KVIJ-TV (channel 8) was a television station licensed to Sayre, Oklahoma, United States. It was owned by Marsh Media and served as a satellite station of its KVII-TV in Amarillo, Texas. The transmitter was located northwest of Sayre at the intersection of State Highway 152 and State Highway 6.
| Former satellite of KVII-TV, Amarillo, Texas | |
|---|---|
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| Channels | |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner | Marsh Media, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | August 7, 1961 |
Last air date |
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Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Disambiguation from parent station KVII-TV |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 40451 |
| ERP | 131.5 kW[1] |
| HAAT | 580 ft (180 m) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 35°25′25″N 99°50′30″W / 35.42361°N 99.84167°W |
Originally a separate station in Elk City under the KSWB call letters, it was soon acquired and moved to Sayre, where it served in turn as a semi-satellite of two different Amarillo television stations—first KFDA-TV, then KVII-TV. Marsh shut the station down on December 2, 1992, citing the availability of Oklahoma-based ABC affiliates on cable in KVIJ-TV's service area.
History
editKSWB began broadcasting on August 7, 1961, nearly four years after the award of its construction permit on November 20, 1957.[2] It was owned by—and named for—the Southwest Broadcasting Company;[3] its primary investor was Lonnie Preston, who owned radio station KWOE at nearby Clinton and had previously owned Elk City station KASA.[2] KSWB-TV was an independent station, with local program features including a children's hour, women's show, and a 9:00 newscast.[4]
KSWB was not a financially successful venture. In June 1965, Southwest Broadcasting sold channel 8 to the Bass Broadcasting Company, which owned KFDA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Amarillo. While the sale was pending, Bass filed to move the channel 8 license and facility from Elk City to Sayre; meanwhile, the station also suspended operations on August 11, 1965, due to financial difficulties.[3] The call letters were changed to KFDO-TV, and Bass received program test authority from the Federal Communications Commission to begin broadcasting as a satellite from Sayre on May 13, 1966.[3] Under Bass management, KFDA-TV stationed a reporter in the Sayre–Elk City area and also employed four technical personnel at the transmitter.[5]
In 1975, Marsh Media purchased KFDO-TV for $300,000, from Bass—its direct competitor in Amarillo.[6] In time for coverage of the 1976 Winter Olympics on ABC, the sale was closed and KFDO-TV became KVIJ-TV, rebroadcasting KVII-TV, on January 29, 1976.[7]
References
edit- ^ "KVIJ-TV" (PDF). Television Factbook. 1991. p. A-924 (960). Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "New State TV Station Will Open Monday". Guthrie Daily Leader. UPI. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c FCC History Cards for KVIJ-TV
- ^ "Channel 8, KSWB-TV, Elk City - SCHEDULE: Monday, Oct. 9th". Elk City Daily News. October 10, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "In re Applications for RENEWAL OF STANDARD BROADCAST AND TELEVISION LICENSES FOR OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, AND NEBRASKA (14 F.C.C. 2d 2 (1968))". Federal Communications Commission. May 29, 1968. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Sayre TV Station Purchased by Marsh". Amarillo Globe Times. October 23, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "Station Changing Programming". Amarillo Daily News. January 24, 1976. p. 35. Retrieved December 27, 2020.