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For the airport in Huntsville, Alabama, assigned the ICAO code KHSV, see Huntsville International Airport.
This article covers channel 21 in Las Vegas before and after the 2014 facility swap. For information on KSNV and predecessors using this technical facility, see KSNV.
KHSV
Channels
BrandingMeTV Las Vegas
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
July 31, 1984
(40 years ago) (1984-07-31)[a]
Former call signs
  • KRLR (1984–1995)
  • KUPN (1995–1998)
  • KVWB (1998–2006)
  • KVMY (2006–2016)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 21 (UHF, 1984–2009)
Call sign meaning
  • Howard Stirk Holdings (station owner)
  • Las Vegas
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID69677
ERP
  • 27.7 kW
  • 1,000 kW (application)[1]
HAAT386 m (1,266 ft)
Transmitter coordinates36°0′31″N 115°0′20″W / 36.00861°N 115.00556°W / 36.00861; -115.00556
Translator(s)K26NP-D 26 Overton
Links
Public license information

KHSV (channel 21) is a television station in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, affiliated with the digital multicast network MeTV. KHSV is owned by Howard Stirk Holdings and broadcasts from Black Mountain, near Henderson (southwest of I-11/US 93/US 95).

Channel 21 went on the air as KRLR, the second independent station for Las Vegas, on July 31, 1984. Initially reliant on music videos, it broadened its mix of programming and sports soon after launch. KRLR became an affiliate of UPN at its launch in January 1995 and changed its call sign to KUPN. However, after Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired the station in 1997, poor relations between Sinclair and UPN led the company to change affiliations to The WB in 1998, with the station switching its call sign to KVWB shortly thereafter. Sinclair then began managing and later owning the former WB affiliate, KFBT (channel 33). Between 2003 and 2006, both stations aired local newscasts powered by the company's News Central.

In 2006, when The WB and UPN merged to form The CW, Sinclair first signed a group deal for the rival MyNetworkTV service for KVWB before acquiring the rights to The CW for KFBT. To reinforce its new network identity, KVWB again changed its call sign to KVMY.

Sinclair agreed in 2014 to acquire KSNV, the NBC affiliate, from the Intermountain West Communications Company. However, since Sinclair already owned two Las Vegas stations, it opted to merge the three stations onto the two licenses it already owned. In late 2014, Sinclair switched the technical facilities and licenses of KSNV and KVMY while absorbing the MyNetworkTV programming onto a subchannel of KVCW. The former KSNV license and facility, now under the KVMY call letters, was then sold to Howard Stirk Holdings and renamed KHSV.

History

[edit]

KRLR and KUPN

[edit]

In 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated four applications for comparative hearing to determine who would be the first to build and operate a television station on the ultra high frequency (UHF) band in Las Vegas. The applications came from DRES Media of Las Vegas, led by the Scott and Foremaster families; Alden Communications, a California firm which also filed for channels in Seattle and Portland, Oregon; Broadcast West Inc., based in North Las Vegas; and Channel 21 Corporation, whose principals were two New Jersey businessmen.[3][4] Three of the applications had been filed in 1978, anticipating a possible boom in subscription television broadcasting.[3]

The station began broadcasting on July 31, 1984.[5] It originally broadcast as "Vusic 21", devoting most of its time to music videos; KRLR management boasted that theirs was the first 24-hour music video station in the country, though the format was also an aid to getting the station on the air in short order.[6][7] Over the course of the next year, the independent station transformed its schedule into a broader mix of entertainment programming by acquiring movies and syndicated programs.[8] The first notable exception to the music video format came months after signing on, when the station signed for rights to air telecasts of Las Vegas Americans indoor soccer.[9] Sports played a key role in the station's schedule in the late 1980s; channel 21 broadcast a partial-season package of UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball and selected UNLV football games,[10][11] and it was also a heavy baseball broadcaster, featuring the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics on its schedule.[12]

Dennis Todd, a subcontractor for KRLR, was working on the station's Black Mountain tower on May 4, 1988, when the nearby Pacific Engineering and Production Company facility exploded. Todd was known to tape some of his work and had a video camera with him while on the tower. After the first blast, he began recording the unfolding disaster; he was flown with his camera to NBC in Burbank, California, from which his footage was fed to NBC affiliates nationwide.[13]

As the first Las Vegas station on the UHF band, KRLR's promotion in tuning and antennas forged a path for two stations that followed it in the decade: KBLR-TV (channel 39) and KFBT (channel 33).[14][15] However, in the ratings, it was a distant second to KVVU, one of the nation's strongest independent outlets.[14]

In 1993, DRES Media filed to sell KRLR to Las Vegas Channel 21 Inc., a company owned by Michael J. Lambert, for $4.875 million.[16] The new ownership affiliated channel 21 with the new United Paramount Network (UPN) at its launch on January 16, 1995,[17] and changed its call letters to KUPN on March 6 of that year.[18] Lambert more than recouped his investment by selling KUPN to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $87 million in 1997; the transaction represented the company's entry to a market where TV revenues had doubled in just four years.[19]

KVWB and KVMY

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The purchase of KUPN came months before Sinclair's relationship with UPN frosted over. On July 21, 1997, Sinclair signed a long-term affiliation agreement with Time Warner, under which the group committed five of its UPN-affiliated stations to that network in 1998, with a sixth independent station to join in 1999.[20] The high-profile move by Sinclair to move five stations from UPN to The WB, its direct competitor, led to a legal dispute between the companies. UPN sued Sinclair, alleging it had breached its affiliation contract by exiting it early.[21] On January 14, 1998, Sinclair announced that KUPN would join The WB, taking the affiliation from KFBT, in a switch later postponed to March 1; KFBT did not pick up UPN after the switch,[22][23] and a month later, Sinclair struck a deal to operate KFBT under a local marketing agreement.[24] Channel 21's call letters remained KUPN until changing to KVWB on May 27, 1998.[25]

The affiliation switch was beneficial for the station's ratings; in prime time, it saw a 150-percent increase between November 1997 and November 1998.[26] In January 1999, Sinclair hired a news director with plans to debut an hour-long 10 p.m. newscast, the second in the market, for the fall television season;[27] its launch was to be contingent on the station moving into new, 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) studios to be built in Summerlin.[28] The station instead programmed reruns of Star Trek: Voyager in the hour.[29] In November 1999, KVWB tied KVVU in sign-on to sign-off ratings for the first time in history.[30]

On October 13, 2003, Sinclair debuted local News Central hybrid newscasts for KVWB (at 10 p.m.) and KFBT (at 7 p.m.). As with others of its type, the newscasts combined local news coverage read by anchors in Las Vegas with national news and weather from Sinclair's corporate headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland.[31] News Central wound down in March 2006; the KVWB newscast ceased on March 3 and was soon after replaced with one produced by NBC affiliate KVBC.[32][33]

In 2006, The WB and UPN were shut down and replaced with The CW, which offered programming from both predecessor networks. However, Sinclair was late to sign an agreement with The CW.[34][35] The news of the merger resulted in Sinclair announcing, two months later, that most of its UPN and WB affiliates, including KVWB, would join MyNetworkTV, a new service formed by the News Corporation, which was also owner of the Fox network.[36] It was not until May 2 that an agreement was signed for KFBT and several other Sinclair-owned stations to join The CW.[37] To reinforce their new affiliations, KVWB and KFBT became KVMY and KVCW in June 2006, relaunching as "My LV TV" and "The CW Las Vegas" when the new networks debuted in September.[38][39]

On May 15, 2012, Sinclair and Fox agreed to a five-year affiliation agreement extension for the station group's 19 Fox-affiliated stations until 2017. This included an option, that was exercisable between July 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, for Fox parent News Corporation to buy a combination of six Sinclair-owned stations (two CW/MyNetworkTV duopolies and two standalone MyNetworkTV affiliates) in three out of four markets; KVMY and KVCW were included in the Fox purchase option, along with stations in Cincinnati (WSTR-TV); Raleigh, North Carolina (WLFL/WRDC); and Norfolk, Virginia (WTVZ).[40] In January 2013, Fox announced that it would not exercise its option to buy any of the Sinclair stations.[41]

2014 license swap and sale to Howard Stirk Holdings

[edit]

On September 3, 2014, Intermountain West Communications Company announced that it would sell KSNV-DT to Sinclair for $120 million. As Sinclair already owned a duopoly in Las Vegas, it could not add a third license, the company planned to sell the license assets (though not the programming) of one of the three stations to comply with FCC ownership restrictions, with the divested station's programming being moved to the other stations.[42] On November 1, 2014, Sinclair began the process of realigning KSNV, KVCW, and KVMY. It moved the MyNetworkTV programming to a subchannel of KVCW and relocate KSNV's call letters, programming, and channel number to what had been KVMY. The KSNV technical facility then became KVMY, retaining virtual channel 21 but not the MyNetworkTV programming, and was sold to Howard Stirk Holdings, a company owned by conservative commentator Armstrong Williams.[43] The $150,000 purchase price primarily consisted of the transmission facility.[44] The call sign on channel 21 changed to KHSV on March 7, 2016.[45]

Technical information

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Subchannels

[edit]

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KHSV[46]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
21.1 720p 16:9 MeTV MeTV
21.2 480i H & I H&I
21.3 START Start TV
21.4 4:3 get TV Get
21.5 16:9 CATCHY Catchy Comedy
21.6 MeToons MeTV Toons
21.7 NTDwest NTD America
21.8 QVC QVC

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

The present channel 2 digital technical facility was built by KSNV, then KVBC, and activated on October 22, 2002.[47]

Pre-swap KVMY shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 21, on February 17, 2009, the original target date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate; pre-swap KVBC did not follow suit on that date.[48] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 22; similarly, when KVBC shut down, its signal continued on channel 2 prior to the 2014 swap.[49]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Of KRLR on channel 21. The technical facility used by KHSV today traces its origins to KSNV.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Channel Substitution/Community of License Change". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. November 27, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KHSV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ a b "3 Firms File For Never-Used UHF In Vegas, Awaiting STV". Variety. July 26, 1978. p. 50. ProQuest 1286034263.
  4. ^ "Operator of Vegas UHF station to be chosen". Las Vegas Review-Journal. August 8, 1980. p. 11A.
  5. ^ "KVWB". Television Factbook. 2006. p. A-1425.
  6. ^ "Music video trend hits LV". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 12, 1984. p. 4B.
  7. ^ Starling, Merry Lynn (July 29, 1984). "Vusic 21 in LV: The future of television is now". Las Vegas Review-Journal. pp. 1E, 2E.
  8. ^ Starling, Merry Lynn (September 22, 1985). "Local programming: What Las Vegas viewers can expect for fall". Las Vegas Review-Journal. pp. 1E, 14E.
  9. ^ Cross, Joe (October 5, 1984). "Americans reveal TV package". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 1D.
  10. ^ Burchick, Joe (September 18, 1986). "UNLV basketball gets extensive TV coverage for 1986-1987 season". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 2C.
  11. ^ Spiritosanto, Rick (September 18, 1987). "Floundering UNLV football telecasts get weak reception". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3D.
  12. ^ White, Ken (March 12, 1989). "Payroll checks avert walkout of KVEG radio employees". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3C.
  13. ^ Cling, Carol (May 15, 1998). "Local TV covered Henderson explosion with expanded news". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 13D.
  14. ^ a b White, Ken (February 19, 1989). "Las Vegas to get its third independent TV station". Las Vegas Review-Journal. pp. 1F, 6F.
  15. ^ White, Ken (September 22, 1991). "KFBT TV-33's investments of time, money paying off". Las Vegas Review-Journal. pp. 1J, 4J.
  16. ^ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. December 13, 1993. p. 84. ProQuest 1014756293.
  17. ^ "$100 mil buys Viacom Boston: Deal to acquire WSBK-TV helps boost UPN's coverage to 76% of U.S.". The Hollywood Reporter. December 1, 1994. pp. 3, 26. ProQuest 2362016123.
  18. ^ "KRLR-TV changing to KUPN". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 3, 1995. p. 9E.
  19. ^ Atkinson, Bill (February 1, 1997). "Sinclair Group buying KUPN-TV of Las Vegas: $87 million outlay provides entry into rapidly growing market". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. pp. 11C, 18C. Retrieved November 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ McClellan, Steve (July 21, 1997). "WB woos and wins Sinclair" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. pp. 4, 8. ProQuest 1016966796. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  21. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (August 9, 1997). "Corporate conflict raises doubts about Channel 62-UPN union". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. E-4. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ White, Ken (January 14, 1998). "KUPN-TV going from UPN to WB". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 6E. ProQuest 260031243.
  23. ^ White, Ken (January 16, 1998). "KFBT-TV to return as an independent". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 7D. ProQuest 260040713.
  24. ^ White, Ken (April 2, 1998). "Sinclair Broadcasting strikes marketing deal with KFBT-TV". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 3D. ProQuest 260033787.
  25. ^ White, Ken (May 27, 1998). "Channel 21 switches call letters to KVWB". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 9E. ProQuest 260044407.
  26. ^ Freeman, Michael; Larson, Megan (November 30, 1998). "WB outlets sweep up". Mediaweek. p. 5. ProQuest 213616185.
  27. ^ White, Ken (January 13, 1999). "Channel 21 to launch 10 p.m. newscast". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 5B. ProQuest 260022518.
  28. ^ "Brief: Channel 21 plans hourlong newscasts". Las Vegas Sun. January 13, 1999.
  29. ^ "KVWB-TV announces September changes". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 29, 1999. p. 7E. ProQuest 260077708.
  30. ^ White, Ken (December 18, 1999). "KVBC-TV displays its dominance by winning the November sweeps". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 8B. ProQuest 260056897.
  31. ^ "Meeting held to discuss state of student paper". Las Vegas CityLife. October 15, 2003.
  32. ^ Greppi, Michele (March 20, 2006). "News Central Slims Down". TelevisionWeek. pp. 3, 24. ProQuest 203837997.
  33. ^ Romano, Allison (March 17, 2006). "Sinclair Rethinks News Mission". Broadcasting & Cable.
  34. ^ Seid, Jessica (January 24, 2006). "'Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September". CNN Money. CNN. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  35. ^ Carter, Bill (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  36. ^ "News Corp. Unveils MyNetworkTV". Broadcasting & Cable. February 22, 2006. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  37. ^ Ranii, David (May 4, 2006). "WB 22 to get new newscasts". The News and Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 1D, 3D. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "TV stations change their call letters". Las Vegas Review-Journal. June 26, 2006. p. 5E. ProQuest 260218122.
  39. ^ Clarke, Norm (June 12, 2006). "Siegfried & Roy disappoint all". Las Vegas Review Journal. p. 3A. ProQuest 260211252.
  40. ^ "Sinclair Reups With Fox, Gets WUTB Option". TVNewsCheck. May 15, 2012.
  41. ^ "Sinclair In An Acquisition State Of Mind". TVNewsCheck. February 6, 2013.
  42. ^ "Sinclair Buying KSNV Las Vegas For $120M". TVNewsCheck. September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  43. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  44. ^ Malone, Michael (February 4, 2015). "Howard Stirk Acquires Sinclair's KVMY Las Vegas". Broadcasting & Cable.
  45. ^ "Call Sign History, KHSV". Consolidated Database System. Federal Communications Commission.
  46. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KHSV". RabbitEars.
  47. ^ "KVBC-DT". Television Factbook. 2006. p. A-1424.
  48. ^ "List of TV stations ending analog broadcasts". NBC News. Associated Press. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  49. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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