KCHF

KCHF
Santa Fe, New Mexico
United States
Branding SBN - Son Broadcasting Network
Channels Digital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 11 (PSIP)
Subchannels 11.1 Main programming
11.2 WeatherNation
11.3 Heartland
11.4 Antenna TV
11.5 KDAZ Audio
Affiliations Religious Independent
Owner Son Broadcasting, Inc.
First air date January 21, 1984
Sister station(s) KNMQ-LD
Former channel number(s) Analog:
11 (VHF, 1984-2009)
Transmitter power 30 kW
Height 608.1 m
Facility ID 60793
Transmitter coordinates 35°46′49″N 106°31′36″W / 35.78028°N 106.52667°W
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.kchftv.com

KCHF digital channel 10 (virtual channel 11) is an independent, Christian television station in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, serving the Albuquerque DMA from its transmitter location near Los Alamos. The station is owned by Son Broadcasting, a non-profit organization, and broadcasts Christian programming with no secular entertainment or infomercials on its main channel.

KCHF also carries WeatherNation, a commercial weather information channel on its digital 11.2 subchannel as well as Heartland a country music and lifestyle network on subchannel 11.3. Antenna TV which airs reruns of classic TV shows (mainly sitcoms) and a few movies is shown on 11.4. Audio from its sister radio station KDAZ AM 730 is also carried on the signal on 11.5. It is currently the only Christian television station operating on the VHF band.

History

The original construction permit for KCHF was granted on January 19, 1983. The station signed on in January 1984 and was granted their initial license on June 29, 1984. KCHF has always operated as a Christian station, as its owners have committed the station to serve the Christian community. KCHF-DT was licensed as a full digital television facility on January 26, 2006 and has served as the broadcast facility after the digital television conversion was complete.

Programming

As an independent station with no network commitments, KCHF produces several programs in-house, in addition to the nationally-syndicated programming commonly offered by Christian television stations. Some of their locally-produced programs include:

KCHF broadcasts "God Answers Prayer" both as a studio talk show and as a live call-in show on weekdays, and a "best of" show on Sundays.

The station meets the requirement for educational programming for children. It broadcasts over eight hours E/I-rated programming each week, mostly aimed at children under 10, including a five-hour block on Saturday mornings.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[1]
11.1 480i 4:3 KCHF-DT Main KCHF programming
11.2 KCHF-WN WeatherNation TV
11.3 Heart Heartland
11.4 Antenna Antenna TV
11.5 none none AM 730 KDAZ audio

WeatherNation which features national and local weather forecasts was added in early August 2012. Heartland and KDAZ audio was added on June 30, 2014.[2] Antenna TV was added on August 15, 2014. These channels are also relayed on KNMQ-LD channel 43 that can cover some parts of the Albuquerque area better than the KCHF signal transmitted from a site near Los Alamos about 45 miles away.

Analog-to-digital conversion

KCHF shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 11, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10.[3] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 11.

References

  1. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KCHF
  2. ↑ Luken Welcomes KCHF As Heartland Affiliate In Albuquerque -Santa Fe
  3. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.

External links