New licenses

• KAET 8.x Phoenix (Arizona Board of Regents for ASU) has been granted a license to cover its post-transition facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 8; TL 33-20-0 N, 112-3-49 W; ERP 40 kW non-directional; HAAT 549 m.
• KAZT-TV 7.x Prescott (KAZT LLC [The Londen Group]) has been granted a license to cover its post-transition facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 7; TL 34-41-15 N, 112-7-1 W; ERP 3.2 kW; HAAT 792 m.
• KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix (Scripps Media) has been granted a license to cover its post-transition facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 15; TL 33-20-0 N, 112-3-46 W; ERP 458 kW; HAAT 521 m.
• K33IY-D 7.x Le Chee (Page) (University of Utah) filed for and was granted a license to cover its power increase. Technical specifications: Ch 33; TL 36-51-20 N, 111-26-26 W; ERP 0.1 kW; HAAT 8 m.
• K32FQ-D 7.x St. George UT (University of Utah) has filed for a license to cover construction of its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 32; TL 37-3-50 N, 113-34-20 W; ERP 0.225 kW; HAAT 62 m.
• K36FT-D 11.x Santa Clara UT (Brigham Young University) has filed for a license to cover construction of its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 36; TL 37-9-19 N, 113-52-56 W; ERP 0.225 kW; HAAT 1064 m.
• K39JZ-D 11.x St. George UT (Brigham Young University) has filed for a license to cover construction of its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 39; TL 37-3-50 N, 113-34-20 W; ERP 0.325 kW; HAAT 62 m.
• KUWB-LD 30.x (22) Bloomington UT (High Plains Broadcasting License Company LLC) has filed for a license to cover construction of its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 22; TL 37-3-48 N, 113-34-23 W; ERP 0.13 kW; HAAT 58 m.
• K18DN-D 11.x Kanab UT (Western Kane County Special Service District #1) has filed for and was granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 18; TL 37-3-35 N, 112-31-12 W; ERP 0.063 kW; HAAT 103 m.
• K20EC-D 2.x Kanab UT (Western Kane County Special Service District #1) has filed for and was granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 20; TL 37-3-35 N, 112-31-12 W; ERP 0.063 kW; HAAT 103 m.
• K23DP-D 9.x Kanab UT (University of Utah) has filed for and was granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 23; TL 37-3-35 N, 112-31-12 W; ERP 0.063 kW; HAAT 103 m.
• K28IT-D 11.x Kanab UT (Western Kane County Special Service District #1) has filed for and was granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 28; TL 37-3-35 N, 112-31-12 W; ERP 0.063 kW; HAAT 103 m.
• K32DC-D 4.x Kanab UT (Western Kane County Special Service District #1) has filed for and was granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 32; TL 37-3-35 N, 112-31-12 W; ERP 0.063 kW; HAAT 103 m.
• K23FE-D 5.x Gallup NM (Regents of U of NM & Board of Educ of city of Albu. NM) has been granted a license to cover its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 23; TL 35-36-16 N, 108-40-49 W; ERP 0.356 kW; HAAT 359 m.

Programming changes

• KPDF-LD 41.x Phoenix (Una Vez Mas Phoenix License LLC) has added three subchannels, numbered 41.2 - 41.4. There is no programming for the subchannels yet; KPDF is airing a slide on each advertising the channel for lease. Interestingly, the Azteca America logo appears on the slide; Una Vez Mas doesn't use one of their own.
• K41ER Globe-Miami (Trinity Broadcasting of Arizona, Inc.) is back on the air, again rebroadcasting KPAZ-TV 21.1 Phoenix.
• KFBP-LD 50.x Globe (Globe LPTV) began airing programming from Video Zona TV on channel 50.2, then moved it to 50.1, then changed the PSIP major channel number to 3, conflicting with KTVK. The station has now gone silent.
• K25HD Bullhead City (Richard D. Tatham) has requested a Silent STA due to transmitter failure.
• K46IL Verde Valley (The Camp Verde TV Club) has resumed broadcasting after fixing a transmitter short. It is now running 3ABN programming.
• K23FZ Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club) is having problems with their transmission. The station is broadcasting but is sending out a black screen, possibly due to a nearby lightning strike. Unfortunately, the Squaw Peak electronics site can be difficult to access and is prone to lightning strikes.
• K47IK Camp Verde and K57DC Verde Valley (The Camp Verde TV Club) are both experiencing signal problems. Both stations share facilities, and the source of the problem has been identified, but as with K23FV, the stations' antennas are on Squaw Peak, so the same access issues apply.

Call sign changes

• KVBC-TV 3.x (2) Las Vegas (Valley Broadcasting Company) has changed its call sign to KSNV-DT. SNV = Southern Nevada.

Transactions

• TBN has just listed many of their LPTV stations for sale, including the following Arizona and vicinity stations:
  • K51IO Bullhead City
  • K51HV Cottonwood
  • K41ER Globe/Miami
  • K38CX Shonto
  • K57BD Tucson
• Ownership of K49KI Prescott (Pete E M Warren III) has been transferred to Sara Diaz Warren, Executrix, Estate of Pete E M Warren III. Pete Warren died six years ago; the construction permit was awarded posthumously. Sara Diaz Warren has previously owned LPTV stations in Yuma AZ, Calexico CA and El Paso TX.
• Christian Communications of Chicagoland has agreed to sell KEEN-CA 17.x Las Vegas NV to Christian Media Associates International, Inc., a locally-owned company, for the sum of $350,000. The sale is pending FCC approval.

Construction permits and Special Temporary Authorizations granted

• K03ID-D Flagstaff (One Ministries, Inc.) was granted an original construction permit. The station's application had been dismissed due to failure to pay a filing fee, but One Ministries timely petitioned for reconsideration and paid the necessary fee. Technical specifications: Ch 3; TL 34-58-6 N, 111-30-28 W; ERP 0.3 kW; HAAT 454 m.
• K16EO 9.x Oro Valley/Tucson (Journal Broadcasting Company) requested and was granted a six-month extension of its STA to operate in digital pending grant of its construction permit. The permit is awaiting coordination with Mexican authorities.
• KNJO-LD 6.x (15) Holbrook (KM Communications, Inc.) requested and was granted a second six-month extension of its digital companion channel construction permit, due to financial hardship. The station now has until January 12, 2011, to build its digital facilities.
• KWKM-LD 10.x (13) Show Low (KM Communications, Inc.) requested and was granted a second six-month extension of its digital companion channel construction permit, due to financial hardship. The station now has until January 12, 2011, to build its digital facilities.
• KWSJ-LD 12.x (9) Snowflake (KM Communications, Inc.) requested and was granted a second six-month extension of its digital companion channel construction permit, due to financial hardship. The station now has until January 12, 2011, to build its digital facilities.
• KPHE-LD 44.x (16) Phoenix (Lotus TV of Phoenix) will be granted its displacement application to move to RF channel 31, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claims to suffer interference due to being adjacent to 2 full-power stations. Technical specifications: Ch 31; TL 33-20-1 N, 112-3-45 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 498 m.
• KFTU-CA 34 Tucson (Telefutura Partnership of Tucson) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 18, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claimed displacement due to proximity to co-owned KTVW-DT 33.x (34) Phoenix, which abandoned channel 34 on June 12, 2009, when it switched to its post-transition facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 18; TL 32-24-54 N, 110-42-56 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 1079 m.
• KDOS-LP 50 Globe (KTVW License Partnership, G.P.) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 29, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claimed displacement due to proximity to co-channel KFPB-LD 50.x Globe, which actually operates in Phoenix. Technical specifications: Ch 29; TL 33-17-21 N, 110-49-45 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 1001 m.
• KZOL-LP 15 Safford (KTVW License Partnership, G.P.) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 16, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claimed displacement due to proximity to the post-transition facilities of KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix. Technical specifications: Ch 16; TL 32-39-1 N, 109-50-53 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 1311 m.
• KRPO-LP 55 Quartzsite (Jenifer Juarez) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 21, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. As an out-of-core station, it qualified for displacement. Strictly opinion: the channel selected and new transmitter location near Salome, which does not come close to serving Quartzsite, suggests that the station is in the process of moving to Phoenix. I don't foresee the station ever broadcasting a signal from its Salome location. Technical specifications: Ch 21; TL 33-43-35 N, 113-37-2 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 90 m.
• K59CI 5.x (27) Globe/Miami (Meredith Corporation) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 27, barring objections. The station has already completed the flash cut after having been given a Special Temporary Authorization to do so. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. As an out-of-core station, it qualified for displacement. Technical specifications: Ch 27; TL 33-20-20 N, 110-52-16 W; ERP 1 kW; HAAT 666 m.
• K21GC Safford (Telefutura Partnership of Phoenix) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 34, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claimed displacement due to proximity to K21JO-D Lordsburg NM. Technical specifications: Ch 34; TL 32-39-1 N, 109-50-53 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 1311 m.
• K48GX Tucson (Telefutura Partnership of Tucson) will be granted its displacement application to flash cut to digital on RF channel 36 and to move transmitter location from Tower Peak to Mount Bigelow, barring objections. The FCC announced its intention to grant the permit after a 30-day period for objections, which ends August 7. The station claimed displacement due to interference from KDPH-LP 48 Phoenix, however, interference from KAZT-CD 7.x (36) Phoenix doesn't seem to be an issue at the new site. K48GX served as a fill-in translator to serve Marana and Oro Valley with the signal from KFTU-CA 34 Tucson; although the proposed facility's signal contour includes those communities, no other Mount Bigelow signal provides adequate signal to them. Technical specifications: Ch 36; TL 32-24-54 N, 110-42-56 W; ERP 6.7 kW; HAAT 1079 m.

Applications requested

• Gila River Telecommunications, Inc. (GRTI) has applied for construction permits for eight new digital LPTV stations to serve the Gila River Indian Community from four transmitter locations: Maricopa Village, located just outside Laveen near 77th Avenue and Baseline Road; Lone Butte, located just outside Chandler at the GRTI office near 56th Street and Loop 202; Stotonic, near the intersection of Gilbert Road and AZ-87; and Signal Peak, located off AZ-387, about four miles east of the junction with I-10. GRTI is requesting a waiver of the rule that requires applications for new digital LPTV stations to be rural, i.e., transmitter location at least 75 miles from the reference coordinates of Phoenix and Tucson. GRTI argues that, despite being within the 75-mile radius, the Indian Community meets all other definitions of a rural community and claims that their unique cultural and medical needs are not being addressed by any other local, cable or satellite television station. Furthermore, the community has nearly no cable television service. Strictly opinion: GRTI's arguments are valid and the community should be granted a waiver for at least the Stotonic and Signal Peak applications, although I question the need for the Maricopa Village and Lone Butte stations, as they can be adequately served by existing stations. Some of the stations serve parts of Ahwatukee, Chandler and Tempe. Technical specifications of proposed stations:
  • Ch 19; TL 33-17-13 N, 111-57-43 W (Lone Butte); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT 30 m.
  • Ch 19; TL 33-22-37 N, 112-13-31 W (Maricopa Village); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT -3 m (55 m AGL).
  • Ch 21; TL 33-9-38 N, 111-48-4 W (Stotonic); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT 23 m.
  • Ch 21; TL 33-1-49 N, 111-34-29 W (Signal Peak); ERP 7 kW directional; HAAT 21 m.
  • Ch 28; TL 33-22-37 N, 112-13-31 W (Maricopa Village); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT -3 m (55 m AGL).
  • Ch 29; TL 33-1-49 N, 111-34-29 W (Signal Peak); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT 21 m.
  • Ch 29; TL 33-9-38 N, 111-48-4 W (Stotonic); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT 23 m.
  • Ch 30; TL 33-17-13 N, 111-57-43 W (Lone Butte); ERP 15 kW directional; HAAT 30 m.
• Fort Mojave Television Inc. has amended its application for a new television station to serve Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, changing antenna make and lowering ERP from 15 kW to 1.25 kW. The predicted contour of the old power level put a lot of the signal into uninhabited and terrain-blocked areas; the new power level is still predicted to cover the Mojave Valley from Needles CA to Bullhead City AZ and Laughlin NV. Technical specifications: Ch 23; TL 34-57-50 N, 114-34-13 W; ERP 1.25 kW directional; HAAT -50 m (55 m AGL).
• KPDT-LD 12.x Prescott (Word of God Fellowship) is requesting a six-month extension of its construction permit, which expired 1/12/2010. The application is confusing in that the facility ID numbers of both the original analog and digital station in the application belong to KPDT Prescott, while the station identified in the application is KPTD Paris TX. Both stations held digital companion channel construction permits which expired 1/12/2010, but only KPTD's was renewed in January; KPDT's was allowed to expire and should not be eligible for extension. The FCC followed the facility ID number and has assigned the application to KPDT-LD.
• K53IJ Prescott (Gerald Benevides) is once again seeking digital flash cut authorization with a change to an in-core channel, a transmitter location change to a mountain west of Lake Pleasant, and a community of license (COL) change to Sun City. The station still has an outstanding application to change COL to Sun City, move its transmitter to the same location, and flash cut to digital on channel 32. The new application is for the channel vacated by full-service analog station KPAZ-TV, therefore, it will not require Mexican coordination. Technical specifications: Ch 21; TL 33-57-21 N, 112-28-34 W; ERP 15 kW non-directional; HAAT 206 m.
• K30BQ Needles CA (Needles Community TV Club Inc.) filed a correction to its DTV flash cut application, lowering the tower height from 1833 m (well over a mile high!) to 9 m, lowering the transmitter power output (TPO) from 0.1 kW to 0.008 kW, lowering the effective radiated power (ERP) from 0.631 kW to 0.1 kW and lowering the height above average terrain (HAAT) from 461 m to 455 m. Technical specifications: Ch 30; TL 35-2-9 N, 114-22-14 W; ERP 0.1 kW; HAAT 455 m.
• K31HY Needles CA (Mohave County Board of Supervisors) filed a correction to its DTV flash cut construction permit, correcting the TPO and ERP from 0.1 kW and 0.006 kW, respectively, to 0.01 kW and 0.1 kW. Technical specifications: Ch 31; TL 35-2-9 N, 114-22-14 W; ERP 0.1 kW; HAAT 463 m.
• KUTG-LP 58 St. George UT (Lamar Veasey) has filed a displacement application to flash cut to digital and to change to an in-core channel. Technical specifications: Ch 14; TL 37-3-49 N, 113-34-29 W; ERP 1 kW non-directional; HAAT 47 m.

Expired/Expiring construction permits

• The displacement construction permit to move analog KDTP-LP from channel 58 to channel 11 expired on July 16.
• The digital companion channel construction permit for K33JY-D, companion to K23HB Flagstaff (Prism Broadcasting Network, Inc.) expired on July 31.

DTV status updates

• K61FB Globe-Miami (Multimedia Holdings Corporation [Gannett]) has begun digital operations per STA. Technical specifications: Ch 48; TL 33-20-31 N, 110-52-14 W; ERP 3 kW directional; HAAT 685 m.

Mea culpa

• For quite some time, I have been incorrectly identifying an out-of-core signal in the Verde Valley. According to Roger Doering, operator of The Camp Verde TV Club, the signal on channel 62 is not an unlicensed signal or an STA, but rather, the K18DD studio-to-transmitter link (STL) to Mingus Mountain, which broadcasts at 758-764 MHz (frequencies for channel 62) with the blessings of the FCC. See FCC ULS database entry (http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/Uls...). STL transmissions must have minimal variance from the direct line to the transmitter, no more than ten degrees total, if I'm recalling the conversation correctly. On the other side of the TV Club's Roadrunner Lane facilities, one can find the K19FD STL to Squaw Peak on channel 39 (http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/Uls...), although due to the much steeper angle of elevation, it is unlikely that one would be able to receive it OTA. I have expressed my sincerest apologies to Roger; apparently a reader notified the FCC, who contacted Roger asking for an explanation, but once he told them it was the STL, they were able to verify it in their database and were satisfied. Roger was very gracious about the incident, but I need to think twice before identifying anything as unlicensed. At least now I know where to look. Welcome to Journalism 101, Dave.