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Arizona TV Station Update - June/July 2022

dhett

dhett

Been out of commission for the past month due to travel and a crazy schedule upon return. A lot of this report has already been discussed in other threads but has been included as a recap nonetheless.

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

New Licenses
  • KESE-LD 35.x Yuma (NPG of Yuma-El Centro LLC) requested and was granted a license to cover its modification to its transmitting antenna height. Technical specifications: Ch 35; TL 32° 38' 31" N, 114° 33' 37" W (S Ave 4E & E County 14th St); ERP 8 kW DA HP 0.25° EBT; HAAT 58 m / 190 ft.
  • K06QW-D Sentinel (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) has requested a license to cover its original construction permit, as amended. Technical specifications: Ch 6; TL 32° 51' 34" N, 113° 12' 43" W (I-8 & Agua Caliente Rd.); ERP 1 kW DA HP; HAAT 23 m / 75 ft.
  • K10RW-D Lake Havasu (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) has requested a license to cover its original construction permit, as amended. Technical specifications: Ch 10; TL 34° 28' 41" N, 114° 24' 31" W (Cor. Havasu Lake Rd. & Siwavaats Way, Havasu Lake CA); ERP 0.025 kW DA HP; HAAT -113 m / -371 ft (4 m / 13 ft AGL).
Programming Changes
  • KTVK 3.x (24) Phoenix (Gray Television Licensee LLC) has added a new subchannel. MPEG4 is now broadcasting on channel 3.6, although despite its name, it is an audio-only channel, simulcasting the audio feed of Circle.
  • KMSB 11.x (25) Tucson (Sander Operating Co. V d/b/a KMSB Televsion) has added QVC on channel 11.6.
  • KOLD-TV 13.x (32) Tucson (Gray Television Licensee LLC) has replaced the SD feed of CBS programming on channel 13.4 with Defy TV.
  • KTTU 18.x (19) Tucson (KTTU-TV Inc.) has added HSN on channel 18.6 and Twist on channel 18.7.
  • KTVW-DT 33.x Phoenix (KTVW License Partnership GP) has removed channel 33.5 from its lineup, as DigiTV has ceased operations.
  • KHRR 40.x (16) Tucson (NBC Telemundo License LLC) has replaced Cozi TV on channel 40.3 with programming from NBC Lx.
  • KUVE-DT 46.x (34) Green Valley (Univision Tucson LLC) has removed channel 46.5 from its lineup, as DigiTV has ceased operations.
  • KEJR-LD 40.x Phoenix (TV-49 Inc.) has added subchannel 40.12, identifying as EMLW and broadcasting infomercials.
  • KPDF-CD 41.x Phoenix (HC2 Station Group Inc.) has replaced GNTV programming on channel 41.5 with infomercials and GNTV Latino on channel 41.6 with Timeless TV. KPDF has also added subchannels 41.7, 41.8 and 41.9, with programming from El Evangelio Eterno on 41.7 and infomercials on the others.
  • K21OD-D 12.x Many Farms (KOB-TV LLC) is silent.
  • K35OU-D 21.x Tucson (Ventana Television Inc.) has added QVC in the Kitchen to its lineup on channel 21.7.
Transactions
  • Imagicomm Yuma LLC has consummated its purchase of KYMA-DT 13.x Yuma from Blackhawk Broadcasting LLC.
Construction Permits and Special Temporary Authorizations (STAs) Granted
  • KASW 61.x (27) Phoenix (Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC) requested and has been granted an extension of its Legal STA to only broadcast its primary stream on its ATSC 3.0 signal so that it may host other stations' ATSC 3.0 signals.
  • KESE-LD 35.x Yuma (NPG of Yuma-El Centro LLC) requested and was granted a modification to its license to correct its transmitting antenna height. Although the construction permit called for the antenna to be mounted 80 m (262 ft) above ground level, it was actually mounted at 60 m (197 ft). The modification corrected the license to reflect a height of 60 m above ground level. Technical specifications: Ch 35; TL 32° 38' 31" N, 114° 33' 37" W (S Ave 4E & E County 14th St); ERP 8 kW HP DA 0.25° EBT; HAAT 58 m / 190 ft.
  • KTVP-LD 23.x Phoenix (HC2 Station Group Inc.) has been granted an Engineering STA to operate at lower power while it replaces a damaged power supply in the transmitter. The station will operate at 10 kW until the power supply is replaced.
  • K06QW-D Sentinel (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) has been granted an amendment to its original construction permit, to specify its permanent facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 6; TL 32° 51' 34" N, 113° 12' 43" W (I-8 & Agua Caliente Rd.); ERP 1 kW HP DA; HAAT 23 m / 75 ft.
  • K10RW-D Lake Havasu (Lowcountry 34 Media LLC) requested and has been granted an amendment to its original construction permit to change transmitting location and to reduce power, from 3 kW to 0.025 kW. Technical specifications: Ch 10; TL 34° 28' 41" N, 114° 24' 31" W (Cor. Havasu Lake Rd. & Siwavaats Way, Havasu Lake CA); ERP 0.025 kW HP DA; HAAT -113 m / -371 ft (4 m / 13 ft AGL).
  • KVGA-LD 12.x Las Vegas (Digital Networks - Southwest LLC) requested and has been granted an extension of its Silent STA. The station must resume broadcasting by January 23, 2023.
  • KVTE-LD 35.x Las Vegas (Mountain Ridge Holdings Inc.) requested and has been granted an Engineering STA, allowing it to broadcast at 0.6 kW instead of the licensed 10 kW due to equipment failure last December.
Construction Permits and Special Temporary Authorizations (STAs) Requested
  • KUAT 6.x (30) Tucson (Arizona Board of Regents f/b/o The University of Arizona) has requested an extension of an STA to operate at 50% power due to damaged equipment.
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC has filed a long-form application with the FCC, proposing to build a new television station to serve Flagstaff. Technical specifications: Ch 32; TL 34° 58' 8" N, 111° 30' 31" W (Mormon Mountain); ERP 100 kW H, 30 KW V EP DA 1° EBT; HAAT 444 m / 1456 ft.
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC has filed a long-form application with the FCC, proposing to build a new television station to serve Yuma AZ and El Centro CA. Technical specifications: Ch 11; TL 33° 3' 19" N, 114° 49' 47" W (Black Mountain); ERP 5 kW H / 1.5 kW V EP DA 1° EBT; HAAT 452 m / 1,483 ft.
  • K21OD-D 12.x Many Farms (KOB-TV LLC) has filed a Silent STA. It states that the utility company providing electricity to the site has shut off service due to the poor condition of the power lines and doesn't know when power can be restored.
  • K21ON-D Flagstaff (Edge Spectrum Inc.) has requested a modification to the construction permit application that it filed under callsign K42IQ-D, proposing to build at a new site. The site in the original application was purchased by a wireless communications company, and they will not allow their site for broadcast use. Technical specifications: Ch 21; TL 35° 11' 25" N, 111° 38' 4" W (1429 E. Butler Ave.); ERP 1 kW EP; HAAT -85 m / -279 ft (17 m / 56 ft AGL).
Canceled, Dismissed, Expired or Expiring
  • The FCC has canceled the licenses of the following three television stations at the request of their licensee, Mohave County Board of Supervisors:
    • K10RM-D 15.x Kingman
    • K21EA-D 61.x Lake Havasu City
    • K34EF-D 61.x Kingman
  • K42IQ-D Flagstaff (Edge Spectrum Inc.) has withdrawn its application to move to channel 21, citing error in coordinates. The application has been replaced by one under the callsign K21ON-D.
  • K12XU-D Yuma (Hispanic Family Christian Network Inc.) has withdrawn its application for license to cover construction of a new station, claiming that it has discovered that the station was not timely constructed by the deadline as they had believed. The license to cover application has been dismissed by the FCC.
  • The FCC has canceled the license of television station KDLU-LD St. George UT (Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC) at the licensee's request.
  • The FCC has canceled the license of television station D40KZ Santa Clara UT (Edge Spectrum Inc.) for failure to commence broadcasting by July 7.
Rulemaking Requests and Notifications
  • KHSV 21.x (2) Las Vegas (Channel 33 Inc.) has filed an amendment to its request for rulemaking to move to UHF channel 21, showing that theoretical coverage on VHF channel 2 in Mesquite NV, Laughlin NV, Bullhead City AZ and Mohave Valley AZ did not actually exist, meaning service reductions to those fringe areas were not really reductions at all, as those areas could not actually receive the VHF channel 2 signal of KHSV.
FCC Television Auction 112 Results
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC submitted the winning bid to build a television station on UHF channel 32 in Flagstaff.
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC submitted the winning bid to build a television station on VHF channel 11 in Yuma.
License Renewals

Licenses expire October 1, 2022 for Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah television stations and December 1, 2022 for California television stations. License renewal applications were due four months prior to expiration.
  • K18JL-D Phoenix (HC2 Station Group Inc.) has requested a modification to its license renewal to reflect the fact that the station is on the air on RF channel 12 and that its new call sign is K12XP-D.
The following stations have not filed license renewal applications:

Lake Havasu Christian Television / Richard Tatham
  • K25HD-D Bullhead City
  • K27EC-D Lake Havasu City
 
Dave,

Glad you are back! I missed these updates.
Lots of speculation about what Gray plans to do with those new stations in Flag and Yuma.
Also it is interesting that KUAT (30) reception here in Fountain Hills is basically the same as ever. It and KGUN have monster signals here. I have no clue as to any channels in Phoenix -- all terrain blocked here from South Mountain.
 
The new Gray station proposed for Flagstaff should be interesting. K32LO-D on Mt Francis
in Prescott could cause interference issues. In the past there was KTFL on Rf 4 Mormon Lake
and at the same time there was a KSAZ translator atop Mt Francis in Prescott. Neither station
was well received at my location in Prescott. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself once again.
 
Prescott Joe said:
The new Gray station proposed for Flagstaff should be interesting. K32LO-D on Mt Francis
in Prescott could cause interference issues. In the past there was KTFL on Rf 4 Mormon Lake
and at the same time there was a KSAZ translator atop Mt Francis in Prescott. Neither station
was well received at my location in Prescott. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself once again.
Click to expand...
Full power stations are primary spectrum holders while low power stations are secondary, so there shouldn't be any problems. If K32LO causes interference to the new station within the latter's protected contour, then it must find a new channel. I don't recall if there is any threshold of accepted interference or not, but I'm guessing that K32LO may have to move due to interference in Chino Valley. On the other hand, a low power station must accept any and all interference from a full power station.

The same holds true in Yuma. A low power station just began operating on channel 11 from Black Mountain between Yuma and El Centro, but once the new station comes on air on channel 11, also from Black Mountain, then the low power station must cease operations if it is still operating on channel 11.

In the case of both cities, the low power station intentionally applied to use a channel that was allotted for full power, so each had to know that this could happen.
 
VoiceofWayne said:
Dave,

Glad you are back! I missed these updates.
Lots of speculation about what Gray plans to do with those new stations in Flag and Yuma.
Also it is interesting that KUAT (30) reception here in Fountain Hills is basically the same as ever. It and KGUN have monster signals here. I have no clue as to any channels in Phoenix -- all terrain blocked here from South Mountain.
Click to expand...
Thank you!

I also thought about the possibility that Gray would use each station as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse. It would make sense in the short term, but it still leaves the question of what would happen after each station has its own ATSC 3.0 signal. Neither station has a network affiliation as of yet and I would imagine that they would want to have one before going on air.

I can see NBC wanting its own affiliate in Yuma, or maybe ABC. I could also see Gray making a play for CBS, since they already have the CBS affiliations in Phoenix and Tucson.

As for Flagstaff, Gray does have the KPHO translator, so they already have the CBS affiliation. Using the new station as an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse makes much more sense there. Afterward, I could see the new station becoming a full satellite of KPHO instad of a full affiliate, just as KNAZ is with KPNX - it doesn't seem to make any kind of economic sense to staff a full station in Flagstaff.

We'll see. I think in each case, once the application is approved, assigning call signs are probably going to be the next step.

Yeah, Tucson stations blast their way into my palatial west Chandler estate as well, with KGUN leading the pack due to no interference from a co-channel Phoenix station. Meanwhile, KVOA makes KTVP impossible to receive most times (despite being less than 8 miles from the towers with a clear shot to the antennas), KMSB kills KDVD and KUAT blows away K30MM. I'm surprised I don't have more problems with KGRX, which is co-channel to KTTU, another typically strong station.
 
Correction: MPEG4 on KTVK 3.6 is not an audio-only channel; my 2007-era TV only picks it up that way. It is actually an MPEG-4 (H.264) broadcast of Circle TV programming, which I am able to pick up through TSReader and VLC Media Player. TVs that support the H.264 standard also should be able to pick up the video while TVs that don't, show it as an audio-only channel. Perhaps Gray is looking to use the MPEG-4 standard to provide a backward-compatible lighthouse for when more and more stations convert to the ATSC 3.0 format?
 
More updates:
  • Biz TV on KDVD-LD channel 50.8 has been replaced by a blue screen
  • K30MM-D has added programming:
    • 31.1 Infomercials
    • 31.2 ACE TV (formerly seen on channel 38.2)
    • 31.5 Classic Reruns TV
    • 31.6 For Lease graphic
    • 31.7 For Lease graphic
    • 31.8 For Lease graphic
    • 31.10 Nuestro Vision.
Additional Las Vegas updates to come.
 
i could see having an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse in Phoenix, but the Flagstaff and Yuma markets seem too small for that. They paid a lot of money for these licenses and the cost to build them to feed a few dozen receivers.. It has been mentioned that the CBS affiliation in Yuma is up for renewal in 2023, and Gray already owns 47 CBS affiliates. Flag could be a full-time full power satellite of both 3.1 and 5.1, with local commercials and local news inserts. Then use one of the translators as an ATSC 3.0 light house. In any case, time will tell........
 
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