KTXS-TV

KTXS-TV, virtual channel 12 (UHF digital channel 20), is an ABC affiliated television station serving Abilene, Texas, United States that is licensed to Sweetwater. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, it is a sister station to low-powered MeTV affiliate KTES-LD, channel 40 (which KTXS simulcasts on its third digital subchannel). The two stations share studios on North Clack Street in Abilene and transmitter facilities near Trent, Texas.

Not to be confused with KXTS-LD.
KTXS-TV
Sweetwater/Abilene, Texas
United States
CitySweetwater, Texas
ChannelsDigital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 12 (PSIP)
BrandingKTXS (general)
KTXS News (newscasts)
(pronounced "K-Texas")
SloganGetting the Facts Right (newscasts)
Alerting You to Weather Danger (weather)
Programming
Affiliations12.1: ABC (secondary until 1979)
12.2: CW+
12.3: MeTV
Ownership
OwnerSinclair Broadcast Group
(Sinclair Media Licensee, LLC)
History
First air dateJanuary 30, 1956 (1956-01-30)
Former call signsKPAR-TV (1956–1966)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
12 (VHF, 1956–2009)
Former affiliationsCBS (1956–1979)
Call sign meaningTeXaS
-or-
TeXas Sweetwater
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID308
ERP530 kW
710 kW (application)
HAAT402 m (1,319 ft)
439.3 m (1,441 ft) (application)
Transmitter coordinates32°24′48.4″N 100°6′26.3″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitektxs.com
KTXE-LD
(satellite of KTXS-TV)
San Angelo, Texas
United States
ChannelsDigital: 38 (UHF)
(to move to 22 (UHF))
Virtual: 12 (PSIP)
BrandingABC 38 (general)
KTXS News (newscasts)
SloganSee KTXS-TV infobox
Programming
Affiliations12.1: ABC
12.2: CW+
12.3: MeTV
Ownership
OwnerSinclair Broadcast Group
(Sinclair Media Licensee, LLC)
History
Former call signsK55AA (until 1997)
KTXE-LP (1997–2014)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
55 (UHF, until 1997)
38 (UHF, 1997–2014)
Call sign meaningDisambiguation of KTXS
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID309
ERP2.4 kW
15 kW (CP)
HAAT108.2 m (355 ft)
Transmitter coordinates31°29′6″N 100°27′27″W
Links
Public license information
(satellite of KTXS-TV) Profile
LMS

KTXE-LD, virtual channel 12 (UHF digital channel 38) in San Angelo operates as a low-power satellite of KTXS-TV; this station's transmitter is located on West 26th Street in San Angelo.

History

The station signed on the air on January 30, 1956 as KPAR-TV. It was part of the West Texas Television Network, based at KDUB-TV (now KLBK-TV, channel 13) in Lubbock, and was a primary CBS affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[1] The station's first studio was built on the eastern edge of Sweetwater; broadcasts from this location included a 6 p.m. newscast.

Grayson Enterprises bought the West Texas Television Network stations in 1961. Grayson opened a satellite studio in Abilene in the early 1960s, and soon moved most of KPAR's operations there. This resulted in the first of many fines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for violating "main studio" regulations. In 1966, the station moved most of its operations to a new studio in north Abilene and the call letters were changed to KTXS.

Grayson nearly lost its stations, including KTXS, four times between 1968 and 1971 due to licensing issues. In 1977, their renewals were deferred pending a hearing. Grayson was accused of fraudulent billing, program and transmitter log fabrication, main studio violations, failure to make required technical tests, and other problems.

The case was settled in what was then described as a "distress sale" where the stations were sold to a minority controlled group (nowadays known as a historically underutilized group) at a reduced price. The company breakup helped define the parameters of such a sale. KLBK and KTXS were sold to Prima, Inc., who was granted a permanent waiver of the main studio rule. Sweetwater continues to be the FCC city of license with the KTXS Tower in nearby Trent.

In 1979, the station dropped CBS and became a full ABC affiliate after KTAB-TV (channel 32) signed on. Prima sold KTXS to Catclaw Communications in 1983. Catclaw in turn, sold it to Southwest Multimedia in 1985. Southwest Multimedia then sold the station to Lamco Communications in 1986. Lamco sold KTXS including 4 of its stations—WCYB-TV in Bristol, Virginia, KRCR-TV in Redding, California, WCTI-TV in New Bern, North Carolina and KECI-TV in Missoula, Montana to Bluestone Television in 2004. In September 2006, KTXS started broadcasting The CW on digital subchannel 12.2. Bluestone Television sold its stations (including KTXS) to Bonten Media Group in December 2006 for $230 million.[2] The sale was completed on May 31, 2007.[3]

On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations for $240 million.[4] The sale was completed on September 1.[5]

Digital television

Digital channels

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

Virtual channels for KTXS-TV
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[6]
12.1720p16:9KTXS-DTMain KTXS-TV programming / ABC
12.2480i4:3NTXSCW Abilene
12.3QTXSSimulcast of KTES-LD / MeTV
Virtual channels for KTXE-LD
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[7]
12.1720p16:9KTXE-DTMain KTXE-LD programming / ABC
12.2480i4:3NTXECW Abilene
12.3QTXSSimulcast of KTES-LD / MeTV

Analog-to-digital conversion

KTXS-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 12, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 20.[8] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 12.

Coverage area

KTXS-TV serves as the ABC affiliate for 16 counties in West Central Texas that are part of the Abilene television market area (Brown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Runnels, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall and Taylor). Through KTXE-LD, it also serves three counties in the San Angelo market (Concho, McCulloch and Tom Green).

KTXS also provides coverage for two other counties that are on the fringe of the actual assigned viewing market (Throckmorton in the Wichita Falls–Lawton market and Comanche in the Dallas–Fort Worth DMA. Throckmorton County was reassigned to the Wichita Falls–Lawton DMA from the Abilene DMA, as of September 2008.

Programming

Syndicated programming broadcast on KTXS includes The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Phil, Extra and Texas Country Reporter.

News operation

KTXS-TV presently broadcasts 17 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with three hours each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays).

On August 10, 2011, KTXS began broadcasting its newscasts in 720p high definition with a new set and new graphics.

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References
  1. "Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films", Boxoffice: 13, November 10, 1956
  2. Deals - Broadcasting & Cable
  3. Application Search Details - Federal Communications Commission
  4. "Sinclair Buying Bonten Stations For $240M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  5. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  6. RabbitEars TV Query for KTXS
  7. RabbitEars TV Query for KTXE-LD
  8. "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.
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