KCPN-LD

KCPN-LD is a low-power television station serving Amarillo, Texas, on channel 33. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and is operated alongside NBC affiliate KAMR-TV and Fox affiliate KCIT. Although KCPN-LD maintains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV, its day-to-day schedule is primarily that of an independent station, combining syndicated programming and other acquired content with MyNetworkTV's scheduled programming. The station began broadcasting on October 26, 1994, under the call sign K65GD. It was established by Epic Broadcasting Corporation, which also owned KCIT, and originally operated as an independent outlet carrying syndicated programs, movies, animated series and other general-entertainment material. In January 1995, it became a charter affiliate of the newly launched United Paramount Network, or UPN. The station retained a broader entertainment schedule outside UPN's prime-time programming. In 1995, Epic sold K65GD, KCIT and related Wichita Falls stations to Wicks Broadcast Group. K65GD adopted the KCPN-LP call sign in November 1997 and moved from channel 65 to channel 33. The calls reflected its relationship with KCIT and its UPN affiliation. Wicks announced the sale of KCPN-LP and KCIT to Mission Broadcasting in January 1999. Quorum Broadcasting subsequently acquired KAMR-TV and assumed operational responsibilities for the Mission-owned stations under joint sales and shared-services arrangements. KAMR provided services including news production, engineering, security, advertising sales and other operational support. KCPN left UPN in September 2002 after UPN arranged to serve the Amarillo market through another low-power station. KCPN then returned to an independent format, replacing network programming with syndicated content. Quorum merged with Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2003, and Nexstar assumed the shared-services relationship involving KAMR, KCIT and KCPN. The three stations continued to operate from shared facilities in downtown Amarillo. Following the 2006 decision by CBS and Warner Bros. to replace UPN and The WB with The CW, News Corporation launched MyNetworkTV as an alternative for stations that were not selected for The CW. Nexstar and Mission announced KCPN as MyNetworkTV's charter Amarillo affiliate. The station adopted the on-air identity My Amarillo TV before joining the network when MyNetworkTV launched on September 5, 2006. The affiliation was primarily a programming arrangement; KCPN continued to carry a broader independent schedule outside the network's programming blocks. Because KCPN-LD operates with low-power status, its over-the-air coverage is limited compared with full-power stations. Its service area includes Amarillo, nearby Bishop Hills and portions of Potter and Randall counties. To extend the station's reach across the market, its programming is simulcast on KAMR-TV's second digital subchannel, 4.2. The simulcast was originally presented in standard definition and commonly used a letterboxed 4:3 presentation, but it was upgraded to full 1080i high definition around September 2017. The station's facilities were affected by a major Texas Panhandle blizzard in February 2013. Electrical fluctuations disabled cooling equipment at the transmitter site, taking KCPN, KAMR and KCIT off the air for more than 18 hours. Severe snowdrifts delayed access to the site until the following morning, while cable viewers continued to receive the stations through a direct fiber feed. KCPN completed its transition from analog low-power service to digital broadcasting on April 1, 2021, when it adopted the KCPN-LD call sign. Nexstar exercised an option to acquire the station outright from Mission Broadcasting in 2021, with the transaction completed on October 1 of that year.

KCPN-LD began broadcasting in Amarillo on October 26, 1994, as K65GD. Epic Broadcasting Corporation established the station while owning KCIT, another Amarillo television outlet. K65GD initially operated as an independent station with a general-entertainment schedule consisting of first-run and off-network syndicated shows, movies and animated programming. On January 16, 1995, the station became a charter affiliate of UPN, the network created by Paramount Television and Chris-Craft/United Television. Outside UPN's prime-time schedule, K65GD continued to carry syndicated sitcoms and dramas, films, children's programs and other acquired content. Epic sold the station, KCIT and related Wichita Falls outlets to Wicks Broadcast Group during 1995. In November 1997, K65GD adopted the KCPN-LP call sign and moved its transmission assignment from UHF channel 65 to channel 33. Wicks announced the sale of KCPN-LP and KCIT to Mission Broadcasting in January 1999. At approximately the same time, Quorum Broadcasting acquired KAMR-TV. Quorum assumed operational responsibility for the Mission stations through joint sales and shared-services agreements. KAMR supplied functions such as news production, engineering, security and advertising sales, and its operations were eventually moved into the KCIT/KCPN facility on South Fillmore Street. This arrangement linked the three Amarillo stations operationally even though ownership structures initially differed. KCPN ended its UPN affiliation on September 16, 2002, after UPN reached an agreement to serve Amarillo through another low-power outlet. The station reverted to an independent schedule, filling former network periods with syndicated programming. Quorum merged with Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2003. When that transaction was completed at the end of the year, Nexstar took over the shared-services arrangement associated with KAMR, KCIT and KCPN. The 2006 collapse of UPN and The WB reshaped KCPN's network position. CBS Corporation and the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner announced plans to create The CW, while News Corporation introduced MyNetworkTV for stations that were not selected for The CW. In March 2006, Nexstar and Mission confirmed that KCPN-LP would be MyNetworkTV's Amarillo affiliate. The station began using the My Amarillo TV identity in late August and joined MyNetworkTV when the network launched on September 5. Amarillo's CW affiliation instead went to a digital subchannel of KVII-TV. KCPN's low-power authorization gives it a smaller direct over-the-air footprint than full-power stations. Its signal reaches Amarillo, Bishop Hills and parts of Potter and Randall counties. To provide broader market coverage, KCPN is simulcast through KAMR-TV's second digital subchannel, 4.2. The simulcast historically used 480i standard definition with many programs displayed in letterboxed 4:3 format; it was upgraded to 1080i high definition around September 2017. In February 2013, the station's transmitter was affected by a major blizzard. Electrical fluctuations shut down cooling pumps at the shared transmitter site, taking KCPN, KAMR and KCIT off the air for more than 18 hours. Snowdrifts reaching approximately four feet made the site inaccessible until February 26. Cable systems continued carrying the stations through a direct fiber connection. KCPN completed its analog-to-digital conversion on April 1, 2021, and adopted the KCPN-LD call sign. Nexstar later exercised an option to acquire the station outright from Mission Broadcasting. The sale closed on October 1, 2021. KCPN-LD remains associated with Nexstar's Amarillo station group, sharing downtown studios with KAMR-TV and KCIT while transmitting from a site near Dumas Drive and Reclamation Plant Road in rural Potter County.

• 2021

  Digital conversion and Nexstar ownership

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station converted to digital service on April 1 and became directly owned by Nexstar after the October 1 transaction with Mission Broadcasting.

• 2017

  HD simulcast upgrade

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The KAMR-TV 4.2 simulcast was upgraded to 1080i high definition.

• 2013

  Blizzard-related transmitter outage

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  A severe blizzard and electrical failure interrupted the station's over-the-air transmission for more than 18 hours.

• 2006

  Becomes MyNetworkTV charter affiliate

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  KCPN joined MyNetworkTV at the network's launch and adopted the My Amarillo TV branding.

• 2003

  Nexstar assumes shared-services relationship

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Following Quorum's merger with Nexstar, Nexstar took over the operational relationship involving KAMR, KCIT and KCPN.

• 2002

  Leaves UPN

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  KCPN ended its UPN affiliation and returned to an independent syndicated-programming format.

• 1999

  Mission Broadcasting acquisition announced

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Wicks announced the sale of KCPN-LP and KCIT to Mission Broadcasting, with Quorum later providing operational services.

• 1997

  Adopts KCPN-LP call sign

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station changed its call sign to KCPN-LP and moved to UHF channel 33.

• 1995

  Joins UPN

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  K65GD became a charter affiliate of the United Paramount Network while retaining general-entertainment programming outside network hours.

• 1994

  First broadcast as K65GD

  [1]KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station signed on October 26 as an independent low-power outlet on UHF channel 65.

A locally distributed, general-entertainment television service for the Amarillo market, combining independent-station programming with MyNetworkTV content and extended-market distribution through a KAMR-TV digital-subchannel simulcast.

• Low-power television station · 1994

  KCPN-LD channel 33

  KCPN-LD's primary broadcast service is a digital, low-power television signal on channel 33 serving Amarillo and nearby portions of Potter and Randall counties. Its schedule is primarily independent, with syndicated programming and other acquired entertainment content, supplemented by MyNetworkTV programming.

• Television network affiliation · 2006

  MyNetworkTV affiliation

  KCPN-LD has maintained a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation since the network launched in 2006. The affiliation supplies scheduled network programming while the station continues to operate largely as a general-entertainment independent outlet.

• Digital subchannel distribution

  KAMR-TV 4.2 simulcast

  KCPN-LD's programming is simulcast on KAMR-TV's second digital subchannel to extend coverage beyond the limited contour of the low-power channel 33 signal. The service was historically distributed in standard definition and was upgraded to 1080i high definition around 2017.

• 2006My Amarillo TV rebranding

  Amarillo, Texas

  KCPN introduced the My Amarillo TV identity before its transition from its post-UPN independent format to a MyNetworkTV-affiliated schedule.

  Outcome. The branding supported the station's launch as a charter MyNetworkTV affiliate in Amarillo.

  Source

• 2021

  Nexstar acquires KCPN-LD outrightM&A

  Background

  KCPN had previously been owned by Mission Broadcasting while operating in a station group associated with Nexstar through shared-services arrangements.

  Action taken

  Nexstar exercised its option to purchase the station from Mission Broadcasting.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition closed on October 1, placing KCPN-LD under direct Nexstar ownership alongside KAMR-TV and KCIT.

  Source

• 2017

  Upgrade the market-wide simulcast to HDGeneration change

  Background

  The KAMR-TV 4.2 simulcast had historically used 480i standard definition and a letterboxed 4:3 presentation.

  Action taken

  The simulcast was upgraded to 1080i full high definition around September.

  Aftermath

  Viewers receiving KCPN through KAMR's digital subchannel could access a higher-definition presentation.

  Source

• 2006

  Accept MyNetworkTV affiliationStrategy

  Background

  The planned creation of The CW dissolved UPN and The WB and left some former affiliates without a national network.

  Action taken

  Nexstar and Mission selected KCPN-LP as MyNetworkTV's charter affiliate for the Amarillo market.

  Aftermath

  KCPN joined the network on September 5, 2006, while KVII-TV received the area's CW affiliation through a digital subchannel.

  Source

• 2002

  Return to independent programmingStrategy

  Background

  UPN reached an agreement with another Amarillo low-power outlet, ending KCPN's network affiliation.

  Action taken

  KCPN replaced UPN programming with off-network syndicated programming and other general-entertainment content.

  Aftermath

  The station later gained a new network relationship when it was selected as MyNetworkTV's Amarillo affiliate.

  Source

• 1995

  Join UPN as a charter affiliateStrategy

  Background

  The newly created UPN network was seeking launch affiliates, while K65GD was operating as a general-entertainment independent station.

  Action taken

  K65GD began carrying UPN prime-time programming while retaining syndicated and other acquired programming during the rest of its schedule.

  Aftermath

  The affiliation continued until September 2002, when UPN shifted its Amarillo affiliation to another low-power station.

  Source

1. 1KCPN-LDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KAMR-TV, KCIT and KCPN-LD official websitemyhighplains.com