KFFX-TV

This article is about Fox 11 in Tri-Cities, Washington. For other uses, see Fox 11.
KFFX-TV
Pendleton, Oregon/Tri-Cities, Washington
United States
Branding Fox 11
Slogan Everybody's Watching Fox
Channels Digital: 11 (VHF)
Affiliations Fox
This TV (DT2)
Owner Northwest Broadcasting
(Mountain Licenses, LP)
First air date January 11, 1999
Call letters' meaning FoX[1]
Sister station(s) KCYU-LD
Former callsigns KAUP (January–April 1999)
Former channel number(s) Analog:
11 (VHF, 1999–2009)
Digital: 8 (VHF)
Transmitter power 60 kW
Height 472 m
Facility ID 12729
Transmitter coordinates 45°44′49″N 118°2′15.6″W / 45.74694°N 118.037667°W / 45.74694; -118.037667
Website www.myfoxtricities.com

KFFX-TV, Fox 11, is a Fox affiliate serving the Tri-Cities, Washington (Richland/Pasco/Kennewick) area. Licensed to Pendleton, Oregon, and owned by Northwest Broadcasting, it also operates a satellite station in Yakima, KCYU-LD channel 41. On satellite, KFFX-TV is normally available on DirecTV although they have been in a contract dispute since August 13, 2012; Dish Network carries KCYU-LD instead. It operates from studios on Falls Avenue in Kennewick.

History

Channel 11 signed on the air January 11, 1999. The station originally had the call letters KAUP; on April 25, the call letters were changed to KFFX-TV.[2] It was the first full-powered VHF station in what had previously been a "UHF island." Distinctively, the Tri-Cities is one of two markets where Fox is on VHF, while the other major networks are on UHF; the other one is Austin, Texas (KTBC).

It was also the first station on the Tri-Cities side of the market not to be a satellite of a station in Yakima. Before KFFX-TV's sign-on, Fox programming was seen in the Tri-Cities on KBWU-LP (channel 66), a low-power semi-satellite of KAYU-TV in Spokane; KCYU-LP was also a semi-satellite of KAYU before the launch of KFFX. KAYU was also piped in by area cable companies. KBWU (which originally had the call sign K66BW,[3] though it was referred to as "KBW" outside of station identifications) had been on the air since October 1, 1989;[4] that station, now KBWU-LD (channel 36), is now a translator of KFFX.

Initially, the KFFX-TV license was owned by Communication Properties; Northwest Broadcasting, through its Mountain Broadcasting subsidiary, operated the station under a local marketing agreement.[5] Northwest filed to acquire KFFX outright in November 1999; however, the sale, approved on September 27, 2000, was not completed until January 14, 2003[6] because Northwest was required to divest another full-power television station in the Tri-Cities market, KBKI (channel 9, later known as KCWK) in Walla Walla, in order to complete its purchase of KFFX. KBKI was ultimately acquired by Pappas Telecasting.[7]

Translators

KFFX-TV is rebroadcast on two low-powered translators.[8][9]

Programming

KFFX airs a 10PM newscast, Fox First at Ten, produced by area NBC affiliate KNDO/KNDU.

KFFX also offers the "Laugh Pack" line-up of back to back sitcoms between 5 and 8 PM each Monday through Friday along with many other popular shows including American Idol, Glee and Fringe.

Digital television

KFFX-TV has been digital-only since February 17, 2009,[10] when KFFX-TV's digital broadcasts moved to VHF channel 11. As the station's transmitter site typically becomes inaccessible to standard vehicles in early November, Northwest Broadcasting provided the station's broadcast engineers with snowmobiles on February 16, 2009 to complete the final post-transition installations.

On April 21, 2009, KFFX-TV added a digital subchannel which includes This TV. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Nelson, Bob (June 2, 2009). "Call Letter Origins" 238. The Broadcast Archive. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Call Sign History (KFFX-TV)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Call Sign History (KBWU-LD)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  4. ↑ Murphey, Michael (October 5, 1989). "KAYU TV partnership opens stations in Yakima, Tri-Cities". Spokane Chronicle. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  5. ↑ "OWNERSHIP REPORT FOR COMMERCIAL BROADCAST STATIONS". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. September 30, 2001. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Application Search Details (KFFX-TV, 1)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  7. ↑ "KFFX-DT FCC Form 337 Exhibit 1" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. October 7, 2002. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KBWU-LD#station
  9. ↑ http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=K38KL-D#station
  10. ↑ FCC list of full-service US TV stations, February 16, 2009
  11. ↑ http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101256472&formid=387&fac_num=12729

External links

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