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Arizona TV Station Update - July 2009

dhett

dhett

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

New licenses

  • K20GG-D Duncan (Board of Regents for U of A) has requested and was granted a license to cover their flash cut to digital.

Programming changes

  • K20GG-D Duncan (Board of Regents for U of A) rebraodcasts all of KUAT's subchannels: PBS HD on 6.1, V-Me on 6.2 and PBS Create on 6.3. As permitted by the FCC, K20GG-D identifies as virtual channel 6. Create used to air on K55DM.
  • K35CP Duncan (Southern Greenlee County TV Association) airs programming from ARTS that was formerly on K57CU.
  • K55DM Duncan (Southern Greenlee County TV Association) rebroadcasts KOBG 6.1 Silver City NM. KOBG was formerly on K69DG.
  • K57CU Duncan (Southern Greenlee County TV Association) also rebroadcasts KOBG 6.1 Silver City NM.
  • K69DG Duncan (Southern Greenlee County TV Association) rebroadcasts KOVT 10.1 Silver City NM.

Transactions

  • IAC/Interactive Corp. is selling its Ventana Television subsidiary to HSN. Ventana is the licensee of K21CX Tucson and 26 other LPTV stations nationwide. The FCC has not yet granted permission.

Construction permits granted

  • K06AE Prescott (Multimedia Holdings Corporation [Gannett]) has been granted permission to flash cut to digital at 300 W, and to move its transmission location from Mt. Francis, southwest of Prescott, to Mingus Mtn., outside of Jerome. The station had also requested a change in community of license from Prescott to Flagstaff, and a change in primary service from KPNX 12 Phoenix to KNAZ-TV 2 Flagstaff, which is currently nothing more than a technicality, as KNAZ is a full satellite of KPNX, but should Gannett ever find a buyer for KNAZ, it would mean a programming change for Prescott as well. The new location and primary service is intended to extend KNAZ's signal into the Prescott, Prescott Valley and Dewey-Humboldt areas, which are not served by KNAZ's pre-transition facilities, but would have been predicted to be served by its post-transition facilities had they been able to move back to channel 2. It doesn't seem to matter to the FCC that those communities never had analog service either, due to intervening terrain, namely, Mingus Mtn. This change should help KNAZ succeed in its petition to keep its DTV signal on RF channel 22.

Proposed construction permits

  • KSAZ-TV 10.x Phoenix (NW Communications of Phoenix Inc [Fox]) has amended its June 16, 2008 application for maximization of facilities. The average ERP is being lowered from 53 kW to 48 kW and the antenna pattern is being changed from non-directional to directional. Although no reason is cited for the change, it is likely that the new broadcast parameters will help it clear Mexican coordination.
  • KEJR-LP 43 Phoenix (Hero Licenseco) has filed a construction permit to move its antenna to another tower in the South Mountain antenna farm, and to drastically cut its maximium power output from 9 kW to 250 W, which would serve only the immediate area of South Phoenix. The station lost its lease on its current tower and must move. It has already filed an STA to expedite the process.
  • KEJR-LD 40.x Phoenix (Hero Licenseco) has filed a construction to move its antenna to another tower in the South Mountain antenna farm, and to cut its average power output from 15 kW to 14 kW. The station lost its lease on its current tower and must move. It has already filed an STA to expedite the process.
  • KEGS-LD 24.x Las Vegas (Mako Communications) has modified its construction permit to reflect its ownership change, and to switch from a non-directional to directional array.

Other applications filed but not yet granted

  • KTAZ 39.x Phoenix (NBC Telemundo) has requested a license for its 550 kW maximization facilities.
  • KECY-TV 9.x El Centro CA (Gulf-Pacific Broadcast Company) has requested a license for its post-transition facilities. The station's signal is up and running on RF channel 9.

Expired construction permits

  • The construction permit to flash cut K25HD Bullhead City (Richard D. Tatham) to digital has expired without being built.
  • The construction permit to flash cut K28EU Laughlin NV (KVVU Broadcasting Corp.) to digital expires on August 11.

Special Temporary Authorizations (STA)

  • KFPB-LP 30 Globe (Globe LPTV) has been granted STA to build digital facilities at the South Mountain antenna farm, to operate on UHF channel 50. It is likely that the formal application is being held up by Mexican coordination issues.
  • KAZT-LP 7.x (27) Phoenix (KAZT LLC [The Londen Group]) has been granted STA to change its RF channel from 27 to 36, due to interference from KUTP operations on RF channel 26. It is likely that the formal application is still waiting to clear Mexican coordination.
  • K16EO Oro Valley/Tucson (Journal Broadcast Corporation) has been granted STA to flash cut its analog KGUN translator to digital, due to reception problems for its primary signal.
  • KEJR-LP 43 Phoenix (Hero Licenseco) has requested STA to move its antenna to another tower in the South Mountain antenna farm, and to drastically cut its maximium power output from 9 kW to 250 W, which would serve only the immediate area of South Phoenix. The station lost its lease on its current tower and must move.
  • KEJR-LD 40.x Phoenix (Hero Licenseco) has requested STA to move its antenna to another tower in the South Mountain antenna farm, and to cut its average power output from 15 kW to 14 kW. The station lost its lease on its current tower and must move.

License renewals

  • KDLU-LP 26 Saint George UT (CCR-St. George IV [Clear Channel]) has modified its renewal application so that it no longer specifies a Class A station. It also removes other related stations from the application. The station's license has now been renewed.

DTV transition issues

  • KNAZ-TV 2.x (22) Flagstaff has filed a supplement to its petition to continue operating on RF 22 as its post-transition operations. The supplement explains how moving station K06AE Prescott to Mingus Mtn. will provide service to areas blocked from KNAZ by terrain.
 
I'm surprised you missed that K16EO-D has signed on. Or so SiliconDust implies. It's mapping to 9-3 and 9-4.

- Trip
 
tripinva said:
I'm surprised you missed that K16EO-D has signed on. Or so SiliconDust implies. It's mapping to 9-3 and 9-4.

- Trip
Click to expand...

That's a recent development, then. When I was last down there on 7/23, they still had the analog signal going. I did get some cleaner KOLD-LD and K04QP-D reads - I'll send them.

I also have some Yuma/El Centro/Mexicali reads for you with KECY's new post-transition signal and cleaner KYMA and KSWT reads. What a difference 5 miles makes! I also got XHEXT and XHAQ, but not XHBM - I think they may have signed off or powered down or something, because one minute, they had 50%-70%, then 15 min. later, 15%-20%. I think you have dups of everything but KECY, but you can compare.
 
Thanks. :)

- Trip
 
KNAZ was finally issued an NPRM for channel 22.

- Trip
 
tripinva said:
KNAZ was finally issued an NPRM for channel 22.

- Trip
Click to expand...

I'm guessing KNAZ should be able to formally file the CP by the end of month, or shortly thereafter. That leaves just KCFG 9.x (32) and KFPH 13.x, both of Flagstaff, with unresolved post-transition issues. Phantom DTV station KCFG is trying to move back to ch 9 and relocate transmitter to the Mogollon Rim with the hopes of a rimshot into Phoenix, while last I checked, KFPH still hasn't fired up its post-transition facilities - they were still operating on pre-transition ch 27.

Purely speculation: KM Communications owns KCFG. They also own KPVY-LD 45 Prescott, which they are trying to move to the North Mountain electronics site in Phoenix. Possible repeater for KCFG, perhaps? It's a perfect setup: North Mtn. is in position to receive a signal from the proposed KCFG site, and would be able to rebroadcast to the majority of the Valley, which is blocked by North Mtn and Squaw Piestewa Peak from KCFG's primary signal. KPVY would extend coverage to the rest of the metro area, except Ahwatukee, SW Tempe and W Chandler, which are blocked by South Mtn.

Strictly opinion: Should KPVY's move be approved, KM should drop its petition to relocate KCFG and just microwave their signal to KPVY. That will give them the Phoenix coverage they so desperately need, and it would make the FCC happy, as KCFG won't be removing their signal from areas north and east of Flagstaff (mainly affecting Winslow and Leupp).
 
tripinva said:
I'm surprised you missed that K16EO-D has signed on. Or so SiliconDust implies. It's mapping to 9-3 and 9-4.

- Trip
Click to expand...

I can confirm everything SiliconDust implied. On channel 9, KGUN identifies as KGUN 9.1 and MEXI 9.2, while on channel 16, it identifies as KGUN2 9.3 and MEXI2 9.4.
 
With regard to KCFG, I think that by moving 9 like they want to, they would be hoping the signal gets must-carry on Phoenix area cable systems. Note how the contour in the Supplement covers most of the Phoenix area. A low-powered station will not get that cable carriage.

I doubt there'd be anything stopping them from microwaving the signal anyway. Actually, I would bet that they'll originate it in Phoenix or elsewhere and then microwave it separately to both transmitters.

- Trip
 
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