Arizona TV Station Update - November 2016
By dhett on Sunday, December 4 2016, 16:25 - Arizona Station Update - Permalink
As always, questions, additions, comments and corrections welcome.
Programming changes
- KAET 8.x Phoenix (Arizona Board of Regents for ASU) has once again added channel 8.5, this time duplicating the KBAQ-FM radio programming on channel 8.4. Channel 8.4 is due to become PBS Kids on January 17, 2017. The changes extend to all of KAET's digital translators as well.
- KSAZ 10.x Phoenix (NW Communications of Phoenix, Inc.) is set to launch Light TV, a family-oriented diginet, sometime in December. Press releases say that it will be on KSAZ-TV, but Fox could put it on KUTP. A request for information from KSAZ-TV has gone unanswered. This change will extend to all of KSAZ-TV's digital translators as well.
- KMOH-TV 6.x (19) Kingman and KEJR-LD 40.x Phoenix (Hero Broadcasting LLC) has plans to replace MundoMax programming on channels 6.1 and 40.1 with América Tevé, following the shutdown of the MundoMax network. The MundoMax feed dropped off suddenly at midnight local time, right in the middle of a movie, following MundoMax top-of-hour station ID and heading into a commercial break. Programming since has been constant infomercials, some in English and others in Spanish, and doesn't follow the América Tevé streaming feed, neither live or on a two-hour delay. The station still identifies at the top of the hour as MundoMax 40, but clearly, it is not MundoMax.
- KTVP-LD 22.x Phoenix (Mako Communications LLC) has added another subchannel, channel 22.7, currently a black screen. Perhaps Jimmy Swaggart wants a fourth outlet in Phoenix for his SonLife Broadcasting Network?
- KFPH-CD 35.x Phoenix (Unimas Partnership of Phoenix) is silent.
- KPDF-CA 41.x Phoenix (Northstar Phoenix License LLC) has finally found a lessee for its vacant channel 41.3, adding LifeHacks TV. Not a lifestyle channel as suspected, it is merely a Direct Response TV, or infomercial, channel.
- K18JL-D 25.x Phoenix (Mako Communications LLC) has added two subchannels. Channel 25.3 is showing color bars and channel 25.4 has a third outlet for SonLife Broadcasting Network, also shown on Mako's KTVP-LP 22.3 and Globe LPTV's KFPB-LP 50.4.
- K19FD Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is broadcasting The Hope Channel.
- K21GE Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is broadcasting Three Angels Broadcasting Network.
- K23FZ Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is broadcasting Amazing Facts Television.
- K25MK-D Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is silent.
- K31LZ Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is silent.
- K47IK Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is silent.
- K49HP Camp Verde (The Camp Verde TV Club Inc.) is silent.
- KVVU-TV 5.x (9) Henderson NV (KVVU Broadcasting Corporation) has replaced its weather feed on channel 5.2 with Bounce TV.
- KMCC 34.x (32) Laughlin NV (Cranston Acquisition LLC) has replaced MundoMax programming with Action TV on channel 34.1, following the shutdown of the MundoMax Network.
- KGNG-LD 47.x (48) Las Vegas NV (King Kong Broadcasting, Inc.) has moved The Justice Channel from channel 47.8 to channel 47.3, replacing Bounce TV, and put QVC Plus on 47.8 in place of The Justice Channel. Rumor has it that Ebru TV, currently showing part-time on channel 47.5, may cease to exist as a network soon.
- XHCTME-TDT 3.x (17) Mexicali BN (Grupo Imagen), like all Imagen TV stations, has been given permission to multicast. Channel 3.1 will continue to air the live feed of Imagen TV, channel 3.2 will be a one-hour delay of Imagen TV, channel 3.3 will be a two-hour delay of Imagen TV, and channel 3.4 will be Excélsior TV.
New allocations
- Mexico has announced a new auction of TV channels (IFT-6), in which up to 148 new TV channels could begin broadcasting as early as December 2017. Two of the new channels could be viewed in Arizona: channel 16 in Mexicali BN and channel 15 in Agua Prieta SO. If both channels end up in a national network, the network will most likely be assigned virtual channel 6, but the Agua Prieta station would likely use a different virtual channel due to KUAT Tucson already on virtual channel 6 and XHAPS-TDT Agua Prieta already on virtual channel 15.
Branding change
- XHNSS-TDT 8.x (31) Nogales SO (Jaime Juarista Santos) has rebranded from sietenogales to ochonogales, following its change from virtual channel 7 to virtual channel 8.
Transactions
- KPAZ-TV 21.x (20) Phoenix (Trinity Broadcasting of Arizona, Inc.) has filed to replace Janice Crouch, deceased, with Laurie Crouch on its Board of Directors. The transfer of control has been approved by the FCC.
- KPPX-TV 51.x (31) Tolleson (America 51, LP) has requested another extension of time to consummate its pro forma assignments of license to Ion Media Phoenix License, LLC.
Dismissed, canceled, expiring or expired
- The license of phantom KZVE-LP 30 Littlefield (Bankruptcy Estate of Hispanic Christian Community Network Inc.) and its digital flash cut application have been dismissed. No reason was given or letter sent, so it's likely that the action was initiated by the bankruptcy trustee.
License Renewals
- KJPO-LD 49.x Parker (Iglesia Manmin Toda la Creacion USA Inc.) has amended its license renewal application to state that the station is currently broadcasting. I wonder. The reported transmitter location puts it in the Harquahala Mountains just east of Wenden and Salome, and TV Fool reports a very terrain-constrained broadcast pattern that serves about a 90° arc generally to the NNW, which covers mostly empty desert. US 60 runs through the broadcast pattern between Aguila and Wickenburg and the intersection with Urea Ranch Rd. is right in the middle of the pattern, so if anyone is in the area that can verify...
Still without a renewed license:
- KHRR 40.x Tucson (NBC Telemundo License LLC)
- KJPO-LD 49.x Parker (Iglesia Manmin Toda La Creacion USA INC.)
- KRPO-LD 21.x Quartzsite (Jenifer Juarez)
- KTAZ 39.x Phoenix (NBC Telemundo License LLC)
- KMCC 34.x (32) Laughlin NV (Cranston Acquisition, LLC)
- KVTE-LP 35 Las Vegas NV (Mountain Ridge Holdings, Inc.)
- KBLR 39.x (40) Paradise NV (Telemundo Las Vegas License LLC)
Comments
América TeVé programming has started airing on KMOH/KEJR as of today. Having a Cuban-American friendly Spanish-language network on in Phoenix makes as much sense as the new Azteca affiliate in Miami.
Agreed. I don't expect America TV to last long.
In other news:
__FCC Spectrum Auction__
The FCC auction concluded stage 3 without an agreement in price. In fact, the wireless carriers bid even less in stage 3 than in stage 2. What that means is that the auction proceeds to stage 4 with a tentative start date of Tuesday, December 13, with 70 MHz available to wireless carriers, plus 14 MHz in guard band for a total of 84 MHz. UHF channels 33 - 36 are now retained for television use. Many believe that this is where the auction will come to a successful conclusion, and it aligns with the channels taken out of Mexican TV service.
What it means for Arizona TV stations is that they are likely out of the auction. There should be enough UHF spectrum to accommodate all Arizona full-power and class A stations without any shutting down or moving to VHF. Las Vegas market TV stations were never part of the auction - there was enough UHF band to accommodate all eligible stations to begin with.
__HCCN saga__
There was a bit of mystery to the license renewal modification from KJPO-LD 49.x Parker (Iglesia Manmin Toda la Creación). The station was part of an assignment of license from Hispanic Christian Community Network that was dismissed last week, however the FCC database showed Iglesia Manmin as the owners. (Both organizations were headed by Antonio Cesar Guel.) The December 5th FCC Daily Digest, however, shows the transfer to Iglesia Manmin as dismissed, along with the assignment of KRPO-LD 21.x Quartzsite to Jenifer Juarez.
KFPH-CD has returned after about a one-week absence.
The new diginet Light TV is scheduled to debut on Dec. 15. We'll see if KSAZ-TV or KUTP picks it up at that time.
KAET 8.4 is now showing promos for PBS Kids. The channel ID now reads AZ KIDS
8.5 is still active but is currently not broadcasting any audio or video as of 9:00pm local time on 12/15/16.
Light TV was a no-show for Dec.15, but a New York ad agency is reporting a Dec. 22 launch on their FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/tvadgroup/...
A signal problem with KAZT-CD in Phoenix is causing audio and video loss. The station now appears on my tuner with the physical channel ID's instead of the virtual channel ID's. Each is showing no audio or video.
7.1 is now displaying as 36.3 RF 36.3
7.2 is now displaying as 36.4 RF 36.4
7.3 is now displaying as 36.5 RF 36.5
A rescan has not resolved the issue. The station still appears the same way on my tuner. I've sent an email into the engineer to alert them.
Dang. I was only joking about Jimmy Swaggart getting another TV outlet in Phoenix, but here's another one. KFPB-LD now has channel 50.8, with PSIP short description SBN_ESP. Even though KFPB is down right now, I'm pretty sure that stands for SBN Español, and Jimmy Swaggart Ministries does have a Spanish-language broadcast.
KAZT-CD was back online Saturday morning.
KFPH-CD is also back online but the signal has been in and out here at my west Chandler home. I'm not sure whether the station is experiencing problems, or if it's just a function of my location. KFPH has been my most problematic signal. Some of it may be due to the station's broadcast pattern which gives me only about half power.
KAET has its slideshow with KBAQ-FM background up and running again on channel 8.5. I'll be happy to see PBS Kids launch next month, and hope that Light TV turns out to be good as well. The more family-friendly fare, the better for my young step-daughter.
Las Vegas, and a handful of Arizona viewers, now have National Religious Broadcasters TV on KEGS 30.6. This replaced a colorbars sub-channel that has held that position for about a year.
On Friday, very windy conditions knocked numerous stations off the air, and they continue to struggle back to life. KGNG lost their 47.9 sub-channel, but their MBCD service shifted over to 47.8 bumping QVC Plus in the process. Not sure if that is permanent or just temporary.
The incident with KAZT-CD lasted about six hours overnight beginning 12/17/16. I was contacted via email by the station engineer confirming the station was off the air, most likely due to a fiber issue. Once the station came back online, I had to re-scan to get my tuner to replace the physical channel info with the virtual channel info due to my tuner not flipping the data back once Channel 7 came back on the air. Normally my tuner will fill in whatever virtual info is present at the time, but this time with Channel 7 it just would not grab and replace the info.
According to the recently-created Light TV Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Light-TV-N...) it says "Other markets coming soon in 2017." So, we might see 10.4 sometime after the new year.