- WFXQ-CA
Infobox Broadcast
call_letters = WFXQ-CA
analog = 28 (UHF )
digital = none
affiliations =NBC repeater ofWWLP
owner =LIN TV
licensee = WWLP Broadcasting, LLC
founded = May 1987 (as an independent)
2006 (as a WWLP repeater)
location = Springfield /Holyoke, Massachusetts
callsign_meaning = refers to unfulfilled
Fox affiliation
former_affiliations = Independent (1987-2006)
sister_stations = WWLPWCTX
former_callsigns = W11BJ (1988-2006)
W28CT (2006)
WXCW-CA (2006)
effective_radiated_power = 5 kW
HAAT = 361 m
facility_id = 2650
coordinates = coord|42|15|5|N|72|38|43|W|type:landmarkWFXQ-CA is a Class A
television station serving the Pioneer Valley ofMassachusetts . Licensed to Springfield, the station broadcasts an analog signal onUHF channel 28. Its transmitter is located on Mount Tom in Holyoke. There is no digital broadcast of this station. WFXQ is owned byLIN TV as part of a duopoly withNBC affiliateWWLP . The two stations share studios located at Broadcast Center in Chicopee. Currently, WFXQ is a full-time repeater of WWLP. There is one instance, however, when that is not the case. On Saturday nights at 6:30 during theNFL season, the station airs "Totally Patriots".History
The station first went on the air on channel 11 in May 1988. It originally broadcasted from the Rattlesnake Mountain transmitter site of
Connecticut 's Fox affiliateWTIC-TV . Known as W11BJ, the station was an independent that aired local shows to a seniorretirement community inFarmington, Connecticut . W11BJ used a live skycam weather forecast which consisted of acharacter generator titler and a "home video" camera with shots of the window from the transmitter building.The owner of the station was the Chase family who also owned WTIC-TV. In 2004, when LIN TV bought W11BJ, there was a construction permit to change the station to broadcast on channel 28 from a new transmitter located on Mount Tom in Holyoke. During the building of channel 28's new transmitter, WWLP temporarily put on a simulcast of sister station
WCTX via an off air pickup. In early-2006, W28CT signed on from the top of Mount Tom and the W11BJ transmitter was shut down. Right from the start, the station began to simulcast WWLP full-time.LIN TV had initially changed the call sign to WXCW-CA in reference to
The CW in anticipation of it becoming an affiliate of that network. This affiliation eventually went to cable-only WB affiliate "WBQT ". More recently, channel 28's call sign was changed again to the current WFXQ-CA referring to a possible Fox affiliation. This caused rumors on several message boards that channel 28 would become an affiliate of that network. There was also speculation that WFXQ-CA might affiliate with Fox's new sister network,MyNetworkTV . At the time, television viewers in the Springfield / Holyoke market received Fox from WTIC-TV and MyNetworkTV fromWCTX on cable.On
November 16 ,2007 , the "Springfield Republican" reported that ABC affiliateWGGB-TV would be launching a Fox affiliate on its second digital subchannel, which was expected to launch at the end of that year. This was ultimately delayed until the end of March 2008 when the subchannel took on a primary Fox and secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation. Up to that time, Springfield held the distinction of being the largest television market without a Fox affiliate of its own. LIN TV, the owner of WFXQ-CA, was unsuccessful at obtaining the Fox affiliation because of poor negotiating skills with the network. LIN TV's six Fox affiliates were already affiliated with the network when they were acquired by the company. WFXQ is only transmitting via an analog signal. However, a construction permit from theFCC will allow the station to "flash cut" to digital on or beforeFebruary 17 ,2009 . Right now, the future is uncertain for the station. It is, as of August 18 2008, carried onComcast (channel 16) and Charter (channel 22) cable systems.External links
* [http://www.wwlp.com WWLP "22 News"]
* [http://www.nbc.com NBC]
*TVQ|WFXQ
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