History
WFVX-LD traces its history to a construction permit for a low-power channel 22 station in Bangor granted on January 12, 1995. The permit was assigned the call sign W22BU. Following the death of original owner Dale Buschow in 1998, MS Communications acquired the station on January 3, 2001. Its license to cover was issued on March 1 of that year. MS Communications had envisioned wireless-cable networks, but the company's stations did not progress beyond test-pattern transmissions. Rockfleet Broadcasting, owner of Bangor ABC affiliate WVII-TV, purchased W22BU in 2003. Rockfleet launched the station as a Fox affiliate on April 13, 2003, and the call sign changed to WFVX-LP the following day. The call letters had previously been used by a Michigan station associated with another Fox operation. The launch gave Bangor a dedicated local Fox affiliate after Fox programming had reached the market through cable carriage of WPXT in Portland, Foxnet, and various temporary or partial local arrangements involving other stations. Before WFVX's launch, WVII had also been involved in a low-power venture involving WCKD, a former channel 30 outlet that carried UPN programming and some Fox Sports content. When WFVX began broadcasting, Rockfleet moved WCKD's syndicated and local material—including the morning talk program So Goes the Nation and a WVII-produced 10 p.m. newscast—to channel 22, while the UPN affiliation remained with WCKD. So Goes the Nation had originated on WCKD in 2002, was hosted by Charlie Horne and Alan Silberberg, and was also simulcast on outlets in Portland. It was shortened from three hours to one hour in September 2004 and canceled in November of that year. WFVX became a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate on December 6, 2006. Because the service was not initially available in Bangor, the station carried its programs on a delayed overnight schedule. WFVX also carried Shop at Home until that network closed in March 2008, after which Jewelry Television was added to its overnight schedule. Since August 2008, the station and WVII have carried selected New England Patriots Television Network programming. WFVX has also aired specialty programming such as IWE: Championship Wrestling, although that program was later discontinued. The United States digital transition did not directly require WFVX to cease analog operation on June 12, 2009, because the station held a low-power license. WVII nevertheless added a digital subchannel carrying WFVX programming on February 17, 2009. This arrangement allowed WFVX's service to be delivered using WVII's full-power spectrum and improved reception across the Bangor market. A digital flash-cut authorization was also associated with the station. On January 23, 2013, the call sign became WFVX-LD, with the suffix identifying the station as a low-power digital broadcaster. WFVX's local news presence is largely produced by WVII. A weekday Fox 22 News at 10 broadcast was expanded from a half-hour to an hour on June 25, 2012. The station launched The 7 AM News Hour on Fox 22 on September 7, 2011, and also carries WVII's Good Morning Maine at 6:30 a.m. A half-hour weekend 10 p.m. newscast began in September 2012. WVII has used AccuWeather for forecast production, with prerecorded weather segments supplied from AccuWeather's Pennsylvania headquarters; this arrangement can limit the station's ability to respond immediately to rapidly developing severe weather. Sports has been another important part of the station's programming mix. In June 2013, WFVX and WVII reached an agreement to carry Husson University sports. The following month they reached a University of Maine sports agreement, replacing WABI-TV as the television flagship of the Black Bear Sports Network. The broadcasts were also made available through Fox College Sports, with production handled by Pack Network. On February 28, 2022, WFVX and WVII temporarily changed their logos to blue and yellow in support of Ukraine after Russia's invasion. WFVX continues to operate as a Rockfleet-owned Bangor-area television station affiliated with Fox and carrying MyNetworkTV on a secondary basis.
- 2022
Ukraine-support branding
[1]WFVX and WVII temporarily used blue-and-yellow logos in support of Ukraine.
- 2013
Call sign changes to WFVX-LD
[1]The station adopted the WFVX-LD call sign to reflect its low-power digital operation.
- 2013
University sports partnerships begin
[1]The station added Husson University sports and then University of Maine athletics, becoming part of the Black Bear Sports Network.
- 2012
Fox 22 prime-time news expanded
[1]The weekday 10 p.m. newscast was expanded to one hour, and a weekend late-evening newscast was added later in the year.
- 2011
Morning news hour launched
[1]The 7 AM News Hour on Fox 22 began broadcasting.
- 2009
WFVX programming distributed through WVII digital facilities
[1]WVII added a digital subchannel carrying WFVX programming, supporting wider market reception.
- 2006
MyNetworkTV affiliation added
[1]WFVX added MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation.
- 2003
Rockfleet launches the station as a Fox affiliate
[1]Rockfleet Broadcasting purchased the station and began Fox broadcasts on April 13. The call sign became WFVX-LP the next day.
- 2001
MS Communications acquires W22BU
[1]MS Communications acquired the station after the death of original owner Dale Buschow; the license to cover followed in March.
- 1995
Channel 22 construction permit granted
[1]A permit was granted for a low-power Bangor station on channel 22 under the call sign W22BU.
Products and positioning
A locally distributed Fox television outlet for the Bangor market, combining national network programming with WVII-produced news and selected regional sports and syndicated content.
Broadcast television · 2003
Fox network programming
WFVX's principal service is Fox network programming for viewers in the Bangor, Maine, television market. The schedule provides national entertainment, news-related programming, sports, and other Fox offerings through the station's local broadcast and WVII-linked digital distribution.
Broadcast television · 2006
MyNetworkTV programming
WFVX carries MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation. The programming has been scheduled on a delayed overnight basis, allowing the station to combine the service with its primary Fox affiliation and locally produced news.
Local news
Fox 22 News at 10
Fox 22 News at 10 is WVII-produced local news branded for WFVX. The weekday edition was expanded to one hour in 2012, and the station has also carried a weekend late-evening edition. The program gives the Fox outlet a local-news identity despite much of its operation being shared with WVII.
Local news · 2011
The 7 AM News Hour on Fox 22
This morning newscast was launched for WFVX in September 2011. It forms part of the station's shared-news relationship with WVII, alongside a simulcast of WVII's Good Morning Maine broadcast.
Sports broadcasting · 2013
University of Maine and Husson University sports
WFVX and WVII have carried selected collegiate sports involving Husson University and the University of Maine. The University of Maine agreement made the stations television outlets for the Black Bear Sports Network, with production handled by Pack Network and some distribution through Fox College Sports.
Specialty television · 2008
Jewelry Television
Jewelry Television has been carried in WFVX's overnight schedule since Shop at Home ceased operations in March 2008.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Ukraine-support logo change
Bangor, Maine
WFVX and sister station WVII temporarily changed their logos to blue and yellow, the colors associated with the Ukrainian flag, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Outcome. The branding was temporary; no broader campaign results were reported in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2013
Add University of Maine sports coverageStrategyBackground
WFVX and WVII were already expanding their regional sports programming, including a preceding Husson University arrangement.
Action taken
The stations agreed to carry University of Maine sports and became television outlets for the Black Bear Sports Network.
Aftermath
The arrangement replaced WABI-TV as the network's television flagship, with some broadcasts also distributed through Fox College Sports.
2012
Expand local late-evening newsProduct launchBackground
WFVX carried a WVII-produced 10 p.m. newscast and sought a more substantial local-news offering.
Action taken
The weekday broadcast was expanded from 30 minutes to one hour, followed by a weekend edition later in the year.
Aftermath
The station increased its scheduled local-news presence in prime time.
2009
Distribute WFVX through WVII digital spectrumGeneration changeBackground
As a low-power station, WFVX was treated differently during the national digital television transition.
Action taken
WVII added a digital subchannel carrying WFVX programming and supported broader reception through its full-power facilities.
Aftermath
WFVX programming became more widely available across the Bangor market.
2006
Add MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliationStrategyBackground
MyNetworkTV had not initially been available in the Bangor market.
Action taken
WFVX added the service and scheduled its programming on a delayed overnight basis.
Aftermath
The station combined a primary Fox affiliation with an additional network programming service.
2003
Launch as Bangor's Fox affiliateStrategyBackground
Fox programming had previously reached Bangor through cable carriage and changing local arrangements rather than a dedicated Fox station.
Action taken
Rockfleet Broadcasting acquired the channel 22 station and placed it on the air as a Fox affiliate.
Aftermath
WFVX became the market's dedicated Fox outlet and absorbed selected programming previously associated with another local low-power station.
Recent events
- 2022
WFVX and WVII show support for Ukraine through temporary logo change[1]
Campaign · Other
The stations temporarily used blue-and-yellow logos following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, associating their on-air branding with support for Ukraine.
- 2013
WFVX adopts digital low-power call sign[1]
Product generation · Other
The station changed its call sign from WFVX-LP to WFVX-LD after transitioning its identity to reflect low-power digital operation.
- 2013
WFVX and WVII secure University of Maine sports arrangement[1]
Product launch
WFVX and WVII reached an agreement to carry University of Maine athletics and became television outlets for the Black Bear Sports Network.
- 2012
WFVX expands its prime-time newscast[1]
Product launch
The Fox 22 weekday 10 p.m. newscast was expanded from 30 minutes to one hour, while a weekend late-evening newscast was also introduced later that year.
- 2009
WFVX programming added to WVII digital subchannel[1]
Product generation
WVII added a second digital subchannel carrying WFVX programming, extending access to the low-power station's service.
- 2006
WFVX adds MyNetworkTV affiliation[1]
Other
WFVX added MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation, with the service carried on a delayed overnight schedule.
- 2003
Rockfleet launches WFVX as Bangor Fox affiliate[1]
Other
Rockfleet Broadcasting put the channel 22 station on the air as a Fox affiliate, creating a dedicated Fox outlet for the Bangor television market.
Sources2 sources
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