KPPX
Encyclopedia
KPPX-TV is a full-service television station
licensed to Tolleson, Arizona
, and serving the Phoenix
metropolitan area from its transmitter on South Mountain. It broadcasts exclusively in digital
on UHF
channel 51, having completed the conversion to DTV on February 17, 2009. Founded December 21, 1988, the station is owned and operated by the Ion Television network (formerly PAX TV and i) through the subsidiary Phoenix 51, L.P.
granted a construction permit to Hector Garcia Salvatierra of Phoenix to build a full-service television station serving Tolleson and the Phoenix metropolitan area on UHF channel 51. The construction permit remained inactive for over six years until January 1995, when Salvatierra secured a site license to build facilities on South Mountain, and the station took the call letters KAJW.
In July 1996 Salvatierra entered into an agreement with Paxson Communications (now ion Media Networks) to sell a 49% interest of his company to Paxson and to transfer the construction permit and site license to Paxson to build the television station under the new ownership entity America 51 L.P. The station changed its call letters to KPPX in March 1998 to reflect the new Pax network, and in February 1999, KPPX went on the air, broadcasting under Program Test Authority until its license was granted on April 20, 2000. Salvatierra sold the remaining interest in the company to Paxson Communications in November 2000.
The FCC granted a construction permit to build digital facilities on March 1, 2001 to operate on UHF channel 52 until the end of the digital transition. Facilities were completed and licensed on December 20, 2002. Because its allocated pre-transition digital channel was outside the range of core frequencies designated by the FCC (channels 2-51), KPPX chose channel 51 for its permanent digital television operations, to go into effect at the end of the digital transition, which, at the time, was scheduled for February 17, 2009. Although the DTV Delay Act became law on February 11, 2009 postponing the required analog shutoff until June 12, 2009, KPPX made the decision to proceed with final conversion on February 17, which was approved by the FCC..
, a rebroadcast of an NBC
special hosted by Tom Brokaw
regarding the "State of U.S. Health Care", a station employee inserted between 1-10 minutes (sources vary on the exact amount shown) of a pornographic film into the broadcast. Local station viewers then registered complaints with the station, the network offices in West Palm Beach, Florida
, local cable provider Cox Communications
, and the FCC
about the indecent content. KPPX promised a thorough investigation to find the person responsible, and on March 20, the employee found to be responsible was fired, with possible further legal actions from Ion Television and the FCC.
, but the station was never completed. In January 1995, the construction permit for the full-service station was reactivated, and the permit for the low-power station was ended. The K51EI callsign was deleted in February 1996.
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...
licensed to Tolleson, Arizona
Tolleson, Arizona
Tolleson is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 6,812.-Geography:Tolleson is located at ....
, and serving the 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...
metropolitan area from its transmitter on South Mountain. It broadcasts exclusively 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 51, having completed the conversion to DTV on February 17, 2009. Founded December 21, 1988, the station is owned and operated by the Ion Television network (formerly PAX TV and i) through the subsidiary Phoenix 51, L.P.
History
On December 21, 1988, the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
granted a construction permit to Hector Garcia Salvatierra of Phoenix to build a full-service television station serving Tolleson and the Phoenix metropolitan area on UHF channel 51. The construction permit remained inactive for over six years until January 1995, when Salvatierra secured a site license to build facilities on South Mountain, and the station took the call letters KAJW.
In July 1996 Salvatierra entered into an agreement with Paxson Communications (now ion Media Networks) to sell a 49% interest of his company to Paxson and to transfer the construction permit and site license to Paxson to build the television station under the new ownership entity America 51 L.P. The station changed its call letters to KPPX in March 1998 to reflect the new Pax network, and in February 1999, KPPX went on the air, broadcasting under Program Test Authority until its license was granted on April 20, 2000. Salvatierra sold the remaining interest in the company to Paxson Communications in November 2000.
The FCC granted a construction permit to build digital facilities on March 1, 2001 to operate on UHF channel 52 until the end of the digital transition. Facilities were completed and licensed on December 20, 2002. Because its allocated pre-transition digital channel was outside the range of core frequencies designated by the FCC (channels 2-51), KPPX chose channel 51 for its permanent digital television operations, to go into effect at the end of the digital transition, which, at the time, was scheduled for February 17, 2009. Although the DTV Delay Act became law on February 11, 2009 postponing the required analog shutoff until June 12, 2009, KPPX made the decision to proceed with final conversion on February 17, which was approved by the FCC..
Digital channels
| Channel | Format | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 51.1 | 720p | Main KPPX programming |
| 51.2 | 480i | qubo Qubo Qubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media... |
| 51.3 | 480i | ION Life ION Life ION Life is a digital television network carried by ION Television affiliates, airing lifestyle programming during the day, and movies in the evening. It was launched February 19, 2007... |
Unauthorized programming
On March 12, 2007, during a 9pm airing of ION LifeION Life
ION Life is a digital television network carried by ION Television affiliates, airing lifestyle programming during the day, and movies in the evening. It was launched February 19, 2007...
, a rebroadcast of 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...
special hosted by Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
regarding the "State of U.S. Health Care", a station employee inserted between 1-10 minutes (sources vary on the exact amount shown) of a pornographic film into the broadcast. Local station viewers then registered complaints with the station, the network offices in West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, local cable provider Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
, and the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
about the indecent content. KPPX promised a thorough investigation to find the person responsible, and on March 20, the employee found to be responsible was fired, with possible further legal actions from Ion Television and the FCC.
Other Phoenix stations on channel 51
In the early 1990s while the construction permit for the full-service channel 51 station languished, the FCC granted a construction permit to build a low-power television station on channel 51. On March 12, 1993, a permit for station K51EI was granted to Community Service Television Company of San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, but the station was never completed. In January 1995, the construction permit for the full-service station was reactivated, and the permit for the low-power station was ended. The K51EI callsign was deleted in February 1996.