KFXV
KFXV is a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Harlingen, Texas, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KFXV is a full-power television station licensed to Harlingen, Texas, and serving viewers across the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The station operates as a Fox affiliate and is owned by Entravision Communications, which also operates several other television outlets in the market, including Univision affiliate KNVO, CW Plus and secondary PBS outlet KCWT-CD, and UniMás affiliate KTFV-CD. KFXV's studios are located on North Jackson Road in McAllen, while its transmitter is near La Feria. The present KFXV identity emerged from a facility with an unusual public-television history. The channel was initially proposed in the late 1970s as a noncommercial educational station associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. Although the original application contemplated channel 44, the proposal was changed to channel 60, a frequency that was not reserved for noncommercial use. This technical and regulatory circumstance later made it possible for the license to be converted into a commercial station. The facility first broadcast as KZLN in 1982 as the PBS member station for the Rio Grande Valley. Its initial operation was financially fragile. The station faced construction delays, weak membership support, unpaid bills, staff instability, and the theft of more than $150,000 in equipment. KZLN ceased broadcasting in July 1983 after attracting only about 400 members and producing little local programming. A diocesan organization subsequently acquired the license and relaunched the station as KMBH in October 1985. During its long PBS period, KMBH carried national public-television programming and produced a limited amount of local content, including high-school sports coverage, religious programs, a Spanish-language Bible study, and Sunday Mass. Its editorial and governance practices later drew scrutiny, including disputes over access to financial records, questions about board appointments and financial oversight, and criticism over decisions to delay or move certain Frontline documentaries outside prime time. KMBH converted from noncommercial to commercial operation in 2014. The Diocese cited the cost of running the public station, and the sale proceeds were used in part to repay grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. After a period under R Communications and MB Revolution, Entravision announced its acquisition of the facility in 2019. The station returned to the air in 2020 after transmitter problems and a technical repack, simulcasting the programming of Entravision's existing low-power Fox outlets before adopting the KFXV call sign on May 27, 2020. KFXV now functions as Entravision's full-power Fox outlet in the Rio Grande Valley. Its programming has included Fox network content, local and regional news, syndicated or multicast programming, and, for a period, a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation. The former KMBH facility's PBS service was ultimately moved to a subchannel of KCWT-CD rather than remaining on KFXV. KFXV's related local-news operation is branded Fox News South Texas, and its newscasts are also carried by Entravision's KXOF-CD in Laredo with localized inserts.
History
The broadcast facility now identified as KFXV originated in an application filed in 1977 by the Texas Consumer Education and Communications Development Committee, an organization connected with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville. The applicant initially sought a noncommercial channel allocation in Harlingen but later changed the proposal to channel 60. The Federal Communications Commission issued a construction permit in January 1979, and the KZLN call letters were assigned later that year. The channel's development was delayed by disputes over the proposed station, tower and facility construction problems, and financing difficulties. It eventually began broadcasting on May 5, 1982, as a PBS outlet for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. KZLN replaced Corpus Christi's KEDT for many cable viewers in the Valley, but the station launched during a difficult period for public broadcasting, when federal funding reductions weakened the financial environment for PBS affiliates. The station also suffered a major equipment theft in 1982. By early 1983 it had serious unpaid obligations, including a substantial electric bill and disrupted telephone service. Limited community support and a lack of locally produced programming led KZLN to leave the air on July 13, 1983. The Diocese, acting through RGV Educational Broadcasting, acquired the license and assumed certain liabilities. The organization initially used the KEDV call sign, then changed it to KMBH. After additional fundraising and construction, the facility returned to the air on October 8, 1985. KMBH remained a PBS member station for almost three decades. Its local output was limited, although it produced programs such as Valley Football Week and several religious programs, including Spanish-language Bible study and Sunday Mass. During the late 2000s, the station's management and governance attracted criticism. A dispute with newspaper reporter Bruce Lee Smith involved requests for financial records, confidential sources, and allegations concerning conduct at the station. The station publicly questioned Smith's ethics, while Smith denied the allegations made about him. In 2008, Bishop Raymundo Joseph Peña removed three members of the station's seven-member board. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting examined the station's finances after it recorded deficits for four consecutive years and lacked a community advisory board. KMBH also received criticism for moving the Frontline documentary Hand of God out of prime time in 2007 and for not showing a Frontline program about Hurricane Katrina in prime time in 2010 because of concerns about language. KMBH ended its analog transmission on February 17, 2009, while retaining digital service on its pre-transition channel. In January 2014, the Diocese announced plans to convert the license to commercial operation and sell or otherwise transfer control of the station. The change was legally possible because channel 60 was a commercial, rather than noncommercial-reserved, allocation even though the station had historically operated as public television. The FCC approved the conversion in February 2014. A transaction involving MB Revolution, associated with R Communications, was announced later that year and approved in 2015. The station initially continued to carry PBS programming, including on a digital subchannel, but its primary service later shifted to commercial and multicast programming such as Cozi TV and RTV-Música. Technical difficulties affected the facility after the ownership transition. A January 2018 power surge damaged the transmitter, and attempts to restore full-power operation caused additional failures. The station briefly returned at reduced power in 2018, then went off the air again in February 2019. Entravision announced a $2.9 million acquisition in August 2019. The facility returned with reduced-power and temporary facilities in January 2020, was reactivated in May, and began using the KFXV call sign on May 27, 2020. It adopted the Fox affiliation previously associated with Entravision's low-power KMBH-LD and KXFX-CD outlets, which subsequently served as translators of KFXV. Under Entravision, KFXV became the full-power Fox station for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Its news operation uses the Fox News South Texas branding, and related newscasts are carried on Entravision's KXOF-CD in Laredo with local news and weather inserts. The station also carried MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation for a period; that service moved to KGBT-TV in October 2021. PBS programming was placed on KCWT-CD, preserving a public-television service in the region without retaining PBS as KFXV's primary service.
- 2021
MyNetworkTV moves to KGBT-TV
[1]The station's secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation moved to KGBT-TV.
- 2020
Station becomes KFXV
[1]The facility was reactivated and adopted the KFXV identity as a full-power Fox affiliate.
- 2019
Entravision announces purchase
[1]Entravision announced its agreement to acquire the station.
- 2018
Transmitter damaged by power surge
[1]A utility-related surge damaged the KMBH transmitter and interrupted service.
- 2015
MB Revolution acquisition approved
[1]The FCC approved MB Revolution's purchase of the station.
- 2014
License converted to commercial use
[1]The FCC approved conversion of the historically noncommercial channel 60 license to commercial operation.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]KMBH ended analog broadcasting and continued with its digital signal.
- 1985
KMBH relaunches
[1]The diocesan successor organization returned the facility to the air as KMBH.
- 1983
KZLN ceases operation
[1]KZLN left the air after financial problems, weak membership support, and limited local programming.
- 1982
KZLN begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on as KZLN and became a PBS outlet for the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Products and positioning
A regional commercial broadcast station providing Fox network entertainment, sports, news, and syndicated or multicast programming to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Television network affiliation · 2020
Fox network service
KFXV's principal service is Fox-affiliated programming for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The schedule includes national entertainment, sports, news, and other network programming distributed through the station's full-power broadcast signal.
Local news
Fox News South Texas
The station's regional news output is branded Fox News South Texas. The programming serves the Rio Grande Valley and is also used by Entravision's KXOF-CD in Laredo, with selected local news and weather content inserted for that market.
Multicast broadcasting · 2016
Digital multicast television
KFXV's digital broadcast capacity has supported additional network and syndicated services over time. The former KMBH facility carried services including Cozi TV, RTV-Música, Teleritmo, and a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation before later schedule changes.
Controversies
2010
Criticism over Hurricane Katrina documentary scheduling
A Frontline documentary about the response to Hurricane Katrina was not shown in prime time because station management cited offensive language.
2008
Governance and financial oversight scrutiny
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting examined KMBH's finances after several deficit years and the station's lack of a community advisory board. The diocesan bishop also removed three of the station's seven board members.
2007
Dispute over financial-record access and reporter treatment
KMBH management disputed a reporter's efforts to obtain station financial records, sought disclosure of confidential sources, and later aired statements questioning his ethics. The reporter denied allegations concerning his conduct.
2007
Criticism over delayed Frontline documentary
KMBH did not air Frontline's Hand of God in prime time, instead scheduling it overnight. The decision generated complaints from viewers and attracted attention because the documentary addressed clergy sexual abuse.
Brand decisions
2020
Consolidate Fox programming on the full-power facilityStrategyBackground
Entravision previously used low-power stations KMBH-LD and KXFX-CD for Fox programming in the region.
Action taken
The company reactivated the former KMBH facility, simulcast the low-power Fox service, and changed the station's call sign to KFXV.
Aftermath
KFXV became the full-power Fox affiliate, while the former low-power outlets operated as translators.
2019
Acquire KMBH for Entravision's Rio Grande Valley groupM&ABackground
Entravision already operated several low-power television stations in the region, including Fox outlets, as well as KNVO.
Action taken
Entravision announced an agreement to acquire KMBH and subsequently integrated the facility with its existing regional television operations.
Aftermath
The facility returned to the air in 2020, adopted the KFXV call sign, and became a full-power Fox affiliate. PBS programming was later carried on KCWT-CD instead.
Announced acquisition price. $2.9 million (2019)
2014
Convert the public-television license to commercial useStrategyBackground
The Diocese of Brownsville said the cost of operating KMBH as a public station had become difficult to sustain. Because the station used a channel that was not reserved for noncommercial broadcasting, a commercial conversion was legally possible.
Action taken
The station sought FCC approval to convert its license and pursued a sale and local marketing arrangement with a commercial operator.
Aftermath
The FCC approved the conversion, and the transaction ended KMBH's role as the market's primary PBS station.
Sale price. $8.5 million announced transaction (2014)
Recent events
- 2021
MyNetworkTV affiliation moves from KFXV[1]
Other
The secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation formerly carried by KFXV and the KMBH facility moved to KGBT-TV.
- 2020
KMBH facility returns and adopts KFXV call sign[1]
Product launch
After returning to the air with temporary and later reactivated facilities, the station began using the KFXV call sign and became Entravision's full-power Fox outlet in the market.
- 2020
PBS service moves to KCWT-CD subchannel[1]
Product generation
Entravision placed PBS programming on KCWT-CD after the former KMBH facility became a commercial Fox station.
- 2019
Entravision announces acquisition of KMBH[1]
M&A
Entravision announced an agreement to acquire KMBH for $2.9 million, adding the full-power facility to its Rio Grande Valley television group.
- 2018
Transmitter failures disrupt KMBH service[1]
Other
A utility-related power surge damaged the station's transmitter. Attempts to restore full-power operation led to further damage and another prolonged outage.
- 2015
MB Revolution purchase of KMBH approved[1]
M&A · Regulation
The FCC approved MB Revolution's acquisition of the station after the facility had been operated under a local marketing agreement.
- 2014
KMBH license approved for conversion to commercial operation[1]
Regulation · M&A
The FCC approved the conversion of the former KMBH public-television license to commercial use, enabling the Diocese of Brownsville to pursue a sale and commercial programming arrangement.
Sources2 sources
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