Subchannels 17.1 This TV
17.2 Fox | ||
 | ||
Branding This Caribbean (on DT1)
Fox U.S. Virgin Islands (on DT2) Channels Digital: 17 (UHF)
Virtual: 17 (PSIP) Translators WSJP-LD 18.4 Mayagüez, Puerto Rico (rebroadcasts WVXF-DT1) Affiliations This TV (2009–2011, 2014–present)
Fox (DT2) Owner Caribbean Broadcasting Network | ||
WVXF, channel 17, is a Fox-affiliated, full service television station in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands transmitting over digital channel 17. The station is owned by Caribbean Broadcasting Network. The station broadcasts Fox in high definition on their DT2 subchannel, with This TV on the main channel in standard definition; this is a quirk of the Fox subchannel's former analog home of WEON-LP, which had a high definition simulcast placed on WVXF-DT2 until the station went dark in order to consolidate Caribbean Broadcasting Network's Virgin Islands operations onto WVXF.
Innovative Cable Services carries WVXF-DT2 on channel 6, and WVXF-DT1 on channel 9. WVXF is also available in Puerto Rico on Liberty Cablevision, and as part of the Puerto Rico locals package on Dish Network.
History
WVXF signed on in 1999 as a CBS affiliate. Prior to WVXF's sign-on, CBS programming was seen on Charlotte Amalie's WBNB-TV, channel 10. However, that station left the air for good following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, when its transmitter was destroyed and the cash-strapped Benedek Broadcasting (owner of several small- and mid-market network affiliates on the mainland) could not afford to rebuild. Between 1989 and 2001, CBS service was available via satellite from New York (WCBS-TV) and/or Erie (WSEE-TV).
On July 1, 2009, shortly after the digital television transition, WVXF switched affiliations, from CBS to This TV. Since July 13, CBS programming is available on TV2. In preparation, DirecTV and Dish Network dropped WVXF in favor of WSEE-TV shortly before the affiliation change (the station has since returned to Dish Network).
In January 2010, WVXF rebranded as "EFN Caribbean", adding some syndicated programing and a local fashion-oriented program, Fashion Today, to its This TV programming. The station relaunched once more on May 1, 2011, joining ABC's Live Well Network as its first primary-channel affiliate, along with giving WEON's Fox feed a high definition home on the second subchannel, which eventually became its sole channel when WEON-LP went dark on December 31, 2011. In late 2014, WVXF-DT1 reverted to This TV, ahead of Live Well ending national distribution in April 2015.