Technical Profile: WXXV-DT

TV Technical Profile: WXXV

Channel:: 25
Programming:: 25.1 - Fox; 25.2 - NBC
25.3 - CW+
25.4 - Defy
25.5 - Grit
Transmitter Location:: [map] [street view] East of US-49 in Stone County, near the intersection of Wire Road and City Bridge Road.
Power (ERP):: 190 kW
Height Above Average Terrain (HAAT):: 1,496 feet
Antenna:: Directional

Other Information:: 41 dBu protected contour map, from the FCC. (OSM Link); [FCC]
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[Street View] WXXV studios on US-49 in Lyman.
History:: WXXV (XXV being 25 in Roman numerals) came on the early 80's without network affiliation. Because this market is sandwiched between Mobile and New Orleans, it was unable to CBS or NBC affiliation. ABC was already only local VHF channel 13. The station was a financial failure and got taken over by the bank. By the time it was resold, it had salvation in the then-new Fox network. Today it is a viable Fox affiliate. At one time it also carried some UPN programming, until that network went under.; The tower site and directional antenna pattern are strategically designed to enable the station to cover all cities along the coast and Hattiesburg as well.; In July 2009 it was announced that this station would be picking up the ESPN-created "SEC Network" for collegiate sporting events. In March 2012 the station announced it would be picking up NBC on a subchannel, which debuted in June 2012. That programming replaced My Network TV on 25.2 and airs in 720p HD. The station announced in May 2013 that it would be producing newscasts in the fall of that year.

As part of the FCC spectrum repacking processing, this station received a permit in mid-July to relocate from RF channel 48 to 25, with no other real technical changes aside from a drop in power. In March 2019, the station received a Special Temporary Authority to move off their main tower, to the old Studio-to-Transmitter tower that originally held their first DTV antenna in 2002. From that tower in Lyman, they are authorized 13 kW while antenna upgrades and tower work is performed on the taller tower north of the city. The post-repack facility signed on in September 2019.

The station added the Defy network to the —.4 subchannel in the summer of 2021. Grit was later added to the —.5 subchannel, possibly in early 2024.