KAKM

KAKM, virtual channel 7 (VHF digital channel 8), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Owned by Alaska Public Media, it is sister to National Public Radio (NPR) member station KSKA (91.1 FM). The two outlets share studios at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center on the campus of Alaska Pacific University; KAKM's transmitter is located near Knik, Alaska.

KAKM

Anchorage, Alaska United States
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
Branding	Alaska Public Television
Slogan	Life. Informed.
Programming
Affiliations	7.1: PBS 7.2: Create 7.3: 360 North 7.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
Owner	Alaska Public Media (Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.)
Sister stations	KSKA, KYUK-LD
History
First air date	May 7, 1975 (1975-05-07)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 7 (VHF, 1975–2009)
Call sign meaning	Anchorage Kenai Matanuska
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	804
ERP	50 kW
HAAT	240 m (787 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	61°25′19.8″N 149°52′27.8″W
Links
Public license information	Profile LMS
Website	www.alaskapublic.org

KTOO-TV

Satellite of KAKM
Juneau, Alaska United States
Channels	Digital: 10 (VHF) Virtual: 3 (PSIP)
Branding	see KAKM infobox
Slogan	see KAKM infobox
Programming
Affiliations	3.1: PBS 3.2: Create 3.3: 360 North 3.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
Owner	Capital Community Broadcasting, Inc.
Operator	Alaska Public Media
Sister stations	KTOO, KNLL, KRNN
History
First air date	October 1, 1978 (1978-10-01)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 3 (VHF, 1978–2009)
Call sign meaning	Unknown
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	8651
ERP	1 kW
HAAT	−363.7 m (−1,193 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	58°18′4.8″N 134°25′13.6″W
Links
Public license information	Profile LMS

KAKM was the only PBS station in Alaska that was not part of AlaskaOne during its existence. The call letters were chosen to represent the three major geographic areas served by the station: Anchorage, Kenai, and Matanuska.

KAKM operates a full-time satellite station, KTOO-TV (virtual channel 3, VHF digital channel 10), licensed to the capital city of Juneau. This station is owned by Capital Community Broadcasting as a sister to non-commercial FM radio stations KTOO (FM), KNLL, and KRNN, but is operated by Alaska Public Media. KTOO's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau. KTOO was formerly part of AlaskaOne, until its dissolution in 2012.

History

KAKM first started regular transmissions on May 7, 1975. Previously, PBS programming had been offered to Anchorage stations on per-program basis. (For example, Sesame Street was carried on KTVA [channel 11], Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on KIMO [channel 13, now KYUR], and The Electric Company on KENI-TV [channel 2, now KTUU-TV]).

KAKM became the flagship station of Alaska Public Television, the successor to AlaskaOne, replacing KUAC-TV in Fairbanks, on July 1, 2012.[1] As a result, KTOO-TV became a full-time satellite of KAKM. The other AlaskaOne station, low-power television station KYUK-LD (channel 15) in Bethel, also rebroadcasts KAKM, but it broadcasts the Alaska Rural Communications Service on its second digital subchannel in place of Create.

Station presentation

• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in blue
• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in mauve
• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, with sister station KSKA

Digital television

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

KAKM digital channels

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming[2]
7.1	1080i	16:9	KAKM-HD	Main KAKM programming / PBS
7.2	480i		Create	Create
7.3		4:3	KAKM7.3	360 North
7.4	1080i	16:9	24_7HD	PBS Kids

KTOO-TV digital channels

Channel	Video	Aspect	PSIP Short Name	Programming
3.1	1080i	16:9	AK PBS	Main KTOO-TV programming / PBS
3.2	480i		Create	Create
3.3			360Nort	360 North

360 North provides statewide coverage of Alaska public affairs, documentaries, historical programs, and Native topics. Originating at KTOO-TV, 360 North replaced Gavel to Gavel Alaska, which televised the Alaska Legislature.[3]

Analog-to-digital conversion

Both stations shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate:[4]

• KAKM shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 7.
• KTOO shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 3.

Translators

KAKM and KTOO extend their over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.

Translators of KAKM

Call sign	Community of license	Additional Information
K05FW-D	Girdwood, Alaska	FCC
K07PF-D	Homer, Alaska	FCC
K12LA-D	Kenai, Alaska	FCC
K21AM-D	Ninilchik, Alaska	FCC
K48AC-D	Kasilof, Alaska	FCC

Translators of KTOO-TV

Call sign	Community of license	Additional Information
K02QM-D	Lemon, Alaska	FCC
K07PF-D	Mendenhall Valley, Alaska	FCC
K09OQ	Wrangell, Alaska	FCC

References

1. "Split in Alaska public TV consortium". Television Business Report. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
2. RabbitEars TV Query for KAKM
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-12-28. Retrieved 2009-01-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "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.

External links

• Official website
• KAKM in the FCC's TV station database
• KTOO in the FCC's TV station database
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KAKM-TV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KTOO-TV