KTVG-TV

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KTVG-TV
Grand Island, Nebraska
Branding KFXL, Fox Nebraska
Slogan we're your station!
Channels Analog: See former channel numbers and repeaters
Digital: See former channel numbers and repeaters
Affiliations Defunct
Owner Hill Broadcasting Company, Inc.
(formerly operated under LMAs by Pappas Telecasting Companies)
First air date February 19, 1993
Last air date April 5, 2010
Call letters' meaning Television Grand Island
Sister station(s) KHGI-TV, KFXL-TV
Former channel number(s) Analog:
17 (UHF, 1993–2009)
Digital:
19 (UHF, c. 2004–2009)
Former affiliations Fox (1993–2009)
UPN (secondary, to 2005)
Ion Television (secondary, 2000s)
Transmitter power 1000 kW
Height 186 m
Facility ID 27220
Transmitter coordinates 40°43′44″N 98°34′13″W / 40.72889°N 98.57028°W / 40.72889; -98.57028 (KTVG-TV)
Website www.fox417.tv

KTVG-TV and KSNB-TV served as a repeater of Fox affiliates for most of south-central Nebraska. Prior to June 2009, the stations were identified on-air as Nebraska Fox 4 & 17. Beginning June 12, 2009, the stations were simulcast with KFXL-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska. As of mid-August 2009, KFXL became the main station, and the entire network was rebranded as KFXL, Fox Nebraska. KSNB left the air in December 2009 and KTVG soon followed in April 2010, leaving KFXL as the market's Fox station.

KTVG was owned by Hill Broadcasting Company. The two stations were operated by Pappas Telecasting Companies under Local marketing agreements until the expiration of the deals on November 30, 2009 (KSNB) and in April 2010 (KTVG). Pappas holds the rights to Fox programming in the Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney market. Through this LMA, KSNB was sister station to KPTM, the Omaha Fox affiliate, and the Nebraska Television Network, composed of ABC affiliates KHGI-TV in Kearney, KWNB-TV in Hayes Center, and KHGI-CA in North Platte.

Repeaters

Fox 4 & 17 was seen over six low-power repeaters—all of which were located on the UHF dial. Only one of the repeaters, KOAZ-LP, is still broadcasting; it now relays Fox 4 & 17's successor, KFXL-TV as digital station KHGP-LD.

Station Channel Affiliations Former Affiliations Founded On-Air
Since		 City of
License		 Facility
ID		 Analog
ERP		 Rebroadcasts Status
K17CI 17 Fox 1989 1990 Beatrice 21164 979 W KSNB Off air 6/12/09
K18CD 18 Fox 1988 1999 Lincoln 21165 9.17 kW KTVG via Dish Network Off air 12/1/09
KWAZ-LP 35 Fox 1989
(As K22CX)		 2007 Lincoln 21167 7.5 kW KTVG via Dish Network Off air 12/1/09
WCWH-LP 40 Fox 1992
(As K40GX)		 2002 McCook 126450 16.6 kW KTVG via Dish Network Off air 3/19/10
KOAZ-LP 48 Fox 2001
(As K48HF)		 2003 O'Neill 128007 9.9 kW KTVG via Dish Network On air rebroadcasting KHGI-DT2
KHJP-LP 29 Fox 2004 ?? Valentine 130904 10.1 kW KTVG via Dish Network Off air spring 2010

A seventh repeater, K13OM in Natoma, Kansas was listed periodically on KSNB/KTVG ID screens, but this repeater is not listed in the FCC database and reports from the Natoma area indicate the repeater is not on the air and a tower does not exist for the repeater. Nonetheless, K13OM was displayed periodically on the station's ID screens as recently as early 2009.

History

KSNB

KSNB signed on in 1965 as KHTL-TV, part of the ABC-affiliated Nebraska Television Network (NTN) alongside KHOL-TV (now KHGI-TV), KHPL-TV (now KWNB-TV) and KHQL-TV in Albion. The call sign was changed to KSNB-TV on June 3, 1974.[1] During the 1980s, the chain was rebranded as NTV; around this time, KCNA-TV (the former KHQL) was spun off (the station is now Lincoln-based KLKN). In September 1996, KSNB dropped ABC for Fox, changing its parent station from KHGI to KTVG.[2]

Former logo for KSNB/KTVG until the relaunch of KFXL in July 2009.

During the early 2000s, KSNB and KTVG would pick up a secondary affiliation with Pax, renamed i on July 1, 2005 and Ion Television on January 29, 2007. The Ion affiliation was later discontinued.

It was also during this time that the station carried programs from UPN — that was until KOLN/KGIN launched a UPN-affiliated subchannel on September 1, 2005.[3] The network shut down a year later in favor of The CW, which was seen on KCWL-TV channel 51 until 2009, when it became KFXL-TV and started simulcasting KSNB/KTVG.

KSNB and KTVG began broadcasting network programming in high-definition on January 1, 2009 prior to the broadcast of the Orange Bowl.

KSNB was hampered by opting to return to channel 4 after the June 12, 2009 transition date (its digital signal had broadcast on UHF channel 34 before then), as the issue of lower VHF frequencies not transmitting well in digital (along with KSNB being one of the few stations digitally on channel 4 in the country) meant the station's coverage area was less than what had been mapped, and the lack of viewers with VHF-optimized digital antennas further complicated the situation. It was likely this led Pappas to transition KCWL from the CW to Fox as KFXL, in order to maintain Fox service to southern Nebraska in a way that KSNB could not.

The time brokerage agreement between Pappas Telecasting and Colins Broadcasting Corporation expired on November 30, 2009. As a result, KSNB, along with two translator stations in Lincoln owned by Colins, shut down on December 1. (A third Colins-owned translator, K17CI in Beatrice, Nebraska, had left the air on June 12, 2009.)[4]

As Pappas still owns KSNB's transmitter and the land it is on, Colins must provide its own facilities and land if the station returns to the air. KSNB returned to air briefly in November 2010 on a temporary, 225-watt transmitter, but has since gone dark again. Colins then put the license up for sale. [5][6] The station was broadcasting intermittently as an affiliate of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network.[7]

On June 23, 2011, Colins filed an application with the FCC[8] to increase the ERP of the station to 23.5 kW, moving the transmitter site to the existing tower of FM radio station KTMX, near York, roughly 50 miles (80km) northeast of the current site. If built, the signal of KSNB will be viewable in Lincoln to those with a proper outdoor TV antenna.

On November 21, 2012, it was announced that Gray Television, the owners of KOLN/KGIN, would acquire KSNB for $1.25 million. As duopolies are currently not allowed due to the market size, the two parties sought and were granted a failing stations waiver, which allowed the acquisition to occur. The station deal included Lincoln translators K17CD and KWAZ-LP. The deal was formally consummated on February 25, 2013. Planned programming for KSNB will include a 30-minute newscast for Central Nebraska and local sports coverage. [9] The station also took the MyNetworkTV affiliation held by a subchannel of KOLN/KGIN (which continues to simulcast KSNB).[10] KSNB also took on a secondary affiliation with Me-TV after Gray Television assumed ownership of the station, and airs Antenna TV on its second digital subchannel.

KTVG

A construction permit was granted on April 10, 1986 for KTVG. However, the station did not take to the air until February 19, 1993. It served as a Fox network affiliate from its inception, and was the market's only Fox station until KSNB's 1996 switch from ABC to Fox.[2]

As of April 2010, KTVG-TV was no longer listed on KFXL ID screens.[11] It was stated on a message board that parent station KHGI-TV announced during a newscast that KTVG-TV shut down on April 5, 2010;[12] this was confirmed by a comment in the station's July DTV education quarterly activity report filed with the FCC.[13]

Until KTVG shut down in April 2010, that station fed programming to KFXL and the network's low-power analog repeaters even though KFXL was billed as the main station. The digital subchannels of the NTV stations carrying KFXL received a direct feed from the studios in Axtell, as did KTVG.[14]

High-definition programming

KSNB and KTVG began broadcasting network programming in high-definition on January 1, 2009 prior to the broadcast of the Orange Bowl.

KFXL-TV, KHGI-DT2, KWNB-DT2, and KWNB-LD2 all carry Fox programming in high definition.

Cable/satellite coverage

KSNB was on Time Warner Cable channel 4 in Lincoln and channel 7 in Superior. It was also carried on numerous smaller cable systems across southeast Nebraska.

In Kearney and Grand Island, Charter Communications carried KTVG on basic channel 4 (as well as a HD feed on a digital tier). Galaxy Cablevision customers in Grand Island and Hall County and Antilles Wireless customers in Kenesaw also received KTVG on channel 4. In Hastings, Charter Communications carried the KTVG standard-definition signal on channel 3 (as well as HD on the digital tier). Glenwood Communications carried KTVG on channel 17 in Blue Hill. Great Plains Cable Television customers in Hayes Center were able to find the station on basic channel 29. It was also carried on numerous smaller cable systems across southern, central, and north-central Nebraska. Its signal was also available as the Fox station on the Lincoln DirecTV and Dish Network local feeds. DirecTV carried the station on channel 17 while Dish Network carried the station on channels 17 and 7553. KFXL has replaced KTVG as the Fox affiliate on all of the above systems.

KFXL is now the only HD Fox affiliate available on Time Warner Cable systems in Lincoln and points west. KPTM is still carried in HD on Time Warner in areas within the Omaha DMA.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "For the Record". Broadcasting. June 24, 1974. p. 70. Retrieved January 2, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "RESPONSE OF PAPPAS TELECASTING OF CENTRAL NEBRASKA, HILL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC., AND FANT BROADCASTING COMPANY OF NEBRASKA, INC. REGARDING LOCAL MARKETING AGREEMENTS" (PDF). Electronic Comment Filing System. Federal Communications Commission. July 8, 1997. Retrieved October 31, 2011. 
  3. ↑ Korbelik, Jeff (July 13, 2005). "KOLN/KGIN-TV to launch UPN channel". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved March 31, 2010. 
  4. ↑ "KSNB-TV signs off for final time". The Superior Express. December 1, 2009. Retrieved December 10, 2009. 
  5. ↑ northpine.con Broadcasting News, December 28, 2010.
  6. ↑ FCC records: "KSNB-TV, Superior, Nebraska (Facility ID No. 21161), STA – Exhibit, December 2010"
  7. ↑ FCC: COLINS BROADCASITNG CORPORATION, KSNB-DT TV4, Superior, Nebraska, Quarterly List of Issue – Responsive Programming (Third Quarter 2012 – July 1, 2012 thru September 30, 2012)
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ FCC Purchase Agreement, November 21, 2012.
  10. ↑ http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/490574-Gray_TV_Plans_to_Add_MyNet_to_KNSB_Lincoln.php
  11. ↑ "KFXL Station ID". Retrieved April 29, 2010. 
  12. ↑ "AVS Forum Omaha/Lincoln". Retrieved April 30, 2010. 
  13. ↑ "DTV Quarterly Activity Station Report". Retrieved July 26, 2010. 
  14. ↑ "KFXL/KTVG coverage map". Retrieved December 15, 2009. 
  15. ↑ Korbelik, Jeff. "Jeff Korbelik: Time Warner drops KPTM's high-def channel". 

External links

Television stations in Southeastern and Central Nebraska, including Lincoln
Lincoln
Grand Island
McCook
O'Neill
Bassett
Defunct
See also
Omaha TV
Sioux City TV
North Platte TV
Wichita TV
Topeka TV
Sioux Falls TV
Cheyenne TV
Denver TV
Corporate Leadership
  • Henry J. Pappas (Chairman & CEO)
  • Dennis J. Davis
  • Howard H. Shrier
  • Peter C. Pappas
  • Debbie L. Sweeney
  • Steven E. Alfieris
  • Dale Scherbring
  • Desiree Hill
  • Rueben Cuadros
Radio Stations
Television Stations
  • 1 80% owned by Pappas; remaining 20% owned by TV Azteca.
  • 2 Owned by Lincoln Broadcasting, LLC, Pappas operates KFXL stations under a LMA.
  • 3 Sale to Blackhawk Broadcasting, approved by the FCC, is awaiting consummation.
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