KRCR-TV

KRCR-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Redding, California, United States and also serving Chico. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, it is sister to five low-power stations: Chico-licensed Antenna TV affiliate KXVU-LP (analog channel 17); MyNetworkTV affiliates Redding-licensed KRVU-LD (channel 21) and Chico-licensed KZVU-LD (channel 22); Chico-licensed Univision affiliate KUCO-LD (channel 27); and Chico-licensed UniMás affiliate KKTF-LD (channel 30). Sinclair also operates Paradise-licensed Fox affiliate KCVU (channel 20) under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with owner Cunningham Broadcasting. However, Sinclair effectively owns KCVU as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The stations share studios on Auditorium Drive east of downtown Redding and maintain a news bureau and sales office at the former Sainte Television Group facilities on Main Street in downtown Chico (for FCC and other legal purposes, the Chico/Paradise-licensed stations still use the Chico address and Redding-licensed stations use the Redding address). KRCR's transmitter is located atop Shasta Bally, west of Redding.

KRCR-TV
Redding/Chico, California
United States
CityRedding, California
ChannelsDigital: 7 (VHF)
Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
BrandingKRCR ABC 7 (general)
KRCR NewsChannel 7 (newscasts)
SloganThe Northstate's News
We're Here for You
Severe Weather First
Programming
Affiliations7.1: ABC (secondary until 1978)
7.2: MeTV
7.3: Movies!
20.1: Fox
Ownership
OwnerSinclair Broadcast Group
(Sinclair Television of California, LLC)
Sister stationsKCVU
KXVU-LP
KRVU-LD/KZVU-LD
KUCO-LD
KKTF-LD
History
First air dateAugust 1, 1956 (1956-08-01)
Former call signsKVIP-TV (1956–1963)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
7 (VHF, 1956–2009)
Digital:
34 (UHF, 2003–2009)
Former affiliationsPrimary:
NBC (1956–1978) [1]
Secondary:
Fox (1986–1994)
DT3:
LWN (2011–2013)
Call sign meaningRedding
Chico
Red Bluff
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID8291
ERP84 kW
HAAT1,095 m (3,593 ft)
Transmitter coordinates40°36′9.5″N 122°39′4″W
Translator(s)34 (UHF Redding
(For others, see below)
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitekrcrtv.com

KAEF-TV (channel 23) in Arcata operates as a semi-satellite of KRCR, serving the Eureka market. As such, it clears all network programming as provided through KRCR but airs a separate offering of syndicated programming; there are also separate local newscasts, commercial inserts and legal station identifications. Although KAEF maintains its own studios (shared with LMA partner KBVU) on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka, master control and some internal operations are based at KRCR's facilities.

History

The station was founded in 1956 as KVIP-TV by William B. Smullin of California Oregon Broadcasting, Inc. (COBI), owners of KOBI in Medford, Oregon, and satellite station KOTI in Klamath Falls, as a primary NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. By 1963, network emphasis had shifted towards ABC, as only the Saturday morning and Sunday night prime time schedules, a few daytime game shows and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson were carried in NBC's schedule pattern.[2] The full ABC schedule was available by way of translators of Stockton's KOVR in Chico and Redding. Channel 7 became KRCR in 1963.

It dropped NBC and took on a full-time ABC affiliation in 1978, which in turn started the seven-year process for building KCPM (channel 24, now KNVN). This was an unusual arrangement for a two-station market especially one of the size of Chico/Redding, but after 15 years of unsuccessful attempts the area was served by a local ABC affiliate.

Under COBI ownership, KRCR used a logo consisting of an Interstate shield sign like its sister stations, placing "7R" where the number would be. 7R was adapted as branding for the station at that time, as the Northern California TV Guide edition identified it with a "7R" 'channel bullet' to differentiate it from KGO-TV/San Francisco and its similar network schedule.

KRCR, KAEF, and KFWU (now KQSL in Fort Bragg, part of the San Francisco TV market), aired Fox full-time on off-network hours from the network's launch in 1986 until 1994 when now-sister station KCVU switched to Fox and KBVU signed on.

KRCR was purchased by Lamco Communications of Texas in 1995 and was rebranded News Channel 7, which remains the branding for the newscasts. The station was operated by California Broadcasting, Inc., and run by general manager Bob Wise until 2004 when the station was sold to Bluestone Television. In December 2006, the station was sold (along with 12 other Bluestone stations) to Diamond Castle Holdings, a New York-based private equity firm, which later became Bonten Media Group.

The station also operates a semi-satellite in Eureka, KAEF-TV (channel 23). It operated a local cable-only WB affiliate KIWB, but that station was sold to Catamount Broadcasting following the merger between the WB and UPN to form the new CW Network. KRVU-LD was previously a UPN affiliate but is now a MyNetworkTV affiliate.

KRCR was one of a select few ABC affiliates that broadcasts on channel 7, but chose not license the network's Circle 7 logo, until April 11, 2006, when the station rebranded and introduced its new set, along with the digital age allowing clear differentiation of both KRCR and KGO's signals via PSIP data if a viewer was in position to receive both stations.

Merger with KCVU and KBVU

In December 2012, KRCR/KAEF took over sales operations of KCVU in Chico, as well as KVIQ and KBVU in Eureka. They still maintain separate operations.

In August 2012, Bonten Media announced that KCVU and KBVU would be sold to Esteem Broadcasting, effectively merging both the ABC and Fox affiliates' operations to create a media powerhouse north of Sacramento and south of the Oregon border.

On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations (including KRCR) for $240 million.[3] Sinclair's sidecar Cunningham Broadcasting acquired the Esteem stations (including KCVU).[4] The sale was completed September 1.[5]

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[6]
7.1720p16:9KRCR-TVMain KRCR-TV programming / ABC
7.2480iMeTVMeTV
7.3MOVIESMovies!
20.1720pKCVU-DTSimulcast of KCVU / Fox

On August 23, 2011, Disney-ABC Television Group announced that KRCR would carry Live Well Network as part of an affiliation agreement with Bonten Media Group; the network was added to a new third subchannel.[7] Live Well Network was replaced by Movies! on November 18, 2013.[8]

Analog-to-digital conversion

KRCR-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date when full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate.[9] The station's digital signal relocated from UHF channel 34 to VHF channel 7.

News operation

What Makes News Channel 7?

In the fall of 1995, Continental Cablevision of Mt. Shasta (now part of Northland Communications) filmed, produced and broadcast a 30-minute documentary special called What Makes News Channel 7? as part of its newsmagazine series In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine. It took a look behind the scenes at what went on at the station and focused mainly on the news team featuring a behind-the-scenes look at how a newscast is produced as well as interviews with key personalities such as Mike Mangas, Rich Eisen, Sandra Geist, Warren Wright, Gary Gunter and Katy Brown. The program aired on Mt. Shasta cable channel 3 in the winter and spring of 1996 and starting showing on YouTube and MySpace in February 2010.[10] It was rebroadcast over Mt. Shasta cable airwaves again on MCTV 15 in 2010 leading to that program's relaunch.

Notable former on-air staff

Cable and satellite availability
Provider Area 7.1 (ABC) 7.2 (MeTV)
Comcast Butte & Glenn Counties 707 (HD) & 7 (SD) 197
Charter Shasta & Tehama Counties 787 (HD) & 7 (SD) 287
Suddenlink Humboldt County (KAEF) 107 (HD) & 7 (SD) TBA
DirecTV Chico–Redding DMA 7 (HD/SD) N/A
Dish Network Chico–Redding DMA 7 (HD/SD) N/A

Carriage disputes

Mt. Shasta cable dispute

Since its inception in the mid-1980s, the Mt. Shasta cable system currently owned by Northland Communications had carried KRCR on its cable channel 7. However, in January 2012, Northland dropped KRCR from its cable lineup after the station's current ownership and the cable company failed to come to a mutual agreement to continue the station's coverage on the system and severed ties after a near-30-year working relationship between the two. As a result, Northland replaced KRCR on cable channel 7 with Medford, Oregon's ABC affiliate, KDRV (channel 12).[11][12]

Despite being in California, Siskiyou County is technically part of the Medford DMA according to the FCC. Both KRCR and Northland made several attempts to get the DMA changed but were unsuccessful each time. KHSL-TV, KNVN-TV and KIXE-TV are the only Chico–Redding market stations airing on the Northland system in Mt. Shasta; however, certain programs on KHSL and KNVN are subject to blackout due to the FCC's network non-duplication and syndication exclusivity rules.

KRCR and its sister stations no longer broadcast north of Shasta County or south of Butte County.

Disputes with Dish Network

Under its former Bonten ownership, the company and Dish Network had two retransmission consent issues that led to Bonten stations (including KRCR) to be removed from the provider. As a result, on December 8, 2013, Dish stopped carrying KRCR on their system before a later restoration. On January 17, 2017, KRCR and KCVU were once again removed from Dish's lineup as part of a new dispute, returning on February 13.[13][14]

Translators

KRCR is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:

Note: as of 2016, KRCR no longer broadcasts on cable in Siskiyou County.

KRCR operates a digital fill-in translator on their pre-transition channel 34 for residents in Redding and the surrounding areas who have difficulty receiving their VHF signal on channel 7.[15]

In the early 1990s, KRCR operated a satellite, KFWU channel 8 in Fort Bragg; originally serving as an ABC affiliate for the Mendocino County portion of the San Francisco Bay Area television market; the station would be sold in 1996. It is currently independent station KQSL.

KRCR was formerly broadcast on translators channel 20 in Yuba City, part of the Sacramento television market (KRCR no longer broadcasts at all in Yuba City) and channel 21 in Susanville, part of the Reno television market.

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References
  2. TV Guide magazine, Northern California edition, July 13–19, 1963.
  3. "Sinclair Buying Bonten Stations For $240M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  4. SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE BONTEN MEDIA GROUP TV STATIONS - Sinclair Broadcast Group
  5. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  6. RabbitEars TV Query for KRCR
  7. Live Well Adds 7 Affils, Tops 40% Clearance, TVNewsCheck, August 23, 2011.
  8. Movies! TV Network - Where to Watch
  9. "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.
  10. In Focus: Siskiyou Magazine Episode #4 - "What Makes News Channel 7?" Christmas 1995, YouTube, January 6, 2016
  11. Northland Communications Mt. Shasta Cable Schedule
  12. Northland pulls KRCR Channel 7 off air in Siskiyou; affiliate out of Oregon takes its spot, David Benda, Redding.com(Redding Record Searchlight), January 12, 2012
  13. "No deal means no KRCR TV for DISH subscribers". Redding Record Searchlight. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  14. "Dish Network users lose KTXS, ABC38, MeTV channels". Abilene Reporter-News. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  15. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=KRCR-TV#10002
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