WPXD-TV

Ever wonder how a TV station rises from a dream deferred? WPXD-TV, Detroit’s Ion Television affiliate, has a story just like that. Gershom Morningstar, an Ann Arbor resident, envisioned a channel 31 gracing the city’s airwaves. He secured a construction permit in 1975. However, his dream stalled. Enter Satellite Syndicated Systems. They purchased the permit, breathing life into WPXD-TV in January 1981, initially as WRHT, quickly changing to WIHT. The station became a hybrid. It broadcast commercial programming during the day. It switched to subscription television, known as In-Home Theater, at night. By late 1982, In-Home Theater dominated the broadcast schedule, lasting until 1985. WIHT then reverted to the Satellite Program Network programming. WPXD-TV’s journey took another turn in 1987. It embraced home shopping with the Home Shopping Network. Blackstar Communications, partially owned by HSN, acquired it in 1989, changing the call sign to WBSX. Paxson Communications Corporation entered the scene in 1997. After a stint with infomercials on Infomall TV, WBSX transformed into WPXD-TV in 1998. It joined the Pax network, which later evolved into Ion Television. A significant move occurred in 2012. WPXD-TV relocated its transmitter from Lyndon Township to Southfield. This enhanced its reach across Metro Detroit. In 2021, Inyo Broadcast Holdings acquired WPXD-TV. This resulted from E. W. Scripps Company’s purchase of Ion Media, resolving ownership conflicts. From a dream deferred to a broadcasting reality, WPXD-TV has certainly left its mark on Detroit.