KAZA-TV

KAZA-TV
Greater Los Angeles area, California
United States
City Glendale/Pasadena/Los Angeles
Branding Azteca América 54
Channels Digital: 47 (UHF)
Virtual: 54 (PSIP)
Subchannels (see article)
Affiliations Azteca América
Owner Pappas Telecasting Companies (80%) /
TV Azteca (20%)
(Southern California License, LLC)
First air date July 9, 2001
Call letters' meaning AZteca America
Former channel number(s) Analog:
54 (UHF, 2001–2009)
Former affiliations Independent/Spanish music videos (2001)
Transmitter power 350 kW
Height 936.6 m
Facility ID 29234
Transmitter coordinates 34°13′37″N 118°3′57″W / 34.22694°N 118.06583°W / 34.22694; -118.06583
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website /Azteca website

KAZA-TV, virtual channel 54 (UHF digital channel 47), is an Azteca América-affiliated television station serving the Greater Los Angeles area, United States it serves as a flagship station of the network. The station is jointly-owned by Visalia-based Pappas Telecasting Companies (which owns a 80% interest) and Mexican broadcaster (and owner of Azteca América), TV Azteca (20% interest).[1][2] KAZA's studios are located on Grand Central Avenue in Glendale, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.

History

Former KAZA-TV logo.

The station first signed on the air on July 9, 2001, originally operating as an independent station, carrying a format of Spanish language music videos.

On November 30, 2006, NBC Universal (owner of rival KVEA, channel 52 and then-owner of KWHY-TV, channel 22) filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to deny KAZA's license renewal, on basis that TV Azteca controlled 51.6% of the station (above the FCC-designated 33% interest limit for foreign owned broadcasters) via loans and other interests.[3][4] According to the Los Angeles Times, it is believed to be the first challenge to a license renewal sent to the FCC since 1979 (apparently not acknowledging some challenges to the RKO General licenses in the early 1980s).

According to the filing,[5] NBCUniversal accused TV Azteca of attempting to undermine its operations in Mexico. One example cited is the shutdown of production of the Telemundo program Quinceañera. NBCUniversal accused TV Azteca of hiring undercover police officers to enforce the shutdown; the show's production was moved to Miami, Florida as a result. Two days later, Azteca chairman, Luis Echarte, insisted that the local marketing agreement is legitimate and called NBC Universal's allegations "ridiculous", citing that: "It’s obviously a ploy to damage our image, given our strong performance in the U.S.," he says. "KAZA is owned by Pappas. We’ve been paying rent to Pappas to operate the station for three years." [6]

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[7]
54.1 1080i 16:9 KAZA-DT Main KAZA-TV programming / Azteca América
54.2 480i 4:3 KAZA-D2 Az Noticias
54.3 480i 16:9 KAZA-D3 Az Corazon
54.4 480i 16:9 KAZA-D4 Az Cinema

Analog-to-digital conversion

KAZA-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 54, 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 47.[8] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 54.

References

  1. ↑ https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101573477&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=2
  2. ↑ Pappas Saga Turning Into Tragedy | TVNewsCheck.com
  3. ↑ NBC Universal Contests Pappas License - 2006-11-30 18:04:00 | Broadcasting & Cable
  4. ↑ Telemuno moves to block KAZA's license renewal - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety
  5. ↑ Los Angeles Times, Dec. 1, 2006, page C1
  6. ↑ Azteca Fires Back at NBCU - 2006-12-01 09:37:00 | Broadcasting & Cable
  7. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KAZA
  8. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 22, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.