How to contact KUVM about Retro TV?

[fredcantu]

Perhaps a generic feed then?

IIRC-- Univision would feed the satellators the same national feed that they gave the cable companies in markets where they did not have a local affiliate. I believe they're still doing it today.

 

[rageradio]

You are confusing two different Channel 5 LPTV's.

In the mid to late 80's, the Houston area had two Channel 5's: K05HU, which broadcast from downtown, and K05IL, which was in the Clear Lake area. KJIB is a descendant of K05IL, not K05HU.

K05HU vanished in the late 80's. IIRC, it illegally was running 1,000 watts instead of its licensed 100 watts. Was busted by the FCC, and had to throttle back to the lower power. That killed whatever audience it had. Of course the music video format was up against the MTV monster, which didn't help things.

Never actually saw K05IL, so I have no idea of what kind of programming it aired.

Yes old thread, I know... KO5HU was on the air up until about the early 90s. KO5IL was out of Clear Lake. They ran Country music videos. I was living out in League City (88-91) and didn't have cable, was disappointed to discover this station AND it was basically in the way of KO5HU's signal.

 

[K.M. Richards]

It's not uncommon to see an LPTV station operating on an unused full-power channel assignment, then having to move or go dark when a full-power station is ready to sign on. I can think of three examples of that happening in Phoenix with channels 39, 51 and 61.

At least one translator that I know of operated on its community's allocated UHF channel for more than 20 years while a long-standing CP was sitting unbuilt ... channel 59 in New Haven CT, back in the 1970s and 1980s. The whole backstory is fascinating as well:
http://www.uhftelevision.com/weli.html

 

[K.M. Richards]

I believe that K05HU was the flagship station for Houston-based Hit Video USA.

Confirmed by an article in the September 15, 1986 issue of Broadcasting. The service started along with the LPTV in July 1985 and began selling it in December 1985 to other stations via satellite, having acquired the transponder of National Christian Network (Odyssey) when RCA Americom tossed them off Satcom IV for non-payment of the transponder lease for the previous month (reported in Broadcasting's January 6, 1986 issue).

K05HU vanished in the late 80's. IIRC, it illegally was running 1,000 watts instead of its licensed 100 watts. Was busted by the FCC, and had to throttle back to the lower power. That killed whatever audience it had. Of course the music video format was up against the MTV monster, which didn't help things.

Can't find anything about that in Broadcasting and the FCC database is offline until Tuesday. But I will tell you that Wodlinger Communications, which owned K05HU and Hit Video USA, did file a pair of lawsuits against Warner Amex, then the owners of MTV and VH1, claiming that they had unfairly locked up the video output from certain record labels and had blocked their access to cable systems in various markets. In both cases, the Federal Trade Commission ended up involved and the matter was settled out of court in 1989 with Viacom (Warner Amex's successor) paying Wodlinger an unspecified amount of money.

At one point, they had as many as 29 full-power affiliates running the service in overnight hours, plus LPTVs and 120 cable system affiliates.

BTW, here's a blast from the past ... a 1986 full page color ad in Broadcasting for Hit Video USA:
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-03-17-OCR-Page-0015.pdf

 

[ContinuousWave]

Another possibility would be for Mako or someone else to build (if/when the FCC allows it) another LP station to cover the area NE of Houston. (Unfortunately there's nothing in that area to buy, aside from a religious station broadcasting from way out east on RF 4, which is a pretty undesirable channel.) But they'd have to be convinced there was demand first.

And that 4 is not on the air nor has it ever been....Funny thing is my lawyer is their lawyer...I informed him recently of their lie....he said he would get back to me...especially after I told him I would make a cash offer on the license....I have a Channel 4 batwing at 1100 ft just sitting there waiting to be used

 

[purpledevil]

And that 4 is not on the air nor has it ever been....Funny thing is my lawyer is their lawyer...I informed him recently of their lie....he said he would get back to me...especially after I told him I would make a cash offer on the license....I have a Channel 4 batwing at 1100 ft just sitting there waiting to be used

That's KAHO-LD, C-Dub? You've got little time to get that one bought, then up and running. Clock's just about struck midnight on it.