Slogan Local TV at its best Affiliations Youtoo America | Channels Digital: 49 (UHF) Founded May 20, 2005 | |
Branding KWVT: Willamette Valley Television Owner Northwest Television, LLC
(Michael Mattson) | ||
KWVT-LD is a television station licensed to Salem, Oregon, serving the Portland, Oregon metro area. It broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 49 from West Portland. Operated by Northwest Television, LLC, the call sign KWVT stands for "Willamette Valley Television".
Contents
The lineup consists of classic television shows and movies, local and international sports and community interest programming, many of these from the Youtoo America network. Independent producers also develop original programming for KWVT, such as Garden Time, Fusion, High Desert Outdoorsman and Living Culture, as well as music video shows Hard Times, My Hits and Country Comfort. KWVT has a high definition production facilities that covers area events such as high school football.
KWVT is the Local Primary Emergency Alert System station for the "(Oregon State) Capitol Operational Area".
History
The station signed on the air on channel 52, licensed to Eola, on May 20, 2005.
On May 8, 2007 Northwest Television sold channel 52 to Churchill Media of Eugene, Oregon. On August 17, 2007, channel 52 began carrying programming from the Spanish-language Azteca network, as KXPD-LP. (That station would cease operations by the end of 2009.)
Northwest Television had since moved to K17IV channel 17, which adopted the KWVT-LP calls in November 2007, and changed the city of license from Eola to Salem.
In September, 2008 Northwest Television activated a digital signal on KSLM-LD UHF digital channel 16. As of March 15, 2010 KSLM has moved to channel 27.
Digital television
KWVT had a construction permit to convert to digital and move the transmitter to the Skyline Tower in Portland, Oregon, home to numerous TV and FM stations.
After negotiations to use the Skyline site broke down, other sites were considered. On December 22, 2010, an application was filed to locate the digital facility on the former KPDX tower, approximately half a kilometer from the Skyline tower. KWVT would use the antenna KPDX had shut down at the end of the DTV transition. The modified construction permit was granted on January 7, 2011. Since no construction was required on the tower, KWVT began transmitting a digital signal in Portland later the same day.
KWVT remains available in Salem on a digital subchannel of KSLM-LD, and KSLM programming (RTV) is also relayed to Portland on a digital subchannel of KWVT. KWVT and KSLM also relay the programming of KPWC, which acquired the Azteca America affiliation after Churchill Media ceased operation of KXPD.
KWVT-LP is multiplexed:
Other translator stations
Northwest Television can also be viewed in other locations.