KTBU
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KTBU, virtual channel 55 (UHF digital channel 42), is a Mega TV owned-and-operated television station serving Houston, Texas, United States that is licensed to Conroe. The station is owned by the Spanish Broadcasting System. KTBU maintains studio facilities located on Equity Drive (adjacent to the Sam Houston Tollway) on the northwest side of Houston; digital channel 55.5 (branded as ITV) has a separate studio located near the intersection of Bellaire Boulevard and Boone Road. The station's transmitter is located in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County (near Missouri City).
History
The station first signed on the air on July 15, 1998, and was originally owned by Charles Dowen Johnson's Humanity Interested Media (alongside KVQT-LD) and then by the Osteen Family of Lakewood Church. The station was later purchased by the Houston-based USFR Media Group.
As an independent station branded as "Houston's 55", KTBU formerly carried an eclectic line-up of classic and recent syndicated television series, as well as locally produced shows focusing on sports, history and other topics of interest to Houstonians.
In May 2011, the station was sold to the Spanish Broadcasting System for $16 million. Upon the completion of the sale, KTBU joined SBS' Mega TV network.[1][2]
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55.1 | 480i | 4:3 | KTBU | Main KTBU programming / Mega TV |
| 55.2 | VANTV | VAN TV Template:Vi icon | ||
| 55.3 | Nacion | Nacion TV Template:Es icon | ||
| 55.4 | MiCasa | Mi Casa | ||
| 55.5 | ITV | ITV Template:Zh icon | ||
| 55.6 | WCETV | CCTV News |
Analog-to-digital conversion
KTBU discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 55, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 42,[4][5][6] using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 55, which was among the high band UHF channels (52-69) that were removed from broadcasting use as a result of the transition.
References
- ^ "Spanish Broadcasting System pays $16 million for a TV station in Houston". Radio-Info.com. May 6, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
- ^ Globe Newswire Press Release: "Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. to Acquire Houston Television Station", May 6, 2011.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KTBU
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ Consumer Watch: Stations have more DTV work to do, Houston Chronicle, February 6, 2009.