KPXJ

KPXJ is a commercial television station licensed to Minden, Louisiana, and serving the Shreveport–Texarkana market and the broader Ark-La-Tex region. It broadcasts on virtual channel 21 and is affiliated with The CW. The station is owned by locally based KTBS, LLC, which also owns ABC affiliate KTBS-TV. The two stations operate as a duopoly and share studios on East Kings Highway in eastern Shreveport. KPXJ's transmitter is located in rural northern Caddo Parish near St. Johns Baptist Church Road, southeast of Mooringsport and Caddo Lake. The station originated from a competitive Federal Communications Commission licensing process for a new commercial UHF allocation in the Shreveport area. Paxson Communications secured the construction permit in a 1997 settlement with several competing applicants, and the FCC approved the transaction in April 1998. KPXJ began broadcasting on August 31, 1998, under the call sign WPXO as a charter owned-and-operated station of Pax TV, the family-oriented network launched that same day. The call letters changed to KPXJ in January 1999. Around the same time, KTBS, LLC began operating the station through a joint sales arrangement, establishing the operating relationship that later developed into direct common ownership. KPXJ became a UPN affiliate in September 2003 after a proposed direct sale from Paxson Communications to KTBS, LLC was rejected under the FCC's local television ownership rules. Instead, the license was sold to Minden Television Company LLC, associated with the Wray family, while KTBS continued to provide operational services under a local marketing agreement. During its UPN period, the station adopted the UPN 21 identity and carried a general-entertainment schedule composed of network programming, syndicated talk and court shows, off-network series, cartoons, educational programs, religious content, and occasional sports. Some Pax and Worship Network programming remained on the schedule for a period after the affiliation change. The station was selected as the Shreveport market's charter affiliate of The CW in 2006, following the planned shutdown of UPN and The WB. KPXJ was chosen over KSHV-TV because it had the stronger audience position between the two local predecessor-network affiliates. It began carrying The CW on September 18, 2006, after briefly carrying residual WB programming during the transition. The station subsequently adopted the KPXJ CW 21 branding. Its principal programming role today is as a network entertainment outlet complemented by locally produced news and public-service programming from KTBS-TV. KTBS produces extensive local news for KPXJ, including morning, afternoon, prime-time, weekend, and seasonal high-school sports programming. The station has also served as an outlet for extended severe-weather coverage and, when necessary, selected ABC programs preempted on KTBS-TV by breaking news, emergency information, or special programming. KPXJ completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 2005 through a flash cut on UHF channel 21. It remains an active CW station and a key component of KTBS's local broadcast operation.

KPXJ's history began with the assignment of a new commercial UHF allocation to the Shreveport–Texarkana market. Several applicants sought authority to construct and operate a station on channel 21, including local, regional, and national broadcasting groups. In December 1997, Paxson Communications reached a settlement with the competing applicants and obtained the construction permit. The FCC approved the transaction in April 1998. The station launched on August 31, 1998, as WPXO, a charter owned-and-operated station of Pax TV. Pax TV was designed as a family-oriented network and began operation with a group of owned stations and affiliates. The call letters changed to KPXJ on January 8, 1999. At approximately the same time, KTBS, LLC entered into a joint sales agreement and assumed operational responsibilities, linking channel 21 with Shreveport ABC station KTBS-TV. In 2003, Paxson announced plans to sell KPXJ to KTBS, LLC. The FCC rejected the direct transaction because the market's ownership structure did not satisfy the agency's local television ownership requirements. A revised arrangement transferred the license to Minden Television Company LLC, associated with the Wray family, while KTBS continued to operate the station under a local marketing agreement. KPXJ changed affiliations from Pax to UPN on September 24, 2003, taking over the market's UPN programming from KSHV-TV. It used the UPN 21 brand and adopted a broad schedule of network and syndicated entertainment. Pax programming continued secondarily for a limited period, and religious programming from The Worship Network remained in overnight hours for several years. The 2006 dissolution of UPN and The WB created The CW and MyNetworkTV. The CW selected KPXJ as its Shreveport charter affiliate because it had the stronger audience standing compared with KSHV-TV. KPXJ stopped promoting UPN branding in May 2006 but remained formally affiliated with the network until September 17. It carried limited remaining WB programming during the final transition period and joined The CW on September 18, 2006. KSHV became the market's MyNetworkTV outlet. KTBS, LLC later sought to acquire KPXJ outright. In its 2008 FCC filing, the company argued that KPXJ was economically weak and required common ownership with KTBS to remain viable. The application included a failing-station waiver because the market's station count and ownership rules otherwise restricted the proposed duopoly. The transaction was completed on August 3, 2009, making KTBS-TV and KPXJ directly owned sister stations. Local news became an increasingly important part of KPXJ's identity. A tape-delayed rebroadcast of KTBS newscasts began in 2000. After the 2003 affiliation change, KTBS launched a locally produced 9 p.m. newscast for KPXJ, later expanding it to a full hour. Morning news began in 2005, followed by schedule expansions and a move to a 9 a.m. time slot in 2013. KTBS added a 4 p.m. newscast in 2016 and a 3 p.m. newscast in 2021. The station also airs seasonal high-school football coverage and may simulcast extended severe-weather reports from KTBS. KPXJ moved to digital broadcasting through a flash cut in September 2005, ending regular analog service on UHF channel 21. The change generated complaints from viewers who lacked digital reception equipment or depended on cable systems. Satellite carriage followed, with DirecTV adding the station in December 2005 and Dish Network adding it in April 2007. KPXJ remains an active CW affiliate serving the Ark-La-Tex region.

• 2021

  3 p.m. news service launches

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  KPXJ introduced the first 3 p.m. local newscast reported for the market.

• 2009

  KTBS completes ownership transition

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  KTBS, LLC completed its acquisition of KPXJ, creating a legal local television duopoly.

• 2006

  The CW affiliation announced

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  The CW named KPXJ its charter affiliate for the Shreveport market.

• 2006

  The CW service launches

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  KPXJ began carrying The CW on September 18.

• 2005

  Digital flash cut

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  KPXJ ended regular analog broadcasts and began digital operation on channel 21.

• 2003

  UPN affiliation begins

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  KPXJ became the Shreveport-area UPN affiliate and introduced the UPN 21 brand.

• 1999

  KPXJ call sign adopted

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call letters from WPXO to KPXJ.

• 1998

  Station launch

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  WPXO signed on August 31 as a charter Pax TV owned-and-operated station.

• 1997

  Paxson obtains the channel 21 permit

  [1]KPXJen.wikipedia.org

  Paxson Communications settled with competing applicants and acquired the construction permit for the future station.

A locally operated CW affiliate combining national network entertainment with extensive KTBS-produced local news, weather, sports, and community programming for the Shreveport–Texarkana market.

• Network television affiliation · 2006

  The CW on KPXJ

  KPXJ's principal service is its over-the-air carriage of The CW, which supplies scripted entertainment, reality programming, specials, and other network content to viewers in the Shreveport–Texarkana market. The affiliation began when The CW launched in September 2006, following the shutdown of UPN and The WB.

• Local television news · 2000

  KTBS-produced local news

  KTBS produces multiple local-news windows for KPXJ, including morning or daytime programming, afternoon news, prime-time news, weekend coverage, and severe-weather reports. The arrangement gives the CW affiliate a substantial local-information schedule despite its network entertainment positioning.

• Local sports programming

  Friday Football Fever

  Friday Football Fever is a seasonal high-school football highlights program produced by KTBS and broadcast on KPXJ during the football season. It extends the station's local-service role beyond news and weather into regional community sports coverage.

• Emergency information

  Severe-weather coverage

  As KTBS's duopoly partner, KPXJ can carry extended severe-weather coverage from KTBS-TV, including long-form tornado-warning programming for counties across the Ark-La-Tex viewing area. It may also preempt or carry selected ABC programming when KTBS is occupied by breaking news or emergency coverage.

• 2009

  KTBS completes acquisition of KPXJM&A

  Background

  KTBS, LLC argued that KPXJ was financially weak and needed common ownership with KTBS to remain viable. The proposed transaction required FCC review because of local television ownership limits.

  Action taken

  After the FCC process and a failing-station waiver, KTBS, LLC completed the purchase of KPXJ from Minden Television Company LLC on August 3, 2009.

  Aftermath

  KPXJ and KTBS-TV became directly owned sister stations and operated as the market's legal television duopoly.

  Reported proposed purchase price. $10.3 million (2008 filing; transaction completed in 2009)

  Source

• 2006

  Join The CWStrategy

  Background

  CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. announced that UPN and The WB would be replaced by The CW, while Fox launched MyNetworkTV for stations not selected by The CW.

  Action taken

  KPXJ was selected as The CW's charter affiliate for the Shreveport market and began carrying the network on September 18, 2006.

  Aftermath

  KSHV-TV became the local MyNetworkTV affiliate, while KPXJ retained a network-entertainment role under the CW 21 brand.

  Source

• 2003

  Move from Pax TV to UPNStrategy

  Background

  KPXJ's ownership and operating arrangements were being reorganized after the FCC rejected a proposed direct sale from Paxson Communications to KTBS, LLC under local ownership rules.

  Action taken

  The station transferred its network affiliation from Pax TV to UPN on September 24, 2003, and adopted the UPN 21 identity.

  Aftermath

  KPXJ operated as the area's UPN station until UPN ceased operations in 2006. KTBS also launched locally produced news for the station.

  Source

1. 1KPXJen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KTBS official websitektbs.com