City San Luis Obispo | ||
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Branding Fox 11 (general)
Fox 11 News (newscasts) Channels Digital: 24.1 (UHF)
KCOY-DT 19.2 (UHF)
Virtual: 24 (PSIP)
KCOY-DT 12.2 (PSIP) Affiliations 24.1 Fox
24.2 The Local AccuWeather Channel Owner News-Press & Gazette Company
(NPG of California, LLC) First air date November 6, 1998; 18 years ago (1998-11-06) | ||
KKFX-CD is the Class A television service Fox-affiliated television station for the Central Coast of California that is licensed to San Luis Obispo. It broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter near Serrano and U.S. 101 in the Los Padres National Forest. Owned by News-Press & Gazette Company, it is the sister station to ABC affiliate KEYT-TV. It also operates CBS affiliate KCOY-TV (owned by VistaWest Media, LLC). The two share studios on West McCoy Lane in Santa Maria. It can be seen on cable channel 11, hence the FOX 11 branding. Apart from its own digital transmission, a standard definition digital signal can be found on the KCOY-DT2 digital sub-channel. This broadcasts from a transmitter on Tepusquet Peak in the Los Padres National Forest east of Santa Maria.
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On January 20, 2015, KKFX began broadcasting over-the-air in high definition, and an HD feed is provided directly to cable and DirecTV. KKFX-CD signed-on for the first time on November 6, 1998 as the area's Fox affiliate. KTTV in Los Angeles was the default station for the Central Coast area before KKFX signed-on. Until July 1, 2006, this station could also be seen in Santa Barbara on KSBB-LP channel 17 but was switched to a repeater of KEYT-TV. On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel Communications entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Providence Equity Partners. The sale was finalized on March 14, 2008. However, Providence Equity Partners did not keep KKFX and sister station KCOY due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) restrictions. As a result, they were resold to the Cowles Publishing Company. On May 7, 2008, the deal between Cowles and Newport Television closed. Also, on January 20, 2015, KKFX-CA returned to the airwaves in Santa Barbara on low power KSBB-LP Channel 17.
On September 20, 2013, News-Press & Gazette Company, owner of KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara, announced that it would purchase KKFX-CA, as well as Monterey sister stations KION-TV and KMUV-LP. NPG will also take over some of the operations of sister station KCOY, which Cowles will retain, under a shared services agreement. The sale was completed on December 13.
Man on the Couch and Central Coast Deals
Man on the Couch is a promo that consists of a man sitting on a couch and showing previews for upcoming shows on KKFX and KCOY, as well as on KION and KCBA (due to common ownership or management by Cowles). Each program preview consists either of a man commenting on the preview or saying the time slot and the branding. All four station's schedules are shown on its website, although Man on the Couch's website itself is hosted by KION.
Central Coast Deals is a marketing promo shown on KKFX, KCOY, KION, KCBA, and KMUV. The promo consists of a deal that appears to attract consumers and giving gift certificates that generally is 50 percent off the discount price of what would be the normal price of a gift certificate. It is noted that it is exclusive to those four stations.
Programming
Syndicated programming on KKFX includes: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Simpsons (which also airs first run episodes), King of the Hill, and Malcolm in the Middle.
Newscasts
Fox 11 News in the Morning, airs weekdays on KKFX from 7 to 8. It has a larger on-air morning staff than counterparts in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. There is also a nightly hour long 10 o'clock newscast.
Other history
Previously, call sign KKFX, beginning 1981, belonged to a Seattle AM radio station at 1250 kHz which called itself "K-Fox".