KKFX-CD

{{short description|Television station in San Luis Obispo, California}}

{{About|Fox 11 in the Central Coast|other uses|Fox 11 (disambiguation){{!}}Fox 11}}

{{Infobox television station

| callsign = KKFX-CD

| logo = KKFX Fox 11 Logo (cropped).webp

| logo_alt = An assembly of rectangles. Top left: a white Fox logo on black. Lower left: the letters K K F X, spaced, in white on red. Right: a numeral 11 on blue.

| logo_size = 220px

| city = San Luis Obispo, California

| branding = {{ubl|Fox 11; NewsChannel 11 (cable channel)|{{lang|es|italic=no|Telemundo Costa Central}} (24.2)|Central Coast CW (24.3)}}

| digital = 24 (UHF)

| virtual = 24

| translators = KCOY-TV 12.2 Santa Maria

| affiliations = {{ubl|24.1: Fox|24.2: Telemundo|24.3: The CW Plus}}

| network =

| country = United States

| airdate = {{start date and age|1997|1|20|p=y}}

| last_airdate =

| location = San Luis Obispo–Santa Maria–
Santa Barbara, California

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns = {{ubl|K24EJ (1995–2000)|KKFX-LP (2000–2001)|KKFX-CA (2001–2015)}}

| former_channel_numbers = Analog: 24 (UHF, 1998–2015)

| owner = News-Press & Gazette Company

| licensee = NPG of California, LLC

| sister_stations = KEYT-TV, KCOY-TV

| former_affiliations =

| erp = 0.325 kW

| haat = {{convert|445|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| class =

| facility_id = 33870

| coordinates = {{coord|35|21|37.9|N|120|39|24.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}

| licensing_authority = FCC

| website = {{URL|https://www.keyt.com/}}

}}

KKFX-CD (channel 24, cable 11) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to San Luis Obispo, California, United States, serving the Central Coast of California as an affiliate of the Fox network. It is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG) as part of its News Channel cluster alongside Santa Barbara–based ABC and CBS affiliate KEYT-TV (channel 3) and Santa Maria–licensed Telemundo and CW affiliate KCOY-TV (channel 12), which it manages. KKFX-CD and KCOY-TV share studios at West McCoy Lane and Skyway Drive in Santa Maria north of Santa Maria Public Airport; KEYT-TV maintains separate facilities on Miramonte Drive on TV Hill, overlooking downtown Santa Barbara. KKFX-CD's transmitter is located atop Cuesta Ridge north of San Luis Obispo; it and KCOY-TV, which covers the southern portion of the market from Tepusquet Peak in the Los Padres National Forest, carry the same major subchannels.

History

The Fox television network had no affiliate on the southern Central Coast, but KTTV of Los Angeles was available on cable.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-maria-times-fox-broadcast-channel/133472467/|date=December 29, 1996|page=A-1|first=Tom|last=Murphy|title=Fox broadcast channel will soon come to Central Coast|newspaper=Santa Maria Times|location=Santa Maria, California|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 12, 2024}} When Fox gained the rights to telecast NFL football from CBS in 1994, Santa Maria–based CBS affiliate KCOY-TV reached a secondary affiliation agreement to continue presenting football to its viewers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-press-recorder-kcoy-set-to-telecas/133365348/|date=August 10, 1994|page=15|title=KCOY set to telecast NFL games again|newspaper=Times-Press-Recorder|location=Arroyo Grande, California|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 12, 2024}} To fill this gap and provide a regional Fox affiliate, attorney William Reyner and the Smith Broadcasting Group, owner of Santa Barbara ABC affiliate KEYT-TV, teamed in December 1996 to launch KKFX. Originally broadcast on channel 11 and appearing on channel 11 or 24 on cable, the station debuted on January 20, 1997—in time to carry Super Bowl XXXI.{{r|Sant961229}}{{Cite news|work=The Hollywood Reporter|pages=3, 30|first=Jonathan|last=Davies|title=Fox ashore at Santa Barbara|id={{ProQuest|2393595694}}|date=December 23, 1996}} This had the effect of putting Fox football telecasts out of reach of non-cable homes in San Luis Obispo County.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-got-rabbit-ears-then-forget/133472548/|date=January 3, 1997|page=B-1|first=Silas|last=Lyons|title=Got rabbit ears? Then forget about watching pro football next year|newspaper=San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune|location=San Luis Obispo, California|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 12, 2024}}

In 2000, Reyner sold KKFX to the Ackerley Group, owner of KCOY-TV,{{Cite news|work=Mediaweek|date=April 10, 2000|page=24|id={{ProQuest|213616084}}|title=Ackerley buys two|first=Megan|last=Larson}} for $15.4 million.{{Cite news|first=Todd|last=Bishop|title=Broadcasters clustering acquisitions by region|work=Puget Sound Business Journal|id={{ProQuest|226904595}}|date=March 16, 2001|page=8B}} At the time of the sale, KKFX was airing a 10 p.m. newscast.{{Cite press release|author=The Ackerley Group|title=The Ackerley Group Expands Its New York and California Television Holdings|date=March 31, 2000|id={{ProQuest|449367594}}|publisher=PR Newswire }} In 2002, Ackerley was bought out by Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia).{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2002/06/10/daily41.html|date=June 14, 2002|title=Clear Channel completes merger with Ackerley Group|work=San Antonio Business Journal|access-date=March 10, 2022|archive-date=September 29, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040929133637/http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2002/06/10/daily41.html|url-status=live}}

Clear Channel sold its television stations in a deal announced in 2007 to Newport Television, a broadcasting holding company controlled by the private equity firm Providence Equity Partners. The sale was finalized on March 14, 2008;{{cite press release|title=Clear Channel Agrees to Sell Television Station Group to Providence Equity Partners |publisher=Clear Channel Communications |url=http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1943 |date=April 20, 2007 |access-date=April 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425161056/http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1943 |archive-date=April 25, 2007 }} however, Providence Equity Partners owned 19 percent of Univision and thus had to sell stations in multiple California markets. The Cowles Company of Spokane, Washington, had agreed months before the deal closed to acquire KCOY, KKFX-CA, and the Clear Channel TV station in Monterey (KION-TV); this transaction closed on May 7, 2008.{{cite news|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/deals-83776|date=October 5, 2007|work=Broadcasting & Cable|title=Deals|access-date=March 8, 2022|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515054113/https://www.nexttv.com/news/deals-83776|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509091244/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24525445|title= Cowles Company expands into California|website=KHQ-TV|via=MSNBC|archive-date=May 9, 2008|url-status=dead|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24525445|date=May 8, 2008}}

In January 2012, Cowles announced a round of cost-cutting measures at its California stations. KCOY–KKFX bore the brunt of the cutbacks; sports coverage was eliminated, the morning show was pared back to an hour in length, and the evening newscasts began to be presented from Salinas. Thirteen employees were laid off,{{Cite news|url=http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/01/05/1896092/santa-maria-tv-station-layoffs.html|title=Weatherman Jim Byrne among 13 laid off at KCOY, KKFX|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108233052/http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/01/05/1896092/santa-maria-tv-station-layoffs.html |archive-date=January 8, 2012|work= The Tribune|date=January 5, 2012|access-date=January 6, 2012}} including chief meteorologist Jim Byrne and sports anchor Kevin Roose, although weeknight anchor Arturo Santiago{{Cite news|url=http://calcoastnews.com/2012/01/kcoy-lays-off-13-people/|title=KCOY lays off 13 people|work=Cal Coast News|access-date=January 6, 2012|archive-date=July 9, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709071623/http://calcoastnews.com/2012/01/kcoy-lays-off-13-people/|url-status=live}} and sports anchor Dave Alley each remained as Santa Maria-based reporters.{{Cite news|url=http://santamariatimes.com/business/local/kcoy-kkfx-lays-off-employees/article_c986a3c4-3827-11e1-8fbe-0019bb2963f4.html|title=KCOY, KKFX lays off employees|work=Santa Maria Times|access-date=January 16, 2012|archive-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109100508/http://santamariatimes.com/business/local/kcoy-kkfx-lays-off-employees/article_c986a3c4-3827-11e1-8fbe-0019bb2963f4.html|url-status=live}} The move came just seven months after Cowles invested in converting the Santa Maria newsroom to high-definition, making KCOY–KKFX the first high-definition newscasts in the market.{{Cite news|page=A8|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/science-clipping-jun-26-2011-4112844/|work=Santa Barbara News-Press|title=KCOY first Central Coast station going high-def|first=Catherine|last=Shen|date=June 26, 2011|access-date=October 15, 2023|archive-date=October 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016010620/https://newspaperarchive.com/science-clipping-jun-26-2011-4112844/|url-status=live}} Byrne sued Cowles, claiming breach of contract; the parties settled out of court.{{cite news|url=https://www.santamariasun.com/news/broadcast-company-former-meteorologist-come-to-terms-14782948|work=Santa Maria Sun|first1=Ryan|last1=Miller|first2=Amy|last2=Asman|title=Broadcast company, former meteorologist come to terms|date=November 1, 2012|access-date=October 15, 2023|archive-date=October 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016010628/https://www.santamariasun.com/news/broadcast-company-former-meteorologist-come-to-terms-14782948|url-status=live}}

On September 20, 2013, News-Press & Gazette Company, owner of KEYT-TV, announced that it would take over some of KCOY's operations (including its news operation) under a shared services agreement. NPG acquired KKFX-CA directly.{{cite news|title=KCOY to 'share services' with KEYT parent company under planned station purchases|url=http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/kcoy-to-share-services-with-keyt-parent-company-under-planned/article_31dfbe0e-24b4-11e3-94d8-001a4bcf887a.html|access-date=September 24, 2013|newspaper=Santa Maria Times|date=September 23, 2013|archive-date=September 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925200327/http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/kcoy-to-share-services-with-keyt-parent-company-under-planned/article_31dfbe0e-24b4-11e3-94d8-001a4bcf887a.html|url-status=live}} The sale was completed on December 13.{{Cite news|url=http://www.keyt.com/news/keyt-parent-company-to-acquire-and-manage-local-stations/-/17671600/22081550/-/bv9n6m/-/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219081751/http://www.keyt.com/news/keyt-parent-company-to-acquire-and-manage-local-stations/-/17671600/22081550/-/bv9n6m/-/index.html |archive-date=December 19, 2013|title=NewsChannel 3 Owner Completes Purchase of Fox 11|work=KEYT|date=December 13, 2013|access-date=December 17, 2013}}

On January 20, 2015, KKFX began broadcasting over the air in high definition{{Cite news|url=http://www.keyt.com/news/local-news/cbs-fox-now-over-the-air-in-most-of-sb-slo-counties/65313367 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015413/http://www.keyt.com/news/local-news/cbs-fox-now-over-the-air-in-most-of-sb-slo-counties/65313367 |archive-date=January 25, 2018 |title=CBS, Fox Now Over-The-Air in Most of SB, SLO Counties|last=Scholl|first=Claire|date=January 20, 2015|work=KEYT|access-date=May 25, 2018|language=en-US}} and providing a high-definition feed directly to cable and DirecTV. On that same date, KKFX-CA returned to the airwaves in Santa Barbara on low-power KSBB-CD channel 17.