KSPX-TV
KSPX-TV, virtual channel 29 (UHF digital channel 21), is an Ion Television owned-and-operated station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. The station is owned by West Palm Beach, Florida-based Ion Media Networks (the former Paxson Communications). KSPX-TV's studio is located on Prospect Park Drive in Rancho Cordova, and its transmitter is located at TransTower in Walnut Grove.
Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, California United States | |
---|---|
City | Sacramento, California |
Channels | Digital: 21 (UHF) Virtual: 29 (PSIP) |
Branding | Ion Television |
Slogan | Positively Entertaining |
Programming | |
Affiliations | 33.2: Telemundo |
Ownership | |
Owner | Ion Media Networks (Ion Media Sacramento License, Inc.) |
History | |
First air date | August 27, 1990 |
Former call signs | KRBJ (February–March 1985) KCMY (1985–1998) KSPX (1998–2009) |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 29 (UHF, 1990–2009) Digital: 48 (UHF, until 2020) |
Former affiliations | Independent (1990–1998) |
Call sign meaning | Sacramento's PaX TV |
Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 52953 |
ERP | 388.6 kW (STA) 1,000 kW (CP) |
HAAT | 435 m (1,427 ft) (STA) 444.6 m (1,459 ft) (CP) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°14′50″N 121°30′7″W |
Links | |
Public license information | Profile LMS |
Website | iontelevision |
History
The station first signed on the air on August 27, 1990 as KCMY; it originally operated as the area's Home Shopping Club affiliate[1] before joining the InfoMall TV network in the mid-1990s.
In 1995, then-CBS affiliate KXTV agreed to provide some programming to KCMY in order to give it more of a competitive edge in the Sacramento market. KCMY began airing the tabloid show Geraldo at 10 p.m. as well as the KXTV-produced health magazine show Pulse.
Paxson Communications purchased the station in 1998, changing its call sign to KSPX. The station became a charter owned-and-operated station of its new Pax TV network (later i: Independent Television and now Ion Television) on August 31, 1998.
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
29.1 | 720p | 16:9 | ION | Main Ion Television programming |
29.2 | 480i | 4:3 | qubo | Qubo |
29.3 | IONPlus | Ion Plus | ||
29.4 | Shop | Ion Shop | ||
29.5 | QVC | QVC | ||
29.6 | HSN | HSN |
In 2014, KSPX began simulcasting Telemundo affiliate KCSO-LD on digital subchannel 33.2.
Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
33.2 | 480i | 16:9 | TLMD | KCSO-LD / Telemundo |
Analog-to-digital conversion
KSPX shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 29, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.[3] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 48, using PSIP to display KSPX-TV's virtual channel as 29 on digital television receivers.
Reduced power operation
On August 30, 2019, the station temporarily reduced power, per special temporary authority (STA), from 1,000 kW to 4.3 kW to accommodate relocation of its transmitter site.
Power was increased to 48 kW on November 16, 2019. Another increase to 388 kW took place on April 29, 2020. The completion of the main facility and subsequent increase to 1,000 kW will take place in May 2020.
References
- Vierria, Dan (1998-08-31). "Pax TV Debuts as a Network for Families: New Programing Bumps Shopping Off Channel 29". The Sacramento Bee (via NewsBank).
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(help) - RabbitEars TV Query for KSPX
- List of Digital Full-Power Stations Archived 2013-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Official website
- KSPX in the FCC's TV station database
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KSPX-TV