K47DF

K47DF ("KDF")

Corpus Christi, Texas
Branding	KDF-TV (general) 6 News
Slogan	Clearly to the point. (during KRIS-TV news)
Channels	Analog: 47 (UHF)
Translators	20 K20EK Kingsville 30 K30EG Beeville
Affiliations	Independent
Owner	Cordillera Communications (KVOA Communications, Inc.)
Founded	1990
Sister station(s)	KRIS-TV, KZTV, K22JA-D
Former affiliations	Fox (1994-2008)
Transmitter power	10.2 kW
Height	54 m
Facility ID	51375
Transmitter coordinates	27°43′3″N 97°23′20″W / 27.71750°N 97.38889°W / 27.71750; -97.38889
Website	kdftv.com

K47DF ("KDF") is an independent television station in Corpus Christi, Texas. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 47 from a transmitter southeast of downtown along TX 358. Owned by Cordillera Communications (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Evening Post Industries), the station is sister to NBC affiliate KRIS-TV, low-powered Telemundo affiliate K22JA-D, and CBS affiliate KZTV (owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting but operated by Cordillera through shared services agreement). All four stations share studios on Artesian Street in Downtown Corpus Christi.

Syndicated programming on this station includes: Everybody Loves Raymond, My Wife and Kids, The People's Court, and Judge Mathis. KDF can also be seen on K20EK channel 20 in Kingsville–Alice (transmitter northwest of Bishop along the Nueces and Jim Wells County line) and K30EG channel 30 in Beeville–Refugio (transmitter east of Beeville).

History

Logo as a Fox affiliate.

K47DF was started in 1990 by Paloma Broadcasting (which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi had a stake in). It started as an independent with general entertainment programming. KDF's big break came in 1993 when some high-profile syndicated programming such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Oprah moved to the station after KRIS-TV dropped them in favor of other programming. Paloma also launched the station's two repeaters in order to improve KDF's availability in the fringes of the market. That same year, the cable wars between the big three affiliates of Corpus Christi were going on.

In 1994, the station became a Fox affiliate. Even though the network name was used in KDF's logo and the station referred to itself as "KDF Fox", it did not follow the station standardization mandate imposed by the network. Otherwise, it would have been called "Fox 47", "Fox Corpus Christi", or even "Fox 13" after its cable slot on Time Warner. By 1997, KDF had invested heavily in expensive programing, leaving the station nearly bankrupt. Regretting its attempt to enter commercial television, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi sold its share in the station. It was then sold to T. Frank Smith, then-owner of KRIS-TV. KDF moved into that station's studios on South Staples Street in Downtown Corpus Christi while Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and Oprah were moved back to that channel.

On January 16, 2008, it was announced that the station would lose its Fox affiliation in favor of new higher-powered KUQI, which began airing the network's programming starting on February 4, 2008. At that time, the channel reverted to an independent. One of the last scheduled network programs on KDF was Super Bowl XLII on February 3. After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issues construction permits to KDF and its translators, they will convert to digital-only broadcasting eventually adding high definition capabilities.

It is carried on Time Warner Cable on channel 13. From December 13, 2011 to May 2012, K47DF's owners and the cable company were under a dispute regarding carriage fees.^[1]

Newscasts

Under pressure from TCI Cable (now Time Warner Cable), KDF began its own news department and produced local news. These shows featured former KRIS-TV anchor Jay Ricci (now at KVII-TV in Amarillo). Weather was provided by WeatherVision meteorologists during the newscast's run. In 1995, the news department was shut down due to low ratings and increased production costs. In Fall 1997, KRIS-TV restored news programming to KDF with a fifteen-minute news update at 9 followed by Star Trek. This practice continued until the sale of the stations to Cordillera in 1999, at which point the newscast was expanded to a full thirty minutes.

The prime time show is simulcasted on CW affiliate KRIS-DT2 but is known by a different name and has a different opening. After KRIS-TV and former rival KZTV joined forces, the former moved into the latter's facilities in September 2010. Due to technical issues with the move of KRIS-TV, it was not able to air newscasts from September 26 until September 28. That station unveiled a brand new high definition-ready set and graphics package on September 29. Eventually, KRIS-TV will stream all of its newscasts on the website. Previously, it had streamed the weekday noon show online.

Newscast titles

• KDF 9 O'Clock News (1993–1995)
• KDF Fox News Update (15-minute segments, 1997–1999)
• KDF Fox News at 9 (1999–2001)
• KRIS 6 News at 9 (2001–2007, 2010–present)
• 6 News 9@9 (2007–2010)

News team

KRIS 6 News at 9 on KDF
(weeknights 9 to 9:30)

• Anchors:
  • Lee Sausley - 6 News at 9:00 anchor [2002-]
  • Jennifer Lira - 6 News at 9:00 co-anchor [2004-]
• Weather:
  • Dale Nelson - 6 News at 9:00 chief meteorologist (AMS Seal of Approval) (1981–)

Additional personnel from KRIS-TV and KZTV are seen on this channel. See those articles for a complete listing.

References

External links

• K47DF "KDF-TV"
• KRIS-TV "6 News"
• KRIS-DT2 "CW South Texas"
• K68DJ "KAJA"
• KZTV "Action 10 News"
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K47DF
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K20EK
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K30EG