WKNX-TV

WKNX-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 7, is an independent television station licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, as part of a duopoly with Fox affiliate WTNZ (channel 43). The two stations share studios on Executive Park Drive (along I-75/I-40) in Knoxville's Green Valley section; WKNX-TV's transmitter is located on Sharp's Ridge, near the city's Oakwood section (just north of downtown Knoxville).

For the television station in Saginaw, Michigan that previously used this callsign, see WEYI-TV.
WKNX-TV
Knoxville, Tennessee
United States
ChannelsDigital: 7 (VHF)
Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
BrandingWKNX, The Knox
Programming
Affiliations7.1: Independent (since 2013; also from 2004 to 2009)
7.2: Daystar
7.3: Court TV
Ownership
OwnerLockwood Broadcast Group
(Tennessee TV, LLC)
WTNZ
History
First air date
July 31, 2004 (2004-07-31)
Former call signs
WMAK (2004–2013)
Former channel number(s)
Translators:
WEZK-LP 28 Knoxville (city)
WJZC-LP 22 Sevierville
  • DT1:
  • RTV (2009–2012)
  • Daystar (2012–2013)
  • DT2:
  • RTV (2008–2013)
Call sign meaning
KNoXville
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID83931
ClassDT
ERP55 kW
HAAT382 m (1,253 ft)
Transmitter coordinates36°0′36″N 83°55′57″W
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.theknoxtv.com

History

WKNX signed on the air on July 31, 2004 as WMAK-TV. It was one of the first stations in the United States to sign on exclusively as a digital station, with no full-powered analog counterpart. The station was originally owned by South Central Communications, which also owns or operates five radio stations in the Knoxville area, and formerly owned CBS affiliate WVLT-TV (channel 8) from 1954 to 1989. As an independent station, WMAK ran syndicated programs as well as recent and classic motion pictures. On September 8, 2008, the station added programming from the Retro Television Network on its second digital subchannel.[1] This, however, would soon compromise the network's entire schedule on its main channel.

On April 27, 2009, Dallas-based religious broadcaster Daystar Television Network bought WMAK for $2 million;[2][3] the deal was completed on July 14 of that year. WMAK would retain its RTV affiliation on its main channel until mid-2012, when it switched it over to the Daystar Network, making RTV programming exclusively on DT2.

On November 13, 2012, Lockwood Broadcast Group entered into an agreement to purchase WMAK from Daystar for $2.95 million. Simultaneously with the purchase, Lockwood filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the station's call letters to WKNX-TV.[4][5] The FCC approved the sale on December 21.[6]

On February 25, 2013, Lockwood took control of the station, which reverted to a general entertainment programming format (Daystar replaced RTV's programming on the station's second digital subchannel; at some point 7.2 was deleted); its branding was also changed to "WKNX, The Knox", although the station did not formally change its callsign until March 19 (the WKNX callsign was formerly used on Saginaw, Michigan's WEYI-TV from 1953 to 1972).[7] Formal consummation of the Lockwood purchase occurred on March 4, 2013, creating the Knoxville television market's first station duopoly with CW affiliate WBXX-TV.[8]

On October 1, 2015, Gray Television, owners of WVLT-TV, announced that it would acquire WBXX-TV from Lockwood, separating the station from WKNX-TV. The purchase was made as part of Gray's acquisition of the broadcasting assets of Schurz Communications; as part of the deal, Lockwood received KAKE in Wichita, Kansas (which Gray put up for sale following the deal with Schurz) and paid $11.2 million to Gray.[9] Gray (through WVLT-TV, Inc.) took the operations of the station via Local Marketing Agreement.[10] The sale was completed on February 1, 2016.[11]

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP short name Programming[12]
7.11080i16:9WKNX-HDMain WKNX-TV programming
7.2480i4:3DaystarSimulcast of WDTT-LD / Daystar
7.316:9WKNX-CTCourt TV

Former translators

WKNX (as WMAK) previously operated through two low-powered analog translators: WEZK-LP (channel 28) in Knoxville, and WJZC-LP (channel 22) in Sevierville. These stations were sold in 2009 to Living Faith Ministries,[13] and now relay Grundy, Virginia-based WLFG (channel 68).

References
  1. WMAK-DT Knoxville adding Retro TV Network, TVNewsCheck, September 5, 2008.
  2. Daystar Buys Knoxville Indie for $2 Million, TVNewsCheck, April 27, 2009.
  3. Deal, Broadcasting & Cable, May 4, 2009.
  4. Lockwood Buys 2nd TV In Knoxville For $3M, TVNewsCheck, November 13, 2012.
  5. "Call Sign Changes" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  6. http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1521434.pdf
  7. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=83931
  8. https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101544071&formid=905&fac_num=83931
  9. "Gray Television Sells Some, Buys Some". TVNewsCheck. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  10. Local Programming and Marketing Agreement
  11. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, 3 February 2016, Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  12. RabbitEars TV Query for WKNX
  13. "Application for Transfer of Control of a Corporate Licensee or Permittee, or for Assignment of License or Permit of TV or FM Translator Station or Low Power Television Station". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 19, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
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