WFXB

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WFXB
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = FXB Fox TV
analog = 43 (UHF)
digital = 18 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = July 5, 1984
location = Myrtle Beach / Florence, South Carolina
callsign_meaning = FoX Myrtle Beach
former_callsigns = WGSE (1984-1996)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Bahakel Communications
licensee = Springfield Broadcasting Partners
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Independent (1984-1995)
The WB (1995-1996, secondary 1996-2006)
effective_radiated_power = 5,000 kW (analog)
1,000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 426 m (analog)
459 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 9054
coordinates = coord|34|11|19|N|79|10|59.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.myfoxmyrtlebeach.com/ myfoxmyrtlebeach.com]

WFXB, channel 43, is the Fox-affiliated television station for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its transmitter is located southeast of Mullins between U.S. 76 and the Little Pee Dee River. Owned by Bahakel Communications, the station has studios on Huger Street next to Myrtle Beach International Airport. Syndicated programming on WFXB includes: "Family Guy", "Tyra", "Seinfeld", and "Divorce Court".

History

The station began operation on July 5, 1984 with the call letters WGSE. It was owned by Carolina Christian Television and was independent. WGSE carried about 2/3 religious shows and 1/3 secular shows. The religious shows included "The PTL Club", "Jimmy Swaggart", "Richard Roberts", "The 700 Club", and many others. They also carried a Christian show called "Niteline" which initially was produced at then-sister station WGGS in Greenville. Eventually, WGSE began producing a local edition of "Niteline" as well.

Some of the early secular shows on the station included: "Inspector Gadget", "Heathcliff", "Mister Ed", "Green Acres", "The Brady Bunch", "The Flintstones", "Rocky and Bullwinkle", and some weekend hunting, sports, and wildlife shows. Initially, secular shows ran weekdays from 3 to 8 P.M. and most of Saturday. On Sundays, the station ran strictly Christian programming. They also ran other WGGS produced programs like "Beverly Exercise", "Peggy Denny", and others. Gradually, as WGGS became a full time Christian station, WGSE began moving away from the Christian shows and began running more of a secular line-up. However, most of their programming were barter. By 1991, WGSE was running Christian shows from 5 to 7 A.M. and from 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. The rest of the day, the station had a traditional independent schedule. WGSE aired secular shows after 10 A.M. on Sundays.

The station ran a lot of first run barter cartoons and family shows like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "The Disney Afternoon", "Garfield and Friends", "Sonic The Hedgehog", "Stunt Dawgs", "James Bond Jr.", "Bewitched", "The Wonder Years", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Family Matters" and some talk shows. WGSE became a charter WB affiliate on January 11, 1995. The station was sold to James McGregor Everett in 1996. At that point, the religious shows were dropped except for a few on Sunday mornings. In 1997, WGSE became a Fox affiliate and switched its WB affiliation to a secondary nature. In addition, it changed its call letters to the current WFXB. By this time, more talk and reality shows as well as recent sitcoms were added. Children's programming left the station in 2002 when Fox ended its weekday kids block. Current owner Bahakel Communications would buy WFXB in 2006. By then, The WB shows were dropped altogether.

Newscasts

In 2004, CBS affiliate WBTW established a news share agreement with WFXB. That station then began producing a weeknight 10 o'clock newscast for the station known as "Fox 43 News at 10". In 2006, the news title changed to the current name. In March of 2008, WBTW launched its all-digital news operation which included new graphics, news set, robotic studio cameras, and newscasts in 16:9 standard definition widescreen. It is not true high definition, however. When digital only NBC affiliate WMBF-TV launched on August 7, 2008, it began to broadcast their local news in high definition. It is the first in the market to do that.

"Fox News at 10"
"(Weeknights 10 to 10:35 P.M.)"
*Anchor:
**Rusty Ray
*Weather:
**Frank Johnson
*Sports:
**Matt Lincoln

"WFXB uses additional news personnel from WBTW. See that article for a complete listing."

External links

* [http://www.myfoxmyrtlebeach.com/ WFXB "Fox TV"]
* [http://www.scnow.com/ WBTW "News 13"]
*TVQ|WFXB