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WOPX-TV
CityMelbourne, Florida
Channels
BrandingIon
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
May 19, 1986 (38 years ago) (1986-05-19)
Former call signs
  • WAYK (1986–1992)
  • WIRB (1992–1998)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 56 (UHF, 1986–2009)
  • Digital: 48 (UHF, until 2020)
  • Independent (1985–1990, 1991–1995)
  • STN (1990–1991)
  • inTV (1995–1998)
Call sign meaning
Orlando's Pax TV
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID67602
ERP419 kW
HAAT536.6 m (1,760 ft)
Transmitter coordinates28°16′45.3″N 81°1′24″W / 28.279250°N 81.02333°W / 28.279250; -81.02333
Links
Public license information
Websiteiontelevision.com

WOPX-TV (channel 56) is a television station licensed to Melbourne, Florida, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to the Orlando area. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains offices on Grand National Drive in Orlando, and its transmitter is located on Nova Road east of St. Cloud.

After its original permittee could not secure funding for construction, channel 56 began broadcasting on May 19, 1986, as WAYK. It was an independent station focusing on the Melbourne and Vero Beach area with an emphasis on sports programs, including baseball. An attempt to boost its viewership by merging with channel 26 in Daytona Beach failed to get the station on cable television systems in the Orlando area. Never financially successful, it filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 1990. During the process, the Daytona Beach station went off the air and was split off in bankruptcy court. Robert Rich, who had already been managing the station, bought it and changed its call sign to WIRB. As WAYK and again as WIRB, the station attempted producing a local newscast for Brevard and Indian River counties.

Christian Network, associated with Paxson Communications Corporation, bought WIRB in 1995 and replaced its programming with infomercials. Like other Paxson stations, it was one of the launch stations for the Pax network—forerunner to today's Ion—in 1998.

History

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WAYK: Construction and early years

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In January 1981, Don Sundquist, owner of Broadcast Production and Management Corporation, announced his plans to apply to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to activate channel 56 in Melbourne. Sundquist proposed a format emphasizing business news programming; he owned a company called Market Report, which was already airing such a show over WKID-TV in Fort Lauderdale.[2] A second application was filed by a Chattanooga, Tennessee, woman,[3] but the FCC held a comparative hearing and awarded Sundquist's group the construction permit in September 1982. At the time, Sundquist declared plans to launch the station in 1983.[4] While the full-power user of channel 56 was being determined, the channel was used by WESH to rebroadcast its signal into southern Brevard County, where reception had sometimes been poor.[5]

By 1984, Sundquist had given up on building the station and another permit he owned in Key West, Florida. The early 1980s recession had caused a potential financier of the venture to go out of business, television networks were uninterested in offering affiliation, and he could not secure funding from banks. He attempted to sell the station—designated WSCT—to the SFN Companies, which had just acquired Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV and hoped to use it as a satellite station with local news inserts.[6] The transaction fell through when ABC denied WFTV permission to rebroadcast its signal.[7]

In 1985, William Varecha assumed control of the channel 56 permit. He planned to focus the station on Brevard and Indian River counties, which he felt were underserved by the nearest television stations.[8] Construction was delayed multiple times in late 1985 and early 1986 as the venture faced studio construction delays,[9] short legs on one section of the 1,000-foot (300 m) tower,[10] and a faulty transmission line.[11]

WAYK made its first broadcast on May 19, 1986,[12] days after WESH discontinued its use of the South Brevard translator.[13] A local news program debuted shortly after the station's first broadcast.[12]

Varecha's plans for channel 56 were complicated by Melbourne's other television station, WMOD (channel 43). WMOD, unlike WAYK, sought to penetrate the Orlando television market. In 1985, it won an FCC ruling declaring Brevard County to be part of the Orlando television market. This had a negative effect on WAYK, because it forced the station to compete for programming at higher rates and without the signal coverage that WMOD had.[14] WAYK's transmitter, near the Indian River–Brevard line, was further south than that of WMOD.[15] Varecha went as far as petitioning the FCC to reverse the previous FCC ruling.[16] One of the ways WAYK tried to compensate for this difficulty, as well as its lack of presence on Orlando-area cable systems, was by investing in syndicated sports.[15] In 1987, the station scheduled telecasts of some 200 Major League Baseball games, as well as several syndicated college sports packages.[17] While most Orlando-area cable systems, particularly the large CableVision of Central Florida, shunned WAYK, the sports programming got it on the smaller Storer Cable system in southern Seminole County.[18]

Simulcast with WAYQ

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Further information: WOTF-TV § WAYQ: Simulcast of WAYK

In December 1987, Varecha's TV 56 Limited agreed to share ownership of WAYK with Life Style Broadcasting, which held a construction permit for channel 26 in Daytona Beach. The two firms formed Beach Television Partners. The combination of channels 26 and 56 was expected by management to create a large signal covering the full Orlando media market.[19] Channel 26 began broadcasting as WAYQ on September 12, 1988.[20] Shortly after debuting, Orlando-based independent station WOFL objected to channel 26's license, claiming that advertisers were told the WAYQ signal reached Orlando when it did not.[21][22]

Not long after the simulcast began, WAYK—which owned half of WAYQ—began to fail financially. The largest cable system in the Orlando area, CableVision of Central Florida, never added WAYK–WAYQ to its lineup on a full-time basis, straining the station's ability to secure advertising revenue. WAYK president Bill Varecha told Florida Today in July 1990, "We have been unable to act as a conventional television station because we can't disseminate over the entire area. Orlando is the meat and potatoes of the marketplace." In 1989, the news department was discontinued to cut costs;[23] interest in channel 56's local news had been low in the Vero Beach area.[24] One stockholder in the company, Harry Handley, started the Star Television Network, which proposed to deliver classic TV shows and infomercials to affiliates including WAYK and WAYQ. In the meantime, Beach Television Partners began seeking investors to assist in providing capital to the struggling stations; on the WAYK side, Robert Rich—former owner of KBJR-TV in Duluth, Minnesota—stepped in as a new manager.[23] After lenders refused to give the company more time to make payments on broadcast equipment, in August 1990, Beach Television Partners filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[25][26] Two months later, Barnett Bank moved to foreclose on the studios after the Varechas defaulted on a construction loan.[27]

WAYK and WAYQ continued to broadcast while in bankruptcy. During this time, the Star Television Network operated, with the two stations among its few affiliates, before running out of cash and ceasing operations in January 1991.[28] WAYQ ceased broadcasting on June 26, 1991, when a Grumman A-6 Intruder of the United States Navy clipped its tower.[29]

WIRB

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In August 1991, the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case was converted to a Chapter 7 liquidation.[26] WAYK was allowed to continue telecasting in order to preserve the FCC license, one of its principal assets.[30] The bankruptcy court appointed a trustee,[31] who moved to separate WAYQ and WAYK.[26]

Under the company Treasure Coast Communications,[32] Robert Rich bought WAYK for $100,000.[33] The station changed call signs to WIRB on May 22, 1992.[32] The rebranded station continued as an independent outlet, adding several daytime shows local network affiliates did not clear[34] and a schedule of 52 games of the expansion Florida Marlins baseball team.[35]

During this time, WIRB began building toward the resumption of local news programming for Brevard and Indian River counties.[36] An evening newscast debuted in July 1993.[37] It coincided with the return of must-carry laws, which put WIRB on cable systems in Orlando and Kissimmee for the first time and expanded its reach.[38]

Paxson and Ion ownership

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Christian Network, Inc., announced a $4 million acquisition of WIRB from Rich in January 1995. The news department was laid off on January 18, 1995, in preparation for a transition to the station's new programming: infomercials.[39] The new owner and programming were closely related. The infomercials came from the Infomall TV network, owned by Paxson Communications Corporation, of which WIRB was the first separately owned affiliate;[40] Paxson was one of the largest contributors to Christian Network.[41] During this time, WIRB occasionally broke away from infomercials. The cable channel America's Health Network brokered some overnight hours to air its shows; the Orlando-based service lacked cable carriage in its hometown.[42] In December 1997, an independently produced local Spanish-language newscast began airing on WIRB.[43]

In January 1998, WIRB became WOPX-TV as part of a national changeover of dozens of Paxson-owned stations' call signs.[44] Paxson's Infomall TV stations changed programming with the launch of the Pax network on August 31, 1998.[45] Beginning in 2002, regional NBC affiliate WESH sold advertising time on WOPX-TV under a joint sales agreement; in addition, WOPX added replays of WESH newscasts to its schedule and began operating out of WESH's studio facilities.[46]

After changing its name to i: Independent Television in 2005, the network became known as Ion Television in 2007.[47] The E. W. Scripps Company acquired Ion Media for $2.65 billion in 2020.[48]

Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of WOPX-TV[49]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
56.1 720p 16:9 ION Ion Television
56.2 Bounce Bounce TV
56.3 480i Grit Grit
56.4 IONPlus Ion Plus
56.5 Laff Laff
56.6 Get TV Get
56.7 QVC QVC
56.8 HSN HSN

Analog-to-digital conversion

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WOPX-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 56, 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.[50] The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 48, using virtual channel 56.[51]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WOPX-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Holmes, Cynthia (January 17, 1981). "2nd TV station for Melbourne?". Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ McLaughlin, Peggy (March 3, 1982). "3 new TV stations fight to get on air". Sentinel Star. Orlando, Florida. pp. 1-C, 4-C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Dickerson, David (October 4, 1982). "Third TV station plans '83 air date". Today. Cocoa, Florida. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "TV station focuses on clear viewing for South Brevard". Today. Cocoa, Florida. May 5, 1981. p. 2B. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Williams, Phil (June 24, 1984). "Broadcaster gives up permit for local station". Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 1E. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Williams, Phil (July 7, 1984). "WFTV tunes out of deal to acquire Channel 56". Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 8C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Williams, Phil (June 13, 1985). "Beach area TV channel due this year". Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 3A. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "TV 56 aims to start broadcasts Jan. 15". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. December 13, 1985. p. 16C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Ash, Jim (January 8, 1986). "WAYK TV-56 debut postponed ... again". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 14C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Channel 56 shoots for Saturday". St. Lucie News Tribune. Fort Pierce, Florida. May 14, 1986. p. D1. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Bixler, Brian (May 21, 1986). "WAYK-TV makes long-awaited debut". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 16C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Bixler, Brian (May 13, 1986). "Channel 2 makes way for WAYK". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 14C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Genz, Michelle (June 8, 1985). "New TV station battles for area foothold". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 1TC. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b Hinman, Catherine (September 21, 1986). "WAYK-Channel 56 takes different focus: Palm Bay station doesn't try to join Orlando market". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. Brevard Weekly 6. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Brady, Laura Anne (October 21, 1985). "Melbourne TV station seeks special market". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 16C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Marx, Bill (April 6, 1987). "Baseball junkies should turn to WAYK: Melbourne station will televise whopping 205 major-league". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. C-5. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Marx, Bill (July 17, 1987). "Melbourne sports station makes big move to Storer". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. C-2. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "2 TV Stations Apply To Form Partnership". The News-Journal. December 16, 1987. p. 4C. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "Channel 26 set for cable debut". The News-Journal. October 1, 1988. p. 12A. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  21. ^ "TV station's future up in the air over alleged violations". The News-Journal. November 8, 1988. p. 8B. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Strother, Susan G. (November 7, 1988). "Competitor wages signal challenge: Daytona station accused of violating FCC rule". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. Central Florida Business 22. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b Solomon, Scott (July 15, 1990). "Troubled waters: Palm Bay's WAYK Television fights for recognition". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. pp. 1E, 2E. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Labbee, William (July 18, 1989). "As station bows out, another looks to fill void". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 1B (Treasure Coast). Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Strother, Susan G. (August 11, 1990). "Independent TV stations struggle to work out financial problems". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. pp. C-1, C-6. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ a b c Callea, Donna (April 18, 1992). "Texas firm makes bid to revive TV station". The News-Journal. pp. 1B, 2B. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  27. ^ Solomon, Scott (October 3, 1990). "Bank seeks foreclosure on WAYK-TV". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 19C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Strother, Susan G. (January 17, 1991). "TV network signs off — out of cash". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. pp. C-1, C-5. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Haire, Kevlin; Quintana, Craig (June 29, 1991). "Navy plane topples TV antenna: WAYQ-Channel 26 tower hit during training mission". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. pp. 1-A, 8-A. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Quintana, Craig (October 6, 1991). "Trustee seeks new owner for TV station". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. K-1. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ Callea, Donna (October 14, 1991). "Broken tower, budget keep Channel 26 off the air". The News-Journal. p. 1B. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  32. ^ a b Reid, Victoria (May 23, 1992). "Palm Bay channel 56 sold; name changes to WIRB-TV". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 14C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Oliver, Rick (February 18, 1993). "Daytona Beach TV station sold for $35,000". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. C-4. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Hirsch, Lynda (November 1, 1992). "'Santa Barbara' returns to Brevard". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 54T. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ King, Bill (February 20, 1993). "Marlins hand bat to Hough". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 6C. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ Moore, Colleen (January 28, 1993). "WIRB puts spotlight on local newscast". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 1D. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Rose, Allen (July 8, 1993). "Bird looks for love in the wrong place". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. B-1. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ Liden, Catherine (June 11, 1993). "Channel 56 to add newscast: Station also hopes to increase viewers". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ "Ch. 56 trades news for religion". Florida Today. Cocoa, Florida. January 18, 1995. p. 1A. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "Paxson Purchases Station". Press Journal. Vero Beach, Florida. Associated Press. February 10, 1995. p. 14A. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ Hinman, Catherine (July 14, 1996). "Paxson ropes radio powerhouse: Investors back eager entrepreneur". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. pp. H-1, H-5. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Stutzman, Rene (November 4, 1996). "Lake Cablevision plans $15 million upgrade". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. Central Florida Business 20. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Montañez, Lillyana (December 14, 1997). "News speaks residents' language". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. K-11. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ Waresh, Julie (January 9, 1998). "Pax Net stations renamed". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 7D. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ Gray, Ellen (August 31, 1998). "Paxson could clean up with G-rated programs". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 42. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ Strother Clarke, Susan (February 11, 2002). "WOPX, WESH strike joint sales agreement". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. p. Central Florida Business 3. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "i Is Now ION Television". Multichannel News. January 24, 2007. Archived from the original on August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  48. ^ Cimilluca, Dana. "E.W. Scripps Agrees to Buy ION Media for $2.65 billion in Berkshire-Backed Deal". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  49. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WOPX". RabbitEars. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  50. ^ Best, Keilani (June 11, 2009). "Ready or not, 'D' day is near: Unprepared viewers to be left in the dark as TV switches to digital Friday". Florida Today. pp. 8C, 7C. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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