WZAW-LD

WZAW-LD
Wausau, Wisconsin
United States
Branding Fox WZAW
WZAW News
Slogan The News You Can Trust
Channels Digital: 33 (UHF)
Virtual: 33 (PSIP)
Subchannels 33.1/7.3 Fox (720p 16:9)
33.2 MeTV (480i 4:3)
33.3 Movies! (480i 4:3)
Translators WSAW-DT 7.3 (VHF) Wausau
7.3 (UHF) W21DS-D3 Sayner/Vilas County, WI
Affiliations Fox
Owner Gray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
Founded May 27, 2015 (2015-05-27)
First air date July 1, 2015 (2015-07-01)
Call letters' meaning disambiguation of WSAW
("Z" added in honor of former News Director Mark Zelich)
Sister station(s) WSAW-TV, WEAU, WMTV, WBAY-TV, WLUC-TV
Transmitter power 15 kW
Height 313 m (1,027 ft)
Class LD
Facility ID 183262
Transmitter coordinates 45°3′22″N 89°27′54″W / 45.05611°N 89.46500°W / 45.05611; -89.46500
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.wsaw.com/fox

WZAW-LD is a low-powered, Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Wausau, Wisconsin, United States and serving north-central Wisconsin, including Rhinelander. It broadcasts a 720p high definition digital signal on virtual and UHF channel 33 from a transmitter, northeast of Nutterville, in unincorporated Marathon County. Owned by Gray Television, it is a sister station to CBS affiliate WSAW-TV (channel 7) and the two outlets share studios on Grand Avenue/U.S. 51 in Wausau.

Overview

Since WZAW transmits at low-power, its signal does not reach Rhinelander or other areas to the north and east (such as Eagle River and Crandon), which would have caused complications, especially for Fox's broadcasts of NFL games, including games of the Green Bay Packers. Therefore, the station is simulcast on WSAW's third digital subchannel in high definition to increase its over-the-air broadcasting radius. This signal broadcasts on virtual and VHF channel 7.3 from a transmitter on Rib Mountain. It is also seen on WSAW's Sayner translator, W21DS-D3, which also maps to PSIP channel 7.3.

History

On July 1, 2015, Gray bought the non-license assets of the market's previous Fox affiliate WFXS-DT (owned by Davis Television, LLC). Due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership restrictions, Gray established this new low-powered station to become the new Fox affiliate. All of WFXS' program streams including its existing PSIP channel numbering was then moved to WZAW. Subsequently, WFXS ceased broadcasting after nearly sixteen years on-the-air and its studios on North 3rd Street in Wausau were shut down.[1][2]

In consenting to the interference that would be caused by WZAW operating under special temporary authority on channel 31 (the same RF channel as WFXS) rather than its licensed channel 33, Davis Television stated that it would return the WFXS license to the FCC for cancellation following the sale.[3] In August 2015, WSAW launched a prime time newscast on this Fox outlet known as WZAW News at 9. The half-hour broadcast offers direct competition to WAOW's thirty-minute, weeknight-only news airing at the same time on its CW digital subchannel.

In September 2016, WZAW moved from virtual channel 55 and RF channel 31 to RF and virtual channel 33. In 2017, its simulcast on WSAW-DT3 was upgraded to high definition to provide full-market access to Fox programming in HD.

Digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP short name Programming [4]
33.1
7.3		720p16:9WZAW-HD
Fox		Main WZAW-LD programming / Fox
33.2480i4:3ME-TVMe-TV
33.3MOVIES!Movies!

References

  1. ↑ "Gray in 4 New Deals, Closes 3 Earlier Ones". TVNewsCheck. 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  2. ↑ http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Channel-7-Parent-Company-Accquires-Wausau-Fox-Station-311311791.html?ref=791
  3. ↑ Raff, Robert (June 9, 2015). "Interference Consent" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WZAW#station
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