KDLT-TV

KDLT-TV, virtual channel 46 (UHF digital channel 21), is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, serving eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. The station is owned by Gray Television, as part of a duopoly with ABC affiliate KSFY-TV (channel 13). The two stations share studios on Courthouse Square in Sioux Falls; KDLT-TV's transmitter is located southeast of the city near Rowena.

KDLT-TV
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
United States
ChannelsDigital: 21 (UHF)
Virtual: 46 (PSIP)
BrandingKDLT (general)
Dakota News Now (newscasts)
SloganExpect More
Programming
Affiliations46.1: NBC (1960–1969, 1983–present)
46.2: Antenna TV
Ownership
OwnerGray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
Sister stationsKSFY-TV
History
First air dateJune 12, 1960 (1960-06-12)
Former call signsKORN-TV (1960–1973)
KXON-TV (1973–1982)[1]
Former channel number(s)Analog:
5 (VHF, 1960–1998)
46 (UHF, 1998–2009)
Digital:
47 (UHF, until 2018)
Former affiliationsABC (1969–1983)
Call sign meaningK-DakotaLand Television
(former owners)
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID55379
ERP589 kW
HAAT608 m (1,995 ft)
Transmitter coordinates43°30′18″N 96°33′23″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitewww.dakotanewsnow.com
KDLV-TV
Satellite of KDLT-TV
Mitchell, South Dakota
United States
ChannelsDigital: 26 (UHF)
Virtual: 5 (PSIP)
Brandingsee KDLT-TV infobox
Slogansee KDLT-TV infobox
Programming
Affiliations5.1: NBC (1998–present)
5.2: Antenna TV
13.1: ABC
13.2: CW+
13.3: MeTV
Ownership
OwnerGray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
Sister stationsKSFY-TV
History
FoundedApril 1, 1997
First air dateSeptember 8, 1998 (1998-09-08)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
5 (VHF, 1998–2009)
Call sign meaningK-DakotaLand V (Roman numeral 5)
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID55375
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT315 m (1,033 ft)
Transmitter coordinates43°45′33″N 98°24′44″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS

KDLV-TV (virtual channel 5, UHF digital channel 26) in Mitchell operates as a full-time satellite of KDLT; this station's transmitter is located near Plankinton, South Dakota. KDLV covers areas of south-central and southeastern South Dakota that receive a marginal to non-existent over-the-air signal from KDLT, although there is significant overlap between the two stations' contours otherwise. KDLV is a straight simulcast of KDLT; on-air references to KDLV are limited to Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-mandated hourly station identifications during newscasts and other programming. Aside from the transmitter, KDLV does not maintain any physical presence locally in Mitchell.

History

On June 12, 1960, KDLT started broadcasting from Mitchell, South Dakota as KORN-TV on channel 5, an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. The station's original call letters were intended to honor the famous Mitchell Corn Palace. It was owned by Mitchell Broadcasting Associates along with KORN radio. Only a month later, KSOO-TV (now KSFY-TV) signed on. From then until 1969, KSOO-TV and KORN-TV operated as a regional network, although separately owned. KSOO-TV served the eastern portion of the market, while KORN-TV served the western portion. But in April 1969, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled against this combination, suggesting that they operate as competitors in the Sioux Falls–Mitchell market. So on May 12 of that year, KORN-TV affiliated with ABC and moved its tower closer to Sioux Falls, although KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa was well received in Sioux Falls and identified at that time as Siouxland ABC.

Mitchell Broadcasting sold the station to Buford Television of Tyler, Texas in 1972. The new owners changed the calls the next year to KXON-TV as part of the split from the KORN radio stations.[2] Buford sold the station to Gillett Broadcasting in 1978. In 1982, KXON changed its call letters to KDLT when it was purchased by Dakotaland Broadcasting.[1] The next year, KDLT and KSFY switched affiliations, with KSFY getting ABC and KDLT returning to NBC. At the time of the switch, ABC was the highest-rated network in the nation with NBC in third. KSFY had three full-power transmitters to KDLT's one, making it logical for the more popular network to align with a station with better coverage. The next year, NBC and ABC's ratings flip-flopped, leaving KDLT once again affiliated with the more popular network. Dakotaland Broadcasting eventually sold KDLT to Heritage Broadcasting in 1985. Heritage Broadcasting became Heritage Media in 1987 when it merged with Rollins Telecasting. That same year, rule changes allowed KDLT to move most of its operations to a studio on South Westport Avenue in Sioux Falls.[3]

Heritage Media sold KDLT to Red River Broadcasting in 1994. Red River embarked on a signal upgrade campaign, which would also allow KDLT to provide an adequate digital signal to Sioux Falls. The channel 5 transmitter was located too far away from Sioux Falls for a digital signal to cover 80 percent of the analog footprint, as required by FCC rules. In 1989, KDLT had purchased a translator on channel 46 in Sioux Falls.[4] On September 8, 1998, this was replaced with a new full-power license in Sioux Falls—which retained the KDLT call letters—broadcasting from a new tower in Rowena, where most of the other Sioux Falls stations have their towers. At the same time, the channel 5 tower was moved further away from Sioux Falls, and channel 5's call letters were changed to KDLV.[5] The changes cost $8 million.[6]

Due to the way the changeover was structured legally, KDLV operates under KDLT's old license on channel 5.[7] KDLT's current facility, on channel 46 in Sioux Falls, is officially a new license; its construction permit was issued on April 1, 1997 under the call letters KDLV; the two stations swapped callsigns on September 8, 1998.[8]

On May 1, 2018, Gray Television announced its purchase of KDLT-TV for $32.5 million. The deal would create a duopoly with KSFY-TV.[9] The combined operation will presumably be based at KSFY's studios on Courthouse Square in Sioux Falls; in its announcement of the KDLT purchase, Gray noted that the KSFY studio has enough space to house a second station's news and sales department.[10] Gray needed to obtain a waiver in order to complete the deal, since the FCC normally does not allow one person to own two of the four highest-rated stations in a market. However, in its filing requesting such a waiver, Gray argued that KDLT would be in a stronger position to compete in the market if its resources were combined with those of KSFY. Gray contended that a KSFY/KDLT duopoly would fulfill "a dire need for an effective competitor" in the Sioux Falls market, where KELO-TV has been the far-and-away leader for as long as records have been kept.[11] The sale was approved by the FCC on September 24, 2019,[12] and was completed the following day.[13][14] On January 13, 2020, KDLT moved its operations to KSFY's studios on Courthouse Square.

Digital television

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

KDLT-TV digital channels
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[15]
46.11080i16:9KDLT-DTMain KDLT-TV programming / NBC
46.2480i4:3[16]KDLT-SDAntenna TV[17]

KDLV-TV digital channels
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[18]
5.11080i16:9KDLV-DTMain KDLV-TV programming / NBC
5.2480i4:3[16]KDLV-SDAntenna TV[17]
13.1720p16:9Simulcast of KSFY-TV / ABC
13.2480iSimulcast of KSFY-DT2 / CW+
13.3Simulcast of KSFY-DT3 / MeTV

Analog-to-digital conversion

Both stations shut down their analog signals respectively on February 1, 2009:[19]

  • KDLT-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 46; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 47. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 46.
  • KDLV-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 5; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 26. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 5.

Programming

KDLT-TV clears the entire NBC network schedule. It airs an alternate live feed of NBC Nightly News at 6 p.m. due to the station's 5:30 p.m. newscast. Syndicated programming currently broadcast on KDLT-TV includes The Doctors, Jeopardy!, Rachael Ray, Hot Bench and Judge Judy.

News operation

KDLT presently broadcasts 19½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 17½ hours each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). With the purchase of this station, KDLT and KSFY merged their news operations on January 13, 2020, rebranding as Dakota News Now.

Historically, KXON/KDLT had been a distant third in the Sioux Falls news ratings. In 1981, KXON had the market's smallest news staff (nine personnel), the least equipment, and its lowest ratings, attributed to its smaller broadcast coverage footprint than its competitors and its stigma of being a Mitchell station.[20]

Translators

Besides KDLV, the programming of KDLT is also rebroadcast on the following translator stations:

Transmitter antenna replacement

The station's television transmitter antenna replacement was featured on the National Geographic Channel television show World's Toughest Fixes.[21]

gollark: Isn't "I'm smart but lazy" pretty much a trope™ at this point?
gollark: Good, then...?
gollark: Great!
gollark: Is that good?
gollark: That would be IA, not IB.

References
  1. FCC History Cards for KDLV (as KDLT in Mitchell)
  2. "KORN-TV To Be KXON-TV". Daily Republic. September 8, 1973. p. 3. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. Grauvogl, Ann (August 14, 1987). "KDLT plans changes, moves to Sioux Falls". Argus-Leader. p. 1B. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  4. "Newspaper Notice". Argus-Leader. November 11, 1989. p. 5C. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  5. "FCC didn't allow tower move". Argus-Leader. November 27, 1998. p. 1D. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  6. Keyes, Bob (December 12, 1998). "Radio stations to ask listeners to vote on web site". Argus Leader. p. 1B. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  7. FCC callsign history for KDLV-TV
  8. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=55379&Callsign=KDLT-TV
  9. Miller, Mark K. "Gray Buying KDLT Sioux Falls For $32.5M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. Press release announcing Gray's purchase of KDLT
  11. Request for FCC waiver
  12. "Memorandum Opinion and Order", Federal Communications Commission, 24 September 2019, Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  13. "Gray Television completes purchase of KDLT-TV". KSFY.com. Gray Television. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  14. "Owner of KSFY-TV finalizes purchase of KDLT-TV", Argus Leader, 25 September 2019, Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  15. RabbitEars TV Query for KDLT
  16. "Digital Antenna: Sioux Falls, SD 57101". SiliconDust.com. Silicondust USA, Inc. - HDHomeRun. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  17. "TitanTV Programming Guide - KDLV and KDLT". TitanTV.com. Broadcast Intrractive Media, L.L.C. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  18. RabbitEars TV Query for KDLV
  19. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  20. Fine, Marshall (February 6, 1981). "KXON: The undeterred underdog". Argus-Leader. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-04-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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