WAXN-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = WAXN-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = TV 64
analog = 64 (UHF)
digital = 50 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = independent
network =
founded =
airdate = October 15, 1994
location = Kannapolis / Charlotte, North Carolina
callsign_meaning = AXN=Action
(from former on-air name, "Action 64")
former_callsigns = WKAY (1994-1996)
WAXN (1996-2003)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Cox Enterprises, Inc.
licensee = WSOC Television, Inc.
sister_stations = WSOC-TV
former_affiliations = Pax TV (third-party, 1998-2000)
effective_radiated_power = 1100 kW (analog)
50 kW (digital)
HAAT = 352 m (analog)
348 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 12793
coordinates = coord|35|15|41.2|N|80|43|36.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.action64.com/ www.action64.com]

WAXN-TV is an independent television station in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is owned by Cox Enterprises, and is licensed to Kannapolis, North Carolina, however its operations are housed with sister-station WSOC-TV at 1901 North Tryon Street in Charlotte. WAXN-TV is seen on cable channel 10 in the Time-Warner cable market. WAXN-TV operates with a visual power of 1100Kw. WAXN-DT operates with an ERP of 50Kw. The antenna is located on the WSOC-TV tower in Newell, NC. WAXN-TV, WAXN-DT and WSOC-DT are all transmitted from the same antenna.

History

The station debuted on October 15 1994 as WKAY-TV, owned by Kannapolis Television Company, a subsidiary of Truth Temple, a church in Kannapolis. It had originally received a construction permit as WDZH, but changed the calls to WKAY on November 15, 1989.cite web | title = Call Sign History | publisher = Federal Communications Commission | url = http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=12793&Callsign=WAXN-TV | accessdate = 2007-01-31 ] The pastor of Truth Temple, Garland Faw, named the station WKAY after his wife, Kay. The station aired a mix of religious programming, old movies, and barter syndicated programming.

Kannapolis Television entered into a joint sales agreement with WSOC-TVcite news | last = Spanberg | first = Erik | title = The little (TV) station that could | work = The Charlotte Business Journal | publisher = American City Business Journals | date = 2000-05-05 | url = http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2000/05/08/story2.html?page=1 | accessdate = 2007-01-31] and formally changed the call letters to WAXN-TV in August of 1996. Under this agreement, Cox invested over $3 million toward relaunching the station and other improvements. [cite news | last = Spanberg | first = Erik | title = Patient Cox money will let WAXN keep up fight | work = The Charlotte Business Journal | publisher = American City Business Journals | date = 1997-12-19 | url = http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/1997/12/22/story7.html?page=1 | accessdate = 2007-01-31] Under the agreement, WSOC took over WAXN's operations and rebranded the station as "Action 64."

Soon after the agreement took effect, WAXN significantly upgraded its programming. The station also boosted its signal to a level comparable with the other Charlotte stations. Previously, the station could only be seen on cable in most of the Charlotte area; its over-the-air signal barely made it out of Cabarrus County.

From 1998 to 2000, WAXN-TV aired many programs from Pax TV (now ION Television), although it was never formally affiliated with the network. (Charlotte is the largest market not to have a Pax/i/Ion affiliate.) WAXN later began airing repeated episodes of "Dr. Phil" and "Oprah" in primetime that had aired earlier in the day on WSOC-TV.

On August 5, 1999 the Federal Communications Commission reversed its long standing regulations against duopoly ownerships in the same television market. [cite press release | title = FCC Revises Local Television Ownership Rules | publisher = Federal Communications Commission | date = 1999-08-05 | url = http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/1999/nrmm9019.html | accessdate = 2007-01-31] As stipulated in the original joint sales agreement, Cox was now able to purchase the station outright for $3 million. The sale was officially approved by the FCC in 2000. [cite web | title = Television Application For Assignment Of License Granted | publisher = Federal Communications Commission | date = 2000-01-31 | url = http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Public_Notices/Brdcst_Actions/ac000203.txt | accessdate = 2007-01-31 ]

Today, WAXN-TV is known for syndicated reruns such as "Friends" and "The Andy Griffith Show" (which had aired on WSOC for many years before moving to WAXN. WAXN-TV is also one of the few stations to air "Oprah" and "Dr. Phil" in primetime.

In 2002, WAXN became Charlotte's home for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon; it had aired on WSOC for 30 years.

In 2007, WAXN dropped the "Action" moniker, and is now known as "TV 64."

Newscasts

Since 1996, WAXN has aired a 10 o'clock newscast called "Action News at 10PM", produced by WSOC. The station is #1 in that timeslot beating rival efforts on WCCB and WJZY (produced by WBTV). The strong lead-ins of "Dr. Phil" and "Oprah" has been cited as a contributing factor for this success.

Logos

External links

* [http://www.action64.com/ WAXN-TV Website]
*TVQ|WAXN
*BIA|WAXN|TV|TV

References