KAUU
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KAUU (channel 5) is a television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside dual NBC/CBS affiliate KTUU-TV (channel 2). The two stations share studios on East 40th Avenue in Anchorage; KAUU's transmitter is located in Knik, Alaska.
KAUU (as KYES-TV) acquired the CBS affiliation for Anchorage on July 31, 2020, when Gray Television purchased the non-license assets of KTVA (channel 11) from Denali Media Holdings, a subsidiary of local cable television operator GCI.[2] KAUU continues to carry its former primary service and schedule, which includes syndicated programming and MyNetworkTV, on its fourth subchannel, and GCI channel 11.[3] Programming from KAUU's fourth subchannel is available statewide through the Alaska Rural Communications Service (ARCS) translator network.
As of September 2020, KAUU shares its website and news operation with KTUU, which are both branded under the "Alaska's News Source" moniker.
As of March 3, 2021, CBS programming moved to KYES-LD and KTUU-DT5 (mapped as 5.11) as part of a major transmitter upgrade; the station's other subchannels are still in operation.[4]
History
Channel 5 signed on the air as KYES on January 21, 1990, as an
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/95/My_KYES_5.png/200px-My_KYES_5.png)
On October 1, 2015, Gray Television announced that it would acquire KYES-TV and four of its five translators from Fireweed Communications for $500,000, and apply for a "failing station" waiver from the
The acquisition was opposed by
On June 17, 2016, the FCC approved the sale of the station to Gray, with the condition that the station would not enter (during two years post-consummation) into an affiliation agreement with a television network that would convert KYES into one of the top-four stations in audience share.[9] The sale was completed on June 27, 2016.[10] Prior to the sale, KYES was one of the few stand-alone, locally owned commercial television stations left in the United States. Immediately after, the station's logo was redesigned, and its MyNetworkTV affiliation was de-emphasized, as has become standard during MyNetworkTV's decline as solely a programming service with limited network imaging. Around the same time, KYES' translator in Juneau, KCBJ-LP (channel 15), took over for K17HC, which was retained by Fireweed, but went dark in 2017.
On July 31, 2020, KYES-TV's main channel replaced KTVA as the CBS affiliate for Anchorage as Gray Television purchased the affiliation, along with other non-license assets, from the owner of KTVA, GCI subsidiary Denali Media Holdings. KYES-TV changed its on-air branding to CBS 5 Anchorage, and Gray also inherited KTVA's news operation and employees, along with its full slate of syndicated programming.[2] The same day, KYES-TV's full former main channel schedule, including MyNetworkTV programming, was shifted to a newly-launched fourth subchannel. On September 3, GCI took KTVA dark, leaving KYES as the CBS affiliate for Anchorage. The call letters were changed to KAUU on February 26, 2021, with translator K22HN-D in Anchorage becoming KYES-LD.
Newscasts
KAUU presently broadcasts 27 hours, 25 minutes of locally produced newscasts each week (with 5 hours, 5 minutes each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). The two-hour weekday newscast Morning Edition, first half of the long-running KTUU 6 p.m. NewsHour, and 10 p.m. late newscast are simulcast from KTUU. KAUU-exclusive newscasts air at noon (Alaska's first ever midday newscast),[11] 4 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. following the CBS Evening News. All newscasts are branded as Alaska's News Source, KTUU's longtime news slogan.
In 1990, KYES-TV broadcast news from the
Following Gray's purchase of the non-license assets of KTVA, that station's news operation was inherited by KYES-TV; with its existing ownership of KTUU-TV, this gave Gray control of two news operations in the Anchorage market.[12] KTVA newscasts were simulcast on KYES for a period in August, and the KYES logo aired on the news programming.[13] On August 30, 2020, KTVA's news operation aired its final newscast from its facility. The next day, Gray Television launched Alaska's News Source, which hired 11 staffers from KTVA,[14] and will act as a combined news operation for both KTUU and KYES. The combined newscasts began to air August 31, 2020.
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
5.02 | 480i | 16:9 |
ANT TV | The365
|
5.03 | Circle | Outlaw | ||
5.04 | 720p | MyNet | MyNetworkTV | |
5.05 | 480i | TheGrio | ||
5.06 | Ion Mystery |
Since 2016, KAUU airs programming in high definition.[16]
Analog-to-digital conversion
KAUU (as KYES-TV) signed on its digital signal on channel 22 with 20 watts of power on August 25, 2003—the first television station in the Anchorage market to have a digital signal, and the first in Alaska to offer high-definition television.
The means of getting the digital signal out, however, was extraordinary—KYES used a TTC 100-watt analog translator and a K-Tec digital exciter purchased on
KYES briefly included
The channel 22 signal was then licensed as K22HN (now KYES-LD) and operates at 2.8 kW ERP. KYES is authorized by the FCC to broadcast digital signals via VHF channel 5, broadcasting up to 45 kW. Thus, it has duplicate VHF and UHF signals.
In a DTV transition status report (FCC Form 387) filed by the station on October 7, 2008, Jeremy Lansman of KYES described the station's digital readiness:
The form asks: "licensee/permittee has other needs that must be addressed before it can fully construct and operate its post-transition facility. (if checked, explain.)"
1. Reliability and quality of using 1970's Harris transmitting gear is unknown.
2. No equipment is available to accurately measure DTV or ACLR power.
3. The 8VSB signal will originate at K22HN. Reliability of reception of the 8VSB signal is unknown, though it seems to work in spite of two path terrain obstacles.
4. Electricity supplies are unreliable at both sites; Hillside where K22HN will originate 8VSB signals for the region, and Eagle River where KYES-DT will translate those signals. Both sites are subject to winds in excess of 100 mph. Serial retransmission will compound the probability of off air time. The station needs back up generators, but has no money for one, no less two. Public safety will be compromised after the analog signal is switched off due to lack of back up power.
For example, power at K22HN failed last night (Oct 10, 2008) shortly after 4.30 am. It is still off as of this time, 6 pm. As a result, KYES has had no DTV signal at all for over 12 hours. This will not be a unique experience. The analog signal originates from a UPS-protected studio. the 8VSB signal is encoded at K22HN.
The FCC form asks what is needed. The answer? Funds from the spectrum auction as made possible by this conversion to DTV, said funds to be applied to equipment that may be needed, especially by stations in financial distress. Dumpster diving may result in an 8VSB signal, but the result will be less than ideal.[20]
The document then goes on to cite an Anchorage Daily News article,[21] explaining that a storm and 100 mph (161 km/h) winds had knocked out power in the area, taking K22HN dark, suggesting that the station's DTV status reports were filed without the aid of electricity.
Fireweed Communications LLC then requested FCC authorization to operate KYES-DT post-transition from multiple transmitter sites. The existing UHF 22 DTV facility would continue operation, and multiple transmitters would rebroadcast the signal onto the former analog channel (5) using the existing KYES low-power television facilities.
While the cash-strapped station expected this would allow rapid and less costly construction and provide replication of analog service, this was not a request for a DTx (distributed transmission system). The transmitters were not synchronous, and therefore could interfere with each other in certain narrow geographical areas. The affected locations were all unpopulated.[22]
KAUU (as KYES-TV) shut down its analog signal, over
See also
- KNIK-LD
- Honolulu, Hawaii)
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KAUU". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b "KTUU Expands into Southeast Alaska and KYES Launches "CBS5 Anchorage"". Alaska's News Source. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "GCI Channel Changes List". Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "Channel 2 and CBS 5 Turn on Two New Transmitters". Alaska Business. March 3, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
- ^ "Gray Television Sells Some, Buys Some". TVNewsCheck. October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. October 13, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
- ^ a b "Gray Fighting Complaint Over KYES Purchase". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ "GCI Asks FCC to Block Gray TV Purchase". Multichannel News. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ DA 16-692 - Federal Communications Commission
- ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. June 27, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ Ortega, Roly (September 15, 2020). "Catch-up post #10… KTUU/KYES, WTXL and WCTV". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ McDarban, Alex (August 1, 2020). "One company will own Anchorage's 2 local TV news stations after deal with GCI". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- ^ "KTVA final signoff". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
- ^ L, Jeff; field (August 26, 2020). "Gray Television hires 11 KTVA employees". The Alaska Landmine. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KAUU
- ^ KYES Broadcasting in HD Promo - Vimeo
- ^ Broadcasting Anchorage Alaska's First DTV, Broadcast Engineering, August 23
- ^ KYES FAQ
- ^ KYES.info
- ^ KYES-DT digital transition status report (FCC form 387), October 2008
- ^ Thousands of storm victims still without power, Megan Holland and Craig Medred, Anchorage Daily News, October 10, 2008
- ^ KYES-DT request for FCC STA for co-channel operation from multiple low-power transmitters
- ^ "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.
- ^ Jeremy Lansman, on-air call-in show, June 12, 2009, KYES-TV5.