KVIQ-LD


KVIQ-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 14, is a low-powered CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Eureka, California, United States. Owned by Atlanta-based Cox Media Group, it is a sister station to NBC affiliate KIEM-TV. The two stations share studios on South Broadway in Spruce Point near the southwestern corner of Eureka; KVIQ-LD's transmitter is located along Barry Road southeast of the city. There is no separate website for KVIQ-LD; instead, it is integrated with that of sister station KIEM-TV.
Until 2017, KVIQ operated as a full-power television station on digital channel 17. The full-power signal was sold to comply with FCC regulations, after former owner Northwest Broadcasting acquired another full-power signal, KIEM. Upon the completion of the sale, Northwest transferred the station's intellectual unit into a low-power facility.

History

KVIQ-LP signed on the air as KVIQ-TV on VHF channel 6 as Eureka's second television station on April 1, 1958. It was owned by Shasta Telecasting, as a satellite station of KVIP-TV in Redding, California; Shasta Telecasting sold the station to California Northwest Broadcasting in 1960. California Oregon Broadcasting subsequently acquired KIEM-TV, which it operated separately from KRCR. KVIQ-TV initially broadcast from studios located on Humboldt Hill Road in Eureka. Since the Eureka market only had two television stations in those early days, KVIQ-TV offered programs from several networks, primarily ABC with some programming from NBC. The station later relocated its studios to a new facility on Broadway Street in Eureka. By the 1980s, the station's call sign had changed to KVIQ and it was the area's primary ABC affiliate. In 1985, KIEM-TV began broadcasting programs from NBC when that network became number 1 in the ratings, causing CBS to sign an affiliation agreement with KVIQ. KVIQ became the CBS affiliate in January 1986. The McConnells sold the station to Miller Broadcasting in 1986.
Miller Broadcasting sold KVIQ to the Ackerley Group in 1998. Ackerley invested quite a bit of money into its news operations. Ackerley merged with corporate giant Clear Channel Communications in 2002. Not long after this merger, the news operation at KVIQ was quickly abandoned. The station was managed by David Silverbrand with its engineering function performed by James Mixon. Providing operational and sales staff was Sainte Partners II, L.P.. Sainte Partners sold the station in 2014.
KVIQ was also available on the radio at 87.7 FM until they ceased the analog channel 6 signal.
The Eureka television market was the only TV market in California not available on Dish Network until June 3, 2010, at which time it became available. The Eureka local channels are not yet available on DirecTV.
In December 2013, Sainte Partners II reached a deal to sell KVIQ to Redwood Television Partners, a subsidiary of Frontier Radio Management. The sale was completed on June 30, 2014.
On January 29, 2016, Frontier Radio Management sold Redwood Broadcast Partners to NBI Holdings, LLC, which owned Northwest Broadcasting. The sale was completed on March 24. Northwest Broadcasting agreed to sell KVIQ to Prime Cities Broadcasting on August 16, 2017; the sale was concurrent with Northwest's acquisition of KIEM-TV. The deal was completed on December 1.
Upon completion of the sale, Prime Cities changed channel 17's call letters to KJRW. Northwest Broadcasting retained the KVIQ intellectual unit and CBS affiliation, and moved it to a low-power station it owned, K10FS, which changed its call letters to KVIQ-LP on digital channel 14. On April 8, 2018, Prime Cities turned off KJRW's signal because of technical issues. Prior to KJRW's shutdown, Ion programming was moved to KIEM 3.2. KJRW never regularly operated under Prime Cities; after again going off the air to perform transmitter repairs on May 29, 2019, its license expired May 29, 2020, and was cancelled on July 23.
In February 2019, Reuters reported that Apollo Global Management had agreed to acquire the entirety of Brian Brady's television portfolio, which it intends to merge with Cox Media Group and stations spun off from Nexstar Media Group's purchase of Tribune Broadcasting, once the purchases are approved by the FCC. In March 2019 filings with the FCC, Apollo confirmed that its newly-formed broadcasting group, Terrier Media, would acquire Northwest Broadcasting, with Brian Brady holding an unspecified minority interest in Terrier. In June 2019, it was announced that Terrier Media would instead operate as Cox Media Group, as Apollo had reached a deal to also acquire Cox's radio and advertising businesses. The transaction was completed on December 17.

Digital television

Digital channel

KVIQ was the second station in Eureka to broadcast in high definition.

Analog-to-digital conversion

KVIQ shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 6, on November 28, 2008. The station's digital signal broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 17.

Programming

Syndicated programming on KVIQ-LP currently consists of Family Feud, Maury, Access Daily, and Inside Edition.

News operation

KVIQ had, during the early 1980s, a news operation entitled Newswest. The newscasts were broadcast in the early morning, late night, and evenings, along with two midday newsbreaks. Regular features of these newscasts were "Segment 6" and a weekend segment titled "Open Line," hosted by longtime Eureka broadcaster Saint Clair Adams.
Throughout most of the 1990s, KVIQ presented Channel 6 News weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
After being purchased by Ackerley, KVIQ fielded a news operation called Action News 6. These newscasts aired weekdays at 6 a.m. and Noon, and weeknights at 5, 6, 6:30 and 11 p.m. KVIQ also aired weekend newscasts at 6:30 and 11 p.m. Shortly after Clear Channel's acquisition of Ackerley, KVIQ discontinued its news, and began importing the morning and 10 p.m. rebroadcasts of newscasts from then-sister station KFTY in Santa Rosa. After KVIQ was sold in 2005, the KFTY rebroadcasts ceased, and the station replaced the newscasts in its schedule with syndicated programming. The station currently simulcasts the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Redwood News programs from KIEM-TV.