KLMN
Encyclopedia
KLMN was a television station
in Great Falls, Montana
, broadcasting locally on channel 26 as an affiliate of Fox
. Founded on December 19, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Media Holdings.
affiliate, with additional programming from UPN
. When Helena
-based NBC
affiliate KTVH
bought a low-power repeater station in the Great Falls area in 2005, it caused an affiliation shake-up. Long-time NBC
affiliate KTGF
became an affiliate of Fox, leaving KLMN with only UPN programming. KLMN became a MyNetworkTV
affiliate in September 2006. In May 2007, Fox programming abruptly returned to KLMN after nearly two years on KTGF
, which might have been coincidental with KTGF's parent, Destiny Communications, entering a Joint Sales Agreement with KLMN.
The KLMN callsign was once used by what is now KFTA-TV
in Fort Smith, Arkansas
. Ironically, KLMN was not the only station in Great Falls whose callsign was once used in Arkansas
as its competitor KRTV
carries the callsign of a now-defunct station in Little Rock
, Equity Media Holdings's hometown.
In 2007, a Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) inquiry was launched to determine whether Equity's control of KLMN violated the multiple ownership rules; a local competitor subsequently filed a petition to deny the station's license renewal application.
Processing of other FCC license assignment and modification applications involving Equity had been delayed pending resolution of these issues.
Because it was granted an original construction permit
after the FCC finalized the DTV
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 , the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
. Instead, at the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KLMN was to have turned off its analog signal
and turned on its digital signal
(called a "flash-cut
"). However, according to the station's DTV status report, "On December 8, 2008, the licensee's parent corporation filed a petition for bankruptcy
relief under chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy
code... This station must obtain post-petition financing and court approval before digital facilities
may be constructed. The station will cease analogue broadcasting on February 17, 2009
, regardless of whether digital facilities
are operational by that date. The station will file authority to remain silent
if so required by the FCC
."
While the DTV Delay Act extended this deadline to June 12, 2009, Equity applied for an extension of the digital construction permit
in order to retain the broadcast license
until the station could be sold. The company had also applied to operate at reduced power (50 kW).
At auction on April 16, 2009, Max Media
bought the programming assets (but not the broadcasting facilities) of KLMN and the rest of Equity's Montana Fox station system. On July 13, Max Media established a new Fox affiliate on the digital subchannel
of its ABC
affiliate in Great Falls, KFBB
; it was originally planned to launch on July 1. In the meantime, KLMN shut down as scheduled on June 12, 2009 and Equity fully returned the licenses of KLMN and the company's other Fox affiliated Montana stations to the FCC, who then deleted the licenses and their corresponding call signs.
During the interim period between the shutdown of KLMN and the launch of the KFBB subchannel, Fox programming was available only through the local cable system, Bresnan Communications
, by arrangement with Equity.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
, broadcasting locally on channel 26 as an affiliate of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. Founded on December 19, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Media Holdings.
History
KLMN signed on in early 2001 as a FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
affiliate, with additional programming from UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
. When Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
-based NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate KTVH
KTVH
KTVH-DT is a full-service television station serving Helena, Montana and the surrounding area as an NBC affiliate, broadcasting on digital channel 12. The station ceased its analog broadcasts on November 10, 2008. The station is owned by Beartooth Communications Company, a subsidiary of...
bought a low-power repeater station in the Great Falls area in 2005, it caused an affiliation shake-up. Long-time NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate KTGF
KTGF
KTGF, digital channel 45, was a television station in Great Falls, Montana. The station was owned by Destiny Communications, and was last affiliated with JCTV.-History:...
became an affiliate of Fox, leaving KLMN with only UPN programming. KLMN became a MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate in September 2006. In May 2007, Fox programming abruptly returned to KLMN after nearly two years on KTGF
KTGF
KTGF, digital channel 45, was a television station in Great Falls, Montana. The station was owned by Destiny Communications, and was last affiliated with JCTV.-History:...
, which might have been coincidental with KTGF's parent, Destiny Communications, entering a Joint Sales Agreement with KLMN.
The KLMN callsign was once used by what is now KFTA-TV
KFTA-TV
KFTA-TV, virtual channel 24, is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas that is licensed to Fort Smith. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter south of Artist Point...
in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. Ironically, KLMN was not the only station in Great Falls whose callsign was once used in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
as its competitor KRTV
KRTV
KRTV is a television station in Great Falls, Montana, broadcasting on digital channel 7 as an affiliate of CBS. The station is owned by Evening Post Publishing Company. The station is part of the Evening Post's Montana Television Network, a network of Montana CBS stations.-History:KRTV began...
carries the callsign of a now-defunct station in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, Equity Media Holdings's hometown.
In 2007, a Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) inquiry was launched to determine whether Equity's control of KLMN violated the multiple ownership rules; a local competitor subsequently filed a petition to deny the station's license renewal application.
Processing of other FCC license assignment and modification applications involving Equity had been delayed pending resolution of these issues.
Because it was granted an original construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
after the FCC finalized the DTV
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
allotment plan on April 21, 1997 , the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
. Instead, at the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KLMN was to have turned off its analog signal
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
and turned on its digital signal
Digital signal
A digital signal is a physical signal that is a representation of a sequence of discrete values , for example of an arbitrary bit stream, or of a digitized analog signal...
(called a "flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
"). However, according to the station's DTV status report, "On December 8, 2008, the licensee's parent corporation filed a petition for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
relief under chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy
Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure are a set of rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of the United States under the Rules Enabling Act, directing procedures in the United States bankruptcy courts...
code... This station must obtain post-petition financing and court approval before digital facilities
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
may be constructed. The station will cease analogue broadcasting on February 17, 2009
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
, regardless of whether digital facilities
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
are operational by that date. The station will file authority to remain silent
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
if so required by the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
."
While the DTV Delay Act extended this deadline to June 12, 2009, Equity applied for an extension of the digital construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
in order to retain the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
until the station could be sold. The company had also applied to operate at reduced power (50 kW).
At auction on April 16, 2009, Max Media
Max Media
Max Media is a company that owns radio and television stations throughout the United States. It is based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.-History:Max Media was founded in 2001...
bought the programming assets (but not the broadcasting facilities) of KLMN and the rest of Equity's Montana Fox station system. On July 13, Max Media established a new Fox affiliate on the digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
of its ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate in Great Falls, KFBB
KFBB-TV
KFBB-TV is a full-service television station in Great Falls, Montana, broadcasting locally on digital VHF channel 8 as an affiliate of ABC. Founded March 21, 1954, the station is owned by Max Media. KFBB-TV also operates a semi-satellite for the Helena area, KHBB-LD channel 21...
; it was originally planned to launch on July 1. In the meantime, KLMN shut down as scheduled on June 12, 2009 and Equity fully returned the licenses of KLMN and the company's other Fox affiliated Montana stations to the FCC, who then deleted the licenses and their corresponding call signs.
During the interim period between the shutdown of KLMN and the launch of the KFBB subchannel, Fox programming was available only through the local cable system, Bresnan Communications
Bresnan Communications
Optimum West is a division of Cablevision that operates in the Rocky Mountain area, servicing Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. It offers digital cable, high speed internet, and digital voice services to over 300,000 subscribers....
, by arrangement with Equity.