KNAZ-TV
Encyclopedia
KNAZ-TV is a full-power television station serving Flagstaff, Arizona
and surrounding areas. It is a satellite station of NBC
affiliate KPNX
in Phoenix
, and is owned by Gannett. KNAZ-TV broadcasts over-the-air in digital
on UHF
channel 22, and is carried on the local cable TV system. It is the only full-power television station in northern Arizona that broadcasts programming from a major English-language television network
, but as a full satellite station, it originates no programming. As of 2009, the station no longer broadcasts 'on-the-air'. Programming has been consolidated with Channel 12 in Phoenix.
in the 1950s, had founded a station in Ensign, Kansas
, and was a founder of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters
in 1951. Elliott died in 1974, and control of the station passed to a group headed by his son, Wendell Elliott, Jr. During the early 1970's, the station operated with what was called a "dirty feed," where the station received the on-air signal from the Phoenix NBC station and had to cover up any of their local commercials, news or other content with KOAI content. Programming included a daily live one hour program immediately following the Today show, evening "rip and read" news casts with a single talent and locked-down cameras, plus a weekly program of news from the Navajo nation, spoken in Navajo. Little more is known about the early operations of the station, but Northern Arizona University
maintains an archive of KOAI-TV material from 1975 and later. The group headed by the younger Elliott sold the station to Capitol Broadcasting Company (not related to Raleigh, North Carolina
-based Capitol Broadcasting) in January 1981 and shortly afterward, the station adopted the call letters KNAZ-TV, which had been briefly used at what is now KAZT-TV
in Prescott
. Also in 1981, KNAZ maximized its signal strength to the full 100 kW allowed for a low-band VHF station.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a succession of sales and transfers of control involving KNAZ-TV. In 1984, the station was transferred from Capitol Broadcasting Company to Standard Life Insurance Company, then to Grand Canyon Television in 1988. Grand Canyon Television was placed into receivership in 1991, then transferred to W.A. Franke in 1992. Finally, in May 1997, Multimedia, Inc., a subsidiary of Gannett, acquired KNAZ-TV from Grand Canyon Television, along with KMOH-TV
of Kingman
. Already an NBC
affiliate, KNAZ was made a partial satellite station of KPNX.
In the late 1980s, the station produced three newscasts a day at 5:00 (branded as "News at Five"), 6:00 and 10:00 (branded as "News 2 Nite"), as well as "Northland Outlook," a local community affairs talk show and "From the Bleachers," a Sunday evening sports wrap-up show featuring local high school and college sports. Shortly after the station was placed into receivership, all in-house production, except for local newscasts, was cancelled.
In December 2005, Gannett announced its intention to sell KNAZ, but as of September 2008, no suitable buyer had surfaced. KNAZ ceased production of local newscasts and became a full satellite of KPNX on August 15, 2008, citing inadequate advertising revenues and a lack of satellite carriage as factors in the decision. A Flagstaff bureau was established to cover Northern Arizona news.
or any other service as a digital subchannel. Its only digital signal is a simulcast of the analog programming.
Before becoming a full satellite, the station had simulcast the 6:00 am, 4:30 pm, and 5:00 pm weekday news and all of the weekend news from KPNX, and broadcast the same network and syndicated programming as KPNX, but aired its own local commercials, retained a separate news staff and produced its own weekday newscasts at 6:30 am, 6:00 pm, and 10:00 pm. KNAZ had produced its own weekend news, but ended it as part of cost-cutting intended to make the station more attractive to a buyer. There was significant cooperation and sharing of news staff among KNAZ and KPNX. Often, KNAZ acted as a Northern Arizona news bureau for KPNX, as KNAZ reporters would also file reports for KPNX using its logo. Some KPNX personnel, especially those in weather and sports, also filed reports for KNAZ, and KNAZ staff often filled in for KPNX staff when they were absent.
KNAZ had originally intended to move its digital broadcasts to VHF channel 2 on a date after the end of digital transition, using transmitter equipment currently in use by another commonly-owned station in another city. This would have made the station one of a small few to return to a low-VHF
channel after digital transition.
This plan has currently been abandoned as the existing channel 2 antenna had sustained ice storm damage which had left it in a condition (according to an April 2008 inspection) in which both arcing and repeated automatic transmitter shutdown (due to signal power being reflected back into the transmitter) had left the channel 2 facility in a state where it could not operate at full power. A crack in the antenna's mast was noted; the electrical condition of the channel 2 antenna is continuing to degrade and by July 2008, the VHF 2 signal was operating at 30% of licensed power. The channel 2 antenna failed completely on April 16, 2009, forcing KNAZ's analog signal to go dark permanently.
KNAZ was therefore forced to request that the FCC allow it to remain on channel 22 as its DTV channel.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County...
and surrounding areas. It is a satellite station of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate KPNX
KPNX
KPNX is a full-service television station serving the Phoenix, Arizona television market as the NBC affiliate. Its studios and offices are located in Phoenix and its transmitter is on South Mountain in Phoenix but it is licensed to the suburb of Mesa. It is owned by the Gannett Company which also...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, and is owned by Gannett. KNAZ-TV broadcasts over-the-air in digital
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
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 22, and is carried on the local cable TV system. It is the only full-power television station in northern Arizona that broadcasts programming from a major English-language television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, but as a full satellite station, it originates no programming. As of 2009, the station no longer broadcasts 'on-the-air'. Programming has been consolidated with Channel 12 in Phoenix.
History
The station was founded by Wendell Elliott, Sr. as KOAI-TV and began operations on May 2, 1970. Elliott had managed a television station in Dodge City, KansasDodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
in the 1950s, had founded a station in Ensign, Kansas
Ensign, Kansas
Ensign is a city in Gray County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 187.-Geography:Ensign is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, and was a founder of the Kansas Association of Broadcasters
Kansas Association of Broadcasters
The Kansas Association of Broadcasters is a group supporting broadcasters in Kansas, United States, primarily through lobbying and coordination.-Mission:...
in 1951. Elliott died in 1974, and control of the station passed to a group headed by his son, Wendell Elliott, Jr. During the early 1970's, the station operated with what was called a "dirty feed," where the station received the on-air signal from the Phoenix NBC station and had to cover up any of their local commercials, news or other content with KOAI content. Programming included a daily live one hour program immediately following the Today show, evening "rip and read" news casts with a single talent and locked-down cameras, plus a weekly program of news from the Navajo nation, spoken in Navajo. Little more is known about the early operations of the station, but Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
maintains an archive of KOAI-TV material from 1975 and later. The group headed by the younger Elliott sold the station to Capitol Broadcasting Company (not related to Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
-based Capitol Broadcasting) in January 1981 and shortly afterward, the station adopted the call letters KNAZ-TV, which had been briefly used at what is now KAZT-TV
KAZT-TV
KAZT-TV is an independent television station in Prescott, Arizona, broadcasting locally in digital on VHF channel 7 from its transmitter located atop Mingus Mountain northeast of Prescott. Its analog signal is simulcast across central and northern Arizona through a translator system, and its...
in Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
. Also in 1981, KNAZ maximized its signal strength to the full 100 kW allowed for a low-band VHF station.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a succession of sales and transfers of control involving KNAZ-TV. In 1984, the station was transferred from Capitol Broadcasting Company to Standard Life Insurance Company, then to Grand Canyon Television in 1988. Grand Canyon Television was placed into receivership in 1991, then transferred to W.A. Franke in 1992. Finally, in May 1997, Multimedia, Inc., a subsidiary of Gannett, acquired KNAZ-TV from Grand Canyon Television, along with KMOH-TV
KMOH-TV
KMOH-TV is a full-service television station in Kingman, Arizona, providing over-the-air service to Kingman, Bullhead City/Laughlin, and surrounding Mohave County. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 19 from its transmitter on Black Mountain near Oatman...
of Kingman
Kingman, Arizona
Kingman is located in a desert climate on the edge of the Mojave Desert, but its higher elevation and location between the Colorado Plateau and the Lower Colorado River Valley tempers summer high temperatures and contributes to winter cold and rare snowfall. Summer daytime highs reach above 90 °F ...
. Already an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate, KNAZ was made a partial satellite station of KPNX.
In the late 1980s, the station produced three newscasts a day at 5:00 (branded as "News at Five"), 6:00 and 10:00 (branded as "News 2 Nite"), as well as "Northland Outlook," a local community affairs talk show and "From the Bleachers," a Sunday evening sports wrap-up show featuring local high school and college sports. Shortly after the station was placed into receivership, all in-house production, except for local newscasts, was cancelled.
In December 2005, Gannett announced its intention to sell KNAZ, but as of September 2008, no suitable buyer had surfaced. KNAZ ceased production of local newscasts and became a full satellite of KPNX on August 15, 2008, citing inadequate advertising revenues and a lack of satellite carriage as factors in the decision. A Flagstaff bureau was established to cover Northern Arizona news.
Newscast titles
- Today in the Northland (1970–1975)
- The Northern Arizona Report (1970–1971)
- The Navajo Report (1972–1975)
- KOAI-TV News Service (1971–1975)
- NewsCenter 2 (1975–1982)
- NewsWatch 2 (1982–1986)
- News 2 (1986–1991)
- Channel 2 News (1991–1998)
- 2 News (1998-August 15, 2008)
Station slogans
- Northern Arizona's Local News Source (1994–2001)
- Northern Arizona's Own (2001–2006)
- The Leader in HD (2008–present; slogan for KPNX)
Programming
As a satellite station, KNAZ-TV rebroadcasts all primary network programming of KPNX, but does not offer NBC Weather PlusNBC Weather Plus
NBC Weather Plus was a 24-hour, commercially sponsored, weather-oriented broadcast/cable television network jointly owned by NBC Universal and the local affiliates of the NBC network. It debuted on November 15, 2004 and shut down on December 31, 2008...
or any other service as a digital subchannel. Its only digital signal is a simulcast of the analog programming.
Before becoming a full satellite, the station had simulcast the 6:00 am, 4:30 pm, and 5:00 pm weekday news and all of the weekend news from KPNX, and broadcast the same network and syndicated programming as KPNX, but aired its own local commercials, retained a separate news staff and produced its own weekday newscasts at 6:30 am, 6:00 pm, and 10:00 pm. KNAZ had produced its own weekend news, but ended it as part of cost-cutting intended to make the station more attractive to a buyer. There was significant cooperation and sharing of news staff among KNAZ and KPNX. Often, KNAZ acted as a Northern Arizona news bureau for KPNX, as KNAZ reporters would also file reports for KPNX using its logo. Some KPNX personnel, especially those in weather and sports, also filed reports for KNAZ, and KNAZ staff often filled in for KPNX staff when they were absent.
Digital television
In its DTV allotment plan of April 3, 1997, the FCC assigned channel 22 for KNAZ-DT, and on February 22, 2001, granted to Gannett a construction permit to build the digital facilities. KNAZ-DT went on air at reduced power after receiving a Special Temporary Authorization (STA), and after several extensions of the STA and a modification to the construction permit, applied for a license to cover its full-power DTV facilities on January 27, 2007. The station was granted a license May 22, 2007.KNAZ had originally intended to move its digital broadcasts to VHF channel 2 on a date after the end of digital transition, using transmitter equipment currently in use by another commonly-owned station in another city. This would have made the station one of a small few to return to a low-VHF
Band I
Band I is the name of a radio frequency range within the very high frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum.Band I ranges from 47 to 88 MHz, and it is primarily used for radio and television broadcasting....
channel after digital transition.
This plan has currently been abandoned as the existing channel 2 antenna had sustained ice storm damage which had left it in a condition (according to an April 2008 inspection) in which both arcing and repeated automatic transmitter shutdown (due to signal power being reflected back into the transmitter) had left the channel 2 facility in a state where it could not operate at full power. A crack in the antenna's mast was noted; the electrical condition of the channel 2 antenna is continuing to degrade and by July 2008, the VHF 2 signal was operating at 30% of licensed power. The channel 2 antenna failed completely on April 16, 2009, forcing KNAZ's analog signal to go dark permanently.
KNAZ was therefore forced to request that the FCC allow it to remain on channel 22 as its DTV channel.
Former staff
- Chris Cochran—former Director
- Emme Aronson -- former reporter/morning anchor and current plus size model.
- Phil Buehler—former sports anchor. Now morning anchor at WWTVWWTVWWTV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the northern Lower and eastern Upper Peninsulas of Michigan. Licensed to Cadillac, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter at its studios on 130th Avenue, northeast of Tustin, in Osceola County. At 1,631...
. - Steve BuninSteve BuninSteve Bunin is an American journalist who has worked for ESPN since August 2003. He anchors a variety of shows, including Outside The Lines and SportsCenter. He has also hosted Baseball Tonight, NFL Live and College Football Live, and often anchors NCAA and pro sports coverage on ESPN and ESPN2...
-- former sports director/anchor (1997–2000). Now sports anchor at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. - Heidi Goitia—former anchor. Now spokeswoman for Flagstaff Family Magazine.
- Dave Hecht—former morning anchor/reporter/producer.
- Jake Knapp—former sports director/anchor. Now sports reporter/anchor at KGUNKGUNKGUN-TV, channel 9, is the ABC-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona, owned by Journal Broadcast Group, Inc.. It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 9 from Mount Bigelow, located northeast of Tucson...
. - Nick Matesi—former news director/main anchor. Now vice president/general manager at KOLOKoloKoło is a town on the Warta River in central Poland with 23,101 inhabitants . It is situated in the Greater Poland Voivodship , having previously been in Konin Voivodship , and it is the capital of Koło County.-Early history:...
. - Dina Ruiz Eastwood -- former anchor/reporter and the one-time hostess of the Candid CameraCandid CameraCandid Camera is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
TV program. Currently an anchor at KSBWKSBWKSBW is a television station in the United States and is the primary NBC affiliate for the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz, California market. The station is owned by Hearst Television. KSBW has its studios on John Street in downtown Salinas, which is mentioned occasionally during commercial breaks...
, she is married to the actor/director Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
. - Nathan Ryder—former anchor/reporter. Now reporter at WFIEWFIEWFIE is the NBC-afifliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southwestern Indiana, Northwestern Kentucky and Southeastern Illinois that's licensed to Evansville, Indiana. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 46 from a transmitter in the Wolf Hills section of...
. - Shelly Watkins—former anchor/producer.
- Donna Rossi—former news director/anchor. Now reporter at KPHO.
- John Appicello—former sports director/anchor. Now sports director at WSLS.
- Lee Born—former Chief Meteorologist, currently Chief Met/Student Adviser at NAZ Today, frequent contributor to KNAU, occasionally seen on KPNX during severe weather events in Flagstaff