KBCA

For the school, see Kingston Bible College Academy.
KBCA
Alexandria, Louisiana
Channels Digital: 41 (UHF)
Subchannels 41.1 The CW
41.2 Antenna TV
Network The CW
Owner Wilderness Communications, LLC
First air date June 1, 2005
Call letters' meaning Blanchard
Chatelain
Azar
(owners' initials)
Former channel number(s) 41 (UHF analog, 2005-2009)
Former affiliations The WB (2005-2006)[1]
Transmitter power 1000 kW
Height 302.7 m
Facility ID 16940
Transmitter coordinates 30°54′17″N 92°37′28″W / 30.90472°N 92.62444°W
Website YourCWTV.com/partners/alexandria

KBCA is a television station in Alexandria, Louisiana, broadcasting locally on channel 41 as an affiliate of the The CW network. It is owned by Carencro, Louisiana-based Wilderness Communications. Its transmitter is based in the nearby town of Oakdale, Louisiana.

Before and after the launch of KBCA

KBCA former WB logo.

KBCA launched on June 1, 2005 as a WB Network affiliate.

At the time of KBCA's launch, The WB Television Network had a group of cable-only stations in markets below the top 99 television media markets in the United States, called The WB 100+ Station Group. Since the WB 100+ was created before digital television was easily available in the United States, most WB 100+ stations were only available on cable, with a few over-the-air broadcast stations.

This was the case with Alexandria's WB affiliate. Prior to KBCA's launch, the WB was only available to local cable subscribers. During this time, the "WB station" in Alexandria was identified by two different station call letters. It began as KCLA WB channel 6, and then later as KAXN WB channel 65.

In early 2004, rumors had been spreading in the Alexandria market of a possible new television station to be launched. Local media insiders believed White Knight Broadcasting, then owners of Fox affiliate WNTZ was negotiating the purchase of the new channel with plans of moving the Fox affiliation to it. Eventually, upon petitioning the FCC for the new channel, the plans were denied. Owners of White Knight eventually spoke to the previous of owners of WNTZ, Delta Media Corporation. Delta Media executives created a new corporate name, Dimension Broadcasting (a shell company for Wilderness Communications, LLC, another shell broadcasting company Delta Media owned and operated), and petitioned the FCC for the new license and won, becoming Dimension's charter station.

White Knight was also instrumental in assisting Dimension Broadcasting establish a relationship with the WB 100+ Station Group for the new KBCA, since White Knight also had previously owned the LMA to the Alexandria WB 100+ cable-only affiliate, KAXN. Furthermore, the Dimension/Wilderness and White Knight relationship helped the owners of Dimension/Wilderness eventually purchase two more stations, KLWB in Lafayette, Louisiana, and KCEB in Tyler, Texas. Both of these stations became WB affiliates (under the WB 100+ Station Group).

In turn, the Dimension Broadcasting ownership allowed White Knight to operate KBCA under a LMA, managed by the staff of WNTZ. The headquarters and master control operation for KBCA (and later KLWB) eventually were established in Carencro, Louisiana, in space once occupied by a restaurant owned by Delta Media that houses that company's television and radio properties. KBCA established its local base of operation within offices Delta Media own along Alexandria's Jackson Street, which at the time were being rented by White Knight for WNTZ's base of operation.

Due to the bankruptcy of White Knight Broadcasting and its sister company Communications Corporation of America, both based in Lafayette, it was forced to dissolve its LMA with Dimension Broadcasting by the middle of 2006. However, operations of both KBCA and WNTZ remained in the Jackson Street offices, even though each station was operating separately as two companies occupying the office space. WNTZ eventually left the rented office space in the building by 2007 and moved, leaving KBCA alone in its own property. Owners eventually moved the entire operation of KBCA to its headquarters in Carenco shortly thereafter, leaving no base of operation for KBCA in Alexandria at all.

The CW merger and effect on KBCA

On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN networks announced they would merge into a new singular network, The CW. In turn, Fox owner News Corporation announced the creation of MyNetworkTV for those stations left out in the cold due to The CW merger.

KBCA, which held The WB affiliation a mere six months prior to the announced CW merger, was a perfect match and was announced as the Alexandria affiliate of The CW, which commenced operations on September 18, 2006.

After the The CW announcement by KBCA, KBCA's former elder sister station, Fox affiliate WNTZ was announced as MyNetworkTV's home under a secondary affiliation agreement. Former UPN station KWCE-LP (channel 36 at the time), became an affiliate of Retro Television Network, and moved to channel 27 on the television dial.

KBCA's programming includes the full CW schedule as well as the live, late-night interactive show "TEXT ME TV," a program produced out of Lansing, Michigan's WLAJ-TV.

Digital television

Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997 , the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, on or before June 12, 2009, which is the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KBCA was required to turn off its analog signal and turn on its digital signal (called a "flash-cut").

On August 1, 2012, KBCA added Antenna TV to channel 41.2.

On January 31, 2013, it began broadcasting in HD.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Romano, Allison. "Broadcasters join The WB 100+.". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  2. ↑ http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=336737933103268&set=vb.127263920717338&type=2&theater

External links