KPNZ
Encyclopedia
KPNZ is an independent television station
serving the Salt Lake City, Utah
television
market. Owned by Los Angeles
-based Liberman Broadcasting
, the station broadcasts a variety of Spanish-language programming.
affiliate, replacing previous affiliate KJZZ-TV
in January 2001. This change came about due to several factors, most notably a disagreement over affiliate compensation, pre-emption terms, and what KJZZ ownership saw as the lack of financial viability of urban-themed programming in the Salt Lake City market. In October 2000, KJZZ made national headlines when it demanded the right to back out of its UPN contract if UPN increased its "urban/ethnic programming" to more than two hours per week. UPN responded by moving their programming to KAZG, which then changed its call letters to KPNZ.
In August 2001, the station moved from their location in Ogden to the Salt Lake City studio in the International Center.
In January 2006, CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Warner Brothers announced that the UPN and WB networks would merge into one giant network called "The CW." Later that year, KPNZ removed the UPN branding from its website, referring to the station as Utah's 24. On June 5, 2006, KPNZ removed UPN programming from its schedule in retaliation for being passed over by both The CW (which went to former WB affiliate KUWB, now KUCW
) and another new netlet, News Corporation
's MyNetworkTV
(which at the time went to KJZZ-TV
, which has since reverted to independent status).
On May 30, 2007, Utah Communications, LLC, the licensee of KPNZ filed an application with the FCC to sell the station to Liberman Broadcasting, a broadcaster that generally specializes in Spanish-language radio and television. The sale was completed on November 30, 2007.http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=Kpnz After Liberman took over, it continued to broadcast entirely in English until February 2008, when it officially switched to Spanish-language programming.
On September 14, 2009, KPNZ and the other Liberman television stations became O&O
s of the new Spanish-language network, Estrella TV
. This new network also began airing on the digital subchannels of selected stations owned by Belo Corporation
, Sunbeam Television
, Hearst Television, Tribune Broadcasting
and ComCorp
, as well as selected stations then-owned by Pappas Telecasting Companies
that were sold to the New World TV Group (d/b/a
Titan Broadcast Group), upon its launch.
after the FCC
finalized the DTV
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 http://www.transmitter.com/FCC97115/chanplan.html, the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
. Instead, on or before June 12, 2009, which is the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KPNZ was required to turn off its analog signal
and turn on its digital signal
(called a "flash-cut
").
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
serving the Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
market. Owned by Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based Liberman Broadcasting
Liberman Broadcasting
Liberman Broadcasting is a media company based in Burbank, California. Liberman Broadcasting primarily caters to the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community and owns television and radio stations in several of the top Hispanic markets.-History:...
, the station broadcasts a variety of Spanish-language programming.
History
The station signed on in 1998 as KAZG, which became the Salt Lake City market's UPNUPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
affiliate, replacing previous affiliate KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV, virtual channel 14, is a full-service Independent television station serving Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and surrounding areas, broadcasting in digital on UHF channel 46. The KJZZ transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains...
in January 2001. This change came about due to several factors, most notably a disagreement over affiliate compensation, pre-emption terms, and what KJZZ ownership saw as the lack of financial viability of urban-themed programming in the Salt Lake City market. In October 2000, KJZZ made national headlines when it demanded the right to back out of its UPN contract if UPN increased its "urban/ethnic programming" to more than two hours per week. UPN responded by moving their programming to KAZG, which then changed its call letters to KPNZ.
In August 2001, the station moved from their location in Ogden to the Salt Lake City studio in the International Center.
In January 2006, CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Warner Brothers announced that the UPN and WB networks would merge into one giant network called "The CW." Later that year, KPNZ removed the UPN branding from its website, referring to the station as Utah's 24. On June 5, 2006, KPNZ removed UPN programming from its schedule in retaliation for being passed over by both The CW (which went to former WB affiliate KUWB, now KUCW
KUCW
KUCW is the CW-afifliated television station for the state of Utah that is licensed to Ogden. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter on Farnsworth Peak. Owned by High Plains Broadcasting, the station is operated through joint sales and shared services...
) and another new netlet, News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
's MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
(which at the time went to KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV
KJZZ-TV, virtual channel 14, is a full-service Independent television station serving Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and surrounding areas, broadcasting in digital on UHF channel 46. The KJZZ transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains...
, which has since reverted to independent status).
On May 30, 2007, Utah Communications, LLC, the licensee of KPNZ filed an application with the FCC to sell the station to Liberman Broadcasting, a broadcaster that generally specializes in Spanish-language radio and television. The sale was completed on November 30, 2007.http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=Kpnz After Liberman took over, it continued to broadcast entirely in English until February 2008, when it officially switched to Spanish-language programming.
On September 14, 2009, KPNZ and the other Liberman television stations became O&O
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
s of the new Spanish-language network, Estrella TV
Estrella TV
Estrella TV is a Spanish-language television network owned by Liberman Broadcasting. The network launched September 14, 2009.-Affiliates:-Former Affiliates:-Controversy:...
. This new network also began airing on the digital subchannels of selected stations owned by Belo Corporation
Belo
Belo Corp. is a Dallas-based media company that owns 20 commercial broadcasting television stations and two regional 24-hour cable news television channels. The company was previously known as A.H. Belo Corp. after one of the early owners of the company, Alfred Horatio Belo, now the name of the...
, Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television
Sunbeam Television Corporation is a broadcasting company based in Miami, Florida, and owns three television stations in the United States.-History:...
, Hearst Television, Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
and ComCorp
Communications Corporation of America
Communications Corporation of America is a broadcasting company in the United States that owns television stations in smaller markets. The company is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana...
, as well as selected stations then-owned by Pappas Telecasting Companies
Pappas Telecasting Companies
Pappas Telecasting Companies was a diversely organized broadcasting company headquartered in Visalia, California, United States. Founded in 1971, it was one of the largest privately held broadcasting companies in the country, with its stations reaching over 15% of all U.S. households and over 32%...
that were sold to the New World TV Group (d/b/a
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
Titan Broadcast Group), upon its launch.
Digital television
Because it was granted an original construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
after the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
finalized the DTV
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 http://www.transmitter.com/FCC97115/chanplan.html, the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
. Instead, on or before June 12, 2009, which is the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KPNZ was required to turn off its analog signal
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
and turn on its digital signal
Digital signal
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values , for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized analog signal...
(called a "flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
").
Legal Battles
In May 2005, H.R. Director and Accounting Manager Brad Brewer was fired from KPNZ for embezzlement. Shortly thereafter, in July 2005, Mr. Brewer, General Manager Kurt Gentry and Traffic Manager Bonnie Dunn were originally arrested by Salt Lake City Police on charges of theft, fraud and forgery. The charges against Gentry were dropped after investigation by the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office. Charges against Dunn were dismissed in court as well. Brewer was charged with 31 separate counts and has since settled. All charges have been dropped or dismissed. The circumstances behind the arrests and dismantling of KPNZ are still unclear, though many rumors have been made public by partners, former employees and clients.Translators
KPNZ is rebroadcast on the following stations:- K41IL HuntsvilleHuntsville, UtahHuntsville is a town in Weber County, Utah, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
- K41IY Huntsville
- K16GG LoganLogan, Utah-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
- K32GT Logan
- K56IQ Park City, UtahPark City, UtahPark City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...