SOPTV
Encyclopedia
Southern Oregon Public Television is the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) member Public television for most of southwest Oregon
. It operates KSYS, channel 8 in Medford
and KFTS, digital channel 33 in Klamath Falls
.
In 1965, Oregon Educational Broadcasting, forerunner of Oregon Public Broadcasting
, persuaded the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to reassign channel 8 from Brookings
to Medford. OEB intended to make channel 8 the third station in its television network, which at that time included flagship KOAC-TV in Corvallis
and KOAP-TV (now KOPB-TV) in Portland
. Southern Oregon was the only region of the state without public television. However, OEB backed out after a protracted battle with several commercial applicants. The license eventually went to Liberty Television, owners of KEZI
in Eugene
.
However, the owners of the two commercial stations in the area—Bill Smullin of KTVM-TV (now KOBI
) and Ray Johnson of KMED-TV (now KTVL
) -- helped a new nonprofit corporation, Southern Oregon Educational Company, buy the channel 8 construction permit from Liberty. They also pledged payments of $50,000 once the station signed on. Getting the funds to sign on proved more difficult than expected. With the FCC permit about to run out, KSYS went on the air on January 17, 1977 with the strongest signal of any station in the region, at 191,000 watts. This was still not enough to cover Klamath Falls, and SOEC (later renamed Southern Oregon Public Television, Inc.) immediately applied for another station to cover that region. However, it took 12 more years before KFTS went on the air in January 1989.
The two stations are the only public television stations in the state not affiliated with OPB, but occasionally air some of OPB's programs.
SOPTV also operates a cable-only channel on Charter Communications
channel 21 in Medford, featuring popular PBS programming at alternate times.
SOPTV is also one of the partners of The Oregon Channel
, a public affairs network. Programing consist of Oregon legislative sessions and other public affairs events. It was previously featured also on the x.3 subchannel, until it was made exclusively available only on cable.
Medford stations KOBI
(NBC), KDRV
(ABC), KMVU
(FOX) and KSYS (PBS) planned to broadcast only digital signals, effective February 17, 2009.
After the digital transition
, KSYS moved its digital broadcasts to VHF channel 8 due to problems caused by UHF's severe terrain limitations. However, KFTS in Klamath Falls will remain on digital channel 33.
City Grade Translators:
Repeater Stations:
Service to Gold Beach
, Lakeview
, Paisley
, Port Orford
, Silver Lake
and Wedderburn
is provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(PBS) member Public television for most of southwest Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It operates KSYS, channel 8 in Medford
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
and KFTS, digital channel 33 in Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
.
In 1965, Oregon Educational Broadcasting, forerunner of Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon Public Broadcasting is the primary television and radio public broadcasting network for most of Oregon as well as southern Washington. With its headquarters and television studios in Portland, OPB consists of five full-power television stations, dozens of VHF or UHF translators, and over...
, persuaded the Federal Communications Commission
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...
(FCC) to reassign channel 8 from Brookings
Brookings, Oregon
Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which...
to Medford. OEB intended to make channel 8 the third station in its television network, which at that time included flagship KOAC-TV in Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
and KOAP-TV (now KOPB-TV) in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Southern Oregon was the only region of the state without public television. However, OEB backed out after a protracted battle with several commercial applicants. The license eventually went to Liberty Television, owners of KEZI
KEZI
KEZI is a digital broadcast television station operating in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It is the ABC affiliate for Eugene and produces more than 24 hours of newscasts a week...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
However, the owners of the two commercial stations in the area—Bill Smullin of KTVM-TV (now KOBI
KOBI
KOBI is a local NBC affiliate based in Medford, Oregon. It is owned by Patricia Smullin. The company, California Oregon Broadcasting, Inc., is the longest continuously independent broadcast group in the West and one of the three oldest in the country....
) and Ray Johnson of KMED-TV (now KTVL
KTVL
KTVL, channel 10 is a CBS television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon and broadcasts from a transmitter high atop Mount Ashland, 15 miles south of the city. The station covers eight counties in southern Oregon and northern California. The studios are located on Rossanley Drive in northwest...
) -- helped a new nonprofit corporation, Southern Oregon Educational Company, buy the channel 8 construction permit from Liberty. They also pledged payments of $50,000 once the station signed on. Getting the funds to sign on proved more difficult than expected. With the FCC permit about to run out, KSYS went on the air on January 17, 1977 with the strongest signal of any station in the region, at 191,000 watts. This was still not enough to cover Klamath Falls, and SOEC (later renamed Southern Oregon Public Television, Inc.) immediately applied for another station to cover that region. However, it took 12 more years before KFTS went on the air in January 1989.
The two stations are the only public television stations in the state not affiliated with OPB, but occasionally air some of OPB's programs.
Digital television
The SOPTV network digital channels is multiplexed:| Channel | Programming |
|---|---|
| x.1 | Main SOPTV programming / PBS |
| x.2 | PBS World PBS World PBS World is a 24-hour United States over-the-air digital subchannel showing public TV non-fiction, science, nature, news, public affairs and documentaries... |
| x.3 | Create |
SOPTV also operates a cable-only channel on Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
channel 21 in Medford, featuring popular PBS programming at alternate times.
SOPTV is also one of the partners of The Oregon Channel
The Oregon Channel
The Oregon Channel, a public affairs television network in the U.S. state of Oregon, was intended to be operated by a consortium consisting of Oregon Public Broadcasting, Southern Oregon Public Television, the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the Oregon University System and the Oregon Public Affairs...
, a public affairs network. Programing consist of Oregon legislative sessions and other public affairs events. It was previously featured also on the x.3 subchannel, until it was made exclusively available only on cable.
Medford stations KOBI
KOBI
KOBI is a local NBC affiliate based in Medford, Oregon. It is owned by Patricia Smullin. The company, California Oregon Broadcasting, Inc., is the longest continuously independent broadcast group in the West and one of the three oldest in the country....
(NBC), KDRV
KDRV
KDRV, channel 12, is an ABC television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon. The station is located near Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport in north Medford. The station is owned by Chambers Communications Corporation of Eugene, Oregon....
(ABC), KMVU
KMVU
KMVU-DT is a local Fox television affiliate based in Medford, Oregon. The station serves the Rogue Valley and Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and the Shasta Cascade region in northern California, and is owned by Stainless Broadcasting Company...
(FOX) and KSYS (PBS) planned to broadcast only digital signals, effective February 17, 2009.
After the digital transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
, KSYS moved its digital broadcasts to VHF channel 8 due to problems caused by UHF's severe terrain limitations. However, KFTS in Klamath Falls will remain on digital channel 33.
Rebroadcasters
SOPTV is rebroadcast on the following translator stations. Some channels currently broadcasting, are not listed in the FCC database:City Grade Translators:
|
Grants Pass, Oregon -Rogue River:The Rogue River runs through Grants Pass.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,003 people, 9,376 households, and 5,925 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,885 housing units at an average density of 1,303.3 per square mile . By 2008,... (City Grade Signal) |
Repeater Stations:
|
Shady Cove, Oregon Shady Cove is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,865 as of July 1, 2009.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles , all of it land.... Pinehurst, Oregon Pinehurst is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 66 about 25 miles southeast of Ashland... Cave Junction, Oregon Cave Junction, incorporated in 1948, is a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,883. Its motto is the "Gateway to the Oregon Caves," and the city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redwood Highway and Caves Highway... Applegate, Oregon Applegate is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is located west of Medford on Oregon Route 238 and the Applegate River... Brookings, Oregon Brookings is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It was named after John E. Brookings, president of the Brookings Lumber and Box Company, which founded the city in 1908. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,336. The total population of the Brookings area is over 13,000, which... Gold Hill, Oregon Gold Hill is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of July 1, 2009, the population was 1,080 people.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:... |
Service to Gold Beach
Gold Beach, Oregon
Gold Beach is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, Oregon, United States, on the Oregon Coast. The population was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Lakeview
Lakeview, Oregon
Lakeview is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,294 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. Although it is an incorporated city, the municipal government refers to the community as "The Town of Lakeview", and bills itself as "Tallest Town in Oregon"...
, Paisley
Paisley, Oregon
Paisley is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Route 31, between Summer Lake and Lake Abert. The population was 247 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Port Orford
Port Orford, Oregon
Port Orford is a city in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is on the southern Oregon Coast, at the northern end of what coastal Oregonians call the Banana Belt, because the weather from Port Orford south is noticeably warmer than the weather north of nearby Cape Blanco...
, Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Oregon
Silver Lake is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is located on Oregon Route 31. Facilities include a gas station and a small store. It is also the location of North Lake School, "Home of the Cowboys".- History :...
and Wedderburn
Wedderburn, Oregon
Wedderburn is an unincorporated coastal community in Curry County, Oregon, United States. It is located across the mouth of Rogue River from Gold Beach, on U.S. Route 101. The Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge connects Wedderburn with Gold Beach....
is provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting.