KBTV-CD

This article is about the television station in Sacramento, California. For other uses, see KBTV.
KBTV-CD
Channels
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
K04QR-D, KAHC-LD, KFKK-LD, KFMS-LD
History
Founded1992
First air date
December 1994 (1994-12)[1]
Former call signs
  • K25EL (1992–1996)
  • KBTV-LP (1996–2005)
  • KBTV-CA (2005–2011)
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID2424
ERP15 kW
HAAT96 metres (315 ft)
Transmitter coordinates38°33′59.01″N 121°28′47.05″W / 38.5663917°N 121.4797361°W / 38.5663917; -121.4797361
Links
Public license information

KBTV-CD (channel 8) is a low-power, Class A television station in Sacramento, California, United States, affiliated with the digital television network Buzzr. It is also a multicultural independent station, branded on-air as Crossings TV, on its second digital subchannel. KBTV-CD is owned by Innovate Corp. and its second subchannel is also available throughout the Central Valley on Comcast Xfinity channel 398.[3] The station's transmitter is located in downtown Sacramento. KBTV-CD on its second subchannel broadcasts programs in various ethnic languages as well as programming from Shop LC during the late-night hours.

History

KBTV-CD began broadcasting as K25EL in December 1994.[1] By 1997, it was airing programming from the American Independent Network and America One as well as local programming.[4] By 2004, it had changed formats to home shopping.[5]

In 2005, KBTV-LP was sold to a group of investors led by Frank Washington. The new owners converted it into a multicultural station airing imported and independently produced local programming in languages including Russian, Chinese, Tagalog, and Hmong; they also secured coverage on regional Comcast cable systems.[6] Washington had some experience with multicultural television, having installed such a format on KBCB in the Seattle market.[5] This service grew into Crossings TV by January 2013.[7]

Crossings itself, through Tower of Babel LLC, owned KBTV until 2010, when it was sold to Mako Communications, who conducted the station's conversion to digital television in December of that year. Mako attempted in 2013 to sell KBTV-CD to Landover 5 LLC as part of a larger deal involving 51 other low-power television stations;[8] the sale fell through in June 2016.[9] Mako Communications sold its stations, including KBTV-CD, to HC2 Holdings (now Innovate Corp.) in 2017.[10]

Crossings TV moved from subchannel 8.1 to 8.2 on October 3, 2022, exchanging positions with the newly launched Visión Latina, the United States television venture of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which had been added the month before.

On May 18, 2024, Visión Latina was dropped and the station affiliated with Buzzr.

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KBTV-CD[11]
Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming
8.1 480i 16:9 KBTV-CD Buzzr
8.2 4:3 Crossings TV / Shop LC (12am–6am)[3]
8.3 SonLife Broadcasting Network
8.4 16:9 The365
8.5 Defy
8.6 Fubo Sports
8.7 Outlaw

References

  1. ^ a b Caraska, Jeff (January 5, 1997). "Running his own show". Press-Tribune. p. A4. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBTV-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ a b KBTV programming schedule
  4. ^ Vierria, Dan (October 25, 1997). "Low-powered UHF channels make small waves in local market". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. p. Scene 7. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Larson, Mark (June 3, 2004). "Media vet buys tiny TV station, aims for ethnics". Sacramento Business Journal.
  6. ^ Magagnini, Stephen (December 15, 2007). "All-ethnic TV has global voice: Sacramento station bridges Valley communities". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. p. A1, A20. Retrieved January 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Johnson, Kelly (January 24, 2013). "Asian television station Crossings expands reach through Comcast". Sacramento Business Journal.
  8. ^ Seyler, Dave (June 24, 2013). "Anatomy of an LPTV deal extravaganza". Television Business Report. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  9. ^ "Notification of Non-consummation". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. June 30, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. September 11, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  11. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KBTV-CD". RabbitEars.