Translators (see article) | Affiliations Fox (1986–present) | |
Branding Fox 28 (general)
Fox 28 News (newscasts) Slogan Everybody's Watching Fox 28 Channels Digital: 28 (UHF)
Virtual: 28 (PSIP) Subchannels 28.1 Fox
28.2 MNTV/Antenna TV | ||
KAYU-TV, channel 28, is the Fox-affiliated television station for Spokane, Washington, owned and operated by Mountain Broadcasting, LLC, a subsidiary of Northwest Broadcasting. The general manager is Doug Holroyd, formerly of KCVU of Chico, California.
Contents
On cable, KAYU's signal is available in standard definition on channel 3 on Comcast in the Spokane area and on Time Warner Cable in the Coeur d'Alene area; it is also available in high definition on Comcast digital channel 103 in Spokane, Time Warner Cable digital channel 1206 in Coeur d'Alene and the Palouse. In addition, it is also on numerous cable providers throughout Eastern Washington and north/central Idaho. On satellite, it is available on DirecTV and Dish Network channel 28, both standard and high-definition. KAYU is also available in Canada on satellite provider Shaw Direct and Shaw Cable in much of Central and Southern Alberta and Southeastern British Columbia.
History
The station was founded in 1982 by Spokane native Robert Hamacher and his company, Salmon River Communications. It was Spokane's first independent station, as well as the first new commercial station to sign on in the area since KREM-TV (channel 2) hit the airwaves 28 years earlier. It is also the oldest non-Big Three station in the eastern part of the state. It joined Fox as a charter affiliate in 1986.
On October 1, 1989, KAYU-TV launched two low-power semi-satellites: K53CY in Yakima (known on-air as "KCY"), and K66BW in the Tri-Cities (branded as "KBW"). Both stations aired most of KAYU's programming (with the exception of select programs that KAYU did not have the rights to show in those markets), though with local commercials. K53CY was replaced in 1993 by K68EB, though it continued to go by "KCY" outside of station identifications. The station also operated a semi-satellite in Wenatchee known as KCWT channel 27 from 1986-1990, that station is now defunct.
Salmon River Communications sold KAYU-TV, along with K68EB (which was soon renamed KCYU-LP), KBWU-LP (the former K66BW), and KMVU in Medford, Oregon, to Northwest Broadcasting in 1995. KCYU and KBWU remained semi-satellites of KAYU until 1999, when sister station KFFX-TV signed on from Pendleton, Oregon and became their parent station; both stations (now KCYU-LD and KBWU-LD) continue to carry KFFX's programming to this day.
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Antenna TV with the MyNetworkTV schedule running in early primetime, broadcast on KAYU-DT channel 28.2, is available locally on Comcast digital channel 117.
Analog-to-digital conversion
KAYU-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 28, on February 17, 2009, the original target date in which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 30 to channel 28.
Programming
Some of KAYU's syndicated programming offerings include Harry, Steve Harvey, Family Feud, and How I Met Your Mother. KAYU also carries Litton Entertainment's Go Time E/I block.
News operation
KAYU presently broadcasts 12 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (2½ hours on weekdays and ½ hours on weekends).
KAYU currently broadcasts a 10 p.m. newscast produced by NBC affiliate KHQ-TV (channel 6), which airs for 35 minutes on weeknights and a half-hour on Saturdays and Sunday evenings. The station also airs a half-hour show called Washington's Most Wanted, a statewide version of the former Fox series America's Most Wanted, featuring profiles of wanted criminals in Washington state, hosted by KCPQ weeknight anchor David Rose and produced by KCPQ.
On April 8, 1991, KAYU began broadcasting a 10 p.m. newscast, produced by CBS affiliate KREM (channel 2) under a news share agreement. Dismal ratings caused KREM to drop out of the news share agreement in 1993, upon which KHQ-TV signed a news share agreement with KAYU. The KHQ-produced newscast ceased production April 14, 1995. In 1999, KAYU produced an in-house 10 p.m. newscast that ran until 2004. ABC affiliate KXLY (channel 4) assisted in content and talent for a short time. In 2004, KAYU partnered with KHQ for the second time to produce the newscast, which was renamed Fox First at Ten. On January 5, 2015, KAYU became the second news station in Spokane to air their news from 7:00-9:00 a.m. called "Good Day Spokane", after KREM aired their news on KSKN at that timeframe back in September 2014.
Translators
KAYU is rebroadcast on the following translator stations: