KTLE-LD explained

Callsign:KTLE-LD
City:Odessa, Texas
Branding:Telemundo 20
Digital:20 (UHF)
Virtual:20
Founded:August 23, 1989
Location:OdessaMidland, Texas
Country:United States
Callsign Meaning:Telemundo
Owner:Gray Television
Licensee:Gray Television Licensee, LLC
Sister Stations:KOSA-TV, KCWO-TV, KWWT, KMDF-LD
Former Affiliations:MyNetworkTV (LD6, 2019−2020)
Erp:15 kW
Haat:99.10NaN0
Class:LD
Facility Id:64993
Coordinates:31.8973°N -102.3376°W
Licensing Authority:FCC

KTLE-LD (channel 20) is a low-power television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language network Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KOSA-TV (channel 7), MyNetworkTV affiliate KWWT (channel 30), Big Spring–licensed CW+ affiliate KCWO-TV (channel 4), and Midland-licensed low-power The365 affiliate KMDF-LD (channel 22). The five stations share studios inside the Music City Mall on East 42nd Street in Odessa, with a secondary studio and news bureau in downtown Midland; KTLE-LD's transmitter is located on US 385 just north of downtown Odessa.

Even though KTLE-LD has a digital signal of its own, the low-power broadcast range only covers the immediate Midland–Odessa area. Therefore, the station is simulcast in widescreen standard definition on KOSA-TV's third digital subchannel in order to reach the entire Permian Basin market; this signal can be seen on virtual and VHF channel 7.3 from a transmitter on FM 866 west of Odessa. Until 2014, KTLE's programming was also simulcast on KTLD-LP (channel 49) in Midland.

History

KTLE-LP began as a construction permit granted to Telemundo on August 23, 1989, and was licensed as K60EE, UHF channel 60, on April 19, 1991. KTLD-LP began as a construction permit granted to Brooks Broadcasting Inc. on April 29, 1988. Brooks Broadcasting sold the permit to Ronald J. Gordon in March 1989, who in turn, sold the permit to Telemundo in October 1991. The station was licensed as K49CD, UHF channel 49, on August 14, 1992.

The stations' early days were marked by uncertainty, being transferred several times as Telemundo, their owner, endured financial hardship in the mid-1990s, and at one point went into bankruptcy. In May 2001, Telemundo sold the stations, along with Amarillo station K36DV (later KTMO-LP), to Lawton, Oklahoma-based Drewry Communications, who owned NBC affiliate KWES-TV in the Midland–Odessa market. Both stations received new call letters in January 2002; K60EE became KTLE-LP, and K49CD became KTLD-LP. In April 2004, KTLE moved from channel 60 to channel 20, having been required to abandon their position in the high-700 MHz band (channels 60-69). KTLD's license was canceled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 12, 2014.

On August 10, 2015, Raycom Media announced that it would purchase Drewry Communications for $160 million.[1] [2] The deal was completed on December 1, 2015.[3] [4]

Sale to Gray Television

On June 25, 2018, Atlanta-based Gray Television, owner of CBS affiliate KOSA-TV (channel 7), announced it had reached an agreement with Raycom to merge their respective broadcasting assets (consisting of Raycom's 63 existing owned-and/or-operated television stations, including KWES and KWAB, and Gray's 93 television stations) under Gray's corporate umbrella. The cash-and-stock merger transaction valued at $3.6 billion—in which Gray shareholders would acquire preferred stock currently held by Raycom—required divestment of either KOSA or KWES due to FCC ownership regulations prohibiting common ownership of two of the four highest-rated stations in a single market (as well as more than two stations in any market).[5] [6] [7] [8] As part of the deal, KWES was divested, but KTLE-LP was retained, with its digital simulcast moving to a subchannel of Gray's KOSA-TV.[9] [10] The sale was approved on December 20,[11] and was completed on January 2, 2019.[12] [13] Subsequently, KTLE turned off its analog signal and began digital operations.

Programming

KTLE broadcasts programming from Telemundo, but unlike most low-power television stations, it also features Spanish-language local newscasts, produced by KOSA, which air Monday through Friday at 5 p.m., and Monday through Thursday at 10 p.m.

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel! scope = "col"
Res.AspectShort nameProgramming
20.1 KTLE Main KTLE-LD programming / Telemundo
20.2 TXO TeleXitos
20.3 ION
20.4 Antenna

Notes and References

  1. News: Jessell. Harry A.. Raycom Buying Drewry For $160 Million. August 10, 2015. TVNewsCheck. August 10, 2015.
  2. Web site: Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License. CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 11, 2015. August 7, 2015.
  3. News: Kuperberg. Jonathan. Raycom Media Completes $160 Million Acquisition of Drewry Communications. December 2, 2015. Broadcasting & Cable. December 1, 2015.
  4. News: Raycom Closes On Drewry TV-Radio Buy. December 2, 2015. TVNewsCheck. December 1, 2015.
  5. GRAY AND RAYCOM TO COMBINE IN A $3.6 BILLION TRANSACTION. Raycom Media. June 25, 2018. December 17, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161249/https://www.raycommedia.com/gray-and-raycom-to-combine-in-a-3-6-billion-transaction/#amnewsers. June 25, 2018. dead.
  6. Web site: Gray To Buy Raycom For $3.6 Billion. Miller. Mark K.. TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. June 25, 2018. June 25, 2018.
  7. Web site: Gray Buying Raycom for $3.6B. John Eggerton. Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. June 25, 2018.
  8. Web site: Gray Acquiring Raycom For $3.65B, Forming No. 3 Local TV Group. Dade Hayes. Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. June 25, 2018.
  9. Web site: RESCAN: New channels coming to CBS7 lineup. CBS7.com. Gray Television. December 31, 2018. January 1, 2019.
  10. https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1120461/download
  11. https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fcc-ok-with-gray-raycom-merger "FCC OK with Gray/Raycom Merger"
  12. Web site: Gray Closes On $3.6 Billion Raycom Merger. TVNewsCheck. NewsCheckMedia. January 2, 2019. January 3, 2019.
  13. https://gray.tv/uploads/documents/pressreleases/Press%20Release%20re%20Completion%20of%20Raycom%20Acquisition.pdf "Gray Completes Acquisition of Raycom Media and Related Transactions"