KDLT-TV

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KDLT-TV
KDLT Logo.png
KTTW7.png
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
United States
ChannelsDigital: 21 (UHF)
Virtual: 46
BrandingKDLT (general)
Fox Sioux Falls (DT2)
Dakota News Now (newscasts)
Programming
Affiliations46.1: NBC (1960–1969, 1983–present)
46.2: Fox (2020–present)
46.3: Antenna TV
46.4: Cozi TV
46.5: Court TV
Ownership
OwnerGray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
KSFY/KPRY, KOTA/KHSD/KSGW, KEVN-LD, KVLY-TV, KXJB-LD, KEYC-TV, KMNF-LD
History
First air date
June 12, 1960 (61 years ago) (1960-06-12)
Former call signs
KORN-TV (1960–1973)
KXON-TV (1973–1982)[1]
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
5 (VHF, 1960–1998)
46 (UHF, 1998–2009)
Digital:
47 (UHF, until 2018)
Former affiliations
Analog/DT1:
ABC (1960–1983, secondary until 1969)
DT2:
Antenna TV (until 2020, now on DT3)
Call sign meaning
K-DakotaLand Television
(former owners)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID55379
ERP589 kW
HAAT608 m (1,995 ft)
Transmitter coordinates43°30′18″N 96°33′23″W / 43.50500°N 96.55639°W / 43.50500; -96.55639
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.dakotanewsnow.com
KDLV-TV
Satellite of KDLT-TV
Mitchell, South Dakota
United States
ChannelsDigital: 26 (UHF)
Virtual: 5
Brandingsee KDLT-TV infobox
Programming
Affiliations5.1: NBC (1998–present)
5.2: Fox (2020–present)
13.1: ABC
Ownership
OwnerGray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
KSFY-TV
History
FoundedApril 1, 1997
First air date
September 8, 1998 (23 years ago) (1998-09-08)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
5 (VHF, 1998–2009)
Former affiliations
13.2:
CW+ (until 2020)
13.3:
MeTV (until 2020)
Call sign meaning
K-DakotaLand V (Roman numeral 5)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID55375
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT315 m (1,033 ft)
Transmitter coordinates43°45′33″N 98°24′44″W / 43.75917°N 98.41222°W / 43.75917; -98.41222 (KDLV-TV)
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS

KDLT-TV, virtual channel 46 (UHF digital channel 21), is a dual NBC/Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, serving eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota. Owned by Atlanta-based Gray Television, it is part of a duopoly with ABC affiliate KSFY-TV (channel 13). Both stations share studios in Courthouse Square on 1st Avenue South in Sioux Falls, while KDLT-TV's transmitter is located southeast of the city near Rowena.

KDLV-TV (virtual channel 5, UHF digital channel 26) in Mitchell operates as a full-time satellite of KDLT; this station's transmitter is located near Plankinton, South Dakota. KDLV covers areas of south-central and southeastern South Dakota that receive a marginal to non-existent over-the-air signal from KDLT, although there is significant overlap between the two stations' contours otherwise. KDLV is a straight simulcast of KDLT; on-air references to KDLV are limited to Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-mandated hourly station identifications during newscasts and other programming. Aside from the transmitter, KDLV does not maintain any physical presence locally in Mitchell.

History[]

On June 12, 1960, KDLT started broadcasting from Mitchell, South Dakota as KORN-TV on channel 5, an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. The station's original call letters were intended to honor the famous Mitchell Corn Palace. It was owned by Mitchell Broadcasting Associates along with KORN radio. Only a month later, KSOO-TV (now KSFY-TV) signed on. From then until 1969, KSOO-TV and KORN-TV operated as a regional network, although separately owned. KSOO-TV served the eastern portion of the market, while KORN-TV served the western portion. But in April 1969, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled against this combination, suggesting that they operate as competitors in the Sioux Falls–Mitchell market. So on May 12 of that year, KORN-TV affiliated with ABC and moved its tower closer to Sioux Falls, although KCAU-TV in Sioux City, Iowa was well received in Sioux Falls and identified at that time as Siouxland ABC.

Mitchell Broadcasting sold the station to Buford Television of Tyler, Texas in 1972. The new owners changed the calls the next year to KXON-TV as part of the split from the KORN radio stations.[2] Buford sold the station to Gillett Broadcasting in 1978. In 1982, KXON changed its call letters to KDLT when it was purchased by Dakotaland Broadcasting.[1] The next year, KDLT and KSFY switched affiliations, with KSFY getting ABC and KDLT returning to NBC. At the time of the switch, ABC was the highest-rated network in the nation with NBC in third. KSFY had three full-power transmitters to KDLT's one, making it logical for the more popular network to align with a station with better coverage. The next year, NBC and ABC's ratings flip-flopped, leaving KDLT once again affiliated with the more popular network. Dakotaland Broadcasting eventually sold KDLT to Heritage Broadcasting in 1985. Heritage Broadcasting became Heritage Media in 1987 when it merged with Rollins Telecasting. That same year, rule changes allowed KDLT to move most of its operations to a studio on South Westport Avenue in Sioux Falls.[3]

Heritage Media sold KDLT to Red River Broadcasting in 1994. Red River embarked on a signal upgrade campaign, which would also allow KDLT to provide an adequate digital signal to Sioux Falls. The channel 5 transmitter was located too far away from Sioux Falls for a digital signal to cover 80 percent of the analog footprint, as required by FCC rules. In 1989, KDLT had purchased a translator on channel 46 in Sioux Falls.[4] On September 8, 1998, this was replaced with a new full-power license in Sioux Falls—which retained the KDLT call letters—broadcasting from a new tower in Rowena, where most of the other Sioux Falls stations have their towers. At the same time, the channel 5 tower was moved further away from Sioux Falls, and channel 5's call letters were changed to KDLV.[5] The changes cost $8 million.[6]

Due to the way the changeover was structured legally, KDLV operates under KDLT's old license on channel 5.[7] KDLT's current facility, on channel 46 in Sioux Falls, is officially a new license; its construction permit was issued on April 1, 1997, under the call letters KDLV; the two stations swapped callsigns on September 8, 1998.[8]

On May 1, 2018, Gray Television announced its purchase of KDLT-TV for $32.5 million. The deal would create a duopoly with KSFY-TV.[9] The combined operation would be based at KSFY's studios on Courthouse Square in Sioux Falls; in its announcement of the KDLT purchase, Gray noted that the KSFY studio has enough space to house a second station's news and sales department.[10] Gray needed to obtain a waiver in order to complete the deal, since the FCC normally does not allow one person to own two of the four highest-rated stations in a market. However, in its filing requesting such a waiver, Gray argued that KDLT would be in a stronger position to compete in the market if its resources were combined with those of KSFY. Gray contended that a KSFY/KDLT duopoly would fulfill "a dire need for an effective competitor" in the Sioux Falls market, where CBS affiliate KELO-TV has been the far-and-away leader for as long as records have been kept.[11] The sale was approved by the FCC on September 24, 2019,[12] and was completed the following day.[13][14] On January 13, 2020, KDLT moved its operations to KSFY's studios on Courthouse Square.

On November 2, 2020, Gray purchased the non-license assets of KTTW (channel 7) from Independent Communications, Inc.; Fox programming moved to KDLT on digital subchannel 46.2. Cozi TV, which was also carried on KTTW, moved to subchannel 46.4.[15][16] This resulted in all of the network affiliations in eastern South Dakota being controlled by just two companies, Gray and KELO-TV owner Nexstar Media Group.

Programming[]

KDLT-TV clears the entire NBC network schedule. It airs an alternate live feed of NBC Nightly News at 6 p.m. due to the station's 5:30 p.m. newscast. Syndicated programming currently broadcast on KDLT-TV includes The Doctors, Jeopardy!, Rachael Ray, Hot Bench and Judge Judy.

News operation[]

KDLT presently broadcasts 19½ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 3½ hours each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). With the purchase of this station, KDLT and KSFY merged their news operations on January 13, 2020, rebranding as Dakota News Now.

Historically, KXON/KDLT had been a distant third in the Sioux Falls news ratings. In 1981, KXON had the market's smallest news staff (nine personnel), the least equipment, and its lowest ratings, attributed to its smaller broadcast coverage footprint than its competitors (it had only one full-power transmitter while both KELO and KSFY had three) and its stigma of being a Mitchell station.[17]

Technical information[]

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

KDLT-TV subchannels[]

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[18]
46.1 1080i 16:9 KDLT-TV Main KDLT-TV programming / NBC
46.2 720p FOX Fox
46.3 480i 4:3[19] Antenna Antenna TV[20]
46.4 16:9 Cozi Cozi TV
46.5 Court Court TV

KDLV-TV subchannels[]

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[21]
5.1 720p 16:9 KDLV-TV Main KDLV-TV programming / NBC
5.2 FOX Fox
13.1 KSFY-TV Simulcast of KSFY-TV / ABC

Analog-to-digital conversion[]

Both stations shut down their analog signals respectively on February 1, 2009:[22]

  • KDLT-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 46; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 47. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 46.
  • KDLV-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 5; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 26. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 5.

Translators[]

KDLV is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:

City of license Callsign Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Owner
Aberdeen K33MI-D 33 15 kW 90 m (295 ft) 182700 45°28′29.0″N 98°31′38.0″W / 45.474722°N 98.527222°W / 45.474722; -98.527222 (K33MI-D) Gray Television
Badger K35GR-D 35 6.76 kW 110 m (361 ft) 128436 44°29′15.0″N 97°14′21.0″W / 44.487500°N 97.239167°W / 44.487500; -97.239167 (K35GR-D) Gray Television
Brookings K17NF-D 17 4.27 kW 88 m (289 ft) 68032 44°20′22″N 96°46′08.0″W / 44.33944°N 96.768889°W / 44.33944; -96.768889 (K17NF-D) Gray Television
Jackson K27NF-D 17 3.1 kW 90.8 m (298 ft) 21287 43°36′2″N 94°59′34.0″W / 43.60056°N 94.992778°W / 43.60056; -94.992778 (K27NF-D) Federated Rural Electric Association
Lowry K46MX-D 46 4.24 kW 251.7 m (826 ft) 198508 45°23′50.0″N 99°56′30.0″W / 45.397222°N 99.941667°W / 45.397222; -99.941667 (K46MX-D) South Dakota Five County TV Translator District
Pierre K27HJ-D 27 11.6 kW 118 m (387 ft) 128428 44°18′42.0″N 100°21′10.0″W / 44.311667°N 100.352778°W / 44.311667; -100.352778 (K27HJ-D) Gray Television
Springfield K33GX-D 33 7.014 kW 117 m (384 ft) 128440 42°48′26.0″N 97°58′46.0″W / 42.807222°N 97.979444°W / 42.807222; -97.979444 (K33GX-D) Gray Television
Watertown K28OE-D 28 4.92 kW 103 m (338 ft) 129133 44°52′16.0″N 97°06′35.0″W / 44.871111°N 97.109722°W / 44.871111; -97.109722 (K28OE-D) Gray Television

Transmitter antenna beacon bulb replacement[]

The station's television transmitter antenna beacon bulb replacement on the KDLT tower was featured on the National Geographic Channel television show World's Toughest Fixes.[23]

References[]

  1. ^ a b FCC History Cards for KDLV (as KDLT in Mitchell)
  2. ^ "KORN-TV To Be KXON-TV". Daily Republic. September 8, 1973. p. 3. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  3. ^ Grauvogl, Ann (August 14, 1987). "KDLT plans changes, moves to Sioux Falls". Argus-Leader. p. 1B. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  4. ^ "Newspaper Notice". Argus-Leader. November 11, 1989. p. 5C. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  5. ^ "FCC didn't allow tower move". Argus-Leader. November 27, 1998. p. 1D. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  6. ^ Keyes, Bob (December 12, 1998). "Radio stations to ask listeners to vote on web site". Argus Leader. p. 1B. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  7. ^ FCC callsign history for KDLV-TV
  8. ^ http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=55379&Callsign=KDLT-TV
  9. ^ Miller, Mark K. "Gray Buying KDLT Sioux Falls For $32.5M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. ^ Press release announcing Gray's purchase of KDLT
  11. ^ Request for FCC waiver
  12. ^ "Memorandum Opinion and Order", Federal Communications Commission, 24 September 2019, Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Gray Television completes purchase of KDLT-TV". KSFY.com. Gray Television. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  14. ^ "Owner of KSFY-TV finalizes purchase of KDLT-TV", Argus Leader, 25 September 2019, Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  15. ^ "Facebook". Fox 7 Sioux Falls. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  16. ^ Ellis, Jon (November 2, 2020). "FOX Changes Channels in Sioux Falls". Northpine.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  17. ^ Fine, Marshall (February 6, 1981). "KXON: The undeterred underdog". Argus-Leader. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  18. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KDLT
  19. ^ "Digital Antenna: Sioux Falls, SD 57101". SiliconDust.com. Silicondust USA, Inc. - HDHomeRun. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  20. ^ "TitanTV Programming Guide - KDLV and KDLT". TitanTV.com. Broadcast Intrractive Media, L.L.C. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  21. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KDLV
  22. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  23. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links[]

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