| Columbus, Georgia-Auburn/ Phenix City/Opelika, Alabama |
|
|---|---|
| City of license | Columbus |
| Branding | Fox 54 (general) Fox 54 News |
| Slogan | News One Hour Earlier |
| Channels | Digital: 49 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | 54.1 Fox (primary) MyNetworkTV (secondary) 54.2 This TV |
| Owner | Southeastern Media Holdings (operated through SSA by Raycom Media) |
| First air date | November 1984 |
| Sister station(s) | WTVM, WSFA, WDFX-TV, WAFF, WBRC, WALB |
| Former channel number(s) | 54 (UHF analog, 1983-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1984-1987) The Tube (on DT2) |
| Transmitter power | 499.4 kW |
| Height | 312 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 12472 |
| Website | wxtx.com |
WXTX is the primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Chattahoochee Valley of West Central Georgia and East Central Alabama. Licensed to Columbus, Georgia, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 49 (or virtual channel 54 via PSIP) from a transmitter in the Vista Terrance section of South Columbus. The station can also be seen Mediacom and Knology channel 7 as well as Charter channel 8. There is a high definition feed seen on Charter digital channel 708, Mediacom digital channel 807, and Knology digital channel 905.
Owned by Southeastern Media Holdings, WXTX is operated by Raycom Media thorough a shared services agreement (SSA) as sister to ABC affiliate WTVM. The two share studios on Wynnton Road/SR 22 Spur in the Diglewood section of Columbus. This station maintains a secondary facility on Buena Vista Road in the Vista Terrance section of South Columbus. Syndicated programming on WXTX includes: Everybody Hates Chris, Judge Judy, Maury, and The Dr. Oz Show. Programming from MyNetworkTV airs Tuesday through Saturday mornings from midnight until 2. There is no separate local branding and/or logo indicating the secondary affiliation.
Contents |
On WXTX-DT2, Mediacom channel 84, Knology digital channel 173, and Charter digital channel 174 is This TV.
| Channels | Name | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54.1 | WXTX-HD | 720p | 16:9 | Main WXTX programming / FOX and MyNetworkTV |
| 54.2 | WXTV-DT2 | 480i | 4:3 | This TV |
WXTX signed-on November 1984 as an Independent. Three years later in 1987, it became a Fox affiliate and has remained with the network ever since. The station is the network's longest serving Georgia affiliate after Fox dropped WATL for New World-owned WAGA-TV in Atlanta. By 1993, WXTX grew to a seven night network affiliate after Fox expanded its programming offerings. The station was named a top ten affiliate with the network in November 1994 for its prime time audience share.
It has subsequently been named to the "Fox Number One Club" several times, most recently in 2007, in recognition of the station's sweeps ratings. Southeastern Media Holdings acquired WXTX in December 2003. ([1]) On September 5, 2006, it became the area's secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate after The CW chose then-UPN station WLGA to become its affiliate in Columbus. The CW is currently seen on a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WLTZ. Originally, WXTX aired programming from MyNetworkTV on weeknights from 11 until 1 in the morning.
For Saturday night prime time, that network was shown early Sunday mornings from 12:30 until 2:30. It has since shifted to the current time slot. At one point, the station offered The Tube (a 24-hour automated music video network) on a second digital subchannel. This was dropped on October 1, 2007 when the service shut down. WXTX-DT2 now carries This TV (an all movie channel) which began late-December 2008. After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion took place on June 12, 2009, WXTX remained on its current pre-transition channel number (49). Digital television receivers display its virtual channel as 54 through the use of PSIP.
Since 2004, WTVM has been producing the area's only prime time newscast at 10 on WXTX. Known as Fox 54 News at 10, it airs every night for thirty minutes and originates from a secondary set at WTVM's studios. In 2007, that station began airing an hour-long extension of its weekday morning show on WXTX. Known as Fox 54 Morning News, this broadcast was seen for an hour starting at 7. The production was cancelled for an unknown reason. Newscasts on WXTX are seen in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition since WTVM remains one of Raycom's few stations to have not yet upgraded local broadcasts to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen or full high definition.
In late-October 2010, HD-ready graphics began to be seen in weather forecasting segments indicating the station may be making the switch soon. The entire graphics package made a full switch to an updated theme in January 2011. WXTX's weeknight news co-anchor Jason Dennis is not seen on WTVM. In addition to its main studios and secondary facility, the station also operates an East Alabama Bureau on Executive Park Drive in Opelika. WXTX's website offers a live stream of WTVM's 24-hour local weather channel, "Storm Team 9 Weather Now".
Since half of the viewing area includes East Central Alabama, it is part of the "Raycom News Network" which is a system designed to rapidly share information among the company's widespread group of television stations and websites in Alabama. A regional network has developed among WSFA in Montgomery, WAFF in Huntsville, and WBRC in Birmingham in which stations share information, equipment (such as satellite trucks), and stories from reporters. Between them, these four stations cover the entire state of Alabama (except for the Gulf Coast) and also comprise the "Raycom Weather Network".
Anchors
Reporters
|
|||||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||