KCPN-LP

KCPN-LP, UHF analog channel 33, is a low-powered MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Amarillo, Texas, United States. Owned by Mission Broadcasting, it is a sister station to Fox affiliate KCIT (channel 14); Nexstar Media Group, which owns NBC affiliate KAMR-TV (channel 4), operates KCPN and KCIT under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA). The three stations share studios on Southeast 11th Avenue and South Fillmore Street in downtown Amarillo (500 feet [150 m] northeast of the studios of ABC affiliate KVII-TV [channel 7]); KCPN-LP's transmitter is located on Dumas Drive (US 87-287) and Reclamation Plant Road in rural unincorporated Potter County.

KCPN-LP
Amarillo, Texas
United States
ChannelsAnalog: 33 (UHF)
BrandingMy Amarillo TV
SloganMyNetworkTV for the High Plains
Programming
AffiliationsMyNetworkTV (since 2006)
Ownership
OwnerMission Broadcasting, Inc.
OperatorNexstar Media Group
(via JSA/SSA)
Sister stationsKAMR-TV
KCIT
History
First air dateOctober 26, 1994 (1994-10-26)
Former call signsK65GD (1994–1997)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
65 (UHF, 1994–2001)
Former affiliationsIndependent (1994–1995, 2002–2006)
UPN (1995–2002)
Call sign meaningCombination of KCIT (sister station)
and UPN (former network affiliation)
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID7739
ClassLP/TX
ERP41.1 kW
HAAT183 m (600 ft)
Transmitter coordinates35°20′33.1″N 101°49′22.6″W
Translator(s)KAMR-DT 4.2 (19.2 UHF) Amarillo
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitewww.myhighplains.com

KCPN-LP does not broadcast a digital signal of its own, and at the present time, there are no plans to convert the station's signal to digital. In addition, the analog station's low-power signal contour is limited to the immediate Amarillo area, the nearby suburb of Bishop Hills and certain adjoining areas of Potter and Randall counties.[1] Therefore, in order to reach the entire market, KCPN-LP is simulcast in high definition on KAMR-TV's second digital subchannel (UHF channel 19.2 or virtual channel 4.2 via PSIP) from the same transmitter site. Ever since its inception, the KAMR-DT2 simulcast of this station had been presented in 480i 4:3 standard definition; however, around September 2017, KAMR-DT2 had been upgraded into 1080i 16:9 high definition.[2]

On cable, KCPN is available on Suddenlink Communications channel 7 in Amarillo. (KVII, which broadcasts over-the-air on channel 7, is carried on cable channel 8 on Suddenlink's Amarillo system.)[3]

History

Early history

The station first signed on the air on October 26, 1994 as K65GD, which originally transmitted on UHF channel 65. The station was founded by the Epic Broadcasting Corporation, then owner of KCIT. Operating as an independent station, it carried a mix of first-run and off-network syndicated programming, feature films and animated series.

On January 16, 1995, the station became a charter affiliate of the United Paramount Network (UPN), which was created as a partnership between Paramount Television and Chris-Craft/United Television.[4] Outside of UPN prime time programming, the station otherwise continued to maintain a general entertainment programming format. Alongside UPN prime time programming, channel 65 initially carried some recent off-network sitcoms and drama series, movies on weekend afternoons and evenings, children's programming, and some first-run syndicated shows. That same year, Epic sold K65GD, KCIT and sister stations KJTL and KJBO-LP in Wichita Falls to the Wicks Broadcast Group. On November 21, 1997, the station adopted a conventional callsign as KCPN-LP (a combination of the calls of sister station KCIT and its affiliation with UPN), at which time, the station had also moved to UHF channel 33.

On January 6, 1999, Wicks announced that it would sell KCPN-LP and KCIT to Mission Broadcasting for $13 million. The day before the Mission Broadcasting purchase announcement, on January 5, Boston-based Quorum Broadcasting announced that it would purchase KAMR-TV from Cannan Communications as part of a $64-million, three-station deal). The acquisition of KCIT and KCPN was among the first station acquisitions for Mission, which originated as an arm of its creditor Bastet Broadcasting; the Bexley, Ohio-based group had formed partnerships with the Nexstar Broadcasting Group and Quorum to operate many of Mission's stations in markets that did not have enough television stations to allow a legal duopoly between two commercial broadcast outlets. Quorum took over the operations of KCIT and KCPN on June 1, 1999, under joint sales and shared services agreements with Mission, under which KAMR would handle news production, engineering, security and certain other services as well as handling advertising sales for the two stations.[5][6][7][8][9] KAMR subsequently vacated its longtime studio facility on North Polk and Northeast 24th Streets, and relocated its operations seven miles (11 km) south to KCIT/KCPN's Fillmore Street facility.[10]

KCPN disaffiliated from UPN on September 16, 2002, after the network reached an affiliation agreement with Drewry Communications to carry its programming on KZBZ-LP (channel 46, later KTXC-LP). The affiliation switch occurred two weeks after the September 1 launch of KFDA's digital television signal (the first television station to begin digital broadcasting operations in the Amarillo market), which began carrying a simulcast of KZBZ on virtual channel 10.3; KFDA also reached an agreement with Cox Communications (its Amarillo service area is now served by Suddenlink Communications) to carry the low-powered KZBZ on channel 6 to avoid disrupting access to UPN programming in the market.[11][12] KCPN replaced UPN network programming with a mix of off-network syndicated programming during prime time. On September 12, 2003, Quorum merged with Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Broadcasting Group for $230 million;[13][14] when the sale was finalized on December 31, 2003, Mission transferred the SSA involving KCIT and KCPN to Nexstar as a consequence of its acquisition of KAMR.[15]

As a MyNetworkTV affiliate

On January 24, 2006, the respective parent companies of UPN and The WB, CBS Corporation and the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner, announced that they would dissolve the two networks to create The CW Television Network, a joint venture between the two media companies that initially featured programs from its two predecessor networks as well as new series specifically produced for The CW.[16][17] Subsequently, on February 22, 2006, News Corporation announced the launch of MyNetworkTV, a network operated by Fox Television Stations and its syndication division Twentieth Television that was created to primarily to provide network programming to UPN and WB stations that The CW decided against affiliating based on their local viewership standing in comparison to the outlet that The CW ultimately chose as its charter outlets, giving these stations another option besides converting to a general entertainment independent format.[18][19]

On March 30, in a joint announcement by the network and Nexstar Broadcasting Group/Mission Broadcasting, KCPN-LP was confirmed as MyNetworkTV's charter affiliate for the Amarillo market.[20] Channel 33 officially joined MyNetworkTV upon that network's launch on September 5; however, KCPN-LP changed its on-air branding to "My Amarillo TV" in advance of the switch in late August. As a result of the network changes, "KDBA", a cable-only affiliate of The WB (through its small-market network feed, The WB 100+ Station Group) available in the market on area systems such as Suddenlink Communications, was expected to affiliate with The CW; however, as a result of a deal between the network and Barrington Broadcasting that was announced on April 10, 2006, the CW affiliation instead went to ABC affiliate KVII-TV (channel 7) – which launched a digital subchannel affiliated with the network's small-market feed, The CW Plus, when the network debuted on September 18, assuming the operations of "KDBA".[21]

On February 25, 2013, the over-the-air signals of KCIT, KAMR and KCPN were knocked off the air for more than 18 hours as a result of electricity fluctuations that shut off cooling pumps on the stations' transmitter tower off of U.S. 287 during a major blizzard that crippled much of the Texas Panhandle. Snow drifts of up to 4 feet (1.2 m) prevented station employees from accessing the site until the morning of February 26, in order to restore power to the transmitters. All three stations remained available to Suddenlink Communications systems in the area through a direct fiber feed.[22]

Programming

KCPN-LP carries the entire MyNetworkTV programming schedule; however, since the programming service does not provide content to its affiliates on weekend evenings, KCPN normally airs off-network syndicated comedy and drama series between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Syndicated programs broadcast by KCPN-LP include The Real, Pawn Stars, Dateline, The Game, and The People's Court, among others.

To comply with programming guidelines imposed by the Children's Television Act, the station also carries a half-hour of educational children's programming on weekday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and Sundays at 11:30 a.m., consisting solely of programs from the Litton Entertainment-distributed Go Time, a live-action E/I block which normally airs on the block's carrier stations exclusively on weekend mornings.

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References
  1. "74 dBu Service Contour for KCPN-LP, Amarillo, TX". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  2. RabbitEars TV Query for KAMR
  3. "Channel Lineup - Suddenlink Communications" (PDF). Suddenlink Communications. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  4. "Fox stations told to say no to new networks". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. November 22, 1993. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
  5. Greg Rohloff (January 7, 1999). "2 city TV stations sold". Amarillo Globe-News. Morris Communications. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  6. Alisa Homes (February 1, 1999). "CHANGING HANDS.(TV and radio station acquisitions)". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  7. "MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER FOR KCIT ACQUISITION COMPANY AND BSP BROADCASTING, INC". Federal Communications Commission. December 11, 1997. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via University of North Texas.
  8. "Mission Broadcasting of Wichita Falls, Inc. SEC Form S-4 filing". Nexstar Broadcasting Group/U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. December 31, 2001. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  9. "Mission Broadcasting of Wichita Falls, Inc. SEC Form S-4 filing". Nexstar Broadcasting Group/U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 27, 2002. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  10. Chip Chandler (October 24, 2000). "Channel Surfer: KAMR gives peek at new sets, changes". Amarillo Globe-News. Morris Communications. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  11. Chip Chandler (August 16, 2002). "Channel Surfer: Ex-area resident to compete in 'Survivor'". Amarillo Globe-News. Morris Communications. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  12. Thomas Doyle (September 15, 2002). "Cable channel shuffle heralds area's HDTV era". Amarillo Globe-News. Morris Communications. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  13. "NEXSTAR BROADCASTING GROUP TO ACQUIRE QUORUM BROADCASTING" (Press release). Nexstar Broadcasting Group. September 12, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
  14. "Nexstar to acquire Quorum Broadcasting". Dallas Business Journal. American City Business Journals. September 12, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  15. "Nexstar completes $230M buy of Quorum Broadcast". Dallas Business Journal. American City Business Journals. December 31, 2003. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  16. Jessica Seid (January 24, 2006). "'Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September". CNNMoney.com. Time Warner.
  17. Bill Carter (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  18. "News Corp. to launch new mini-network for UPN stations". USA Today. Gannett Company. February 22, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  19. John Eggerton (February 22, 2006). "News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  20. "ANOTHER 30 AFFILS FOR MY NETWORK TV". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. March 30, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  21. Allison Romano (April 10, 2006). "CW Signs 13 More Affils". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  22. Chip Chandler (February 26, 2013). "Station GM: Power woes knock stations off-air during storm". Amarillo Globe-News. Morris Communications. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
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