WFGX: Difference between revisions
imported>OWaunTon Changing short description from "MyNetworkTV affiliate in Fort Walton Beach, Florida" to "Television station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida" |
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{{Short description|Television station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida}} | {{Short description|Television station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida}} | ||
{{Use mdy dates|date= | {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} | ||
{{Infobox television station | {{Infobox television station | ||
| callsign = WFGX | | callsign = WFGX | ||
| city = Fort Walton Beach, Florida | | city = Fort Walton Beach, Florida | ||
| logo = WFGX | | logo = WFGX logo 2015.svg | ||
| logo_size = 200px | | logo_size = 200px | ||
| branding = WFGX 35<ref name=rei/> | | branding = WFGX 35<ref name=rei/> | ||
| Line 37: | Line 37: | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
WFGX signed on the air on April 7, 1987, as an [[independent station]] | WFGX signed on the air on April 7, 1987, as an [[independent station]], the second in the market after WJTC. It was the third of four stations in Florida to be owned by [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]-based [[Family Group Broadcasting]], and the second Florida station founded by it after Tampa's [[WFTS-TV]] (which had been sold three years prior). | ||
In 1995, | In 1995, Family Group Broadcasting entered into a [[local marketing agreement]] (LMA) with [[Heritage Media]], then-owner of WEAR. This enabled WFGX to become the area's [[The WB|WB]] affiliate on September 29, 1996, taking the affiliation from [[WBQP-CD]]. The station's former [[analog television|analog]] signal on UHF channel 35 was very weak (509 [[kilowatt]]s), resulting in marginal (at best) reception outside [[Okaloosa County]]. It was barely viewable even in Pensacola, and could not be seen at all over the air on the Alabama side of the market. Despite the shortfall in coverage, WFGX has long identified as "Pensacola–Fort Walton Beach," which is unusual since the city of license is normally listed first when a station references another city in its legal on-air identification. It had to rely on cable and satellite carriage in order to reach the entire market. | ||
Sinclair Broadcast Group took over WFGX's operations after Heritage sold its television division to Sinclair in 1997. When the stronger WBPG (channel 55, now [[WFNA (TV)|WFNA]]) signed on from [[Gulf Shores, Alabama]], on September 2, 2001, it replaced WFGX as the area's WB affiliate. WFGX then became an independent station, airing [[home shopping]] programming from [[Jewelry Television]], syndicated shows and [[infomercial]]s. Sinclair purchased WFGX outright in 2004. | Sinclair Broadcast Group took over WFGX's operations after Heritage sold its television division to Sinclair in 1997. When the stronger WBPG (channel 55, now [[WFNA (TV)|WFNA]]) signed on from [[Gulf Shores, Alabama]], on September 2, 2001, it replaced WFGX as the area's WB affiliate. WFGX then became an independent station, airing [[home shopping]] programming from [[Jewelry Television]], syndicated shows and [[infomercial]]s. Sinclair purchased WFGX outright in 2004. | ||
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WFGX discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 35, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 35. | WFGX discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over [[UHF]] channel 35, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=March 24, 2012}}</ref> using [[virtual channel]] 35. | ||
At the same time, WFGX increased its digital signal to 1 million watts (equivalent to 5 million watts in analog), which was enough to provide a good signal to viewers in Pensacola. However, it was still practically unviewable on the Alabama side of the market. In July 2010, WFGX's digital transmitter was moved from [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]], to WEAR's tower east of Rosinton, Alabama. With the same power output at the new location, it is now able to offer a signal comparable to those of the other full-powered stations in the market. Within two months, the station began offering a [[high-definition television|high definition]] signal over-the-air for the first time | At the same time, WFGX increased its digital signal to 1 million watts (equivalent to 5 million watts in analog), which was enough to provide a good signal to viewers in Pensacola. However, it was still practically unviewable on the Alabama side of the market. In July 2010, WFGX's digital transmitter was moved from [[Gulf Breeze, Florida]], to WEAR's tower east of Rosinton, Alabama. With the same power output at the new location, it is now able to offer a signal comparable to those of the other full-powered stations in the market. Within two months, the station began offering a [[high-definition television|high definition]] signal over-the-air for the first time, and the transmitter move allowed Sinclair to invoke [[must-carry]] status on the Alabama side of the market for the station in order to also carry WEAR through [[retransmission consent]]. | ||
==Newscasts== | ==Newscasts== | ||
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The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]: | The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]: | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+Subchannels of WFGX<ref name=rei>{{cite web|title=Digital TV Market Listing for WFGX|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WFGX#station|website=RabbitEars | |+Subchannels of WFGX<ref name=rei>{{cite web|title=Digital TV Market Listing for WFGX|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WFGX#station|website=[[RabbitEars]]|access-date=September 9, 2014}}</ref> | ||
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]] | ! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]] | ||
! [[Display resolution|Res.]] | ! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]] | ||
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]] | ! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]] | ||
! Short name | ! scope = "col" | Short name | ||
! Programming | ! scope = "col" | Programming | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope = "row" | 35.1 | ! scope = "row" | 35.1 | ||
| Line 80: | Line 78: | ||
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;" | |- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;" | ||
! scope = "row" | [[WFNA (TV)|55.3]] | ! scope = "row" | [[WFNA (TV)|55.3]] | ||
| | | Busted || [[Busted (TV network)|Busted]] ([[WFNA (TV)|WFNA]]) | ||
|- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;" | |- style="background-color:#DFEBF6;" | ||
! scope = "row" | [[WFNA (TV)|55.4]] | ! scope = "row" | [[WFNA (TV)|55.4]] | ||
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|} | |} | ||
{{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}} | {{legend|#DFEBF6|Broadcast on behalf of another station}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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{{PensacolaMobileTV}} | {{PensacolaMobileTV}} | ||
{{ | {{Florida English TV}} | ||
{{TV | {{Alabama TV}} | ||
{{Mississippi TV}} | {{Mississippi TV}} | ||
{{SBGI}} | {{SBGI}} | ||
Latest revision as of 18:47, 26 June 2025
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
WFGX (channel 35) is a television station licensed to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, United States, serving northwest Florida and southwest Alabama as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Pensacola-licensed ABC affiliate WEAR-TV (channel 3); Sinclair also provides certain services to Mobile, Alabama–licensed NBC affiliate WPMI-TV (channel 15) and Pensacola-licensed independent station WJTC (channel 44) under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Deerfield Media.
WFGX and WEAR-TV share studios—which also house master control and some internal operations for WPMI-TV and WJTC—on Mobile Highway (US 90) in unincorporated Escambia County, Florida (with a Pensacola mailing address); WFGX's transmitter is located in unincorporated Baldwin County, Alabama (northeast of Robertsdale).
History
WFGX signed on the air on April 7, 1987, as an independent station, the second in the market after WJTC. It was the third of four stations in Florida to be owned by Tampa-based Family Group Broadcasting, and the second Florida station founded by it after Tampa's WFTS-TV (which had been sold three years prior).
In 1995, Family Group Broadcasting entered into a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Heritage Media, then-owner of WEAR. This enabled WFGX to become the area's WB affiliate on September 29, 1996, taking the affiliation from WBQP-CD. The station's former analog signal on UHF channel 35 was very weak (509 kilowatts), resulting in marginal (at best) reception outside Okaloosa County. It was barely viewable even in Pensacola, and could not be seen at all over the air on the Alabama side of the market. Despite the shortfall in coverage, WFGX has long identified as "Pensacola–Fort Walton Beach," which is unusual since the city of license is normally listed first when a station references another city in its legal on-air identification. It had to rely on cable and satellite carriage in order to reach the entire market.
Sinclair Broadcast Group took over WFGX's operations after Heritage sold its television division to Sinclair in 1997. When the stronger WBPG (channel 55, now WFNA) signed on from Gulf Shores, Alabama, on September 2, 2001, it replaced WFGX as the area's WB affiliate. WFGX then became an independent station, airing home shopping programming from Jewelry Television, syndicated shows and infomercials. Sinclair purchased WFGX outright in 2004.
On February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced that it would launch a new network called MyNetworkTV, which would be operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television.[1][2] Sinclair opted to affiliate several of its stations (including WFGX) with the new programming service, which launched on September 5, 2006.
WFGX discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 35, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,[3] using virtual channel 35.
At the same time, WFGX increased its digital signal to 1 million watts (equivalent to 5 million watts in analog), which was enough to provide a good signal to viewers in Pensacola. However, it was still practically unviewable on the Alabama side of the market. In July 2010, WFGX's digital transmitter was moved from Gulf Breeze, Florida, to WEAR's tower east of Rosinton, Alabama. With the same power output at the new location, it is now able to offer a signal comparable to those of the other full-powered stations in the market. Within two months, the station began offering a high definition signal over-the-air for the first time, and the transmitter move allowed Sinclair to invoke must-carry status on the Alabama side of the market for the station in order to also carry WEAR through retransmission consent.
Newscasts
Template:See In 1996, WFGX began producing nightly newscasts at 6:30 and 9 p.m. called Emerald Coast News originating from its original studios on Beach Drive in Fort Walton Beach. Each broadcast aired for 30 minutes and stories on the newscasts specifically focused on Okaloosa County, Florida, helping to provide better coverage for WEAR. On December 11, 1998, Emerald Coast News was canceled by WFGX.
On August 12, 2013, sister station WEAR-TV began producing a weeknight-only, half-hour prime time newscast at 9 p.m. for WFGX. The newscast competes with Fox affiliate WALA-TV (channel 10)'s long established, dominant and hour-long 9 p.m. newscast, but due to WEAR's Pensacola focus, provides some differing content from WALA's Mobile-centric news operation.
Subchannels
The station's signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | WFGX | MyNetworkTV |
| 35.2 | 480i | Get-TV | Story Television | |
| 35.3 | Comet | Comet | ||
| 55.2 | 480i | 16:9 | Bounce | Bounce TV (WFNA) |
| 55.3 | Busted | Busted (WFNA) | ||
| 55.4 | Grit | Grit (WFNA) |
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
References
External links
Template:PensacolaMobileTV Template:Florida English TV Template:Alabama TV Template:Mississippi TV Script error: No such module "Navbox".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV, Broadcasting & Cable, February 22, 2006.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".