KFYF

KFYF, virtual and VHF digital channel 7, was a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. The station was owned by Tanana Valley Television Company. KFYF's transmitter was located north of Fairbanks and its programming was simulcast on low-power digital translator KFXF-LD (UHF channel 22). In January 2017, Northern Lights Media, a subsidiary of Gray Television purchased KFXF-LD, KXDF-CD, and KTVF from Tanana Valley Television Company, which subsequently took KFYF off-the-air.

KFYF
(defunct)
Fairbanks, Alaska
United States
ChannelsDigital: 7 (VHF)
Virtual: 7 (PSIP)
BrandingFox 7
CBS 13 (on DT2)
Programming
Subchannels7.1: Fox
7.2: CBS
Ownership
OwnerTanana Valley Television Company
History
First air date
April 20, 1992 (1992-04-20)
Last air date
January 11, 2017 (2017-01-11)
(24 years, 266 days)
Former call signs
K07UU (1992–1995)
KFXF (1995–2017)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
7 (VHF, 1992–2009)
Digital:
22 (UHF, until 2009)
All secondary:
NBC (NBA on NBC; 1993–1994)
CBS (April–August 1996)
UPN (2000–2006)
Call sign meaning
Fox Fairbanks
Technical information
Facility ID64597
ERP6.1 kW
HAAT268 m (879 ft)
Transmitter coordinates64°55′18.9″N 147°43′3.7″W
Translator(s)KFXF-LD 22 Fairbanks

History

Channel 7 in Fairbanks was originally assigned to KSEV in 1984; it was not known whether it would be an independent or network station. KSEV never signed on, and it wouldn't be until 1992, when the station's owner, Bill St. Pierre, and a group of investors formed Tanana Valley Television, that channel 7 would begin broadcasting. The group put a low-power station, K07UU, on the air April 20, 1992 as the area's first commercial station (and fifth in general after KJNP-TV in 1981) since 1955, when KTVF and KATN started; until then, they had been the only two major network stations. The station upgraded to a full-power license with the call letters KFXF on February 27, 1995. It was the only Fairbanks television station that had never changed its affiliation.

In its early years, K07UU/KFXF ran programming from Canadian music channel MuchMusic during the overnight hours, and for a time in 1993–94 carried the NBA on NBC. Until K13XD (now KXDF-CD) went on the air in August 1996, KFXF also carried a handful of CBS shows, such as 60 Minutes, The Young and the Restless and Late Show with David Letterman (as well as the championship game of the 1996 NCAA Final Four and 1996 Masters), after KTVF relinquished their longtime affiliation with the network for NBC on April 1. The station also ran UPN programs from 2000 until 2006, when that network merged with The WB to form The CW, which is shown on a digital subchannel of KATN. KFXF considered becoming a secondary affiliate to Fox's sister network MyNetworkTV, but passed on it.

In September 2010, KFXF became the first network station in Fairbanks to broadcast primetime programming in high-definition.

In July 2012, Tanana Valley Television took over the operations of the Fairbanks NBC affiliate KTVF under a shared services agreement. While KTVF retained its own studios, some of its internal operations were moved to KFXF's studios. This resulted in Fairbanks' commercial stations being controlled by just two companies.

On November 8, 2016, Northern Lights Media, the subsidiary of Gray Television that operates the Anchorage stations KTUU-TV and KYES-TV, announced that it would buy KFXF-LD, KXDF-CD (then known as KXDD-CD), and KTVF for $8 million in cash, pending FCC approval.[1] The sale was completed on January 13, 2017.[2][3] The full-power KFXF license was not included in the sale because Fairbanks has only five full-power stations, not enough to legally permit a duopoly between KFXF and KTVF. On January 11, 2017, Tanana Valley Television informed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it had taken the station dark.[4] The call letters were changed to KFYF on February 9, 2017.[5] KFXF-CD became the sole Fox outlet in the Interior.

On March 2, 2017, Tanaha Valley Television surrendered their license for KFYF back to the FCC,[6] which cancelled it on March 10.[7]

  • 1990s News logo of KFXF, from 2000
  • KFXF 2000s large logo
  • 2008 logo of KFXF

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital channel was multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[8]
7.1720p16:9KFYF-DTMain KFYF programming / Fox
7.2480iK13XD-DSimulcast of KXDF-CD

Analog-to-digital conversion

KFYF (as KFXF) shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, in January 2009. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 22 to VHF channel 7.[9][10] The station has applied to increase power to 6.1 kilowatts. K13XD, as a low-power station, was not legally required to go digital at this time.

References
  1. Northern Lights Media announces acquisition of Fairbanks television stations - KTUU.com
  2. Gray Closes Green Bay, Davenport and Fairbanks Acquisitions Gray Television, 17 January 2017, Retrieved, 22 January 2017.
  3. Consummation Notice, Federal Communications Commission, 20 January 2017, Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  4. "Suspension of Operations and Silent Authority of a DTV Station Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. January 11, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  5. "Call Sign History (KFYF)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  6. Ramsey, Coe W. (March 2, 2017). "Re: KFYF(DT), Fairbanks, Alaska (Facility ID No. 64597) Surrender or Request for Cancellation of License" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  7. Station Search Details - Federal Communications Commission
  8. RabbitEars TV Query for KFYF
  9. Digital TV delay could benefit Interior Archived 2009-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, Jeff Richardson, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, February 1, 2009
  10. "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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