KFXB-TV

KFXB-TV
Dubuque/Cedar Rapids/
Waterloo/Iowa City, Iowa
United States
City Dubuque, Iowa
Channels Digital: 43 (UHF)
(to move to 14 (UHF))
Virtual: 40 (PSIP)
Affiliations CTN (2004–present)
Owner Christian Television Network
(Christian Television Network of Iowa, Inc.)
First air date June 1, 1970 (1970-06-01)
Call letters' meaning K FoX B
(referring to former simulcast with Fox affiliate KFXA)
Former callsigns KDUB-TV (1970–1974, 1976–1995)
Former channel number(s) 40 (UHF analog, 1970–2009)
Former affiliations ABC (1970–1974, 1976–1995)
Fox (1995–2004)
Transmitter power 1000 kW
580 kW (CP)
Height 261 m (856 ft)
Class DT
Facility ID 17625
Transmitter coordinates 42°31′9″N 90°37′11″W / 42.51917°N 90.61972°W / 42.51917; -90.61972
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.kfxb.net

KFXB-TV is the CTN owned-and-operated television station for Eastern Iowa, United States that is licensed to Dubuque. It broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 (or virtual channel 40 via PSIP) from a transmitter in extreme southwestern Grant County, Wisconsin (in the Madison television market). Owned by the Christian Television Network, the station maintains studios on Main Street in downtown Dubuque.

History

KFXB-TV in Dubuque

The station signed on as KDUB-TV on June 1, 1970, on channel 40 as an ABC affiliate.[1] The KDUB call letters was originally used by CBS affiliate KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Texas from its 1952 sign-on until 1961. In 1972, station president and general manager Gerald Green was embroiled in a controversy with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over whether $19,000 he paid to an ABC network representative was a bribe. Green testified that he thought the money was a legitimate expense in obtaining the network affiliation.[2] Green was later exonerated, but the ABC executive was found guilty of extorting payoffs.[3] After encountering financial difficulties, the station went off the air on October 3, 1974.[1] The dormant station was purchased by Lloyd Hearing Aid Corp. of Rockford, Illinois, and returned to the air on September 12, 1976.

The first and only television station to be based out of Dubuque, KDUB was originally based in an office building just south of Dubuque, near Key West, Iowa. The station eventually moved into offices on the ninth floor of the former Roshek's Department Store building in downtown Dubuque, and later moved to its current location on Main Street.

For a number of years, KDUB and KCRG-TV (channel 9) were in conflict with each other. KDUB eventually won a decision in which the Dubuque cable company was required to black out KCRG when the same shows were shown at the same time on both stations. At one point, KDUB sued claiming that KCRG's interference caused a proposed deal to sell the station to fall through.

Finally, in 1995, the station entered into a management agreement with Second Generation of Iowa, owner of Cedar Rapids Fox affiliate KFXA (channel 28). It was then decided to discontinue the ABC affiliation and convert KDUB to a semi-satellite of KFXA, under the call letters KFXB (the call letter change took place on August 13); most programming was simulcast from KFXA, but KFXB would continue its news operation (at that time, KFXA had no newscast at all). Prior to this, the Fox network feed was retransmitted on the Dubuque cable system on channel 13. After a few years, it was decided to close down the Dubuque news operation, rendering KFXB a full satellite of KFXA. During this time the stations identified themselves as "KFXA-KFXB Fox 28/40."

In 2004, KFXB's owners, Dubuque TV Limited Partnership sold the station to the Christian Television Network, who switched the station to its primarily-religious programming. Fox programming would continue to be transmitted on KFXA—which would operate as the sole Fox affiliate for northeast Iowa. At that time, KFXB lost its longstanding channel 4 assignment on the Dubuque cable system to KFXA, with KFXB being moved to channel 14.

KFXB added cable coverage of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas on Mediacom cable in 2005.

KFXB has been digital-only since February 17, 2009.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 1979 TV FactBook (PDF). 1979. p. 312-B. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Testimony conflicts in bribe case" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 27, 1972. p. 39. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Duel in Dubuque" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 7, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ Iowa TV Stations Switching To Digital Broadcast On Feb. 17, All Headline News, February 5, 2009
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.