KKEY-LP
Telemundo Valle Central current logo.png
Channels
BrandingTelemundo Valle Central
Programming
AffiliationsTelemundo
Ownership
Owner
KGET-TV
History
FoundedOctober 24, 1991
First air date
May 22, 1997; 25 years ago (1997-05-22)
Former call signs
K14IK (1991–February 19, 1997, May 22, 1997–2003)
DK14IK (February 20–May 21, 1997)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
14 (UHF, 1997–2003)
11 (VHF, 2003–2009 & 2010–2014)
Call sign meaning
Kern County
Technical information
Facility ID18750
ClassLD
ERP3 kW
HAAT376.5 m (1,235 ft)
Transmitter coordinates35°26′17.1″N 118°44′26.3″W / 35.438083°N 118.740639°W / 35.438083; -118.740639
Translator(s)KGET-DT 17.3 (25.3 UHF) Bakersfield
Links
Websitewww.kget.com/telemundo/

KKEY-LP (channel 13) is a low-power television station in Bakersfield, California, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language Telemundo network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside NBC affiliate KGET-TV (channel 17). Both stations share studios on L Street in downtown Bakersfield, while KKEY-LP's transmitter is located atop Mount Adelaide.

In addition to its own digital signal, KKEY-LP is simulcast in standard definition on KGET-TV's third digital subchannel (17.3) from the same transmitter site.

History

The station was formerly known as K14IK and carried a low-power signal on UHF channel 14. In 2003, it moved to VHF channel 11 and was renamed KKEY-LP and became a Telemundo affiliate that same year. Previously, Telemundo programming was piped through KVEA on cable providers. On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a broadcasting holding company established by the private equity firm Providence Equity Partners.[1] This deal closed on March 14, 2008. However, due to Providence Equity Partners' partial ownership stake in rival Spanish-language network Univision, the owner of MyNetworkTV affiliate KUVI-TV (channel 45), KKEY-LP was sold along with KGET-TV and five other stations (CBS affiliate KGPE in Fresno, KTVX and KUCW in Salt Lake City, WOAI-TV in San Antonio, and WTEV-TV in Jacksonville) to High Plains Broadcasting. However, due to KKEY-LP's low-power status, it was excluded along with KTVX from the deal, which was finalized on September 15, 2008. Newport Television continued to operate KGET through a shared services agreement.

Newport agreed to sell KKEY-LP and KGET-TV, as well as KGPE in Fresno, to Nexstar Broadcasting Group on November 5, 2012.[2] The sale was completed on February 19, 2013.[3]

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced it would acquire the assets of Chicago-based Tribune Media for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. The deal—which would make Nexstar the largest television station operator by total number of stations upon its expected closure late in the third quarter of 2019—would result in KKEY-LP and KGET-TV gaining additional sister stations in nearby markets including Los Angeles (CW affiliate KTLA) and San Diego (Fox affiliate KSWB-TV).[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The sale was approved by the FCC on September 16 and was completed on September 19, 2019.

Technical information

Subchannel

Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming[14]
13.1 1080i 16:9 KKEY-TV Telemundo

Analog-to-digital conversion

The analog signal went off the air on July 31, 2009, and for a year KKEY only existed as a subchannel of KGET and was even rebranded "Telemundo 17.3". On July 23, 2010, the analog signal on channel 11 came back on the air—just nine days before the station's analog license was to be cancelled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In April 2014, the analog signal on channel 11 went off the air and a high definition digital signal went on the air on channel 13.

References

  1. ^ "Clear Channel Agrees to Sell Television Station Group to Providence Equity Partners" (Press release). Clear Channel Communications. 2007-04-20. Archived from the original on 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
  2. ^ "Nexstar Adding Stations In CA, VT". TVNewsCheck. November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  3. ^ "Nexstar Closes on Three Calif. Stations". 19 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Acquisition of Tribune Media Company" (PDF). Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018.
  5. ^ Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Buying Tribune Media For $6.4 Billion". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  6. ^ Peter White; Dade Hayes (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Confirms $4.1B Tribune Media Acquisition To Become Leading Local TV Station Owner". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
  7. ^ Gerry Smith; Nabila Ahmed; Eric Newcomer (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy WGN owner Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Bloomberg News.
  8. ^ Arjun Panchadar; Sonam Rai (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Reuters.
  9. ^ Jon Lafayette (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
  10. ^ Adam Jacobson (December 3, 2018). "It's Official: Nexstar Takes Tribune In Billion-Dollar Stock Deal". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc.
  11. ^ Harry A. Jessell; Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar To Spin Off $1B In Stations". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  12. ^ "Nexstar Media Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Tribune Media Company for $6.4 Billion in Accretive Transaction Creating the Nation's Largest Local Television Broadcaster and Local Media Company". Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  13. ^ "Nexstar Media Group Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Acquire Tribune Media Company". Tribune Media. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  14. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KKEY-LP

External links

Television stations in the greater Bakersfield area (Southern Kern River Region)
Spanish-language television stations by affiliation in the state of California
Nexstar Media Group
Categories