Nexstar..who leases/operates KAZT-TV (the Londen family still owns it)..is interested in buying Tegna-owner of KPNX. If it happens do the Londens keep KAZT or sell it? Being that ABC15 news is also on "The Spot" and Fox news simulcasts Fox 10 news on KUTP, will we see "12 News on CW7"?
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Get ready for 12 News on CW7?
- Thread starter desertaire
- Start date
That could be a long ways away considering the Nexstar is only in talks with Tegna and nothing is official yet. The FCC would still need to change their ownership cap rules first or grant a waver and approve of the deal. Plus then Nexstar would need to exercise their option to buy KAZT, which would also need FCC approval. If all goes well then maybe it's possible you'll see 12News on CW7 in Fall 2026.
The merger is not expected to close until second half of 2026, so maybe next Fall. Also, 7 PM is CW Primetime, so that is not happening. Maybe a 9 PM Newscast instead.
I see it happening. Nexstar has unusual incentive to get a newscast on KAZT because this is going to be one of its political advertising cash cows.
A side note: KAZT-TV is a VHF stick. While probably academic soon, they would currently be "billed" for full population coverage of Phoenix versus half population as they would be with KPNX alone.
A side note: KAZT-TV is a VHF stick. While probably academic soon, they would currently be "billed" for full population coverage of Phoenix versus half population as they would be with KPNX alone.
That is an unusually long time for a closing date, which makes me think there might be other pieces moving around before the sale is finalized.
They could move CW Primetime from 7-9 upto 8-10 pm. That is what they do here in Denver at KWGN 2 as they have channel 2 news at 7 pm. All other stations primetime lineups start at 7 pm here in Denver. They also do that at KPLR as well to have a newscast at 7 pm. Besides if they go with a newscast at 9 pm, they will be competing with fox 10, channel 3 and KASW's 9 pm news. So, I thhink they would be better to move CW primetime up to 8-10 pm.
Agreed. They wouldn't want to go up against the fox 10 and 3TV long-standing 9pm newscasts (plus ABC15's newscast on The Spot or whatever it's called). That's probably why 12 News is streaming at 7pm instead of 9pm.
Just a note, these mergers are getting approved faster than ever before. So, the normal 12-15 months that they are stating may turn out to be 8-10 months.
KAZT is a VHF stick in Prescott (RF 7, low power but on top of Mingus Mountain), but not in Phoenix, where over 80% of the station's viewership is. They're a Class A UHF station, on RF 36 with 15 kW ERP on South Mountain.
I have noticed in the past couple of weeks that they are putting a decent signal into my part of NE Mesa, even on my indoor antennas. They used to be unviewable on anything other than an outside gain antenna, even at 25 miles away.
For the first time ever I am able to receive the 7.x signals in South Tempe (with an indoor antenna).
If this merger is successful, I do see Nexstar placing CW on 12.2 for full power coverage. And maybe also 2.1 in Flagstaff for "primary channel" reasons if they don't retain KAZT. The question is if the Londens decided to retain KAZT, what programming do they put on the primary channel? Move MeTV to 7.1?
I'm thinking if Nexstar buys KAZT they could add KAZT-CA to a Subchannel of KPNX and map it to 7.2 to get full OTA Coverage in Phoenix like Gray does with KPHE-LD being on a Subchannel of KPHO-TV mapped to 44.2.
The only reason I could think of that Nexstar would keep CW on KAZT rather than put it on 12.2 is for Cable Carriage reasons, but I forgot about KNAZ. That's a good point, Nexstar could convert KNAZ 2 in Flagstaff to a CW affiliate for Cable Carriage reasons and rebroadcast it in Phoenix on KPNX 12.2.
The only reason I could think of that Nexstar would keep CW on KAZT rather than put it on 12.2 is for Cable Carriage reasons, but I forgot about KNAZ. That's a good point, Nexstar could convert KNAZ 2 in Flagstaff to a CW affiliate for Cable Carriage reasons and rebroadcast it in Phoenix on KPNX 12.2.
What would stop them from simply buying the LPTV and flip the designation around so KAZT-TV (which continues in a TBA) becomes the translator of KAZT-CD?
That would require a change to the City of License, Transmitter Location, and so on since KAZT-TV is in Prescott in Northern Arizona while KAZT-CA is in Phoenix. Good luck getting the FCC to approve that. Technically KAZT programming is already mainly aimed at Phoenix as if KAZT-CA were the main. The Arizona Daily Mix is the only local program which has mix of segments aimed at both Phoenix and Prescott to meet requirements on local community programming for both the Class-A and Full-Service Stations.
You still own a full-service license. That's the determinant. I note it mostly because if the cap isn't totally abolished for some reason, this does come into play.
But the full-service allocation is for Prescott, not Phoenix. Phoenix has the Class A. I'm not sure what can be done about that.
All full-service allocations for Phoenix are taken, and I think Channel 7 is the only commercial one for Prescott. Flagstaff still has a couple openings, on Channels 4 and 9, that had been failed analog stations years ago. I don't know if they map to UHF RF channels.
KAZT-TV is the only full-service license in Prescott. The FCC would never allow an only service to be taken from a community in order to give a larger community its 11th service, and even if KAZT-TV proposed moving the allocation from Prescott to, say, Peoria, Glendale or Scottsdale, it would never fly.
A Distributed Television System might work, but I don't see the Londens (or Nexstar) giving up a UHF slot, though low-power, for a VHF slot.
A Distributed Television System might work, but I don't see the Londens (or Nexstar) giving up a UHF slot, though low-power, for a VHF slot.
I don't know if the KTFL one survived. The KCFG one did. It's what was auctioned as KAZF.
KTFL/4 had a DTV assignment on RF 18, although I don't know if they lasted long enough to use it. AFAIK, both channel assignments are still available.
But I wonder why Gray didn't multiplex AZFS, KTVK, and KPHO (the latter two being on translators) onto KAZF when it signed on. I also don't understand why they didn't claim PSIP Channel 9, since it was paired with RF 32 as KCFG before, and I believe they did last long enough to go digital. But they didn't. It would have made sense to me. Wouldn't full-powered subchannels for 3TV and CBS5 be better than translators?