When Does KLDT Go Spanish?

[AlanB]

KLDT's sale to Una Vez Mas has been approved by the FCC. When do they take over and does anyone know when KLDT will flip from all-paid programming to Spanish/Azteca America?

 

[arnoldevns]

Freakish that you should ask..... I had just wondered the same thing and was coming here to discuss it.

One question that crossed my mind: will it go Spanish? Is there a chance that the reach and low overhead of KLDT makes it attractive enough for infomercial buyers to allow it to be profitable under the new ownership?

 

[dhett]

KLDT will definitely go Spanish. According to the purchase agreement, Una Vez Mas is committed to an affiliation with Azteca America and has already reserved call sign KAZD for the station: AZteca Dallas. As UVM is headquartered in Dallas, it will likely become their flagship station.

You should see the change shortly after the purchase is consummated, which may not occur until April. UVM filed for a 90-day extension of consummation on Dec. 16, which has not yet been approved by the FCC.

 

[TexasTom]

You should see the change shortly after the purchase is consummated, which may not occur until April. UVM filed for a 90-day extension of consummation on Dec. 16, which has not yet been approved by the FCC.

I wonder why they need an extension? As long as the approval process dragged out on the sale of KLDT and KNWS, I'd figure that they would be anxious to close ASAP.

Oh, as a side note -- KLDT was sold to another Spanish language group ten years ago for around $35 million, but the sale never consummated (even though the sale was approved by the FCC). So...until the sale is actually consummated, I won't consider the transition to TV Azteca to be a sure thing.

 

[eskipper411]

KLDT will definitely go Spanish. According to the purchase agreement, Una Vez Mas is committed to an affiliation with Azteca America and has already reserved call sign KAZD for the station: AZteca Dallas. As UVM is headquartered in Dallas, it will likely become their flagship station.

You should see the change shortly after the purchase is consummated, which may not occur until April. UVM filed for a 90-day extension of consummation on Dec. 16, which has not yet been approved by the FCC.

My friend who rides the DART bus in Irving, he started seeing ads for KAZD on the sides of their buses.

 

[dhett]

You should see the change shortly after the purchase is consummated, which may not occur until April. UVM filed for a 90-day extension of consummation on Dec. 16, which has not yet been approved by the FCC.

Oh, as a side note -- KLDT was sold to another Spanish language group ten years ago for around $35 million, but the sale never consummated (even though the sale was approved by the FCC). So...until the sale is actually consummated, I won't consider the transition to TV Azteca to be a sure thing.

Hispanic Television Network (HTVN) was buying KLDT then. The difference is that HTVN was on the verge of financial collapse and went belly-up before the sale could be consummated. AFAIK, Una Vez Mas is in pretty good financial shape. But you're correct: nothing is guaranteed until the sale is consummated.

HTVN Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_Television_Network (The article isn't well documented, but I trust the author.)

 

[HoustonListener]

KLDT's sister station in Houston (KNWS --Katy) is also being acquired by Una Vez Mas and has already started running Azteca America on 51.2. Is KLDT doing anything with its subchannels?

 

[JHBrandt]

Is KLDT doing anything with its subchannels?

Not yet. It's just 55.1 in SD. Plenty of bandwidth available.

Currently in DFW, Azteca is carried on two LP stations: KLEG/44 (on both .1 & .2) and KATA/50.3.

 

[purpledevil]

KLDT's sister station in Houston (KNWS --Katy) is also being acquired by Una Vez Mas and has already started running Azteca America on 51.2. Is KLDT doing anything with its subchannels?

As of yesterday, KNWS is running Azteca America on both 51.1 and 51.2. 51.1 is not being given an ID at the top yet. Both channels ID as 51.2 KNWS-DT, Katy. Picture quality on 51.1 is as it has always been, substandard. It is glaringly apparent now that you can compare the two next door to each other, and hope that Una Vez Mas has the sense to spend the money to finally upgrade the video quality that has been a downfall of 51's for years.

 

[AlanB]

KLDT-DT is currently broadcasting only an ID slide (for at least the last 15 minutes, and probably longer than that.) I just missed the top of the hour ID at KLEG, but I thought I saw a "55" on their ID as they flipped back to the Azteca America network.

It's time to dust off the the TV format wheel. Ironic that the last time it was used, was also a Spanish flip (zombie KXTX to Telemundo).

 

[JHBrandt]

KLDT's sister station in Houston (KNWS --Katy) is also being acquired by Una Vez Mas and has already started running Azteca America on 51.2. Is KLDT doing anything with its subchannels?

As of yesterday, KNWS is running Azteca America on both 51.1 and 51.2. 51.1 is not being given an ID at the top yet. Both channels ID as 51.2 KNWS-DT, Katy. Picture quality on 51.1 is as it has always been, substandard. It is glaringly apparent now that you can compare the two next door to each other, and hope that Una Vez Mas has the sense to spend the money to finally upgrade the video quality that has been a downfall of 51's for years.

Interestingly, KLEG/44's PQ is also substandard. But KATA/50.3's PQ is good (albeit SD). Here's hoping UVM gets KLDT/55 right.

 

[AlanB]

It's Happening Soon: KLEG is Already Saying KAZD-55

While KLDT-DT is still all-call sign slide/all the time, KLEG-LD is identifying itself on the hour as KAZD-DT 55 Lake Dallas. I think the switch will be happening very soon.


How often to low power stations have to ID, since it's obviously not once on hour on the hour, because KLEG did not give it's COL?

 

[dhett]

Channel 55.x needs to change its ID slide. As of yesterday, the station's call sign has changed from KLDT to KAZD. In Houston, KNWS is now KYAZ.

 

[Bob E. Nelson]

Channel 55.x needs to change its ID slide. As of yesterday, the station's call sign has changed from KLDT to KAZD.

They have now flipped (as of 21:00 on 30 DEC 2010). PSIP shows KAZD 55 on 55-1 and 55-2. Azteca programming is on now (as well as KLEG's 44-1 and 44-2 and KATA's 50-3).

 

[eskipper411]

Channel 55.x needs to change its ID slide. As of yesterday, the station's call sign has changed from KLDT to KAZD.

They have now flipped (as of 21:00 on 30 DEC 2010). PSIP shows KAZD 55 on 55-1 and 55-2. Azteca programming is on now (as well as KLEG's 44-1 and 44-2 and KATA's 50-3).

I thought this was a station out of Houston I was getting via DX, but then I knew that KNWS was the info channel down there. :

 

[arnoldevns]

So now the question is: what will happen to KLEG?

Azteca America is now on a total of 5 subchannels in the DFW area:
KLEG-LD 44.1 & 44.2, KATA-CA 50.3, and KAZD-DT 55.1 & 55.2

Seems to me that KAZD is all they really need. I would think they would pull that programming off of KLEG and KATA soon. Not a huge deal for KATA since they've got other subchannels, but KLEG could be left with nothing.

 

[JHBrandt]

KAZD's picture quality looks reasonably good; about the same as KATA/50.3 and noticeably better than KLEG.

So now the question is: what will happen to KLEG?

Just speculating, I suppose they could pick up LATV (dropped by KDAF some months ago)

 

[JHBrandt]

I've also seen terrible compression artifacts on KLEG/44. Azteca looks much better on KATA/50.3. How is that possible? KLEG has two (identical) SD subchannels while KATA has four. The latter clearly has enough bandwidth, so you'd think the former would have plenty.

I think I've figured out the answer. Based on delays in the broadcast it appears KLEG may be receiving KATA/50.3, converting it to analog, and re-encoding it back to digital. If so the artifacts aren't from overcompression; they're from multiple A/D and D/A conversions.

Upon closer inspection it looks like KAZD/55 has better PQ than KATA/50.3, which makes sense given KATA's other subchannels.

 

[JHBrandt]

Looks like Azteca is off of 50.3. (No replacement yet.) It's still on 44, though - which blows my theory from the last post! (Of course it's possible KLEG is now receiving Azteca via KAZD instead.)

 

[arnoldevns]

KLEG 44.1 & 44.2 are now showing the same slide 50.3 has been - advertising Azteca's move to channel 55.