Ion Television is an American broadcast, cable and satellite television network owned by the Katz Broadcasting subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, which was launched on August 31, 1998 as Pax TV. As of January 2016, the network currently has 59 owned-and-operated stations, and current and pending affiliation agreements with 15 other television stations. Most of its owned-and-operated stations incorporate the letters "PX" in their call signs (in reference to the original name of the network, itself derived in part from its corporate parent's former name until 2007, Paxson Communications), and all but one carry the network as a primary channel affiliation. Ion also distributes its base national programming feed directly to cable, satellite and IPTV providers, along with smart TVs and st