KWCE-LP

KWCE-LP was a low-power television station based in Alexandria, Louisiana, United States. The station operated on an analog signal and served the immediate Alexandria area, while its programming was also distributed through KLAX-TV to provide broader market coverage. It was ultimately associated with KLAX-TV, the local ABC affiliate, and in its later years carried MeTV programming. The station developed from K36DS, a low-power television facility whose plans dated to the early 1990s. In mid-2000, Louisiana state representative Woody Jenkins acquired the facility and launched a standalone local UPN affiliate under the informal on-air identity KCLA. Before that launch, UPN programming had been carried secondarily by KLAX-TV. Although the station offered a distinct network affiliation, its limited low-power signal and lack of cable carriage restricted its reach in Central Louisiana. On March 1, 2002, Pollack/Belz Broadcasting acquired the station from Jenkins. The change in ownership helped it obtain cable carriage in the region. During this period, the station also carried programming from America One and UATV on a secondary basis, although those arrangements did not continue indefinitely. In 2004, Pollack-Belz changed the station's official call sign to KWCE-LP. The station's programming identity changed after the television-network realignment of 2006, when UPN and The WB ended operations. Rather than affiliate with The CW, which went to KBCA, or MyNetworkTV, which was carried secondarily by WNTZ, KWCE adopted Retro TV. It also moved to channel 27 to reduce the risk of interference associated with nearby KARD's digital operations on channel 36. KWCE-LP never operated its own digital transmitter. Its analog low-power contour was confined largely to the immediate Alexandria area, so the station was simulcast in widescreen standard definition on KLAX-TV's second digital subchannel. That arrangement became increasingly important as KLAX-TV upgraded its own facilities. In 2012, KWCE was moved to a KLAX-TV subchannel and became affiliated with MeTV. In its latter years, the station's operations were housed at KLAX-TV's studios on England Drive, also identified as Louisiana Highway 498, in Alexandria. Its transmitter was located on Bayou Maria Road in nearby Pineville. Ownership changed again in 2018, when Pollack/Belz Broadcasting agreed to sell KWCE-LP and KLAX-TV to Lost Coast Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Northwest Broadcasting. The transaction was completed on August 31, 2018. In 2019, Northwest Broadcasting became part of the broadcasting group assembled by Apollo Global Management through Terrier Media, which adopted the Cox Media Group name after Apollo also acquired Cox's radio and advertising businesses. That transaction was completed on December 17, 2019. Cox Media Group surrendered KWCE-LP's license to the Federal Communications Commission on February 1, 2021. The FCC cancellation ended KWCE-LP as a separately licensed station, while the programming associated with the former outlet continued through KLAX-TV's license. Accordingly, KWCE-LP is best understood as a defunct local broadcast-station brand rather than an active independent television service.

KWCE-LP originated with plans for a new television service in Central Louisiana that emerged during the early 1990s. The facility was initially licensed as K36DS and was held by Tiger Eye Broadcasting of Miami, Florida. In mid-2000, Woody Jenkins acquired the station and developed it as a standalone UPN affiliate for Alexandria. The station used KCLA as its on-air identity even though its formal call sign initially remained K36DS. This branding approach resembled Jenkins's use of a different on-air identity for his Baton Rouge low-power station. The new outlet addressed a local programming gap: before its launch, UPN content in the area had been carried as a secondary service by KLAX-TV. KCLA's low-power signal, however, was limited and the station initially lacked cable carriage throughout the Central Louisiana market. On March 1, 2002, Pollack/Belz Broadcasting purchased the facility from Jenkins. The new owner secured cable carriage, improving the station's practical reach. The station also carried America One and UATV programming on a secondary basis for a period, but those affiliations were later discontinued. Pollack-Belz changed the formal call sign to KWCE-LP in 2004. The collapse of UPN and The WB in 2006 forced another change in the station's programming strategy. KWCE selected Retro TV, while other network opportunities in the market went elsewhere: The CW affiliated with KBCA, and MyNetworkTV was carried secondarily by WNTZ. The station also shifted from channel 36 to channel 27 to address interference concerns involving KARD, a Fox affiliate in Monroe whose digital channel 36 signal reached portions of the Alexandria market. KWCE-LP remained an analog-only facility. It did not construct or operate a separate digital transmitter, and there were no plans to convert its own low-power signal to digital. Because its analog contour reached primarily the immediate Alexandria area, the station's programming was simulcast on KLAX-TV's second digital subchannel in widescreen standard definition. When KLAX-TV upgraded to high definition in 2012, KWCE was moved to a subchannel of channel 31 and adopted MeTV. The arrangement effectively made KLAX-TV the station's principal means of reaching the wider market. In its later period, KWCE's operations were based at KLAX-TV's England Drive, or Louisiana Highway 498, studios in Alexandria, while its transmitter remained on Bayou Maria Road in Pineville. In 2018, Pollack/Belz agreed to sell KWCE-LP and KLAX-TV to Lost Coast Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Northwest Broadcasting. The reported purchase price was $3.5 million, and the sale closed on August 31 of that year. The station subsequently became part of the ownership changes surrounding Apollo Global Management's acquisition of television assets. Apollo formed Terrier Media to acquire Northwest Broadcasting, with Brian Brady retaining an unspecified minority interest. Terrier later adopted the Cox Media Group name after Apollo also agreed to acquire Cox's radio and advertising operations. The broader transaction was completed on December 17, 2019. The station's independent legal existence ended when Cox Media Group surrendered its license to the FCC on February 1, 2021. The former KWCE-LP programming continued under KLAX-TV's license, but KWCE-LP itself ceased to operate as a separately licensed station.

• 2021

  FCC license surrendered

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Cox Media Group surrendered KWCE-LP's license to the FCC for cancellation.

• 2019

  Cox Media Group ownership begins

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  The station became part of the broadcasting group assembled by Apollo Global Management and operated under the Cox Media Group name.

• 2018

  Sale to Northwest Broadcasting subsidiary closes

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Lost Coast Broadcasting completed its acquisition of KWCE-LP and KLAX-TV from Pollack/Belz Broadcasting.

• 2012

  KWCE moves to a KLAX-TV digital subchannel

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  After KLAX-TV's high-definition upgrade, KWCE was carried on KLAX-TV's second digital subchannel and affiliated with MeTV.

• 2006

  Station adopts Retro TV

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Following the shutdown of UPN and The WB, KWCE became a Retro TV affiliate and moved to channel 27.

• 2004

  Call sign changes to KWCE-LP

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Pollack-Belz changed the facility's official call sign from K36DS to KWCE-LP.

• 2002

  Pollack/Belz Broadcasting acquires the station

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Pollack/Belz Broadcasting purchased the station and subsequently obtained cable carriage in the Central Louisiana region.

• 2000

  KCLA launches as a standalone UPN affiliate

  [1]KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org

  Woody Jenkins acquired the K36DS facility and launched a standalone Alexandria UPN service using KCLA as its on-air identity.

A local low-power television outlet serving the Alexandria and Central Louisiana market through analog broadcasting and, later, a simulcast on KLAX-TV's digital subchannel.

• Television network affiliation · 2000

  KCLA / UPN service

  The station launched in 2000 as Alexandria's first standalone UPN affiliate, using KCLA as its on-air identity while its official call sign remained K36DS. The service replaced KLAX-TV's earlier secondary carriage of UPN programming and sought to establish a dedicated local outlet for the network.

• Television network affiliation · 2006

  Retro TV

  After UPN and The WB ceased operations in 2006, KWCE affiliated with Retro TV. The change positioned the low-power station around library and classic television programming while other replacement-network affiliations in the Alexandria market went to competing local outlets.

• Digital subchannel programming · 2012

  MeTV on KLAX-TV subchannel

  In 2012, KWCE's programming was moved to KLAX-TV's second digital subchannel after KLAX-TV's high-definition upgrade, and the outlet became a MeTV affiliate. This simulcast provided a broader market distribution path because KWCE's own analog low-power signal covered mainly the immediate Alexandria area.

• 2021

  Surrender of broadcast licenseOther

  Background

  KWCE's operations had increasingly relied on KLAX-TV's licensed digital-subchannel facilities rather than a separate digital transmitter.

  Action taken

  Cox Media Group surrendered KWCE-LP's license to the FCC for cancellation on February 1, 2021.

  Aftermath

  KWCE-LP ceased to exist as a separately licensed station, while the former service continued under KLAX-TV's license.

  Source

• 2018

  Sale to Lost Coast BroadcastingM&A

  Background

  Pollack/Belz Broadcasting owned KWCE-LP together with KLAX-TV before agreeing to transfer the stations.

  Action taken

  Pollack/Belz agreed to sell both stations to Lost Coast Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Northwest Broadcasting; the transaction closed on August 31, 2018.

  Aftermath

  KWCE became part of Northwest Broadcasting and later entered the Cox Media Group ownership structure.

  Reported transaction value. $3.5 million (Agreement announced April 6, 2018)

  Source

• 2012

  Move programming to KLAX-TV's digital subchannelStrategy

  Background

  KWCE did not operate its own digital signal, and its analog contour was too limited to reach the entire Alexandria market.

  Action taken

  KWCE was carried in widescreen standard definition on KLAX-TV's second digital subchannel and became affiliated with MeTV.

  Aftermath

  The KLAX-TV simulcast became the station's principal over-the-air distribution route, while the separate low-power analog facility continued for a time.

  Source

• 2006

  Shift from UPN to Retro TVStrategy

  Background

  UPN and The WB ended operations, requiring KWCE to select a new programming identity. The CW was assigned to KBCA and MyNetworkTV went to WNTZ on a secondary basis.

  Action taken

  KWCE adopted Retro TV and moved from channel 36 to channel 27 to reduce interference concerns involving KARD's digital operation on channel 36.

  Aftermath

  The station continued operating as a low-power analog outlet until its later distribution through KLAX-TV's digital subchannel.

  Source

1. 1KWCE-LPen.wikipedia.org