Arizona TV Station Update - July 2016

[dhett]

As always, questions, additions, comments and corrections welcome.

Programming changes

• KAET 8.x Phoenix (Arizona Board of Regents for ASU) has dropped channel 8.5. No programming had ever appeared on the subchannel.
• KVOA 4.x (23) Tucson and translator K04QP-D 4.x Casas Adobes (KVOA Communications LLC) have launched Escape on channel 4.3, giving the diginet two outlets in the Old Pueblo, airing on four stations.
• K38IZ-D Phoenix (Spanish Independent Broadcasting Network) has switched from Tuff TV to Action TV on channel 38.2, due to Tuff TV terminating its distribution agreement with Luken Communications. Action TV is Luken's male-focused channel and still features programming from Gun TV overnights.
• KPHE-LD 44.x (16) Phoenix (Lotus TV of Phoenix LLC) is now airing Ideal Living infomercials dubbed into Spanish on channel 44.6. Locally-based TV Real has disappeared after another short-lived run on a pay-for-play LPTV station. The electronic programming guide reads "New Programming Soon".
• KFPB-LD 50.x Phoenix (Globe LPTV LLC) has updated its Electronic Programming Guide to accurately reflect its subchannel content.
• KHMP-LD 18.x Las Vegas NV (DNV Spectrum Holdings LLC) dropped Tuff TV in favor of Action TV on channel 18.2, then reinstated Tuff TV once the latter's distribution network was up and running. A new shopping channel has debuted on channel 18.4.
• KGNG-LD 47.x (48) Las Vegas NV (King Kong Broadcasting LLC) has supplemented programming on channel 47.5 with Ebru TV in the evenings, and temporarily replaced Buzzr TV on channel 47.2 with MBC-D, perhaps in anticipation of adding MBC-D for good on channel 47.9, made possible by a new and improved encoder. Buzzr TV later returned to channel 47.2.
• KPVT-LD 2.x (27) Las Vegas NV (DNV Spectrum Holdings LLC) has added an unidentified shopping network on 2.4.

Construction permits and STAs granted

• KPPX-TV 51.x Tolleson (America 51, LP) applied for was granted a construction permit to change its physical RF channel assignment, opening up a guard band between TV and wireless frequencies in the Phoenix metro area on channel 51. Technical specifications: Ch 31; TL 33° 20' 03" N, 112° 03' 40" W (South Mtn.); ERP 645 kW non-directional (1° electrical beam tilt); HAAT 548 m.
• KPPX-TV 51.x Tolleson (America 51, LP) requested and was granted an STA to install and operate a side mount standby antenna for use while the channel 31 antenna is being installed and tested. Technical specifications: Ch 51; TL 33° 20' 03" N, 112° 03' 40" W (South Mtn.); ERP 45.7 kW non-directional; HAAT 524 m.

Transactions

• KPPX-TV 51.x Tolleson (America 51, LP) has requested a 90-day extension to consummate its pro forma transfers of control, claiming that setting up the transfer of 60 stations in 34 states has been complex and time-consuming, plus some personnel has been diverted to evaluate and pursue opportunities presented by the FCC incentive auction.
• K45CU Shiprock NM (Lin of New Mexico, LLC) is among the translators of KASA-TV 2.x (27) Santa Fe NM that are being spun off to Ramar Communications, Inc., as part of the Nexstar/Media General merger. The station broadcasts from the Chuska Mountains in Arizona and can be seen in Red Valley, Many Farms and other nearby parts of the Navajo Nation. Once consummated, programming will switch from Fox to Telemundo.

 

[Prescott Joe]

KNAZ TV 2 Flagstaff which rebroadcasts NBC programming from KPNX, Phoenix,
has it's translator, K06AE-D, atop Mingus Mtn, off the air. It has been off since
early Monday or late Sunday. The K06AE-D translator serves Prescott, Prescott
Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer and surrounding areas that are unable to
receive KNAZ's main transmitter on Rf 22 at Mormon Mtn. With the Olympics
underway, the timing could not be worse..........

 

[KeithE4]

KNAZ TV 2 Flagstaff which rebroadcasts NBC programming from KPNX, Phoenix, has it's translator, K06AE-D, atop Mingus Mtn, off the air. It has been off since early Monday or late Sunday. The K06AE-D translator serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer and surrounding areas that are unable to receive KNAZ's main transmitter on Rf 22 at Mormon Mtn. With the Olympics underway, the timing could not be worse..........

How many people need the translator, compared to those who have cable or satellite?

 

[dhett]

How many people can receive the translator without a proper lo-VHF outdoor antenna? I've always found K06AE-D to be a beast to pull in with my rabbit ears.

 

[Prescott Joe]

Keith, not sure what the cable/satellite market penetration is but people are
dropping subscription television in the area at a very brisk pace. Those that
drop subscription television tell me they are even happier with all those sub
channel choices like Me-TV, Decades, Cozi, H&I, Antenna TV, Movies!, Laff
and PBS World and PBS Life. In well over 1,000 installations I have not
had one person return to subscription television.

Dave, for the most part, I've found that an outdoor mounted simple 4 bay
UHF only antenna does a fair job on Rf6. As a matter of fact, I've had far
more issues receiving KAET's Mingus Translator on Rf 42 than K06AE-D.
Obviously, a VHF/UHF antenna works better (Winegard HD7694P) on those
harder to get VHF channels in the area: Rf6 and Rf13.
From experience, I've found a dual, quad UHF antenna is nearly as good
on VHF as the Winegard HD7694P. Hard to believe, but true!

 

[Prescott Joe]

K06AE-D rebroadcating KNAZ NBC Flagstaff was back on the air late yesterday
bringing joy to those wanting to watch The Olympics.....

 

[mike847]

Monday, August 29 2016...61.3 and 61.4 lit up Grit and Escape. Also noticed 50.7 seems to be informercials. Ugh.

 

[Prescott Joe]

KNAZ TV and it's translator, K06AE-D have been testing the lip reading
capability of Northern Arizona residents. They did not have any audio
for the past couple of days. The audio suddenly and without explanation
reappeared a short time ago.....

 

[Prescott Joe]

KAZT has gone to the 16x9 format on their .2 subchannel, Me-TV earlier
this week. The resolution still indicates 480 but the picture is definitely
clearer than before.

 

[Sammi Brie]

I'm going to add something here that may be of interest.

There are two big television stories in Mexico this year, and both come to bear in October. One is the development of a national network, to be run by Grupo Imagen (which owns a soccer club, a newspaper, radio stations and a cable channel). The other is this massive realignment of virtual channels to correspond with the networks that transmitters carry instead of analog numbers (a sensible move given that all the national networks are known by their Mexico City area channel numbers).

There are only two stations on the border of potential AZ interest of the total 123 in the national network, likely to be branded Imagen Televisión. One is an allotment, of RF channel 26 in Agua Prieta or Cananea. It will not be built this year, in all likelihood, but it must be on by March 2020 to satisfy the coverage requirements of the concessions Imagen holds.

The other, though, is likely to go on air. It is XHCTME-TDT RF 17 in Mexicali. It will broadcast from the XHILA-TDT tower with 150 kW ERP. Imagen has planned very few new towers, preferring to rely on existing public television and some commercial radio-TV infrastructure (in a few cities, their own) to get stations on air. In one city, they're putting their station at a broadcasting site on a building last used in 2009 for FM radio.

As to the virtual channels, both Mexicali and Nogales have virtual channels that are at variance. The primary reason is to avoid conflicts with US stations.

MEXICALI
XHCTME - will be 1 - Expected VC of 3 was not assigned to any of the six Imagen stations in the border region, even here where 3 is open thanks to prior Mexican use!
XHBM (XHLRT in San Luis) - was 14/44, will be 2
XHBC - was 3, will be 4 - Local stations are being assigned numbers 4, 8, 10 and 12 in most areas.
XHMEX - was 32, will be 5
XHRCS San Luis - was 50, will be 15 - VC assigned to the Telemax network in Sonora. I expected 6 but it is being reserved for future national service.
XHAQ - was 5, will be 16 - Expected VC of 13 is not available (KSWT)
XHEXT - remains 20 - Expected VC of 7 is not available (KVYE)
XHMEE - remains 38 - Expected VC of 9 is not available (KECY)
XHILA - remains 66

NOGALES
XHNOS - was 50, will be 2
XHNON - was 38, will be 5
XHNOA - was 22, will be 7
XHFA - was 2, will be 16 - Expected VC of 13 was objected to by the FCC (probably because of KOLD)
XHNSS - was 7, will be 31 (physical channel)

AGUA PRIETA
XHAPT - was 17, will be 2
XHAPS - was 12, will be 15

I know there's an LPTV in Yuma using VC 15. They're going to have a big problem the day these changes go into effect — October 27 (though stations can use these a week earlier). It is also expected that Imagen will begin programming on that date. Some of their 32 initial transmitters have begun testing. Additional transmitters authorized in the border region (320 km) are Hermosillo, Chihuahua, Saltillo, Monterrey, and Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. These stations were also assigned virtual channel 1.

PSAs are running warning users that they will need to rescan their TVs or converter boxes on this date. A lot of local variation in channel numbers is going by the wayside, with the border presenting a conspicuous set of exceptions. (In Tijuana, there's just one change planned. In Ciudad Juárez, the IFT forced swaps to retain the same VCs on the Mexican side.)

 

[oldiesfan6479]

NOGALES
XHFA - was 2, will be 16 - Expected VC of 13 was objected to by the FCC (probably because of KOLD)

Wouldn't it be 13's translator on Tower Peak (for the NW side of Tucson) that may be causing the FCC objection? It's both virtual 13/RF 13. The main stick up on Bigelow is virtual 13/RF 32 (according to Uncle Charlie's website).

 

[Sammi Brie]

NOGALES
XHFA - was 2, will be 16 - Expected VC of 13 was objected to by the FCC (probably because of KOLD)

Wouldn't it be 13's translator on Tower Peak (for the NW side of Tucson) that may be causing the FCC objection? It's both virtual 13/RF 13. The main stick up on Bigelow is virtual 13/RF 32 (according to Uncle Charlie's website).

It's the virtual channel. I would guess that's what the objection is here. Tucson has no 2, 5 or 7 to throw monkey wrenches into anything — but it does have a 13.

 

[tripinva]

XHCTME - will be 1 - Expected VC of 3 was not assigned to any of the six Imagen stations in the border region, even here where 3 is open thanks to prior Mexican use!

Does the document say they may move to 3 later pending international coordination?

XHFA - was 2, will be 16 - Expected VC of 13 was objected to by the FCC (probably because of KOLD)

Yes, because of KOLD. Note the contour overlap: http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=72603152&site=1&extras=685018

I know there's an LPTV in Yuma using VC 15. They're going to have a big problem the day these changes go into effect — October 27 (though stations can use these a week earlier).

As an LPTV station, KYUM-LD will need to find an alternate virtual channel.

- Trip

 

[Sammi Brie]

Does the document say they may move to 3 later pending international coordination?



Yes, because of KOLD. Note the contour overlap: http://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=72603152&site=1&extras=685018



As an LPTV station, KYUM-LD will need to find an alternate virtual channel.

- Trip

It does (footnote 2).

And I'd hope KYUM has been notified about this. It's confusing even Mexican viewers, so a US station would have to be even more lost.

 

[ChocoMingo]

How do we get Channel 1 in the US?

 

[KeithE4]

How do we get Channel 1 in the US?

There is no RF channel 1 (it was 44-50 MHz, deleted in 1948). Channel 1 is OK to use as a virtual/PSIP channel in Mexico, but not in the US. The FCC doesn't allow virtual chanels 0.x, 1.x or 37.x, but since they don't have any direct relation to RF channels, there is no practical reason for this anymore.

 

[dhett]

The FCC does allow virtual channel 1; KAXT-CD RF42 in San Francisco uses it. I don't know if any station has ever requested virtual channels 0 or 37. Virtual channel 0 might find problems with TVs not able to receive it, I don't see why virtual channel 37 would not be allowed.

 

[Sammi Brie]

The FCC does allow virtual channel 1; KAXT-CD RF42 in San Francisco uses it. I don't know if any station has ever requested virtual channels 0 or 37. Virtual channel 0 might find problems with TVs not able to receive it, I don't see why virtual channel 37 would not be allowed.

I think 0 is out of standard in ATSC, so it would not be feasible. 1 is permissible (the entire range 1-99 is), though I've heard of some older equipment having problems with some of the Azteca Trece transmitters.

 

[KeithE4]

The FCC does allow virtual channel 1; KAXT-CD RF42 in San Francisco uses it. I don't know if any station has ever requested virtual channels 0 or 37. Virtual channel 0 might find problems with TVs not able to receive it, I don't see why virtual channel 37 would not be allowed.

I thought that the FCC had the same problem with using Channel 1 in the DTV era as they had in the 1940s. When the original Channel 1 was deleted, the others were not renumbered, even though it still would have been practical at that time since few, if any, stations used any channel higher than 6. IIRC, it had to do with not wanting any station to be "Number 1." Possibly an issue going back to RCA and David Sarnoff, who owned WNBT, then on pre-1946 Channel 1?

After the war, the FCC allocated it to "community" stations only. Only KERO Riverside CA ever had a CP for Channel 1, and it never went on the air.

Before things with DTV were finalized, Weigel Broadcasting attempted to use Channel 1 in Chicago and Milwaukee, with WCIU and WDJT, respectively, and the FCC shot them down.

 

[Sammi Brie]

I thought that the FCC had the same problem with using Channel 1 in the DTV era as they had in the 1940s. When the original Channel 1 was deleted, the others were not renumbered, even though it still would have been practical at that time since few, if any, stations used any channel higher than 6. IIRC, it had to do with not wanting any station to be "Number 1." Possibly an issue going back to RCA and David Sarnoff, who owned WNBT, then on pre-1946 Channel 1?

After the war, the FCC allocated it to "community" stations only. Only KERO Riverside CA ever had a CP for Channel 1, and it never went on the air.

Before things with DTV were finalized, Weigel Broadcasting attempted to use Channel 1 in Chicago and Milwaukee, with WCIU and WDJT, respectively, and the FCC shot them down.

The KAXT case has a bunch of channel conflicts in it. KAXT's physical channel is 42, but KTNC uses it. They attempted to use their old analog number 22, but KRCB uses that as its digital and virtual. They couldn't use KTNC's physical 14 (KDTV), and so they petitioned the FCC for channel relief (having no channels available: the next option could have been KDTV's RF of 51, but we're now several chains away from KAXT) and asked for channel 1, which would have been available.

They are the only channel 1 in the United States.