WBNX-TV: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Independent TV station in Akron, Ohio}}

{{for|the [[New York City]] radio station which used this call sign from 1931 to 1984|WKDM}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=JanuaryMay 20122024}}

| logo_sizelogo_upright = 220px.85

| branding = WBNX- TV 55

| digital = 17 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])

| affiliations = {{ubl|'''55.1:''' [[Independent station (North America)|Independent]] → [[The CW]] (eff. 9/1/2025)|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}

| owner = {{ubl|[[Ernest Angley Ministries]]|Ernest''(sale Angleyto Ministries[[Nexstar Media Group]] pending{{r|wbnxsold}})''}}

| location = [[Akron, Ohio|Akron]]/–[[Cleveland|Cleveland, Ohio]]

| airdate = {{start date and age|1985|12|1|p=y|br=yes}}

| callsign_meaning = Winston Broadcasting Network<br> (owner;a Winstonnod wasto middlestation name offounder Ernest Winston Angley)

| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:'''| 55 (UHF, 1985–2009)|'''Digital:'''| 30 (UHF, 2002–2009)}}

| former_affiliations = {{ubl|'''Analog/DT1:'''Independent (1985–1997)|[[The WB]] (1997–2006)||[[Fox Kids]] (1994–2002)|[[4Kids TV|Fox Box/4Kids TV]] |(2002–2008)|[[The CW]] (2006–2018)|'''DT2:'''|[[Religious broadcasting|Religious independent]] (2010–2022)|'''DT3:'''|[[This TV]] (2012–2015)}}

| haat = {{convert|357.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|41|23|2|N|81|41|43|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}}}

| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]

| website = {{URL|https://www.wbnx.com/}}

[[file:WBNX original logo.png|left|thumb|200px|Original logo for WBNX used from 1985 to 1996]]

WBNX-TV first signed on the air on December 1, 1985, as a [[secularity|secular]] for-profit [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]].<ref>[http://www.wbnx.com/station-information WBNX info - WBNX.com]</ref> The WBNX call letters were previously used by a radio station in [[New York City]] on 1380 [[AM broadcasting|AM]] (now [[WKDM]]) until 1984. Before WBNX signed on, its owner Ernest Angley purchased fellow televangelist [[Rex Humbard]]'s television production facilities in Cuyahoga Falls to start the new station, and later purchased Humbard's [[Cathedral of Tomorrow]] complex (the current Grace Cathedral). The unfinished concrete tower which still stands behind Grace Cathedral was originally intended to hold the transmission tower of '''WCOT''', for which Humbard had previously held a construction permit on the channel 55 frequency (the station never made it to air, and its authorization was deleted by the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) in 1976).<ref>[https://uhfhistory.com/articles/wcot.html UHF History page on WCOT]</ref>. The concrete tower was never purchased or used by WBNX, but is owned by Krieger Communications and used for cellular phone transmissions.<ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM5R7C_WBNX_The_CW_Channel_55_Cleveland_Akron_OH WBNX building and location - Way Marking.com]</ref>

The station, then branded as "WBNX TV55", carried a general entertainment format with classic [[drama (film and television)|dramas]], [[Western (genre)|westerns]], low-budget [[feature film|films]], syndicated [[game show]]sshows, and a twice daily airing of station owner Angley's religious [[talk show|talk]]/[[variety show]] ''The 90 and 9 Club''.<ref name = Angley /> During this time, WBNX aimed its programming at family audiences (with the slogan "We are family and we show it!") and imposed censoring standards that were similar to that used by [[Freeform (TV channel)|The Family Channel]], [[Nick at Nite]] and other kids and teens' oriented cable channels.<ref>[http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CYqhSPC3xQE/hqdefault.jpg Early WBNX logo and slogan]</ref> In November 1986 when cross-town [[WQHS-DT|WCLQ-TV]] (channel 61) was sold to the [[HSN|Home Shopping Network]], WBNX picked up the [[animated cartoon|cartoons]] and classic sitcoms previously on WCLQ. By 1988, WBNX gradually began running [[infomercial]]s much of the broadcast day. By 1990, WBNX was running paid programming half the broadcast day, low budget syndicated programming about {{frac|1/|4}} of the day and religious shows a few hours a day.

WBNX's original transmitter was located on Snowville Road in [[Brecksville, Ohio]], which was originally used by [[WKYC|WKYC-TV]] (channel 3) in its earlier days. The old technology for the transmitter forced WBNX to broadcast its audio feed in monaural rather than in [[stereophonic sound|stereo]]. In 2000, WBNX built a new transmitter and tower in Parma, becoming the tallest television broadcast tower in the Cleveland market.<ref>[http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040212.html WBNX tower - Fybush.com]</ref>

When WJW and WOIO swapped networks on September 3, 1994, WBNX acquired the local rights to the [[Fox Kids]] programming block.<ref name=nytbusinessdigest>{{cite news|title=FOX WILLWill SIGNSign UPUp 12 NEWNew STATIONSStations; TAKESTakes 8 FROMFrom CBS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/24/us/fox-will-sign-up-12-new-stations-takes-8-from-cbs.html?pagewanted=4|authorfirst=Bill Carter|author-linklast=Bill Carter|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 24, 1994|access-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fox Gains 12 Stations in New World Deal|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4230288.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011163409/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4230288.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 11, 2013|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group|Hollinger International]]|via=[[HighBeam Research]]|date=May 23, 1994|access-date=June 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 1994-1996 Network Television Affiliation Mess|url=http://www.bostonradio.org/essays/1994-tv-affiliation-mess|authorfirst=Garrett |last=Wollman|website=BostonRadio.org|date=December 28, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=X-Men on Fox Kids Network - WBNX 55 (1990)|url=http://www.retrojunk.com/commercial/show/19654/xmen-on-fox-kids-network-wbnx-55|website=RetroJunk.com}}</ref> Like other New World stations affected by the affiliation agreement, WJW decided to not air the Fox Kids block upon joining Fox, choosing instead to air newscasts and syndicated programs weekdays, and infomercials and local [[real estate]] programs on weekends. WBNX also inherited the northeast Ohio iteration of the Fox Kids Club from WOIO; under channel 55's stewardship, WBNX's Fox Kids Club grew into the largest Fox Kids Club.

At that same time, WJW reached a news share arrangement with WBNX that allowed the latter to air tape-delayed rebroadcasts of WJW's 10:00&nbsp;p.m. newscast each night at 11:00&nbsp;p.m.pm; WBNX continued to air these rebroadcasts until September 1996. The station also expanded its distribution, increasing its carriage on local cable providers throughout northeast Ohio (including within the adjacent [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]] market). Channel 55's programming lineup during this period included more contemporary children's programs, sitcoms, drama series and movies; in addition, WBNX's content standards adapted to contractually airing syndicated programs containing profanity, sexual content and violence as is (with the only editing being that made by distributors to fit designated running times and to censor content not compliant with FCC decency standards). These changes would boost the station, with WBNX eventually surpassing WUAB in the ratings.

On September 1, 1997, WBNX-TV took over as the Cleveland-area affiliate of [[The WB|The WB Television Network]], assuming the rights from [[WUAB|WUAB-TV]] (channel 43). The station, accordingly, changed its branding to "WB 55". The WB affiliation also resulted in WBNX adding the [[Kids' WB]] lineup, so with having both Fox Kids and Kids' WB, channel 55 promoted themselves at that time as being "Cleveland's Kids Superstation".

After becoming a WB affiliate, WBNX-TV continued to grow and eventually took the overall ratings lead above WUAB by 2004; WBNX consistently ranked in the top 11 of all WB affiliates in the country and was the #No. 1 WB affiliate in overall ratings among the 19 largest television markets during the November 2005 sweeps ratings period.<ref>[http://www.tvweek.com/docs/docs/tw05p42.pdf TV Week, Jan 30, 2006]{{dead link|date=September 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1998, WBNX approached Cleveland late night icon ''The Ghoul'' (portrayed by [[Ron Sweed]]) to host the station's Friday night (later on Sunday nights, towards the end of the program's run) movie, until WBNX discontinued its relationship with Sweed in 2004.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN57wL3jSs8 The Ghoul Premier]</ref> In JanuarySeptember 20052003, the station changed its on-air branding to "WBNX-TV, Cleveland's WB,", de-emphasizing the station's Channel 55 allocation.

[[File:WBNX CW TV.PNG|right|thumb|175px|WBNX's logo during the CW era, used from September 18, 2006, to July 13, 2018.]]

On January 24, 2006, UPN parent company [[CBS Corporation]] and WB network parent [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]] announced that they would dissolve the two networks to create [[The CW|The CW Television Network]], a joint venture between the two media companies that initially featured programs from its two predecessor networks as well as original first-run series developed for The CW.<ref>{{cite news|title='Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/cbs_warner/|authorfirst=Jessica |last=Seid|website=[[CNNMoney.com]]|publisher=[[Time Warner]]|date=January 24, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/business/media/24cnd-network.html?bl|authorfirst=Bill Carter|author-linklast=Bill Carter|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 24, 2006}}</ref> Nearly one month after the CW launch announcement, on February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced the launch of [[MyNetworkTV]], a network operated by [[Fox Television Stations]] and its syndication division [[Twentieth Television]] that was created to primarily serve as a network programming option (in lieu of converting to a general entertainment independent format) for UPN and WB stations that were left out of The CW's affiliation deals.<ref>{{cite news|title=News Corp. to launch new mini-network for UPN stations|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-02-22-fox-my-network_x.htm|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|date=February 22, 2006|access-date=January 21, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/news-corp-unveils-my-network-tv/78935|authorfirst=John |last=Eggerton|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=February 22, 2006}}</ref> Following the announcement, both WBNX and WUAB were in the running to become Cleveland's affiliate of the new network.

On March 1, in a joint announcement by CBS Corporation and the Winston Broadcasting Network, WBNX was confirmed as The CW's Cleveland affiliate. Since the network chose its charter stations based on which of them among The WB and UPN's respective affiliate bodies was the highest-rated in each market, WBNX was chosen to join The CW over WUAB as it had been the higher-rated of the two stations at the time of the agreement's signing. Six days later on March 7, as part of an affiliation agreement that included two other Raycom-owned stations, WUAB was confirmed to be the Cleveland market's MyNetworkTV affiliate.<ref>{{cite news|title=CW Signs First Five Outside Affils|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/cw-my-network-tv-win-affils-79100|authorfirst=Allison |last=Romano|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=March 1, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=CW, My Network TV Win Affils|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/cw-my-network-tv-win-affils-79100|authorfirst=Allison |last=Romano|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=March 3, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Distribution Derby|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/distribution-derby-79200|authorfirst=Allison |last=Romano|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=March 10, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref> WBNX remained a WB affiliate until the network ceased operations on September 17, 2006; when the station affiliated with The CW upon that network's debut on September 18, WBNX began branding as "WBNX, The CW,", and adopted a new [[wordmark]] logo consisting solely of the WBNX-TV call letter and the CW network logo design.

On July 11, 2018, [[Raycom Media]] and CBS Corporation announced that it signed a long-term deal in which WUAB would become the CW affiliate in Cleveland, with WBNX 55.1 becoming independent, effective July 16. The last CW network program to air on WBNX was ''[[Chicken Soup for the Soul]]'s Hidden Heroes'' (part of the network's ''[[One Magnificent Morning]]'' block) at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] on July 14. WBNX formally became an independent station on July 16, with CW network programming, consisting of one hour daytime and two hours nightly and Saturday mornings, being replaced with syndicated programs already on channel 55's schedule.<ref>{{cite web|title=WUAB To Be Cleveland's New CW Affiliate|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/wuab-clevelands-new-cw-affiliate/|authorfirst=Mark K. |last=Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=July 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WUAB Channel 43 is the new home for the CW|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2018/07/wuab_channel_43_is_the_new_home_for_the_cw.html|authorfirst=Mark |last=Dawidziak|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=[[Advance Publications|Newhouse Newspapers]]|date=July 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WUAB becomes CW43 in Cleveland|url=http://www.cleveland19.com/story/38622260/wuab-becomes-cw43-in-cleveland|website=[[WOIO]]/WUAB|publisher=[[Raycom Media]]|date=July 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=WUAB Adds CW Affiliation|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvspy/wuab-no-longer-a-mynetworktv-affiliate/205830|authorfirst=Stephanie |last=Tsoflias Siegel|website=TVSpy|publisher=Beringer Capital|date=July 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The CW Aligns With Raycom In Cleveland|url=https://www.rbr.com/the-cw-aligns-with-raycom-in-cleveland/|authorfirst=Adam |last=Jacobson|website=Radio-Television Business Report|publisher=Streamline-RBR, Inc.|date=July 11, 2018|access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref> WBNX continues its affiliation with [[Movies!]] and [[Heroes & Icons]] on its third and fourth subchannels.

On March 20, 2012, WBNX activated a new subchannel, which six days later became the new Cleveland affiliate of [[This TV]], which had previously been carried on WUAB until that station's affiliation contract with the network expired.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cleveland.thistv.com/ |title=This TV on WBNX - This TV.com |access-date=May 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927121316/http://www.cleveland.thistv.com/ |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>[http://www.wbnx.com/moviestvnetwork/ Movies TV Network - WBNX-TV, Cleveland's CW]</ref> On March 23, 2015, WBNX replaced This TV with the [[Movies!]] network.<ref>[http://moviestvnetwork.com/wheretowatch/ Where to watch - Movies TV Network.com]</ref>

In November 2015, it was announced that WBNX would become an affiliate of the [[Heroes & Icons]] network. The network is carried on 55.4, which was activated on December 30, 2015.<ref>[http://handitvnetwork.com/wheretowatch/ Heroes and Icons | Where to Watch H&I]</ref>

* [[Ron Sweed]] (The Ghoul)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ljajr.net/ghoul.htm |title=The Ghoul Show |website=Ljajr.net |access-date=November 8, 2012-11-08}}</ref>

The station's digital signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:

WBNX-TV shut down its analog signal, over [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] channel 55, on June 12, 2009, the official date inon which full-power television stations in the United States [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts]] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 30.,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |access-date=2012-03-March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Through the use of [[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]], digital television receivers display the station'susing [[virtual channel]] as its former UHF analog channel 55, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition.

* {{Official website|httphttps://www.wbnx.com/}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130927121316/http://www.cleveland.thistv.com/ Cleveland.ThisTV.com] - Official This TV Cleveland website

[[Category:DecadesTelevision (TVchannels network)and affiliatesstations established in 1985]]