KAKM explained

Callsign:KAKM
Branding:Alaska Public Media
Digital:8 (VHF)
Virtual:7
Translators:see
Location:Anchorage, Alaska
Country:United States
Callsign Meaning:Anchorage, Kenai, Matanuska
Former Channel Numbers:Analog: 7 (VHF, 1975–2009)
Licensee:Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.
Owner:Alaska Public Media
Sister Stations:KSKA
Erp:50 kW
Haat:2400NaN0
Facility Id:804
Coordinates:61.4222°N -149.8744°W
Licensing Authority:FCC
Callsign:KTOO-TV
Above:Satellite of KAKM
Digital:10 (VHF)
Virtual:3
Location:Juneau, Alaska
Callsign Meaning:The word "Too"
Former Channel Numbers:Analog: 3 (VHF, 1978–2009)
Owner:Capital Community Broadcasting, Inc.
Operator:Alaska Public Media
Sister Stations:KTOO, KNLL, KRNN
Erp:1 kW
Haat:-363.70NaN0
Facility Id:8651
Coordinates:58.3013°N -134.4204°W
Licensing Authority:FCC
Callsign:KYUK-LD
Above:Translator of KAKM
Location:Bethel, Alaska
Branding:KYUK-TV 15
Digital:15 (UHF)
Virtual:15
Owner:Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated
Operator:Alaska Public Media
Sister Stations:KYUK-FM
Callsign Meaning:Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Erp:100 W
Haat:46.510NaN0
Class:LD
Facility Id:62614
Coordinates:60.7918°N -161.7751°W
Licensing Authority:FCC

KAKM (channel 7) is a PBS member television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Owned by Alaska Public Media, it is sister to NPR member KSKA (91.1 FM). The two stations share studios at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center on the campus of Alaska Pacific University; KAKM's transmitter is located near Knik, Alaska.

KAKM was the only PBS station in Alaska that was not part of AlaskaOne during its existence. The call letters were chosen to represent the three major geographic areas served by the station: Anchorage, Kenai, and Matanuska.

KAKM operates a full-time satellite station, KTOO-TV (channel 3), licensed to the capital city of Juneau. This station is owned by Capital Community Broadcasting as a sister to non-commercial FM radio stations KTOO, KNLL, and KRNN, but is operated by Alaska Public Media. KTOO's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau. KTOO was formerly part of AlaskaOne, until its dissolution in 2012.

KAKM is also relayed on low-power station KYUK-LD (channel 15) in Bethel, owned by Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated as sister to radio stations KYUK (AM) and KYUK-FM.

History

KAKM first started regular transmissions on May 7, 1975, at 7:07 p.m. Previously, PBS programming had been offered to Anchorage stations on a per-program basis: for example, Sesame Street was carried on KTVA (channel 11), Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on KIMO (channel 13, now KYUR) and The Electric Company on KENI-TV (channel 2, now KTUU-TV).

KAKM became the flagship station of Alaska Public Television, the successor to AlaskaOne, replacing KUAC-TV in Fairbanks, on July 1, 2012 (which became a standalone station again).[1] As a result, KTOO-TV became a full-time satellite of KAKM. KYUK-LD also rebroadcasts KAKM, but it carries the Alaska Rural Communications Service on its second digital subchannel in place of Create.

Technical information

The stations' signals are multiplexed:

KAKM subchannels

Channel! scope = "col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
7.1 KAKM-HD PBS
7.2 Create
7.3 KAKM7.3 360 North
7.4 1080i 16:9 24_7HD PBS Kids

KTOO-TV subchannels

Channel! scope = "col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
3.1 1080i 16:9 AK PBS PBS
3.2 480i Create Create
3.3 360Nort 360 North

KYUK-LD subchannels

Channel! scope = "col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
15.1 480i 4:3 AK PBS PBS
15.2 ARCSAlaska Rural Communications Service
15.3 360Nort 360North

360 North provides statewide coverage of Alaska public affairs, documentaries, historical programs, and Native topics. Originating at KTOO-TV, 360 North replaced Gavel to Gavel Alaska, which televised the Alaska Legislature.[2]

Analog-to-digital conversion

KAKM and KTOO shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate:[3]

Translators

KAKM and KTOO extend their over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.

KAKM translators

Notes and References

  1. News: Split in Alaska public TV consortium. December 10, 2011. Television Business Report. December 9, 2011.
  2. Web site: Archived copy . January 27, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081228001229/http://www.360north.org/about.php . December 28, 2008 . dead .
  3. Web site: DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds . PDF . March 24, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf . August 29, 2013 .