WPXR-TV

WPXR-TV, virtual channel 38 (UHF digital channel 27), is an Ion Television owned-and-operated station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, United States and also serving Lynchburg. The station is owned by West Palm Beach, Florida-based Ion Media Networks (the former Paxson Communications). WPXR-TV's transmitter is located atop Poor Mountain in unincorporated southwestern Roanoke County.

For the radio station in Rock Island, Illinois which held the call sign WPXR from 1987 to 1995, see WLKU.
WPXR-TV
Roanoke/Lynchburg, Virginia
United States
CityRoanoke, Virginia
BrandingIon Television
SloganPositively Entertaining
ChannelsDigital: 27 (UHF)
Virtual: 38 (PSIP)
Affiliations
OwnerIon Media Networks
LicenseeIon Media License Company, LLC
First air dateJanuary 3, 1986 (1986-01-03)
Call sign meaningPaX TV Roanoke
Former call signsWEFC (1986–1998)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
38 (UHF, 1986–2009)
Digital:
36 (UHF, 2002–2019)
Former affiliationsReligious (1986–1997)
inTV (1997–1998)
Transmitter power609 kW[1]
Height623.6 m (2,046 ft)[1]
Facility ID70251
Transmitter coordinates37°11′56″N 80°9′0″W[1]
Licensing authorityFCC
Public license informationProfile
CDBS
Websiteiontelevision.com

History

The station signed on January 3, 1986 as WEFC, a religious station owned by Evangel Foursquare Church (hence the call letters). It was the first new station to sign on in Roanoke in 31 years.

Paxson Communications bought the station in 1997 and made it part of the all-infomercial inTV network. It joined Pax TV (later i: Independent Television and now Ion Television) on the network's launch in 1998.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
38.1720p16:9IONMain Ion Television programming
38.2480i4:3quboQubo
38.3IONPlusIon Plus
38.4ShopIon Shop
38.5QVCQVC
38.6HSNHSN

[2]

Analog-to-digital conversion

WPXR-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 38, on June 12, 2009, the official date in 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 36,[3] using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 38.

Newscasts

From September 1996 until August 1997, WDBJ produced a 10 p.m. newscast, News 7 Primetime, for WEFC; the newscast was canceled due to low ratings.[4] From 2000 to 2005, WPXR aired rebroadcasts of WSLS-TV's newscasts as part of a joint sales agreement between Paxson Communications and WSLS owner Media General.[5]

References
  1. "Modification of a DTV Station Construction Permit Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. March 4, 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  2. "RabbitEars TV Query for WPXR". Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  3. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  4. "Channel 7 cancels WEFC 10 p.m. news". The Roanoke Times. August 8, 1997. p. B4. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  5. "PAX TV Signs Strategic Agreement With Media General's NBC-Affiliated Stations in Tampa & Roanoke". Online Media Daily. November 3, 2000. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2012.


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