KCDO
Encyclopedia
KCDO-TV, channel 3, is a full-service television station licensed to Sterling, Colorado
, broadcasting on UHF
channel 23 as an independent station. First going to air on December 28, 1963, the station is owned by Newsweb Corporation
, operating under the name Channel 3 TV Company LLC.
KCDO is carried by Comcast in Denver
and cities in Northern Colorado.
with the call sign KDZA-TV, which operated in 1955. The station was a DuMont
affiliate, co-owned with KDZA radio (1230 AM, now KKPC
), and getting its signal from Denver via microwave, employing a relay tranmitter located in Black Forest
. After only a few months, KDZA's Black Forest relay transmitter was destroyed in a wind storm, forcing the station to shut down due to lack of resources to replace the transmitter or to provide local programming. Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation, owner of rival KCSJ-TV channel 5 (now KOAA-TV
), bought the license and moved it to Sterling. A short time later, the station was sold to the McCracken family, owners of CBS
affiliate KFBC-TV channel 5 (now KGWN-TV
) in Cheyenne, Wyoming
, which returned channel 3 to the air in late 1963 as KTVS, a satellite of KFBC.
In September 1999, Newsweb Corporation, operating under the name Channel 20 TV Company (CTTC), acquired KTVS from Benedek Broadcasting
, then-owners of KGWN, with the intent of making KTVS a satellite of KTVD
(Channel 20 TV Company is named for KTVD's channel number). It became one of very few U.S. satellite television stations which was older than its primary station, which signed on in 1988. On January 8, 2002, CTTC changed the station's call sign to KUPN, to reflect the UPN
affiliation held by the primary station at the time. CTTC sold KTVD to Gannett in June 2006, but retained ownership of KUPN, making it an America One
affiliate.
On July 21, 2008, CTTC once again changed the station's call sign to KCDO. To increase its viewer audience, the station applied to build a new transmitter southwest of Fort Morgan, Colorado
. The new location and increased transmitter power added most of the Denver
metro area as well as Fort Collins
, Greeley
, Longmont
and Loveland
to the station's service area. Construction on the new tower was completed in January 2010.
On December 31, 2008, Dish Network
added KCDO to its line-up for subscribers in the Denver market. DirecTV
also added the channel on January 28, 2009.
KCDO switched to the Retro Television Network
in 2009. The network was previously seen in Denver on KQDK-CA
, before RTV severed its ties with Equity Media Holdings. For a time, the station also simulcast Northern Colorado 5 News from the second digital subchannel of KGWN-TV; this newscast is co-produced by KGWN and Independent News Network
.
KCDO ended its affiliation with RTV in favor of more locally-produced programming on November 1, 2010.
on channel 23 and the other is located in Sidney, NE
on channel 34.
KCDO programming can also be be viewed on K39KL-D in Akron, CO
, K22JL-D in Peetz, CO
and KLPD-LD
(subchannel 28.3) in Denver.
Sterling, Colorado
The City of Sterling is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Logan County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 14,777 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sterling is located at...
, broadcasting on UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
channel 23 as an independent station. First going to air on December 28, 1963, the station is owned by Newsweb Corporation
Newsweb Corporation
Newsweb Corporation is a publisher of ethnic and alternative newspapers in the United States, based in Chicago, Illinois. The company also owns several radio stations in the Chicago area and a television station in Sterling, Colorado....
, operating under the name Channel 3 TV Company LLC.
KCDO is carried by Comcast in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and cities in Northern Colorado.
History
The original channel 3 was assigned to Pueblo, ColoradoPueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
with the call sign KDZA-TV, which operated in 1955. The station was a DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
affiliate, co-owned with KDZA radio (1230 AM, now KKPC
KKPC
KKPC is a radio station licensed to Pueblo, Colorado. The station is owned by Colorado Public Radio , and airs CPR's "Colorado News" network, originating from KCFR-FM in Denver, Colorado.- Programming :...
), and getting its signal from Denver via microwave, employing a relay tranmitter located in Black Forest
Black Forest, Colorado
Black Forest is a census-designated place near Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. The population was 13,116 at the 2010 census. Black Forest is named such for the high density of Ponderosa Pines located in a generally small area...
. After only a few months, KDZA's Black Forest relay transmitter was destroyed in a wind storm, forcing the station to shut down due to lack of resources to replace the transmitter or to provide local programming. Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation, owner of rival KCSJ-TV channel 5 (now KOAA-TV
KOAA-TV
KOAA-TV, virtual channel 5 , is the NBC affiliate television station for southern Colorado. It is licensed to Pueblo, and broadcasts on digital channel 42 . It also operates a digital translator, K30JM-D channel 30, in Colorado Springs. The station has staff and offices in both Pueblo and Colorado...
), bought the license and moved it to Sterling. A short time later, the station was sold to the McCracken family, owners of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate KFBC-TV channel 5 (now KGWN-TV
KGWN-TV
KGWN-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for Cheyenne, Wyoming. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 30 from a transmitter in unincorporated Laramie County, west of Cheyenne, between I-80/US 30 and WYO 225. The station can also be seen on Bresnan Communications...
) in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
, which returned channel 3 to the air in late 1963 as KTVS, a satellite of KFBC.
In September 1999, Newsweb Corporation, operating under the name Channel 20 TV Company (CTTC), acquired KTVS from Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting is a former television broadcaster, who owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A...
, then-owners of KGWN, with the intent of making KTVS a satellite of KTVD
KTVD
KTVD, virtual channel 20 is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station based in Denver, Colorado, and is owned by the Gannett Company. The station is a sister to KUSA, Denver's NBC affiliate and is housed and operated out of KUSA's high definition studios...
(Channel 20 TV Company is named for KTVD's channel number). It became one of very few U.S. satellite television stations which was older than its primary station, which signed on in 1988. On January 8, 2002, CTTC changed the station's call sign to KUPN, to reflect the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
affiliation held by the primary station at the time. CTTC sold KTVD to Gannett in June 2006, but retained ownership of KUPN, making it an America One
America One
America One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...
affiliate.
On July 21, 2008, CTTC once again changed the station's call sign to KCDO. To increase its viewer audience, the station applied to build a new transmitter southwest of Fort Morgan, Colorado
Fort Morgan, Colorado
The City of Fort Morgan is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Morgan County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 10,844 in 2005.-History:...
. The new location and increased transmitter power added most of the Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
metro area as well as Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, Greeley
Greeley, Colorado
The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the...
, Longmont
Longmont, Colorado
Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H....
and Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
to the station's service area. Construction on the new tower was completed in January 2010.
On December 31, 2008, Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
added KCDO to its line-up for subscribers in the Denver market. DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
also added the channel on January 28, 2009.
KCDO switched to the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
in 2009. The network was previously seen in Denver on KQDK-CA
KQDK-CA
KQDK-CA, channel 39, is a low-power television station in Aurora, Colorado, serving as a satellite of KQCK. Founded October 30, 1990, the station is currently owned by Fusion Communications...
, before RTV severed its ties with Equity Media Holdings. For a time, the station also simulcast Northern Colorado 5 News from the second digital subchannel of KGWN-TV; this newscast is co-produced by KGWN and Independent News Network
Independent News Network
For the consortium of non-profit investigative news organizations, see .The Independent News Network, also known as INN, is a television news service based in Davenport, Iowa. It syndicates "localized" news programs for television stations across the country with little budget for news...
.
KCDO ended its affiliation with RTV in favor of more locally-produced programming on November 1, 2010.
Translators
KCDO operates two digital fill-in translators. One translator is located in Kimball, NEKimball, Nebraska
Kimball is a city in Kimball County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,559 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kimball County.-Geography:Kimball is located at , in the southwestern Panhandle....
on channel 23 and the other is located in Sidney, NE
Sidney, Nebraska
Sidney is a city in Cheyenne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cheyenne County.-History:The city was named for Sidney Dillon, a railroad attorney...
on channel 34.
KCDO programming can also be be viewed on K39KL-D in Akron, CO
Akron, Colorado
The Town of Akron is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Washington County, in the U.S. State of Colorado. The town population was 1,702 at the U.S. Census 2010.- Geography :...
, K22JL-D in Peetz, CO
Peetz, Colorado
Peetz is a Statutory Town in Logan County, Colorado, United States. The population was 227 at the 2000 census. Peetz is home to the RE-5 School District and...
and KLPD-LD
KLPD-LD
KLPD-LD, channel 28, is a low-power digital television station in Denver, Colorado....
(subchannel 28.3) in Denver.