KGRX-LD (channel 19) and KGRY-LD (channel 28) are low-power television stations serving the Phoenix, Arizona, United States, metropolitan area from transmitters on South Mountain. Licensed to serve the Gila River Indian Community and owned by Gila River Telecommunications, a tribal enterprise, KGRY-LD operates in the ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) format and support the forthcoming launch of Evoca, a subscription TV service, in the Phoenix area. KGRX-LD previously operated in ATSC 3.0.
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| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| GRBC (KGRQ-LD, KGRF-LD) | |
| History | |
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| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 187703 |
| Class | LD |
| ERP | 15 kW |
| HAAT | 470.2 m (1,543 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 33°19′57.3″N 112°3′57″W / 33.332583°N 112.06583°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | LMS |
| Website | grbc |
| ATSC 3.0 station | |
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| Channels | |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations | Evoca |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 187710 |
| Class | LD |
| ERP | 15 kW |
| HAAT | 470.2 m (1,543 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 33°19′57.3″N 112°3′57″W / 33.332583°N 112.06583°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | LMS |
These stations are separate from the Gila River Broadcasting Corporation, which primarily broadcasts First Nations Experience (FNX) from transmitters on the Community itself.
History
editIn January 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the Gila River Indian Community construction permits for a series of television stations to be located on and licensed to serve the tribe. These included K19JT-D and K28MO-D. However, it was more than seven years until activity resumed on the facility; in the case of K28MO-D, the filings by Gila River had to demonstrate that KCOS-LP, a long-defunct analog station on channel 28 whose license was still on the books, was out of service.
In August 2021, the transmitters came into service, operating for the first month with FNX programming in the ATSC 1.0 mode. On September 20, 2021, the stations converted to ATSC 3.0, though Evoca has still to launch in the Phoenix area. Subchannels are in place for the over-the-air distribution of three paid services. As in Boise, Idaho, customers will pay $9.50 a month for Evoca's Scout box, which is capable of receiving ATSC 1.0, ATSC 3.0, and broadband content.[3]
While in its Boise and Colorado Springs markets, Evoca carries the relevant regional sports network, it has not been able to do so in Phoenix. According to Evoca CEO Todd Achilles, this is because Sinclair Broadcast Group insists that, if Evoca wants to carry Bally Sports Arizona, it must pay retransmission consent fees for Sinclair's broadcast stations in the Boise market (CBS affiliate KBOI-TV and CW affiliate KYUU-LD).[4] In April 2022, KGRX-LD reverted back to ATSC 1.0, citing lack of receivers in use. They returned to ATSC 1.0 with content from two different conservative-themed political networks, Newsmax2 and Real America's Voice. It was later discovered that the station is being programmed by a third party operator, and "the Community is currently considering all available options to remove this programming, which it does not endorse."[5] As of January 2023 both networks have been removed from the channel and it now carries a simulcast of sister stations KGRQ-LD and KGRF-LD, both affiliates of FNX.[6] KGRY-LD continues to broadcast in ATSC 3.0.
Subchannels
edit| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | FNX (simulcast of GRBC) | |
| 19.5 | 480i | TCN | The Country Network |
All ATSC 3.0 stations must provide at least one channel of free-to-air television programming. As with Boise's Evoca transmitters, this obligation is fulfilled by airing BYU TV on each transmitter. Evoca offers additional programming utilizing the hybrid functionality of ATSC 3.0, similar to Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) in Europe.
| Channel | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 28.1 | BYUKGRY | BYU TV |
| 100.090 | Criosty | CuriosityStream |
| 100.100 | Insight | Insight TV |
| 100.133 | Mav TV | MAVTV |
| 100.141 | NFL | NFL Network |
See also
edit- KBSE-LD and KEVA-LD, the Evoca transmitters in Boise, Idaho
- Gila River Broadcasting Corporation
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KGRX-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KGRY-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Arlen, Gary (August 20, 2021). "Evoca's LPTV 3.0 Service to Debut in Phoenix 'Around Labor Day'". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Maclean, Amy (November 9, 2021). "Evoca Says Sinclair Wants Retrans Trade for Bally Sports AZ". Cablefax. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ Ruelas, Richard (November 26, 2022). "Gila River tribal station airing Real America's Voice network. For now". Arizona Republic. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
- ^ "FNX | How to Watch Us". FNX. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KGRX-LD". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KGRY-LD". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved April 19, 2022.