Rocky Mountain PBS

Rocky Mountain PBS
statewide Colorado
United States
Branding Rocky Mountain PBS
Channels Analog: see table below
Digital: see table below
Subchannels xx.1 PBS
xx.2 V-me
xx.3 Create
Affiliations PBS
(satellites joined the network upon their respective sign-ons)
Owner Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, Inc.
First air date January 20, 1956 (1956-01-20)
(for individual stations, see table below)
Call letters' meaning see table below
Sister station(s) KUVO
Former channel number(s) see table below
Former affiliations see table below
Transmitter power see table below
Height see table below
Facility ID see table below
Transmitter coordinates see table below
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Mountain PBS Profile
Mountain PBS CDBS
Website www.rmpbs.org

Rocky Mountain PBS is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. state of Colorado. It is operated by the Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network, Inc., which holds the licenses for most of the PBS member stations licensed in the state, with the exception of KBDI-TV (channel 12) in Denver, which serves as that market's secondary (or "beta") PBS station through the network's Program Differentiation Plan. The network comprises five full-power stations—flagship station KRMA-TV in Denver and satellites KTSC in Pueblo (also serving Colorado Springs), KRMJ in Grand Junction, KRMU in Durango and KRMZ in Steamboat Springs. The broadcast signals of the five full-power stations and 60 translators cover almost all of the state, as well as parts of Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska and New Mexico.

The network's offices and network operations center are located on Bannock Street and West 11th Avenue in downtown Denver. KRMJ and KTSC maintain their own respective studio facilities: KRMJ is based at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, while KTSC operates from the campus of Colorado State University–Pueblo. The RMPBN also operates a public radio station, NPR outlet KUVO (89.3 FM) in Denver, which joined the organization in a merger announced in January 2013. Its transmitter for KRMA is located atop Mt. Morrison in Golden, Colorado.

History

The network's flagship station, KRMA-TV (channel 6) in Denver, first signed on the air on January 30, 1956 as an educational television station owned by the Denver Public Schools, with University of Denver instructor Jim Case serving as its program director. It is the oldest public television station in the Rocky Mountains. Its original studio facility was located in a converted body shop at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in downtown Denver. The station was originally a member of National Educational Television, before becoming a member of PBS when it launched on October 6, 1970.

Originally broadcasting only two hours of programming a day during the week, KRMA soon became a key PBS member, distributing PBS programming to many areas in the Rocky Mountain region that did not have educational stations of their own. From the 1960s onward, it began building translators across Colorado and surrounding states. It was also carried by nearly every cable television system in Colorado and eastern Wyoming. Denver Public Schools sold KRMA to the community group Channel Six, Inc. in 1987. In 1992, KRMA moved its operations into a studio facility on Bannock Street in Denver's Civic Center neighborhood, which formerly housed the operations of ABC affiliate KUSA-TV (channel 9, now an NBC affiliate); that station moved to a new facility located on Speer Boulevard before KRMA moved into the Bannock Street facility.

In response to requests from viewers on the Western Slope, KRMA applied for and was awarded a construction permit by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a station on UHF channel 18 in Grand Junction in August 1995. That station signed on the air on January 1, 1997 as KRMJ. Prior to that station's launch, KRMA had been available on cable in western Colorado for decades, and also operated numerous translators in the region. Soon afterward, KRMA dropped its longtime "Six" branding and relaunched as "Rocky Mountain PBS", while Channel Six, Inc. changed its name to the Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network.

In 1999, KTSC (channel 8) in Pueblo joined the network after it was sold by Colorado State University–Pueblo. The station had originally operated as a separate PBS station for Pueblo, Colorado Springs and southern Colorado from its sign-on on February 3, 1971. On December 3, 2004, KRMU (channel 20) in Durango signed on to serve southwestern Colorado and a small portion of northwestern New Mexico. When KRMU received its license in 2001, it was the first television station in the United States to operate a digital signal without a companion analog channel assignment.

On February 2, 2007, Rocky Mountain PBS added its fifth full-service station and its second station in western Colorado, KMAS-TV (channel 24) in Steamboat Springs. KMAS had served as the Telemundo station for the Denver market prior to joining RMPBS, and brought its programming into Denver itself by way of two low-powered repeater stations – KMAS-LP (channel 33) and KSBS-LP (channel 10). However, its status was placed in doubt when NBC Universal purchased KDEN-TV (channel 25) and converted it into a Telemundo owned-and-operated station. NBC Universal finally decided to donate the KMAS license and transmitter to Rocky Mountain PBS. On September 4, 2007, the station's call letters were changed to KRMZ, reflecting its identity as a Rocky Mountain PBS station.

On January 16, 2013, it was announced that the non-profit investigative journalism organization I-News Network and public radio station KUVO (89.3 FM) had reached an agreement to merge with Rocky Mountain PBS. The merger is intended to broaden the reach of their content to new platforms and ensure formal collaboration between the outlets. The deal was expected to close in April 2013.[1]

Programming

Rocky Mountain PBS produces several local programs, such as the weekly Colorado State of Mind, Arts District and the seasonal Colorado Experience. However, the network has focused much of its production efforts on local documentaries, which often take months or years to produce. Many of these documentaries (such as La Raza de Colorado, Jewel of the Rockies and Urban Rez) have earned multiple Emmy Awards over the years.

Satellite stations KRMJ and KTSC occasionally break away from the KRMA feed to provide programming targeted for their respective communities, and each station airs separate local promotions and underwriting. KRMU is a full-time satellite of KRMJ, while KRMZ is a full-time satellite of KRMA. Citing costs at each station, Rocky Mountain PBS applied for and received waivers of the FCC's main studio rule, which requires that each full-service station maintain a main studio within its local service area.[2][3]

Stations

Station City of license Channels
TV / RF
First air date Call letters’
meaning
Former affiliations ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter Coordinates Public license information
KRMA-TV Denver 6 (PSIP)
18 (UHF)
January 30, 1956 Knowledge for the
Rocky
Mountain
Area
NET (1956–1970) 115 kW 331 m 14040 39°40′17.4″N 105°13′8″W / 39.671500°N 105.21889°W / 39.671500; -105.21889 (KRMA-TV) Profile
CDBS
KTSC1 Pueblo 8 (PSIP)
8 (VHF)
February 3, 19711 Television for
Southern
Colorado
22.4 kW 720 m 69170 38°44′43″N 104°51′39″W / 38.74528°N 104.86083°W / 38.74528; -104.86083 (KTSC) Profile
CDBS
KRMJ Grand Junction 18 (PSIP)
18 (UHF)
January 1, 1997 KRMA Grand Junction 17.7 kW 409 m 14042 39°3′58.4″N 108°44′45.7″W / 39.066222°N 108.746028°W / 39.066222; -108.746028 (KRMJ) Profile
CDBS
KRMU Durango 20 (PSIP)
20 (UHF)
December 3, 2004 KRMA DUrango 12.6 kW 130 m 84224 37°15′46″N 107°53′58″W / 37.26278°N 107.89944°W / 37.26278; -107.89944 (KRMU) Profile
CDBS
KRMZ2, 3 Steamboat Springs 24 (PSIP)
10 (VHF)
May 1988 KRMA Z Telemundo (until 2007) 0.481 kW 175.2 m 20373 40°27′43.2″N 106°50′59.8″W / 40.462000°N 106.849944°W / 40.462000; -106.849944 (KRMZ) Profile
CDBS

Notes:

[4]

Translators

In addition to its five full-service television stations, Rocky Mountain PBS operates one of the largest translator networks in the country, serving portions of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska and Utah. KRMA feeds two translators in Boulder and Fort Collins. KTSC feeds 10 translators in rural southern Colorado, and KRMJ feeds 13 translators serving rural western Colorado. The other translators are operated by community groups that pick up one of the three Rocky Mountain PBS regional feeds, and carry the signals onward through their systems.

All 25 translators within the RMPBS system operate as digital signals, and as such carry the primary channel and two subchannels from their respective parent transmitters.

The list below is a mixture of RMPBS and other translator operators carrying one of the RMPBS network feeds.

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

(all are analog stations unless otherwise specified)

KRMA translators

City of license Callsign Channel
Akron K13XW 13 (analog)
Anton K17KX-D 17
Ashcroft K21HF-D 21
Boulder K24HQ-D 24
Collbran K11PS-D 11
Crawford K24JO-D 24
Dolores K10MZ-D 10
Dove Creek K23GF-D 23
Fort Collins KRMA-TV 47
Dolores K30CR 30 (analog)
Glenwood Springs K45KC-D 45
Grand Junction K41AE-D 41
Grand Junction K49IO-D 49
Grand Valley K28HA-D 28
Haxtun K39HM-D 39
Holyoke K19EG-D 19
Idalia K24EZ-D 24
Julesburg K51IL-D 51
Lake George K29HM-D 29
Meeteetse, Wyoming K29IH-D 29
New Castle K06GW-D 6
Nucla K13SN-D 13
Peetz K18FN-D 18
Pleasant Valley K20GK-D 20
Rulison K32HL-D 32
Silt K49AH-D 49
Sterling K47NQ-D 47
White Sulphur Springs, Montana K08LI-D 8
White Sulphur Springs, Montana K26LQ-D 26
Wolf Point, Montana K19JR-D 19
Wood River, Wyoming K31JO-D 31
Wray K50FJ-D 50
Yuma K36AC-D 36

KTSC translators

Station City of license Channel ERP Facility ID Transmitter Coordinates
K46JN-D Aguilar 46 0.250 kW 167429 37°23′10.0″N 104°38′12.0″W / 37.386111°N 104.636667°W / 37.386111; -104.636667 (K46JN-D)
K40LS-D Cheyenne Wells 40 0.750 kW 10789 38°47′30.0″N 102°32′57.0″W / 38.791667°N 102.549167°W / 38.791667; -102.549167 (K40LS-D)
K33IW-D Coaldale 33 0.015 kW 69262 38°20′42.0″N 105°45′11.0″W / 38.345000°N 105.753056°W / 38.345000; -105.753056 (K33IW-D)
K43AH-D Crested Butte, Etc. 43 0.460 kW 25628 38°54′8.0″N 106°58′20.0″W / 38.902222°N 106.972222°W / 38.902222; -106.972222 (K43AH-D)
K47BL-D Crested Butte, Etc. 47 0.170 kW 25607 38°48′37.0″N 106°54′30.0″W / 38.810278°N 106.908333°W / 38.810278; -106.908333 (K47BL-D)
K46JO-D Del Norte 46 0.250 kW 167427 37°40′30.0″N 106°14′30.0″W / 37.675000°N 106.241667°W / 37.675000; -106.241667 (K46JO-D)
K56AG Eads 56 0.888 kW 34936 38°22′35.0″N 102°58′48.0″W / 38.376389°N 102.980000°W / 38.376389; -102.980000 (K56AG)
K06HN-D Gunnison 6 0.013 kW 25611 38°31′25.0″N 106°54′20.0″W / 38.523611°N 106.905556°W / 38.523611; -106.905556 (K06HN-D)
K36IH-D Ignacio 36 0.582 kW 69173 37°11′3.0″N 107°29′6.0″W / 37.184167°N 107.485000°W / 37.184167; -107.485000 (K36IH-D)
K20JW-D Jack's Cabin, Etc. 20 0.197 kW 25609 38°42′47.0″N 106°48′36.0″W / 38.713056°N 106.810000°W / 38.713056; -106.810000 (K20JW-D)
K42ID-D La Veta 42 0.250 kW 167428 37°30′0.0″N 105°00′27.0″W / 37.500000°N 105.007500°W / 37.500000; -105.007500 (K42ID-D)
K41LM-D Lamar 41 0.754 kW 53689 38°02′5.0″N 102°26′10.0″W / 38.034722°N 102.436111°W / 38.034722; -102.436111 (K41LM-D)
K29JL-D Las Animas 29 0.754 kW 4783 38°01′15.0″N 102°59′10.0″W / 38.020833°N 102.986111°W / 38.020833; -102.986111 (K29JL-D)
K07PA-D Manitou Springs 7 0.037 kW 69004 38°51′50.0″N 104°54′15.0″W / 38.863889°N 104.904167°W / 38.863889; -104.904167 (K07PA-D)
K39MK-D Montrose 39 0.1 kW 11513 38°23′12.0″N 107°40′31.0″W / 38.386667°N 107.675278°W / 38.386667; -107.675278 (K39MK-D)
K09PJ-D Ouray, Etc. 9 0.030 kW 14129 38°00′57.0″N 107°39′59.0″W / 38.015833°N 107.666389°W / 38.015833; -107.666389 (K09PJ-D)
K15ED Pitkin 15 0.170 kW 25597 38°33′28.0″N 106°29′32.0″W / 38.557778°N 106.492222°W / 38.557778; -106.492222 (K15ED)
K31IW-D Ridgeway, Etc. 31 0.632 kW 11512 38°11′11.0″N 107°46′30.0″W / 38.186389°N 107.775000°W / 38.186389; -107.775000 (K31IW-D)
K31IX-D Salida, Etc. 31 2.270 kW 68949 38°26′48.0″N 106°00′38.0″W / 38.446667°N 106.010556°W / 38.446667; -106.010556 (K31IX-D)
K44IX-D San Luis 44 0.250 kW 167426 37°12′14.0″N 105°25′37.0″W / 37.203889°N 105.426944°W / 37.203889; -105.426944 (K44IX-D)
K32IK-D San Luis Valley, Etc. 32 6.590 kW 69185 36°51′25.0″N 106°01′12.0″W / 36.856944°N 106.020000°W / 36.856944; -106.020000 (K32IK-D)
K15GL-D Trinidad, Valdez, Etc. 15 0.730 kW 69153 37°14′14.0″N 104°30′52.0″W / 37.237222°N 104.514444°W / 37.237222; -104.514444 (K15GL-D)
K51DI-D Waunita Hot Springs 51 0.813 kW 25605 38°29′56.0″N 106°19′28.0″W / 38.498889°N 106.324444°W / 38.498889; -106.324444 (K51DI-D)

KRMJ translators

Station City of license Channel ERP Facility ID Transmitter Coordinates
K08HN-D Aspen 8 0.025 kW 56696 39°13′33.0″N 106°50′0.0″W / 39.225833°N 106.833333°W / 39.225833; -106.833333 (K08HN-D)
K36GX-D Basalt 36 0.08 kW 131067 39°21′11.0″N 107°05′33.0″W / 39.353056°N 107.092500°W / 39.353056; -107.092500 (K36GX-D)
K31CW-D Carbondale 31 2.3 kW 52726 39°25′33.0″N 107°22′25.0″W / 39.425833°N 107.373611°W / 39.425833; -107.373611 (K31CW-D)
K26CI-D Mancos 26 0.792 kW 61448 37°21′58.0″N 108°08′42.0″W / 37.366111°N 108.145000°W / 37.366111; -108.145000 (K26CI-D)
K44JQ-D Redstone 44 0.042 kW 131027 39°14′20.0″N 107°13′2.0″W / 39.238889°N 107.217222°W / 39.238889; -107.217222 (K44JQ-D)

Digital television

Digital channels

The digital channels of Rocky Mountain PBS' stations are multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[5][6][7][8][9]
xx.1 1080i 16:9 xxxx-DT Main RMPBS programming / PBS
xx.2 480i 4:3 V-Me V-me
xx.3 Create Create

Analog-to-digital conversion

During 2009, in the lead-up to the analog-to-digital television transition that would ultimately occur on June 12, Rocky Mountain PBS shut down the analog transmitters of its stations on a staggered basis. Listed below are the dates each analog transmitter ceased operations as well as their post-transition channel allocations:[10]

KRMU signed on in December 2004 as a digital-only station, although it also had endured a temporary shutdown in early 2009 in final preparation for the transition.

References

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