KVCR-DT
File:KVCR Empire PBS logo 2019.png | |
| |
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City | San Bernardino, California |
Channels | |
Branding | Empire PBS |
Programming | |
Affiliations | |
Ownership | |
Owner | San Bernardino Community College District |
KVCR | |
History | |
First air date | September 11, 1962 |
Former call signs | KVCR-TV (1962–2009) |
Former channel number(s) |
|
NET (1962–1970) | |
Call sign meaning | Valley College Radio |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 58795 |
ERP | 25.8 kW |
HAAT | 540 m (1,772 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°57′57.4″N 117°17′9.1″W / 33.965944°N 117.285861°W |
Translator(s) | KVCR-DT3: K09XW-D Palm Springs KJHP-LP 18 Morongo Valley |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
KVCR-DT, virtual channel 24 (VHF digital channel 5), is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station serving Los Angeles, California, United States that is licensed to San Bernardino. Owned by the San Bernardino Community College District, it is a sister station to National Public Radio (NPR) member KVCR (91.9 FM). The two stations share studios at the San Bernardino Valley College campus on North Mt. Vernon Avenue in San Bernardino; KVCR-DT's transmitter is located atop Box Springs Mountain.
In addition to its main programming, KVCR also programs an alternate feed specifically for the Coachella Valley area known as KVCR Desert Cities. This alternate feed is seen over-the-air in the Palm Springs area on low-power stations K09XW-D (channel 9) and KJHP-LP (channel 18),[2] and is carried on KVCR's third digital subchannel.
History
KVCR-TV first signed on the air on September 11, 1962; it became the first successful UHF television station in the Inland Empire area. The station was also the first non-commercial public television station in Southern California—predating the launches of KCET (channel 28) by two years; KPBS in San Diego by five years; KOCE-TV (channel 50) in Huntington Beach by 10 years; and KLCS (channel 58) by 11 years—and the third in the entire state—preceded only by KQED in San Francisco and KVIE in Sacramento.
The station's transmitter was originally located on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College, where the channel 24 studios are still located. In the 1980s, KVCR's transmitter facilities were moved to Box Springs Mountain, overlooking Moreno Valley. The higher location along with increased effective radiated power greatly increased the station's grade A and grade B signal coverage. During the summers of 2005 and 2006, separate transmitter failures knocked both the KVCR television and radio stations off the air for extended periods.
Rebrand
In October 2017, Keith Birkfeld was named Interim General Manager at KVCR.[3] KVCR has recently completed a rebrand of the station, becoming the "Empire Network PBS", in an effort to re-imagine KVCR in the digital age. An award-winning digital campaign launched the rebranding effort with the slogan "Bold. Diverse. Forward." Bold meaning the courage to be honest and objective in a polarized media environment, Diverse to profoundly reflect the variety of viewpoints and lifestyles in our region, and forward to honor the past at KVCR with a vision towards creating an inspirational path to the future.[4]
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[5] |
---|---|---|---|---|
24.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KVCR-HD | Main KVCR-DT programming / PBS |
24.2 | 480i | KVCRFNX | First Nations Experience | |
24.3 | KVCR-DC | KVCR Desert Cities | ||
24.4 | KVCRCRE | Create |
Analog-to-digital conversion
KVCR-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 24, on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television.[6] The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 26, using PSIP to display KVCR-TV's virtual channel as 24 on digital television receivers.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KVCR-DT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "KVCR.org - Coverage Area".
- ^ "KVCR names Keith Birkfeld interim general manager". October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Rebrand". Empire Network.
- ^ "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
- ^ "List of Digital Full-Power Stations" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013.
External links
- Television stations in Los Angeles
- PBS member stations
- Television stations in Palm Springs, California
- Television channels and stations established in 1962
- Mass media in Riverside County, California
- Mass media in San Bernardino, California
- San Bernardino Community College District
- First Nations Experience affiliates