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Arizona TV Station Update - March 2020

dhett

dhett

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

Programming Changes


  • KTVP-LD 23.x Phoenix (HC2 LPTV Holdings Inc.) has dropped channels 23.3 through 23.6, leaving ONTV4U infomercials on channel 23.1 and unidentified infomercials on channel 23.2. KTVP-LD has also been identified as the future Phoenix home of Cheddar News.
  • KPDF-CD 41.x (22) Phoenix (HC2 Station Group Inc.) has added ONTV4U infomercials on channel 41.5 and unidentified infomercials on channel 41.6. It is the same programming found on channels 23.1 and 23.2, respectively.
  • KPHE-LD 44.x (16) Phoenix (Lotus TV of Phoenix LLC) replaced infomercials on channel 44.5 with a simulcast of Telemax and FliMackie TV on channel 44.6 with a simulcast of JTV. Later, channel 44.5 reverted to infomercials but channel 44.6 continues to air JTV.

Transactions


  • Searchlight III UTD LP, ForgeLight (United) Investors LLC and Liberty Global Incorporated Limited have filed an application with the FCC to acquire the stake in Univision Holdings Inc. currently held by Madison Dearborn Partners, Providence Equity Partners, Glade Brook Capital Partners, TPG, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Saban Capital Group. The other current stakeholder, Grupo Televisa SAB, will retain its current stake in Univision. Arizona stations currently owned by Univision include:
    • KTVW-DT 33.x Phoenix
    • KUVE-DT 46.x (34) Green Valley
    • KFPH-DT 13.x Flagstaff
    • KFTU-DT 3.x (36) Douglas
    • KFPH-CD 35.x Phoenix
    • KFTU-CD 34.x (18) Tucson
    • KUVE-CD 42.x (36) Tucson
    • KTVW-CD 6.x (27) Flagstaff/Doney Park
    • KDOS-LD 19.x Globe
    • KZOL-LP 34 Safford
    • K18NN-D Globe
    • K21GC Safford
  • The transfer of K46IL-D (now K31NF-D) 32.x Verde Valley (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) to Good News Broadcasting has been granted by the FCC.
  • The transfer of KMCC 34.x (32) Laughlin NV (Entravision Holdings LLC) to Ion Television License LLC has been granted by the FCC. The sale has been consummated.

Construction Permits and STAs Granted


  • K23HB Flagstaff (Prism Broadcasting Network Inc.) requested and has been granted a Silence STA, claiming to have gone silent March 20.

Construction Permits and STAs Requested


  • KGRQ-LD 29.x (21) Gila River Indian Community (Gila River Telecommunications Inc.) has requested an extension of its STA to operate at lower power. The plans to reinforce the tower to handle all of the necessary antennas have been delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • K19CX Yuma (Arizona Board of Regents for ASU) has requested an STA to allow it to flash cut to digital operations to assist in disseminating educational infomration about COVID-19. Technical specifications: Ch 19; TL 32° 40' 11" N, 114° 20' 8" W (Telegraph Pass); ERP 1.86 kW directional; HAAT 348 m.
  • K38CX Shonto (Digital Networks - Southwest LLC) has requested an extension of its Silence STA due to continuing corporate restructuring and system upgrades. The station claims to have gone silent October 2, 2019.
  • K47OC-D Las Vegas NV (Digital Networks - Southwest LLC) has requested an extension of its Silence STA due to continuing corporate restructuring and system upgrades. The station claims to have gone silent October 2, 2019.

Expired, Expiring, Canceled and Dismissed


  • The FCC has dismissed a digital companion channel application filed by KDTP-LP 58 Phoenix (Community Television Educators) in March 2012. The license for KDTP-LP no longer exists.
  • The FCC has dismissed a Silence STA Extension filed by KNTL-LP 35 Laughlin NV for its analog station. The Silence STA was moot, as the station has already flash cut to digital.

Notices


  • K23HB Flagstaff (Prism Broadcasting Network Inc.) filed a notice with the FCC, claiming to have resumed operations on March 13.
  • KVTE-LD 35.x Las Vegas NV (Mountain Ridge Holdings Inc.) filed a notice with the FCC, claiming to have resumed operations on March 26. Contacts in Las Vegas report that the station is not operational.

NextGen TV


  • KTVK 3.x requested and was granted a modification to its license to allow ATSC 3.0 operation. KFPH-CD RF 35 is the host station for its independent programming on channel 3.1 and should have begun commercial ATSC 3.0 operations March 30.
  • KPHO-TV 5.x requested and was granted a modification to its license to allow ATSC 3.0 operation. KFPH-CD RF 35 is the host station for its CBS programming on channel 5.1 and should have begun commercial ATSC 3.0 operations March 30.
  • KSAZ-TV 10.x requested and was granted a modification to its license to allow ATSC 3.0 operation. KASW RF 27 will be its host station but has not yet begun commercial ATSC 3.0 operations (it was scheduled to begin March 27). In return, KSAZ-TV will host KASW's Court TV Mystery programming using virtual channel 61.4.
  • KASW 61.x (27) was granted a modification to its license to convert to an ATSC 3.0 station. In addition to its CW programming on channel 61.1, it will host KSAZ-TV's Fox programming using virtual channel 10.1, KNXV-TV's ABC programming using virtual channel 15.1 and KUTP's My Network programming using virtual channel 45.1. KASW's ATSC 1.0 programming will be dispersed among KNXV-TV (CW 61.1 and Grit 61.3), KUTP (HSN 61.2) and KPHO (Court TV Mystery 61.4).
  • KFPH-CD 35.x was granted a modification to its license to convert to commercial operations. In addition to its Unimas programming on channel 35.1, it will host KTVK's independent programming using virtual channel 3.1, KPHO's CBS programming using virtual channel 5.1 and KTVW-DT's Univision programming using virtual channel 33.1. KFPH-CD's ATSC 1.0 programming will continue to be dispersed among KTVW-DT (Unimas 35.1) and KPNX (getTV 35.3) but its Court TV Mystery programming on 35.4 will move from KNXV-TV RF 15 to KPHO RF 17.
 
Am I understanding correctly that full power KASW will have multiple broadcast translators
to provide fill in reception to areas with poor or no reception??? Am I understanding correctly
that KPPH-CD is a low power station with a single transmitter on South Mtn??? If those
assumptions are correct, why would anyone want to broadcast on KFPH-CD????
 
Because the signal contour difference between a full power station and a low power station in Phoenix is mostly uninhabited land, a low power station on South Mountain serves nearly the same population as a full power station on South Mountain.

RabbitEars.info publishes the estimated population served of each station. Because KFPH-CD is not available to the general public yet, I'm using KPDF-CD, which broadcasts from the same antenna farm at the same ERP:
  • KASW - 66 mile contour (13,672.5 sq. mi. area), population served is 4,178,537
  • KPDF - 22.3 mile contour (1,568.2 sq. mi. area), population served is 4,074,829
The fill-in translators wouldn't add more to the service population, as I believe the service population is counted as everyone within the service contour, whether they can receive the signal or not.
 
Dave, I understand what you are indicating. Theoretically, the two stations
cover the same number of viewers. Having lived for years in the Northeast valley, South
Mtn low power stations are not received well, if at all, in much of the Northeast valley.
Places like Wickenburg, Black Canyon City, Casa Grande, Fountain Hills, etc, etc will
struggle to receive KFPH-CD. It would certainly seem like the number of possible viewers
between the two stations would be much more than the 100,000+ indicated.
 
Remember also that there are only about 20 TV models that have NextGen tuners in them. They are all new and mostly high-end. NextGen TV is still in its infancy, so I doubt that the difference between being on KASW's host and KFPH's host will be significant. By the time NextGen tuners become commonplace, I would expect there to be more full power stations having converted to NextGen operations.

So far, converted stations are duopoly partners with a ATSC 1.0 station. KFPH is co-owned with KTVW and KASW is now co-owned with KNXV. Although I have no inside information, I would not be surprised xpect to see either of Meredith's stations - KTVK or KPHO - to convert before long (I'm betting KTVK). KSAZ and KUTP are co-owned by Fox, so either is also a likely candidate (I'm betting KUTP).

At some point, as more and more stations convert to NextGen, the remaining 1.0 stations are going to have to remove some of their non-primary subchannels, or make agreements with low power stations to host those diginets.
 
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