KBVU (TV)

KBVU
Channels
Branding
  • Fox 28 (general)
  • The Northstate's News (newscasts)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
OperatorSinclair Broadcast Group
KAEF-TV
History
FoundedJuly 10, 1991
First air date
July 20, 1994 (30 years ago) (1994-07-20)
Former call signs
KZJA (CP)
Former channel number(s)
Analog: 29 (UHF, 1994–2008)
  • Both secondary:
  • UPN (1995–1997)
  • The WB (1995–1998)
Call sign meaning
Best VU (as in "view")
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID58618
ERP
[2]
HAAT512 m (1,680 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
(STA)[2]
Links
Public license information

KBVU (channel 28) is a television station in Eureka, California, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with the Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Arcata-licensed ABC affiliate KAEF-TV (channel 23), for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns KBVU as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith.[citation needed] KBVU is also sister to two low-power stations owned by Sinclair: dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate KECA-LD (channel 29) and Univision affiliate KEUV-LD (channel 35). The four stations share studios on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka; KBVU's transmitter is located along Barry Road southeast of Eureka.

Although it identifies as a station in its own right, KBVU is considered a semi-satellite of KCVU (channel 20) in ParadiseChicoRedding. As such, it clears all network programming as provided through its parent station but airs a separate offering of syndicated programming; there are also separate local newscasts, commercial inserts and legal station identifications. Master control and most internal operations are based at the shared studios of KCVU and LMA partner KRCR-TV on Auditorium Drive in Redding.

History

[edit]

The station signed on the air as a Fox affiliate on July 20, 1994. Prior to KBVU's launch, Fox's programming was only available via a secondary affiliation with ABC affiliates KAEF and KFWU (both satellites of KRCR-TV), while out-of-market affiliates KTVU and KTXL were imported by some cable providers.

On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased KAEF and the LMA with KBVU as part of a four-station deal.[3] The sale was completed on September 1.[4]

Newscasts

[edit]

KBVU currently airs 2+12 hours of newscasts each week, all on weeknights at 10 p.m., as North Coast News on KBVU Fox 28 at 10. The newscasts are produced by sister station KAEF.

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KBVU[5]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
28.1 720p 16:9 KBVU-HD Fox
28.2 480i COMET Comet
28.3 CHARGE Charge!
28.6 STADIUM The Nest

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

KBVU shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 29, on December 22, 2008, along with KCVU, due to financial hardship.[6] The station's digital signal broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 28.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBVU". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b "TV Query Results -- Video Division (FCC) USA". transition.fcc.gov.
  3. ^ Houston, Will (April 4, 2017). "Media giant Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy four Eureka stations". Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  4. ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  6. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.