KIXE-TV

KIXE-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 9, is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Redding, California, United States, and also serving Chico. The station is owned by the Northern California Educational Television Association. KIXE's studios are located along North Market Street on the north side of Redding and its transmitter is located atop Shasta Bally.

KIXE-TV
Redding/Chico, California
United States
CityRedding, California
BrandingKIXE PBS
SloganEducate. Enlighten. Entertain.
ChannelsDigital: 9 (VHF)
Virtual: 9 (PSIP)
Translators(see below)
Affiliations9.1: PBS (1970–present)
9.2: Create
9.3: World/FNX
OwnerNorthern California Educational Television Association, Inc.
First air dateOctober 5, 1964 (1964-10-05)
Call sign meaningIX (Roman numeral 9)
Educational
Former channel number(s)Analog:
9 (VHF, 1964–2008)
Digital:
18 (UHF, 2004–2008)
Former affiliationsNET (1964–1970)
Transmitter power15 kW
Height1,091 m (3,579 ft)
Facility ID47285
Transmitter coordinates40°36′9″N 122°39′5″W
Licensing authorityFCC
Public license informationProfile
CDBS
Websitewww.kixe.org

History

KIXE went on the air in black and white in 1964. In 1967, the station moved from Chico to Redding. It began broadcasting in color in 1971.

The station was originally located on Industrial Street in Redding. It soon expanded to a bigger facility on North Market Street (State Route 273), north of downtown. The new building had space for television broadcasting courses at Shasta College. Many local media personalities have appeared on KIXE over the years like Cal Hunter, Mike Mangas, Ray Roberts, and Ken Murray.

Timeline

1952 - First educational television station, KUHT, goes on air

1954 - KIXE incorporation papers signed

1964 - KIXE signs on air with black and white programs only

1967 - Channel 9 moved from Chico to Redding

1969 - Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) begins in US

1971 - KIXE begins broadcasting network, color programs

1974 - KIXE begins to originate color programs

1981 - KIXE broadcasts programs with closed captions

1987 - KIXE moves from Industrial Way to North Market Street

1995 - KIXE installs new transmitter

1996 - KIXE broadcasts programs in stereo

1997 - KIXE broadcasts programs with Descriptive Video

2003 - KIXE installs a new digital transmitter and broadcasts programs in digital, simulcasting alongside analog

2008 - KIXE terminates analog broadcast and transmits in digital only, on VHF channel 9

2014 - KIXE celebrates their 50th Anniversary[1]

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[2]
9.1720p16:9KIXE-DTMain KIXE-TV programming / PBS
9.2480i4:3CREATECreate
9.3WORLDWorld (7 p.m.-9 a.m.)
First Nations Experience (9 a.m.-7 p.m.)

Chico fill-in translator

Viewers in Chico, Paradise, Oroville, Magalia, Orland, and surrounding areas who had originally had trouble receiving KIXE's digital signal from Redding began to notice a substantial improvement with a new fill-in transmitter on Cohasset Ridge that went online on September 21. The 4,000-watt transmitter is located 200 feet up on a transmission tower and rebroadcasts KIXE's regular programming lineup as well as the CREATE channel. The transmitter is broadcast on Channel 18 (a UHF signal), but appears on TV sets as Channel 9-1 (KIXE's traditional lineup), 9-2 (CREATE) and 9-3 (WORLD).

Analog-to-digital conversion

KIXE-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9, on August 18, 2008. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 18 to VHF channel 9 for post-transition operations.[3] Translators finally converted on September 1.

Early switch

KIXE is currently broadcasting in a digital format on VHF channel 9. The exclusive digital broadcast began August 22, 2008, well before the then planned transition date in 2009. The early switch was mainly due to the transmission location being covered with snow on the original switchover mandate of February 2009.[4] KIXE became the second all-digital PBS station in California, after KCSM-TV in San Mateo (which serves the San Francisco Bay Area).

Translators

KIXE is rebroadcast on 11 digital translator stations:[5]

The cities served by translators (except Canby and Big Bend) had cable headends nearby.

Local programs

Current shows:

  • KIXE Salute to Veterans - aired June 2014, live music and interviews with veteran service groups.
  • Christmas in the North State - an annual Christmas program featuring local talent.
  • The Forum - a weekly local talk show hosted by Ashlee Tate and Christy Largent. The show reports on people, businesses and volunteer organizations from throughout the viewing area who are positively influencing their communities.[6] The first episode aired in June 2013.[7]
  • The Story of Baby Charles - a half-hour program telling the story of the Pioneer Baby's Grave near Old Shasta.

Past shows:

  • Northstate Profile - a weekly public affairs program
  • Jobs - a continuing series on employment
  • Seeking Solutions - a public affairs program on drug abuse
  • Love Thy Neighbor - a public affairs special about tolerance
  • Why a Will is Not Enough - a public affairs special regarding estate planning
  • Challenge of the Minds
  • Stage Nine

NATURE: Caught In The Act

NATURE: Caught In The Act is an online film festival hosted by KIXE, in which viewers filmed footage of wildlife and scenery in Northern California and uploaded it to the dedicated website using YouTube. Eight of the 10 submissions were shown on KIXE on October 18 at 7:30 p.m., right before Nature. The program was part of Film Vista and was hosted by assistant producer Matthew Shoutte. The program featured a variety of locations around Northern California including Lassen National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Modoc National Wildlife Refuge.

References
  1. https://www.kixe.org/about/kixe-history/
  2. RabbitEars TV Query for KIXE
  3. "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.
  4. KIXE has gone digital Trinity Journal August 27, 2008
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2011-10-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.kixe.org/theforum
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2014-08-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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