KFXV-LD

KFXV-LD


McAllen, Texas
City of license McAllen, Texas
Branding FOX Rio 2
The Valley's Own CW 21 (DT2)
Slogan At 9, It's News, At 10, It's History. Now in High Definition
Channels Digital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 67 (PSIP)
Subchannels 67.2 KCWT-CD (The CW Plus)
Translators XHRIO 2.2
KXFX-CA 20.1
KTFV-CD RF 48.2 (displayed as 67.1 instead of 32.2)
Affiliations Fox/MNTV
Owner Entravision
(Entravision Holdings, LLC)
First air date August 14, 1997
Call letters' meaning FoX Rio Grande Valley
Sister station(s) KNVO-TV
KTFV-CD
KCWT-CD
KXFX-CA
XHRIO-TV
Former callsigns 891208RN (1997)
K67HC (1997-2000)
KSFE-LP/LD(2000-2012)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
67 (UHF, 1997-2011)
Former affiliations The CW via The CW Plus (2007-2011)
Transmitter power 15 kW
Height 216 m
Facility ID 49038
Transmitter coordinates 26°5′18″N 98°3′44″W / 26.08833°N 98.06222°W
Website Fox Rio 2
CW Rio Grande Valley

KFXV-LD channel 67 is a low-powered Fox-affiliated station in McAllen, Texas, owned by Entravision Communications. Former station XHRIO-TV served as the primary affiliation until 2012, when that station became an affiliate of MundoFox, while KFXV, which was a translator of XHRIO back in 2011, assumed the affiliation officially. KFXV can be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 6 and digital high definition channel 870. It can also be seen on Dish Network and DirecTV channel 2, hence the station's primary branding. When XHRIO assumed the MundoFox affiliation, the two feeds mentioned transitioned as KFXV feeds.

KFXV-LD holds an affiliation with The CW Television Network on its second subchannel, branded as the Rio Grande Valley's CW 21; the "21" refers to the subchannel's position on Time Warner Cable. It originally served as the station's primary affiliation from 2007 to 2011.

KFXV-LD carries the full Fox schedule, along with MyNetworkTV programming during the nighttime hours, starting at 10 p.m.

Because KFXV-LD is a low-power station, it was not required to shut off its analog signal.

Station History

Formerly known as KSFE-LP, the station became the valley's CW affiliate on August 6, 2007. Despite the fact that it was not carried on Time Warner Cable at the time, it was decided to brand the station as "The CW 21" to reflect the channel's eventual cable slot. For about a year, CW programming was previously seen on cable-only affiliate KMHB, which previously served as a WB affiliate from 2003 to 2006. KSFE began broadcasting a digital signal on sister station KNVO's subchannel 48.4 around the same time, enabling much of the Rio Grande Valley to receive The CW over-the-air.

In 2010, KSFE-LP began broadcasting as a low-power digital channel and can be found on RF channel 20, displayed as 67.1. Despite the fact that The CW was the primary affiliate, it was decided, in late 2011, to make the main channel a translator of then-primary Fox-affiliated sister station, XHRIO, with The CW pushed to the second subchannel.

In 2012, the call letters were changed to KFXV to better reflect the station's status as a translator of a Fox station. Furthermore, the station began to identify itself by the KFXV calls and channel despite the fact it was still branding itself as channel 2. It was also announced that The CW would henceforth be referred to as KCWT. KCWT is another low-power station owned by Entravision, located on analog channel 30. The analog feed of The CW was moved to KCWT and it is expected that the digital CW feed will relocate to digital channel 30.1 when that station (currently silent) goes live.

Around that time, it was announced that a new Spanish-language network by Fox called MundoFox would be coming to the Rio Grande Valley when it launched in August 2012. Reports indicated that a full-power station owned by Entravision would assume the affiliation. This led many to believe XHRIO would be the landing spot, possibly as a subchannel to Fox. On August 7, nearly a whole week before MundoFox's scheduled full launch date, XHRIO began airing MundoFox on 2.1 calling it a "test signal". The next day, via Fox Rio 2's Twitter feed, it was officially announced that MundoFox would be coming to XHRIO 2.1 and Fox would remain on KFXV 67.1. Although this switch had already happened unofficially, it officially took place on August 13, 2012, effectively splitting XHRIO and KFXV into two separate and distinct channels, making KFXV 67.1 the official Fox affiliate for the Rio Grande Valley. This also marks the first time, since the mid-1990s, that the valley's Fox station is of American origin, with American call signs. Despite the fact that KFXV is a newer station, it can be viewed as though XHRIO changed its calls and moved channels since everything remains as it was previously.

Despite moving the Fox affiliation from channel 2 to 67, the station will not be rebranded from its "Fox 2" moniker, making KFXV's primary branding match its location on satellite systems rather than its virtual channel.

Digital television

Channel Video Aspect Programming
67.1 720p 16:9 Main KFXV-LD programming / Fox
67.2 480i 4:3 Simulcast of KCWT-CD

Station identification bumps list sister station KXFX-CA 20.1 in Brownsville, Texas as a translator; however, that station remains silent and it is unclear when it will go on the air. KFXV is translated on KTFV-CD RF channel 48.2 (displayed as 67.1) and former affiliate XHRIO on channel 2.2

News operation

KFXV's news operation has migrated over from XHRIO during its time as the Fox affiliate.

When XHRIO debuted in 1979, the station produced hourly bilingual news briefs with KRIO newscasters Fred Cantu and Rod Santa Ana during evening programming.

A full local newscast would not air on the station until March 12, 2007, when XHRIO debuted Fox 2 News at Nine. The 30 minute newscast airs Monday through Friday at 9 p.m. It was not the first 9 p.m. newscast in the area, as XHFOX produced one while it was a Fox affiliate. Like many Fox affiliates, KFXV takes advantage of the network's shorter primetime schedule by scheduling their newscasts an hour before the other local affiliates in the region. In addition to local/national news, weather and sports, Fox 2 News also includes "Around The World In 80 Seconds", an 80-second segment dedicated to International news, health news and entertainment news. KFXV's newscast line-up is somewhat similar to that of sister station KNVO's Spanish language newscasts since both stations share the same facility.

On September 27, 2010, XHRIO began broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.

See also

External links