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
ChannelsDigital: 8 (VHF)
Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
BrandingAlaska Public Television
SloganLife. Informed.
Programming
Affiliations7.1: PBS
7.2: Create
7.3: 360 North
7.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
OwnerAlaska Public Media
(Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.)
Sister stationsKSKA, KYUK-LD
History
First air dateMay 7, 1975 (1975-05-07)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
7 (VHF, 1975–2009)
Call sign meaningAnchorage
Kenai
Matanuska
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID804
ERP50 kW
HAAT240 m (787 ft)
Transmitter coordinates61°25′19.8″N 149°52′27.8″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitewww.alaskapublic.org
KTOO-TV
Satellite of KAKM
Juneau, Alaska
United States
ChannelsDigital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 3 (PSIP)
Brandingsee KAKM infobox
Slogansee KAKM infobox
Programming
Affiliations3.1: PBS
3.2: Create
3.3: 360 North
3.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
OwnerCapital Community Broadcasting, Inc.
OperatorAlaska Public Media
Sister stationsKTOO, KNLL, KRNN
History
First air dateOctober 1, 1978 (1978-10-01)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
3 (VHF, 1978–2009)
Call sign meaningUnknown
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID8651
ERP1 kW
HAAT−363.7 m (−1,193 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
58°18′4.8″N 134°25′13.6″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
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

Digital television

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

KAKM digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[2]
7.11080i16:9KAKM-HDMain KAKM programming / PBS
7.2480iCreateCreate
7.34:3KAKM7.3360 North
7.41080i16:924_7HDPBS Kids

KTOO-TV digital channels

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming
3.11080i16:9AK PBSMain KTOO-TV programming / PBS
3.2480iCreateCreate
3.3360Nort360 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 signCommunity of licenseAdditional Information
K05FW-DGirdwood, AlaskaFCC
K07PF-DHomer, AlaskaFCC
K12LA-DKenai, AlaskaFCC
K21AM-DNinilchik, AlaskaFCC
K48AC-DKasilof, AlaskaFCC
Translators of KTOO-TV
Call signCommunity of licenseAdditional Information
K02QM-DLemon, AlaskaFCC
K07PF-DMendenhall Valley, AlaskaFCC
K09OQWrangell, AlaskaFCC

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.
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