KAZT-TV

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AZTV redirects here. For the Virginia network of stations, see WAZT.


KAZT-TV
Prescott, Arizona
Branding AZ-TV - Channel 27, Cable 13
(referring to the station's over-the-air and cable positions in Phoenix)
Slogan Arizona's Own
Channels 7 (VHF) analog,
25 (UHF) digital
Affiliations Independent
Owner The Londen Companies
Founded January 7, 1980
Call letters meaning AZ-TV
AriZona Television
Former callsigns KUSK (1980-2002)
KNAZ (1980) (CP only)
Transmitter Power 8.71 kW (analog)
4.54 kW (digital)
Height 856 m (analog)
786 m (digital)
Facility ID 35811
Website www.arizonasown.com

KAZT-TV is an independent television station operating on channel 7 in Prescott, Arizona. Its transmitter is located atop Mingus Mountain northeast of Prescott, and is simulcast on low-power KAZT-CA channel 27 from South Mountain in Phoenix as well as several other channels across central and northern Arizona through a translator system. It can also be seen on cable systems throughout the state, as well as on the local channel packages from DirecTV and Dish Network. The station has business offices and studios in Prescott and Phoenix.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] KAZT-TV

The station was known as KNAZ from January 1980, when the original construction permit was granted, until September, at which time they took call letters KUSK, while the original KNAZ call letters ended up at a Flagstaff NBC station. KUSK signed on in 1982 and by the 1990s, was running low-budget programming that mainly targeted Prescott (the main station's city of license) and northern Arizona in general, through its main station transmitting from Mingus Mountain and a network of translators from Yuma to Payson, and from Casa Grande to Bullhead City. The station broadcast old movies in the public domain and 1950's TV shows (some of it provided by America One and American Independent Network), syndicated programming larger Phoenix stations didn't want, local talk shows, and America's Store home shopping. Before the Arizona Diamondbacks began operation in 1998, KUSK thrived on Major League Baseball, and aired San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and San Francisco Giants games. Until 2000, KUSK, Inc., the owner of the station, was listed as a "debtor-in-possession" in Federal Communications Commission records. The Phoenix-based Londen family, owners of a life insurance company and active in Republican politics, consummated the network that had grown out of KUSK, now KAZT-TV on 19 May 2003. After a massive equipment upgrade which included building a studio in Phoenix, KUSK was relaunched with stronger programming as AZ-TV with a new slogan, "Arizona's Own".

[edit] KAZT-CA

William H. Sauro once owned KAZT's Phoenix repeater, formerly known by call signs such as K27AN (from 1985 to 1994) and later KHSK-LP (from 1994 to its 2002 acquisition by Londen). Under Sauro, the station was an HSN affiliate and remained so until after Londen acquired the station.

[edit] Programming

KAZT-TV is sports-intensive, and is currently home to Arizona State University men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball; Phoenix Mercury WNBA basketball, and Mountain West Conference football telecasts. In 2003 and 2004, they televised Arizona Cardinals pre-season NFL football. AZ-TV became the over-the-air television home of the National Hockey League's Phoenix Coyotes beginning with the 2006-2007 season. [1]

[edit] Digital Television

On February 22, 2001, then-KUSK was granted a construction permit to build its digital companion channel on UHF channel 25. The station, by this time known as KAZT-TV, received grant of Special Temporary Authority (STA) to operate at roughly the same service level as its analog station, and KAZT-DT came on the air. In August 2006, the station modified its digital construction permit to specify the facilities under which the station was already operating, and on October 17, 2006, KAZT-DT was licensed. When the transition is completed, channel 25 will close and the digital channel will move to channel seven.

[edit] Repeaters

KAZT has a network of low-power repeaters throughout Arizona. Most of them are in the Phoenix market and its outlying areas; K43CO is the closest station to Tucson; and K19CX was closed on 4 December 2006 due to syndication exclusivity issues. Its programming is cleared in the Phoenix market, but not in Yuma.

KAZT-owned, but does not broadcast KAZT programming:

[edit] Station name and slogan over the years

  • KUSK, Your Road to Classic Television (1990s)

[edit] External links


Local United States broadcast television in the Imperial Valley market  (Nielsen DMA #167)

KYUM-LP 2 (Ind) -  KVFA-LP 6 (Ind) -  KVYE 7 (UNI) -  KECY 9 (Fox/MNTV)(ABC on DT.2) -  KYMA 11 (NBC) -  KSWT 13 (CBS/The CW on DT.2) -  K19CX 19 (PBS) -  K28FM 28 (RTN) -  KESE-LP 35 (TEL) -  K52EG 52 (3ABN) -  KAJB 54 (TFU)

Out-of-market broadcast television available on cable:

KTVK 3 (Ind)  -  KCAL 9 (Ind)  -  KPBS 15 (PBS)  


Local Mexican broadcast television channels

XHBC 3 (Televisa Mexicali)  -  XHAQ 5 (TV Azteca 13)  -  XHBM 14 (Televisa XEW)  -  XHEXT 20 (TV Azteca 7)  -  XHMEX 32 (Televisa XHGC)   
XHMEE 38 (Televisa XEQ)  -  XHLRT 44 (Televisa XEW)  -  XHRCS 50 (Telemax)  -  XHILA 66 (Ind/CNI)


Defunct local cable television channels

KWUB 6 (The CW)