WPXD
Encyclopedia
WPXD-TV is a television station
licensed to Ann Arbor, Michigan
. It is the Ion Television network affiliate for the Southeastern Michigan market.
s. WPXD will be moving to broadcast channel 50 in the near future.
on channel 48
, W48AV. W48AV currently has an application to flash-cut to digital and become a low-power digital translator station. Currently, the station is still broadcasting the primary digital ION feed (31.1) in analog, though experiences some co-channel interference
from Toledo
's WMNT-CA
, also on 48.
(FCC) coverage maps for both WPXD and W48AV , neither the main WPXD signal nor the W48AV translator covers the entire Metro Detroit area. WPXD's main signal partially reaches Detroit, while its W48AV translator, on the shores of Lake St. Clair near the Grosse Pointes, is directional towards the west, covering Warren
and Center Line
and going as far west as Madison Heights
, but only covering a small portion of northeastern Detroit.
from WKBD
's tower in Southfield
, vastly increasing its service area in the Metro Detroit and Windsor
areas. But on March 20, 2009, the FCC and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) denied WPXD's application to move the channel 19 allocation from Ann Arbor to Detroit and to broadcast from WKBD-TV's tower in Southfield, in order to protect CKXT-DT-2
in London, Ontario
, also on channel 19. As the Canadian government ended up rejecting the channel switch, so WPXD has remained on Channel 31.
On or about May 11, 2009 a new application to modify a digital allotment was posted in the FCC database, in which WPXD would broadcast its digital signal on channel 50 from WKBD-TV's tower in Southfield at 345 kW. The FCC and the Canadian government have approved this allotment. and barring further objection the station will eventually move to this new location. On October 21, 2009 the FCC granted a construction permit for the construction of WPXD's channel 50 Southfield facilities. WPXD believes the stronger signal will reach an additional 1.8 million viewers.
CKXT
itself will be leaving the air on October 31, 2011 potentially rendering the question of co-channel interference moot.
in Lyndon Township, Michigan
located in Washtenaw County
seven miles north of the town of Chelsea, Michigan
. The analog transmitter was actually closer to Lansing
and Jackson
than it was to Detroit, and was 55 miles from downtown Detroit. (Comcast
systems in Lansing and Jackson get their Ion programming from Battle Creek
's WZPX
, however.) WPXD's analog signal could be picked up as far away as St. Johns
, Flint
, and Owosso
, with its fringes making it close to Battle Creek, Coldwater
and Toledo
. WPXD's analog antenna was 1,079 feet in height.
, interfering with Detroit's W33BY
a low-power Class-A station currently on channel 33. The initial plan was to go back to channel 31 after its analog cutoff on February 17, 2009.
Although the DTV Delay Act officially delayed the shutdown of analog stations
until June 2009, WPXD turned off its analog signal on February 17 as originally planned. WPXD was the only Detroit market station that was allowed to go fully digital on February 17.
WPXD-TV also has plans for a Mobile DTV feed of subchannel 31.1.
. The first program it aired was, oddly enough, a basketball game between Texas Tech
and Baylor
, picked up from the TVS Television Network
, a nationwide sports syndication network. This was done largely to test the satellite equipment, which would be utilized further after the switch to In-Home Theatre (see below).
Most of TV31's early programming, as WRHT and the later WIHT, was either locally produced or outsourced by other production companies; it also carried live news from cable financial network FNN (now known as CNBC
), as well as some programs from the Satellite Program Network
.
, Channel 20 in Detroit offered a similar service, ON-TV
, at that time; but unlike ON-TV, which was generally limited to evening hours, IT's programming was broadcast over WIHT at least 14 hours each day, and had a wider selection of movies. However, while IT was available in Lansing, Jackson and Flint, it was not available in the eastern Detroit suburbs or Windsor, Ontario
, due to the transmitter's location and signal power.
Non-subscribers that tuned into WIHT during IT's airtime were treated to audio programming from NOAA Weather Radio
station WXK-81 in Onondaga, Michigan
.
IT and ON-TV both faded away in 1983 as cable TV (which includes premium movie channels
such as HBO) became more prevalent in the Detroit area.
) purchased WBSX to be part of a new "family network" called PAX (renamed to i in July 2005 and ION Television on January 29, 2007) and changed its call letters to WPXD-TV and moved it from its offices in Ann Arbor, to a location in downtown Detroit, before moving back to its office in Ann Arbor.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
licensed to Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. It is the Ion Television network affiliate for the Southeastern Michigan market.
Digital programming
WPXD is currently broadcast on digital channel 31 (having converted their digital transmitter to their original analog channel after the latter closed on February 17, 2009). Its broadcast is multiplexed into three digital subchannelDigital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s. WPXD will be moving to broadcast channel 50 in the near future.
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 31.1 | Ion (airs in 16:9 16:9 16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ... 1080i 1080i 1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels... HD during primetime) |
| 31.2 | qubo Qubo Qubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media... |
| 31.3 | ION Life ION Life ION Life is a digital television network carried by ION Television affiliates, airing lifestyle programming during the day, and movies in the evening. It was launched February 19, 2007... |
W48AV translator
The station also operates a translator station in St. Clair Shores, MichiganSt. Clair Shores, Michigan
St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake St. Clair in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms a part of the Metro Detroit area, and is located approximately northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,715. The current mayor is...
on channel 48
Channel 48
Channel 48 refers to several television stations:...
, W48AV. W48AV currently has an application to flash-cut to digital and become a low-power digital translator station. Currently, the station is still broadcasting the primary digital ION feed (31.1) in analog, though experiences some co-channel interference
Co-channel interference
Co-channel interference or CCI is crosstalk from two different radio transmitters using the same frequency. There can be several causes of co-channel radio interference; four examples are listed here....
from Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
's WMNT-CA
WMNT-CA
WMNT-CA channel 48 is a Low-power broadcasting TV station in Toledo, Ohio, and carries MyNetworkTV for that market. The station is a Class-A operation. While the station broadcasts on channel 48, it is seen on Toledo's Buckeye CableSystem on channel 58, hence its moniker "My 58".WMNT is owned by...
, also on 48.
Combined coverage
According to the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) coverage maps for both WPXD and W48AV , neither the main WPXD signal nor the W48AV translator covers the entire Metro Detroit area. WPXD's main signal partially reaches Detroit, while its W48AV translator, on the shores of Lake St. Clair near the Grosse Pointes, is directional towards the west, covering Warren
Warren, Michigan
Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....
and Center Line
Center Line, Michigan
Center Line is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,531 at the 2000 census. Completely surrounded by the city of Warren, it was known as Kunrod's Corner during the mid-nineteenth century.-History:...
and going as far west as Madison Heights
Madison Heights, Michigan
Madison Heights is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, its population was 29,694.- History :...
, but only covering a small portion of northeastern Detroit.
Proposed move of WPXD to Southfield
During October 2008, the FCC accepted the station's petition to move its digital signal on the national transition date to channel 19, broadcasting at 1000 kilowattsWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
from WKBD
WKBD
WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...
's tower in Southfield
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
, vastly increasing its service area in the Metro Detroit and Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
areas. But on March 20, 2009, the FCC and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) denied WPXD's application to move the channel 19 allocation from Ann Arbor to Detroit and to broadcast from WKBD-TV's tower in Southfield, in order to protect CKXT-DT-2
CKXT-TV
CKXT-DT was a broadcast television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and serving much of southern and eastern Ontario, owned by Quebecor Media through its Groupe TVA unit. At the time of the station's closure on November 1, 2011, the station was serving as an over-the-air simulcast of...
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, also on channel 19. As the Canadian government ended up rejecting the channel switch, so WPXD has remained on Channel 31.
On or about May 11, 2009 a new application to modify a digital allotment was posted in the FCC database, in which WPXD would broadcast its digital signal on channel 50 from WKBD-TV's tower in Southfield at 345 kW. The FCC and the Canadian government have approved this allotment. and barring further objection the station will eventually move to this new location. On October 21, 2009 the FCC granted a construction permit for the construction of WPXD's channel 50 Southfield facilities. WPXD believes the stronger signal will reach an additional 1.8 million viewers.
CKXT
CKXT-TV
CKXT-DT was a broadcast television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and serving much of southern and eastern Ontario, owned by Quebecor Media through its Groupe TVA unit. At the time of the station's closure on November 1, 2011, the station was serving as an over-the-air simulcast of...
itself will be leaving the air on October 31, 2011 potentially rendering the question of co-channel interference moot.
Analog transmitter
WPXD's analog transmitter was located on Highway M-52M-52 (Michigan highway)
M-52 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the Ohio border, where it continues as State Route 109 . The highway passes through communities like Adrian, where it intersects US Highway 223 , Chelsea and Webberville along its course...
in Lyndon Township, Michigan
Lyndon Township, Michigan
Lyndon Township is a civil township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,728 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:The township is located in the northwest corner of Washtenaw County....
located in Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
seven miles north of the town of Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea, Michigan
Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,398 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a village....
. The analog transmitter was actually closer to Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
than it was to Detroit, and was 55 miles from downtown Detroit. (Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
systems in Lansing and Jackson get their Ion programming from Battle Creek
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
's WZPX
WZPX
WZPX-TV is a television station affiliated with the Ion Television network . It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 44 in the Grand Rapids and Lansing / Jackson, Michigan markets...
, however.) WPXD's analog signal could be picked up as far away as St. Johns
St. Johns, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,485 people, 2,994 households, and 1,999 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,909.1 per square mile . There were 3,148 housing units at an average density of 802.9 per square mile...
, Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, and Owosso
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
, with its fringes making it close to Battle Creek, Coldwater
Coldwater, Michigan
Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
and Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. WPXD's analog antenna was 1,079 feet in height.
Digital transition
WPXD's pre-transition digital channel assignment was 33 using a relatively low wattage (110 kW). The channel 33 digital signal originated from the same transmitter location as the analog channel 31 signal in Lyndon Township, MichiganLyndon Township, Michigan
Lyndon Township is a civil township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,728 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:The township is located in the northwest corner of Washtenaw County....
, interfering with Detroit's W33BY
W33BY
WHPR is the unofficial call sign of TV channel 33 , and is a low-power broadcasting station based in Highland Park, Michigan....
a low-power Class-A station currently on channel 33. The initial plan was to go back to channel 31 after its analog cutoff on February 17, 2009.
Although the DTV Delay Act officially delayed the shutdown of analog stations
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
until June 2009, WPXD turned off its analog signal on February 17 as originally planned. WPXD was the only Detroit market station that was allowed to go fully digital on February 17.
WPXD-TV also has plans for a Mobile DTV feed of subchannel 31.1.
As WRHT
The station signed on as WRHT on January 13, 1981 as an independent stationIndependent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
. The first program it aired was, oddly enough, a basketball game between Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
and Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
, picked up from the TVS Television Network
TVS Television Network
The TVS Television Network, or TVS for short, was a syndicator of American sports programming. It was one of several "occasional" national television networks that sprang up in the early 1960s to take advantage of the establishment of independent television stations and relaxation of the AT&T...
, a nationwide sports syndication network. This was done largely to test the satellite equipment, which would be utilized further after the switch to In-Home Theatre (see below).
Most of TV31's early programming, as WRHT and the later WIHT, was either locally produced or outsourced by other production companies; it also carried live news from cable financial network FNN (now known as CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
), as well as some programs from the Satellite Program Network
Satellite Program Network
Satellite Program Network, or SPN, was a satellite and cable TV network which broadcast in the United States from 1979 to the mid 1980s. SPN was created by Ed Taylor, an associate of Ted Turner and the head of the Southern Satellite Systems company...
.
As WIHT
WRHT's callsign was changed to WIHT on February 1, 1981; IHT stood for "In-Home Theater", more commonly known as IT, an over-the-air subscription pay-TV service. WXONWMYD
WMYD is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southeast Michigan licensed to Detroit. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park along the Oakland and Wayne County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
, Channel 20 in Detroit offered a similar service, ON-TV
ON-TV
ON-TV, also known as National Subscription Television, was a subscription television service launched in 1977 by Oak Industries, Norman Lear's Chartwell Enterprises and Jerry Perenchio. Oak was a manufacturer of satellite and pay-TV decoders and equipment...
, at that time; but unlike ON-TV, which was generally limited to evening hours, IT's programming was broadcast over WIHT at least 14 hours each day, and had a wider selection of movies. However, while IT was available in Lansing, Jackson and Flint, it was not available in the eastern Detroit suburbs or Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, due to the transmitter's location and signal power.
Non-subscribers that tuned into WIHT during IT's airtime were treated to audio programming from NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of...
station WXK-81 in Onondaga, Michigan
Onondaga, Michigan
Onondaga is an unincorporated community in Onondaga Township in the southwestern corner of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the Grand River at approximately 20 miles south of Lansing and approximately 15 mile northwest of Jackson....
.
IT and ON-TV both faded away in 1983 as cable TV (which includes premium movie channels
Pay TV
Pay television, premium television, or premium channels refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by both analog and digital cable and satellite, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and internet television...
such as HBO) became more prevalent in the Detroit area.
As WBSX
Channel 31 was purchased by Blackstar television and their call letters changed to WBSX on July 14, 1989; local/syndicated programming was phased out in favor of home shopping programming. On February 4, 1998, Paxson Communications of Palm Beach, Florida (now ION Media NetworksION Media Networks
ION Media Networks is an American television broadcasting company that owns and operates over 60 television stations in most major American markets. It is now a privately owned company.-History:...
) purchased WBSX to be part of a new "family network" called PAX (renamed to i in July 2005 and ION Television on January 29, 2007) and changed its call letters to WPXD-TV and moved it from its offices in Ann Arbor, to a location in downtown Detroit, before moving back to its office in Ann Arbor.