KASA-TV

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KASA-TV
The Telemundo network logo, consisting of two red pieces that form the letter T, and under them, the words "Telemundo" and "Nuevo México" on separate lines.
Santa Fe–Albuquerque, New Mexico
United States
CitySanta Fe, New Mexico
ChannelsDigital: 27 (UHF)
Virtual: 2
BrandingTelemundo Nuevo México (general)
Noticias Telemundo Nuevo México (newscasts)
Programming
Affiliations2.1: Telemundo (2017–present)
15.1: MeTV
15.2: Start TV
29.1: Cozi TV
33.1: Charge!
Ownership
OwnerTelemundo Station Group
(Comcast/NBCUniversal)
(NBC Telemundo License LLC)
KTEL-CD, KRTN-LD, KUPT-LD
History
First air date
October 31, 1983 (38 years ago) (1983-10-31)
Former call signs
KSAF-TV (1983–1985)
KNMZ-TV (1985–1989)
KKTO-TV (1989–1993)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
2 (VHF, 1983–2009)
Former affiliations
Independent (1983–1992)
Dark (1992–1993)
Fox (1993–2017)
Call sign meaning
Based on Spanish word casa, meaning "home" or "house"
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID32311
ERP380 kW
HAAT1,278 m (4,193 ft)
Transmitter coordinates35°12′49.8″N 106°27′3.3″W / 35.213833°N 106.450917°W / 35.213833; -106.450917
Translator(s)See list
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.telemundonuevomexico.com

KASA-TV, virtual channel 2 (UHF digital channel 27), branded on-air as Telemundo Nuevo México, is a Telemundo owned-and-operated television station serving Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States that is licensed to the state capital of Santa Fe. The station is owned by the Telemundo Station Group subsidiary of NBCUniversal. KASA-TV's studios are located on Monroe Street NE in Albuquerque; its transmitter is located on Sandia Crest, with translators in much of the state and southwestern Colorado extending its signal.

Channel 2 in Santa Fe was established in 1983 and struggled for its first decade on air as an independent station. It went silent in 1992 during a merger with KGSW-TV, which resulted in 1993 in its relaunch as Fox affiliate KASA-TV. KASA remained the Albuquerque market's Fox affiliate until a merger led to its move to a subchannel of KRQE; at that time, channel 2 and its translators were sold to Lubbock, Texas-based Ramar Communications and switched to Telemundo, which had previously aired on its KTEL-CD.

History[]

Early years[]

The New Mexico Media Co., a group of Santa Fe businessmen, applied on September 10, 1977, for a new television station to serve Santa Fe on channel 11 (amended two months later to specify channel 2).[1] Both the New Mexico Media application and the other channel 11 bid, which became KCHF, were contested by the Albuquerque television stations for specifying the use of Sandia Crest as the transmitter site, which they contended would have meant an insufficient signal over the city of license.[2]

The FCC approved the application on May 10, 1982.[1] By that time, the application had been amended to change the transmitter site to No Name Peak in the Jemez Mountains.[3][4]

Channel 2 came to the air on October 31, 1983[5]—a day later than announced,[6] prompting the station to apologize on local radio stations and claim it was "a day late but not a single program short"[7]—as independent station KSAF-TV. Based in a new studio building at the corner of St. Francis and St. Michael's Drive in Santa Fe, channel 2 promised a strong signal for Santa Fe and Albuquerque, as well as the first live newscast for New Mexico's capital city;[8] the news programs were scrapped just three months after launch.[9]

In October 1984, a California-based investor group bought into KSAF-TV.[10] The new ownership upgraded the programming by acquiring 600 films from a financially troubled KNAT-TV; in order to avoid confusion with radio station KAFE and "KSFE-TV", a former cable channel in Santa Fe, the call letters were changed to KNMZ-TV (stylized as "KNM2") on March 1, 1985.[11][12]

The station filed for bankruptcy in August 1987, citing $11 million in assets but $15 million in liabilities.[13] Coronado Communications Company, a subsidiary of the Las Vegas-based Sunbelt Communications Company, purchased channel 2 for $3 million in early 1988.[14] Founding investor John Pollon bought back the studio building, and KNMZ-TV moved its Santa Fe offices to smaller quarters on Calle Nava while shifting the bulk of operations to Albuquerque.[15][16]

Coronado made its own repositioning of channel 2 in 1989, changing the call letters to KKTO-TV.[16]

Merger with KGSW-TV and Fox era[]

Further information: KGSW-TV

By mid-1992, KKTO-TV was economically struggling: Coronado had lost $6.6 million in its ownership of the station, and it warned that it could not continue to operate KKTO-TV much longer.[17] That July, the Providence Journal Company (ProJo)—owners of KGSW-TV (channel 14), New Mexico's Fox affiliate—reached a deal to purchase KKTO from Coronado. The deal was made with the express purpose of moving the Fox affiliation and channel 14 programming to the VHF station, which in turn would move its transmitter to Sandia Crest in a $1 million upgrade.[18][19] ProJo immediately took control of KKTO under a local marketing agreement, firing its 18 staff and rehiring 10.[19]

Programming from KKTO ceased at midnight on September 6, 1992.[20] That same week, the Associated Press news agency had sued the station for $78,700 in unpaid wire service bills.[21] The FCC approved the ProJo purchase of KKTO in January 1993, along with new KASA-TV call letters for channel 2.[22] On April 5, 1993, at 6 p.m., KGSW-TV signed off channel 14, and KASA-TV began telecasting on channel 2.[23]

In 1997, Belo acquired the Providence Journal Company. However, it found that there was no synergy between KASA-TV and its clusters of stations in Texas, the Pacific Northwest, and the mid-Atlantic states and put the station up for sale, along with KHNL in Honolulu, Hawaii, in May 1999.[24] The Albuquerque and Honolulu operations were purchased by Raycom Media for $88 million.[25] Under Raycom, KASA began airing a 9 p.m. local newscast produced for it by KOB-TV in November 2000.[26]

After Raycom purchased the Liberty Corporation in August 2005, Raycom announced its intent to sell KASA and several other stations. On July 27, 2006, Raycom announced that LIN TV, owner of CBS affiliate KRQE, would purchase KASA for $55 million and take over operations at the end of August.[27] The creation of a television duopoly involving two "Big Four" affiliates—typically the four highest-rated stations in a market, which cannot be commonly owned—was allowed since KASA was New Mexico's fifth-rated station at the time. The deal also saw KASA move out of its Albuquerque studio site—which had been used by KGSW-TV since its start—to KRQE's facility and switch from airing a 9 p.m. newscast produced by KOB to one from KRQE.[28]

The Telemundo era[]

While LIN was able to retain both KRQE and KASA in its merger with Media General in 2014, this would prove not to be the case in 2016 when Nexstar Broadcasting Group reached a deal to purchase Media General for $4.6 billion. As KASA and KRQE were both ranked among the top four stations in the market during the November 2015 sweeps, Nexstar elected to divest one of the two stations to comply with the FCC duopoly rules;[29] on June 30, 2016, it agreed to sell KASA-TV and associated translators to Ramar Communications, owner of Telemundo affiliate KTEL-CD (channel 15), Movies! affiliate KUPT-LD (channel 16), and MeTV affiliate KRTN-LD (channel 33), for $2.5 million.[30]

On January 18, 2017, Fox programming moved to a subchannel of KRQE, as Ramar did not acquire the Fox affiliation in the transaction. KASA switched to Telemundo; Ramar also converted its three existing full-power stations in the market—KRTN-TV (channel 33) in Durango, Colorado, KTEL-TV (channel 25) in Carlsbad, and KUPT (channel 29) in Hobbs—into satellites of KASA.[30][31]

Ramar announced the sale of its entire Albuquerque market television operation—KASA-TV, the other three full-power stations, and all of their dependent translators—to NBCUniversal on July 30, 2021. The $12.5 million deal will give NBCU Telemundo stations in 31 markets and marks the end of 23 years of Ramar's ownership of the Telemundo affiliation in the city.[32][33] The sale was completed on October 5.[34]

Newscasts[]

Initially, local news on Telemundo Nuevo México originated from the studios of KJTV-TV, formerly owned by Ramar, in Lubbock, Texas, with reports from Albuquerque-based reporters. As part of the sale, NBC entered into a transitional services agreement with Gray Television, which had purchased KJTV-TV and other Ramar television assets in Lubbock earlier in 2021, to continue news production in the short term;[35] in announcing the purchase, NBC declared its intention to start its own local news service for KASA.[32]

On October 18, 2021, Albuquerque's NBC affiliate, KOB, assumed production of the local newscasts.[36]

Technical information[]

Subchannels[]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed. The use of major channel numbers 15, 29, and 33 for the other subchannels correlates to the other full-power Ramar stations in New Mexico. Additionally, TeleXitos is carried as channel 2.2 of KRTN-LD.[37]

Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming[38]
2.1 720p 16:9 KASA-HD Main KASA-TV programming / Telemundo
15.1 480i MeTV MeTV
15.2 StartTV Start TV
29.1 H and I Simulcast of KUPT / Cozi TV
33.1 CHARGE Charge!

Analog-to-digital conversion[]

KASA-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 2, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television 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 27.[39]

Translators[]

City of license Callsign Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Owner
Alamogordo K27HP-D 27 0.374 kW 507 m (1,663 ft) 13893 32°49′48.3″N 105°53′16.9″W / 32.830083°N 105.888028°W / 32.830083; -105.888028 (K27HP-D) Telemundo Station Group
Artesia K16LR-D 16 0.86 kW 104 m (341 ft) 32332 32°47′38″N 104°12′31″W / 32.79389°N 104.20861°W / 32.79389; -104.20861 (K16LR-D)
Aztec K27ND-D 27 0.24 kW 253 m (830 ft) 55551 36°48′53″N 107°53′33.2″W / 36.81472°N 107.892556°W / 36.81472; -107.892556 (K27ND-D)
Caballo K31DR-D 31 1.5 kW 815 m (2,674 ft) 32322 32°58′16.2″N 107°13′25″W / 32.971167°N 107.22361°W / 32.971167; -107.22361 (K31DR-D)
Carlsbad K17MN-D 17 3.8 kW 36 m (118 ft) 34476 32°26′9.6″N 104°11′16″W / 32.436000°N 104.18778°W / 32.436000; -104.18778 (K17MN-D)
Deming K15IG-D 15 0.77 kW 378 m (1,240 ft) 181767 32°11′40.3″N 107°36′28″W / 32.194528°N 107.60778°W / 32.194528; -107.60778 (K15IG-D)
Eagle Nest K31NZ-D 31 2.6 kW 649 m (2,129 ft) 32320 36°33′34.6″N 105°11′41.7″W / 36.559611°N 105.194917°W / 36.559611; -105.194917 (K31NZ-D)
Farmington K23KL-D 23 2.1 kW 167 m (548 ft) 32314 36°40′17″N 108°13′55.2″W / 36.67139°N 108.232000°W / 36.67139; -108.232000 (K23KL-D)
Gallup K18HF-D 18 0.214 kW −8 m (−26 ft) 125921 35°32′8″N 108°44′30″W / 35.53556°N 108.74167°W / 35.53556; -108.74167 (K18HF-D)
Hobbs K27GL-D 27 0.21 kW 148 m (486 ft) 5843 32°43′28.4″N 103°5′46.7″W / 32.724556°N 103.096306°W / 32.724556; -103.096306 (K27GL-D)
Las Vegas K20GQ-D 20 0.236 kW 108 m (354 ft) 55548 35°36′16.1″N 105°15′37″W / 35.604472°N 105.26028°W / 35.604472; -105.26028 (K20GQ-D)
Roswell K15FT-D 15 2.5 kW 65 m (213 ft) 32312 33°24′5″N 104°22′47″W / 33.40139°N 104.37972°W / 33.40139; -104.37972 (K15FT-D)
Ruidoso K28PS-D 28 0.28 kW 930 m (3,051 ft) 32313 33°24′17.5″N 105°46′54.7″W / 33.404861°N 105.781861°W / 33.404861; -105.781861 (K28PS-D)
Santa Fe K31NB-D 31 8 kW 537 m (1,762 ft) 183557 35°53′9.2″N 106°23′15.2″W / 35.885889°N 106.387556°W / 35.885889; -106.387556 (K31NB-D)
Silver City K25DI-D 25 0.228 kW 306 m (1,004 ft) 32323 32°50′40.2″N 108°14′20.1″W / 32.844500°N 108.238917°W / 32.844500; -108.238917 (K25DI-D)
Taos K12OG-D 12 0.028 kW −168 m (−551 ft) 32321 36°23′51″N 105°32′36″W / 36.39750°N 105.54333°W / 36.39750; -105.54333 (K12OG-D)
Truth or Consequences K22JY-D 22 0.13 kW 124 m (407 ft) 11564 33°8′48.2″N 107°17′8.1″W / 33.146722°N 107.285583°W / 33.146722; -107.285583 (K22JY-D)
Bayfield, CO K19LD-D 19 0.24 kW 499 m (1,637 ft) 52633 37°11′3″N 107°29′9.1″W / 37.18417°N 107.485861°W / 37.18417; -107.485861 (K19LD-D)
Cortez, CO K07UY-D 7 0.3 kW 481 m (1,578 ft) 61485 37°21′0.9″N 108°8′3.2���W / 37.350250°N 108.134222°W / 37.350250; -108.134222 (K07UY-D) Southwest Colorado TV Translator Association
K27IG-D 27 1 kW 466 m (1,529 ft) 131268 37°21′53.9″N 108°8′51.2″W / 37.364972°N 108.147556°W / 37.364972; -108.147556 (K27IG-D)
Durango, CO KXZQ-LD 35 0.75 kW 121 m (397 ft) 32315 37°15′46″N 107°54′0.2″W / 37.26278°N 107.900056°W / 37.26278; -107.900056 (KXZQ-LD) Telemundo Station Group
Pagosa Springs, CO K19LC-D 19 0.21 kW 403 m (1,322 ft) 55584 37°11′32.8″N 107°5′58″W / 37.192444°N 107.09944°W / 37.192444; -107.09944 (K19LC-D)

References[]

  1. ^ a b FCC History Cards for KASA-TV
  2. ^ Stingley, Steven (October 5, 1980). "Two TV stations may be closer than ever to air". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. B-3. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  3. ^ Houghton, Howard (May 6, 1982). "Santa Fe To Get TV Station". Albuquerque Journal. p. A-19. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Storey, Robert (October 12, 1982). "Local TV Station Ready to Roll". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. A-3. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  5. ^ "Technical Woes Delay KSAF-TV's Debut". Albuquerque Journal. October 31, 1983. p. B-7. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "New TV Station In Santa Fe To Air '2001'". Albuquerque Journal. October 28, 1983. p. F-33. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Ward, Leah Beth; Houghton, Howard (November 2, 1983). "Santa Fe Television Station On Air, 27 Hours Late". Albuquerque Journal. p. B-6. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "An Important Announcement from KSAF-TV Channel 2". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 26, 1983. p. D-8. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "TV Station Seeks Dismissal Of Breach-of-Contract Suit". Albuquerque Journal. September 19, 1985. p. D2. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "Investors buy into KSAF-TV". The Santa Fe New Mexican. October 20, 1984. p. A-5. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  11. ^ Atwood, Sam. "KSAF tries ratings sweep with its prime-time flicks; Station changes name". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. B-1. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Nathanson, Rick (February 28, 1985). "Santa Fe's Channel 2 Changes Letters". Albuquerque Journal. p. A14. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  13. ^ "KNMZ Seeks Chapter 11, Permission To Incur Loan". Albuquerque Journal. p. A11. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  14. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 18, 1988. p. 96. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  15. ^ Quick, Bob (October 15, 1988). "Channel 2 founder buys back building". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. A-9. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Quick, Bob (September 8, 1989). "TV Channel 2 changes name, schedule". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. B-4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  17. ^ Kreisman, Barbara A. (December 22, 1992). "Memorandum Opinion & Order (8 FCC Rcd 1)". Federal Communications Commission. p. 159. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  18. ^ Nathanson, Rick (July 24, 1992). "Albuquerque's Fox 14 Could Become Fox 2". Albuquerque Journal. p. C4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Quick, Bob (August 5, 1992). "Fox could change its channel". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. B-5. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  20. ^ "Channel Change Notices". Albuquerque Journal. September 4, 1992. p. E2. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  21. ^ "The Associated Press, a news service..." Rio Grande Sun. September 4, 1992. p. 31. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  22. ^ Nathanson, Rick (January 6, 1993). "FCC Approves Fox Changes". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  23. ^ Nathanson, Rick (April 6, 1993). "KOAT-TV 6 O'Clock News Bounces Back in Ratings". Albuquerque Journal. p. B4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Metcalf, Richard (May 21, 1999). "KASA-TV Channel 2 Put on Media Market". Albuquerque Journal. p. B4. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  25. ^ "Belo Corp. to buy independent TV station in Phoenix". Arizona Daily Star. Associated Press. July 4, 1999. p. 2D. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  26. ^ Chavez, Barbara (November 23, 2000). "KASA-TV happy with News at Nine ratings after first week on air". Albuquerque Journal. p. B3. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  27. ^ Greppi, Michele (July 27, 2006). "LIN Buying 2nd Albuquerque Station". TV Week. Archived from the original on May 18, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  28. ^ Nathanson, Rick (July 29, 2006). "KRQE's Team Will Operate KASA". Albuquerque Journal. p. E1. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  29. ^ "Comprehensive Exhibit". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  30. ^ a b "Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  31. ^ "Switching channels: Purchases will move Telemundo, Fox". Albuquerque Journal. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  32. ^ a b Miller, Mark (July 30, 2021). "NBCU Buying KASA Albuquerque For $12.5M". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  33. ^ "Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. July 29, 2021. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  34. ^ "NBCUniversal Local Acquires Television Stations from Ramar Communications". NBCUniversal Media Village. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  35. ^ "Services Agreement". July 23, 2021. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  36. ^ Malone, Michael (October 18, 2021). "KASA Albuquerque Premieres Local News". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  37. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KRTN-LD". Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  38. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KASA". Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  39. ^ "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.

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