WJAX-TV

WJAX-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Jacksonville, Florida, and serving the broader Jacksonville broadcast market, including parts of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. The station broadcasts on digital channel 34 and is affiliated with CBS. Its local news operation is conducted jointly with WFOX-TV, the market's Fox affiliate, and is branded Action News Jax. The two stations share studios on Central Parkway in Jacksonville's Southside and share transmitter facilities on Hogan Road. The station began broadcasting on August 1, 1980, as WXAO-TV. It was the first new Jacksonville television station since 1966. Its original identity was strongly Christian and family-oriented: the station aired religious programs alongside secular programming suitable for general audiences. The call letters were derived from a Christian expression referring to Christ as the Alpha and Omega. The station initially operated as an independent outlet and faced immediate competition from WAWS-TV, which began broadcasting on channel 30 in February 1981 and quickly became the stronger independent station. Beginning in 1982, management attempted to move the station away from its religious identity. Religious programming was reduced, more children's and syndicated entertainment programming was added, and a short-lived local newscast was introduced. The station changed its call sign to WNFT in 1983, standing for North Florida Television. Investments in programming, facilities, and signal strength improved its competitive position, but WNFT continued to trail WAWS, particularly after WAWS affiliated with the newly launched Fox network. Krypton Broadcasting acquired WNFT in 1990. The ownership period was marked by mounting losses, high operating costs, debt disputes, and litigation involving program suppliers. Krypton's financial problems led to bankruptcy proceedings and the placement of the station under court-supervised control. RDS Broadcasting won the station at a bankruptcy auction for $10 million, and WNFT joined the new UPN network in 1995. In 1996, the station adopted the call sign WTEV-TV and entered into a local marketing arrangement with WAWS and Clear Channel Television. The arrangement consolidated much of the stations' programming, sales, and operational activity while preserving separate licenses. WTEV became Jacksonville's CBS affiliate on July 15, 2002, after CBS and longtime affiliate WJXT-TV ended their relationship. The affiliation change transformed the station's schedule and business prospects. WTEV expanded its local news programming, added morning, midday, evening, and weekend broadcasts, and became a primary local broadcaster for CBS network programming and Jacksonville Jaguars football. Its revenue increased substantially after the change, and its CBS programming performed competitively in the market. Clear Channel sold its television stations to Newport Television in 2007. Because WTEV's improved ratings and CBS affiliation made it one of the market's four highest-rated stations, regulatory requirements affected the ownership and operating arrangements for the channel 47 license. Cox Media Group acquired WAWS in 2012, while WTEV's license was held by former Cox executives and operated alongside WFOX-TV. In 2014, the stations changed call signs: WAWS became WFOX-TV and WTEV became WJAX-TV. Their shared local-news service adopted and developed the Action News Jax identity. By 2023, Action News Jax had moved into second place in Jacksonville local television news ratings.

WJAX-TV's history begins with a proposed Christian television service for Jacksonville. In 1978, Christian Television of Jacksonville, a nonprofit group led by local businessman Tom McGehee, sought permission to build a station on channel 47. The group received a construction permit in June 1979 but encountered financial difficulties and lower-than-expected contributions. The permit was transferred to American Standard Leasing Corporation, a commercial company controlled by Tom McGehee and his brother Frank. The resulting station, WXAO-TV, went on the air on August 1, 1980. It combined religious programs with family-friendly secular series and was Jacksonville's first new television station in fourteen years. Its initial audience was modest. WAWS-TV, which launched on channel 30 in February 1981, quickly became the stronger independent station and established a lasting competitive relationship with channel 47. Under consultant and later general manager Jim Kontoleon, the station began a deliberate repositioning in 1982. It reduced religious programming, added children's and syndicated entertainment programs, and experimented with a local late-night newscast. The call sign changed to WNFT in August 1983. Although the station invested in programming, facilities, and transmitter improvements, it struggled to overcome the reputation created by its original religious format. WAWS's affiliation with Fox further strengthened the rival station's audience position. In 1990, Krypton Broadcasting purchased WNFT. The company attempted to build a larger station group and moved WNFT into more expensive downtown Jacksonville facilities. Krypton's expansion and financial commitments proved unsustainable. The company missed loan payments, faced claims from program distributors and other creditors, and entered bankruptcy-related litigation. A federal examiner concluded that the stations required new capital and independent operational control. Copyright-related judgments and other claims contributed to the court-ordered sale of the stations. RDS Broadcasting won WNFT at auction in October 1994 for $10 million. The station joined UPN at the network's launch in January 1995, and the FCC approved the acquisition later that year. In 1996, the call sign changed to WTEV-TV. RDS arranged for Clear Channel Television, owner of WAWS, to handle much of WTEV's programming, sales, and operations through a local marketing agreement. The two stations moved into shared facilities, and WAWS's news department began producing programs for WTEV. The arrangement created the operational foundation for the station's later shared-news model. After the FCC permitted television duopolies, Clear Channel acquired WTEV outright in 1999. The station expanded its programming and news presence, including efforts to reach Jacksonville's African American audience. By the 2001–02 television season, WTEV was among UPN's highest-rated affiliates nationally, although its position was about to change dramatically. In 2002, CBS and WJXT ended their affiliation after a dispute involving compensation and programming terms. WTEV was selected as the replacement CBS affiliate and made the switch on July 15. The change brought a substantially broader schedule of local newscasts and made WTEV a major outlet for CBS programming and Jacksonville Jaguars football. The station initially used separate on-air personnel for some broadcasts but shared reporters, weather, sports, facilities, and production resources with WAWS. Its revenue and market importance increased after the affiliation change. Clear Channel sold its television assets to Newport Television in 2007. Ownership and operating arrangements were subsequently shaped by broadcast-ownership rules because the CBS affiliation and improved ratings placed WTEV among Jacksonville's leading stations. Cox Media Group acquired WAWS in 2012, while the WJAX-TV license was held by former Cox executives and operated alongside the Cox-owned station. In 2014, WTEV became WJAX-TV and WAWS became WFOX-TV. Their joint news service developed under the Action News Jax brand, which covers local news, weather, traffic, sports, and community issues across broadcast and digital platforms. By 2023, the operation had risen to second place in Jacksonville local news ratings.

1. 2014Station becomes WJAX-TV

   WTEV-TV changed its call sign to WJAX-TV, while WAWS became WFOX-TV, and the shared news operation continued under the Action News Jax identity.

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2. 2012Cox Media Group acquires WAWS

   Cox acquired WJAX-TV's longtime operating partner, channel 30 station WAWS, while the WJAX license remained under a related ownership arrangement.

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3. 2007Clear Channel sells television stations

   Clear Channel sold its television holdings to Newport Television, after which ownership and operating arrangements for WTEV were affected by broadcast-duopoly rules.

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4. 2002CBS affiliation begins

   WTEV became Jacksonville's CBS affiliate on July 15 and expanded its local news schedule.

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5. 1999Clear Channel acquires WTEV

   Following the legalization of television duopolies, Clear Channel acquired WTEV outright from MGA Broadcasting.

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6. 1997Local news expands to channel 47

   WAWS's news department began producing a 6:30 p.m. newscast for WTEV, laying groundwork for the stations' joint newsroom.

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7. 1996WTEV-TV identity introduced

   The station changed its call sign to WTEV-TV and entered shared operations with WAWS.

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8. 1995UPN affiliation begins

   WNFT became an affiliate of the newly launched UPN network.

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9. 1994RDS Broadcasting wins bankruptcy auction

   RDS Broadcasting submitted the winning $10 million bid for WNFT, subject to regulatory approval.

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10. 1990Krypton Broadcasting acquisition

    Krypton Broadcasting acquired WNFT, but later financial difficulties placed the station in bankruptcy-related proceedings.

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11. 1983Call sign changes to WNFT

    The station adopted WNFT as it continued its transition from a religiously identified independent station to a general-entertainment outlet.

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12. 1980WXAO-TV signs on

    Channel 47 began broadcasting on August 1 as WXAO-TV, combining Christian and family-oriented secular programming.

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13. 1979Construction permit awarded

    Christian Television of Jacksonville received authorization to build a station on Jacksonville's channel 47, later transferring the permit to American Standard Leasing Corporation.

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A locally focused CBS network affiliate using a shared newsroom and multiplatform news brand with WFOX-TV. The station positions itself around Jacksonville-area breaking news, weather, traffic, sports, and community coverage while benefiting from CBS programming and the reach of the Action News Jax identity.

• Action News JaxLocal news service2009

  The shared local-news operation of WJAX-TV and WFOX-TV. It provides Jacksonville-area reporting, breaking news, weather, traffic, sports, and community coverage through television broadcasts and digital channels. The brand allows the two separately licensed stations to combine newsroom resources while maintaining their respective network affiliations.

• CBS programmingNetwork television service2002

  WJAX-TV's primary network schedule consists of CBS entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming. The affiliation began in July 2002 after CBS ended its relationship with WJXT and made channel 47 a major network outlet in the Jacksonville market.

• Jacksonville Jaguars coverageSports broadcasting2002

  As Jacksonville's CBS affiliate, WJAX-TV became a principal broadcaster of Jacksonville Jaguars football games carried through CBS and related local coverage. The station's sports role expanded substantially after its 2002 network affiliation change.

• WTEV-TV local newscastsLocal news programming1997

  Before adopting the WJAX-TV call sign, the station developed a growing schedule of local broadcasts under the WTEV identity. Programming expanded from a 6:30 p.m. broadcast in 1997 to morning, midday, evening, and weekend newscasts after the CBS affiliation.

• 2009Action News branding

  Jacksonville · Northeast Florida · Southeast Georgia

  The stations adopted the Action News identity for their shared news operation, emphasizing a common regional news brand across WJAX-TV and WFOX-TV.

  Outcome. The identity became the principal local-news brand used across the paired stations' television and digital services.

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• 2014Call-sign and station identity overhaulStrategy

  The paired stations were operating with a common news operation but had legacy identities dating from earlier ownership and network arrangements.

  What changed. WTEV-TV became WJAX-TV and WAWS became WFOX-TV, while their shared news service continued under Action News Jax.

  Aftermath. The new identities aligned the stations more closely with their Jacksonville market presence and the shared local-news brand.

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• 2002Switch from UPN to CBSStrategy

  CBS and Jacksonville's incumbent affiliate WJXT ended their affiliation after a dispute over compensation and related programming terms.

  What changed. WTEV-TV became the Jacksonville CBS affiliate on July 15, while UPN programming moved to a secondary position on WAWS.

  Aftermath. The station expanded its newscasts, became a major outlet for CBS sports including Jaguars coverage, and experienced a significant increase in business importance and revenue.

  Annual revenue. Nearly doubled in 2003 compared with the prior year (2003)

  • WJXT — WJXT became an independent station after losing its CBS affiliation.
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• 1996Shared operation with WAWSStrategy

  RDS sought to operate WNFT jointly with Clear Channel Television, which owned the higher-rated WAWS.

  What changed. The station changed its call sign to WTEV-TV and entered a local marketing agreement under which Clear Channel handled programming and most operational functions.

  Aftermath. The agreement consolidated facilities, sales, programming, and news resources and eventually supported a combined-newsroom model.

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• 1995Adoption of UPN affiliationStrategy

  After RDS Broadcasting acquired the station from bankruptcy proceedings, WNFT needed a stronger programming identity and network relationship.

  What changed. WNFT affiliated with UPN at the network's launch.

  Aftermath. The station gained a national network schedule but continued to operate in the shadow of WAWS, which had a stronger market position.

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• 1982Repositioning away from religious broadcastingStrategy

  WXAO-TV had developed a small audience and was losing ground to the newer WAWS independent station.

  What changed. Management reduced religious programming, added more children's and syndicated entertainment content, and attempted to present the station as a broader general-interest outlet.

  Aftermath. The repositioning improved the station's competitive profile but did not eliminate WAWS's ratings lead.

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• 1993Krypton Broadcasting bankruptcy and creditor litigationControversy

  Krypton Broadcasting's financial distress led to bankruptcy proceedings involving WNFT and sister stations. The proceedings included creditor claims, program-supplier disputes, court supervision, and allegations concerning unauthorized use or movement of program tapes. The stations were ultimately sold through a court-approved auction.

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• 2023Action News Jax reaches second place in local news ratings

  The shared Action News Jax operation was reported to have moved into second place in Jacksonville local television news ratings.

  Other
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• 2014WAWS and WTEV adopt new call signs

  The paired stations were rebranded as WFOX-TV and WJAX-TV, respectively, as part of a broader station identity overhaul.

  Leadership change
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• 2002WTEV-TV becomes Jacksonville's CBS affiliate

  WTEV replaced WJXT as Jacksonville's CBS affiliate after CBS and WJXT ended their long-running affiliation.

  Product launch
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• 1994RDS Broadcasting wins WNFT bankruptcy auction

  RDS Broadcasting submitted the successful bid for WNFT, beginning the station's transition out of Krypton-related bankruptcy control.

  BankruptcyM&A
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• 1993WNFT enters bankruptcy proceedings under Krypton Broadcasting

  Debt, operating losses, supplier disputes, and litigation involving Krypton's stations led to bankruptcy proceedings and court-supervised operation.

  BankruptcyLawsuit
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• 1982Station begins moving away from religious identity

  Management reduced religious programming and repositioned the station toward a broader general-entertainment audience.

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• 1980WXAO-TV begins broadcasting in Jacksonville

  Channel 47 signed on as WXAO-TV, introducing a new commercial television service with religious and family-oriented programming.

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1. WJAX-TV
2. Action News Jax