WFOX-TV

WFOX-TV
Channels
Branding
  • Fox30; Action News Jax
  • MeTV on MyTVJax (30.2)
  • Telemundo Jacksonville (30.4)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WJAX-TV
History
First air date
February 15, 1981 (1981-02-15)
Former call signs
  • WAWS-TV (February–October 1981)
  • WAWS (October 1981–2014)
Former channel numbers
  • Analog: 30 (UHF, 1981–2009)
  • Digital: 32 (UHF, 2001–2020)
  • Independent (1981–1986)
  • UPN (secondary, 2002–2006)
  • MyNetworkTV (secondary, 2006–2007)
Call sign meaning
Fox Broadcasting Company
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID11909
ERP663 kW
HAAT289 m (948 ft)
Transmitter coordinates30°16′51.9″N 81°34′12.2″W / 30.281083°N 81.570056°W / 30.281083; -81.570056
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.actionnewsjax.com

WFOX-TV (channel 30) is a television station in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, affiliated with Fox, MyNetworkTV, and Telemundo. It is owned by Cox Media Group, which provides certain services to CBS affiliate WJAX-TV (channel 47) under a joint sales agreement (JSA) with Hoffman Communications. The two stations, whose combined news department is known as Action News Jax, share studios on Central Parkway and transmitter facilities on Hogan Road, both on Jacksonville's Southside.

Channel 30 began broadcasting as WAWS-TV on February 15, 1981. Constructed by a partnership of Crown Broadcasting and Malrite Communications, WAWS was the second new television station to start in Jacksonville within a year and the leading independent station in the market through the 1980s, remaining ahead of competition from channel 47 (first as WXAO-TV and later as WNFT). WAWS became Jacksonville's Fox affiliate when the network launched in 1986. Clear Channel Television acquired the station in 1989; under Clear Channel, the station began airing 10 p.m. local newscasts, first from WJKS-TV before starting its own news department in December 1996. It also began managing channel 47 under a local marketing agreement. That station was a UPN affiliate until it switched to CBS in 2002.

Clear Channel sold its stations to Newport Television in 2007; it could not own the channel 47 license but continued to operate the station under agreement. The stations adopted the Action News brand for their newscasts in 2009. In 2012, Cox Media Group acquired WAWS. In 2014, WAWS and WTEV became WFOX-TV and WJAX-TV as part of a station overhaul; by 2023, Action News had moved into second place in the local TV news ratings.