As always, questions, additions, comments and corrections welcome.
New licenses
Returned to air
New programming
Construction permits and modifications granted
Special Temporary Authorization (STA)
Silent stations
Transactions
Applications filed but not yet approved
License renewals
Low-power DTV auction
The following auction applicants have been accepted for participation in the November 5 auction for LPTV digital companion channels:
The applications of the following have been dismissed - these stations will not participate in the November 5 auction:
Since there are no qualified applicants to bid on channel 14 in Phoenix, or on channel 51 in Las Vegas NV, neither channel will be assigned for digital operations at this time.
In the Washington UT and St. George UT auctions where only one applicant has qualified, that applicant will need to submit its minimum bid only.
DTV Transition Updates
New licenses
- K63HJ Laughlin NV (9th Island Broadcasting) has been licensed for operation.
Returned to air
- KCFG 9 Flagstaff (KM Communications) has its analog signal back on the air as an America One affiliate. Its digital signal is still silent.
New programming
- KAZT-TV 7.x (25) Prescott/ KAZT-CA 7.x (27) Phoenix (The Londen Group) has added Retro Television Network (RTN) on channel 7.2, broadcasting in 480i SD.
- KUAT-TV 6.x (30) Tucson (University of Arizona) has replaced its SD broadcast on 6.1 with a HD broadcast in 720p and has dropped PBS Kids from the 6.2 feed. V-me has moved from 6.3 to 6.2 and Create has moved from 6.4 to 6.3.
- KUAS-TV 27.x (28) Tucson (University of Arizona) has replaced its SD simulcast of KUAT-TV on 27.2 with the PBS Kids broadcast that was formerly on 6.2, and has renamed it KUAT Kids. The HD feed on 27.1 is once again a simulcast of 6.1. PBS World has been added on 27.3.
- K38IZ Phoenix (Spanish Independent Broadcast Network) has begun broadcasting under program test authority and has applied for its license. It is a displacement of K53GF channel 53, and Arizona's third LP DTV station and the first that does not repeat a full-service station. It does not yet send PSIP identification, so depending on your TV, it either identifies as channel 38.1 or 38.3.
Construction permits and modifications granted
- K11QQ Hildale UT (Bonneville Holding Company) has been granted a construction permit to flash cut to digital.
Special Temporary Authorization (STA)
- KTAZ 39 Phoenix (NBC Telemundo License) has been operating at 61% power since a power issue damaged its analog transmitter in August and has requested 90-day STA to continue operating at lower power until the transmitter is fixed. KTAZ has no paired digital channel and must flash cut in February, so it has no choice but to spend the money to restore its analog operations to full power.
- KPHE-LP 44 Phoenix (Lotus TV of Phoenix) requested and has been granted a six-month extension of its STA to operate at 150 kW.
- K53GF Phoenix (Spanish Independent Broadcast Network) has requested an STA to continue operating its analog broadcast on channel 53 after its digital broadcast on channel 38 is licensed and continuing until the end of the full-service transition in February. The station is not on cable and believes that much of its target audience is not equipped with convertors yet. The station pleads that although its digital operations were the result of displacement and not a companion channel, being OTA-only, it cannot afford to lose any of its audience due to going digital-only early. The station was forced to apply for a channel change three years ago when Aloha Partners, winners of the rights to channels 54 and 59, notified the station that they were about to roll out their advanced media service on channel 54 and that the K53GF broadcast would cause impermissible interference, so they would be required to move or shut down. Aloha Partners never commenced its service, but faced with the necessity of moving with no real good options, K53GF applied to switch to digital to minimize interference problems from KTAZ.
- KLVX 10 Las Vegas NV (Clark County School District) has requested an STA to operate at 50% power until the February shutoff following partial failure of its analog transmitting equipment.
Silent stations
- KFPH-TV 13 Flagstaff (Telefutura Partnership of Flagstaff) has permanently shut down its analog operations in order to prepare for post-transition digital operations on VHF channel 13. Its building is not large enough to accommodate equipment for analog, pre-transition digital, and post-transition digital operations together, and cannot be expanded. Also, with its mountaintop location, there is a risk that snows will make the transmitter inaccessible, meaning they wouldn't be able to get the post-transition facilities operating in time for the cutoff.
- KUVE-TV 46 Green Valley (Univision Tucson) has permanently shut down its analog operations in order to prepare for post-transition digital operations on UHF channel 46. Its building is not large enough to accommodate equipment for analog, pre-transition digital, and post-transition digital operations together, and cannot be expanded.
- K57JO and K63HJ, both licensed to Laughlin NV and owned by 9th Island Broadcasting, have gone silent. The stations' antennas were mounted on one tower of a three-tower AM directional array in Laughlin. The AM station was experiencing non-standard transmitting conditions, and the owners' investigation revealed that the TV stations were causing the problem. The owner required removal of the LP antennas.
- KWTA-LP 31 Tucson (Ventana Television) is once again silent.
Transactions
- KMCC 34 Laughlin NV (Cranston Acquisition) has been transferred to Cranston Acquisition Debtor-in-Possession due to bankruptcy.
- K63HJ Laughlin NV (9th Island Broadcasting) is in the process of being sold to a private owner. The station is to be moved to Las Vegas NV, at which time, the buyer will likely sell the station and give 25% of the profits to 9th Island as payment for the station.
Applications filed but not yet approved
- The FCC is prepared to grant a replacement construction permit to K55BW Madera Peak (KSAZ License) to move to UHF channel 22.
License renewals
- The FCC has renewed the license of KPDF-CA 41 Phoenix (Una Vez Mas). The renewal was timely filed on June 1, 2006 and there were no unusual circumstances, but it took the FCC over two years to grant the renewal.
- The FCC has renewed the license of KHDF-CA 19 Las Vegas NV (Una Vez Mas). The renewal was timely filed on June 1, 2006 and there were no unusual circumstances, but it took the FCC over two years to grant the renewal.
Low-power DTV auction
The following auction applicants have been accepted for participation in the November 5 auction for LPTV digital companion channels:
- KBBA-LP 10 (DTV51) Lake Havasu City (Smoke and Mirrors)
- K23BJ (DTV51) Lake Havasu City (Tri-State Broadcasting)
- KPCE-LP 29 (DTV49) Tucson (Word of God Fellowship [Daystar])
- K21CX (DTV49) Tucson (Ventana Television)
- K09KP (DTV13) Washington UT (CCR-St. George IV [Clear Channel])
- KDLQ-LP 30 (DTV29) St. George UT (CCR-St. George IV [Clear Channel])
The applications of the following have been dismissed - these stations will not participate in the November 5 auction:
- KPDF-CA 41 (DTV14) Phoenix (Una Vez Mas Phoenix)
- KVPA-LP 42 (DTV14) Phoenix (KDMA Channel 25)
- KEEN-CA 17 (DTV51) Las Vegas NV (Christian Communications of Chicagoland)
- KNBX-LP 31 (DTV51) Las Vegas NV (Nevada Channel 6 [Equity Broadcasting])
- KUTG-LP 58 (DTV30) St. George UT (Lamar Veasey)
- K67HK (DTV13) St. George UT (TCCSA [TBN])
Since there are no qualified applicants to bid on channel 14 in Phoenix, or on channel 51 in Las Vegas NV, neither channel will be assigned for digital operations at this time.
In the Washington UT and St. George UT auctions where only one applicant has qualified, that applicant will need to submit its minimum bid only.
DTV Transition Updates
- KPNX 12.x Phoenix (Multimedia Holdings [Gannett]) is still awaiting Mexican concurrence for its post-transition operations on VHF channel 12.
- KNAZ 2.x Flagstaff (Multimedia Holdings [Gannett]) is still waiting for authorization to use its pre-transition channel, UHF 22, for post-transition digital operations, due to catastrophic failure of its channel 2 antenna. In the event that the channel change is denied, KNAZ has also filed a contingency plan for phased transition, continuing operation on channel 22 while the channel 2 facilities are constructed. That STA application is also pending.
- KSWT 13.x Yuma (Pappas Telecasting of Arizona) is still waiting for a response to its petition for rulemaking to use its analog channel, VHF 13, for post-transition digitial operations.
- KCFG 9.x Flagstaff (KM Communications) is still waiting for a response to its petition for rulemaking to use its analog channel, VHF 9, for post-transition digital operations, and to move its transmitter south and modify its broadcast pattern so that its signal reaches Phoenix.
- KFTU-TV 3.x Douglas (Telfutura Partnership of Douglas) is still awaiting approval of its post-transition plans. Its current tower near Douglas cannot accommodate a DTV antenna, so the station proposes to move its facilities atop Mule Mtn. near Bisbee. Doing so would also increase its population coverage three-fold, as it would then include Sierra Vista. Mexican concurrence is also required.
- Having been granted a construction permit for digital facilities, KAJB 54.x Calipatria CA (Calipatria Broadcasting Company) has ordered its equipment and has been advised that it will be delivered in December 2008. The station plans to install the equipment in January 2009 and expects to be ready to begin digital transmissions by the February 17 deadline.
- KMCC 34.x (32) Laughlin NV (Cranston Acquisition D-I-P) has completed construction of its final DTV facilities and should already be operating pursuant to Program Test Authority. It plans to file for a license to cover no later than October 31, 2008.