WKNX-TV

For the television station in Saginaw, Michigan that previously used these calls, see WEYI-TV.
WKNX-TV
Knoxville, Tennessee
United States
Branding WKNX, The Knox
Channels Digital: 7 (VHF/PSIP)
Subchannels 7.1 Independent
7.2 Daystar
Translators WEZK-LP 28 Knoxville (city)
WJZC-LP 22 Sevierville
Affiliations Independent (since 2013; also from 2004–2009)
Owner Lockwood Broadcast Group
(WMAK TV, LLC)
First air date July 31, 2004 (2004-07-31)
Call letters' meaning KNoXville
Former callsigns WMAK (2004–2013)
Former affiliations RTV (2009–2012)
Daystar (2012–2013)
RTV (DT2; 2009–2013)
Transmitter power 55 kW
Height 382 m
Facility ID 83931
Transmitter coordinates 36°0′36″N 83°55′57″W / 36.01000°N 83.93250°W / 36.01000; -83.93250
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website theknoxtv.com

WKNX-TV is an Independent television station in Knoxville, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter on Sharp's Ridge, near the city's Oakwood section (just north of downtown Knoxville). Owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group, WKNX-TV's studios are located on Cogdill Road in unincorporated Western Knox County. Its signal is relayed through two low-powered analog translators: WEZK-LP (channel 28) in Knoxville, and WJZC-LP (channel 22) in Sevierville.

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 television 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 networks entire schedule on its main channel.

On April 27, 2009, Dallas, Texas-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 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 television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP short name Programming[12]
7.1 1080i 16:9 WKNX-HD Main WKNX-TV programming
7.2 480i 4:3 Daystar Daystar

References


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