KAKM

KAKM, virtual channel 7 (VHF digital channel 8), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Owned by Alaska Public Media, it is sister to National Public Radio (NPR) member station KSKA (91.1 FM). The two outlets share studios at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center on the campus of Alaska Pacific University; KAKM's transmitter is located near Knik, Alaska.

KAKM
Channels
BrandingAlaska Public Media
Programming
Affiliations7.1: PBS
7.2: Create
7.3: 360 North
7.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
Owner
KSKA, KYUK-LD
History
First air date
May 7, 1975 (1975-05-07)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
7 (VHF, 1975–2009)
Call sign meaning
Anchorage, Kenai, Matanuska
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID804
ERP50 kW
HAAT240 m (787 ft)
Transmitter coordinates61°25′19.8″N 149°52′27.8″W
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.alaskapublic.org
KTOO-TV
Satellite of KAKM
Channels
Brandingsee KAKM infobox
Programming
Affiliations3.1: PBS
3.2: Create
3.3: 360 North
3.4: PBS Kids
Ownership
OwnerCapital Community Broadcasting, Inc.
OperatorAlaska Public Media
KTOO, KNLL, KRNN
History
First air date
October 1, 1978 (1978-10-01)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
3 (VHF, 1978–2009)
Call sign meaning
The word "Too"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID8651
ERP1 kW
HAAT−363.7 m (−1,193 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
58°18′4.8″N 134°25′13.6″W
Links
Public license information
KYUK-LD
Translator of KAKM
Channels
BrandingKYUK-TV 15
Programming
Subchannels15.1: PBS
15.2: ARCS
15.3: 360 North
Ownership
OwnerBethel Broadcasting, Incorporated
KYUK-FM
History
First air date
September 18, 1981 (1981-09-18)
Former call signs
K02KU (1981–1985)
K15AV (1985–2012)
K15AV-D (4/24/2012–5/17/2012)
Call sign meaning
Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID62614
ClassLD
ERP100 W
HAAT46.51 m (153 ft)
Transmitter coordinates60°47′30.3″N 161°46′30.3″W
Links
Public license information
LMS
Websitekyuk.org

KAKM was the only PBS station in Alaska that was not part of AlaskaOne during its existence. The call letters were chosen to represent the three major geographic areas served by the station: Anchorage, Kenai, and Matanuska.

KAKM operates a full-time satellite station, KTOO-TV (virtual channel 3, VHF digital channel 10), licensed to the capital city of Juneau. This station is owned by Capital Community Broadcasting as a sister to non-commercial FM radio stations KTOO (FM), KNLL, and KRNN, but is operated by Alaska Public Media. KTOO's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau. KTOO was formerly part of AlaskaOne, until its dissolution in 2012.

KAKM is also relayed on low-power station KYUK-LD (virtual and UHF digital channel 15) in Bethel, owned by Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated as sister to radio stations KYUK (AM) and KYUK-FM.

History

KAKM first started regular transmissions on May 7, 1975 at 7:07 p.m. Previously, PBS programming had been offered to Anchorage stations on a per-program basis: for example, Sesame Street was carried on KTVA (channel 11), Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on KIMO (channel 13, now KYUR) and The Electric Company on KENI-TV (channel 2, now KTUU-TV).

KAKM became the flagship station of Alaska Public Television, the successor to AlaskaOne, replacing KUAC-TV in Fairbanks, on July 1, 2012 (which became a standalone station again).[4] As a result, KTOO-TV became a full-time satellite of KAKM. KYUK-LD also rebroadcasts KAKM, but it carries the Alaska Rural Communications Service on its second digital subchannel in place of Create.

Station presentation

Technical information

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

Subchannels of KAKM[5]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
7.1 1080i16:9KAKM-HDMain KAKM programming / PBS
7.2 480iCreateCreate
7.3 4:3KAKM7.3360 North
7.4 1080i16:924_7HDPBS Kids
Subchannels of KTOO-TV[6]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
3.1 1080i16:9AK PBSMain KTOO-TV programming / PBS
3.2 480iCreateCreate
3.3 360Nort360 North
Subchannels of KYUK-LD[7]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
15.1 480i4:3AK PBSMain KYUK-LD programming / PBS
15.2 ARCSAlaska Rural Communications Service
15.3 360Nort360North

360 North provides statewide coverage of Alaska public affairs, documentaries, historical programs, and Native topics. Originating at KTOO-TV, 360 North replaced Gavel to Gavel Alaska, which televised the Alaska Legislature.[8]

Analog-to-digital conversion

KAKM and KTOO shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate:[9]

  • KAKM shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 7.
  • KTOO shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 3.

Translators

KAKM and KTOO extend their over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.

KAKM translators

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for KAKM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "Facility Technical Data for KTOO-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. "Facility Technical Data for KYUK-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. "Split in Alaska public TV consortium". Television Business Report. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  5. "RabbitEars TV Query for KAKM". RabbitEars. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  6. "RabbitEars TV Query for KTOO-TV". RabbitEars. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  7. "RabbitEars TV Query for KYUK-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved 2022-10-22.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-12-28. Retrieved 2009-01-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "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.
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