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WLOX
WLOX (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Biloxi, Mississippi, United States, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an affiliate of ABC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power MeTV/Telemundo affiliate WTBL-LD (channel 51). The two stations share studios on DeBuys Road in Biloxi; WLOX's transmitter is located in unincorporated southern Stone County near McHenry.
WLOX was the first television station on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, having begun operations October 15, 1962. It was owned by the Love family and their WLOX Broadcasting Company along with WLOX radio (AM 1490, now WANG). The station immediately aligned with ABC, an unusual move at the time for what, then as now, was a very small market. ABC was not nearly on par with CBS and NBC in terms of size and ratings until the 1970s. WVUE-TV in New Orleans had been on channel 13, and shifted to channel 12 (it did not move to its current channel 8 until 1970) in order to accommodate the new Biloxi license.
Even though almost all media markets were assigned two commercial VHF channels plus one non-commercial channel, the Biloxi market was sandwiched between New Orleans (channels 4, 6, 8, and 12) to the west, Hattiesburg–Laurel (channel 9, later 7) to the north, and Mobile–Pensacola (channels 3, 5, and 10) to the east. Channels 2 and 11 were also assigned in fairly close proximity in Baton Rouge and Meridian, respectively. This created a large "doughnut" on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where there could be only one VHF license. WLOX was fortunate enough to gain that license, and consequently became the only television station to be based in Biloxi until Mississippi ETV outlet WMAH-TV began broadcasting in 1972, and the market's only commercial station until WXXV-TV signed on in 1987.
In addition to bringing television to South Mississippi, WLOX also brought ABC programming to the western portion of the Mobile–Pensacola market. That market's ABC affiliate, WEAR-TV in Pensacola, did not cover areas west of Mobile very well until cable arrived in the region in the 1970s. WLOX also filled a void in New Orleans; it provides at least grade B coverage to most of that market. New Orleans' ABC affiliate at the time, WVUE (now a Fox affiliate and sister station), preempted moderate amounts of ABC programming until 1978, including most of ABC's daytime soap operas.
For most of the analog era, WLOX was the only "Big Three" station in the region. However, cable systems in Biloxi and Gulfport have long supplemented the area with stations from New Orleans and Mobile–Pensacola. On the other hand, this outlet was the default ABC affiliate for the Hattiesburg–Laurel market which did not have its own ABC station until June 11, 2012, when sister station WDAM added ABC programming to its second subchannel, replacing This TV. From May 18, 1979, until July 3, 2003, the station employed the use of the "-TV" suffix in its call sign.
In 1993, along with all other ABC affiliates in Mississippi, WLOX refused to air NYPD Blue due to decency concerns. However, unlike the other stations, the station never aired the show during its entire twelve-year run, opting to air syndicated reruns of Home Improvement and other sitcoms instead in the time slot. Rival WXXV, by then a Fox affiliate, picked up the show in 1994. The station also refused to air episodes of Ellen dealing with the character's sexuality. Nor did it (like many other affiliates) air ABC's Veterans Day 2004 showing of Saving Private Ryan, due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy leaving it in limbo that a fine would be issued for the film's broadcast.
The Love family sold WLOX to the Liberty Corporation in March 1995. Originally part of its Cosmos Broadcasting division, it came directly under the Liberty banner following the company's exit from the insurance business in 2000. Liberty would eventually merge with Raycom Media in 2006. Under Raycom ownership and stricter ABC affiliate agreements, the station stopped removing network programming from its schedule due to content concerns.
WLOX's original TV studios on the ground floor of the beachfront Buena Vista Hotel were completely ruined in 1969 by the storm surge of Hurricane Camille, which was 8 feet (2.4 m) higher than any previous known storm. The Weather Channel series Storm Stories featured this during an August 2009 episode.
WLOX
WLOX (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Biloxi, Mississippi, United States, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast as an affiliate of ABC and CBS. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power MeTV/Telemundo affiliate WTBL-LD (channel 51). The two stations share studios on DeBuys Road in Biloxi; WLOX's transmitter is located in unincorporated southern Stone County near McHenry.
WLOX was the first television station on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, having begun operations October 15, 1962. It was owned by the Love family and their WLOX Broadcasting Company along with WLOX radio (AM 1490, now WANG). The station immediately aligned with ABC, an unusual move at the time for what, then as now, was a very small market. ABC was not nearly on par with CBS and NBC in terms of size and ratings until the 1970s. WVUE-TV in New Orleans had been on channel 13, and shifted to channel 12 (it did not move to its current channel 8 until 1970) in order to accommodate the new Biloxi license.
Even though almost all media markets were assigned two commercial VHF channels plus one non-commercial channel, the Biloxi market was sandwiched between New Orleans (channels 4, 6, 8, and 12) to the west, Hattiesburg–Laurel (channel 9, later 7) to the north, and Mobile–Pensacola (channels 3, 5, and 10) to the east. Channels 2 and 11 were also assigned in fairly close proximity in Baton Rouge and Meridian, respectively. This created a large "doughnut" on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where there could be only one VHF license. WLOX was fortunate enough to gain that license, and consequently became the only television station to be based in Biloxi until Mississippi ETV outlet WMAH-TV began broadcasting in 1972, and the market's only commercial station until WXXV-TV signed on in 1987.
In addition to bringing television to South Mississippi, WLOX also brought ABC programming to the western portion of the Mobile–Pensacola market. That market's ABC affiliate, WEAR-TV in Pensacola, did not cover areas west of Mobile very well until cable arrived in the region in the 1970s. WLOX also filled a void in New Orleans; it provides at least grade B coverage to most of that market. New Orleans' ABC affiliate at the time, WVUE (now a Fox affiliate and sister station), preempted moderate amounts of ABC programming until 1978, including most of ABC's daytime soap operas.
For most of the analog era, WLOX was the only "Big Three" station in the region. However, cable systems in Biloxi and Gulfport have long supplemented the area with stations from New Orleans and Mobile–Pensacola. On the other hand, this outlet was the default ABC affiliate for the Hattiesburg–Laurel market which did not have its own ABC station until June 11, 2012, when sister station WDAM added ABC programming to its second subchannel, replacing This TV. From May 18, 1979, until July 3, 2003, the station employed the use of the "-TV" suffix in its call sign.
In 1993, along with all other ABC affiliates in Mississippi, WLOX refused to air NYPD Blue due to decency concerns. However, unlike the other stations, the station never aired the show during its entire twelve-year run, opting to air syndicated reruns of Home Improvement and other sitcoms instead in the time slot. Rival WXXV, by then a Fox affiliate, picked up the show in 1994. The station also refused to air episodes of Ellen dealing with the character's sexuality. Nor did it (like many other affiliates) air ABC's Veterans Day 2004 showing of Saving Private Ryan, due to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy leaving it in limbo that a fine would be issued for the film's broadcast.
The Love family sold WLOX to the Liberty Corporation in March 1995. Originally part of its Cosmos Broadcasting division, it came directly under the Liberty banner following the company's exit from the insurance business in 2000. Liberty would eventually merge with Raycom Media in 2006. Under Raycom ownership and stricter ABC affiliate agreements, the station stopped removing network programming from its schedule due to content concerns.
WLOX's original TV studios on the ground floor of the beachfront Buena Vista Hotel were completely ruined in 1969 by the storm surge of Hurricane Camille, which was 8 feet (2.4 m) higher than any previous known storm. The Weather Channel series Storm Stories featured this during an August 2009 episode.