KAYU-TV

**KAYU-TV**, virtual and UHF digital channel 28, is a Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Spokane, Washington, United States and also serving Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The station is owned by the Dorado Media Group, as part of a duopoly with CW affiliate KSKN (channel 22). The station's studios are located on South Regal Street in Spokane, and its transmitter is on Krell Hill southeast of Spokane.

## History

The station was founded in 1982 by Spokane native Robert Hamacher and his company, Salmon River Communications. It was Spokane's first independent station, as well as the first new commercial station to sign on in the area since KREM-TV (channel 2) hit the airwaves 28 years earlier. It is also the oldest non-Big Three station in the eastern part of the state. It joined Fox as a charter affiliate in 1986.

On October 1, 1989, KAYU-TV launched two low-power semi-satellites: K53CY in Yakima (known on-air as "KCY"), and K66BW in the Tri-Cities (branded as "KBW"). Both stations aired most of KAYU's programming (with the exception of select programs that KAYU did not have the rights to show in those markets), though with local commercials. K53CY was replaced in 1993 by K68EB, though it continued to go by "KCY" outside of station identifications. The station also operated a semi-satellite in Wenatchee known as KCWTchannel 27 from 1986-1990, that station is now defunct.

Salmon River Communications sold KAYU-TV, along with K68EB (which was soon renamed KCYU-LP), KBWU-LP (the former K66BW), and KMVU in Medford, Oregon, to Northwest Broadcasting in 1995. KCYU and KBWU remained semi-satellites of KAYU until 1999 when sister station KFFX-TV signed on from Pendleton, Oregon and became their parent station; both stations (now KCYU-LD and KBWU-LD) continue to carry KFFX's programming to this day.

## Digital Television

### **Digital channels**

 28.2
 28.3

### **Analog-to-digital conversion**

KAYU-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 28, on February 17, 2009, the original target date in which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 30 to channel 28.

### **KAYU-DT2 (*My 28 Spokane*)**

The MyNetworkTV schedule running in early primetime, along with Antenna TV for all remaining hours, is broadcast on KAYU-DT2 (Channel 28.2) and is available locally on Comcast digital channel 117.

In November 2017, the 28.2 subchannel was upgraded to 720p HD; it had previously been offered in 480i 4:3 standard definition.

## Programming

Some of KAYU's syndicated programming offerings include *The Doctors*, *Steve*, *Family Feud*, *Crime Watch Daily*, *Mike & Molly*, *The Goldbergs*, *Last Man Standing*, *Modern Family*, and *The Big Bang Theory*. KAYU also carries Litton Entertainment's *Go Time* E/I block.

## News operation

KAYU-TV presently broadcasts 27⅓ hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 5⅓ hours on weekdays and 30 minutes each on Saturdays and Sundays); in addition, the station produces the sports highlight program *Spokane Sports*, which airs on weeknights during the final ten minutes of the 9:00 p.m. newscast and as a standalone half-hour program on Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 p.m. as well as the lifestyle program *Daytime at Nine*, which airs weekday mornings at 9:00 a.m.

**CBS affiliates:** WRGB
**The CW affiliates:** KCWI-TV KDAF KFRE KIAH KNVA KPLR-TV KUCW KXTU-LD
WCCT-TV WCWN WDCW WKCF WLVI WNAB WNLO WQCW WSFL-TV WSWB WTVX WUCW WVTV WWMB
**Fox affiliates:** **KAYU-TV** KCIT KDSM-TV KFXA KLRT-TV KSWB-TV KWKT-TV WACH WDAF-TV WDKY-TV WMSN-TV
**MyNetworkTV affiliates:** KAIL KAME-TV KASY-TV KFVE KMYU KRON-TV WCTX WMYA-TV WNDY-TV WNYO WQMY WRDC WSTR-TV WTCN-CA WUXP-TV WXSP-CD
**NBC affiliates:** WJAR KMTR