| Huntsville/Decatur/ Florence, Alabama |
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|---|---|
| City of license | Huntsville |
| Branding | Fox 54 (general) Fox 54 News My 8 (on DT2) |
| Slogan | Fair. Balanced. Local. |
| Channels | Digital: 41 (UHF) Virtual: 54 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 54.1 Fox 54.2 MyNetworkTV |
| Owner | Grant Broadcasting System II (Huntsville Television Acquisition Licensing, LLC) |
| First air date | August 20, 1984 |
| Sister station(s) | "WAMY-TV" |
| Former callsigns | WTXT (August-October 1984) |
| Former channel number(s) | 54 (UHF analog, 1984-2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1984-1990) |
| Transmitter power | 700 kW |
| Height | 517.9 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 28119 |
| Website | www.myfoxhuntsville.com |
WZDX is the Fox-affiliated television station for North Alabama's Tennessee Valley. Licensed to Huntsville, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 (or virtual channel 54.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter on Monte Sano Boulevard Southeast in Madison County (east of Huntsville). The station can also be seen on Knology channel 4 as well as Charter and Comcast channel 5. There is a high definition feed offered on Comcast digital channel 434, Charter digital channel 705, and Knology digital channel 905. Owned by Grant Broadcasting System II, WZDX is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate "WAMY-TV" and the two share studios on North Memorial Parkway/US 72/US 231/US 431 in Huntsville. Syndicated programming on the station includes Two and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, Judge Mathis, Dr. Phil, and The People's Court among others.
Contents |
Sister station "WAMY-TV" can be seen on WZDX's second digital subchannel.
| Channels | Name | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54.1 | WZDX-HD | 720p | 16:9 | Main WZDX programming / FOX |
| 54.2 | WZDX-DT2 | 480i | 4:3 | "WAMY-TV" "My 8" |
The station signed-on August 20, 1984 as WTXT and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 54. It was Northern Alabama's first Independent station and the area's first new outlet to launch in nearly twenty years. The inaugural program shown was an airing of the 1968 film Charly. The station's transmitter was on Green Mountain in Southeastern Huntsville while its studios were in the northwestern section of the city. During the first months after going on-air, WZDX used the slogan "We're Taking You to the Top!". The station changed call letters to WZDX on October 10, 1984.
When Fox began broadcasting on October 6, 1986, WZDX abstained from affiliating with the networks unlike many Independents. However, the station did occasionally air Fox special broadcasts such as the Emmy Awards. Eventually in 1990 it became a full time affiliate of the network. Also that year on March 29, WZDX became the first property owned by a new broadcasting group founded by Milton Grant. In 2002, it launched the second digital signal of the market on UHF channel 41. A simulcast of cable-only WB affiliate "WAWB-TV" was then added to a second digital subchannel of WZDX.
That offered non-cable viewers access to WB programming for the first time. In September 2003, the broadcast tower shared by WZDX and ABC affiliate WAAY-TV collapsed killing three men. Until it could be replaced, WZDX and WAAY temporarily aired from the nearby tower of CBS affiliate WHNT-TV. As part of the DTV transition in the United States on June 12, 2009, this station ceased analog operations and became digital-exclusive. In order to adequately serve its coverage area, its effective radiated power was increased to 700 kW on July 2.
In January 2007, WZDX launched a thirty minute prime time newscast known as Fox 54 Nine O'Clock News. Airing every night except Saturday, it was produced by the Independent News Network (INN) through an outsourcing agreement with Grant Broadcasting. News anchors, meteorologists, and sports anchors were provided by INN and other personnel from the newscast production company would fill-in as needed. WZDX maintained two locally-based news reporters which would contribute content to the show. It was taped in advance and then fed to the station through satellite.
The broadcasts originated from INN's facility on Tremont Avenue in Davenport, Iowa. In a report in the Macon, Georgia Telegraph, it was announced the Independent News Network filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy and the company would end all news productions (including those for WZDX) by January 9, 2009. [1] However, all INN broadcasts would then be reinstated under ownership of Fusion Communications (also of Davenport) according to the newspaper. WZDX would not face local news competition until February 1, 2010 when WHNT added a nightly half-hour newscast at 9 to its Retro Television Network (RTV) subchannel (WHNT-DT2 dropped RTV for Antenna TV in 2011).
On September 20, this station terminated its outsourcing agreement with INN and entered into another news share arrangement with WAAY (owned by Calkins Media). This resulted in a local refocus of Fox 54 Nine O'Clock News which can now be seen every night from a secondary set at WAAY's studios on Monte Sano Boulevard Southeast. WZDX maintains separate news anchors and a meteorologist but they can report for and/or fill-in on WAAY. [2] [3] In addition to its main facility, the latter also operates bureaus in Decatur (on Lee Street Northeast) and The Shoals (in Florence on North Pine Street within the University of North Alabama campus). Although the previous INN newscasts were in high definition in later years, the newscasts on WZDX reverted to pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition when WAAY took over the production. WAAY upgraded to high definition newscasts on December 12, 2011 and the WZDX shows were included.
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