KFBI LD

Updated on Nov 24, 2023

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Branding My 48		Affiliations MyNetworkTV

Channels Digital: 48 (UHF) Virtual: 48 (PSIP) Subchannels 48.1 MyNetworkTV 48.2 Telemundo Translators K41ID-D ch. 41 (UHF) Klamath Falls Owner Northwest Broadcasting (Broadcast Licenses, L.P.)

KFBI-LD is a low-powered television station based in Medford, Oregon and is an affiliate of My Network TV. Owned by Northwest Broadcasting, Inc., KFBI is the sister station of Fox affiliate, KMVU.

History

KFBI was founded in the summer of 2006 by Sainte Partners II, L.P. owner Chester Smith to bring one of his stations to the Medford market. The station hit the air on July 3, 2006, about one month before the official launch of My Network TV. The station began using its My 48 logo when it launched, even though the network didn't officially start its programming until September. The operations were out of the Sainte offices in Chico, California, home of KCVU FOX 20, MyTV Northern California and three Spanish stations. The sales offices were located on North Riverside Avenue in Medford and Peter Rogers, former general manager at KMVU, served as the station's first full-time general manager.

In November 2007, it was announced that KFBI and sister station KMCW were up for sale, but was never purchased. It remained Sainte property from then on.

In April 2012, KFBI owners Sainte Television Group (aka Sainte Partners II) entered into a local marketing agreement with Bonten Media Group, a New York-based private equity group which owns Northern California ABC and MeTV affiliates KRCR-TV in Redding, California, and KAEF-TV in Eureka, California. Bonten now co-owns and operates Sainte's former Northern California stations in Chico, Redding and Eureka under the LMA. The LMA is a precursor to an outright purchase of the station. KFBI and its sister station KMCW were not included in the package. They were being sold to Northwest Broadcasting, Inc., owner of KMVU-DT, on July 22, 2013. Upon the sale, the station replaced This TV with Telemundo, thus airing KMCW on channels 14 and 48.2. (ThisTV now airs on KOBI-TV channel 5.2 and KMCW now airs MundoMax programming.)

Local programming

KFBI started airing Celebrate Jesus with Arbee Freeman, a locally-produced half-hour church service program in 2009, replacing The Moriss Taylor Show. It airs Sundays at 8:00am.

"Southern Oregon's Sports Leader"

On March 13, 2007, KFBI became the new Rogue Valley flagship station of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers basketball. It is also the Rogue Valley's flagship station for San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball games. In September 2009, KFBI aired its very first University of Oregon Ducks football game. In the spring of 2012, KFBI became the area's flagship station for the Portland Timbers Major League Soccer team. In October 2013, KFBI added Raycom Sports' ACC Network.

KFBI-DT2 Telemundo 48.2

KFBI began airing Telemundo on its sub-channel 48.2 while at the same time continuing to air it on its sister station KMCW-LD Channel 14. In 2015, KMCW dropped Telemundo and replaced its affiliation with the new Spanish-language network MundoMax, partially owned by FOX.