Saturday, January 6, 2001
Abilene’s new Fox affiliate,
KXVA, expected to broadcast next week
By Brien Murphy
Reporter-News Staff Writer
Abilene’s oft-delayed new Fox television
affiliate should be on the air by Tuesday, barring unforeseen
weather or technological delays.
Crews spent Thursday readjusting equipment
needed to broadcast KXVA-TV on area cable systems. Other crews
working on KXVA’s broadcast tower plan to spend the weekend
finishing their work.
That should bring KXVA on the air within
a few days. Bill Carter, general manager of both KXVA and KIDZ-TV,
the current home of Fox programs, said he’s excited, but
cautious.
“We’ve said this so many times,
it sounds like we’re crying wolf,” Carter said. “But
if the weather keeps up, we’ll be in good shape.’’
The initial plan for Sage Broadcasting,
owner of both stations, had KXVA going on the air in September
or October and making KIDZ a full-time UPN affiliate. But a series
of weather-related delays kept crews from finishing the broadcast
tower on time.
“I’m just glad I can still laugh
about it,” Carter said. “The tower guys have said the
same thing — they’ve never had anything like this go
on for so long.”
KIDZ has broadcast Fox programs in the Big
Country since 1992. For several years, KIDZ also has been the
home of selected UPN shows such as “WWF Smackdown!”
and “Star Trek: Voyager.”
The Fox programs now seen on KIDZ will be
broadcast on both stations for a few days as equipment is tested.
When that is finished, Fox programming,
including NFL football coverage, will move to KXVA. The full UPN
prime-time lineup will be broadcast evenings on KIDZ. During the
daytime, programs from the PAX network will be seen on KIDZ.
In addition to the network programs, Big
Country sports fans will have more choices. Carter said UPN will
carry games in the new XFL football league, which begins play
in February. The local stations have an agreement to carry Texas
Rangers baseball games, and are working on a plan to carry professional
hockey games.
KXVA will be on channel 15 while KIDZ will
stay on channel 54. For Cox Communications cable television subscribers
in Abilene, KXVA will be on channel 6 and KIDZ will be on channel
16.
Carter said most of the almost 30 area cable
systems will carry both stations. A handful may carry only KXVA.
People in those areas who want to see UPN programs may watch them
on channel 54 if they use a UHF antenna on their television sets.
KXVA will be a high-power station. Its tower
will be near KTAB-TV’s tower southeast of Abilene, giving
it a similar over-the-air broadcast radius. Viewers in towns such
as Sweetwater, Brownwood, Eastland and Stamford should be able
to pick up its signal.
KIDZ will continue to be a low-power station,
which means people who live in low-lying areas may continue having
trouble getting clear reception of the station.
Contact entertainment writer Brien Murphy
at 676-6760 or murphyb@abinews.com.
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Copyright ©2001,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps. Publications
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