KWBA

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KWBA
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = The CW Tucson
analog = 58 (UHF)
digital = 44 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = The CW
LATV (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = January 1, 1999
location = Sierra Vista / Tucson, Arizona
callsign_meaning = The WB Arizona
(after previous affiliation)
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Journal Broadcast Group, Inc.
licensee =
sister_stations = KGUN
former_affiliations = The WB (1999-2006)
effective_radiated_power = 5000 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 335 m (analog)
319 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 35095
coordinates = coord|31|45|32|N|110|48|5.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.thecwtucson.com/ www.thecwtucson.com]

KWBA is the affiliate of The CW network in Tucson, Arizona. The station broadcasts on analog channel 58 and digital channel 44, and is licensed to Sierra Vista, Arizona. KWBA signed on the air January 1, 1999 and is owned by the Journal Broadcast Group.

History

The station began November 22, 1996 with a construction permit granted to KM Communications to serve Sierra Vista and Tucson on analog channel 58. The call letters were originally KAUC, but in August 1997, the station changed their call letters to KWBA to reflect their affiliation deal with The WB. KWBA began broadcasting under Program Test Authority on January 1, 1999 and was licensed on May 24, 1999. Also in May 1999, KM Communications transferred the station to Cascade Broadcasting Group.

KWBA entered into an agreement with local CBS affiliate KOLD and launched a 9PM newscast in April 2003. FOX affiliate KMSB-TV soon followed with their own 9PM newscast. KWBA's 9PM news was short-lived, as it went off the air in December 2005 after the contract with KOLD expired.

In 2006, KWBA began multicasting LATV on digital subchannel 58.2. LATV is provided by KJLA-TV in Los Angeles.

KWBA broadcasted the games of the Arizona Diamondbacks in cooperation with KTVK in Phoenix until 2008, when FSN Arizona secured an exclusive 10-year deal with the franchise. The station resultingly lost audience share.

On March 18, 2008, Journal Broadcast Group announced plans to buy KWBA from Cascade for undisclosed terms, creating a duopoly with Journal-owned ABC affiliate KGUN-TV (Channel 9) [http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=3/18/2008&id=37146] . On 3 June of that year, the Federal Communications Commission issued a failing station waiver [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6566492.html] which allowed Journal to buy KWBA, which blamed the loss of broadcast Arizona Diamondbacks baseball rights and continued financial losses as the reason for the sale. In the waiver, Journal said it would launch a newscast produced by KGUN on the station. The acquisition was completed on 23 July.

In September 2008, KGUN began rebroadcasting its 6PM newscast on KWBA at 9PM. It is unknown if or when KGUN will begin producing a live 9PM newscast.

External links

* [http://www.kwba.com/ KWBA website]
*TVQ|KWBA
*BIA|KWBA|TV|TV
*TitanTV|KWBA