KVMD

KVMD is a full-power television station licensed to Twentynine Palms, California, in the United States. It operates on virtual channel 31 and serves the broader Los Angeles television market, particularly the Inland Empire and portions of Los Angeles, Orange, and northern San Diego counties. Although its city of license is in the eastern California desert, the station maintains studio facilities in West Los Angeles and has developed market reach through cable, satellite, digital transmission, and low-power translators. The station began broadcasting on December 1, 1997, using an analog signal on channel 31 and carrying America One programming. Its original over-the-air signal was comparatively weak and was concentrated around Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley. KVMD nevertheless pursued distribution on Southern California cable systems and satellite platforms. Its location outside the core of the Los Angeles market, combined with the availability of Federal Communications Commission must-carry rules, helped it obtain wider multichannel distribution than its initial terrestrial signal might otherwise have supported. A major technical turning point came on July 29, 2002, when KVMD launched its digital transmission on channel 23. The digital facility substantially expanded the station's potential terrestrial coverage, reaching much of the Inland Empire and parts of the Los Angeles, Orange County, and northern San Diego areas. On June 1, 2003, KVMD became the first television station in the United States to discontinue its analog signal and operate exclusively in digital form, several years before the nationwide analog shutdown. KVMD has used its digital capacity and distribution relationships to carry programming aimed at multiple language communities. Its programming history has included English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, and Armenian content, as well as paid programming. Affiliations and programming arrangements have changed repeatedly. The station carried ARTN Armenian programming during evening hours beginning in 2008, later discontinued that arrangement, and subsequently moved to Almavision programming. In 2018, KVMD became the Los Angeles-market affiliate of LATV. In 2021, New Tang Dynasty Television replaced LATV on the main channel, while LATV moved to a subchannel. After NTD ended its affiliation in October 2023, KVMD returned the main channel to infomercials. The station also carried Merit Street Media programming beginning on April 2, 2024. The arrangement was connected to a broader distribution strategy involving the Trinity Broadcasting Network and pay-television carriage in the Los Angeles market. In June 2025, KVMD ended its Merit TV affiliation following a payment dispute with Merit Street Media and again replaced the programming with infomercials. KVMD's digital signal is supplemented by KSMV-LD in Los Angeles and KIMG-LD in Ventura. Both translators use digital channel 23 and virtual channel 31. The station has also been available through cable systems across the Los Angeles market and through DirecTV and Dish Network. Its current identity is therefore best understood not as a conventional single-format entertainment network, but as a locally licensed, independently operated, multilingual broadcast outlet whose value comes from Southern California distribution, digital capacity, and the ability to accommodate changing programming partnerships.

KVMD launched on December 1, 1997, as an analog television station on channel 31 licensed to Twentynine Palms, California. Its first programming came from America One. The station's initial transmitter provided limited local over-the-air coverage, generally reaching Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley rather than the full Los Angeles market. KVMD compensated for that limitation by seeking carriage on cable systems and satellite services throughout Southern California. Its position near the edge of the Los Angeles designated market area, together with federal must-carry provisions, helped make broader distribution possible. On July 29, 2002, KVMD placed a digital signal on channel 23. The digital facility was substantially stronger than the original analog service and extended the station's potential reception across most of the Inland Empire, as well as parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and northern San Diego counties. KVMD then completed an early transition to digital broadcasting by shutting off its analog signal on June 1, 2003. It was described as the first American television station to make that change, years before the federally mandated nationwide analog shutdown. The station developed a multicultural programming identity through a succession of affiliations and language-oriented services. Programming has been offered in English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, and Armenian. Beginning in June 2008, KVMD carried ARTN Armenian programming during evening hours. In 2017, it ended that arrangement, moved ARTN to cable-only distribution, and switched to Almavision programming. In late 2017, the station was selected to become LATV's Los Angeles affiliate beginning January 1, 2018, replacing KJLA in that role. KVMD changed its main-channel affiliation again on July 1, 2021, when New Tang Dynasty Television replaced LATV. LATV remained available on KVMD's fifth digital subchannel. NTD ended its relationship with KVMD on October 20, 2023, after which the main channel was filled with infomercials. The station subsequently carried Merit Street Media from the network's launch on April 2, 2024. That carriage arrangement was linked to a Trinity Broadcasting Network programming agreement intended to help secure pay-television distribution in the Los Angeles market. In June 2025, KVMD ended the Merit TV relationship because of a payment dispute with Merit Street Media and again adopted infomercials on the affected service. KVMD's distribution infrastructure includes two low-power translators: KSMV-LD in Los Angeles and KIMG-LD in Ventura. Both transmit digitally on channel 23 and use virtual channel 31. The main station has also been carried by cable systems throughout the Los Angeles market and has been available through DirecTV and Dish Network. Its studios are located on Corinth Avenue in West Los Angeles, near Interstate 405, while its main transmitter is situated atop Snow Peak in the San Bernardino Mountains north of Banning. The station is owned by Ronald Ulloa, who is also associated with KXLA, an independent station licensed to Rancho Palos Verdes. KVMD's history reflects the role of smaller independent stations as flexible distribution platforms: its programming, affiliations, and language mix have changed over time while its core value has remained Southern California broadcast and multichannel reach.

• 2025

  Merit TV carriage ends

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  KVMD ended its Merit TV arrangement after a payment dispute and returned to infomercials.

• 2024

  Merit Street Media carriage begins

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  KVMD began carrying Merit Street Media programming on the network's launch date.

• 2023

  NTD affiliation ends

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  After NTD withdrew its affiliation, KVMD replaced the main-channel service with infomercials.

• 2021

  NTD moves to main channel

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  New Tang Dynasty Television replaced LATV on the main channel, with LATV moving to a subchannel.

• 2018

  LATV affiliation begins

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  KVMD became LATV's Los Angeles-market affiliate.

• 2008

  Armenian programming added

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  ARTN Armenian programming began airing during evening hours.

• 2003

  Analog service discontinued

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  KVMD became an exclusively digital television station.

• 2002

  Digital transmission begins

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  The station launched its digital signal on channel 23, expanding potential coverage across Southern California.

• 1997

  Analog launch

  [1]KVMDen.wikipedia.org

  KVMD began broadcasting on analog channel 31 with America One programming.

An independently operated, multicultural Southern California television outlet emphasizing broad multichannel distribution, multilingual programming, digital broadcast reach, and flexible affiliation or paid-programming arrangements.

• Broadcast television service · 1997

  KVMD virtual channel 31

  KVMD's primary television service, licensed to Twentynine Palms and distributed across Southern California through its digital transmitter, cable systems, satellite providers, and changing programming affiliations. Its programming history has included network content, multilingual services, and paid programming.

• Digital terrestrial television · 2002

  KVMD digital channel 23

  The station's digital transmission, launched in 2002, provides substantially broader terrestrial coverage than the original analog facility and supports the station's virtual channel 31 identity and digital multiplex operations.

• Low-power translator

  KSMV-LD

  A Los Angeles low-power translator that rebroadcasts KVMD programming digitally on channel 23 and virtually on channel 31.

• Low-power translator

  KIMG-LD

  A Ventura low-power translator that carries KVMD programming digitally on channel 23 and virtually on channel 31.

• 2025

  Termination of Merit TV carriageOther

  Background

  The station and Merit Street Media became involved in a payment dispute.

  Action taken

  KVMD disaffiliated from Merit TV in June 2025 and replaced the programming with infomercials.

  Aftermath

  The Merit Street arrangement ended and the main channel returned to paid programming.

  Source

• 2024

  Merit Street Media carriage agreementStrategy

  Background

  A programming arrangement involving the Trinity Broadcasting Network was intended to support Merit Street Media's pay-television carriage in the Los Angeles market.

  Action taken

  KVMD began carrying Merit Street Media on April 2, 2024.

  Aftermath

  Merit Street programming gained a main-channel broadcast outlet in the Los Angeles market until the arrangement ended in 2025.

  Source

• 2023

  Return to infomercial programming after NTD departureStrategy

  Background

  NTD ended its affiliation with KVMD on October 20, 2023.

  Action taken

  KVMD replaced the withdrawn network programming on its main channel with infomercials.

  Aftermath

  The station's primary service no longer carried NTD programming.

  Source

• 2021

  NTD replaces LATV on the primary serviceStrategy

  Background

  KVMD adjusted its programming affiliations and digital-channel allocation.

  Action taken

  New Tang Dynasty Television took over the main channel, while LATV moved to the fifth subchannel.

  Aftermath

  The station retained LATV on a secondary service while giving the primary channel to NTD.

  Source

• 2018

  LATV affiliation switchStrategy

  Background

  LATV needed a new Los Angeles-market affiliate after KJLA changed affiliations.

  Action taken

  KVMD became LATV's Los Angeles affiliate beginning January 1, 2018.

  Aftermath

  LATV programming was added to KVMD's primary service until it later moved to a subchannel.

  Source

• 2003

  Early conversion to digital-only broadcastingGeneration change

  Background

  KVMD's analog signal had limited reach, while its digital facility offered substantially broader potential coverage.

  Action taken

  The station shut down its analog channel on June 1, 2003, and continued as a digital-only broadcaster.

  Aftermath

  KVMD became an early example of a U.S. television station abandoning analog transmission before the nationwide transition.

  Source

1. 1KVMDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KVMD official websitekvmdtv.com