Talk:KSTU

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[edit] KSTU: Since 1978 or Since 1987?

Actually, it's the latter. The KSTU calls were attached to two distinct licenses, hence two distinct stations. They even co-existed from January 1987 through November 1987. What makes it confusing is that MWT Ltd., original permittee of the KSTU 13 in January 1987 (then called KTMW), bought KSTU 20 from Adams Communications in October 1987, for the express purpose of using channel 20's equipment to build channel 13. Presumably, they immediately shut the station down and returned the license to the FCC, because two weeks after the deal was consummated on KSTU 20, the KSTU call letters were moved to channel 13 and the KTMW 13 callsign was deleted. The details of this whole affair can be found at FindLaw for Legal Professionals - it reads almost like a soap opera. When I get a chance, I intend to correct the article. --dhett 06:44, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

Corrections are made. To any who should wish to revert the changes, my revisions are all verifiable. There was no verification for the previous versions of the station's article. --dhett 10:14, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

It looks like while the current channel 13 is a separate license from the old channel 20, MWT bought the KSTU intellectual unit (programming, staff, calls and Fox affiliation). This appears to be a similar situation to WHDH-TV in Boston--while its current license dates from 1982, the channel 7 intellectual unit in Boston dates from 1948. Another analogus situation is WSVN in Miami. Blueboy96 18:03, 28 February 2007 (UTC)

I disagree with the primacy of intellectual unit over FCC license. It is the FCC license that takes precedence, however, as intellectual unit plays an important role in the station's history, the previous incarnation of KSTU was also included in the previous version of the article. There have been other discussions on similar matters and I agree with the final opinion posted. I also believe that the WHDH-TV and WSVN articles should also separate the two licenses into separate article sections. The current WHDH license dates back to 1982, not 1948. That was a separate station. Further, if one queries the FCC database for KSTU, one will find KTMW and DKTMW in its station history, and the original construction permit granted January 20, 1987. One will not find the previous incarnation of KSTU. That is under a separate entity, DKSTU.

The FCC license and its accompanying Facility ID Number provide an objective accounting of a station's history, unlike intellectual unit, which can be subjective. For example, did the intellectual unit of the old KSTU change in 1986 when the station became a Fox affiliate? The FCC is an authoritative body, and I think it wiser to rely on their standards of reckoning a station's history.

Obviously, we disagree here. You were within your rights to change the article; I was within mine to revert it. However, in the interest of avoiding an edit war, I suggest putting this question to the Television Stations Project with the hope of forming a consensus. dhett ^{(talk • contribs)} 16:34, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

The only problem is that no station ever went to the air between January and November 1987 under the KTMW calls--at least as far as I can tell. If there's a TV Guide out there that shows a KTMW airing on channel 13 between those dates, that's another matter.

And WHDH does date to 1948--in 1982, RKO sold the WNAC-TV assets (including the studios, from where channel 7 still operates today) to David Mugar, who then got a new license from the FCC under the WNEV calls (which have since become WHDH). [1]

While I will agree that most revisions prior to yours in September were inaccurate based on FCC filings, I figure it reads a little better to reflect that it's the same station, under a different license from the original.Blueboy96 16:58, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

I figured it was best to make two notes in the infobox--the original KSTU went on the air in 1978, while the new one went on the air in 1987.Blueboy96 18:19, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

You're correct: no station ever went on the air as KTMW in 1987, but that's not the issue, nor is it a problem. It's the license that matters, and the license is determined by the FCC ID Number. You yourself have said that the current WHDH went on the air under a new license; that is why WHDH correctly dates to 1982, not 1948. New license, new station, regardless of the intellectual unit. However, because the intellectual unit is important, the prior station merits mention in the article.

Although I'm not totally on board with your edits, I will accept most of them as a reasonable compromise, as it is plainly evident in the article that the two KSTUs were two separate stations. I made some corrections to your timeline; the current station was founded on 1/20/87, not 11/9/87.[2] When available, the date the original construction permit was granted is used as the founding date, not the on-air date, which isn't documented in the FCC database. Also, the old KSTU license was deleted 11/9/87, not in 1988,[3] and MWT turned the license in, not Adams; the sale had already been consummated 10/23/87.[4] dhett ^{(talk • contribs)} 21:27, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Merge notice

It's not standard practice on Wikipedia for a television station's list of transmitters to be a separate article from the one on the television station itself. Is there a specific reason it should be allowed to stand in this case? Bearcat 10:27, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Discussion of merging these lists ongoing at Talk:KTVX#Merge notice and a related deletion debate. Cool Hand Luke 10:33, 23 January 2007 (UTC)