WAXN-TV

WAXN-TV (channel 64) is an independent television station licensed to Kannapolis, North Carolina, United States, serving the Charlotte area. It is owned by Cox Media Group alongside dual ABC/Telemundo affiliate WSOC-TV (channel 9). The two stations share studios on West 23rd Street north of uptown Charlotte; WAXN-TV's transmitter is located near Reedy Creek Park in the Newell section of the city.

History

The station first signed on the air on October 15, 1994, as WKAY-TV. It was originally owned by Kannapolis Television Company, a subsidiary of Truth Temple in Kannapolis. It had originally received a construction permit as WDZH, but changed the call letters to WKAY on November 15, 1989.[1] The pastor of Truth Temple, Garland Faw, named the station WKAY after his wife Kay. The station aired a mix of religious programming, older movies, and barter syndicated programs, as well as the locally produced special Magic or Something in 1995.[2]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's ATSC 1.0 channels using WAXN-TV's physical channel 32 prior to June 29, 2021, are now carried on the multiplexed signals of three other Charlotte television stations. However, they retain their virtual channel 64 identities.[19]

On February 14, 2014, WAXN-TV began testing of a new second digital subchannel, which initially displayed color bars. On April 1, 2014, at 4 a.m., WAXN began carrying programming from GetTV on the subchannel.[23] WAXN-TV added a third subchannel carrying Escape (now Ion Mystery) at 12 noon on August 18, 2014. On March 9, 2017, WSOC-TV announced that they would launch Telemundo on its DT2 subchannel effective June 1. WSOC-DT2's former Laff affiliation, which had been in place since April 15, 2015, would be moved to WAXN. On May 31, 2017, Laff was officially added to WAXN's new DT4 subchannel.[24] On May 2, 2022, GetTV switched channels from WAXN-TV to WSOC-TV; subchannel 2 became Laff, while subchannel 4 was removed.

Analog-to-digital conversion

WAXN-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 64, on February 17, 2009, the original date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 50,[25] using virtual channel 64.

On May 10, 2009, WAXN installed a larger digital transmitter and increased its effective radiated power from 50 to 91 kilowatts. On July 13, 2011, WAXN saw a further power increase to 150 kW, with the installation of a new directional antenna designed to reduce interference to WFMY-TV in Greensboro.[26]

ATSC 3.0 lighthouse service

On June 29, 2021, WAXN-TV converted the digital channel 32 to ATSC 3.0, hosting simulcasts from WBTV, WSOC-TV, WCNC-TV and WJZY. Existing ATSC 1.0 channels from WAXN-TV previously on channel 32 are hosted by WBTV, WSOC-TV and WCNC-TV, but retain their virtual channel 64 identities as part of the arrangement.[19]

{{legend|#ffe8d0|Subchannel broadcast with digital rights management}}

callsign	WAXN-TV
city	Kannapolis, North Carolina
atsc3	yes
branding	TV 64
digital	32 (UHF)
virtual	64
translators	36 WAXNTV1 China Grove 26 W26FA-D Marion 30 WSOCTV1, Shelby 46 WSOCTV2, Statesville
affiliations	64.1: Independent 64.2: Laff 64.3: Ion Mystery
owner	Cox Media Group
licensee	WSOC Television, LLC
location	Kannapolis–Charlotte, North Carolina
country	United States
airdate	October 15, 1994
callsign meaning	"Action" (station originally branded as "Action 64")
sister stations	WSOC-TV
former callsigns	WKAY (1994–1996)
former channel numbers	Analog: 64 (UHF, 1994–2009) Digital: 50 (UHF, until 2019)
former affiliations	Pax TV (secondary, 1998–2000)
erp	200 kW
haat	372 m
facility id	12793
coordinates	35.26142°N, -80.72681°W
licensing authority	FCC
website	https://www.wsoctv.com/tv64/

History

Newscasts

Technical information

Subchannels

Analog-to-digital conversion

ATSC 3.0 lighthouse service

External links

References