KNBN

{{Short description|Television station in Rapid City, South Dakota}}

{{hatnote group|

{{about|an NBC and MyNetworkTV station in Rapid City, South Dakota|the station in Dallas, Texas, that formerly used the call sign|KDAF}}

{{for|the television station in Newcastle, Australia|NBN Television}}

}}

{{Infobox television station

| callsign = KNBN

| city =

| logo = KNBN 2022 logo.png

| logo_size = 250px

| branding = NewsCenter 1

| digital = 21 (UHF)

| virtual = 21

| translators = see {{section link||Translators}}

| affiliations = {{ubl|21.1: NBC|21.2: MyNetworkTV}}

| subchannels =

| network =

| country = United States

| founded = July 15, 1996

| airdate = {{start date and age|2000|5|14|p=y}}

| last_airdate =

| location = Rapid City, South Dakota

| callsign_meaning =

| former_callsigns =

| former_channel_numbers = Analog: 21 (UHF, 2000–2009)

| owner = Forum Communications Company

| licensee =

| sister_stations = KWBH-LD, KSFL-TV, KCWS-LD

| former_affiliations =

| erp = 50 kW
100 kW (CP)

| haat = {{convert|210.8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| facility_id = 81464

| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|44|5|33|N|103|14|55|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}}}

| licensing_authority = FCC

| website = {{URL|https://www.newscenter1.tv/}}

}}

KNBN (channel 21) is a television station in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with NBC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Forum Communications Company, the station maintains studios on South Plaza Drive in Rapid City, and its transmitter is located on Cowboy Hill west of downtown.

History

In March 1996,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830541/reception-spotty-from-new-tv-signal/|access-date=April 1, 2020|date=July 16, 1996|work=Rapid City Journal|title=Reception spotty from new TV signal|first=Heidi|last=Bell|page=B2}} KEVN-TV's owner, Blackstar, announced plans to affiliate the longtime NBC outlet for the Rapid City area with the Fox network; Fox held an equity stake in Blackstar. This presented the possibility that Rapid City would be left without an NBC affiliate. Locally based Rapid Broadcasting, whose president Gilbert Moyle had been a part-owner of KEVN from 1973 to 1985, bought low-power TV station K24AM, a primarily Christian outlet which had broadcast since the mid-1980s,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47831707/|work=Rapid City Journal|date=September 5, 1987|access-date=April 1, 2020|page=TV-24|title=City's newest television station adds Hit Video USA to schedule}} and increased its transmitter power. It also obtained the NBC affiliation for Rapid City for the low-power outlet, all with a month to go.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47831089/new-nbc-tv-station-on-air-for-olympics/|access-date=April 1, 2020|date=June 13, 1996|title=New NBC TV station on air for Olympics|work=Rapid City Journal|first=Dan|last=Daly|pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47831113/nbc-needed-access/ A2]}} KNBN-LP (channel 24, later KKRA-LP) officially launched July 15, the date that KEVN switched to Fox, and immediately appeared on local cable systems (including channel 10 in Rapid City).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830434/knbn-kevn-ready-for-the-fox-shuffle/|access-date=April 1, 2020|title=KNBN, KEVN ready for the Fox shuffle|date=July 12, 1996|work=Rapid City Journal|first=Dan|last=Daly|page=B1}}

KNBN launched without a local news presence. In December 1996, it began producing news cut-ins during Today.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830367/knbn-tv-eases-into-news-business/|access-date=April 1, 2020|work=Rapid City Journal|title=KNBN-TV eases into news business|first=Dan|last=Daly|date=December 7, 1996|page=B3}} A full news service debuted September 22, 1997, as NewsCenter1, airing at 6 and 10 p.m. nightly; the early evening time slot contrasted with KOTA and KEVN, who presented their main news at 5:30.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830721/knbn-to-start-local-newscasts-sept-22/|title=KNBN to start local newscasts Sept. 22|access-date=April 1, 2020|date=September 12, 1997|first=Stephen|last=Buchholz|work=Rapid City Journal|page=B2}} By the time that newscast had debuted, KNBN-LP—call sign and programming—had moved from the channel 24 station to channel 27 in Rapid City with a translator on channel 31 in Lead; the next year, KKRA became an affiliate of Pax TV.{{r|auction}} The channel 27 and 31 construction permits had been held by the Plaza Boulevard Wesleyan Church.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830633/|access-date=April 1, 2020|title=Wesleyan Church celebrates 10th|page=A8|work=Rapid City Journal|date=July 25, 1992}}

Rapid Broadcasting had been one of 11 applicants seeking to obtain a full-power license on channel 21. The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Balanced Budget Act of 1997 forced the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to scrap the comparative hearing process and led to the auction of the assignment in September 1999.{{cite news|pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830836/auction/ A2]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830771/stakes-high-in-broadcast-auction/|title=Stakes high in broadcast auction|work=Rapid City Journal|date=September 28, 1999|first=Dan|last=Daly|access-date=April 1, 2020}} Rapid made the winning bid, holding off four other hopefuls, notably including Sunbelt Communications Company.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830931/tv-channel-winning-bid-claimed/|date=October 8, 1999|first=Dan|last=Daly|page=B1|work=Rapid City Journal|title=TV channel winning bid claimed}} KNBN began broadcasting at full power on channel 21 on May 14, 2000.

On August 14, 2024, it was announced KNBN (and KWBH-LD) would be sold to Fargo, North Dakota–based Forum Communications Company, which owns former sister station KSFL-TV in Sioux Falls.{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/assignmentDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f91910af3d401912d5c2e57180a&id=25076f91910af3d401912d5c2e57180a&goBack=N|title=Assignments|work=Licensing and Management System|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=August 14, 2024|accessdate=August 14, 2024}} The sale was completed on October 2.{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/consummationDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f91924d0aff01924d9e835d0021&id=25076f91924d0aff01924d9e835d0021&goBack=N|title=Notification of Consummation|work=Licensing and Management System|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|date=October 2, 2024|accessdate=October 10, 2024}}

News operation

KNBN presently broadcasts 16 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with three hours each weekday and a half-hour each on Saturdays and Sundays).

Technical information

=Subchannels=

The signals of KNBN and KWBH-LD are multiplexed:

class="wikitable" \|+ Subchannels of KNBN{{Cite web\|website=RabbitEars\|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KNBN#station\|title= RabbitEars TV Query for KNBN}} and KWBH-LD{{Cite web\|website=RabbitEars\|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KWBH#station\|title= RabbitEars TV Query for KWBH}} ! scope = "col" colspan="2"\|Channel ! scope = "col" rowspan="2"\|Res. ! scope = "col" rowspan="2"\|Aspect ! scope = "col" rowspan="2"\|Short name ! scope = "col" rowspan="2"\|Programming
scope = "col" \| {{small\|KNBN}}\|\|{{small\|KWBH-LD}}
scope = "row" \| 21.1 \|\| 27.1 \| 1080i \|\| rowspan=2\| 16:9 \|\| KNBNNBC \|\| NBC
scope = "row" \| 21.2 \|\| 27.2 \| 720p \|\| MyTV \|\| MyNetworkTV/YTA TV

class="wikitable"

|+ Subchannels of KNBN{{Cite web|website=RabbitEars|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KNBN#station|title= RabbitEars TV Query for KNBN}} and KWBH-LD{{Cite web|website=RabbitEars|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KWBH#station|title= RabbitEars TV Query for KWBH}}

! scope = "col" colspan="2"|Channel

! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Res.

! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Aspect

! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Short name

! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Programming

scope = "col" | {{small|KNBN}}||{{small|KWBH-LD}}

scope = "row" | 21.1 || 27.1

| 1080i || rowspan=2| 16:9 || KNBNNBC || NBC

scope = "row" | 21.2 || 27.2

| 720p || MyTV || MyNetworkTV/YTA TV

=Translators=

{{FCC-LMS-Facility|63720|3=K22AD-D}} Gillette, WY
{{FCC-LMS-Facility|71538|3=K35MW-D}} Lead
{{FCC-LMS-Facility|23491|3=KKRA-LD}} 25 Rapid City
{{FCC-LMS-Facility|66654|3=KWBH-LD}} 27 Rapid City

=Analog-to-digital conversion=

KNBN shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 21, on February 1, 2009, and "flash-cut" its digital signal into operation on channel 21.{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |format=PDF |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101245294&formid=387&fac_num=81464 FCC 387 DTV transition status report 2008/05/08] The "flash-cut" was necessary as the station had its original construction permit granted after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 27, 1997; as a result, the station did not have a companion channel for a digital signal.