KIDZ-LP

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KIDZ-LP "(a Class A station)"
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = Abilene's Own My Network TV
analog = 42 (UHF)
digital =
other_chs = See Translators section
affiliations = My Network TV
founded = October 30, 1991
location = Abilene, Texas
callsign_meaning = Derived from KIDY, sister station in San Angelo
former_callsigns = K54DT
owner = Sage Broadcasting Corporation
licensee =
former_affiliations = UPN, FOX, PAX (secondary)
effective_radiated_power = 12 kW
HAAT = 111 m
class = Class A
facility_id = 58561
homepage =

KIDZ-LP is a low-power Class A television station in Abilene, Texas, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 42 as an affiliate of My Network TV. Founded October 30, 1991, the station is owned by Sage Broadcasting Corporation of San Angelo, Texas and is part of a duopoly in Abilene with FOX affiliate KXVA. KIDZ-LP is carried on local cable television systems and can be seen over-the-air in neighboring cities through a network of low-power stations. (See Translators section.)

History

On October 30, 1991, the FCC granted an original construction permit to Sage Broadcasting Corporation to build low-power television station K54DT, to serve Abilene, Texas on UHF channel 54. The station was quickly built and came on air in May or June 1992 as Abilene's first full-time FOX affiliate. When UPN launched in 1995, K54DT began carrying select programs from that network also, including "Star Trek: Voyager". In June 1996, after the FCC began to allow low-power stations to use four-letter callsigns, the station took call letters KIDZ-LP. KIDZ-LP served as primary FOX and secondary UPN affiliates until January 2001, when Sage Broadcasting launched KXVA as a full-service FOX affiliate. KIDZ-LP then became a primary UPN affiliate, with PAX as a secondary affiliation [http://www.texnews.com/1998/2001/local/fox0106.html] . The station received permission to move to UHF channel 42 in December 2001, and as part of the move, upgraded their license to Class A on February 27, 2002. They completed the move to the new channel in late 2004, and licensed the new facilities on December 22, 2004.

In January 2006, UPN and The WB Television Network announced that each network would cease operations in September 2006 and that in its place would be a new network, later named The CW Television Network. A month later, unable to secure CW affiliation for their largest-market stations, News Corporation, the parent company of FOX, announced that it would form its own network, called My Network TV, and stations that had been affiliated with UPN or The WB needed to decide which of the two networks to affiliate with, or to go independent. On April 18, 2006, KIDZ-LP announced that it would affiliate with My Network TV [http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002345708] . The choice seemed natural, as the station's owner, Sage Broadcasting Corporation, had had a working relationship with FOX in Abilene for nearly 15 years. On September 5, 2006, My Network TV launched, and KIDZ-LP became a My Network TV affiliate.

Programming

As a My Network TV affiliate, KIDZ-LP still has much programming time to fill, as network programming is only two hours for six days a week. KIDZ-LP airs the My Network TV schedule from 7 PM until 9 PM, which is prime time for stations in the Central Time Zone. After network programming is completed, KIDZ-LP airs a block of syndicated programs, similar to KXVA. The two stations often air the same syndicated series, but at different times. The station has no newscasts, either local or national, and relies heavily on syndicated programming to fill their schedule. KIDZ-LP broadcasts a block of infomercials during the overnight hours, plus a smaller block of infomercials during the early afternoon hours.

In addition to the local, network and syndicated fare, KIDZ-LP is Abilene's 2006-07 home of the NBA Dallas Mavericks [http://www.nba.com/mavericks/news/TV_Affiliates.html] , broadcasting 14 of the team's games.

Translators

*KIDB-CA 35 Sweetwater, Texas - 7.03 kW ERP
*KIDV-LP 34 Albany, Texas - 14.7 kW ERP
*KIDU-LP 17 Brownwood, Texas - 10 kW ERP
*KIDT-LP 44 Stamford, Texas - 10 kW ERP
*K49GT 49 Snyder, Texas - 9.31 kW ERP

Digital television

Low-power stations are exempt from the February 18, 2009 mandatory switch-off of full-power analog television stations in the United States, therefore KIDZ-LP is unaffected. When the FCC allowed low-power stations to apply for digital companion channels, so that low-power stations could get their digital operations up and running, neither KIDZ-LP nor its repeaters submitted applications.

External links

*TVQ|KIDZ-LP
*TVQ|KIDB-CA
*TVQ|KIDT-LP
*TVQ|KIDU-LP
*TVQ|KIDV-LP
*TVQ|K49GT