WPXA-TV

WPXA-TV
Rome/Atlanta, Georgia United States
Branding	ION Television
Slogan	Positively Entertaining
Channels	Digital: 31 (UHF) Virtual: 14 (PSIP)
Subchannels	See Below
Affiliations	Ion Television
Owner	Ion Media Networks (Ion Media Atlanta License, Inc.)
First air date	1988^[1]
Call letters' meaning	PaX TV Atlanta
Former callsigns	WAWA-TV (1988-1990) WTLK-TV (1990-1998)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 14 (UHF, 1988-2009) Digital: 51 (UHF, 2002-2015)
Former affiliations	independent (1988-1994) inTV (1994-1998) Pax TV (1998-2005) i (2005-2007)
Transmitter power	1000 kW (digital)
Height	622 m (digital)
Facility ID	51969
Transmitter coordinates	34°18′47.3″N 84°38′55.6″W / 34.313139°N 84.648778°W / 34.313139; -84.648778Coordinates: 34°18′47.3″N 84°38′55.6″W / 34.313139°N 84.648778°W / 34.313139; -84.648778
Licensing authority	FCC
Public license information:	Profile CDBS
Website	www.ionline.tv

WPXA-TV, virtual channel 14 (digital channel 31), is an Ion Television owned-and-operated television station located in the metro Atlanta area. The station is licensed to Rome, with its transmitter and antenna on Bear Mountain, overlooking Lake Arrowhead near Waleska, near the Cherokee/Bartow county line several miles northwest of Atlanta. The TV studio was located in Marietta, next to Six Flags White Water along Cobb Parkway (U.S. 41). It is owned and operated by ION Media Networks.

The station's broadcast range extends into parts of Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee and even the southwest corner of North Carolina. However, terrain shielding not accounted for in radio propagation models prevents this from regularly occurring, due to the north Georgia mountains.

WPXA-TV can be viewed on Comcast cable channel 12.

History

The station was issued a construction permit in 1984 on Channel 14 as WZGA but never went on-air. The station went on-air February 29, 1988 as WAWA with studios on Shorter Avenue in Rome and TV tower on Mount Alto nearby. The station was owned by Sudbrink Broadcasting, West Palm Beach, FL, and had a general entertainment format of low-budget shows, public domain movies, local TV news, and pre-empted network TV programs. It also aired several CBS, ABC and NBC shows that WAGA-TV, WSB-TV and WXIA-TV turned down.

In 1990, the station changed its calls to WTLK-TV and moved its studios to Marietta and transmitter to Bear Mountain (west of Canton). Rebranding as "Talk TV", it featured national talk shows like Phil Donahue and Sally Jesse Raphael. It also aired local shows (with TV studio audiences) with WSB's Neal Boortz, former Miss America Suzette Charles, Hosea Williams, Michael Young, WVEE's Mike Roberts, WGST's Brian Wilson and others. The station never took off in metro Atlanta as WTLK was not a must-carry on cable TV. The other independent on the fringe of the market, WNGM-TV (channel 34, now WUVG) had the same problem. Later in the 1990s, WTLK ran blocks of country music videos along with infomercials.

In 1996 the station was sold to Paxson Communications. The must-carry rules for cable systems took effect about the same time. WTLK, WNGM and WATC would be added to most metro cable systems immediately. The station's format consisted of infomercials by day and Worship Network at night. Pax TV was launched in 1998 and WTLK became WPXA as a charter affiliate. Pax TV later became i and ION television. During the Pax era, WPXA aired a late-night replay of WXIA's 11 pm newscast. Most Pax stations had similar arrangements with the NBC stations in their markets.

The station's broadcast tower on Bear Mountain was also the first location for WCHK-FM 105.5, now WRDA 105.7 on Sweat Mountain.

Rome also had a previous full-power TV station (ABC/CBS/NBC/Dumont) WROM-TV channel 9, from 1953-1957. That was later moved to Chattanooga and became what is now WTVC.

Digital television (over the air)

The station's over the air digital channel is multiplexed:

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming^[2]
14.1	720p	16:9	ION	Ion Television
14.2	480i	4:3	Qubo	Qubo
14.3			IONLife	Ion Life
14.4			Shop	Ion Shop
14.5			QVC	QVC
47.1		16:9	TLMD	Simulcast of WKTB-CD / Telemundo

WPXA-TV also has a Mobile DTV feed of subchannel 14.2, labelled "WPXA - ION", broadcasting at 3.67 Mbit/s. This is the highest bitrate of any Metro Atlanta television station mobile feed.^[3]^[4]^[5]

The Worship Network was originally on 14.4 until the end of January 2010, when it was dropped from all Ion stations.

The station had selected 14 as its permanent digital channel in the digital channel election, but had to remain on 51 due to a co-channel RF interference conflict.^[6]

The station's digital facility is at maximum power (1000 kW), while its analog was not (3800 kW instead of the 5000 kW allowed for analog stations). Its digital TV antenna is also 15 meters (49 ft) higher on the same tower, improving the broadcast range further.

In August 2013, the station contracted with local Telemundo affiliate WKTB-CD (channel 47) to provide a full-market signal for the low-power station, along with probable retransmission consent to fold it in with WPXA's negotiations. This precluded WPXA from Ion's agreement to carry the over-the-air signal of Home Shopping Network on its DT6 subchannel later in the year, though HSN already is carried by W45DX-D (channel 45) over-the-air in the market.

On July 6, 2015, WPXA-TV was licensed by the FCC to shift their digital signal from channel 51 to channel 31 to allow T-Mobile US to use the adjacent channel 52 frequency for LTE data and voice services without interference, requiring a tuner re-scan for viewers to continue to receive the station; using PSIP to display WPXA-TV's virtual channel as 14 on digital television receivers.

References

↑ The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says January 15, while the Television and Cable Factbook says February 29.
↑ RabbitEars TV Query for WPXA
↑ http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=atscmph
↑ http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/
↑ http://www.mdtvsignalmap.com/
↑ FCC application BFRECT-20050210ADZ

External links

Broadcast television in North Georgia, including Atlanta and Athens

Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television

Metro Atlanta	WSB-TV (2.1 ABC, 2.2 Me-TV, 2.3 LAFF) WAGA-TV (5.1 Fox, 5.2 Movies!, 5.3 Buzzr) WXIA-TV (11.1 NBC, 11.2 WN, 11.3 Justice Network) WPXA-TV (14.1 ION, 14.2 qubo, 14.3 Ion Life, 47.1 simulcast of WKTB-CD1/TMD) WPCH-TV (17.1 ind.) WUVG-DT (34.3 GetTV, 34.4 Escape) WATL (36.1 MNTV, 36.2 Bounce, 36.3 Ant.) WIRE-CD (40.3 Video Mix TV) WGCL-TV (46.1 CBS, 46.2 COZI, 46.3 GRIT) WATC-DT (57.2 ind./family) WUPA (69.1 CW, 69.2 Decades)

Spanish-language stations	WUVG-DT (34.1 Univision, 34.2 UniMás) WUVM-LP 4 (AzA) WYGA-CD (16.1/6 Mex., 16.2 SBN) WTBS-LD/LP 26 (26.1 MMax, 26.2 LWN, 26.5 Tuff, 26.6 LMM) WANN-CD (32.1 Zap2it/Biz, 32.2 This TV, 32.4 MOXiE, 32.5 Oldie, 32.6 MyFam., 32.7 La Mega, 32.8 LATV, 32.9 Retro, 32.10 Estrella TV) WTHC-LD (42.1 tourist) WKTB-CD (47.1 Telemundo, 47.3 TeleXitos) WAGC-LD (50.1 ind./BNN)

Religious stations	WDTA-LD (53.1 DS) WATC-DT (57.1 ind./relg.) WIRE-CD (40.4 3ABN) WKTB-CD ( 47.4 MC-TV) WHSG-TV (63.1 TBN, 63.2 Church, 63.3 JUCE, 63.4 Enlace, 63.5 Smile) WGGD-LD 15 (DS)

Public television	WCIQ (7.1 PBS / APT, 7.2 APT World, 7.3 Create) WGTV 8 / WNGH 18 / WJSP 28 (.1 PBS/GPB, .2 Create, .3 Knowledge) WPBA (30.1 PBS)

Home shopping stations	W45DX-D (45.1 HSN) WANN-CD (32.3 ads) WTBS-LD (26.3 JTV) WIRE-CD (40.1/2 ads) WPXA-TV (14.4 shop, 14.5 QVC)

Ethnic stations	WKTB-CD (47.2 KTN/KBS, 47.3 MBC-D) WSKC-CD (22.1 MBC) WTBS-LD (26.4 France 24)

Outlying areas	WKSY-LD (21.1 ind., 21.2 RTV, 21.3 3ABN, 21.4 WATC-DT, 21.5 News) WDWW-LP 28 (unknown) WGTA (32.1 H&I, 32.2 Decades, 32.3 Movies!) WJCN-LD (33.1 ind.)

Local cable channels	AIB CobbTV Cobb edTV People TV Fox Sports South Fox Sports Southeast

Audio-only stations	WANN-CD (32.11 WGST AM 640, 32.12 WUBL FM 94.9, 32.13 WRDA FM 105.7, 32.14 WWPW 96.1, 32.15 WWPW 96.1-2, 32.16 WBZY FM 105.3, 32.17 La Mega, 32.18 WPBC AM 1310)

Defunct	WROM-TV 9 (ind./NBC/CBS/ABC/DuMont) WQXI/WATL (old) 36 (ind.) WXID-LP 49 (JCTV/DS) Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast

ATSC-M/H Mobile DTV encrypted channels are italicized	WSB (2.1 ABC) WAGA (5.1 Fox) WXIA (11.1 NBC) WPXA (14.2 qubo, 14.82 Gran Cine, 14.85 NFL Net, 14.87 GOL TV, 14.88 NFL RedZone, 14.90 Starz, 14.96 AirBox, 14.97 VH1 Classic) WPCH (17.1 ind.) WATL (36.1 MNTV) WGCL (46.1 CBS) WQJY980 (56.1 Unknown) WUPA (69.1 CW)

Georgia broadcast television areas by city Albany Atlanta Augusta Chattanooga, TN Columbus Greenville, SC Jacksonville, FL Macon Savannah Tallahassee, FL See also Huntsville Birmingham TV

Other television stations in the state of Georgia

Atlanta
stations

Religious stations	WKSY-LD (21.3 3ABN) WDTA-LD 35 (Daystar) WATC-DT 57 / WSKC-CA 22 / WKSY-LD 21.1 (FamilyNet) WHSG-TV 63 (TBN)

Spanish stations	WUVM-LP 4 (Azteca) WTBS-LD 26 / WANN-CD 32 (various; see articles) WUVG-DT 34 (Univision, 34.2 UniMás) WKTB-CD 47.1 (Telemundo; Korean: 47.2 KTN/KBS, 47.3/4 Arirang)

Other stations	WPXA 14 (ION) WYGA-LD 16 (16.1 Mexicanal, 16.2 AMGTV, 16.4 infomercials) WPCH-TV 17 (Ind.) WKSY-LD (21.1 ind., 21.2 RTV) WGTA (32.1 H&I, 32.2 Decades, 32.3 Movies!) WIRE-CD 40 (MTV2) • WTHC-LD 42 (tourist) W45DX-D 45 (HSN)

Other
markets

Religious stations	WYBU-CD 16 (CTN, Columbus) WELF 23 (TBN, Dalton) WDMA-CD 31 (Daystar, Macon) WGNM 64 (CTN, Macon)

Spanish stations	WDGA-CD 43 (Azteca, Dalton)

Other stations	WRDW-CD 16 (A1, Augusta) WPXC-TV 21 (ION, Brunswick) WMUB-LD 38 (The Family Channel/Tuff TV, Macon) WXSX-CA 46 (MTV2, Savannah) WDNN-CD 49 (Independent, Dalton) WTLH 49 (Me-TV, Bainbridge) WPGA-LP 50 (This TV, Macon) WSST-TV 51 (Independent/Youtoo America, Cordele) WPGA-TV 58 (Ind./Me-TV/Bounce, Macon)

Defunct

WXID-LP 49 (JUCE TV)

See also: ABC; CBS; CW; Fox; Ion; MyNetworkTV; NBC; PBS; Other stations in Georgia

Ion Media Networks

Networks	Ion Television Ion Life Qubo

O&O Television stations (carry Ion networks unless otherwise noted)	KBPX¹ KFPX KGPX KKPX KOPX KPPX KPXB KPXC KPXD KPXE KPXG KPXL KPXM KPXN KPXO KPXR KSPX KTPX KUPX KWPX WAZE² WBPX / WDPX / WPXG WCPX WEPX WFPX WGPX WHPX WINP WIPX WLPX WNPX WOPX WPPX WPXA WPXC WPXD WPXE WPXH WPXJ WPXK WPXL WPXM WPXN WPXP WPXQ WPXR WPXU WPXV WPXW WPXX WQPX WRBU³ WRPX WSPX WTPX WUPX WVPX WWPX WXPX WYPX WZRB³ WZPX

Other ION Affiliates (owned by other broadcasters)	K39HF KCLG KCVB KDMD KDMD-LP KPVM / K46KA-D KQEG / WIBU-LP KRQE-DT2 KTSS KXAN-DT3 WBGR WBNA WHCQ-LD / WEBU-LP / WPRQ-LD WKFK-LD KWQC-DT2 WKRG-DT2 KSNW-DT3 WANE-DT3 WJBF-DT3 KXRM-DT3 WLFI-DT3 WBAY-DT3 KHRR-DT3 KNSO-DT3 KBLR-DT3

¹Affiliated with ZUUS Country. ² Repeater of WAZE-TV. Currently silent. ³Sale to Cedar Creek Broadcasting pending; to remain operated by Ion thereafter.

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