KMBH-LD
KMBH-LD is a low-power television station in McAllen, Texas, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as a translator of Entravision-owned Fox affiliate KFXV.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KMBH-LD is a low-power television station serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Based in McAllen, the station operates on physical UHF channel 20 and uses virtual channel 67. It functions primarily as a translator of KFXV, a full-power Fox affiliate licensed to Harlingen and owned by Entravision Communications. Its transmitter is located near Donna on Farm to Market Road 493, while related Entravision operations share facilities on Jackson Road in McAllen with KNVO, the company's Univision affiliate in the market. The station has operated under several identities. It began as KSFE-LP and became the area's CW affiliate in August 2007, using the on-air identity "The CW 21." The affiliation followed an earlier period in which CW programming had been available through the cable-only service associated with KMHB. Around the same period, KSFE also appeared digitally as a subchannel of sister station KNVO, expanding over-the-air access to CW programming across the Rio Grande Valley. In 2010, KSFE-LP moved into low-power digital operation on RF channel 20, displayed to viewers as virtual channel 67.1. By late 2011, Entravision had decided to use the station's main channel as a translator for its Fox service, while moving CW programming to a separate low-power outlet, KCWT. The call sign changed to KFXV-LD in 2012, aligning the station more closely with the Fox service it retransmitted. Although its technical identity was associated with channel 67, the station initially retained the "Fox 2" branding inherited from the former Fox outlet XHRIO. A significant market realignment took place in August 2012. XHRIO moved from Fox to the newly launched Spanish-language MundoFox network, while KFXV-LD became the official Fox affiliate serving the Rio Grande Valley. The transition was previewed by test programming and was formally completed on August 13, 2012. This arrangement made KFXV the area's American-licensed Fox outlet, replacing the earlier cross-border association of Fox programming with XHRIO. The station later adopted branding centered on its call letters in 2016. On May 27, 2020, the station became KMBH-LD. The change followed Entravision's acquisition of full-power KMBH and its conversion of that facility into KFXV, allowing the former KFXV-LD call sign to move to the full-power Fox station. KMBH-LD therefore continued as the low-power translator while KFXV became the principal full-power Fox outlet. MyNetworkTV programming, previously carried secondarily by KFXV and KMBH-LD, moved to KGBT-TV in October 2021. KMBH-LD's programming identity has also included local news inherited from the former XHRIO Fox operation. The associated Fox news service began with bilingual news briefs in the late 1970s and later introduced a full 30-minute weekday 9 p.m. newscast, Fox 2 News at Nine, on March 12, 2007. The operation covers local and national news, weather, sports, international items, health and entertainment, and shares operational facilities with Entravision's Spanish-language news service on KNVO. As a low-power translator, KMBH-LD's principal role is distribution of the Fox service and related programming rather than independent station ownership or a separate large-scale broadcast operation.
History
KMBH-LD traces its broadcast history to KSFE-LP, a low-power station that became the Rio Grande Valley's CW affiliate on August 6, 2007. It was promoted as "The CW 21," reflecting the cable channel position expected for the service even though carriage was initially limited. CW programming had previously been available through a cable-only affiliate associated with KMHB. KSFE also became available digitally through a KNVO subchannel, helping broaden over-the-air coverage in the McAllen-area market. In 2010, the station began digital low-power broadcasting on RF channel 20, with virtual channel 67.1. Entravision subsequently reorganized its local network affiliations. By late 2011, the station's primary channel was designated as a translator for the company's Fox operation, while CW programming was shifted to KCWT. In 2012, KSFE-LP adopted the KFXV-LD call sign. The station initially retained a Fox 2 identity even though its virtual channel was 67, before moving toward call-letter-based branding in 2016. The 2012 affiliation transition reshaped television distribution throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley. XHRIO, formerly associated with Fox, began carrying MundoFox programming in August 2012. KFXV-LD became the official Fox affiliate on August 13, 2012, giving the market an American-licensed Fox outlet. The KFXV service also incorporated the local news operation that had developed at XHRIO. That operation evolved from bilingual news briefs introduced around XHRIO's 1979 launch into a weekday half-hour 9 p.m. newscast introduced on March 12, 2007. The station changed names again on May 27, 2020, becoming KMBH-LD. The change occurred after Entravision acquired full-power KMBH and converted it into KFXV, moving the KFXV call sign to the full-power Fox affiliate. KMBH-LD continued as the low-power translator of that service. Its transmitter remained near Donna, while the broader Entravision operation used shared McAllen facilities with KNVO. On October 1, 2021, MyNetworkTV, which had been carried as a secondary service on KFXV and KMBH-LD, moved to KGBT-TV. Today, KMBH-LD is best understood as a distribution outlet within Entravision's Rio Grande Valley television network. Its role is to extend the reach of the KFXV Fox service through a low-power signal, while local news and other market programming are produced and coordinated through the related Entravision stations.
- 2021
MyNetworkTV moves to KGBT-TV
[1]The secondary MyNetworkTV service left KFXV and KMBH-LD for KGBT-TV.
- 2020
Station becomes KMBH-LD
[1]The low-power outlet changed call signs after full-power KMBH was acquired and relaunched as KFXV.
- 2016
Branding shifts toward the KFXV call letters
[1]The station moved away from its earlier Fox 2 presentation and began using call-letter-centered branding.
- 2012
Station adopts the KFXV-LD call sign
[1]The station changed from KSFE-LP to KFXV-LD as it became a translator of the Fox service.
- 2012
KFXV-LD becomes the Rio Grande Valley Fox affiliate
[1]The Fox affiliation moved from XHRIO to KFXV-LD amid the launch of MundoFox on XHRIO.
- 2010
Digital low-power operation begins on RF channel 20
[1]KSFE-LP began digital operation using RF channel 20 and virtual channel 67.1.
- 2007
KSFE-LP becomes a CW affiliate
[1]KSFE-LP launched CW affiliation and adopted the "The CW 21" identity.
- 2007
Fox 2 News at Nine launches
[1]The associated operation introduced a weekday 30-minute local newscast at 9 p.m.
- 1979
XHRIO begins bilingual news briefs
[1]The predecessor Fox news operation associated with the station's later service began with hourly bilingual news briefs during evening programming.
Products and positioning
A low-power broadcast outlet extending Entravision's Fox service across the Lower Rio Grande Valley, with an emphasis on network programming and locally relevant news.
Broadcast television · 2012
Fox network programming
KMBH-LD primarily retransmits the Fox service associated with KFXV, extending network entertainment, sports and news programming to viewers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley through its low-power digital signal.
Local news · 2007
Fox 2 News at Nine
The associated local news format provides a weekday evening newscast covering regional news, national items, weather and sports, with additional international, health and entertainment features. The operation developed from news programming previously produced for XHRIO.
Television distribution · 2010
Digital broadcast channel 67.1
The station broadcasts digitally on physical UHF channel 20 while presenting virtual channel 67. Its transmitter near Donna supports coverage of the McAllen and wider Lower Rio Grande Valley market.
Brand decisions
2021
MyNetworkTV secondary affiliation moves to KGBT-TVStrategyBackground
MyNetworkTV had been carried secondarily on KFXV and KMBH-LD.
Action taken
The secondary service was transferred to KGBT-TV.
Aftermath
KMBH-LD's programming role became more focused on retransmitting the KFXV Fox service.
2020
Call signs are reorganized after the KMBH acquisitionOtherBackground
Entravision acquired full-power KMBH and relaunched it as KFXV.
Action taken
The former KFXV-LD adopted the KMBH-LD call sign.
Aftermath
KMBH-LD continued as the low-power translator of the full-power KFXV Fox affiliate.
2012
Fox affiliation moves from XHRIO to KFXV-LDStrategyBackground
XHRIO was selected to carry the newly launched Spanish-language MundoFox network in the Rio Grande Valley.
Action taken
KFXV-LD became the official Fox affiliate, while XHRIO began carrying MundoFox programming.
Aftermath
The Fox service became associated with an American-licensed station and KFXV-LD became the principal low-power Fox translator in the market.
2011
Primary channel converted to a Fox translatorStrategyBackground
Entravision was reorganizing its low-power and full-power television assets in the Rio Grande Valley, including separate outlets for Fox and CW programming.
Action taken
The station's main channel was designated as a translator of the Fox service, while CW programming moved to KCWT.
Aftermath
The change prepared the station to operate under the KFXV identity and become the market's American-licensed Fox outlet.
Sources2 sources
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