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Gray to launch Arizona's Family Sports and Entertainment Network on KPHE

Sammi Brie

Sammi Brie

Following the path it set last year with a subchannel in Las Vegas, Gray is launching the Arizona's Family Sports and Entertainment Network on KPHE-LD 44 on March 1. They've also acquired Phoenix Rising FC rights.

www.azfamily.com

Arizona’s Family announces broadcast partnership with Phoenix Rising, launch of new network

The Arizona’s Family Sports and Entertainment Network launches on March 1.
www.azfamily.com www.azfamily.com

This would explain a few things... Flagstaff 32? Yuma 11 ➡️ 27???
 
That definitely starts to connect the dots. With full power 32 in Flag and the 44 translator in Phoenix, they can get cable and satellite must-carry in the Phoenix DMA. Likewise the full power 27 gets them the Yuma DMA. Probably OTA and cable in Tucson as a subchannel of KOLD. Very clever and interesting programming. When I first saw the headline, my mind immediately went back to the 80s when then Bruce Merrill owned American Cable carried "ASPN -Arizona Sports Program Network" as a premium channel with the Phoenix Suns, Roadrunners hockey, and Giants minor league baseball.
 
VoiceofWayne said:
That definitely starts to connect the dots. With full power 32 in Flag and the 44 translator in Phoenix, they can get cable and satellite must-carry in the Phoenix DMA. Likewise the full power 27 gets them the Yuma DMA. Probably OTA and cable in Tucson as a subchannel of KOLD. Very clever and interesting programming. When I first saw the headline, my mind immediately went back to the 80s when then Bruce Merrill owned American Cable carried "ASPN -Arizona Sports Program Network" as a premium channel with the Phoenix Suns, Roadrunners hockey, and Giants minor league baseball.
Click to expand...

Flagstaff 32 probably has to do with this. They straight up said when they applied for it that there would be no contour overlap to the Phoenix full-power stations, which allowed them to own the station outright:

Gray Television Licensee, LLC (“Gray”) was the successful bidder for the Flagstaff, Arizona allotment in Auction 112. The new station’s community of license is located within the Phoenix AZ DMA. Gray is the licensee of KPHO-TV, Phoenix, Arizona (FID 41223) and KTVK(TV), Phoenix, Arizona (FID 40993), which also are located within the Phoenix AZ DMA.

The Commission’s multiple ownership rules limit common ownership of television stations with overlapping contours in the same DMA. The new allotment in Flagstaff, is located approximately 200 miles from Phoenix. The contours of the new Flagstaff station and Gray’s existing stations in Phoenix will not overlap, as shown in the attached map, thus Gray’s common ownership of these stations complies with the Commission’s multiple ownership rules.
Click to expand...
 
Channel 5 is running ads for it now. It's looks like it'll be called Channel 44.

I hope they also put it on a 3 or 5 subchannel, since that's the only way it'll have metro-wide coverage. But with them putting on full-powered Channel 32 (PSIP 9.x?) on the air in Flagstaff, that may not be possible.


1936292_1674599200703.png
 
KeithE4 said:
Channel 5 is running ads for it now. It's looks like it'll be called Channel 44.

I hope they also put it on a 3 or 5 subchannel, since that's the only way it'll have metro-wide coverage. But with them putting on full-powered Channel 32 (PSIP 9.x?) on the air in Flagstaff, that may not be possible.
Click to expand...

They could still run it as a subchannel. There are a lot of "tandem satellite"-type operations where one service in a large area was split into two with reciprocating subchannels in the digital area (e.g. KNWA/KFTA in northwest Arkansas, which split from two main NBC stations to carry NBC and Fox).
 
This new network will be taking over Cox cable channel 116. I've been looking at the current program schedule and a bunch of infomercials, 30 minute talk shows, music playlists, etc. I'm interested to see how AZFamily fills out the schedule.
 
Gray has filed for call signs for Flagstaff 32 and Yuma 11→27...

Flag 32 will be KAZF
Yuma 11→27 will be KAZS
 
Sammi Brie said:
Gray has filed for call signs for Flagstaff 32 and Yuma 11→27...

Flag 32 will be KAZF
Yuma 11→27 will be KAZS
Click to expand...
Anything for KPHE-LD/44, or a PSIP for RF 32 in Flagstaff, other than 32 (it was 9.x when it was KCFG)? I couldn't find anything for either in CDBS.

And what of 11.1 in Yuma? Will they be forced to give that up and move to 13.2?
 
KeithE4 said:
Anything for KPHE-LD/44, or a PSIP for RF 32 in Flagstaff, other than 32 (it was 9.x when it was KCFG)? I couldn't find anything for either in CDBS.

And what of 11.1 in Yuma? Will they be forced to give that up and move to 13.2?
Click to expand...

The immediate problem I see is that the "combined" KYMA continues to use major channels 11 and 13. (Also, that station is still waiting for the 27 proposal to be approved by the FCC.) I do think that once KAZF gets on the air or the next retrans cycle, this service gets bumped to a lower channel number on Cox than 116. Channel 4 is open on Cox and is right between 3 and 5.

There were no changes filed for KPHE-LD, though I bet it becomes KAZF-LD at some point soon.
 
KYMA could continue to use 11.1 and 13.1 if KAZS has no objections, although they are entitled to 11. There is nothing stopping them that I know of for using Virtual 44.1 in Yuma and getting cable and satellite must-carry in the Yuma DMA. As for Flagstaff, they could be virtual 44 there as well, keeping a consistent channel number.
 
I'm pretty sure that the virtual channels that KAZF and KAZS will use are determined by FCC regs and that they would have to get permission from the FCC to use anything else. KAZF is supposed to use channel 32, but with KAZS likely to move to RF channel 27 before going on the air, I'm not sure which virtual channel they will have to use, 11 or 27. I suspect the latter, which would make the KYMA problem go away, but I'm not certain.
 
Yep, reading Annex B of ATSC A/65C, since they will sign on first as RF27, they should use virtual 27, so long as it's available.

- Trip
 
I forgot about the Yuma move to 27 in a previous post, and that will eliminate the 11.1 issue. Wonder if they need Mexican approval for that which could slow down the process... As for virtual channels, they would normally be required to use the RF channel as a virtual provided there is no conflict. As a new station that never had a previous NTSC analog channel, I believe they can request a different virtual channel, which would allow them consistent branding throughout the Phoenix and Yuma DMAs. As Trip mentioned, the real answer is probably buried in Annex B of ATSC A/65C. I read through some cases that have come before the FCC, and requests for new virtual channels that were denied and the reason given was they had a previous NTSC analog channel number that had to be used.
 
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VoiceofWayne said:
Wonder if they need Mexican approval for that which could slow down the process...
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure that Mexican approval was either not necessary, or already obtained, before the FCC could approve the rulemaking allowing the change in Yuma's allotment from channel 11 to channel 27.

As Sammi correctly stated, Gray needs only to file the minor change amendment and they're good to build on channel 27.
 
dhett said:
I'm pretty sure that Mexican approval was either not necessary, or already obtained, before the FCC could approve the rulemaking allowing the change in Yuma's allotment from channel 11 to channel 27.

As Sammi correctly stated, Gray needs only to file the minor change amendment and they're good to build on channel 27.
Click to expand...

A footnote in the R&O indicates the IFT approved.
 
Cox Communications TV guide is updated. Today it shows a simulcast of all 3TV news programs including Your Life AtoZ and Extra Point. From 1 - 4PM, a program called Origin Sports. However 116 is still showing 'regular programming' infomercials and music videos.
 
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