WVFX
WVFX, virtual and VHF digital channel 10, is a dual Fox/CW+-affiliated television station licensed to Clarksburg, West Virginia, United States and serving North-Central West Virginia. The station is owned by Gray Television, as part of a duopoly with Weston-licensed CBS affiliate WDTV (channel 5). The two stations share studios on Television Drive in Bridgeport (along I-79/Jennings Randolph Expressway) and transmitter facilities in an unincorporated area between Clarksburg and Arlington.
  | |
| Clarksburg/Weston/ Fairmont, West Virginia United States | |
|---|---|
| City | Clarksburg, West Virginia |
| Branding | Fox 10 West Virginia CW 3/10 (on DT2) |
| Slogan | The Area's Only 10 PM News Dare to Defy (on DT2) |
| Channels | Digital: 10 (VHF) (to move to 13 (VHF)) Virtual: 10 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | 10.1: Fox (1998–present) 10.2: CW+ 10.3: Start TV |
| Owner | Gray Television |
| Licensee | Gray Television Licensee, LLC |
| First air date | February 8, 1981 |
| Call sign meaning | West Virginia's FoX |
| Sister station(s) | WDTV |
| Former call signs | WLYJ (1981–1998) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 46 (UHF, 1981–2009) |
| Former affiliations | Religious Ind. (1981–1998) |
| Transmitter power | 30 kW 110 kW (CP) |
| Height | 235 m (771 ft) 212.2 m (696 ft) (CP) |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 10976 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°18′2″N 80°20′36″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information | Profile CDBS |
History
The station signed-on February 8, 1981 and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 46. It was a religious Independent station using the calls WLYJ (standing for We Love You Jesus). Much of the programming consisted of national religious evangelicals and local fund-raising appeals to continue operation of the station. In 1998, WLYJ was sold to Davis Television and converted to a Fox affiliate. The call sign was changed to WVFX (standing for West Virginia's FoX). Prior to WVFX's affiliation with Fox, the network's programming was only available on cable via Pittsburgh affiliate WPGH-TV.
Davis Television sold WVFX to Withers Broadcasting in 2007. Since the Clarksburg/Weston/Fairmont market has only five full-powered stations, this amount is too few to allow a duopoly under normal Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines. However, Withers obtained a "failed station" waiver allowing the purchase to go through. Although most internal operations were integrated with WDTV in Bridgeport, WVFX initially maintained its original facility on West Pike Street/SR 20 in Downtown Clarksburg. The station's signal is very hard to receive over-the-air since much of the region is a rugged dissected plateau. As a result, it relies primarily on cable and satellite for viewership.
Fairmont is technically the market's largest city because Morgantown (though only 20 miles (32 km) north) has the largest population of any city in the geographic area but it is part of the Pittsburgh market. Despite this technicality, the station is still able to sell commercials to businesses in that area. Locations around Morgantown are within reach of over-the-air signals from Pittsburgh stations. In addition to WVFX, most cable providers offer WPGH-TV on their basic tiers. In some cases, that station's high definition feed is offered on the digital tiers instead of WVFX.
Gray Television announced on May 13, 2016 that it would acquire WVFX and WDTV from Withers for $26.5 million.[1] Gray sought a continuation of the "failing station" waiver allowing WVFX to be co-owned with WDTV, and assumed control of the stations through a local marketing agreement on June 1.[2] The sale was completed on May 1, 2017.[3]
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[4] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | 720p | 16:9 | WVFX-DT | Main WVFX programming / Fox |
| 10.2 | 480i | WVFX-D2 | West Virginia CW | |
| 10.3 | WVFX-D3 | Start TV | ||
Analog-to-digital conversion
WVFX shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 46, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal broadcasts on its pre-transition VHF channel 10, and also converted their virtual channel to 10 on the same date to take advantage of that channel number's better branding potential.[5]
Programming
Syndicated programming on WVFX includes Family Feud, Judge Judy, and Pawn Stars, among others.
Newscast
After acquiring WVFX, WDTV made preparations to begin producing a prime time newscast on this station. Launched in late 2010, the show is called Fox 10 News at 10 and airs weeknights for thirty minutes. The broadcast features the News Corp. Digital Media music theme and graphics package modified from original use on Fox owned-and-operated stations.
References
- "Gray Buying WDTV-WVFX Clarksburg, WV". TVNewsCheck. May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- "Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- RabbitEars TV Query for WVFX
- "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.