KPNZ
A religious television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, serving the Salt Lake City area on channel 24.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KPNZ is a television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, and serving the wider Salt Lake City television market. Broadcasting on UHF channel 24, the station is owned by Total Christian Television (TCT) and operates as a religious broadcaster. Its studios are located on North Wright Brothers Drive in northwest Salt Lake City, while its transmitter is situated on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains. The station began broadcasting on December 6, 1998, under the call sign KAZG. It initially operated as an independent station before becoming the Salt Lake City market's affiliate of the United Paramount Network, or UPN, in early 2001. The affiliation move followed a dispute between UPN and KJZZ-TV, the market's previous UPN affiliate, over affiliate compensation, program-preemption rights, and the commercial prospects of programming aimed at urban and ethnic audiences. UPN shifted its programming to KAZG, which adopted the KPNZ call letters. In August 2001, the station moved its operations from its original Ogden studio facility to the International Center in Salt Lake City. KPNZ's UPN affiliation ended during the major United States network realignment of 2006. After The WB and UPN were slated to close and their programming was combined into The CW, KPNZ was not selected for either The CW or the newly created MyNetworkTV service. The station removed UPN programming from its schedule on June 5, 2006, and subsequently used the informal identity “Utah's 24.” Ownership changed several times. Utah Communications, LLC applied in 2007 to sell the station to Liberman Broadcasting, and the transaction closed on November 30 of that year. Liberman initially retained an English-language schedule, but KPNZ adopted a Spanish-language format in February 2008. In 2009, it became an owned-and-operated station of Estrella TV, the Spanish-language network formed by Liberman's television properties. Liberman announced a sale to HC2 Holdings in 2018, with completion reported on October 26. Under HC2, KPNZ's affiliation changed to Azteca América. In March 2021, HC2 announced an agreement to sell KPNZ and Iowa station KWKB to Total Christian Television for $4 million. The transaction closed on August 2, 2021, moving KPNZ from a Spanish-language commercial network environment into TCT's religious broadcasting group. The station's long-term schedule and branding have therefore reflected successive phases as an independent outlet, a UPN affiliate, an English-language post-network station, a Spanish-language Estrella TV station, an Azteca América affiliate, and a religious station under TCT ownership. KPNZ completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting through a flash cut on UHF channel 24 on June 12, 2009.
History
KPNZ began broadcasting on December 6, 1998, as KAZG, an independent station licensed to Ogden, Utah. Its facilities served the Salt Lake City market, and its early identity was not tied to a major national network. The station became more prominent when UPN selected it to replace KJZZ-TV as the market's affiliate. The transition occurred after a dispute involving affiliate compensation, program-preemption provisions, and disagreement over the commercial viability of expanding urban and ethnic programming. KAZG took the KPNZ call letters as it assumed the UPN affiliation. In August 2001, KPNZ moved its operations from an Ogden studio to the International Center in Salt Lake City. The move reflected its role as a broadcaster serving the larger metropolitan market rather than only its city of license. Its UPN period ended in 2006 during the closure and consolidation of UPN and The WB. The CW affiliation went to former WB station KUWB, while MyNetworkTV selected KJZZ-TV. KPNZ therefore removed UPN programming from its schedule and used “Utah's 24” as an interim identity. Utah Communications, LLC agreed to sell the station to Liberman Broadcasting in 2007. The transaction closed on November 30, 2007. Liberman first continued an English-language schedule, then changed KPNZ to Spanish-language programming in February 2008. In September 2009, the station became part of Estrella TV, a Spanish-language network associated with Liberman's television operations. This period repositioned KPNZ toward Spanish-speaking viewers in the Salt Lake City market. Liberman announced the sale of KPNZ to HC2 Holdings in June 2018, and the deal closed on October 26 of that year. HC2 changed the station's affiliation to Azteca América. The station remained a commercial television outlet until HC2 announced in March 2021 that it would sell KPNZ and KWKB to Total Christian Television. The sale closed on August 2, 2021, making TCT the station's owner and shifting its operating context to religious broadcasting. KPNZ has also had regulatory and legal difficulties. In 2005, former station personnel were arrested in connection with alleged theft, fraud, forgery, and embezzlement. The proceedings did not result in identical outcomes for all defendants: charges against the general manager were dropped, charges against the traffic manager were dismissed, and the former accounting manager later settled after being charged with numerous counts. In 2014, the Federal Communications Commission imposed a $9,000 fine for repeated failures involving Emergency Alert System equipment and logs. Technically, KPNZ was not assigned a separate companion digital channel under the relevant FCC allotment process. It ended analog broadcasting on UHF channel 24 on June 12, 2009, and moved its digital operation to the same channel through a flash cut. The station's transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, and its studios are in northwest Salt Lake City.
- 2021
TCT acquisition closes
[1]Total Christian Television completes its purchase of KPNZ, making the station part of a religious broadcasting group.
- 2018
HC2 Holdings acquisition closes
[1]HC2 Holdings completes its acquisition of KPNZ and changes its network affiliation to Azteca América.
- 2009
Estrella TV affiliation begins
[1]KPNZ becomes an owned-and-operated station of the Estrella TV network.
- 2009
Digital flash cut
[1]The station ends analog broadcasting on June 12 and begins digital operation on UHF channel 24.
- 2008
Spanish-language format launches
[1]KPNZ changes from an English-language schedule to Spanish-language programming under Liberman ownership.
- 2007
Liberman Broadcasting acquisition closes
[1]Liberman Broadcasting completes its purchase of KPNZ from Utah Communications, LLC.
- 2006
UPN schedule is removed
[1]KPNZ drops UPN programming after being passed over for both The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliations.
- 2001
UPN affiliation begins
[1]KAZG becomes the Salt Lake City market's UPN affiliate and adopts the KPNZ call letters.
- 2001
Operations move to Salt Lake City
[1]KPNZ relocates its operating facilities from Ogden to the International Center in Salt Lake City.
- 1998
KAZG begins broadcasting
[1]The station signs on December 6 as KAZG, an independent station licensed to Ogden, Utah.
Products and positioning
A locally licensed religious television station serving the Ogden and Salt Lake City area through terrestrial digital broadcasting.
Broadcast television · 1998
KPNZ terrestrial television service
KPNZ provides over-the-air digital television service on UHF channel 24 to viewers in the Ogden and Salt Lake City area. Its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, while its studios are in northwest Salt Lake City. The station's programming identity has changed over time as its ownership and affiliations changed.
Religious television programming · 2021
TCT religious programming
Under Total Christian Television ownership, KPNZ operates as a religious television station. Its current positioning is based on distributing faith-oriented programming rather than serving as a Spanish-language commercial network affiliate, although detailed current schedule information is not established in the supplied references.
Spanish-language television programming · 2009
Estrella TV programming
From 2009 until the later ownership transition, KPNZ carried Estrella TV programming as one of the network's owned-and-operated stations. This phase followed the station's adoption of a Spanish-language format in 2008.
Spanish-language network programming · 2018
Azteca América programming
After HC2 Holdings acquired the station in 2018, KPNZ became an Azteca América affiliate. The affiliation represented a further Spanish-language commercial phase before the 2021 sale to Total Christian Television.
Controversies
2014
FCC Emergency Alert System fine
The FCC fined KPNZ $9,000 after determining that the station had repeatedly failed to maintain operational Emergency Alert System equipment and required logs.
2005
Embezzlement-related arrests involving station personnel
KPNZ's human resources director and accounting manager was fired over alleged embezzlement and later faced numerous theft, fraud, and forgery counts. The station's general manager and traffic manager were also arrested; the general manager's charges were dropped and the traffic manager's charges were dismissed. The accounting manager later settled.
Brand decisions
2021
Sell KPNZ to Total Christian TelevisionM&ABackground
HC2 Holdings announced a transaction covering KPNZ and Iowa station KWKB.
Action taken
Total Christian Television acquired KPNZ; the transaction was completed on August 2.
Aftermath
KPNZ became a religious television station under TCT ownership.
purchase price. $4 million (announced March 18, 2021; transaction completed August 2, 2021)
2018
Sell KPNZ to HC2 HoldingsM&ABackground
Liberman Broadcasting announced the sale of KPNZ as part of a change in station ownership.
Action taken
HC2 Holdings acquired the station and changed its affiliation to Azteca América.
Aftermath
KPNZ remained a Spanish-language commercial television outlet until its subsequent sale to Total Christian Television.
2008
Adopt Spanish-language programmingStrategyBackground
Liberman Broadcasting acquired KPNZ in late 2007 and operated television properties associated with Spanish-language broadcasting.
Action taken
KPNZ changed from an English-language schedule to a Spanish-language format.
Aftermath
The station joined Estrella TV's owned-and-operated group in 2009.
2006
Remove UPN programmingStrategyBackground
UPN and The WB were being replaced by The CW, while MyNetworkTV was also selecting affiliates. KPNZ was not chosen by either new service.
Action taken
KPNZ removed UPN programming and used the “Utah's 24” identity.
Aftermath
The station continued outside the two new network lineups before later ownership and format changes.
2001
Accept UPN affiliation after KJZZ disputeStrategyBackground
UPN sought a new Salt Lake City affiliate after a dispute with KJZZ-TV concerning compensation, preemption terms, and the market potential of urban-themed programming.
Action taken
KAZG accepted UPN programming and changed its call letters to KPNZ.
Aftermath
KPNZ became the market's UPN affiliate and later moved its operations to Salt Lake City.
Recent events
- 2021
Total Christian Television acquires KPNZ[1]
M&A
Total Christian Television completed its purchase of KPNZ from HC2 Holdings, bringing the station into a religious broadcasting group.
- 2018
KPNZ changes affiliation to Azteca América after HC2 acquisition[1]
M&A
HC2 Holdings acquired KPNZ from Liberman Broadcasting and changed the station's network affiliation to Azteca América.
- 2009
KPNZ joins Estrella TV[1]
Product launch
KPNZ became an owned-and-operated station of Estrella TV alongside other Liberman television properties.
- 2008
KPNZ adopts a Spanish-language format[1]
Product launch
After the Liberman acquisition, the station changed from an English-language schedule to Spanish-language programming.
- 2007
Liberman Broadcasting completes acquisition of KPNZ[1]
M&A
Liberman Broadcasting acquired the station from Utah Communications, LLC, beginning a period of commercial television ownership that later led to a Spanish-language format.
- 2006
KPNZ drops UPN programming after not receiving a new-network affiliation[1]
Other
Following the planned shutdown of UPN and The WB, KPNZ removed UPN programming after The CW and MyNetworkTV affiliations went to other Salt Lake City stations.
- 2001
KPNZ becomes Salt Lake City's UPN affiliate[1]
Other · Leadership change
KAZG changed its call letters to KPNZ and assumed UPN programming after the network ended its affiliation with KJZZ-TV.
Sources1 sources
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