WYPX
Encyclopedia
WYPX-TV is a full-service television station
, licensed to Amsterdam, New York, as the affiliate of the ION Television (formerly PAX and i) network in the New York state
's Capital District
and Mohawk Valley
. The station's broadcast is digital
-only on UHF
channel 50 from a transmitter located near New York State Route 30
near the Montgomery
/Fulton
County line, and is carried on Time Warner Cable
in much of the Albany market on channel 20. WYPX can also be seen on the eastern fringes of the Utica
market. Its original analog
assignment was UHF channel 55, but the station ceased broadcasting in analog in September 2007.
under the call letters WOCD. It was owned by Amsterdam Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Coit Services of San Francisco, California
, and was leased to Christian Community Television (CCT) of Schenectady, New York
. CCT faced financial troubles from the outset and they soon fell behind on their payments, so Amsterdam Broadcasting resumed control of the station. The station went dormant in 1989, but in 1991, Coit struck a deal to sell the station to Tennessee
TV executive Wade Griffith for $1.8 million (US). Griffith would have relaunched the station as WNSI, but the deal fell through, and WOCD was sold to Cornerstone Television
, a religious broadcaster, for $375,000 (US) in 1992. The second incarnation of WOCD had problems getting cable carriage in much of the market which combined with the looming conversion to digital television led the station to be sold again.
In 1997, Paxson Communications
bought WOCD from Cornerstone, moved the station's offices from Scotia, New York
to Guilderland, and made the station an outlet for the Infomall Television Network (inTV). The call sign was changed to WYPX on January 13, 1998; however, the new calls confused some people as there was a radio station
with a similar call sign in the Albany market. Eventually, the station became a charter station for the PAX-TV network. From 2001 until 2004, WYPX was run in a shared services agreement with NBC affiliate WNYT which included WNYT selling time for WYPX and replays of news and public affairs programming.
to shut down their analog signal on channel 55 so that the bandwidth could be used for Qualcomm
's MediaFLO
service. Qualcomm had made deals with other stations on channel 55, including WLNY
of Riverhead, New York, to shut down analog so that they could launch their new multimedia offering. On September 6, 2007, WYPX was granted permission by the FCC to shut down its analog broadcast, surrender its analog license, and operate as a digital-only station on channel 50. As of September 28, 2007, WYPX has closed its analog signal, becoming a digital-only station.
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 Amsterdam, New York, as the affiliate of the ION Television (formerly PAX and i) network in the New York state
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
and Mohawk Valley
Mohawk Valley
The Mohawk Valley region of the U.S. state of New York is the area surrounding the Mohawk River, sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains and Catskill Mountains....
. The station's broadcast is digital
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
-only on UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel 50 from a transmitter located near New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30 is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 in the Southern Tier to the Canadian border in the state's North Country, where it continues into Quebec as Route 138. On a regional level,...
near the Montgomery
Montgomery County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
/Fulton
Fulton County, New York
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its name is in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
County line, and is carried on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
in much of the Albany market on channel 20. WYPX can also be seen on the eastern fringes of the Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
market. Its original analog
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
assignment was UHF channel 55, but the station ceased broadcasting in analog in September 2007.
History
WYPX signed on the air in 1987 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....
under the call letters WOCD. It was owned by Amsterdam Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Coit Services of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and was leased to Christian Community Television (CCT) of Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. CCT faced financial troubles from the outset and they soon fell behind on their payments, so Amsterdam Broadcasting resumed control of the station. The station went dormant in 1989, but in 1991, Coit struck a deal to sell the station to Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
TV executive Wade Griffith for $1.8 million (US). Griffith would have relaunched the station as WNSI, but the deal fell through, and WOCD was sold to Cornerstone Television
Cornerstone Television
The Cornerstone TeleVision Network is a non-commercial Christian broadcast and satellite television network based in Wall, Pennsylvania, United States. Its founder and CEO is Russ Bixler...
, a religious broadcaster, for $375,000 (US) in 1992. The second incarnation of WOCD had problems getting cable carriage in much of the market which combined with the looming conversion to digital television led the station to be sold again.
In 1997, Paxson Communications
ION 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:...
bought WOCD from Cornerstone, moved the station's offices from Scotia, New York
Scotia, New York
Scotia is a village in Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census.The Village of Scotia is part of the Town of Glenville, partly contiguous with Schenectady, New York and is connected by the Western Gateway Bridge over the Mohawk...
to Guilderland, and made the station an outlet for the Infomall Television Network (inTV). The call sign was changed to WYPX on January 13, 1998; however, the new calls confused some people as there was a radio station
WPYX
WPYX is a Classic Rock radio station licensed to Albany, New York and primarily serving New York's Capital Region, the Adirondacks, and surrounding areas...
with a similar call sign in the Albany market. Eventually, the station became a charter station for the PAX-TV network. From 2001 until 2004, WYPX was run in a shared services agreement with NBC affiliate WNYT which included WNYT selling time for WYPX and replays of news and public affairs programming.
Digital television
In early 2005, WYPX-DT signed on the air on UHF channel 50 and broadcasts at 450 kW from the same transmitter site. On April 12, 2007, WYPX requested permission from the FCCFederal 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...
to shut down their analog signal on channel 55 so that the bandwidth could be used for Qualcomm
Qualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
's MediaFLO
MediaFLO
MediaFLO is a technology developed by Qualcomm for transmitting audio, video and data to portable devices such as mobile phones and personal televisions, used for mobile television...
service. Qualcomm had made deals with other stations on channel 55, including WLNY
WLNY
WLNY-TV, channel 55, is an independent television station licensed to Riverhead, New York, with studios in Melville, New York and transmitter in Middle Island, New York. WLNY's primary over-the-air signal serves most of Long Island, comprising Nassau and Suffolk counties...
of Riverhead, New York, to shut down analog so that they could launch their new multimedia offering. On September 6, 2007, WYPX was granted permission by the FCC to shut down its analog broadcast, surrender its analog license, and operate as a digital-only station on channel 50. As of September 28, 2007, WYPX has closed its analog signal, becoming a digital-only station.