KCPO-LP
 | |
| Sioux Falls, South Dakota | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
KCPO (localized) Central Plains Media (regional) |
| Slogan |
Your South Dakota Station Something For Everyone |
| Channels | Analog: 26 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | Independent |
| Owner |
Central Plains Media (G.I.G, Inc.) |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Call letters' meaning |
K Chuck POppen (station owner) |
| Sister station(s) | KCPM |
| Former affiliations | UPN (1999-2004), Bloomberg (1999-2002) |
| Website | www.kcpo.tv |
KCPO-LP, Channel 26 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is an independent television station that is owned and operated by Chuck Poppen's Central Plains Media that is a former UPN affiliate. KCPO was available on cable channel 2 or 3 in the eastern half of South Dakota and many cable systems reaching viewers in Southwestern Minnesota. KCPL was a translator of KCPO, simulcasting all of its programming on channel 52, in Rapid City, South Dakota that was seen on cable channel 13 or 12 in the western half of the state.
A third station, MyNetworkTV affiliate KCPM channel 27 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, simulcasts KCPO, though KCPM airs different programming at times and local commercial inserts.
History
KCPO-TV signed on the air for the first time in 1999 as a UPN and Bloomberg affiliate for Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 2004, KCPO-TV launched a semi-satellite with the call letters KCPL-TV in Rapid City.
KCPO was affiliated with UPN until KELO-TV launched its UPN affiliated "UTV" digital subchannel in January 2004. KCPL was affiliated with UPN until the network stopped operations in 2006, while simulcasting KCPO outside of network programming. After 2006, KCPL operated as an independent station fully simulcasting KCPO.
A third sister station, KCPM, located in Grand Forks, North Dakota is affiliated with MyNetworkTV, and was also a former UPN affiliate since its launch in 2003. It simulcast much of KCPO's programming when not airing network material, but airs separate commercials, station identifications and sometimes different syndicated programming due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) market regulations.
KCPO aired syndicated television programs, movies and locally-produced programming, including a country music video program called That Country Video Show and a car and motorcycle racing program called Talk'n Dirt featuring coverage of area race tracks and events. Both of these programs could be seen on KCPO and KCPM.
The uniqueness of this three-station system was it was the only South Dakota station group that broadcast/cablecast in South and North Dakota and Minnesota. Agreements with other broadcast stations have provided sports programming allowing viewers to see coverage of such activities as the KSTC broadcasts of Minnesota State High School League football, hockey, and basketball tournaments. These tournaments have been regularly carried on the Central Plains Media stations for many years.
Central Plains Media stations are owned and operated by G.I.G, Inc., which stand for Guaranteed Impressions Group.
KCPL-LP's license was cancelled by the FCC on March 12, 2013, while KCPO-LP was briefly off the air and its license was planned to be cancelled on March 12, 2014, but was renewed.
KCPO is planning to flash-cut to digital broadcasting in 2015, and will carry Retro TV on a digital subchannel.[1]