JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Cox Media Group Jacksonville and University of North Florida Athletics have inked a multiyear deal making Action Sports Jax TV the exclusive local broadcast home of University of North Florida (UNF) athletics in Northeast Florida.

Under the agreement, Action Sports Jax TV will air live UNF Ospreys sports events each season, free over the air via multicast on WJAX-TV (Channel 47.2) and on Xfinity Channels 216 and 1188 HD.

As part of the deal, the weekly “Talon Talk” show covering Ospreys athletics will air on Action Sports Jax TV. The show features interviews with coaches and student-athletes, game previews and discussions of UNF’s 19 NCAA Division I programs.

“UNF is part of the fabric of this community, and Osprey fans deserve to see their teams on free, local television,” Omesh Somaru, vice president and general manager of Cox Media Group Jacksonville, said. “Adding UNF Athletics and ‘Talon Talk’ to Action Sports Jax TV gives fans more ways to follow the Ospreys and gives local businesses a direct connection to one of Jacksonville’s most passionate hometown audiences.”

North Florida joins a growing Action Sports Jax TV lineup that also includes the Jacksonville Jaguars (preseason games and ancillary programming), Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“We are excited to partner with Action Sports Jax TV to bring UNF Athletics to more fans across Northeast Florida,” University of North Florida vice president of Intercollegiate Athletics Nick Morrow said. “By bringing UNF games and ‘Talon Talk’ to free local television, we are expanding access for Osprey fans while increasing the visibility of our programs and the university.”

The broadcast schedule, including specific games and “Talon Talk” air times, will be announced before the first telecast.

More information is available on the university’s website.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—The Federal Communication Commission’s Media Bureau has approved the transfer of the license of television station WJAX-TV from Hoffman Communications, Inc. to Cox Television Jacksonville, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMG Media Corporation.

In making the decision, the regulator denied a petition from DirecTV seeking to block the deal.

CMG had operated the station under a broadcast service agreement. The license transfer means that CMG would own two television stations in the Jacksonville Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA).

In denying the DirecTV petition to block the transfer, the FCC noted that rulings in the Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, Inc. v. FCC et al. case voiding the old Top-Four prohibition means that ownership of two affiliate stations in the same market is now legal.

While the FCC ruled that DirecTV had standing to move that the transfer be blocked, the agency ruled that “the proposed transaction fully complies with the Commission’s rules, including the post-Zimmer Radio Local Television Ownership Rule, and that there are no issues or potential public interest harms identified in the record that would require further consideration…Accordingly, we conclude that grant of the Application will result in public interest benefits and serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.”

A letter detailing the FCC decision can be found here.

TORONTO—The number one goal for WJAX TV, Jacksonville, Fla.’s CBS affiliate, in its production studio renovation was to fill nearly every area of the set with a video display. Advanced, an audio, video and digital signage integrator, took on the challenge and brought more than 40 displays by NEC, HyperPixel and LG to the redesigned studio.

One of the key parts of the renovation was the integration of a custom HyperPixel 1.5mm LED display into the primary anchor desk. The HyperPixel display was custom-configured to work in portrait mode, which made it compatible with the horizontal shape of the desk. The custom configuration also included special framing and mounting components.

Other displays added to the studio include the central 9x3 panel videowall and flanking 2x4 panel monitors with NEC’s ultra-thin bezel LCD displays, offering adaptability in the broadcast environment, including fine color adjusting.

Advanced also handled the signal processing system. For this, Advanced used TVOne to integrate 12 different connectors into the production staff’s own switcher, enabling them to send 12 signals to various monitors.

WJAX TV’s new set was finished prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma in September.