WBPX-TV

WBPX-TV, virtual channel 68 (UHF digital channel 32), is an Ion Television owned-and-operated television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The station is owned by Ion Media Networks. WBPX maintains offices and master control facilities located on Soldiers Field Road in Allston, and its transmitter is located in the Newton Upper Falls district of Newton.

The station is also simulcast on two full-power satellites – WPXG-TV (virtual channel 21, digital channel 33) in Concord, New Hampshire and WDPX-TV (virtual channel 58, digital channel 40) in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts – and two low-power translator stations – WMPX-LP (channel 33) in Dennis and W40BO (channel 40) in Boston.

History

As WQTV

The station first signed on the air on January 3, 1979 as WQTV, under the ownership of Arlington Broadcasting. It carried programming from the Financial News Network, along with public domain movies and most network programs that were pre-empted by WBZ-TV (channel 4), WCVB-TV (channel 5) and to a lesser extent WNAC-TV (channel 7; later WNEV-TV; now WHDH). Channel 68 was the first UHF television station to employ what is known as "circular polarization" antenna transmission, which was intended to improve signal reception to inner city viewers, many of whom had difficulty receiving television reception due to surrounding tall structures. The station's transmitter, containing its "helical" broadcast antenna, was installed by helicopter in September 1978 on top of the Prudential Tower.