KVCW

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KVCW
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = The CW Las Vegas
analog = 33 (UHF)
digital = 29 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = The CW
network =
founded =
airdate = August 1, 1989
location = Las Vegas, Nevada
callsign_meaning = Vegas CW
former_callsigns = KFBT (1989-2006)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
licensee = Channel 33, Inc.
sister_stations = KVMY
former_affiliations = independent (1989-1995)
The WB (1995-1998)
independent (1998-2006)
The WB (2006)
effective_radiated_power = 1350 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 581 m (analog)
382.9 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 10195
coordinates = coord|35|56|45|N|115|2|38.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|36|0|27|N|115|0|27.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.thecwlasvegas.tv/ www.thecwlasvegas.tv]

KVCW is a full-service television station in Las Vegas, Nevada, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 33 and in digital on UHF channel 29 as an affiliate of The CW Television Network (The CW). Founded April 22 1987, it is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

History

On April 22 1987, the FCC issued an original construction permit to 4-A Communications to build a new full-service television station on UHF channel 33 to serve the Las Vegas market. 4-A Communications, owned by Lawrence and Teri DePaulis, became Channel 33, Inc., in August 1987; Channel 33, Inc., has been the licensee since. The station, known as KFBT, went on air on July 30 1989 under Program Test Authority, and was licensed a month later. On July 20 1990, a family ownership group headed by Daniel Koker purchased Channel 33, Inc. Under the Kokers, KFBT was an independent station with a firmly local flavor, and soon garnered much acclaim with features such as the scary B-movie night "Saturday Fright at the Movies," hosted by Count Cool Rider, which aired at 10:00 PM. Count Cool Rider was actually Danny Koker, one of the station's owners, who has since gone on to become a respected builder of custom motorcycles. [cite web| url=http://www.rideontv.com/episodes/2005Season/10010/count.html| title=Danny Koker Feature - 2005| work=Corbin's RideOn| author=K. Fudge| accessdate=2007-04-28] The station primarily broadcast older programming during this era, as well as pro wrestling, most notably World Class Championship Wrestling and the NWA.

KFBT became an affiliate of The WB Television Network at the network's launch in 1995 and remained a WB affiliate while owned by the Koker family. On December 18 1997, the Koker family sold Channel 33, Inc. to Montecito Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), with the sale consummated February 3 1998. The same day MBC consummated their purchase of KFBT, they entered into an agreement to be acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group and executed a local marketing agreement allowing Sinclair to operate KFBT until the transaction was completed. [cite web| url=http://www.secinfo.com/duWyh.75m.b.htm| title=Sinclair/MBC Stock Purchase Agreement| date=1998-03-18| accessdate=2007-04-28] On March 1 1998, Sinclair moved the WB affiliation to KUPN channel 21 (soon to be renamed KVWB, now KVMY), and KFBT returned to being independent. The station re-branded to "Gold 33" and began showing mainly newer syndicated programming. Sinclair completed its purchase of MBC and Channel 33, Inc. in February 2000, and KFBT became part of a Sinclair duopoly in Las Vegas.

Starting in 2003, KFBT and KVWB began a news department, part of Sinclair's "News Central" operation, with KFBT's newscast airing at 7:00 PM. The News Central concept was unsuccessful, however, and the news department was shut down in March 2006.

More changes in affiliation would follow. In January 2006, UPN and The WB announced that they would both cease operations in September, being replaced by a new network, called The CW. In February, Fox Broadcasting Company announced that it would launch its own network, called MyNetworkTV. Sinclair chose to affiliate KVWB with MyNetworkTV, leaving The CW to affiliate with either low-power KTUD-CA, the UPN affiliate, or KFBT. Sinclair began negotiations with The CW to affiliate KFBT, and in April, when KTUD decided to go independent instead of pursuing a CW affiliationcite news |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Apr-26-Wed-2006/living/7046892.html |title=Second local affiliate rejects new CW |work=Las Vegas Review-Journal |author=K. White |date=2006-04-26 |accessdate=2007-04-13] , KFBT was virtually assured the CW affiliation. An agreement was announced on May 2 2006 and KFBT changed its call letters to KVCW on June 19 2006, reflecting the new network affiliation. MyNetworkTV launched two weeks before The CW, so when KVMY dropped WB programming in order to air its new network, KVCW rejoined The WB for the network's last two weeks, then switched to The CW in late September.

On December 18 2006, KVCW began airing a newscast again. Called "News 3 at 10 on the CW Las Vegas", it is produced by KVBC, the local NBC affiliate.

Digital television

When the FCC released its initial DTV allocations on April 21 1997, it had assigned UHF channel 32 to KFBT-DT as its digital companion channel. [cite web| url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Orders/1997/fc97115a.pdf| title=DTV Allocation Table, Sixth Report and Order| publisher=Federal Communications Commission| page=p. 34| date=1997-04-21| accessdate=2007-04-28| format=PDF] The allocations met with considerable resistance from low-power broadcasters who would be displaced by the DTV allocations, and on February 17 1998, the FCC issued a revised final DTV allocations table. [cite web| url=http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/1998/et8002a.pdf| title=Final DTV Allocation Table, MO&O for Recon. of Sixth R&O| publisher=Federal Communications Commission| page=p. 27| date=1998-02-17| accessdate=2007-04-28| format=PDF] KFBT's original allocation would have displaced LPTV station K31DO (now KNBX-CA), so the FCC substituted UHF channel 29, allowing channel 32 to be assigned to Lake Havasu City, Arizona station KMCC-DT and eliminating a displacement there. KFBT was granted a permit to construct its digital facilities on January 26 2001. Technical difficulties delayed construction of the full-power facilities, requiring extensions of the construction permit, [cite web| url=http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=86743| title=Construction permit extension request| publisher=Federal Communications Commission| date=2007-08-30| accessdate=2007-04-28] and on November 8 2002, KFBT was granted Special Temporary Authority (STA) to construct a low-power facility in order to comply with the FCC deadline for commencing digital broadcasting while the full-power facilities were still being built. The station, now known as KVCW-DT, completed construction of its full-power digital facilities in January 2007, and was granted a license on March 8 2007.

In 2006, the FCC required each station with a digital companion channel to select which station it would continue to use after the end of the transition period. KVCW-DT has selected channel 29 as its final digital channel and will return the channel 33 license to the FCC. Televisions will still tune to KVCW on channel 33 per the ATSC virtual channel standards.

External links

* [http://www.thecwlasvegas.tv/ Official Website]
*TVQ|KVCW
*BIA|KVCW|TV|TV

References