| Ozark/Dothan, Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Fox 34 |
| Channels | Digital: 33 (UHF) Virtual: 34 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 34.1 Fox |
| Owner | Raycom Media (WDFX License Subsidiary, LLC) |
| First air date | February 1991 |
| Call letters' meaning | We're Dothan's FoX |
| Sister station(s) | WSFA, WTVM, WXTX, WAFF-TV, WBRC |
| Former callsigns | WDAU (1991-1995) |
| Former channel number(s) | 34 (UHF analog, 1991-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 538 kW |
| Height | 148 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 32851 |
WDFX-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for Southeastern Alabama's Wiregrass Region licensed to Ozark. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 33 (or virtual channel 34.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in Wicksburg. The station can also be seen on Knology channel 5 as well as Comcast and Time Warner Cable channel 13. There is a high definition feed offered on Time Warner Cable digital channel 213, Comcast digital channel 434 and Knology digital channel 501. Owned by Raycom Media, WDFX has studios on Ross Clark Circle/AL 210/U.S. 231 in Dothan. Syndicated programming on the station includes 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and The Dr. Oz Show among others.
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The station launched as WDAU in February 1991. Airing an analog signal on UHF channel 34, it was the market's fourth television outlet to sign-on and has been with Fox since the very beginning. It was established after a small group of Ozark investors saw the market as being undeserved with the network and the need for a locally-based affiliate in the area. The call sign had been previously used on what is now CBS affiliate WYOU in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (ironically a sister station to rival ABC affiliate WDHN in Dothan).
The call letters changed to WDFX-TV on August 31, 1995 while owned by the Woods Communications Corporation of nearby Montgomery (controller of that market's Fox affiliate WCOV-TV). Interestingly, that company operated rival CBS affiliate WTVY in Dothan until 1995 when it was sold to Benedek Broadcasting. As a part of Woods Television, WDFX quickly grew in popularity. It was bought out by Waitt Media in June 1999 and, under the company's ownership, moved to its current facility on Ross Clark Circle. This change resulted in its advertising sales and traffic departments being held together under the same room for the first time. On December 15, 2003, Raycom Media bought the station; two years later, WDFX became a sister station to NBC affiliate WSFA in Montgomery after Raycom acquired The Liberty Corporation. The big three outlet currently serves the Wiregrass Region as its de-facto NBC affiliate. However, low-powered station WDON-LP will join the network in the very near future.
On January 7, 2008, the Woods Communications Corporation (current owner of WCOV) contracted with WSFA to air a prime time broadcast on the Fox affiliate in Montgomery in conjunction with WDFX in Dothan. Originally airing for 35 minutes on weeknights, a weekend half-hour edition of Fox News at 9 began in Summer 2008. On August 3 of that year, WSFA upgraded its newscasts to high definition becoming the first station in Montgomery to do so. The primary news set and graphics were redesigned in the transition. Initially, the 9 p.m. production on WDFX and WCOV was not included because it originated from an older secondary set at WSFA's studios on East Delano Avenue. However, in Spring 2010, the broadcasts began airing in HD with updated graphics in a color scheme separate from programs seen on WSFA.
Since WDFX and WCOV both aired Fox News at 9, there was regional coverage of the Montgomery and Dothan areas provided. Reporters and photojournalists based at WDFX's facility (referred to on-air as the Wiregrass Newsroom) were also featured in the show. After WCOV's outsourcing contract with WSFA expired at the end of 2010, the former entered into a new agreement with CBS affiliate WAKA (owned by Bahakel Communications) to produce a nightly 35 minute prime time newscast at 9 specifically covering Montgomery. On January 1, 2011, WSFA transitioned its prime time show (renamed The News at 9) to its second digital subchannel (then affiliated with the Retro Television Network).
The show's format remains mostly unchanged except for originating from WSFA's primary set while continuing to be simulcasted on WDFX. This station provides some coverage of its home territory, Dothan and Ozark, as well as the surrounding areas in the Wiregrass. Every night, it inserts a short news update during Fox News at 9 (known as "Wiregrass Wrap") featuring anchor Hannah Lane (weeknights) and Kim Smith (weekends) as well as photojournalist Doug Gooden who are all based out of WDFX's studios. There is also a short high school football highlight cut-in on Friday nights (known as "Sports Overtime") anchored by sports reporter Kim Smith. Although not a full news department, this is the market's third source of local newscasts on television in Dothan besides CBS affiliate WTVY and ABC affiliate WDHN.
In more recent times, a regional news network has developed between Raycom's stations in Alabama. The Raycom News Network a system designed to rapidly share information among the company's channels and websites. WSFA along with WDFX, WTVM/WXTX, WAFF-TV, and WBRC share equipment such as satellite trucks or even stories and video footage from various reporters. Between them, these stations cover almost the entire state except for the Gulf Coast. The four stations also comprise the Raycom Weather Network and blog where meteorologists from all of the outlets post forecasts and storm reports as well as live feeds from all of the cameras operated by the television stations. As of October 2011, a similar regional network has developed among Raycom's outlets serving Southeastern Georgia and South Carolina's Lowcountry.
+ denotes personnel based at Wiregrass Newsroom/WDFX
Anchors
Reporters
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