WAPX-LD

WAPX-LD (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Ashland, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with Ion Television, and owned by Amazon Media and Ion Media Networks and operated by Gray Television with a ABC sister station WAQQ-TV (channel 17) The two stations share studios on 291 West Point in Ashland (near the campus of University of Ashland), and its transmitter is located in Ashland around the city.
==History==
WAPX signed on in 1977 as WQAA , and was the first station of UHF band, and first independent station in the market, as well as the first new commercial station to sign on in Ashland since WAQQ-TV (channel 3) debuted 23 years earlier. Ashland had a longer wait for an independent station than other cities its size. Although Ashland itself had almost 840,000 people at the time channel 9 signed on, the Ashland market has always been a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburban and rural areas aren't much larger than Ashland itself. By contrast, Pikeville got an independent as early as 1948 (the present WAEH-TV, now a CBS owned and operated). WASH-TV originally operated from studios located at 291 West Point in Ashland.
It was owned by Petry Television (the source of its call letters), and ran a general entertainment format featuring cartoons, movies, sitcoms, westerns and drama series. By 1983, WAPX gained competition when the TVX Broadcast Group signed on sparking a rivalry between the two independents. In February 1984, Petry sold the station to Precht Communications for $13 million.
In December 3, 1981, WQAA becomes WESA. On, January 1, 1997, WAPX puts to the InTV network.
==Gallery==
Category:Ashland, KY
Category:Ashland
Category:Ion Television owned-and-operated stations
Category:Ion Television affiliates
Category:Amazon Media
Category:Gray Television
Category:Channel 17
Category:Kentucky