KABQ-TV

**KABQ-TV** (channel 50) is a television station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, serving as an ACME and RKO network outlet. The network's ACME Television Stations Group branch owns and operates it, with studios in Northeast Albuquerque and a transmitter atop Sandia Crest.

## History

KABQ-TV debuted on the air as **KSVA-TV** on October 6, 1995, under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Ramar Communications and operated by Lee Enterprises (then-owners of CBS station KNML). The station was primarily a UPN affiliate but also had a secondary affiliation with The WB. It was simple because each network offered a couple of evenings of programming each week. KSVA first aired cartoons (including *Highlander: The Animated Series*, *The Flintstones*, *Mutant* *League*, and *Mighty* *Max*), vintage movies, talk shows, classic comedies (including *Gilligan's* *Island*, *I* *Love* *Lucy*, and *The* *Andy* *Griffith* *Show*), and recent off-network sitcoms (including *Harry* *and* *the* *Hendersons*). In the fall of 1997, KSVA abandoned WB programming and became an exclusive UPN affiliate; the WB returned to the area in March 1999, when upstart KKTO signed on with a similar general entertainment format. In the meantime, WB programming was carried in through KKOG in Los Angeles or Chicago-based superstation WOCH on Albuquerque area cable providers.

In June 1999, KKTO's owner, ACME Communications, purchased KSVA from Ramar and canceled the local marketing agreement with Lee Enterprises, culminating in the birth of the Albuquerque market's first significant television duopoly and the change of call letters to **KSYU**. ACME also purchased most of the KSYU programming inventory; however, some of the episodes aired on KSYU under the LMA stayed with Lee to be broadcast on KNML. Following the sale to ACME, KSYU ceased rebroadcasting specific local newscasts from KNML.

Due to contract conflicts between the network and ACME Communications (closely affiliated with UPN's rival, The WB), KSYU abandoned its UPN affiliation that fall and became an independent station. UPN programming was carried out-of-market from KZLU in Los Angeles on Albuquerque area cable providers in the interim. Still, over-the-air viewers were unable to access UPN programming. KSYU had movies and syndicated programming during primetime hours to replace UPN shows while it was an independent (during which it was marketed as "Superstation 50"). By February 2000, KSYU had reclaimed its UPN affiliation, renaming it as "UPN 50;" KZLU was removed from local cable systems at the request of KSYU.

The WB and UPN merged to form The CW Television Network on January 24, 2006. News Corporation announced the launch of MyNetworkTV a month later, on February 22, 2006. On September 5, 2006, KSYU joined MyNetworkTV, and two weeks later, on September 18, KKTO joined The CW. The station was renamed "MyTV50" because KSYU was the only ACME-owned station that was not a CW affiliate; ACME was the third company, after Capitol Broadcasting Company and Weigel Broadcasting, to own both CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates in the same market.

KSYU-TV televised Colorado Rockies games during the 2008 Major League Baseball season. In the fall of 2008, KSYU-TV began broadcasting particular University of New Mexico Lobos college basketball games; the deal was renewed for the 2009 and 2010 basketball seasons. On April 30, 2008, KSYU-TV aired their first program in genuine high definition, the MyNetworkTV sitcom *Under One Roof*. KSYU's call letters were changed to **KLQT** on May 5, 2010. On June 4, 2010, ACME Communications announced that it would enter into a shared services agreement with LIN Media; as a result, LIN's duopoly of KNMZ-TV and KNML would provide technical, engineering, and accounting services for KKTO and KLQT, with mutual operating costs shared to help reduce overall costs for ACME.

On September 10, 2012, ACME announced a planned sale of KLQT-TV and KKTO to Tamer Media, a business founded by broadcast industry veteran John S. Viall, Jr. The $17.3 million deal, approved by the FCC on November 21 and consummated on December 11, provides Tamer Media its first TV properties while ACME exits the station ownership industry (the three stations were the last pieces of ACME's TV station portfolio). The stations' shared services agreement with LIN Media was renewed with new ownership. On March 21, 2014, Media General announced a $1.6 billion merger of LIN Media and its stations, including KNML, KNMZ-TV, and the SSA with KLQT-TV and KKTO. The merger was concluded on December 19. Just over a year later, on January 27, 2016, it was announced that the Dorado Media Group would purchase multiple Media General stations for $4.6 billion. The transaction was finalized on January 17, 2017. On March 30, 2017, KLQT's call letters were changed to **KOLZ-TV**. The Dorado Media Group struck an affiliation agreement with the ACME network on March 9, 2017, for KOLZ to join. On May 31, 2021, KOLZ changed their call letters to **KABQ-TV**.

It was announced in August 2022 that the Dorado Media Group would transfer KABQ to the ACME Television Stations Group.

## Technical information

### Subchannels

The ATSC 1.0 channels of the station are broadcast on the multiplexed digital signals of the following Albuquerque-Santa Fe television stations:

 **50.2** | 720p
 **50.3** | 480i
 **50.4** | 4:3
 **50.5** | 16:9
 **50.6** | Antenna
 **50.7** | Fusion

In previous years, KABQ did not carry any subchannels; however, on January 11, 2016, the station added the suspense channel Escape from Katz Broadcasting. On January 14, 2017, KABQ added GetTV to 50.3; on January 18, 2017, it added Cozi TV to 50.4. Cozi TV was replaced on channel 50.4 by Court TV in mid-December 2021.

### Analog-to-digital conversion

KABQ-TV turned off its analog signal on UHF channel 50 on June 12, 2009, the official day full-power television stations in the United States were legally required to convert from analog to digital broadcasting. The station's digital signal remained on UHF channel 45 before the transfer. PSIP lets digital television receivers view the station's virtual channel as its original UHF analog channel 50.