(WXSP, "The X") is a low-powered
Television Station and
UPN affiliate serving
Grand Rapids, Michigan and nearby cities. It is owned by the same company as
WOOD-TV ,
LIN Broadcasting . Its primary broadcast is on UHF channel 15, but is simulcast on the following stations:
WXSP can also be seen on the digital signals of
WOOD-TV and
WOTV .
Normally, per FCC regulations, low-powered stations aren't eligible for "
Must-carry ". However, due to their ties with
WOOD-TV and
WOTV , contractual obligations require WXSP to be a "
Must-carry " channel for cable services in these cities, most of which offer it on channel 18.
WOOD-TV's 6:00pm newscast airs at 7:00pm on WXSP.
WOOD-TV's
Meteorologist s provide hourly Local Weather Station updates on WXSP. The station initially carried only LWS updates before becoming a UPN affiliate on May 15, 2000.
WXSP is known for its coverage of sports in both the Grand Rapids and
Detroit areas. The station carries feeds of the
Detroit Lions and the
University Of Michigan Wolverines and
Michigan State University Spartans
Basketball teams from
WKBD in Detroit, as well as the
Detroit Pistons from
WDWB , another Detroit station (see below). In addition, the station provides local coverage of certain
Grand Rapids Griffins ,
Grand Rapids Rampage ,
Western Michigan University Broncos basketball and
Football , and
West Michigan Whitecaps games each year.
The station formerly aired about 40
Detroit Tigers games a year, as well as 28
Detroit Red Wings games, but the Wings and Tigers were dropped, as WKBD lost broadcast rights to both teams as well as those of the Pistons in recent years, the Red Wings in
2003 , the Pistons in
2004 and the Tigers prior to their
2005 baseball season. Even though the Pistons moved to
WDWB and
WDIV , still another Detroit station, it should be noted that both WDIV and WOOD-TV, WXSP's sister station, are
NBC affiliates, and for this reason WXSP continues to air Pistons games today, although the number of games has been reduced from 40 in
2003 -
04 (WKBD's final season airing Pistons basketball) to 20 per season. With Tigers baseball returning to broadcast television on WDWB in Detroit, WXSP has picked up 15 games during the 2006 season.
affiliate, also due to the fact that current WB affiliate
WZPX is primarily an ''
I '' network affiliate. Grand Rapids is the largest television market--and one of the few--where the CW was awarded to a station not affiliated with either the WB or UPN. As a result, WXSP may also air NBC programs whenever WOOD-TV preempts for either a breaking news story, a local special, or the annual
North American International Auto Show charity preview.
