KRCR-TV

KRCR-TV

Redding–Chico, California United States
City	Redding, California
Channels	Digital:15 (UHF) Virtual:7
Branding	KRCR ABC 7;The Northstate's News
Programming
Affiliations	7.1:ABC 20.1:Fox for others, see§ Subchannels
Ownership
Owner	Sinclair Broadcast Group (Sinclair Media Licensee,LLC)
Sister stations	KAEF-TV,KCVU,KXVU-LD,KRVU-LD/KZVU-LD,KUCO-LD,KKTF-LD,KTVL
History
First air date	August 1, 1956(1956-08-01)
Former call signs	KVIP (1956–1957) KVIP-TV (1957–1963)
Former channel number(s)	Analog:7 (VHF, 1956–2009) Digital:34 (UHF, 2003–2009), 7 (VHF, 2009–2024)
Former affiliations	NBC(1956–1978) Fox (secondary, 1986–1994)
Call signmeaning	Redding, Chico,Red Bluff
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	8291
ERP	1,000 kW (CP)
HAAT	1,095 m (3,593 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	40°36′9.5″N122°39′4″W
Translator(s)	34 (UHF) Redding for others, see§ Translators
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	krcrtv

KRCR-TV(channel 7) is atelevision stationlicensed toRedding, California,United States, serving as theABCaffiliate for theChico–Reddingmarket.It is owned bySinclair Broadcast Groupalongside fivelow-powerstations: Chico-licensedAntenna TVaffiliateKXVU-LD(channel 17);MyNetworkTVaffiliates Redding-licensedKRVU-LD(channel 21) and Chico-licensed KZVU-LD (channel 22); Chico-licensedUnivisionaffiliateKUCO-LD(channel 27); and Chico-licensedUniMásaffiliateKKTF-LD(channel 30). Sinclair also provides certain services toParadise-licensedFoxaffiliateKCVU(channel 20) under alocal marketing agreement(LMA) withCunningham Broadcasting;however, Sinclair effectively owns KCVU as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. The stations share studios on Auditorium Drive east of downtown Redding and maintain a news bureau and sales office at the formerSainte Television Groupfacilities on Main Street in downtown Chico (forFCCand other legal purposes, the Chico/Paradise-licensed stations still use the Chico address and Redding-licensed stations use the Redding address). KRCR's transmitter is located atop Shasta Bally, west of Redding.

KAEF-TV(channel 23) inArcataoperates as asemi-satelliteof KRCR, serving theEurekamarket. As such, it clears all network programming as provided through KRCR but airs a separate offering ofsyndicatedprogramming; there are also separate local newscasts, commercial inserts and legalstation identifications.Although KAEF maintains its own studios (shared with LMA partnerKBVU) on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka,master controland some internal operations are based at KRCR's facilities.

History

The station was founded in 1956 as KVIP (adding the "-TV" suffix to its callsign on August 15, 1957) by William B. Smullin ofCalifornia Oregon Broadcasting, Inc.(COBI), owners ofKOBIinMedford, Oregon,andsatellite stationKOTIinKlamath Falls,as a primary NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. By 1963, network emphasis had shifted towards ABC, as only the Saturday morning and Sunday night prime time schedules, a few daytimegame showsandThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonwere carried in NBC's schedule pattern.The full ABC schedule was available by way of translators ofStockton'sKOVRin Chico and Redding. Channel 7 became KRCR in 1963.

It dropped NBC and took on a full-time ABC affiliation in 1978, which in turn started the seven-year process for building KCPM (channel 24, nowKNVN). This was an unusual arrangement for a two-station market especially one of the size of Chico–Redding, but after 15 years of unsuccessful attempts the area was served by a local ABC affiliate.

7R logo used by KRCR television in Redding, California in the 1960s.

Under COBI ownership, KRCR used a logo consisting of anInterstate shield signlike its sister stations, placing "7R" where the number would be. 7R was adapted as branding for the station at that time, as the Northern CaliforniaTV Guideedition identified it with a "7R" 'channel bullet' to differentiate it from ABCowned-and-operated stationKGO-TVinSan Franciscoand its similar network schedule.

KRCR, KAEF, and KFWU inFort Bragg(nowKQSLinCloverdale,part of the San Francisco TV market), airedFoxfull-time on off-network hours from the network's launch in 1986 until 1994 when now-sister stationKCVUswitched to Fox andKBVUsigned on.

KRCR was purchased by Lamco Communications of Texas in 1995 and was rebrandedNews Channel 7,which remains the branding for the newscasts. The station was operated by California Broadcasting, Inc., and run by general manager Bob Wise (now ofKOBI) until 2004 when the station was sold toBluestone Television.In December 2006, the station was sold (along with 12 other Bluestone stations) toDiamond Castle Holdings,a New York-based private equity firm, which later becameBonten Media Group.

The station also operates a semi-satellite inEureka,KAEF-TV (channel 23). It operated a local cable-onlyWBaffiliateKIWB,but that station was sold toCatamount Broadcastingfollowing the merger between the WB andUPNto form the newCW Network.KRVU-LDwas previously a UPN affiliate but is now aMyNetworkTVaffiliate.

KRCR was one of a select few ABC affiliates that broadcast on channel 7, but chose not to license the network'sCircle 7 logo,until April 11, 2006, when the station rebranded and introduced its new set, along with the digital age allowing clear differentiation of both KRCR and KGO's signals viavirtual channeldata if a viewer was in position to receive both stations.

Merger with KCVU and KBVU

In December 2012, KRCR/KAEF took over sales operations of KCVU in Chico, as well asKVIQand KBVU in Eureka. They still maintain separate operations.

In August 2012, Bonten Media announced that KCVU and KBVU would be sold to Esteem Broadcasting, effectively merging both the ABC and Fox affiliates' operations to create a media powerhouse north of Sacramento and south of the Oregon border.

On April 21, 2017,Sinclair Broadcast Groupannounced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations (including KRCR) for $240 million.Sinclair's sidecarCunningham Broadcastingacquired the Esteem stations (including KCVU).The sale was completed September 1.

KRCR's studios and offices located at 755 Auditorium Drive in Redding

The Northstate's News logo (2023-present)

Notable former on-air staff

• Rich Eisen– sports anchor/reporter (now ofNFL NetworkandThe Rich Eisen Show,formerly ofESPN)
• Mark Eubank– meteorologist
• Sandra Maas– news anchor/reporter (formerly ofKSBY-TVandKFMB-TV,now atKUSI-TV)
• Craig Padilla– chief creative services editor and production manager (now full-time self-employed professional musician & video editor)
• Kristen Welker– NBC White House correspondent and host ofMeet the Press

What Makes News Channel 7?

In the fall of 1995,Continental Cablevisionof Mt. Shasta (now part of Vyve Broadband) filmed, produced and broadcast a 30-minute documentary special calledWhat Makes News Channel 7?as part of its newsmagazine seriesIn Focus: Siskiyou Magazine.It took a look behind the scenes at what went on at the station and focused mainly on the news team featuring a behind-the-scenes look at how a newscast is produced as well as interviews with key personalities such as Mike Mangas,Rich Eisen,Sandra Geist, Warren Wright, Gary Gunter and Katy Brown. The program aired on Mt. Shasta cable channel 3 in the winter and spring of 1996 and starting showing on YouTube and MySpace in February 2010.It was rebroadcast over Mt. Shasta cable airwaves again on MCTV 15 in 2010 leading to that program's relaunch.

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's digital signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of KRCR-TV

Channel	Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
7.1	720p	16:9	KRCR-TV	ABC
7.2	480i		METV	TBD
7.3			MOVIES	Comet
20.1	720p		KCVU-DT	Fox(KCVU)

Simulcast of subchannels of another station

On August 23, 2011,Disney-ABC Television Groupannounced that KRCR would carryLive Well Networkas part of an affiliation agreement with Bonten Media Group; the network was added to a new third subchannel.Live Well Network was replaced byMovies!on November 18, 2013,only for it to be replaced byCometon September 1, 2022.

Analog-to-digital conversion

KRCR-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, overVHFchannel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date when full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcastsunder federal mandate.The station's digital signal relocated fromUHFchannel 34 to VHF channel 7. The station's pre-transition channel position on channel 34 was later converted to a translator.

Translators

• K12JJ-DBenbow,etc.
• K05DQ-DBurney,etc.
• K15CX-DOroville
• K05EM-DParadise
• KRCR-TV (DRT)Redding
• K05CF-DWeaverville
• K23PQ-DYreka

Former translators

In the early 1990s, KRCR operated a satellite, KFWU (channel 8), in Fort Bragg; originally serving as an ABC affiliate for theMendocino Countyportion of theSan Francisco Bay Areatelevision market; the station would be sold in 1996. It is currentlyindependent stationKQSL.

KRCR was formerly broadcast on translators channel 2 inLakehead;channel 3 inLewistonandMountain Gate;channel 4 inBig Bend,etc.,HayforkandCovelo;channel 5 inMineralandTrinity Center;channel 20 inYuba City,part of theSacramentotelevision market (KRCR no longer broadcasts at all in Yuba City) and channel 21 inSusanville,part of theRenomarket.

Carriage disputes

Mt. Shasta cable dispute

Since its inception in the mid-1980s, the Mt. Shasta cable system owned by Northland Communications (now Vyve Broadband) had carried KRCR on its cable channel 7. However, in January 2012, Northland dropped KRCR from its cable lineup after the station's current ownership and the cable company failed to come to a mutual agreement to continue the station's coverage on the system and severed ties after a near-30-year working relationship between the two. As a result, Northland replaced KRCR on cable channel 7 with Medford, Oregon's ABC affiliate,KDRV(channel 12).

Despite being in California,Siskiyou Countyis part of the Medford market according to the FCC. Both KRCR and Northland made several attempts to get the DMA changed but were unsuccessful each time.KHSL-TV,KNVN-TVandKIXE-TVwere theonlyChico–Redding market stations airing on the Northland system in Mt. Shasta; however, certain programs on KHSL and KNVN are subject toblackoutdue to the FCC's network non-duplication andsyndication exclusivityrules.

In 2021, KRCR returned to the Vyve Broadband cable line-up on channel 12 (replacing KHSL-TV) and its sister station KRVU returned to cable channel 2. (KIXE-TV remains on channel 9.)

Disputes with Dish Network

Under its former Bonten ownership, the company andDish Networkhad tworetransmission consentissues that led to Bonten stations (including KRCR) to be removed from the provider. As a result, on December 8, 2013, Dish stopped carrying KRCR on their system before a later restoration. On January 17, 2017, KRCR and KCVU were once again removed from Dish's lineup as part of a new dispute, returning on February 13.

External links

• Official website
• KRCR among 13 station to be sold to NY group