Univision affiliate in El Centro, California
KVYE (channel 7) is a television station licensed to El Centro, California, United States, serving the Yuma, Arizona–El Centro, California market as an affiliate of the Spanish-language network Univision. It is owned by Entravision Communications, which provides certain services to Calipatria, California–licensed UniMás affiliate KAJB (channel 54) under a joint sales agreement (JSA) with Calipatria Broadcasting Company. The two stations share studios on North Imperial Avenue in El Centro; KVYE's transmitter is located atop Black Mountain.[2]
History
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted an original construction permit on August 3, 1989, to build a television station licensed in El Centro.[3] Before its license grant, the permit was extended four times[4][5][6][7] and modified twice.[8][9] On March 23, 1994, the FCC canceled the permit, but restored it five days later.[10]
The station made its debut in June 1996; however, the station maintained its construction permit status.[11][12]
On March 15, 1998, Entravision Communications (which operated KVYE under a local marketing agreement) bought station licensee La Paz Wireless Corporation for $700.000.[13] Entravision obtained the initial license for the station on November 26, 1999.[14]
On November 8, 2002, the FCC granted a permit to construct the station's digital facilities (requested in 1999).[15] The station completed construction of its full-power digital facilities in June 2007, and was granted a license on January 29, 2010.[16]
In February 2017, KVYE began to carry Azteca América on 7.2; prior to this affiliation, Azteca América was seen in the market solely through carriage of the network's national feed on Time Warner Cable.[17]
On March 12, 2018, the digital multicast networks Comet and Charge! began broadcasting on digital subchannels 7.3 and 7.4, respectively.
In 2019, KVYE added a fifth digital subchannel, affiliated with Court TV.
On December 31, 2022, Azteca América ceased operations. TV Azteca content in the U.S. thusly moved to Estrella TV, seen in the market on a subchannel of KYMA.
News operation
KVYE presently broadcasts five hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with one hour each weekday); the station does not carry newscasts on Saturdays or Sundays.
The newscast debuted on January 26, 2015.[18]
