KTTU-TV
Encyclopedia
KTTU is a full-service television station
in Tucson, Arizona
, broadcasting digitally
on UHF channel 19 (18.1) as a MyNetworkTV
affiliate. Founded March 21, 1983, the station is owned by Belo Corporation.
under the ownership of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
. Its call letters meant K Diocese of TUcson, its first owner. Its programming consisted of the typical independent station fare: cartoons, old sitcoms and dramas, old movies, and sports. KDTU was home for Notre Dame, Marquette and DePaul college basketball broadcasts, a reflection of their ownership by the Roman Catholic Diocese. It was one of two UHF independent stations that signed on the air around the same time in the Tucson market (the other was KPOL Channel 40, now Telemundo
O&O KHRR
). KDTU offered only half an hour a day of religious programming except on Sunday, when they offered several hours. In spite of being owned by a religious organization, KDTU offered the second least amount of religious programming of all the commercial stations in the market.
Most markets the size of Tucson only supported one commercial independent while Tucson had three. KDTU was not profitable and the Diocese put the station up for sale in 1988. In 1989, they sold the station to Clear Channel Communications
, then a small but growing media owner. Clear Channel changed the call letters to KTTU. The programming only changed slightly while presentation became more modern, In spite of the fact that channel 40 went dark and Tucson was down to two commercial independents (including Fox 11), KTTU continued to be unprofitable. Clear Channel decided to focus on their other markets and in radio so they opted to enter into a local marketing agreement
with KMSB-TV
channel 11, the affiliate of the then-new Fox Broadcasting Company
. KMSB would then move into KTTU's more modern studios. Clear Channel continued to program KTTU with separate programming but shows could move from station to station at any time. KMSB's owners would operate KTTU while Clear Channel still held the broadcast license.
1995 brought UPN
to KTTU, and two years later, Belo Corporation purchased KMSB from the Providence Journal Company. Belo continued to operate KTTU through a limited marketing agreement until 2002, when federal ownership laws were relaxed, and Belo purchased the license from Clear Channel.
In January 2006, UPN and The WB Television Network
announced that they would cease operations and would combine forces to launch a new network, to be called The CW Television Network
. Shortly afterward, Fox announced that it would form a new network of its own, to be called My Network TV. KTTU, the UPN affiliate, and KWBA
, the WB affiliate in Tucson, were both losing their affiliations, and it was unknown which station would affiliate with which network, if at all. On March 21, 2006, KWBA was announced as the market's CW affiliate, and two days later, Belo announced that KTTU would be the MyNetwork affiliate.
KTTU was granted a construction permit to build its digital facilities on UHF channel 19 on October 11, 2001. Originally to be co-located with its analog facilities on Towers Peak, the station requested to move its facilities to the Mount Bigelow electronics site. The request was granted, and the station's digital facilities began operating in late September 2003, and was licensed January 6, 2004.
KTTU's analog signal left the air January 18, 2009 due to equipment failure.
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...
in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, broadcasting digitally
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
on UHF channel 19 (18.1) as a MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate. Founded March 21, 1983, the station is owned by Belo Corporation.
Programming
KTTU carries MyNetwork TV programming during its prime time hours, and may carry Fox network programs when preempted by KMSB in the event of a local special or an emergency such as a breaking news story.History
KTTU was granted a construction permit on March 21, 1983 and went on the air on December 31, 1984 as KDTU, a family-friendly independent stationIndependent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
under the ownership of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It comprises nine counties of the state of Arizona, making it the fifth largest diocese in the continental United States in terms of area...
. Its call letters meant K Diocese of TUcson, its first owner. Its programming consisted of the typical independent station fare: cartoons, old sitcoms and dramas, old movies, and sports. KDTU was home for Notre Dame, Marquette and DePaul college basketball broadcasts, a reflection of their ownership by the Roman Catholic Diocese. It was one of two UHF independent stations that signed on the air around the same time in the Tucson market (the other was KPOL Channel 40, now Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
O&O KHRR
KHRR
KHRR is a full-service television station, owned and operated by NBCUniversal, and serving Tucson, Arizona as the Telemundo station. The station broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 40, with 396 kW ERP on its digital signal...
). KDTU offered only half an hour a day of religious programming except on Sunday, when they offered several hours. In spite of being owned by a religious organization, KDTU offered the second least amount of religious programming of all the commercial stations in the market.
Most markets the size of Tucson only supported one commercial independent while Tucson had three. KDTU was not profitable and the Diocese put the station up for sale in 1988. In 1989, they sold the station to Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, then a small but growing media owner. Clear Channel changed the call letters to KTTU. The programming only changed slightly while presentation became more modern, In spite of the fact that channel 40 went dark and Tucson was down to two commercial independents (including Fox 11), KTTU continued to be unprofitable. Clear Channel decided to focus on their other markets and in radio so they opted to enter into a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with KMSB-TV
KMSB-TV
KMSB is the Fox-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona. The station broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 25 . Since it transmits from atop Mount Bigelow, there is no signal reception in the northern part of Tucson, Oro Valley and Marana....
channel 11, the affiliate of the then-new Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. KMSB would then move into KTTU's more modern studios. Clear Channel continued to program KTTU with separate programming but shows could move from station to station at any time. KMSB's owners would operate KTTU while Clear Channel still held the broadcast license.
1995 brought UPN
UPN
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...
to KTTU, and two years later, Belo Corporation purchased KMSB from the Providence Journal Company. Belo continued to operate KTTU through a limited marketing agreement until 2002, when federal ownership laws were relaxed, and Belo purchased the license from Clear Channel.
In January 2006, UPN and The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
announced that they would cease operations and would combine forces to launch a new network, to be called The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. Shortly afterward, Fox announced that it would form a new network of its own, to be called My Network TV. KTTU, the UPN affiliate, and KWBA
KWBA
KWBA-TV, virtual channel 58, is the affiliate of The CW network in Tucson, Arizona. The station broadcasts on digital channel 44, and is licensed to Sierra Vista, Arizona...
, the WB affiliate in Tucson, were both losing their affiliations, and it was unknown which station would affiliate with which network, if at all. On March 21, 2006, KWBA was announced as the market's CW affiliate, and two days later, Belo announced that KTTU would be the MyNetwork affiliate.
Digital television
| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 18.1 | Main KTTU programming / MyNetworkTV |
| 18.2 | 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:... |
KTTU was granted a construction permit to build its digital facilities on UHF channel 19 on October 11, 2001. Originally to be co-located with its analog facilities on Towers Peak, the station requested to move its facilities to the Mount Bigelow electronics site. The request was granted, and the station's digital facilities began operating in late September 2003, and was licensed January 6, 2004.
KTTU's analog signal left the air January 18, 2009 due to equipment failure.