KCWQ-LP
Encyclopedia
KCWQ-LP is the low-powered CW-affiliated television station
for the Coachella Valley
that is licensed to Palm Springs
. It broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 2 and a digital signal (KCWQ-LD) on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City
and I-10
. Owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company
, the station is sister to ABC
affiliate KESQ-TV
, Class A
Fox affiliate KDFX-CA
, and low-powered Telemundo
affiliate KUNA-LP/LD
. All four stations share studios on Melanie Place in Palm Desert
. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable
channel 5 hence the Palm Springs CW 5 branding.
Due to its low-powered status, KCWQ did not originally operate a digital signal of its own. However, there is one provided on KESQ's eighth digital subchannel that is identified on-air via PSIP as 2.3. This is unlike most subchannels that officially identify with a physical digital channel. With the switch to digital-only broadcasting on June 12, 2009, KCWQ had a construction permit to build a low-powered digital signal of its own. Originally, the station was a WB affiliate as part of the cable-only WB 100+
operation. As such, it used the "KCWB" call sign in a fictional manner.
KCWQ airs the nationally syndicated
morning show The Daily Buzz
on weekday mornings from 6 to 9. The station gets all of its programming from The CW Plus which is a similar operation to The WB 100+.
.
Interestingly, The CW is half owned by the cable system's parent company, Time Warner
. Thus, by blocking cable carriage for the network in this market
, the company was ostensibly hurting itself. Without an agreement in place, News-Press & Gazette was suggesting cable subscribers wishing to watch The CW use an over-the-air antenna
and tune to VHF channel 2. The company also pointed out that the channel is available on Dish Network
. Instead of KCWQ and The CW, Time Warner Cable substituted Classic Arts Showcase
on channel 5. In the early days of the dispute, Time Warner also ran a ticker that explained the problem:
In April 2007, News-Press & Gazette and Time Warner reached an agreement that would finally add KCWQ to the cable line-up on channel 5 effective 12:01 in the morning on April 21.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
for the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
that is licensed to Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. It broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 2 and a digital signal (KCWQ-LD) on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City
Cathedral City, California
Cathedral City is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 51,200 at the 2010 census. Sandwiched between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, it is one of the cities in the Coachella Valley of southern California...
and I-10
Interstate 10 in California
Interstate 10 , the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs in the U.S. state of California east from Santa Monica, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona...
. Owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company
News-Press & Gazette Company
The News Press & Gazette Company is a media company based in St. Joseph, Missouri, wholly owned and operated by the Bradley family. It is presided by Brian Bradley and David R. Bradley, with Hank Bradley , Eric Bradley and Kit Bradley serving on its Board of Directors. All are descendants of...
, the station is sister to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate KESQ-TV
KESQ-TV
KESQ-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Coachella Valley of California licensed to Palm Springs. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and I-10...
, Class A
Class A television service
The class A television service is a system for regulating some low-power television stations in the United States. Class A stations are denoted by the broadcast callsign suffix "-CA" or "-CD" , although very many analog -CA stations have a digital companion channel that was assigned the -LD...
Fox affiliate KDFX-CA
KDFX-CA
KDFX-CA is the Class A Fox-affiliated television station for the Coachella Valley licensed to Indio and Palm Springs, California. It broadcasts an analog signal on UHF channel 33 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and I-10...
, and low-powered Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
affiliate KUNA-LP/LD
KUNA-LP
KUNA-LP, channel 15, is a Telemundo affiliate in the Coachella Valley area of California that includes Indio and Palm Springs.KUNA-LP signed on the air originally as K15EI on May 15, 1996 and then switched call letters to KUNA-LP on March 31, 2003. KUNA-LP airs local news,Telemundo programming, and...
. All four stations share studios on Melanie Place in Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
channel 5 hence the Palm Springs CW 5 branding.
Due to its low-powered status, KCWQ did not originally operate a digital signal of its own. However, there is one provided on KESQ's eighth digital subchannel that is identified on-air via PSIP as 2.3. This is unlike most subchannels that officially identify with a physical digital channel. With the switch to digital-only broadcasting on June 12, 2009, KCWQ had a construction permit to build a low-powered digital signal of its own. Originally, the station was a WB affiliate as part of the cable-only WB 100+
The WB 100+ Station Group
The WB 100+ Station Group was a group of primarily non-broadcast local cable television outlets for The WB Television Network, for markets below the top 100 television media markets in the United States. Dayparts with no WB programming were programmed by the network...
operation. As such, it used the "KCWB" call sign in a fictional manner.
KCWQ airs the nationally syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
morning show The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
on weekday mornings from 6 to 9. The station gets all of its programming from The CW Plus which is a similar operation to The WB 100+.
Carriage issues
Between The CW launch on September 18, 2006 and April 21, 2007, KCWQ (and the network) was not available to Time Warner Cable systems in the Coachella Valley due to a carriage dispute. As the station was launched over-the-air, the News-Press & Gazette Company explained that they had requested the station be assigned KCWB's cable designation (channel 5) and came to several agreements to that effect with the local Time Warner Cable office. They were then all successively vetoed by the cable company's head office in Stamford, ConnecticutStamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
Interestingly, The CW is half owned by the cable system's parent company, Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
. Thus, by blocking cable carriage for the network in this market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
, the company was ostensibly hurting itself. Without an agreement in place, News-Press & Gazette was suggesting cable subscribers wishing to watch The CW use an over-the-air antenna
Television antenna
A television antenna, or TV aerial, is an antenna specifically designed for the reception of over the air broadcast television signals, which are transmitted at frequencies from about 41 to 250 MHz in the VHF band, and 470 to 960 MHz in the UHF band in different countries...
and tune to VHF channel 2. The company also pointed out that the channel is available on 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...
. Instead of KCWQ and The CW, Time Warner Cable substituted Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase
Classic Arts Showcase is a television channel in the United States promoting the fine arts. The television program content includes prepared media and recorded live performances...
on channel 5. In the early days of the dispute, Time Warner also ran a ticker that explained the problem:
- The CW Network is not available at this time. Despite continued talks, we have not been able to reach an agreement for carriage of this network. We will continue to negotiate and remain hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.
In April 2007, News-Press & Gazette and Time Warner reached an agreement that would finally add KCWQ to the cable line-up on channel 5 effective 12:01 in the morning on April 21.