WVFX
WVFX is a Clarksburg-licensed television station serving North-Central West Virginia as an affiliate of Fox and The CW Plus.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
WVFX is a full-power television station licensed to Clarksburg, West Virginia, and serving the Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont television market. The station operates as a Fox affiliate and carries The CW Plus programming on a digital subchannel or associated service. Its studios are shared with WDTV, the market's CBS affiliate, on Television Drive in Bridgeport, near Interstate 79 and the Jennings Randolph Expressway. Its transmitter is located in an unincorporated area between Clarksburg and Arlington. The station began broadcasting on February 8, 1981, as an analog UHF station on channel 46 under the call sign WLYJ. At launch it was a religious independent station, carrying nationally distributed evangelical programming and local fundraising appeals intended to support continued operation. The WLYJ call letters were associated with the station's religious identity. Because of the area's terrain and the station's technical limitations, its over-the-air reach was historically uneven, and much of the market's television viewing depended on cable and other multichannel distributors. In 1998, Davis Television acquired WLYJ, converted it to a commercial operation, and affiliated it with the Fox network. The station adopted the WVFX call sign at the same time. This gave the local market its first terrestrial Fox affiliate; before then, Fox programming was generally available through Pittsburgh affiliate WPGH-TV on cable. The Fox affiliation was strategically important because the market had limited full-power television competition and because the Pittsburgh station's availability could vary as cable operators and networks applied market-specific carriage policies. Withers Broadcasting acquired WVFX from Davis Television in 2007. The transaction required special treatment under Federal Communications Commission ownership rules because the Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont market had only five full-power stations, normally too few to support a conventional same-market duopoly. Withers received a failed-station waiver after demonstrating that WLYJ and the later WVFX operation had faced substantial difficulties and that independent ownership was unlikely to restore the station as a viable concern. Withers initially retained WVFX's facilities on West Pike Street in downtown Clarksburg, but progressively integrated station operations with WDTV. The transition from analog to digital television brought major technical changes. WVFX shut down its analog channel 46 signal on June 12, 2009, the federally established end of full-power analog broadcasting in the United States. Its digital operation initially used VHF channel 10, and the station adopted virtual channel 10 for branding. The move to the WDTV transmitter site improved the station's technical relationship with the rest of the market, although North-Central West Virginia's rugged dissected-plateau terrain continued to affect over-the-air reception. In 2020, the station shifted its physical transmission channel to VHF channel 13 as part of the FCC's spectrum-reallocation process while retaining virtual channel 10. WVFX also became a platform for locally produced news through a WDTV-produced 10 p.m. newscast, which has aired on WVFX's primary digital feed since late 2010. This arrangement reflects the station's shared operational structure with WDTV rather than a fully separate news department. On May 13, 2016, Withers agreed to sell WVFX and WDTV to Gray Television for $26.5 million as part of Withers' withdrawal from the television business. Gray received approval to continue the paired operation under the existing failed-station waiver and assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement on June 1, 2016. The sale was completed on May 1, 2017. WVFX remains a local broadcast outlet under Gray Media ownership, combining Fox network programming, The CW Plus content, syndicated or locally scheduled programming, and a WDTV-produced prime-time newscast.
History
WVFX signed on February 8, 1981, as WLYJ, an analog UHF station operating on channel 46 and licensed to Clarksburg, West Virginia. It began as a religious independent station, with much of its schedule devoted to nationally distributed evangelical programs and local appeals for financial support. The station's limited technical reach and the difficult terrain of North-Central West Virginia made reliable over-the-air reception challenging, encouraging dependence on cable and other multichannel distributors. Davis Television purchased WLYJ in 1998 and changed the station's business model. It became a commercial outlet, joined Fox, and adopted the WVFX call sign. The affiliation made WVFX the first local Fox station serving the market. Before that change, Fox content was commonly received through Pittsburgh affiliate WPGH-TV via cable. Local carriage patterns later increasingly favored WVFX over WPGH-TV as Fox applied market-specific policies during retransmission-consent negotiations. Withers Broadcasting bought WVFX in 2007. Because the local market contained only five full-power stations, the acquisition did not fit the ordinary FCC conditions for a duopoly. The FCC nevertheless permitted the transaction under a failed-station waiver. Withers argued that the station's historical operating problems, including the difficulties experienced under WLYJ and Davis ownership, made continued independent operation uncertain. WVFX initially continued using facilities on West Pike Street in downtown Clarksburg, but its operations were gradually combined with those of WDTV, a CBS affiliate owned by Withers in the same market. WVFX's technical identity changed during the United States digital television transition. It ended analog broadcasting on channel 46 on June 12, 2009, and began digital service on VHF channel 10, using virtual channel 10 as its principal on-air identifier. The transmitter was relocated to the WDTV transmitter site north of Clarksburg, improving integration with the paired station. The region's rugged topography continued to complicate terrestrial signal coverage. In 2020, the station moved its physical digital transmission to channel 13 as part of the FCC's spectrum-reallocation program, while retaining virtual channel 10. Since late 2010, WDTV has supplied a 10 p.m. prime-time newscast for WVFX's primary digital feed. This arrangement gives WVFX a local-news presence without requiring a separate full-scale newsroom. The station's principal programming identity remains its Fox affiliation, complemented by The CW Plus programming and other scheduled television content. Withers announced the sale of WVFX and WDTV to Gray Television on May 13, 2016, as Withers exited the television industry. The transaction was valued at $26.5 million. Gray assumed operational control under a local marketing agreement on June 1, 2016, and completed the acquisition on May 1, 2017. Gray was allowed to continue the combined operation under the failed-station waiver. WVFX remains an active Gray Media station serving the Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont market.
- 2020
Physical channel moves to 13
[1]WVFX changes its physical digital transmission channel to 13 during FCC spectrum reallocation while retaining virtual channel 10.
- 2017
Gray completes acquisition
[1]The purchase of WVFX and WDTV is completed on May 1.
- 2016
Gray Television announces acquisition
[1]Gray agrees to acquire WVFX and WDTV from Withers for $26.5 million.
- 2010
WDTV-produced prime-time newscast begins
[1]A WDTV-produced 10 p.m. local newscast begins airing on WVFX's primary digital service.
- 2009
Analog television shutdown
[1]WVFX ends analog channel 46 broadcasting and uses digital virtual channel 10.
- 2007
Withers Broadcasting acquisition
[1]Withers purchases WVFX and begins operating it with WDTV under an FCC failed-station waiver.
- 1998
Conversion to commercial Fox affiliate
[1]Davis Television converts WLYJ to commercial operation, joins Fox, and adopts the WVFX call sign.
- 1981
WLYJ signs on
[1]The station begins broadcasting on February 8 as a religious independent on analog UHF channel 46.
Products and positioning
Local broadcast television station serving North-Central West Virginia, with a Fox network identity, CW Plus programming, and shared news and operational resources with WDTV.
Broadcast television network affiliation · 1998
Fox network service
WVFX's primary programming identity is its Fox affiliation. The service carries Fox network programming for the Clarksburg–Weston–Fairmont market, including network entertainment, news, sports, and other scheduled content distributed by Fox. The affiliation began in 1998 after the station's conversion from religious independent programming.
Broadcast television programming service
The CW Plus
WVFX also carries The CW Plus, a programming service intended for smaller television markets. It complements the station's Fox service and expands the range of network and syndicated entertainment available through the WVFX digital operation.
Local television news · 2010
WVFX 10 p.m. newscast
WDTV produces a local prime-time newscast for WVFX's primary digital service. The program has aired since late 2010 and provides local news coverage under the shared operating structure of the two stations.
Brand decisions
2020
Move physical digital transmission to channel 13Generation changeBackground
The FCC's spectrum-reallocation process required changes to some television transmission assignments.
Action taken
WVFX shifted its physical digital transmission to channel 13 while retaining virtual channel 10.
Aftermath
Viewers continued to identify the station as channel 10 even though its underlying transmission channel changed.
2016
Sell WVFX and WDTV to Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
Withers Broadcasting decided to withdraw from the television industry.
Action taken
Withers agreed to sell both stations to Gray Television, with Gray assuming operational control through a local marketing agreement before closing.
Aftermath
Gray completed the acquisition in 2017 and continued the paired operation under the existing failed-station waiver.
Transaction value. $26.5 million (Announced May 13, 2016; transaction completed May 1, 2017)
2009
Transition from analog channel 46 to digital virtual channel 10Generation changeBackground
Federal rules required full-power television stations in the United States to end analog broadcasting.
Action taken
WVFX shut down its analog channel 46 signal and operated digitally on VHF channel 10 using virtual channel 10.
Aftermath
The station abandoned channel 46 in its consumer-facing identity and adopted channel 10 branding.
2007
Acquire WVFX under a failed-station waiverM&ABackground
The market had too few full-power stations to qualify ordinarily for a same-market duopoly, while WVFX had a history of operational and financial difficulty.
Action taken
Withers Broadcasting acquired WVFX and received FCC permission to operate it with WDTV under a failed-station waiver.
Aftermath
WVFX's operations were progressively integrated with WDTV, including shared facilities and news production.
1998
Convert WLYJ into a commercial Fox affiliateStrategyBackground
The former station operated as a religious independent with financial difficulties and limited reach. Fox programming had previously been available in the area through a Pittsburgh station carried on cable.
Action taken
Davis Television commercialized the station, affiliated it with Fox, and changed its call letters from WLYJ to WVFX.
Aftermath
WVFX became the market's first local Fox affiliate and developed a clearer commercial network-station identity.
Recent events
- 2020
WVFX changes physical transmission channel as part of spectrum reallocation[1]
Regulation · Product generation
The station shifted its physical digital transmission from channel 10 to channel 13 while retaining virtual channel 10 for viewer-facing identification.
- 2017
Gray Television completes acquisition of WVFX and WDTV[1]
M&A · Regulation
Gray completed its purchase of WVFX and WDTV after receiving authorization to continue the paired operation under the existing failed-station waiver.
- 2016
Withers agrees to sell WVFX and WDTV to Gray Television[1]
M&A
Withers announced a sale of WVFX and WDTV to Gray Television for $26.5 million, beginning Gray's operational control under a local marketing agreement in June 2016.
- 2010
WVFX begins carrying a WDTV-produced 10 p.m. newscast[1]
Product launch · Other
WDTV began providing a prime-time local newscast for broadcast on WVFX's primary digital service.
- 2009
WVFX completes analog shutdown and moves to digital virtual channel 10[1]
Regulation · Product generation
The station ended its analog UHF channel 46 operation during the United States full-power television transition and used virtual channel 10 for digital branding.
- 2007
WVFX acquired by Withers Broadcasting[1]
M&A · Regulation
Withers Broadcasting purchased WVFX and operated it alongside WDTV under a failed-station waiver approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
- 1998
WVFX begins commercial Fox affiliation under new call sign[1]
Other
Davis Television converted the former religious independent WLYJ into a full commercial station, affiliated it with Fox, and changed its call letters to WVFX.
Sources2 sources
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