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Arizona TV Station Update - Nov 2022 - Feb 2023 (Part 1 of 2)

dhett

dhett

After a long, unplanned hiatus due to a crazy schedule, the Arizona TV Station Update is back! Let's get caught up with what's been happening since November; it's been quite eventful - so much so that the update needed to be split into two posts! (Part 2)

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

New Licenses
  • KASW 61.x (27) Phoenix AZ (Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC) requested and has been granted a license to cover its NextGen two-site DTS.
    • Technical Specifications:
      • Site 1: Ch 27; TL 33° 20' 1" N, 112° 3' 47" W (South Mtn.); ERP 445 kW H / 111.25 kW V DA EP 0.95° EBT; HAAT 551 m / 1807 ft.
      • Site 2: Ch 27; TL 33° 35' 47" N, 112° 5' 34" W (Shaw Butte); ERP 18.5 kW H / 5.55 kW V EP 1.5° EBT; HAAT 268 m / 879 ft.
    • KMCC 34.x (32) Lauglin NV (Ion Television License LLC) has been granted a license to cover its changes to Site 2 of its DTS, moving it from Black Mountain to the KTNV studios. Technical specifications: Ch 32; TL 36° 7' 45" N, 115° 11' 28" W (KTNV Studios); ERP 12.5 kW DA HP 1.5° EBT; HAAT 65 m / 213 ft.
    • K20ID-D 7.x Kingman (KAZT LLC) requested and has been granted a license to cover its move from Hualapai Peak to Hayden Peak, with lower height and increased power. Technical specifications: Ch 20; TL 35° 4' 53" N, 113° 54' 17" W (Hayden Peak); ERP 0.395 kW DA HP 1.75° EBT; HAAT 1082 m / 3549 ft.
    • K30IO-D 8.x Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) requested and has been granted a license to cover its flash cut to digital. Technical specifications: Ch 30; TL 34° 28' 12" N, 111° 52' 25" W (Squaw Peak); ERP 0.122 kW DA HP; HAAT 678 m / 2224 ft.

Call Sign Changes
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC requested and has been granted call sign KAZF for its new full-power television station approved for construction in Flagstaff.
  • Gray Television Licensee LLC requested and has been granted call sign KAZS for its new full-power television station approved for construction in Yuma

Channel Changes
  • KAZS 27.x Yuma (Gray Television Licensee LLC) has been granted its rulemaking request, changing the allotment for Yuma from VHF channel 11 to UHF channel 27. Gray now needs to file an application for a channel change.

Programming Changes
  • KGRX-LD 19.x Gila River Indian Co (Gila River Telecommunications Inc.) has dropped Real America's Voice and Newsmax 2 from its lineup, and has added First Nations Experience on channel 19.1.
  • KEJR-LD 40.x (32) Phoenix (TV-49 Inc.) has replaced the Azteca America with MeTV+ on channel 40.1. MeTV+ now airs on channels 40.1 and 40.2.
  • KPDF-CD 41.x (22) Phoenix (HC2 Station Group Inc.) has replaced Mision TV programming on channel 41.2 with LATV, infomercial programming on channels 41.5 and 41.6 with a blank screen, and infomercial programming on channel 41.9 with Carz & Trax.
  • KVPA-LD 42.x (34) Phoenix (KRCA License LLC) has added Jewelry TV (JTV) on channel 42.3.
  • KPHE-LD 44.x (16) Phoenix (Gray Television Licensee LLC) has replaced LATV with Arizona Family Sports and Entertainment Network (AzFSEN), has added FidoTV on channel 44.2, has moved DRTV-1 infomercial programming to channel 44.3 and has moved DRTV-2 infomercial programming to new subchannel 44.4.
  • KDPH-LD 48.x (13) Phoenix (Word of Life Fellowship Inc.) has shut down KDTP-LD JTV programming on channel 58.1 and has added channel 48.3, playing scripture verses on a landscape background, set to music.
  • KDVD-LD 50.x (25) Phoenix (Globe LPTV LLC) has replaced infomercials on channel 50.3 with classic programming from a channel called Comfy TV and has replaced the blue screen on channel 50.8 with programming from a channel labeled iSports, although programming appears to be BizTV once again.
  • K30MM-D 31.x Gila River Indian Co (Globe LPTV LLC) has moved Classic Reruns TV from channel 31.5 to 31.3 and NuestraVision from channel 31.10 to 31.8. The station has added RetroTV on channel 31.4, Heartland on channel 31.5, BizTV on channel 31.6, and TheWalk on channel 31.7. Channel 31.6 may be mislabeled, as the subchannel shows sports, possibly the iSports network, which may be from the same provider as Comfy TV on KDVD-LP channel 50.3.
  • K35OU-D 21.x Tucson (Ventana Television Inc.) is silent.

Network Changes
  • The Azteca America television network shut down December 31.
  • The Newsy network rebranded as Scripps News, effective January 1. The rebranded network is seen on the following stations:
    • KGUN 9.6 Tucson
    • KPPX-TV 51.4 Tolleson
    • KBFY-LD 41.2 Yuma
    • K27OP-D 9.6 Oro Valley/Tucson
    • KMCC 34.4 Laughlin NV
  • The Decades network will rebrand as Catchy Comedy, effective March 27. The network will focus on its comedy lineup, especially shows with female leads. Decades is currently seen on the following stations:
    • KUTP 45.4 Phoenix
    • K11LC-D 45.4 Prescott
    • K14HG-D 45.4 Kingman
    • K15CR-D 45.4 Lake Havasu City
    • K16BP-D 45.4 Cottonwood
    • K18CB-D 45.4 Bullhead City
    • K28CW-D 45.4 Flagstaff
  • Gray Television has launched a new diginet, called Arizona Family Sports & Entertainment Network (AzFSEN). KPHE-LD is confirmed as the flagship station of the new network; new full-power stations KAZF Flagstaff and KAZS Yuma could get the network when they come on air.

Transactions
  • KMOH-TV 6.x (19) Kingman (TV-49 Inc.) requested and has been granted a pro forma assignment of its license to KMOH-TV LLC. The transaction has been consummated.
  • KEJR-LD 40.x (32) Phoenix (TV-49 Inc.) requested and has been granted a pro forma assignment of its license to KEJR-LD LLC. The transaction has been consummated.
  • KKAX-LD 36.x Hilltop (Tri-State Broadcasting LLC) requested and has been granted a transfer of control from Joseph E. and Rhonda K. Hart to 2 Bits Family Trust and involuntary transfer of 50% interest in the trust. Joseph and Rhonda Hart, husband and wife, had established 2 Bits Family Trust in 2012 and transferred control of the stations to the trust, but failed to notify the FCC of the transfer. Upon Joseph Hart's death in 2022, his interest in the trust has been transferred to their daughter, Trisha K. Hart. Translator K23BJ-D Lake Havasu City is also included in the transaction.
  • KDNU-LD 7.x (30) Las Vegas NV (LVNV Broadcasting Company LLC) has been granted its authorization for assignment to Bridge News LLC, as amended. The transaction has been consummated.
  • KMSQ-LD 15.x Mesquite NV (Center Point Broadcasting Company LLC) has been granted its authorization for assignment to Bridge News LLC, as amended. The transaction has been consummated.
Key
  • AGL - above ground level
  • CP - circular polarization
  • DA - directional antenna
  • DTS - distributed transmission system
  • EBT - electrical beam tilt
  • EP - elliptical polarization
  • HAAT - height above average terrain
  • HP - horizontal polarization
  • MBT - mechanical beam tilt
  • TL - transmitter location

(Part 2)
 
Last edited:
Dave, thanks for the great updates.
Nice to finally see that someone, KASW, recognizes the difficulty with South Mtn reception from the North/NorthEast
Valley. Shaw Butte will provide LOS reception to many areas unserved/underserved currently.
 
KASW was originally planning four broadcast sites: the two licensed, plus a site in San Tan Valley to fill in behind the San Tan Mountains and one in Gila Bend, which is completely cut off from Phoenix signals by the Sierra Estrellas.

Shaw Butte was not doable with ATSC 1.0 because the 8VSB modulation that it uses is not tolerant of multipath interference, so there would need to be almost no signal overlap for a repeater to work. COFDM modulation, which is used by ATSC 3.0, cell phone networks and the DVB television standard found in much of the world, is not only tolerant of multipath, but is enhanced. I, for one, will look forward to ATSC 3.0 due to its superior robustness in less than optimal conditions. Hilly terrain like Prescott should see a noticeable improvement when ATSC 3.0 finally becomes widespread.
 
Considering AzFSEN also airs news from KTVK/KPHO, that could open up to an additional source of local news for Flagstaff and for the separate market of Yuma/El Centro.
 
One more for the diginet books down in Tucson: with Azteca América folding, KUDF 14.1 switched to Estrella TV, which was on 14.2. Visión Latina then slotted into 14.2. The whole station is out of service due to transmitter damage as of Feb. 15.
 
The FCC has approved the new station (KAZS-TV) in Yuma to change from channel 11 to channel 27. This will displace K27PC-D licensed at Telegraph Hill East of Yuma.
 
Thank you for the update on KUDF-LD programming. I did not report the KUDF outage because the station filed a resumption of service notice on March 3.

In other news, K18DD-D Camp Verde (Good News Broadcasting Inc.) has been granted a construction permit to increase power to 13.5 kW.
 
There has been late-breaking news that Scripps will merge TruReal into Defy TV on March 27. The resulting diginet, which will keep the name Defy TV, will have most popular shows from each. The spectrum currently occupied by TruReal will become Jewelry Television (JTV). Stations affected:
  • KOLD-TV 13.x (32/13) Tucson
  • KPPX-TV 51.x (31) Tolleson
  • KWBA 58.x (21) Sierra Vista
  • KBFY-LD 41.x (2) Yuma
  • KMCC 34.x (32) Laughlin NV
And there was much rejoicing (yay).
 
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