WKNX-TV

For the television station in Saginaw, Michigan that previously used these calls, see WEYI-TV.
WKNX-TV
Knoxville, Tennessee
United States
Branding WKNX, The Knox
Channels Digital: 7 (VHF)
Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
Subchannels 7.1 Independent
7.2 Daystar
Translators WEZK-LP 28 Knoxville (city)
WJZC-LP 22 Sevierville
Affiliations Independent (since 2013; also from 2004-2009)
Owner Lockwood Broadcast Group
(WMAK TV, LLC)
First air date July 31, 2004
Sister station(s) WBXX-TV
Former callsigns WMAK (2004-2013)
Former affiliations Primary/DT1:RTV (2009–2012)
Daystar (2012–2013)
DT2:
RTV (2009–2013)
Transmitter power 55 kW
Height 382 m
Facility ID 83931
Transmitter coordinates 36°0′36″N 83°55′57″W / 36.01000°N 83.93250°W
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website theknoxtv.com

WKNX-TV is an Independent television station in Knoxville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge, near the city's Oakwood section (just north of downtown Knoxville). Owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, WKNX is the sister station of CW affiliate, WBXX-TV. Both share its studios on Cogdill Road in unincorporated Western Knox County. Its signal is relayed through two low-powered analog translators: WEZK-LP (channel 28) in Knoxville, and WJZC-LP (channel 22) in Sevierville.

History

WKNX originally was an early TV station serving the Flint, Saginaw Bay City areas in Michigan starting in the late 40's or very early '50's. WKNX signed on the air on July 31, 2004, making it one of the few stations in the United States to sign on exclusively as a digital station, with no full-powered analog counterpart. The station was originally owned by Knoxville Channel 7, LLC, a division of South Central Communications (which also owns or operates five radio stations in the Knoxville area, and formerly owned CBS affiliate WVLT-TV (channel 8). As an independent television station, WMAK ran syndicated programs like Sex and the City, Extra, The People's Court, Judge Mathis and I Love Lucy as well as recent and classic motion pictures. On September 8, 2008, the station added programming from the Retro Television Network on its second digital subchannel.[1] This, however, would soon compromise the networks entire schedule on its main channel.

On April 27, 2009, Dallas, Texas-based religious broadcaster Daystar Television Network bought WMAK for $2 million;[2][3] the deal was completed on July 14 of that year. WMAK would retain its RTV affiliation on its main channel until mid-2012, when it switched it over to the Daystar Network, making RTV programming exclusively on DT2.

On November 13, 2012, Lockwood Broadcast Group entered into an agreement to purchase WMAK from Word of God Fellowship for $2.95 million. Simultaneously with the purchase, Lockwood filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to change the station's call letters to WKNX-TV.[4][5] The FCC approved the sale on December 21.[6]

On February 25, 2013, Lockwood took control of the station, which reverted to a general entertainment programming format (Daystar replaced RTV's programming on the station's second digital subchannel; at some point 7.2 was deleted); its branding was also changed to "WKNX, The Knox", although the station did not formally change its callsign until March 19 (the WKNX callsign was formerly used on Saginaw, Michigan's WEYI-TV from 1953 to 1972).[7] Formal consummation of the Lockwood purchase occurred on March 4, 2013, creating the Knoxville television market's first station duopoly with CW affiliate WBXX-TV.[8]

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP short name Programming[9]
7.1 1080i 16:9 WKNX-HD Main WKNX-TV programming
7.2 480i 4:3 Daystar Daystar

References

  1. ↑ WMAK-DT Knoxville adding Retro TV Network, TVNewsCheck, September 5, 2008.
  2. ↑ Daystar Buys Knoxville Indie for $2 Million, TVNewsCheck, April 27, 2009.
  3. ↑ Deal, Broadcasting & Cable, May 4, 2009.
  4. ↑ Lockwood Buys 2nd TV In Knoxville For $3M, TVNewsCheck, November 13, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Call Sign Changes" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1521434.pdf
  7. ↑ http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=83931
  8. ↑ https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101544071&formid=905&fac_num=83931
  9. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WKNX

External links