KCHF
KCHF is a religious independent television station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and serving Albuquerque and much of New Mexico.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KCHF is a religious independent television station serving Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and a broad portion of New Mexico. The station operates on virtual channel 11 and is licensed to Santa Fe, while its studios are located on 4th Street in northwestern Albuquerque. Its principal transmitter is located on Sandia Crest, a site that helps the station reach viewers across the Albuquerque metropolitan area and other parts of the state. KCHF also extends its coverage through a digital subchannel of sister Class A station KYNM-CD and through translators in Taos, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. The station traces its regulatory origins to a construction permit granted on January 19, 1983. It began broadcasting in January 1984 and received its license to cover on June 29 of that year. KCHF identifies itself as the first VHF Christian television station in the United States. During the analog era, its use of the VHF band distinguished it from many other religious broadcasters, which often operated on UHF frequencies. The station later developed a digital transmission operation, receiving a license for its digital transmitter on January 26, 2006. In December 2024, the transmitter was relocated to Sandia Crest. KCHF's programming is centered on Christian ministry, religious teaching, prayer, health, and community-oriented content. Programs associated with the station include Restoring God's People, Healing is for You, A Healthier You, and God Answers Prayer. God Answers Prayer is presented as a daily studio-based talk program with a live call-in component, allowing viewers to participate directly; a Sunday edition features selected highlights from the preceding week. The station also carries more than eight hours of educational and informational children's programming each week to meet the requirements of the federal Children's Television Act. Much of this material is intended for children younger than ten, including an extended Saturday-morning block. KCHF has also used its digital television capacity for additional services. It carried the Heartland country-music network on a secondary channel beginning June 30, 2014. In early June 2016, Heartland was replaced by QVC, while Antenna TV and WeatherNation were moved among the station's other digital subchannels. These changes illustrate the station's use of over-the-air multicast capacity alongside its core religious service. The station completed the federally mandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009. Its analog transmission had operated on VHF channel 11, while its post-transition digital signal used pre-transition VHF channel 10 and retained virtual channel 11. KCHF's current identity combines a Christian broadcasting mission, locally produced religious programs, educational children's content, and regional over-the-air distribution through its main signal, multicast arrangements, and translators.
History
KCHF developed as a Christian television service for northern and central New Mexico. The Federal Communications Commission granted the station's original construction permit on January 19, 1983. KCHF began broadcasting in January 1984 and received its license to cover on June 29, 1984. Its initial transmission facility was located near Los Alamos. The station has described itself as the first VHF Christian television station in the United States, a distinction connected to its use of a VHF channel during the analog broadcasting era. Although licensed to Santa Fe, KCHF established its studio operations on 4th Street in northwestern Albuquerque, positioning the station to serve both of New Mexico's principal population centers. Its programming has focused on Christian ministry and locally produced religious content rather than on a general commercial network schedule. Programs associated with the station include Restoring God's People, Healing is for You, A Healthier You, and God Answers Prayer. The latter is a daily studio talk program with a live call-in segment, supplemented by a Sunday highlights edition. KCHF also broadcasts more than eight hours of educational and informational children's programming each week, including a substantial Saturday-morning block, as part of its compliance with federal children's television requirements. The station entered the digital era with a digital-transmitter license issued on January 26, 2006. KCHF's analog service on VHF channel 11 ended on June 12, 2009, the federally designated date for the full-power television analog shutdown in the United States. Its digital signal remained associated with virtual channel 11 while using pre-transition VHF channel 10 for transmission. Digital broadcasting gave KCHF additional capacity for multicast services. Beginning June 30, 2014, the station carried the Heartland country-music channel on subchannel 11.3. In early June 2016, Heartland was replaced by QVC, and the station adjusted the placement of Antenna TV and WeatherNation across its other digital subchannels. These services supplemented rather than replaced KCHF's principal religious programming identity. KCHF's regional reach is supported by relay facilities. Its main service is carried on the fifth subchannel of KYNM-CD in Albuquerque, improving reception in portions of the city where the principal signal is difficult to receive. Translators serve Taos through K24ML-D and Antonito, Colorado, through K29ME-D. In December 2024, the station relocated its main transmitter to Sandia Crest. The station is owned by the estate of Belarmino "Blackie" Gonzalez and the nonprofit ministry Son Broadcasting. Its current operating model combines a Christian broadcasting mission, local studio production, terrestrial transmission, digital multicast distribution, and relay coverage across the wider region.
- 2024
Transmitter relocated to Sandia Crest
[1]The station's transmitter was relocated to Sandia Crest in December 2024.
- 2016
Multicast services rearranged
[1]KCHF replaced Heartland with QVC and moved Antenna TV and WeatherNation among its multicast channels.
- 2014
Heartland added to multicast lineup
[1]Heartland began airing on KCHF digital subchannel 11.3 on June 30, 2014.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]KCHF ended its analog VHF transmission on June 12, 2009, and continued with a digital service using virtual channel 11.
- 2006
Digital transmitter licensed
[1]The station's digital transmitter was licensed on January 26, 2006.
- 1984
Station signs on
[1]KCHF began broadcasting in January 1984 and later received its license to cover on June 29.
- 1983
Original construction permit granted
[1]The original construction permit for KCHF was granted on January 19, 1983.
Products and positioning
A Christian independent television station combining locally produced ministry programming, prayer and health content, children's educational programming, and regional broadcast distribution.
Television broadcasting · 1984
KCHF religious television service
KCHF's primary service is an independent Christian television channel serving Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and much of New Mexico. Its schedule emphasizes religious teaching, prayer, health-related ministry content, and other Christian programs produced locally or selected for the station's audience. The service is distributed through the station's main terrestrial signal, a KYNM-CD subchannel, and regional translators.
Religious talk program
God Answers Prayer
God Answers Prayer is a daily studio-based talk program associated with KCHF. It includes a live call-in segment, giving viewers an opportunity to participate in the broadcast. A Sunday version presents selected highlights from the previous week.
Christian ministry program
Restoring God's People
Restoring God's People is one of the Christian ministry programs produced or presented by KCHF. It forms part of the station's religious programming portfolio, although detailed production and distribution information is not specified in the available reference material.
Christian health program
Healing is for You
Healing is for You is a KCHF-associated program focused on Christian ministry and healing themes. It is part of the station's locally oriented religious and health-related programming.
Health and religious program
A Healthier You
A Healthier You is a program associated with KCHF's health and Christian broadcasting output. The available source identifies the program but does not provide further details about its format or production history.
Brand decisions
2024
Relocation of main transmitterOtherBackground
KCHF's principal transmission facilities were updated to support its regional broadcast coverage.
Action taken
The station relocated its transmitter to Sandia Crest in December 2024.
Aftermath
Sandia Crest became the station's principal listed transmitter location.
2016
Reorganization of digital subchannelsStrategyBackground
KCHF adjusted its secondary digital services after carrying Heartland on subchannel 11.3.
Action taken
The station replaced Heartland with QVC and moved Antenna TV from 11.4 to 11.2 while moving WeatherNation from 11.2 to 11.6.
Aftermath
The change altered the station's multicast offering while leaving its principal religious service in place.
2014
Addition of Heartland multicast serviceProduct launchBackground
Digital television capacity allowed KCHF to provide additional programming services beyond its primary channel.
Action taken
KCHF added the Heartland country-music channel to digital subchannel 11.3 beginning June 30, 2014.
Aftermath
Heartland remained part of the station's multicast lineup until it was replaced by QVC in 2016.
2009
Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
United States full-power television stations were required to end analog broadcasting under the national digital-transition timetable.
Action taken
KCHF shut down its analog VHF channel 11 signal on June 12, 2009 and continued digitally using pre-transition VHF channel 10 with virtual channel 11.
Aftermath
The station continued its over-the-air service in digital form and retained its established virtual-channel identity.
Recent events
- 2024
KCHF relocates its transmitter to Sandia Crest[1]
Other
KCHF's transmitter was relocated to Sandia Crest in December 2024, changing the station's principal transmission site.
- 2016
KCHF reorganizes its multicast lineup[1]
Product generation
In early June 2016, KCHF replaced Heartland with QVC and reassigned Antenna TV and WeatherNation among its digital subchannels.
- 2014
KCHF adds Heartland to a digital subchannel[1]
Product launch
The station began carrying the Heartland country-music channel on digital subchannel 11.3 on June 30, 2014.
- 2009
KCHF completes analog-to-digital transition[1]
Product generation · Regulation
On June 12, 2009, KCHF shut down its analog VHF transmission as part of the United States full-power television transition to digital broadcasting. Its digital service used pre-transition channel 10 while continuing to identify virtually as channel 11.
- 2006
KCHF licensed for digital transmission[1]
Product generation · Regulation
KCHF's digital transmitter was licensed on January 26, 2006, supporting the station's transition toward digital terrestrial broadcasting.
- 1984
KCHF begins broadcasting after receiving its construction permit[1]
Other
KCHF signed on in January 1984 after the station's original construction permit had been granted in 1983.
- 1984
KCHF receives license to cover[1]
Regulation
The station received its license to cover on June 29, 1984, formalizing its operating authorization from a transmitter near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Sources2 sources
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