WQPX-TV
WQPX-TV is an Ion Television affiliate serving Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WQPX-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and serving the broader northeastern Pennsylvania television market. The station broadcasts the Ion Television network and identifies with virtual channel 64. Its operations include offices on Lackawanna Avenue in downtown Scranton, while its transmitter is situated on Bald Mountain northwest of the city and near Interstate 476. WQPX is part of Ion Media, the station group associated with Ion Television, which is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company. The station began test transmissions on May 18, 1998, and formally signed on June 1 of that year. Before launch, the channel had been associated with the WSWB-TV call sign, which had originally been used on channel 38 during planning for an earlier station project. The launch was delayed while the station developed a high-powered transmission facility intended to improve its over-the-air coverage and must-carry reach. WQPX initially carried Paxson Communications' InfoMall format, a schedule built around infomercials and religious programming. On August 31, 1998, it became one of the stations used to launch Pax TV, the network that later evolved into Ion Television. WQPX briefly carried programming from United Paramount Network, commonly known as UPN, under a secondary affiliation that began October 5, 1998. The arrangement resulted from a broader agreement between Paxson Communications and UPN. UPN programs were placed in late-night periods after the Pax prime-time schedule, giving the station a supplementary network role rather than replacing its principal Pax affiliation. WQPX ended the UPN relationship in 1999. From 2001 through 2005, WQPX also aired rebroadcasts of local newscasts produced by WNEP-TV, the ABC affiliate serving the region. The newscast arrangement was connected with a joint sales agreement under which The New York Times Company, then owner of WNEP-TV, handled WQPX's advertising sales. The agreement followed unsuccessful negotiations with WBRE-TV, the local NBC affiliate, and ended on June 30, 2005, when Paxson Communications terminated its joint sales agreements involving its stations. WQPX completed the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television on June 12, 2009. Its analog service had operated on UHF channel 64, while its digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 32 and continued using virtual channel 64. Today, the station's primary role is to distribute Ion Television's national entertainment schedule to viewers in northeastern Pennsylvania through terrestrial broadcast and associated digital subchannels. As a local network affiliate, WQPX's identity is primarily tied to its Scranton license, its regional coverage, and Ion's broad, nationally programmed television format rather than to locally originated programming.
History
WQPX-TV was developed as a full-power television station for Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding northeastern Pennsylvania market. The station's pre-launch planning was associated with the WSWB-TV call sign, a designation that had previously been used in connection with channel 38 before that project went on the air. The launch was postponed while the station worked to construct a high-powered transmission facility intended to improve its coverage and expand the area in which cable systems and other distributors would be expected to carry its signal. WQPX began test broadcasting on May 18, 1998, and officially signed on June 1. Its first schedule used Paxson Communications' InfoMall format, which combined infomercials with religious programming. The station soon became part of the launch structure for Pax TV, joining the network on August 31, 1998. Pax TV was later rebranded and developed into Ion Television, making WQPX a long-term Ion affiliate. In October 1998, WQPX added a secondary affiliation with UPN through a broader arrangement between Paxson Communications and UPN. UPN programming was scheduled late at night after Pax's prime-time content. The arrangement gave WQPX access to additional network programming but did not change its principal identity as a Pax station. UPN programming had previously appeared in late-night weekend periods on WYOU, another Scranton-market station. WQPX dropped the UPN affiliation in 1999. The station later became involved in both local programming distribution and advertising-sales arrangements. Between 2001 and 2005, WQPX carried rebroadcasts of newscasts produced by WNEP-TV, the market's ABC affiliate. In October 2000, The New York Times Company, then WNEP-TV's owner, announced plans to take over WQPX advertising sales through a joint sales agreement. The arrangement followed negotiations with WBRE-TV that did not result in an agreement. The WNEP relationship ended June 30, 2005, when Paxson Communications terminated all joint sales agreements involving its stations. WQPX's broadcast technology changed substantially during the national digital television transition. On June 12, 2009, the station ended its analog transmission on UHF channel 64. Its digital signal remained on pre-transition UHF channel 32, with channel 64 retained as the station's virtual channel number. This allowed the station to preserve its established on-screen and viewer-facing channel identity while moving to digital transmission. The station is currently part of Ion Media and is owned through that subsidiary by The E. W. Scripps Company. It maintains offices in downtown Scranton and transmits from Bald Mountain northwest of the city, near Interstate 476. Its principal service remains the distribution of Ion Television programming to northeastern Pennsylvania, supported by digital broadcast capacity and local-market advertising opportunities.
- 2009
Digital transition completed
[1]WQPX ended analog broadcasting on channel 64 and continued digitally on channel 32 while retaining virtual channel 64.
- 2005
WNEP newscast and sales arrangements end
[1]The station's WNEP-related rebroadcast and joint-sales arrangements ended during the year, with the sales agreement concluding June 30.
- 2001
WNEP newscast rebroadcasts begin
[1]WQPX began airing rebroadcasts of WNEP-TV local newscasts.
- 1999
UPN programming ends
[1]WQPX discontinued its secondary UPN affiliation.
- 1998
Test broadcasts begin
[1]WQPX commenced test transmissions on May 18 in preparation for its Scranton-area launch.
- 1998
Official sign-on
[1]The station formally began broadcasting on June 1.
- 1998
Pax TV affiliation
[1]WQPX joined the launch group for Pax TV on August 31; Pax TV later became Ion Television.
- 1998
UPN secondary affiliation begins
[1]The station started carrying UPN programming in late-night periods on October 5.
Products and positioning
A regional, over-the-air Ion Television affiliate delivering nationally scheduled entertainment programming and digital broadcast services to the Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania market.
Broadcast television network affiliation · 1998
Ion Television broadcast service
WQPX's principal offering is the Ion Television schedule delivered to viewers in northeastern Pennsylvania. The service consists primarily of nationally distributed entertainment programming carried by the station's full-power digital signal. WQPX provides a local broadcast outlet for the Ion network while maintaining the station's Scranton license and regional coverage identity.
Digital broadcast transmission · 2009
Digital terrestrial television
Following the United States digital television transition, WQPX continued service through its digital signal on pre-transition UHF channel 32 and preserved virtual channel 64. The digital platform supports the station's primary Ion service and associated multiplexed broadcast capacity where applicable.
Broadcast advertising · 1998
Local television advertising
WQPX offers access to a local television advertising market centered on Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania. Its advertising operations have historically included third-party sales arrangements, including a joint sales relationship with WNEP-TV that operated in the early 2000s.
Brand decisions
2009
Conversion from analog to digital transmissionGeneration changeBackground
United States full-power television stations were required to complete the national analog-to-digital transition.
Action taken
WQPX shut down its analog UHF channel 64 signal and continued digital broadcasting on UHF channel 32 while retaining virtual channel 64.
Aftermath
The station continued serving its established market through digital terrestrial transmission.
2000
Joint sales arrangement with WNEP-TVStrategyBackground
After negotiations with WBRE-TV did not produce an agreement, The New York Times Company pursued an arrangement involving WQPX and its ABC affiliate WNEP-TV.
Action taken
The New York Times Company took responsibility for WQPX advertising sales under a joint sales agreement.
Aftermath
The arrangement ended June 30, 2005, when Paxson Communications terminated its joint sales agreements involving its stations.
1998
Launch as a Pax TV affiliateProduct launchBackground
WQPX initially carried Paxson Communications' InfoMall format before Pax TV was launched as a national network.
Action taken
The station joined the Pax TV launch lineup on August 31, 1998, establishing its principal network affiliation.
Aftermath
Pax TV later evolved into Ion Television, the network WQPX continues to carry.
1998
Addition of a secondary UPN affiliationOtherBackground
Paxson Communications and UPN reached a group arrangement allowing selected Pax stations to carry UPN programs outside their main network schedules.
Action taken
WQPX began airing UPN programming in late-night periods after its Pax prime-time lineup.
Aftermath
The station discontinued the secondary UPN relationship in 1999.
Sources2 sources
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