KSTC-TV

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

KSTC-TV
kW
HAAT436 m (1,430 ft)
Transmitter coordinates45°3′45″N 93°8′22″W / 45.06250°N 93.13944°W / 45.06250; -93.13944
Translator(s)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.45tv.com

KSTC-TV (channel 5.2) is an

Shoreview. The station is branded as 45TV in reference to its former analog, digital, and virtual channel number; it is still carried on channel 45 on some cable systems in outlying areas of the market,[citation needed] as well as on DirecTV and Dish Network
.

KSTC-TV also serves the

Mankato market (via K14KE-D in nearby St. James[2] through the local municipal-operated Cooperative TV [CTV] network of translators[3][4]
), as that area does not have an independent station of its own.

KSTC-TV's main signal is also seen on the second subchannel of both of KSTP-TV's full-power satellite stations, KSAX (channel 42.2) in

standard definition due to transmitter multiplexer limitations, though it is available in high definition
on pay-TV services otherwise. KSTC-TV is also carried in high definition on KSTP-TV's main signal and translator stations as a repeater signal, classed as KSTP-DT5.

KSTC-TV is the only television station in the area with its own mascot, Dr. Chuck Ells, who is often seen at community events. The former mascot was the "45 Guy".

History

The station began operations under the KVBM call letters. Although Federal Communications Commission (FCC) records indicate that a license for this station was granted in 1987, it did not take to the airwaves until June 1994. The station aired Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic information as well as the Home Shopping Network (HSN) until it was purchased by Hubbard Broadcasting on April 24, 2000. Hubbard relaunched the station as KSTC on September 1. To get attention for the switch from KVBM to KSTC, Hubbard ran an advertising campaign around the theme of people with an assortment of ages saying "I'm 45!" to build word of mouth about what the phrase meant, knowing few in the market ever watched KVBM (or even knew a channel 45 existed) and would be curious about what the phrase actually referred to.

In 2003, KSTC began broadcasting its digital signal. KSTC-DT, on

HDnet in high definition (the network's only ever over-the-air presence outside of encrypted over-the-air subscription services). After its contract with the network ended, channel 45.2 was taken off-the-air. It signed-on again December 1, 2006, as a high definition sports channel which included a schedule of live Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves games in the format, along with Minnesota State High School League sports. On or around June 30, 2010, KSTC began carrying This TV
in standard definition, with KSTC's main channel beginning to be transmitted in high definition with sports content merged into the main KSTC schedule.

Until late 2008, KSTC heavily promoted its ties to KSTP-TV. It branded itself as "FORTY5," and used a logo in which the "Y" in "FORTY" was converted into a digital "4" superimposed on channel 5's longtime "groovy 5" logo.

Programming

As an independent station, the station runs a variety of

horror movie broadcast under the name Horror Incorporated (hosted by Count Dracula played by Jake Esau, the actual owner of the countdracula.com domain name). The last incarnation of Horror Incorporated was hosted by Uncle Ghoulie (Thom Lange), Carbuncle (Tim McCall), 13 (Sasha Yvonne Walloch), Gordon the Gorilla, and Wolfie. As of 2004, at least one KSTC-specific program was still airing: Nate on Drums
, a comedy and variety show hosted by Nate Perbix, is reportedly syndicated to a network of stations across Minnesota.

Today, most local programs come from KSTP including On the Road with longtime KSTP reporter Jason Davis and Sports Wrap. In 2004, KSTC announced a six-year over-the-air partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves allowing the station to broadcast a number of the team's regular-season and postseason basketball games. Also that year, the station entered into an eleven-year partnership with the Minnesota State High School League to broadcast state athletic tournaments as well as educational and student programs. KSTC pays the league $9.7 million in rights fees and provides an additional $10.6 million worth of promotion for those tournaments and other league programs. KSTC-TV also televised Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball games from 2006 to 2007.

In 2009, KSTC and the MSHSL extended their broadcast partnership until 2021. Starting in 2010, some tournaments were broadcast online. Additionally in December 2004, they established a multi-year partnership to air Minnesota Wild hockey games. Other sports have also aired on the station in the past including

Saint Paul Saints baseball, boxing, and even Robot Wars
-style combat between mechanical competitors. As of summer 2006, KSTC has been including actual viewers in their programming promotions. Most include a viewer describing their favorite scene or character from one of the shows on the station. The station may also take on the responsibility of airing shows from ABC whenever KSTP cannot do so as a result of extended breaking news or severe weather coverage, or special programming.

Newscasts

In the early 2000s, KSTC experimented with carrying a two-hour extension of KSTP's weekday morning newscast from 7 to 9 a.m., providing an all-local alternative to Good Morning America on channel 5. On July 19, 2009, KSTP began to produce daily newscasts for KSTC full-time. The newscasts run for two hours starting at 7 a.m. and hour-long noon newscast on weekdays and for an hour at 9 p.m, (a half-hour on Saturdays), which respectively compete with Fox owned-and-operated station KMSP-TV (channel 9)'s in-house morning newscast and KMSP's prime time newscast at 9 p.m. In the late 2010s, the station also began to carry an hour-long noon newscast on weekdays from KSTP, along with the previous day's edition of Twin Cities Live at 9 a.m.

Technical information

Subchannels

The signal of KSTP-TV contains four subchannels, while KSTC-TV's signal contains three. KSTP hosts the ATSC 1.0 signal of CW affiliate WUCW (channel 23) through an agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group. Through the use of virtual channels, KSTC-TV's subchannels are associated with channel 5.

Subchannels of KSTP-TV[5] and KSTC-TV[6]
Channel Station Res. Aspect Short name Programming
5.1 KSTP-TV 720p
16:9
 KSTPDT Main KSTP-TV programming / ABC
5.2 KSTC-TV 45TV Main KSTC-TV programming
5.3 480i MeTV MeTV[7][8]
5.4 GetTV
GetTV
5.5 KSTP-TV Defy Defy TV
5.7 H & I Heroes & Icons
23.1 KSTP-TV 1080i 16:9 The CW The CW (WUCW)
  Broadcast on behalf of another station
Subchannels of KSAX[9] and KRWF[10]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
KSAX KRWF KSAX KRWF
42.1 43.1 720p
16:9
 KSAX-DT KRWF-DT Main KSAX/KRWF programming / ABC (KSTP-TV simulcast)
42.2 43.2 KSAXDT2 KRWFDT2 KSTC-TV / Independent (480i on KRWF-DT2)
42.3 43.3 480i KSAXDT3 KRWFDT3 MeTV (KSTC-DT3)

Analog-to-digital conversion

KSTC-TV shut down its analog signal, over

UHF channel 45, 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. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 44 to channel 45.[11][12] In October 2011, KSTP and KSTC unified all of their over-the-air channels as virtual subchannels of KSTP. As a result, the virtual channels of KSTC changed. The main KSTC channel is now on 5.2, with This TV now being tuned to 5.6.[13]

On September 2, 2019, KSTC moved from physical channel 45 to 30 as part of the ongoing

spectrum reallocation. The station continues to use the 45TV branding.[14]

Translators

In addition, KSTP-TV's signal is further extended by way of twelve

translators
in central and southern Minnesota. Seven of them nominally repeat KSAX and are part of that station's license.

1Translator is in the

Mankato
market.

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KSTC-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ RabbitEars – Digital TV Market Listing for K14KE-D
  3. ^ The Webpage of Cooperative TV (CTV)
  4. ^ CTV Channel Listing via the Cooperative TV (CTV) Website
  5. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KSTP
  6. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KSTC
  7. ^ Where to Watch Me-TV: KSTP
  8. ^ Me-TV Signs With Stations in New Markets
  9. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KSAX
  10. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KRWF
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ CDBS Print
  13. ^ KSTC: Channel rescan notice Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Having Problems Receiving Channel 5.2". KSTP.com.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KSTC-TV&oldid=1216436160"