New licenses

• KTAZ 39.x Phoenix (NBC Telemundo License Co.) has been granted a license to cover construction of its post-transition digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 39; TL 33-20-3 N, 112-3-38 W; ERP 550 kW; HAAT 537.5 m.
• KHRR 40.x Tucson (NBC Telemundo License Co.) has been granted a license to cover construction of its post-transition digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 40; TL 32-14-55 N, 111-6-57 W; ERP 396 kW; HAAT 621 m.
• KFTU-DT 3.x (36) Douglas (Telefutura Partnership of Douglas [Univision]) has been granted a license to cover construction of its post-transition digital facilities. There seems to have been some confusion on the construction permit, as it specified 5 kW facilities, but the coverage map attached specified 21 kW. Technical specifications: Ch 36; TL 31-28-55 N, 109-57-32 W; ERP 5 kW; HAAT 685 m.
• KTVW-DT 33.x Phoenix (KTVW License Partnership GP [Univision]) has applied for a license to cover construction of its maximized faciliites. Technical specifications: Ch 33; TL 33-20-0 N, 112-3-46 W; ERP 470 kW; HAAT 510 m.
• KDPH-LD 48.x (46) Phoenix (Community Television Educators, Inc. [Daystar]) has been granted a license to cover construction of its companion digital station. After getting the call sign of the station changed to KDPH-LD, the FCC, following the original application, has once again licensed the station as KDTP-LD. Technical specifications: Ch 46; TL 33-20-1 N, 112-3-45 W; ERP 15 kW; HAAT 487 m.
• KEEN-CD 17.x Las Vegas NV (Christian Communications of Chicagoland, Inc.) has been granted a license to cover construction of its digital facilities. Technical specifications: Ch 17; TL 36-0-36 N, 115-0-20 W; ERP 4.1 kW; HAAT 310 m.
• KUWB-LD 30.x (22) Bloomington UT (High Plains Broadcasting License Company LLC) has been granted 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.
• KGHD-LP 6 St. George UT (Obidia Porras) has been granted a license to cover construction of its facilities on West Peak. Technical specifications: Ch 6; TL 37-9-19 N, 113-52-57 W; ERP 0.9 kW; HAAT 1075 m.
• K32FQ-D St. George UT (University of Utah) has been granted 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.

Programming changes

• KTAZ 39.x Phoenix (NBC Telemundo) has added Inmigrante TV as subchannel 39.2. The channel was created by Houston immigration attorney Manuel Solis and already airs in several other top 10 Hispanic markets.
• KFPB-LD 50.x Globe (Globe LPTV) has returned to air, broadcasting to the Phoenix metro area from South Mountain. Channel 50.1 carries programming from Video Zona TV. Channel 50.3 had programming from PromiseLand Television Network for a few days, then switched over to infomercials, then to color bars. Channel 50.2 started out as color bars, then got the infomercials formerly on 50.3. Channel 50.4 started out as color bars, but now shows a graphic, advertising the channel for lease. See thumbnail (http://picasaweb.google.com/dhett21...).
• KPHE-LD 44.4 (Lotus TV of Phoenix, LLC) has dumped the infomercials in favor of My Family TV.
• K28EY Douglas (NBC Telemundo License Co.) is silent.
• K48GX Tucson (Telefutura Partnership of Tucson [Univision]) is silent. It's possible that Univision is preparing to move the transmitter facilities to Mt. Bigelow, having received word that the FCC is prepared to grant its displacement application to change locations and to flash cut to digital on channel 36.
• K57BD Tucson (Trinity Broadcasting of Arizona, Inc.) is once again silent. TBN is looking to sell the station.
• KVTE-LP 35 Las Vegas NV (Mountain Ridge Holdings, Inc.) has filed a request for Silent STA. The station has been broadcasting a test pattern since June 1, but for the FCC's purposes, "on air" means broadcasting programming that can be viewed by the public, as enforced in WYLE's license revocation.

Transactions

• KEEN-CD 17.x Las Vegas NV (Christian Communications of Chicagoland, Inc.) has received FCC approval of its sale to Christian Media Associates International, Inc.
• K63HJ Laughlin NV (Roger Mills) has received FCC approval of its return to 9th Island Broadcasting, Inc. in exchange for forgiveness of debt and a nominal payment. Mills had bought the station in 2008 with the understanding that it was to be moved to Las Vegas.

Construction permits and STAs granted

• K17DA Lake Havasu City (KAZT LLC) requested and has been approved for an STA to flash cut to digital while its formal application is awaiting Mexican approval. Technical specifications: Ch 17; TL 34-36-9 N, 114-22-13 W; ERP 0.78 kW; HAAT 42 m.
• K20ID Kingman (KAZT LLC) requested and has been approved for an STA to flash cut to digital while its formal application is awaiting Mexican approval. Technical specifications: Ch 20; TL 35-4-52 N, 113-54-13 W; ERP 0.043 kW; HAAT 1096 m.
• K24DK Bullhead City (KAZT LLC) requested and has been approved for an STA to flash cut to digital while its formal application is awaiting Mexican approval. Technical specifications: Ch 24; TL 35-2-9 N, 114-22-14 W; ERP 0.195 kW; HAAT 451 m.

Applications and STAs requested

• KTVP-LP 22 Phoenix (Mako Communications LLC) has filed an application to flash cut to digital. It is quite likely that KTVP will not build the digital facilities on channel 6 for which it had a construction permit - probably a wise move. Technical specifications: Ch 22; TL 33-19-58 N, 112-3-59 W; ERP 5 kW; HAAT 460 m.
• KPVY-LD 45.x Prescott (KM Communications, Inc.) has amended its construction permit modification application to request a waiver of the signal overlap requirement. KVPY's licensed facilities cover an area to the northwest of Wickenburg; the signal coverage area of its construction permit to move to Shaw Butte in Phoenix overlaps the licensed facilities, but the signal coverage of the CP modification request to move to South Mountain does not overlap that of the licensed facilities, a violation of FCC rules. Technical specifications: Ch 45; TL 33-20-4 N, 112-3-33 W; ERP 8 kW; HAAT 463 m.
• K25DM Phoenix (Mako Communications LLC) has filed an application to flash cut to digital at its current North Mountain facility, despite having claimed that analog channel 25 broadcasts received interference from adjacent-channel KTVK on South Mountain. The two sites are 29 km (18 mi) apart, so interference should still be a problem. K25DM still has an outstanding displacement application to move to South Mountain and to broadcast on channel 18 with greater power, so it's unclear why this flash cut application has been filed. One possible explanation is that the station can go digital now instead of having to wait for Mexican clearance on channel 18. At the power level requested for the channel 25 flash cut, the coverage area should be equal to or less than that of the analog facility, so no further clearance would be necessary. Technical specifications: Ch 25; TL 33-35-38 N, 112-5-10 W; ERP 1.5 kW; HAAT m.
• In response to the FCC notice to correct an interference problem to K57JO's application to change to channel 49, Tri-State Christian Radio has amended its application for a new low-power digital station on channel 48 to serve Needles CA. Tri-State has changed the proposed antenna, and has switched from a non-directional pattern to directional, but has also nearly doubled power. Technical specifications: Ch 48; TL 34-49-43 N, 114-36-38 W; ERP 11.4 kW; HAAT -53 m (30 m AGL).
• Clark County (NV) School District has filed an application for a digital companion channel to K02FN Mesquite NV. Its previous companion channel CP expired in March 2010 without being built. The new proposed facilities are identical to those proposed in the expired permit. Technical specifications: Ch 25; TL 36-49-55 N, 114-3-32 W; ERP 0.515 kW; HAAT -62 m (24 m AGL).

Licenses, Permits canceled / Applications dismissed

• K43CO Casa Grande (KAZT LLC) has surrendered its license and the station's call sign has been deleted.
• KEJR-LP 43 Phoenix (Hero Licenseco LLC) has surrendered its analog license and the station's call sign has been deleted. The station went off the air two weeks later.
• KPDF-LD 41.x Phoenix (Una Vez Mas Phoenix License LLC) has been notified that its digital flash cut application has been dismissed due to Mexican objection. The station still is able to operate pursuant to its STA until September 9.
• The FCC has once again dismissed an application from Kolbe Broadcasting, Inc. to build a new educational digital LPTV station to serve Willcox on channel 6. The application had previously been dismissed due to failure to include a filing fee. Kolbe challenged the dismissal, claiming a filing fee was not necessary because they were a noncommercial educational licensee, citing Section 1.1114 of the Commission's Rules. However, that rule only applies to licensees of existing full-power NCE stations, which Kolbe is not. There is no non-commercial class in LPTV.
• The FCC has dismissed a displacement application by K53IJ Prescott (KVFW-TV LLC) to flash cut to digital on channel 32 and change its community of license to Sun City. It is unclear why the application is being dismissed, although the station has recently applied to flash cut on channel 21 instead.

Expired/expiring construction permits

• The digital flash cut construction permit for K27EC Lake Havasu City (Lake Havasu Christian Television) is set to expire on September 27. Richard Tatham, owner of K36DU in Lake Havasu City, didn't build out that CP; I'd be very surprised if this one gets built.
• The digital companion channel construction permit for KVPX-LD 28.1 (6) Las Vegas NV (Mako Communications LLC) is expiring on September 16. Normally, I'd say this one doesn't get built, but Mako extended the permit last February. Still, Mako abandoned channel 6 for LP DTV in Phoenix and hasn't requested an extension yet, so this one may expire, to be replaced by a digital flash cut application later.

Digital transition

• Mohave County has completed its conversion to digital in most towns. Latest stations observed broadcasting in digital:
  • K27DA-D Big Sandy Valley (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 27; TL 35-6-37 N, 113-52-55 W, ERP 0.001 kW, HAAT 869 m.
  • K41BZ-D Dolan Springs (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 41; TL 35-35-42 N, 114-14-46 W; ERP 0.002 kW; HAAT 172 m.
  • K46CG-D Golden Valley (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 46; TL 35-13-40 N, 114-12-54 W, ERP 0.004 kW, HAAT -95 m (12 m AGL).
  • K34EF-D Kingman (KASW 61.x Phoenix) - Ch 34; TL 35-4-53 N, 113-54-14 W; ERP 0.003 kW; HAAT 1060 m.
  • K44DK-D Kingman (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 44; TL 35-4-53 N, 113-54-14 W; ERP 0.004 kW; HAAT 1060 m.
  • K21EA-D Lake Havasu City (KASW 61.x Phoenix) - Ch 21; TL 34-36-9 N, 114-22-13 W; ERP 0.014 kW; HAAT 43 m.
  • K39FV-D Lake Havasu City (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 39; TL 34-36-9 N, 114-22-16 W; ERP 0.014 kW; HAAT 44 m.
  • K38GR-D Meadview (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 38; TL 35-51-48 N, 114-5-45 W, ERP 0.006 kW, HAAT 205 m.
  • K31HY-D Needles CA (KNXV-TV 15.x Phoenix) - Ch 31; TL 35-2-9 N, 114-22-14 W; ERP 0.006 kW; HAAT 463 m.
• Still waiting on the Bullhead City (Katherine Landing), Littlefield, Colorado City and Moccasin translators that Mohave County owns, plus a Needles CA translator, owned by the Needles TV Club, but seemingly managed by Mohave County.

Miscellaneous observations

• In my conversation last month with Roger Doering of the Camp Verde TV Club, he explained to me that the channel 62 signal I had observed was actually the studio-transmitter link (STL) for K18DD, aimed at Mingus Mtn. and authorized by the FCC to use the frequencies occupied by channel 62. He also stated that K19FD also uses an STL aimed at Squaw Peak that is authorized for the frequencies occupied by channel 39, but thought that the angle of elevation from the source to the mountain might be too steep to pick up that signal from Camp Verde. The FCC data had the STL angle of elevation as 1% from the studio to Mingus Mtn. and 7% from the studio to Squaw Peak. Being the curious type, on a recent trip to Flagstaff, I decided to detour the 5 miles or so off the freeway to reconfirm the Camp Verde / Verde Valley and Cottonwood / Clarkdale signals, and from a location a few hundred yards from the studio, I was able to pick up the K19FD STL on channel 39. Not quite as clear as the K18DD STL, but clear enough to make out what channel it was. I think I detected this signal very faintly several years ago, but never knew what channel it was due to the imprecise tuner on the portable TV I was using. I had known about STLs before, but thought they were always outside the television frequency range.
• Some time back, while scanning for the Flagstaff and Prescott full-service digital channels outside Cordes Junction, I detected a signal on channel 25, which had been the old pre-transition home for KAZT-TV's digital signal, but at 15-25% signal strength, I wasn't able to decode it. Moving the UHF loop antenna around, I could get strengths up to 40% and a little bit of the transport stream information, but not enough to identify the channel. Finally, I got the antenna positioned where I could pick up a 55-60% signal, enough to decode, and found it to be KAET 8 Phoenix, which broadcasts a VHF signal from about 70 miles south of where I was. I should have been terrain blocked, so I wondered if there was an unlicensed LP DTV operation, or maybe an unpublished STA from Mingus Mtn., but I couldn't receive the signal in either Verde Valley or Prescott Valley. Then, based on events of last month, I thought it might be the STL KAET used to feed their channel 42 Mingus Mtn. translator, but a search of the FCC database ruled that theory out quickly. A harmonic signal perhaps? Channel 8 in the US is assigned to 180-186 MHz. Channel 25 is assigned to 536-542 MHz. 3 x 180 = 540, which falls right into channel 25 range, so I'm pretty sure I was picking up the 3rd harmonic signal of KAET. There aren't many stations where the 2nd or 3rd harmonic is also within the TV range.