KPPX-TV

KPPX-TV (channel 51) is a television station licensed to Tolleson, Arizona, United States, serving the Phoenix area as an affiliate of Ion Television. The station is owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, and maintains offices on Camelback Road on the northeast side of Phoenix; its transmitter is located atop South Mountain on the city's south side.

KPPX-TV
CityTolleson, Arizona
Channels
BrandingIon
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Inyo Broadcast Holdings
  • (Inyo Broadcast Licenses LLC)
History
FoundedDecember 21, 1988
First air date
February 15, 1999 (1999-02-15)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
51 (UHF, 1988–2009)
Digital:
52 (UHF, 2002–2009)
51 (UHF, 2009–2016)
Call sign meaning
Phoenix's Pax TV (reflecting network's former branding)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID26655
ERP1,000 kW
HAAT536 m (1,759 ft)
Transmitter coordinates33°20′3.2″N 112°3′40.5″W
Links
Public license information
Websiteiontelevision.com

History

In February 1981, during an open window for low-power TV station applications, San Bernardino, California–based Community Service Television Company applied for a construction permit to build a translator station on channel 51, to serve Phoenix from atop South Mountain.[2]

Two years later, on March 28, 1983, Saul Dresner filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allot UHF channel 51 to Tolleson, Arizona, for a full power television station. He presented sufficient evidence to support the allotment and expressed interest in applying for a station, and the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on June 9.[3] On May 29, 1984, having received Mexican concurrence, the FCC allotted UHF channel 51 to Tolleson.[4]

On November 23, Great Arizona Broadcasting Co., owned in part by Dresner, submitted an application to build a full power television station on the new allocation.[5][6] More than twenty competing applications followed, and the FCC set up a hearing before an administrative law judge to determine which applicant would be the most qualified to build and operate the new station.[7][8] Great Arizona Broadcasting subsequently withdrew its application, and on November 18, 1987, Judge Edward Luton released a decision granting the application of Aztec Broadcasting Corp., and denying the nine applications which remained.[9][10]

Several of the denied applicants appealed the decision, and the FCC scheduled a hearing before a Review Board on May 6, 1988, to present exceptions to the initial decision.[11] After hearing the arguments, the Review Board reversed the initial decision, and granted a permit to Hector Garcia Salvatierra instead.[12][13] The FCC granted the construction permit on December 21, 1988.[14] More appeals followed, and on September 5, 1990, the FCC released a Memorandum Opinion and Order upholding the decision of the Review Board.[15] The decision was again appealed, this time to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and on October 7, 1991, the Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the FCC Review Board.[16]

The new station was originally proposed for bilingual operations using stereo and separate audio program, but activity on the construction permit stopped.[17] In March 1993, while the full power construction permit remained inactive, the FCC issued a construction permit for the low power translator station that had submitted an application twelve years earlier. The permit was valid until September 1994, and the new station received the call sign K51EI.[2] K51EI was not constructed in the allotted time, and shortly before the permit expired, Community Service Television Company requested a six-month extension, which was granted in December 1994.[18] However, in January 1995, Salvatierra secured a site license to build his station's facilities on South Mountain, then requested and received the call letters KAJW the following month.[19][20] The K51EI permit was allowed to expire in June 1995, and in February 1996, the permit was canceled and call sign deleted.[21][22] On July 31, 1996, Salvatierra entered into an agreement with Paxson Communications (now Ion Media). Under terms of the agreement, Salvatierra created a new ownership entity called America 51, L.P., sold 49% interest of the new company to Paxson for $5.4 million, transferred the construction permit and site license to Paxson to build the television station, and gave them the right to purchase the remainder of the company for $6.6 million once the TV station had been on air for one year.[19][23][24] Salvatierra filed the pro forma application the following week to assign the construction permit from Hector Garcia Salvatierra to America 51, L.P.[25]

The station changed its call letters to KPPX in March 1998 to reflect its pending affiliation with Paxson's new Pax TV network (now Ion), and the station signed on the air February 15, 1999, broadcasting under Program Test Authority until its license was granted on April 20, 2000.[20][26] Salvatierra sold the remaining interest in the company to Paxson Communications in November 2000.[27][28]

Sale to Scripps and resale to Inyo

On September 24, 2020, the Cincinnati-based E. W. Scripps Company (owner of KNXV-TV and KASW) announced that it would purchase Ion Media for $2.65 billion, with financing from Berkshire Hathaway. With this purchase, Scripps will divest 23 Ion-owned stations, but no announcement has been made as to which stations that Scripps will divest as part of the move (KPPX-TV is likely to be one of the divested outlets since Scripps already owns two stations in the Phoenix market). The proposed divestitures will allow the merged company to fully comply with the FCC local and national ownership regulations. Scripps has agreed to a transaction with Inyo Broadcast Holdings, who has agreed to maintain Ion affiliations for the stations.[29][30][31] Inyo closed on the station on January 7, 2021.

Pornography controversy

On March 12, 2007, during a 9 p.m. airing of an Ion Life rebroadcast of a Tom Brokaw-hosted NBC special, State of U.S. Health Care, a station employee inserted about 30 seconds of a pornographic film into the broadcast, prompting telephone calls to local news media outlets and the local cable provider, Cox Communications.[32] Parent company Ion Media Networks conducted a rigorous investigation into what they called "an intolerable act of human sabotage", and shortly thereafter, announced that the employee found to be responsible had been fired, threatening further legal action.[33]

Newscasts
Further information: KPNX § Newscasts

From 2001 until 2005, when NBC entered into a shared services agreement with Pax TV, KPPX aired rebroadcasts of KPNX's 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. newscasts at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KPPX-TV[34]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
51.1 720p 16:9 ION Ion Television
51.2 480i Bounce Bounce TV
51.3 CourtTV Court TV
51.4 Scripps Scripps News
51.5 Defy Defy TV
51.6 Grit Grit
51.7 JTV JTV

Analog-to-digital conversion

In 1997, the FCC specified UHF channel 52 as the transition digital channel for KPPX-TV and granted a construction permit to build transition facilities on March 1, 2001.[35][36] The station began digital operations pursuant to Program Test Authority on November 1, 2002, and the FCC granted the license to cover digital operations on December 20.[37][38] Because its pre-transition digital channel was outside the range of core frequencies designated by the FCC (channels 2-51)—the high band UHF channels (52-69) being removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition—KPPX-TV chose channel 51 for its permanent digital television operations, where it would move at the end of the digital transition, which, at the time, was scheduled for February 17, 2009. Although the DTV Delay Act became law on February 11, 2009, postponing the required analog shutoff until June 12, 2009, KPPX made the decision to proceed with final conversion on February 17, which was approved by the FCC.[39]

KPPX-TV shut down its analog signal on February 17, 2009, the original target date for full-power television stations in the United States to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which Congress had moved the previous month to June 12). The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 52, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition, to its analog-era UHF channel 51.[40][41]

FCC spectrum repack

In January 2016, KPPX-TV submitted a petition to the FCC to change RF channel from 51 to 31 as part of an agreement to allow T-Mobile to begin service in the adjacent 700 MHz band. Finding that the petition warranted consideration, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in April, and approved the Tolleson allotment change in June.[42][43] The following month, KPPX-TV submitted an application to change channels, which was immediately approved by the FCC.[44] The station completed the move to channel 31 in October.[45]

KPPX-TV was assigned channel 14 in the FCC Spectrum Repack, and was scheduled to change channels in Phase 10, to be completed by July 3, 2020.[46][47] However, citing concerns of signal interference between channel 14 and the adjacent land mobile band at 460 MHz - 470 MHz, the station asserted that it was unable to construct facilities that would not cause prohibited interference.[48] The FCC agreed, and allowed KPPX-TV to request alternate facilities during the first priority filing window.[49] The station has requested to remain on channel 31.[50]

References
  1. "Facility Technical Data for KPPX-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. February 4, 1981. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  3. "TV Broadcast Stations In Tolleson, Arizona; Proposed Changes In Table of Assignments" (PDF). 48 Fed. Reg. 28499 (June 22, 1983). June 22, 1983. p. 28499. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  4. "TV Broadcast Station Tolleson, Arizona; Changes Made In Table of Assignments" (PDF). 49 Fed. Reg. 23059 (June 4, 1984). June 4, 1984. p. 23059. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  5. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine. December 10, 1984. p. 100. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  6. "Pending TV Applications" (PDF). Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook 1985. p. C-96. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  7. "Pending TV Applications" (PDF). Broadcasting Cablecasting Yearbook 1987. p. C-97. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  8. "Great Arizona Broadcasting et al.; Hearing" (PDF). 50 Fed. Reg. 28083 (July 9, 1985). July 9, 1985. p. 28023. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  9. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine. October 21, 1985. p. 89. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  10. "2 FCC Rcd No. 23 (1987)" (PDF). University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library (UNT Libraries Government Documents Department). November 1987. pp. 6935–6948. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  11. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine. April 25, 1985. p. 79. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  12. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine. November 7, 1988. p. 66. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  13. "3 FCC Rcd No. 22 (1988)" (PDF). University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library (UNT Libraries Government Documents Department). November 1988. pp. 6330–6338. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  14. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. December 21, 1988. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  15. "5 FCC Rcd No. 18 (1990)" (PDF). University of North Texas Libraries, Digital Library (UNT Libraries Government Documents Department). September 1990. pp. 5423–5427. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  16. "Maricopa Media, Inc., Appellant, v. Federal Communications Commission, Appellee, Hector Garcia Salvatierra, Limited Partnership, Intervenor, 951 F.2d 1324 (D.C. Cir. 1991)". October 7, 1991. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  17. "Construction Permits" (PDF). TV & Cable Factbook No. 61. p. 85. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  18. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. September 12, 1994. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  19. "Purchase Agreement by and among America 51, L.P., Paxson Communications of Phoenix-51, Inc., Hector Garcia Salvatierra, L.P. and Hector Garcia Salvatierra for Television Station Channel 51 Tolleson, Arizona". TechAgreements. July 31, 1996. p. 6. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  20. "Call Sign History". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  21. "Station Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. February 4, 1996. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  22. "Call Sign History". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. February 5, 1996. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  23. "Paxson Communications Corp. 10-K Annual Report". SEC Archives. March 4, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  24. Rathbun, Elizabeth (February 3, 1997). "Station and Cable Trading" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. p. 24. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  25. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. August 7, 1996. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  26. Gabriel, Angela (February 21, 1999). "New Valley television station eyes share of family market". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  27. "TVs". Broadcasting & Cable. November 27, 2000. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  28. "Application for Consent to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. November 16, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  29. "Scripps Creates National Television Networks Business with Acquisition of ION Media". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  30. Cimilluca, Dana. "E.W. Scripps Agrees to Buy ION Media for $2.65 billion in Berkshire-Backed Deal". Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  31. E.W. Scripps scales up with $2.65 billion Berkshire-backed deal for ION Media
  32. "Hard-Core porn interrupts Brokaw broadcast". NBC News. March 17, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  33. Malone, Michael (March 21, 2007). "KPPX Sacks Porn Prankster". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
  34. RabbitEars TV Query for KPPX
  35. "DTV Table of Allotments" (PDF). FCC Media Bureau Orders. April 3, 1997. p. B-9. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  36. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. March 1, 2001. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  37. "Application for Digital Television Broadcast Station License". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. November 8, 2002. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  38. "Application Search Details". FCC CDBS Public Access Database. December 20, 2002. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  39. "Appendix B: All Full-Power Television Stations By DMA" (PDF). FCC CDBS database. February 11, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
  40. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  41. "DTV Transition Status Report" (PDF). FCC CDBS Database. February 18, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  42. "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (PDF). FCC Electronic Document Management System. April 14, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  43. "Report and Order" (PDF). FCC Electronic Document Management System. June 28, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  44. "Modification of a Licensed Facility for DTV Application" (PDF). FCC Licensing and Management System. July 11, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  45. "License to Cover for DTV Application" (PDF). FCC Licensing and Management System. October 17, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  46. "Repack Plan". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  47. "Transition Schedule". FCC website. May 8, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  48. "Initial Report on Land Mobile Interference Analysis". FCC Licensing and Management System. June 12, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  49. "RE: Request for Waiver of Initial Construction Permit Filing Deadline". FCC Licensing and Management System. June 28, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  50. "Public Notice" (PDF). FCC Electronic Document Management System. July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
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