WBXZ-LP

WBXZ-LP
Buffalo, New York
United States
Branding 56 WBXZ Buffalo
Slogan Buffalo's Superstation
Channels Digital: 17 (UHF)
Virtual: 56 (PSIP)
Subchannels

56.1 Cozi TV
56.2 retrotv
56.3 Corner Store
56.4 Throwback TV
56.5 Buzzr
56.6 Sonlife
56.7 QVC
56.8 Tuff tv


56.9 =
Affiliations Cozi TV (2014–present)
Owner Steven Ritchie
First air date September 3, 1993 (1993-09-03)
Call letters' meaning We're The BoX Z (former affiliation)
Former callsigns W56DS (1997–1998)
Former channel number(s) 56 (UHF analog, 1993–2009)
Former affiliations The Box/MTV2/HSN (until 2010)
, Rev'n (2014–2016)
Transmitter power 15 kW
Class LD
Facility ID 14317
Transmitter coordinates 42°52′48″N 78°52′36″W / 42.88000°N 78.87667°W / 42.88000; -78.87667
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website http://www.wbxztv.com

WBXZ-LP is a low-power television station in Buffalo, New York, broadcasting locally on channel 17. Owned by Steven Ritchie, WBXZ operates a large and varying number of digital subchannels, two of which are permanent: Cozi TV on 56.1 and independent "Throwback Television" on 56.4.

History and programming

The station broadcast on channel 56 analog until it had to vacate that frequency when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) removed it from the broadcast spectrum. It used to be an affiliate of The Box, from which the station gets its call sign. The station is owned by Steven Ritchie, a local retired police officer[1] who acquired the station from Craig Fox in December 2013.[2]

After the digital transition, the station moved from analog channel 56 to channel 17 (the channel had been held by WBUF-TV from 1953 to 1959 and WNED-TV from 1959 to 2009) through a Special Temporary Authority approved by the FCC. The station returned to virtual channel 56 upon digital conversion, at which point it also planned to add several digital subchannels from Luken Communications, among them being Retro Television Network, PBJ and Heartland.[2] WBXZ-LP returned to the air April 17, 2014 with test programming; on May 2, the station indicated it was having trouble securing a carriage agreement with Luken (mainly because Ritchie could not fit the necessary large satellite dish onto the One Seneca Center where the station's transmitter is located but also in part due to Luken's financial problems) and was seeking other options.[3] As of 2014, the station was carrying Cozi TV on 56.1 and "Throwback TV" (a locally programmed outlet programming mostly public domain films and TV episodes, infomercials and other assorted low-cost syndicated programs) is carried on 56.2 (later moved to 56.4). Retro and a new Luken subchannel known as Rev'n would be added to WBXZ-LP on December 1, 2014. Buzzr would be added shortly after that network's launch.

Luken's networks, along with Buzzr, were pulled from WBXZ on June 28, 2016 after technical difficulties. Ebru TV and AMGTV were briefly added as replacements; both have since been removed. With the exception of Cozi and the returning Tuff TV (which was re-added after it split from Luken), most of WBXZ's subchannels now consist of infomercials, home shopping and televangelism from Jimmy Swaggart. Retro (but not any of the other Luken networks) was re-added in July 2017; Tuff TV was dropped later that year.

WBXZ was knocked off the air from December 7, 2017 to February 16, 2018. When the channel returned, Buzzr was added back to the list of subchannels. Jewelry Television was added shortly thereafter, with the station stating it plans to sign on with NewsNet, an upstart news network, when it launches in fall 2018, bringing the number of subchannels to 11. With Tuff TV ceasing operations in August 2018, Rev'n was re-added.

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[4]
56.1480i4:3CoziCozi TV
56.2RetroRetro TV
56.3JEWELRY TVJewelry Television
56.4THROWBACK TVIndependent
56.5BUZZRBuzzr
56.6SON LIFE TVSonLife Broadcasting Network
56.7CORNER STORECorner Store TV
56.8QVCQVC
56.9DRIVE-IN TVIndependent (movies)
56.10TUFF TVRev'n

References

  1. ↑ No byline (June 2, 2014). Law enforcement bids farewell to K9 Officer Steven Ritchie. WIVB-TV. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Pergament, Alan (December 30, 2013). Lockport policeman plans new low power TV channels. The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ Pergament, Alan (June 4, 2014). Retired Lockport officer's TV station is on the air. The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  4. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WBXZ-LP


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