A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's surface to any number of tuned receivers simultaneously.
31-829: KBTX-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Bryan, Texas , United States, serving the Brazos Valley as a dual affiliate of CBS and The CW . Owned by Gray Television , the station maintains studios on East 29th Street in Bryan; its transmitter is located northwest of Anderson, Texas . Although identifying as a separate station, KBTX-TV is considered a semi-satellite of KWTX-TV (channel 10) in Waco . KBTX-TV simulcasts all network and syndicated programming provided by its parent station but airs separate commercial inserts, legal identifications , local newscasts and Sunday morning religious programs ;
62-486: A Telly. The main exhibit of the museum was closed for months during an $ 8.5 million renovation that coincided with the facility's anniversary. Television station The Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow ( TV Station Paul Nipkow ) in Berlin , Germany , was the first regular television service in the world. It was on the air from 22 March 1935, until it was shut down in 1944. The station was named after Paul Gottlieb Nipkow ,
93-415: A much shorter wavelength, and thus requires a shorter antenna, but also higher power. North American stations can go up to 5000 kW ERP for video and 500 kW audio, or 1000 kW digital. Low channels travel further than high ones at the same power, but UHF does not suffer from as much electromagnetic interference and background "noise" as VHF, making it much more desirable for TV. Despite this, in
124-544: A new transmitter in the Grimes County community of Carlos. The 1,700-foot (518 m) tower nearly doubled the number of homes the station reached. Perhaps the most noteworthy coverage from KBTX was on November 18, 1999. Early that morning, the Aggie Bonfire stack collapsed, killing 12 and injuring 27. The station provided non-stop coverage of the event, and served as a major source of information locally and nationally in
155-425: A variety of ways to generate revenue from television commercials . They may be an independent station or part of a broadcasting network , or some other structure. They can produce some or all of their programs or buy some broadcast syndication programming for or all of it from other stations or independent production companies. Many stations have some sort of television studio , which on major-network stations
186-492: Is multiplexed : KBTX serves Brazos , Burleson , Grimes , Leon , Madison , Milam , Montgomery , Robertson , Walker and Washington counties. Grimes, Montgomery and Walker counties are part of the Houston market, but receive KBTX. Texas A&M University , Sam Houston State University and Blinn College are in its coverage area. With its digital signal transmitting at the maximum power allowed by law as of early 2009,
217-496: Is non-commercial educational (NCE) and considered public broadcasting . To avoid concentration of media ownership of television stations, government regulations in most countries generally limit the ownership of television stations by television networks or other media operators, but these regulations vary considerably. Some countries have set up nationwide television networks, in which individual television stations act as mere repeaters of nationwide programs . In those countries,
248-470: Is broadcast via terrestrial radio waves. A group of television stations with common ownership or affiliation are known as a TV network and an individual station within the network is referred to as O&O or affiliate , respectively. Because television station signals use the electromagnetic spectrum, which in the past has been a common, scarce resource, governments often claim authority to regulate them. Broadcast television systems standards vary around
279-792: Is often used for newscasts or other local programming . There is usually a news department , where journalists gather information. There is also a section where electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations are based, receiving remote broadcasts via remote pickup unit or satellite TV . Outside broadcasting vans, production trucks , or SUVs with electronic field production (EFP) equipment are sent out with reporters , who may also bring back news stories on video tape rather than sending them back live . To keep pace with technology United States television stations have been replacing operators with broadcast automation systems to increase profits in recent years. Some stations (known as repeaters or translators ) only simulcast another, usually
310-606: The Aggie Bonfire collapse in 1999. Aggie Game Day , News 3 Sports' pregame show before Texas A&M home football games, is a multi-time recipient of honors from the national Telly Awards for outstanding local programming. All the Best: 10 Years of the George Bush Presidential Library , which aired the day before the grand reopening of the 41st president's library and museum on the Texas A&;M campus received
341-405: The broadcast range , or geographic area, that the station is limited to, allocates the broadcast frequency of the radio spectrum for that station's transmissions, sets limits on what types of television programs can be programmed for broadcast and requires a station to broadcast a minimum amount of certain programs types, such as public affairs messages . Another form of television station
SECTION 10
#1732869459960372-534: The electricity bill and emergency backup generators . In North America , full-power stations on band I (channels 2 to 6) are generally limited to 100 kW analog video ( VSB ) and 10 kW analog audio ( FM ), or 45 kW digital ( 8VSB ) ERP. Stations on band III (channels 7 to 13) can go up by 5 dB to 316 kW video, 31.6 kW audio, or 160 kW digital. Low-VHF stations are often subject to long-distance reception just as with FM. There are no stations on Channel 1 . UHF , by comparison, has
403-659: The KBTX signal also reaches Houston County in the Tyler – Longview market; Trinity , San Jacinto , Austin , Harris and Waller counties in the Houston market; and Lee County in the Austin market. KBTX's weather team monitors those counties and provides forecasts and updates, including during severe weather events. High school sports teams in those counties will also often be covered in KBTX's sports segments. For most of its first half-century on
434-497: The September 2006 merger of The WB and UPN , KBTX-TV offered UPN programming on digital. Following the merger, CW Texas was launched as a joint effort between KBTX-TV and KWTX-TV. On August 8, 2012, CW Texas became CW8 Aggieland, which carries programming from The CW as well as a variety of local sports offerings and many syndicated shows. KBTX-TV falls under the "KBTX Media" banner, which also includes CW8 Aggieland and KBTX.com. KBTX
465-642: The Twin Cities again." In 2009, KBTX reached agreements with Dish and DirecTV. For years, Dish Network had refused to offer KBTX to the Bryan– College Station area and had simply carried KWTX. However, in 2009, Dish relented. On April 23 of that year, KBTX was made available in the Waco–Temple–Bryan market area. In May 2009, after years of carrying KBTX to the market, DirecTV announced it would be dropping KBTX from its service. In June 2009, an agreement
496-627: The U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking another large portion of this band (channels 52 to 69) away, in contrast to the rest of the world, which has been taking VHF instead. This means that some stations left on VHF are harder to receive after the analog shutdown . Since at least 1974, there are no stations on channel 37 in North America for radio astronomy purposes. Most television stations are commercial broadcasting enterprises which are structured in
527-661: The Waco–Temple–Bryan Designated Market Area . Only a handful of DMAs in the country have multiple stations under the same network affiliation serving viewers (KBTX serving the Bryan–College Station area, KWTX serving the Waco–Temple–Killeen area), even though in this case, both stations are associated with each other. KBTX competes in Division 3, which includes the largest Texas markets outside
558-535: The air, KBTX was the only station airing a full schedule of locally-focused news for the eastern half of the market. The brief attempt to produce a single noon newscast for this vast market failed in 2009 in part because of overwhelming viewer demand. KBTX previously served as the de facto CBS station in Houston County in the Tyler market until KYTX signed on in 2004. KBTX is part of a rare American television market,
589-498: The enhanced Carlos tower, again expanding its signal dramatically. The station had been broadcasting on low power digital between its analog signal shutdown and the full power activation, in addition to being carried on cable systems and DirecTV. KBTX and KWTX experimented with a jointly-run noon newscast in early 2009. News stories for both viewing areas were read from the KWTX studios in Waco for
620-480: The first half of the show, with KBTX running live weather and additional local content from its studios for the remainder of the show airing in the Brazos Valley. KWTX aired its own live weather and content in its part of the market during that time. However, in late March 2009, the two stations returned to running separate newscasts, with KBTX citing "an overwhelming request from viewers for the show to be based out of
651-412: The four major metro areas ( Dallas – Fort Worth , Houston, San Antonio and Austin ). In November 2012, KBTX was honored with a Lone Star Emmy for outstanding evening newscast in a smaller market. This was the second Lone Star Emmy win for KBTX. In 2011, the series To Avery with Love won the award for health/science feature. KBTX also won an AP award for "Best Spot News Reporting" for its coverage of
SECTION 20
#1732869459960682-420: The highest point available in the transmission area, such as on a summit , the top of a high skyscraper , or on a tall radio tower . To get a signal from the master control room to the transmitter, a studio/transmitter link (STL) is used. The link can be either by radio or T1 / E1 . A transmitter/studio link (TSL) may also send telemetry back to the station, but this may be embedded in subcarriers of
713-501: The hours that followed. KBTX celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2007. Many former on-air staff returned for the celebration, including some who guest-anchored newscasts. In accordance with the original February 2009 date mandated by the federal government, KBTX permanently shut down its analog signal on January 20, 2009, as it made the transition to digital television. On February 28, 2009, KBTX began broadcasting digitally at full power from
744-495: The inventor of the Nipkow disk . Most often the term "television station" refers to a station which broadcasts structured content to an audience or it refers to the organization that operates the station. A terrestrial television transmission can occur via analog television signals or, more recently, via digital television signals. Television stations are differentiated from cable television or other video providers as their content
775-400: The local television station has no station identification and, from a consumer's point of view, there is no practical distinction between a network and a station, with only small regional changes in programming, such as local television news . To broadcast its programs, a television station requires operators to operate equipment, a transmitter or radio antenna , which is often located at
806-419: The main broadcast. Stations which retransmit or simulcast another may simply pick-up that station over-the-air , or via STL or satellite. The license usually specifies which other station it is allowed to carry. VHF stations often have very tall antennas due to their long wavelength , but require much less effective radiated power (ERP), and therefore use much less transmitter power output , also saving on
837-476: The programmes seen on its owner's flagship station, and have no television studio or production facilities of their own. This is common in developing countries . Low-power stations typically also fall into this category worldwide. Most stations which are not simulcast produce their own station identifications . TV stations may also advertise on or provide weather (or news) services to local radio stations , particularly co-owned sister stations . This may be
868-617: The station also has its own website. KBTX-TV serves the eastern half of the Waco– Temple –Bryan market while KWTX-TV serves the western portion. The two stations are counted as a single unit for ratings purposes. Although KBTX-TV maintains its own facilities, master control and some internal operations are based at KWTX-TV's studios on American Plaza in Waco. KBTX-TV is sister to Belton -licensed CW affiliate KNCT (channel 46), which shares studios with KWTX-TV. KBTX-TV also offers CW programming on its second digital subchannel . Prior to
899-455: The world. Television stations broadcasting over an analog system were typically limited to one television channel , but digital television enables broadcasting via subchannels as well. Television stations usually require a broadcast license from a government agency which sets the requirements and limitations on the station. In the United States, for example, a television license defines
930-411: Was reached to keep the station available to DirecTV customers. On September 12, 2011, KBTX launched a 4 p.m. newscast, titled First News at Four , replacing The Oprah Winfrey Show alongside Inside Edition at 4:30. On October 10, 2011, KBTX began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition, making it the first live and local broadcaster in the Brazos Valley with HD news. The station's signal
961-450: Was the first television station in the Brazos Valley, first going on air on May 22, 1957. It has broadcast from the same studio for its entire history, though the building has been renovated multiple times. Originally a primary CBS affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation, KBTX became a primary affiliate of ABC in September 1977 along with its parent station. Both stations reverted to CBS in September 1983. On October 14, 1983, KBTX opened