KUBE-TV

KUBE-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Baytown, Texas, and serving viewers in the Houston metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 57 and operates from facilities on Fountain View Drive and Burgoyne Road on Houston's southwest side. Its transmitter is located near Missouri City in northeastern Fort Bend County. KUBE-TV is owned by WRNN-TV Associates, the company associated with the RNN television group. The station began broadcasting on May 18, 1988, as KLTJ. It was established by Eldred Thomas, a broadcaster who had also been involved in building television and radio facilities in Texas. KLTJ initially carried religious programming from several Christian television sources, including the PTL Satellite Network, Christian Television Network, and the Three Angels Broadcasting Network. Its original technical configuration created reception difficulties in parts of Houston, particularly in the northern and western sections of the market. In 1989, Thomas moved the KLTJ programming and call sign to channel 22, while channel 57 adopted the call sign KRTW. Channel 57 subsequently passed through several formats and call signs. It became KVVV in 1994 and carried home-shopping programming supplied by ValueVision. In 2000, it adopted the KAZH call sign and became an affiliate of FamilyNet. The station also operated with translators intended to improve its reach within Houston, although those facilities were later taken off the air or transferred amid financial difficulties affecting owner Pappas Telecasting. KAZH became a Spanish-language station in 2002 through an affiliation with Azteca América. In 2007, Pappas ended that affiliation, and the station joined TuVisión, an independent Spanish-language network operated by Pappas. The station later became the first affiliate of VasalloVision in October 2009 after the closure of TuVisión. These years reflected the station's effort to serve Spanish-speaking viewers while operating within a changing network and ownership environment. On September 27, 2010, the station shifted to an English-language general-entertainment independent format and changed its call sign to KUBE-TV. During this period, it carried syndicated series such as Seinfeld, The Doctors, Hot Bench, Family Guy, and Bob's Burgers. KUBE also acquired selected sports rights, including broadcasts involving the Houston Dynamo during the 2017 Major League Soccer season and Atlantic Coast Conference college football and men's basketball through 2019. In 2013, NRJ TV announced an agreement to acquire KUBE-TV from New World TV Group as part of a transaction that also included KTNC-TV in the San Francisco market. In 2019, WRNN-TV Associates agreed to purchase KUBE-TV and several other full-power stations from NRJ. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction in January 2020, and the sale closed in February of that year. The station's programming strategy changed substantially after the RNN acquisition. In 2021, RNN and iMedia Brands announced an arrangement under which most RNN stations, including KUBE-TV, would carry ShopHQ. KUBE began airing ShopHQ programming on June 28, 2021, leaving only a limited amount of general entertainment and locally or remotely supplied programming. By 2023, the station had shifted to programming from Shop LC for most of its schedule. Its current identity is therefore primarily that of a commercial broadcast outlet carrying shopping and paid programming, supplemented by selected programming supplied from the RNN operation and other producers.

KUBE-TV began operations on May 18, 1988, as KLTJ, a religious television station founded by Eldred Thomas. Thomas had previously been involved in developing broadcast properties in Texas. The station initially operated from Pasadena studios with a transmission facility in Anahuac and carried programming from several Christian television services. Because of signal limitations and the transmitter's location, portions of the Houston market received the station poorly. On May 18, 1989, the KLTJ programming and call sign moved to channel 22 from a tower near Alvin, while channel 57 became KRTW. The channel went through several identities during the 1990s and early 2000s. It became KVVV in 1994 and adopted a home-shopping format supplied by ValueVision. In 2000, it became KAZH and affiliated with FamilyNet. Translators KHMV-CA and KVVV-LP were used to extend the station's presence in Houston, but both were taken off the air in November 2007 amid Pappas Telecasting's financial problems. KHMV-CA was later sold, while KVVV-LP was transferred to a liquidation trust and subsequently returned to the air in digital form. KAZH entered Spanish-language television in 2002 as an Azteca América affiliate. Pappas ended the affiliation in 2007, after which Azteca América programming moved first to a low-power station and later to another full-power Houston-area outlet. KAZH instead joined TuVisión, Pappas's independent Spanish-language network. Pappas and thirteen of its stations, including KAZH, filed for Chapter 11 protection in May 2008. A bankruptcy court later required the affected stations to be sold. In January 2009, the stations were sold to New World TV Group, subject to court approval. KAZH became the first affiliate of VasalloVision in October 2009 after TuVisión closed. The station changed direction on September 27, 2010, adopting the KUBE-TV call sign and an English-language general-entertainment independent format. Its schedule included syndicated entertainment and court programming, including Seinfeld, The Doctors, Hot Bench, Family Guy, and Bob's Burgers. KUBE also carried sports programming, including Houston Dynamo matches during the 2017 season and Atlantic Coast Conference football and men's basketball through 2019. NRJ TV announced in January 2013 that it would purchase KUBE-TV from New World TV Group in a transaction also involving KTNC-TV. In December 2019, WRNN-TV Associates announced its agreement to acquire KUBE-TV and other stations from NRJ. The FCC approved the transaction in January 2020, and the sale was completed in February. After joining the RNN station group, KUBE-TV's schedule moved away from conventional syndicated entertainment. RNN and iMedia Brands announced in May 2021 that most RNN stations would affiliate with ShopHQ, and KUBE began carrying that service on June 28. By the 2021–22 period, most syndicated programs had moved to other Houston stations or were no longer cleared locally; Seinfeld was described as the principal remaining entertainment holdover. During 2023, KUBE shifted to Shop LC programming. The station now primarily functions as a Houston-market broadcast outlet for shopping, paid, educational, and other programming supplied by its ownership group or external providers.

• 2023

  Shop LC becomes the principal shopping service

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station switches to Shop LC programming for most of its schedule.

• 2021

  ShopHQ programming begins

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KUBE starts carrying ShopHQ on June 28.

• 2020

  Ownership transfers to WRNN-TV Associates

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC approves the transaction and WRNN-TV Associates completes its purchase of KUBE-TV.

• 2013

  NRJ TV announces acquisition

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  NRJ TV announces a proposed acquisition of KUBE-TV from New World TV Group.

• 2010

  KUBE-TV identity introduced

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station changes its call sign and adopts an English-language independent entertainment format.

• 2009

  VasalloVision affiliation

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KAZH becomes the first affiliate of VasalloVision.

• 2008

  Pappas bankruptcy filing

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KAZH joins thirteen Pappas stations in filing for Chapter 11 protection.

• 2002

  Azteca América affiliation begins

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KAZH becomes a Spanish-language Azteca América affiliate.

• 2000

  KAZH joins FamilyNet

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station changes its call sign to KAZH and affiliates with FamilyNet.

• 1994

  Channel 57 becomes KVVV

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the KVVV call sign and carries ValueVision home-shopping programming.

• 1989

  Programming moves to channel 22

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The KLTJ programming and call sign move to channel 22, and channel 57 becomes KRTW.

• 1988

  KLTJ signs on

  [1]KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting on May 18 as KLTJ, with a religious-programming schedule.

A Houston-area full-power broadcast station whose schedule has shifted from religious and Spanish-language programming to English-language independent entertainment and, more recently, predominantly home-shopping and paid programming.

• Broadcast programming · 1988

  Religious programming

  KLTJ's original schedule consisted primarily of religious programming acquired from multiple Christian television sources, including the PTL Satellite Network, Christian Television Network, and the Three Angels Broadcasting Network.

• Broadcast programming · 2002

  Spanish-language network programming

  Under the KAZH identity, the station carried Spanish-language programming through affiliations with Azteca América, TuVisión, and later VasalloVision. This period made the station a Spanish-language outlet in the Houston market.

• Broadcast programming · 2010

  English-language independent programming

  From 2010, KUBE-TV operated as an English-language independent station with syndicated entertainment, court shows, sitcoms, and selected sports. Its listed programming included Seinfeld, The Doctors, Hot Bench, Family Guy, and Bob's Burgers.

• Home shopping · 2021

  ShopHQ

  KUBE-TV carried ShopHQ programming beginning June 28, 2021, under an arrangement between RNN and iMedia Brands. ShopHQ became the dominant component of the station's schedule during the early 2020s.

• Home shopping · 2023

  Shop LC

  By 2023, KUBE-TV was airing programming from Shop LC for most of its broadcast schedule, supplemented by other content supplied remotely or through the RNN operation.

• 2023

  Transition to Shop LCStrategy

  Background

  KUBE's schedule had become predominantly home-shopping oriented after the ShopHQ affiliation.

  Action taken

  The station switched to programming from Shop LC for most of its broadcast day.

  Aftermath

  KUBE continued operating as a commercial Houston-area broadcast station with a primarily shopping-based schedule.

  Source

• 2021

  Adoption of ShopHQ programmingStrategy

  Background

  RNN and iMedia Brands sought to affiliate most RNN television stations with the ShopHQ home-shopping network.

  Action taken

  KUBE-TV began carrying ShopHQ programming on June 28, 2021.

  Aftermath

  Most of the station's syndicated entertainment moved elsewhere or disappeared from the Houston market, leaving only limited general-interest programming.

  Source

• 2019

  Sale agreement with WRNN-TV AssociatesM&A

  Background

  NRJ TV agreed to sell a portfolio of stations as part of a broader ownership transaction.

  Action taken

  WRNN-TV Associates agreed to acquire KUBE-TV along with seven full-power stations and one Class A station.

  Aftermath

  The FCC approved the transaction in January 2020, and the sale closed on February 4, 2020.

  Source

• 2013

  NRJ TV acquisition agreementM&A

  Background

  New World TV Group agreed to sell KUBE-TV as part of a two-station transaction that also included KTNC-TV.

  Action taken

  NRJ TV announced an intended acquisition of KUBE-TV for a reported transaction value of $19 million for the station, subject to applicable approvals.

  Aftermath

  KUBE remained under NRJ ownership until the later sale to WRNN-TV Associates.

  Reported acquisition price. $19 million (2013 announcement)

  Source

• 2010

  Shift from Spanish-language programming to English-language independenceStrategy

  Background

  The station cited the larger advertising opportunity available through an English-language general-entertainment format.

  Action taken

  On September 27, 2010, KAZH changed its call sign to KUBE-TV and adopted an English-language independent schedule.

  Aftermath

  KUBE carried syndicated entertainment and sports programming, including Houston Dynamo matches and ACC events, before later moving toward home-shopping programming.

  Source

1. 1KUBE-TVen.wikipedia.org