| Bend, Oregon | |
|---|---|
| Branding | KBNZ(general) KOIN Local 6 (newscasts) |
| Slogan | CBS for Central Oregon |
| Channels | Digital: 7 (VHF) |
| Subchannels | 7.1 CBS |
| Owner | Zolo Media (Central Oregon Cable Advertising, LLC) |
| Founded | October 25, 2008 |
| Call letters' meaning | BeNd |
| Sister station(s) | KOIN |
| Former callsigns |
K11SE (1985-2006) K07YM (2006-2008) |
| Transmitter power | 0.3 kW |
| Height | 234 m |
| Class | LD |
| Facility ID | 35834 |
| Website | kbnztv.com |
KBNZ-LD is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Oregon that is licensed to Bend. It broadcasts a low-powered digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in the city on Awbrey Butte west of U.S. 97. The station can also be seen on Bend Broadband channel 6 and in high definition on channel 606. Owned by Zolo Media, an affiliate of area cable company Bend Broadband, KBNZ has studios on Sherman Road.
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Since KBNZ is a low-powered station, it relies on translators to expand its reach.
| Call sign | Channel | City of license | Transmitter location |
|---|---|---|---|
| K04BJ-D | 4 | La Pine | southeast of city |
| K31CR-D | 31 | Prineville | Powell Buttes |
| K34AI-D | 34 | La Pine | west of Sunriver |
| K47LM-D | 47 | Prineville | Grizzly Mountain |
KBNZ originated in the mid-1980s as a low-powered translator of KOIN in Portland. In October 2008, KOIN owner New Vision Television announced plans to convert KBNZ into a local CBS affiliate with a separate feed. Other Bend area translators were switched from airing KOIN's signal to that of KBNZ. Master control and some internal operations remained based at KOIN's studios at the KOIN Center in Downtown Portland. One reason that the station split from KOIN is a result of the Bend market growing in population. With the change, this leaves Meredith Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate KUBN-LP as the only area station serving as a full-time satellite of a Portland station. News personnel based at KBNZ began to contribute 2-4 local stories each day to air on KOIN broadcasts. It had been planned that as this station grew, a fully produced local newscast originating from Central Oregon would be introduced. [1]
Although identifying as a separate station in its own right, KBNZ was still reckoned as a KOIN semi-satellite. It cleared all of KOIN's newscasts and most of its syndicated programming, but aired separate identifications and commercials.
KBNZ's signal does not reach far outside Bend. The only other city it reaches is Deschutes River Woods which is south of Bend and can only be obtained in the northern tip of the area. KBNZ's signal can also be seen in the western portion of Crook County. K31CR-D transmits a digital rebroadcast of KOIN programming and is not available east of Prineville but services an area larger than KBNZ. K31CR's signal reaches Crook, Jefferson, Deschutes, and Wasco Counties. In contrast, KBNZ's signal does not exit Deschutes County.
On March 31, 2010, Zolo Media bought KBNZ from New Vision Television. The new owner initially didn't plan any immediate or major changes. [2] Since the ownership change, the weather forecasts seen on KBNZ's section of KOIN's website have not been updated. Contact information for this station as well as listings for reporter Brittney Hopper and photographer Brandon Anderchuk have also been removed.
In the summer of 2011, KBNZ launched a new Website. Zolo Media also announced that it would take over master control operations from KOIN, starting on September 1. With the severing of the electronic umbilical cord with KOIN, KBNZ also dropped KOIN's 5:30 pm and 6 pm newscasts and rolled out a new logo.[3]
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