WSFX-TV

WSFX-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Wilmington, North Carolina, and affiliated with the Fox network. It broadcasts on virtual channel 26 and serves the Wilmington television market, with its transmitter located near Winnabow. The station operates from shared facilities on Shipyard Boulevard in Wilmington alongside NBC affiliate WECT and Telemundo affiliate WTWL-LD. Although American Spirit Media owns WSFX-TV, Gray Media manages the station's operations through a shared services arrangement and produces much of its local news programming through WECT. The station began broadcasting on September 24, 1984, under the call sign WJKA. It was established as Wilmington's third commercial television station and initially affiliated with CBS. The station was created at a time when Wilmington viewers generally received CBS programming from distant stations carried by cable systems, including WBTW in Florence, South Carolina, and WTVD in Durham. WJKA therefore provided a local over-the-air CBS service, as well as syndicated programming that had previously been accessible mainly through cable. WJKA faced substantial challenges during its early years. Established stations WWAY and WECT had strong viewer loyalty and well-developed local news operations, while cable providers could offer viewers multiple CBS affiliates from surrounding markets. WJKA initially launched without a conventional local newscast and experimented with several formats, including the midday program Midday and the early-evening program Live at Five. A more ambitious news department, branded Action News 26, began in March 1990 with newscasts at 6 and 11 p.m. Low ratings led to its cancellation after less than a year, and approximately 20 employees were laid off. Station management concluded that the market could not support three competing full-service local news operations at those times. In 1994, the station made its most important strategic change. WJKA announced that it would leave CBS, adopt the call sign WSFX-TV, and join Fox. The Superfox identity positioned channel 26 as Wilmington's only local Fox affiliate and initially gave it a broader regional footprint extending toward Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The change also reflected dissatisfaction with CBS affiliation requirements, network compensation, and the limited prospects for WJKA's local news operation. Fox programming had previously been available in parts of the region mainly through cable, so the affiliation gave WSFX a distinctive market position. The station later resumed local news production under pressure from Fox to provide locally originated programming. It began airing local sports segments in 2000 and launched a 10 p.m. newscast by January 2001. In 2003, Southeastern Media Holdings acquired WSFX-TV, and Raycom Media assumed operational responsibilities under a shared services agreement with WECT. Beginning September 22, 2003, WECT produced the WSFX 10 p.m. newscast and supplied shared news, engineering, promotion, and other operational resources. The arrangement subsequently expanded WSFX's schedule to include a morning news extension and a weekday 7 p.m. newscast. American Spirit Media acquired WSFX and other Southeastern Media Holdings stations in 2011. Gray Media continued operating the station through its relationship with WECT. In 2024, WSFX added selected University of North Carolina Wilmington men's basketball games and a coach's show to its local programming mix. By that time, the station carried more than 13 hours of locally produced or locally branded news each week, including an extension of Carolina in the Morning, a weekday 7 p.m. newscast, and 10 p.m. broadcasts on weekdays and weekends. WSFX also participated in Wilmington's early transition to digital television. On September 8, 2008, it and other local commercial stations switched off their analog signals ahead of the nationwide 2009 transition, using the market as a test case. Gray Media announced in July 2026 that it had agreed to acquire American Spirit Media's six stations, including WSFX-TV, for $50 million. The transaction's completion status is not established in the supplied reference material, so American Spirit Media remains the recorded owner and WSFX's active operating arrangement remains relevant.

WSFX-TV originated in an effort to add a third commercial television station to the Wilmington, North Carolina, market. In 1981, competing groups sought permission to build a station on channel 29. Cape Fear Television proposed a CBS affiliate, while Wilmington Telecasters, a consortium that included Robinson and Katherine Everett, initially proposed an independent station. The groups reached an agreement that allowed Wilmington Telecasters to proceed, with Cape Fear Television receiving an option for a minority interest. Wilmington Telecasters subsequently persuaded the FCC to move the allocation from channel 29 to channel 26. The station took the call sign WJKA in 1984. The letters were derived from the initials of the station's Washington, D.C., attorney and were initially viewed as temporary. WJKA secured a CBS affiliation and arranged to share the tower of ABC affiliate WWAY near Bolivia, while constructing studios on Oleander Drive. Construction delays and Hurricane Diana postponed the launch, but the station began broadcasting on September 24, 1984. As Wilmington's first local CBS outlet, WJKA immediately made CBS programming and syndicated shows available over the air. Its initial management did not launch a full local news department, recognizing the strength of WWAY and WECT and the difficulty of establishing a third news brand. The station tested local programming through Midday, a noon news and talk program introduced in January 1986. After two years, the show was reworked as Live at Five, but its early-evening ratings were weak and it was cancelled after 15 weeks. In 1988, Wilmington Telecasters agreed to sell WJKA to Park Communications. Park proposed operating it partly as a satellite of WNCT-TV in Greenville and expanding the amount of local content. Competing stations objected that the two signals overlapped excessively across several counties and that the combination could create an unfair economic advantage. In November 1989, the FCC indicated that it was unlikely to approve the acquisition, partly because the arrangement could remove a full-service station from Wilmington. The decision allowed WJKA to pursue its own local news plans. Action News 26 launched on March 5, 1990, with 6 and 11 p.m. editions. Led by Tedd O'Donnell, the news operation sought to concentrate on Wilmington and the nearby New Hanover and Brunswick county area rather than match the broader resources of WECT and WWAY. The strategy did not generate sufficient viewership. Surveys showed WJKA far behind the established stations, and Action News 26 ended after its December 21, 1990 broadcast. The cancellation eliminated approximately 20 positions. WJKA's business model changed substantially in 1994. On April 14, the station announced that it would leave CBS for Fox, effective September 19. It adopted the WSFX-TV call sign and Superfox branding, promoting itself as Wilmington's sole Fox affiliate. The affiliation initially gave WSFX substantial reach toward Myrtle Beach, where Fox programming had previously been available mainly through cable. The station's intended expansion of its transmitter facilities did not occur, and it lost the Myrtle Beach affiliation area after WGSE became Fox affiliate WFXB in November 1996. Fox's expectations for local programming eventually led WSFX back into news. The station introduced local sports segments in March 2000 and launched a 10 p.m. newscast by January 2001. It also briefly carried selected UPN programming as a secondary affiliation in 2001, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell, and Star Trek: Enterprise. The arrangement ended when WILM-LP reclaimed UPN programming in 2004. Southeastern Media Holdings acquired WSFX in 2003. Raycom Media then took over operational functions through a shared services agreement with WECT. From September 22, 2003, WECT produced WSFX's 10 p.m. newscast, and the stations shared news, engineering, promotional, and facility resources. WSFX later expanded its news schedule with a morning extension of Carolina in the Morning and a weekday 7 p.m. newscast. This structure made WSFX a Fox-branded outlet with a local-news operation supported by a larger NBC affiliate. WSFX participated in Wilmington's early digital television transition on September 8, 2008. The station and three other local commercial stations ended analog broadcasting as a test market ahead of the national transition in 2009. In 2011, Community Newspaper Holdings sold Southeastern Media Holdings to Thomas Henson and American Spirit Media, transferring ownership of WSFX while leaving its operational relationship with WECT in place. By 2024, WSFX had broadened its local sports role through an agreement with the University of North Carolina Wilmington covering selected men's basketball games and a coach's show. Its weekly news schedule included the extended morning program, a weekday 7 p.m. broadcast, and 10 p.m. editions on weekdays and weekends. Gray Media announced a proposed 2026 acquisition of American Spirit Media's six stations, including WSFX, but the supplied sources do not confirm closing of that transaction.

• 2024

  UNC Wilmington sports agreement

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WSFX added selected UNC Wilmington men's basketball games and a coach's show.

• 2011

  American Spirit Media acquires the station

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  American Spirit Media acquired Southeastern Media Holdings, including WSFX-TV.

• 2008

  Early digital transition

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WSFX participated in Wilmington's early analog shutdown and digital television test.

• 2003

  Shared services with WECT begin

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WECT assumed production of WSFX's primary local newscast and began sharing operational resources.

• 1994

  Station becomes WSFX-TV and joins Fox

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WJKA changed call letters, branding, and network affiliation, becoming the local Fox outlet.

• 1990

  Action News 26 is discontinued

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station ended its second major local news experiment after weak ratings.

• 1986

  Midday launches

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  WJKA introduced its first local news and talk format, Midday.

• 1984

  WJKA signs on

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station began broadcasting on September 24 as a CBS affiliate under the WJKA call sign.

• 1982

  Channel allocation moved to channel 26

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Wilmington Telecasters successfully petitioned the FCC to change the proposed allocation from channel 29 to channel 26.

• 1981

  Applications filed for a new Wilmington station

  [1]WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Two groups sought authorization for a new commercial television station serving Wilmington.

A local Fox affiliate combining national Fox entertainment and sports programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, and community coverage for the Wilmington television market.

• Broadcast television · 1994

  Fox network service

  WSFX's central offering is its over-the-air Fox affiliation on virtual channel 26. The service carries Fox's national schedule, including entertainment programming, network news, and sports, complemented by station branding and local commercial inventory for the Wilmington market.

• News broadcasting · 2001

  Local news

  WSFX carries locally branded news at several points in the day. Its schedule includes an extension of WECT's Carolina in the Morning, a weekday 7 p.m. newscast, and 10 p.m. broadcasts produced through the WECT relationship. The service emphasizes Wilmington-area news, weather, traffic, and community information.

• Sports broadcasting · 2024

  UNC Wilmington sports programming

  Through an agreement announced in 2024, WSFX broadcasts selected University of North Carolina Wilmington men's basketball games and a coach's show. The arrangement extends the station's local sports presence beyond network programming.

• 1994Superfox launch

  Wilmington · Southeastern North Carolina · Myrtle Beach region

  The station changed its call sign from WJKA to WSFX-TV and promoted the Fox affiliation through the Superfox identity, emphasizing its status as Wilmington's only local Fox outlet.

  Outcome. The rebranding established the station's long-term Fox positioning, although its initial reach toward Myrtle Beach ended after a competing station became the area's Fox affiliate in 1996.

  Source

• 2026

  Proposed Gray Media acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Gray Media announced an agreement to purchase six American Spirit Media stations after a federal appeals court decision affecting ownership limits.

  Action taken

  Gray Media announced plans to acquire WSFX-TV as part of the transaction.

  Aftermath

  The supplied material does not confirm whether the deal closed; American Spirit Media is therefore retained as the recorded owner.

  Announced purchase price. $50 million (Announced July 1, 2026; closing status not established)

  Source

• 2024

  Expansion into UNC Wilmington sportsProduct launch

  Background

  WSFX sought to strengthen its local programming and sports presence in its home market.

  Action taken

  The station agreed to televise selected UNC Wilmington men's basketball games and a coach's show.

  Aftermath

  The agreement added locally relevant collegiate sports content to WSFX's Fox and news programming mix.

  Source

• 2003

  Adoption of a shared services operating modelStrategy

  Background

  Southeastern Media Holdings acquired WSFX, while Raycom Media operated the station alongside WECT.

  Action taken

  WECT began producing WSFX newscasts and sharing news, engineering, promotion, and facility resources with the Fox affiliate.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement enabled WSFX to expand local news beyond its 10 p.m. program while retaining a separate Fox identity.

  Source

• 1994

  Switch from CBS to FoxStrategy

  Background

  WJKA faced strong competition from established Wilmington stations and overlapping CBS signals available through cable and neighboring markets. The station's owners also cited network compensation and CBS affiliation requirements.

  Action taken

  The station left CBS, adopted the WSFX-TV call sign, and joined Fox on September 19, 1994.

  Aftermath

  WSFX became the principal local Fox station in Wilmington and initially marketed coverage extending toward Myrtle Beach.

  Source

1. 1WSFX-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2WSFX-TV official websitefoxwilmington.com