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KFXF

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Branding
  
Fox 7 KXD (on DT2)

Translators
  
KFXF-LD 22 Fairbanks

Subchannels
  
7.1 Fox 7.2 CBS

Affiliations
  
Fox

Channels
  
Digital: 7 (VHF) Virtual: 7 (PSIP)

Owner
  
KFYF: Tanana Valley Television Company KFXF-LD: Gray Television (KFXF-LD: Gray Television Licensee, LLC)

KFYF is a Fox-affiliated television station located in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Owned by Tanana Valley Television Company, the station is operated as a duopoly with low-power CBS affiliate KXDF-CD (channel 13), which is rebroadcast on KFYF's second digital subchannel. KFYF is also sister to NBC affiliate KTVF (channel 11), which is owned by Chena Broadcasting but operated by Tanana through a shared services agreement, but the two stations maintain separate facilities except for some internal operations of KTVF. KFYF broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter north of Fairbanks. Both KFYF and KXDF-CD share studios on Braddock Street in downtown Fairbanks. KFYF's programming is also seen on low-power digital translator KFXF-LD on UHF channel 22 from a transmitter located at the studios.

Contents

History

Channel 7 in Fairbanks was originally assigned to KSEV in 1984; it was not known whether it would be an independent or network station. KSEV never signed on, and it wouldn't be until 1992, when founder/owner Bill St. Pierre and a group of investors formed Tanana Valley Television, that channel 7 would begin broadcasting. The group put a low-power station, K07UU, on the air April 20, 1992 as the area's first commercial station (and fifth in general after KJNP-TV in 1981) since 1955, when KTVF and KATN started; until then, they had been the only two major network stations. The station upgraded to a full-power license and changed its call letters to the current KFXF on February 27, 1995. It is the only Fairbanks television station that has never changed its affiliation.

In its early years, K07UU/KFXF ran programming from Canadian music channel MuchMusic during the overnight hours, and for a time in 1993-94 carried the NBA on NBC. Until K13XD (now KXDF-CD) went on the air in August 1996, KFXF also carried a handful of CBS shows, such as 60 Minutes, The Young and the Restless and Late Show with David Letterman (as well as the championship game of the 1996 NCAA Final Four and 1996 Masters), after KTVF relinquished their longtime affiliation with the network for NBC on April 1. The station also ran UPN programs from 2000 to 2006, when that network merged with The WB to form The CW, which is shown on a digital subchannel of KATN. KFXF considered becoming a secondary affiliate to Fox's sister network MyNetworkTV, but passed on it.

In September 2010, KFXF became the first network station in Fairbanks to broadcast primetime programming in high-definition.

In July 2012, Tanana Valley Television took over the operations of NBC affiliate KTVF under a shared services agreement. KTVF retained its own studios on International Drive in Fairbanks, but some internal operations were moved to KFXF's studios. This resulted in Fairbanks' commercial stations being controlled by just two companies.

On November 8, 2016, Northern Lights Media, the subsidiary of Gray Television that operates Anchorage stations KTUU-TV and KYES-TV, announced that it would buy KFXF-LD, KXDF-CD (then known as KXDD-CD) and KTVF for $8 million in cash, pending FCC approval. The sale was completed on January 17, 2017.

Digital channels

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

KFYF (as KFXF) shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, in January 2009. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 22 to VHF channel 7. The station has applied to increase power to 6.1 kilowatts. K13XD, as a low-power station, was not legally required to go digital at this time.

References

KFXF Wikipedia