KFOX-TV
Encyclopedia
KFOX-TV is a Fox
affiliated television station based in El Paso, Texas
. It broadcasts its digital signal on channel 15. It is owned by Cox Enterprises
. Its transmitter is located in El Paso
and it is also aired on cable channel 8 and HD channel 870.
The station debuted on the air in August 1979 as KCIK-TV, a non-profit Christian programming outlet. KCIK was El Paso's first UHF television station, and was founded by the late Pete E. Meryl Warren III, who subsequently started KJLF-TV (now KTFN
) channel 65 in 1991. It was sold to new owners in 1982, and switched to commercial independent programming (while still airing some religious programming). By 1987 KCIK became a Fox network affiliate, and remains so to this day.
Pete Warren and Alex Blomerth had been involved in a church outreach using a leased cable TV channel 8. In 1979 they signed on over the air channel 14 using the studios and facilities of the cable channel. The studios were in an old church building at 3100 North Stanton Street.
The station signed on from an existing tower on a peak of the Franklin Mountains north of Comanche Peak (channel 4) and Ranger Peak (channel 9) that had been built in the early seventies for a planned expansion of channel 13 (then KELP-TV now KVIA-TV) but never used. The site was very high, in fact the highest in Texas at 6,880 feet above sea level but had no road access. A tramway was installed. KELP-TV and the unbuilt KCOS (TV) were to use the new site, as were some FM stations. TV didn't use the site. The local Two way radio jobber began to use the site for radio repeaters. KCIK-TV moved to the site in 1979 using a transmitter than had been used on a channel 30 station in Puerto Rico.
In August 1996 Cox acquired what had become KFOX-TV, and turned it into a major player in the El Paso TV market. KFOX was supposed to become an affiliate of the Retro Television Network
on a digital subchannel, starting in late 2008. After a delay, for unknown reasons, KFOX launched RTN on its digital subchannel on January 15, 2009.
On June 12, 2009, at midnight MDT
, KFOX-TV ceased analog programming, due to the mandated analog television shutdown and digital conversion. However, the station is participating in the analog nightlight service on its analog channel 14, informing viewers of their options and how to make the transition. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 15. Through the use of PSIP
, digital television receivers display KFOX-TV's virtual channel
as 14.
WOFL
in Orlando, Florida
is the only other Fox station in the country whose news operation does not include a sports department.
KFOX-TV is proud to be the first local TV station to transmit Digital television (DTV), which you can view if you have a Digital TV receiver. Digital television allows for a significantly improved viewing experience, which includes higher resolution picture, CD quality sound and the expanded the Newscast to 16:9 aspect ratio screen image.
KFOX Severe Weather Team
Reporters
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliated television station based in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. It broadcasts its digital signal on channel 15. It is owned by Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920...
. Its transmitter is located in El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
and it is also aired on cable channel 8 and HD channel 870.
History
KTFN
KTFN is a Spanish-language television station in El Paso, Texas, broadcasting locally on digital channel 51 as a TeleFutura affiliate. KTFN is owned by Entravision, and is a sister-station to KINT-TV. The station is also aired on Time Warner Cable channel 5.-History:KTFN signed on in 1991 as...
) channel 65 in 1991. It was sold to new owners in 1982, and switched to commercial independent programming (while still airing some religious programming). By 1987 KCIK became a Fox network affiliate, and remains so to this day.
Pete Warren and Alex Blomerth had been involved in a church outreach using a leased cable TV channel 8. In 1979 they signed on over the air channel 14 using the studios and facilities of the cable channel. The studios were in an old church building at 3100 North Stanton Street.
The station signed on from an existing tower on a peak of the Franklin Mountains north of Comanche Peak (channel 4) and Ranger Peak (channel 9) that had been built in the early seventies for a planned expansion of channel 13 (then KELP-TV now KVIA-TV) but never used. The site was very high, in fact the highest in Texas at 6,880 feet above sea level but had no road access. A tramway was installed. KELP-TV and the unbuilt KCOS (TV) were to use the new site, as were some FM stations. TV didn't use the site. The local Two way radio jobber began to use the site for radio repeaters. KCIK-TV moved to the site in 1979 using a transmitter than had been used on a channel 30 station in Puerto Rico.
In August 1996 Cox acquired what had become KFOX-TV, and turned it into a major player in the El Paso TV market. KFOX was supposed to become an affiliate of 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...
on a digital subchannel, starting in late 2008. After a delay, for unknown reasons, KFOX launched RTN on its digital subchannel on January 15, 2009.
Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:| Subchannel | Programming |
|---|---|
| 14.1 | Main KFOX-TV programming / FOX |
| 14.2 | RTV 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... |
Analog-to-digital conversion
On Thursday May 21, 2009, at 6:25 a.m., 12:25 p.m. and 6:25 p.m., KFOX's analog signal was shut off for 2 minutes for a DTV test.On June 12, 2009, at midnight MDT
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
, KFOX-TV ceased analog programming, due to the mandated analog television shutdown and digital conversion. However, the station is participating in the analog nightlight service on its analog channel 14, informing viewers of their options and how to make the transition. The station remained on its pre-transition channel 15. Through the use of PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display KFOX-TV's virtual channel
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
as 14.
News operation
In September 1997, KFOX debuted El Paso's first prime time newscast, KFOX News at Nine. Since then the station has won nearly 300 awards for journalistic excellence, including Emmy's, Edward R. Murrow's and Katie Awards. In January 2004, KFOX launched its three-hour morning newscast, The KFOX Morning News. Additionally, on October 8, 2008, KFOX launched a 6 p.m. newscast. The station is unusual among Fox stations as it has no sports department; Fox owned-and-operated stationOwned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
WOFL
WOFL
WOFL, channel 35, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station serving the Orlando, Florida metropolitan area. It is licensed to Orlando, with studios located in Lake Mary. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22. On cable, WOFL-TV is currently seen on channel 3 for subscribers of...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
is the only other Fox station in the country whose news operation does not include a sports department.
KFOX-TV is proud to be the first local TV station to transmit Digital television (DTV), which you can view if you have a Digital TV receiver. Digital television allows for a significantly improved viewing experience, which includes higher resolution picture, CD quality sound and the expanded the Newscast to 16:9 aspect ratio screen image.
Newscast titles
- FOX News (1997-1999)
- KFOX News (1999-2008)
- KFOX 14 News (2008-present)
Station slogans
- Good for you! (1982-1987)
- See the Difference (1997-2007)
- Coverage You Can Count On (2007-present)
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Stephanie Guadian - weekday mornings "KFOX Morning News" (5-8 a.m.)
- John Purvis - weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m.
- Bill Young - weekday mornings "KFOX Morning News" (5-8 a.m.)
KFOX Severe Weather Team
- Sandra Diaz (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Seal of Approval; NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
Member) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m. - Brad Montgomery - Weather Anchor; weekday mornings "KFOX Morning News" (6-9 a.m.)
- Joshua Zuber Weekend Weather Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
Reporters
- Martina Valverde - General assignment reporter
- Kandolite Flores - Traffic Anchor /Reporter
- Lauren Rozyla - General Assignment Reporter/Weekend Anchor
- Jacob Rascon - General Assigment Reporter
- Ric Dupont - Gerneral Assigment Reporter
- Natalie Tripp - Morning News Reporter
- Samantha Manning - Las Cruces Bureau Reporter
Former on-air staff
- Israel Balderas (now at WCCB/FOX Charlotte)
- Phil Anaya
- Miri Marshall
- Dena Richardson
- Hema Mullur (now at KDVR/FOX31 in Denver)