WLOX

WLOX is the combined ABC-affiliated and CBS-affiliated television station for the Mississippi Gulf Coast that is licensed to Biloxi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 (or virtual channel 13.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in unincorporated southern Stone County near McHenry. The station can also be seen on Cable ONE channel 3 and 11 as ABC and channel 8 as CBS and in high definition on digital channel 455 as ABC and high definition on digital channel 456 as CBS. Owned by Raycom Media, WLOX has studios on DeBuys Road in Biloxi.

Digital channels

History

WLOX was the first television station on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, having begun operations September 15, 1962. It was owned by the Love family along with WLOX radio (AM 1490, now WXBD). 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.

In addition to bringing television to South Mississippi, WLOX also brought ABC programming to the western portion of the Mobile, Alabama/Pensacola, Florida market. That market's ABC affiliate, WEAR-TV in Pensacola, didn't 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, WVUE, preempted moderate amounts of ABC programming until 1978, including most of ABC's daytime soap operas.