City Dubuque, Iowa Affiliations CTN (2004–present) | Channels Digital: 43 (UHF) First air date June 1, 1970 | |
Owner Christian Television Network, Inc.
(Christian Television Network of Iowa, Inc.) Call letters' meaning K FoX B
(referring to former simulcast with Fox affiliate KFXA) | ||
KFXB-TV is a television station based out of Dubuque, Iowa. The channel transmits digitally on UHF channel 43. Currently the channel is an owned and operated affiliate of the Christian Television Network.
KFXB has been digital-only since February 17, 2009.
History
The station signed on as KDUB-TV on June 1, 1970, on channel 40 as an ABC affiliate. The KDUB call letters was originally used by CBS affiliate KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Texas from its 1952 sign-on until 1961. In 1972, station president and general manager Gerald Green was embroiled in a controversy with the Federal Communications Commission over whether $19,000 he paid to an ABC network representative was a bribe. Green testified that he thought the money was a legitimate expense in obtaining the network affiliation. Green was later exonerated, but the ABC executive was found guilty of extorting payoffs. After encountering financial difficulties, the station went off the air on October 3, 1974. The dormant station was purchased by Lloyd Hearing Aid Corp. of Rockford, Illinois, and returned to the air on September 12, 1976.
The first and only television station to be based out of Dubuque, KDUB was originally based in an office building just south of Dubuque, near Key West, Iowa. The station eventually moved into offices on the ninth floor of the former Roshek's Department Store building in downtown Dubuque, and later moved to its current location on Main Street.
KDUB signal transmission was a lower level of reception as a UHF channel. which was generally stronger signal broadcast overall — was available to the residents of Dubuque; in those areas that could receive good over the air quality was still quite good, and the Dubuque cable system carried as well as KDUB.
For a number of years, KDUB and KCRG-TV in conflict with each other. KDUB eventually won a decision in which the Dubuque cable company was required to black out when the same shows were shown at the same time on both stations. At one point KDUB sued claiming that interference caused a proposed deal to sell the station to fall through.
Finally, in 1995, the station entered into a management agreement with Second Generation of Iowa, owner of Cedar Rapids Fox affiliate KFXA (channel 28). It was then decided to discontinue the ABC affiliation and convert KDUB to a semi-satellite of KFXA, under the call letters KFXB; most programming was simulcast from KFXA, but KFXB would continue its news operation (at that time, KFXA had no newscast at all). Prior to this, the Fox network feed was retransmitted on the Dubuque cable system on channel 13. After a few years, it was decided to close down the Dubuque news operation, rendering KFXB a full satellite of KFXA. During this time the stations identified themselves as "KFXA-KFXB Fox 28/40."
In 2004, KFXB's owners, Dubuque TV Limited Partnership sold the station to the Christian Television Network, who switched the station to its primarily-religious programming. Fox programming would continue to be transmitted on KFXA - which would operate as the primary Fox affiliate for northeast Iowa. At this time KFXB lost its longstanding channel 4 assignment on the Dubuque cable system to KFXA, with KFXB being moved to channel 14.
KFXB added cable coverage of the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas on Mediacom cable in 2005.