WXTX
WXTX, virtual channel 54 (UHF digital channel 24), is a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Columbus, Georgia, United States and serving the Chattahoochee Valley of west-central Georgia and east-central Alabama. Owned by Charlotte, North Carolina-based American Spirit Media, it is operated under a shared services agreement (SSA) by Gray Television, making it a sister station to ABC affiliate WTVM (channel 9); Gray also operates dual NBC/CW+ affiliate WLTZ (channel 38) under a separate SSA with owner SagamoreHill Broadcasting. WXTX and WTVM share studios (which also house master control and most internal operations for WLTZ ) on Wynnton Road (GA 22) in the Dinglewood section of Columbus; WXTX's transmitter is located in the Vista Terrace section of South Columbus. History. The station signed on in November 1984 as the market's second independent television outlet after Opelika, Alabama's WSWS-TV (channel 66). Less than three years later on April 5, 1987, it became a Fox affiliate and has remained with the network ever since the network's prime time launch. The station is the network's longest serving Georgia affiliate after Fox dropped WATL for New World-owned WAGA-TV in Atlanta. By 1993 , WXTX grew to a seven night network affiliate after Fox expanded its programming offerings. The station was named a top ten affiliate with the network in November 1994 for its prime time audience share. It has subsequently been named to the "Fox Number One Club" several times, most recently in 2007, in recognition of the station's sweeps ratings. On September 5, 2006, it became the area's secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate after The CW chose then-UPN station WLGA to become its affiliate in Columbus. The CW is currently seen on a second digital subchannel of NBC affiliate WLTZ. Originally , WXTX aired programming from MyNetworkTV on weeknights from 11 until 1 in the morning. For Saturday night prime time, that network was shown early Sunday mornings from 12:30 until 2:30. It eventually shifted to the Tuesday through Saturday time slot of midnight until 2 a.m. after the network transitioned to a programming service. In 2012, WXTX dropped MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation; this left Columbus with no affiliate of the service until 2017, when WLTZ launched MyNetworkTV in prime time on its third digital subchannel, which airs Antenna TV at all other times. At one point, the station offered The  Tube (a 24-hour automated music video network) on a second digital subchannel. This was dropped on October 1, 2007, when the service shut down due to a lack of advertising revenue. WXTX's broadcasts became digital-only, effective June 12, 2009. Programming. Syndicated programming. Syndicated programming on WXTX includes "The Big Bang Theory", "Judge Judy", "Rachael Ray", and "Maury" among others. News operation. Since 2004 through a news share agreement, WTVM has been producing the Chattahoochee Valley's only prime time newscast on WXTX called "Fox 54 News at 10", which airs weeknights for an hour (thirty minutes on  weekends) from the ABC affiliate's facility on Wynnton Road/SR 22 Spur in the Dinglewood section of Columbus. In 2007, the ABC outlet began airing an hour-long extension of its weekday morning show on WXTX under the name "Fox 54 Morning News", this program aired for an hour starting at 7 and offered a local alternative to the national morning broadcasts on the big three stations in Columbus. The production was eventually cancelled most likely due to inconsistent viewership and/or low ratings. WXTX's newscasts have a separate music package and graphics theme from WTVM and employs the  use of the ABC affiliate's primary set but modified with duratrans indicating the Fox-branded show. Although WXTX features the majority of WTVM's on-air personnel, this station maintains a separate additional news anchor on weeknights that can fill-in on WTVM when necessary. In late-October 2010, HD-ready graphics began to be seen in weather forecasting segments indicating WTVM and WXTX would be making the switch to high definition newscasts. The entire graphics package made a full switch to an updated theme in January 2011. On February 16, 2012, production of "Fox 54 News at 10