Summary
KAMU-TV (channel 12) is a PBS member television station licensed to College Station, Texas, United States. Owned by Texas A&M University, it is a sister station to NPR member KAMU-FM (90.9). The two stations share studios at the Moore Communications Center on the university's campus; KAMU-TV's transmitter is located at adjacent Hensel Park. KAMU-TV serves as the sole PBS member station for the Waco–Temple–Bryan market.
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| |
|---|---|
| City | College Station, Texas |
| Channels | |
| Branding | KAMU PBS |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Texas A&M University |
| History | |
First air date | February 15, 1970 |
Former channel number(s) | Analog: 15 (UHF, 1970–2009) |
| NET (February−October 1970) | |
Call sign meaning | For owner Texas A&M University |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 65301 |
| ERP | 3.2 kW |
| HAAT | 105 m (344 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 30°37′48″N 96°20′34″W / 30.63000°N 96.34278°W |
| Links | |
Public license information |
|
| Website | kamu |
History edit
KAMU-TV began broadcasting on February 15, 1970.[2] It originally aired on UHF channel 15, and was the first educational station in central Texas.
On April 1, 2003, KAMU was the first station in the region to begin broadcasting in HDTV.[3] KAMU made the first live HDTV broadcast in the region on April 22, 2004, with the program Meet the Candidates 2004.[4]
On February 27, 2018, Central Texas College's board of trustees voted to close down KNCT (which served the western third of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market, including Waco and Killeen) over budgetary concerns related to the FCC spectrum repacking that would have required that station to move from RF channel 46 to RF channel 17 starting in 2020, as well as the need to replace its original transmitter.[5] The shutdown of KNCT, which would occur on August 31, 2018, would leave KAMU-TV as the only PBS member station in the market.[6][7][8] However, most cable systems on the western side of the market opted to import KLRU from Austin, which had already served as the default PBS member station for the market's southwestern areas.
Technical information edit
Subchannels edit
The station's signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | KAMU-HD | Main KAMU-TV programming / PBS |
| 12.2 | 480i | KAMU SD | Create | |
| 12.3 | KAMU SD | PBS Kids |
Analog-to-digital conversion edit
KAMU's broadcasts became digital-only, effective June 12, 2009. It opted to use channel 12 as its virtual channel, rather than its former analog channel 15. KAMU offered ResearchChannel on subchannel 12.3 until that service was discontinued in August 2010.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KAMU-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ http://kamu.tamu.edu/aboutus.php History of KAMU
- ^ LeBas, John (March 30, 2003). "KAMU makes waves with digital upgrade". The Bryan-College Station Eagle. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ "KAMU has first live HD broadcast". The Battalion. April 24, 2004. Archived from the original on September 19, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ FCC TV spectrum Phase Assignment Table, FCC Incentive Auction Television Transition Data Files, April 13, 2017.
- ^ Angeline, Jillian (February 28, 2018). "Local PBS station KNCT going dark soon". KCEN. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ Hoover, Carl (March 3, 2018). "Killeen-Temple public television station KNCT to end broadcasts". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ Ferraro, Julie A. (March 3, 2018). "Eventual closure of KNCT a tough decision". Killeen Daily Herald. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
External links edit
- Official website
- KAMU-TV Watch live