WWPX
Encyclopedia
WWPX-TV is the Ion Television (formerly PAX and i) affiliate licensed to Martinsburg, West Virginia
, and serving the northwestern portion of the Washington, DC television market. The station is owned by ION Media Networks
, and broadcasts its digital signal on VHF
channel 12, displayed as virtual channel 60. It is currently a relay of Washington's other ION affiliate, WPXW-TV channel 66.
affiliate. A news department was quickly set up, and offered more news than other stations in the area. However, Flying A Communications, the owner, found itself in financial trouble, due to this local news commitment and relatively poor ratings (partially caused by its location on cable, which was higher than other stations), leading to the station shutting down two years later, in 1993, after a sale to Benchmark Communications (who would have converted the station to a CBS
affiliate for Winchester, Virginia
under the WUSQ-TV callsign) fell through. A few months later, WYVN returned as an independent station
, owned by Green River. The station tried to restore some local programming (including the newscast and a new talk show hosted by Gay Dawson), but further financial trouble caused this era to also end up being short-lived, abruptly ending in 1994.
The station returned again in 1996 as WSHE-TV, a Paxson Communications
station that aired the company's standard infomercial
format, with religious programming in some dayparts. The station changed its call letters to WWPX in 1998, and soon after joined the Pax network and began to simulcast Washington, DC's WPXW-TV.
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
, and serving the northwestern portion of the Washington, DC television market. The station is owned by ION Media Networks
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:...
, and broadcasts its digital signal on VHF
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
channel 12, displayed as virtual channel 60. It is currently a relay of Washington's other ION affiliate, WPXW-TV channel 66.
History
Channel 60 signed on in 1991 as WYVN, a FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate. A news department was quickly set up, and offered more news than other stations in the area. However, Flying A Communications, the owner, found itself in financial trouble, due to this local news commitment and relatively poor ratings (partially caused by its location on cable, which was higher than other stations), leading to the station shutting down two years later, in 1993, after a sale to Benchmark Communications (who would have converted the station to a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate for Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
under the WUSQ-TV callsign) fell through. A few months later, WYVN returned as an independent station
Independent 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....
, owned by Green River. The station tried to restore some local programming (including the newscast and a new talk show hosted by Gay Dawson), but further financial trouble caused this era to also end up being short-lived, abruptly ending in 1994.
The station returned again in 1996 as WSHE-TV, a 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:...
station that aired the company's standard infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
format, with religious programming in some dayparts. The station changed its call letters to WWPX in 1998, and soon after joined the Pax network and began to simulcast Washington, DC's WPXW-TV.