WPXH-TV

WPXH-TV is a full-power television station serving Birmingham and much of central Alabama. The station is licensed to Hoover, Alabama, operates on virtual channel 44, and is affiliated with Ion Television. Its facilities and business operations are associated with the Birmingham market, while its transmitter infrastructure serves a broad regional audience from the Birmingham area. The station is currently owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings. The station began broadcasting in April 1986 under the call sign WNAL-TV. It was created by Dubose Broadcasting as a satellite intended to extend the reach of Tuscaloosa independent station WDBB into the northern and eastern portions of central Alabama. WDBB had struggled to cover Birmingham and the northeastern part of the market adequately because of its transmitter location and the limited cable penetration of the period. WNAL-TV therefore formed part of a two-station strategy designed to provide wider over-the-air coverage. WNAL-TV initially operated as a full-time satellite of WDBB and became a charter Fox affiliate when Fox launched in October 1986. In practice, the station and WDBB continued to function much like independent stations during Fox's early years, when the network offered only a limited schedule. After WTTO in Birmingham became the market's principal Fox affiliate in 1991, WDBB and WNAL entered a simulcasting and satellite relationship with WTTO. Abry Communications later acquired the stations and made them full-time satellites, although portions of the schedule were subsequently separated for syndicated programming and local material. The station's role changed substantially during the complicated central Alabama affiliation realignment of the mid-1990s. As WBRC prepared to become a Fox owned-and-operated station and other stations assumed ABC responsibilities, WNAL-TV became a CBS affiliate for the Anniston–Gadsden portion of the market in September 1996. Fant Broadcasting sold the station to Paxson Communications soon afterward. Although Paxson planned to use it for its emerging general-entertainment and infomercial service, the CBS affiliation continued until 1999 under the terms of the existing agreement. The call sign changed from WNAL-TV to WPXH in January 1998 in preparation for the station's eventual role in Pax TV, the network later known as i: Independent Television and then Ion Television. The station ultimately ended its CBS affiliation on April 30, 1999, and began carrying Pax programming on August 1, 1999. This transition placed WPXH within the national Ion television-station network rather than positioning it as a locally originated general-entertainment or news broadcaster. WPXH launched a digital signal in November 2002. It ended regular analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition to digital television. Its digital operation retained virtual channel 44. The station's coverage footprint benefited from the 1998 consolidation of the Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and Anniston–Gadsden television markets, which created a larger designated market area spanning a substantial portion of Alabama. Today, WPXH-TV functions primarily as a distribution outlet for Ion Television's nationally scheduled programming. Unlike a major network-affiliated station with a large local newsroom, its identity is centered on network carriage, regional over-the-air coverage, and its channel designation. Its history illustrates the evolution of UHF television in the United States: it began as a satellite designed to solve a coverage problem, moved through Fox and CBS affiliations during market restructuring, and ultimately became part of a national broadcast network.

WPXH-TV traces its origin to a coverage and affiliation problem involving WDBB, an independent station that signed on in Tuscaloosa in October 1984. WDBB's signal did not reach much of central Alabama effectively, particularly the northern and northeastern parts of the Birmingham market. Dubose Broadcasting obtained a construction permit for a station on UHF channel 44 in Gadsden and launched WNAL-TV in April 1986 as a full-time satellite of WDBB. Before the launch, WDBB and WNAL secured charter affiliation with the Fox Broadcasting Company. Fox began operations in October 1986, although its early schedule was limited and the two stations continued to rely heavily on movies and syndicated programming. WNAL's eastern location and weak penetration into Birmingham, together with limited cable carriage, prevented the combined operation from becoming fully competitive in the core city. In 1991, Fox shifted its Birmingham affiliation to WTTO. WDBB and WNAL then entered an arrangement under which they largely simulcast WTTO's programming, with limited separate syndicated content. Abry Communications acquired the stations in 1993 and converted them into full-time WTTO satellites; later, Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired the group through its merger with Abry. WNAL-TV was sold to Fant Broadcasting in 1995 but continued operating under a time-brokerage arrangement associated with WTTO. A major market realignment followed in 1996. WBRC was being prepared for conversion to a Fox owned-and-operated station, while WCFT-TV, WJSU-TV, and W58CK assumed ABC responsibilities in different parts of the expanded Birmingham market. WNAL-TV became a CBS affiliate on September 1, 1996, serving the Anniston–Gadsden area after the other stations relinquished CBS programming. The station was sold to Paxson Communications later that year. Paxson intended to move it toward its national Infomall and Pax TV services, but the station continued to carry CBS until its affiliation agreement expired. The call sign changed to WPXH in January 1998. The new identity anticipated the launch of Pax TV, which debuted nationally later that year. WPXH ended its CBS service on April 30, 1999, and began carrying Pax TV on August 1. Pax TV was subsequently rebranded as i: Independent Television and later Ion Television, making WPXH part of the Ion network of stations. The station launched digital broadcasting in November 2002. On June 12, 2009, it ended regular analog operations as part of the nationwide digital television transition. Its digital signal continued to use its pre-transition channel assignment while retaining virtual channel 44. The station's current license identity is associated with Hoover, its facilities and offices serve the Birmingham area, and its transmitter infrastructure provides coverage across the regional market. WPXH-TV is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings and remains an Ion Television affiliate.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Regular analog transmission ends during the United States digital television transition.

• 2002

  Digital signal launches

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WPXH begins digital broadcasting on UHF channel 45.

• 1999

  Pax TV programming begins

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  After leaving CBS, WPXH begins carrying Pax TV programming.

• 1998

  Call sign changes to WPXH

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the WPXH identity ahead of its planned Pax TV operation.

• 1996

  WNAL-TV becomes a CBS affiliate

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station takes over CBS programming for the Anniston–Gadsden area during a major central Alabama affiliation realignment.

• 1996

  Paxson Communications acquires the station

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Fant Broadcasting sells WNAL-TV to Paxson Communications.

• 1993

  WNAL becomes a full-time WTTO satellite

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following Abry Communications' acquisition, WNAL's programming is integrated into the WTTO satellite operation.

• 1991

  Fox affiliation moves to WTTO

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station stops serving as the market's primary Fox outlet and becomes part of a WTTO satellite arrangement.

• 1986

  WNAL-TV launches

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting on UHF channel 44 from Gadsden as a satellite of WDBB.

• 1986

  Charter Fox affiliation

  [1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WNAL-TV joins WDBB as a charter Fox affiliate when the network launches.

A regional full-power television station whose principal role is to distribute Ion Television programming across the Birmingham and central Alabama market.

• Broadcast television network affiliation · 1999

  Ion Television service

  WPXH-TV's principal offering is the local over-the-air distribution of Ion Television programming. The station provides viewers in the Birmingham and central Alabama market with the network's scheduled entertainment programming through its full-power digital signal and virtual channel 44.

• Broadcast infrastructure · 2002

  Digital terrestrial television transmission

  Since launching its digital signal in 2002 and ending regular analog broadcasting in 2009, WPXH-TV has operated as a digital terrestrial television station. Its signal serves the broad Birmingham-area market from transmitter facilities associated with the Birmingham region.

• 2009

  Conversion from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  United States full-power television stations were required to complete the federally mandated digital transition.

  Action taken

  WPXH ended regular analog service on June 12, 2009 and continued digital broadcasting while retaining virtual channel 44.

  Aftermath

  The station became a fully digital terrestrial broadcaster.

  Source

• 1999

  Transition from CBS to Pax TVStrategy

  Background

  Paxson Communications acquired the station while it was still contractually committed to CBS and intended to place it within the company's emerging national television service.

  Action taken

  WPXH ended CBS programming on April 30, 1999, and began carrying Pax TV on August 1, 1999.

  Aftermath

  The station became part of the national Pax operation, later rebranded i: Independent Television and Ion Television.

  Source

• 2009

  WPXH-TV ends regular analog transmissions[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Product generation

  The station discontinued regular analog programming during the United States digital television transition and continued as a digital broadcaster.

• 2002

  WPXH-TV begins digital broadcasting[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The station launched its digital signal on UHF channel 45 while retaining virtual channel 44.

• 1999

  WPXH-TV ends CBS affiliation and begins Pax TV service[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  WPXH-TV ended its CBS affiliation on April 30 and began carrying Pax TV programming on August 1.

• 1998

  WNAL-TV adopts the WPXH call sign[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  The station changed its call letters to WPXH in preparation for Pax TV service.

• 1996

  WNAL-TV changes affiliation from Fox-related operations to CBS[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After WBRC became a Fox owned-and-operated station and other Birmingham-area stations shifted to ABC, WNAL-TV became a CBS affiliate serving the Anniston–Gadsden area.

• 1996

  Station is sold to Paxson Communications[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Fant Broadcasting sold WNAL-TV to Paxson Communications, which planned to transition the station toward its national programming operation while honoring the existing CBS agreement.

• 1986

  WNAL-TV signs on as a northern and eastern coverage satellite for WDBB[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station began broadcasting from Gadsden as WNAL-TV, extending WDBB's programming reach into areas that its Tuscaloosa signal did not adequately serve.

• 1986

  WNAL-TV becomes a charter Fox affiliate[1]WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  WNAL-TV joined Fox when the network launched, operating alongside WDBB as part of Fox's initial central Alabama affiliation arrangement.

1. 1WPXH-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ion Televisioniontelevision.com