WOPX

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WOPX
Melbourne, Florida
Branding	i
Channels	56 (UHF) analog, 48 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	i
Owner	ion Media Networks
Founded	1985
Call letters meaning	W Orlando PaX
Former affiliations	independent (1985-1998) Pax (1998-2005)
Website	ionline.tv

WOPX channel 56 is a television station based in Melbourne, Florida, an affiliate of the i network. It transmits its analog signal on UHF channel 56 and its digital signal on UHF channel 48 from Holopaw, Florida. The station signed on the air in 1985.

[edit] Station History

Initially the station had a general entertainment format as WAYK, running cartoons as well as barter syndicated first run shows, low budget movies, and whatever sitcoms were offered on a barter basis. They were owned by Beach TV Partners. Their signal out of Melbourne barely reached Orlando and did not reach Daytona Beach at all. As a result they did not buy strong programming and continued to have very low ratings.

When WMOD went to a continuous home shopping service, WAYK picked up cartoons which were offered at low cost on a barter basis. In 1988, Beach TV Partners signed on WAYQ at channel 26, giving them a signal in Daytona Beach. The stations would simulcast.

In 1992, the stations were both sold to Robert Rich, who added more paid programming to the channels. WAYK became WIRB, and WAYQ became WNTO. WIRB continued as a low budget independent station but also aired some NBC programs that were not cleared by WESH most notably Leeza (before it went into syndication) and California Dreams. In 1996 Christian Television Network would buy WIRB (Paxson Communications, now ion Media Networks, took a LMA on the station at the same time) while Florida Media Broadcasters would buy WNTO (which would be later sold to Entravision and became WVEN). WIRB then ran religious shows in the morning, infomercials in the afternoon and evening, and Christian praise and worship music on overnights in addition to the NBC programs not cleared by WESH. In January 1998, Paxson bought the station from CTN and renamed it WOPX and continued with the same format until August 31, 1998.

On August 31, 1998 WOPX took the Pax TV affiliate on along with other stations owned by Paxson. Pax TV introduced family entertainment like dramas, movies, reality shows aimed at the family, game shows, and other programming.

Originally, Pax TV ran from noon to midnight, but has since reduced its schedule twice. It now runs from 6 pm to midnight, and there are no original programs on the network, which has been renamed i. WOPX still fills the rest of its schedule with infomercials and religious shows.

Until the summer of 2005, WOPX had a JSA with WESH, which, during that time, WOPX aired a rebroadcast of WESH's 6 p.m. newscast at 7 p.m.. In July 2005, Paxson dissolved all relationships with other stations, mostly NBC stations -- at that time, WESH's news repeats on WOPX ended.

[edit] External links

• ionline.tv
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WOPX