KVME-TV

Not to be confused with V-me, a Spanish-language television network.

"KBBC-TV" redirects here. Not to be confused with the British Broadcasting Corporation.

KVME-TV (channel 20) is a television station licensed to Bishop, California, United States, serving the Los Angeles television market as an affiliate of Jewelry Television. It is owned by Weigel Broadcasting alongside Avalon-licensed MeTV owned-and-operated station KAZA-TV (channel 54). KVME-TV's studios are located on North Main Street in Bishop, and its transmitter is located in the White Mountains, about 20 miles (32 km) east of Bishop.

KVME-TV

Bishop–Mammoth Lakes– Los Angeles, California United States
City	Bishop, California
Channels	Digital: 20 (UHF) Virtual: 20
Programming
Affiliations	20.1: Jewelry Television 20.2: Heroes & Icons
Ownership
Owner	Weigel Broadcasting (KVME-TV LLC)
Sister stations	KAZA-TV, KHTV-CD, KPOM-CD, KSFV-CD
History
First air date	August 21, 2007 (2007-08-21)
Former call signs	KBBC-TV (2007–2012)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 20 (UHF, 2007–2008)
Former affiliations	Spanish Independent (2007–2012) MeTV (2012–2018) Heroes & Icons (2018–2020, now on DT2)
Call sign meaning	Venture Memorable Entertainment (slogan of MeTV, station's previous affiliation)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	83825
ERP	1.9 kW
HAAT	924 m (3,031 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	37°24′42.7″N 118°11′9.3″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS

History

The station signed on the air on August 21, 2007, as KBBC-TV on analog channel 20, operating as a bilingual independent. KBBC's programming was mostly Spanish, featuring such shows as La Corte del Pueblo (a Spanish-language version of The People's Court), La Corte de Familia, the daily soccer program Fútbol al Día from Monterrey-based Multimedios Televisión, and a newscast with extensive coverage from Central America. The nighttime programming had premiered on KNLA-LP, which was a translator station.

The station later added afternoon and overnight programming from the Home Shopping Network. KBBC also offered English-language religious programming from Hosanna, a Christian program service. On Saturday mornings, English-language children's programs aired along with a public affairs program, Eastern Sierra News.

In March 2012, Venture Technologies Group filed and received approval to sell KNLA-CD and sister station KNET-CD to Local Media TV Holdings. On March 9, KBBC-TV's callsign was changed to KVME-TV.

Affiliation changes

MeTV

KVME-TV became affiliated with MeTV on April 30, 2012, sharing the affiliation with the third digital subchannel of Anaheim-based KDOC-TV (channel 56). KVME-TV carried MeTV on their primary digital channel 20 (virtual channel 20.1), which is also available on the DirecTV and Dish Network local packages tier for the Los Angeles market. KVME-TV and KDOC-TV marketed the subchannel as "MeTV Hollywood," changing from KDOC's previous brand of "MeTV Los Angeles." Local advertising for MeTV Hollywood was sold by a jointly managed ad sales team for both stations. However, KVME-TV's MeTV feed did not carry the full schedule of programming, electing to carry Spanish-language religious and paid programming during the early morning weekday hours of 5 to 8 a.m., preempting regularly-scheduled programming within those hours. The MeTV affiliation ended on January 15, 2018.

Heroes & Icons

On January 15, 2018, KVME-TV became an affiliate of MeTV's sister network, Heroes & Icons, sharing the affiliation with the fourth digital subchannel of Los Angeles-based KCOP-TV (channel 13). Like the previous affiliation with MeTV, KVME-TV's Heroes & Icons feed did not carry the full schedule of programming, electing to carry Spanish-language religious and paid programming during the early morning weekday hours of 7 to 10 a.m., preempting regularly-scheduled programming within those hours. On February 28, 2022, subchannel 20.2 was upgraded to 720p high definition, mirroring low-power sister station, KSFV-CD 27.2 in Los Angeles, which also carries Heroes & Icons in HD.

Jewelry TV

In 2020, KVME-TV changed its affiliation from Heroes & Icons to Jewelry Television; the H&I affiliation was moved to the station's second digital subchannel.

Subchannels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KVME-TV

Channel	Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
20.1	480i	4:3	JEWELRY	Main KVME-TV programming / Jewelry Television
20.2	720p	16:9	H and I	Heroes & Icons

Analog-to-digital transition

Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997, the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, on or before June 12, 2009, which was the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KVME-TV was required to turn off its analog signal and turn on its digital signal (called a "flash-cut"). On November 30, 2008, KVME completed the transition to digital by turning off its analog signal and immediately turning on its digital signal on channel 20.