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KCOS (TV)

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This article is about the PBS member television station in El Paso, Texas. For the unrelated defunct religious television station in Phoenix, Arizona, see KCOS-LP.
KCOS
Channels
Branding
  • PBS El Paso
  • Texas Tech Public Media
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerTexas Tech University
History
First air date
August 18, 1978 (46 years ago) (1978-08-18)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 7 (VHF, 1978–1981), 13 (VHF, 1981–2009)
  • Digital: 30 (UHF, until 2009)
Call sign meaning
"City of the Sun"[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID19117
ERP42 kW
HAAT259 m (850 ft)
Transmitter coordinates31°47′15″N 106°28′49″W / 31.78750°N 106.48028°W / 31.78750; -106.48028 (KCOS)
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.kcostv.org

KCOS (channel 13), branded as PBS El Paso, is a PBS member television station in El Paso, Texas, United States, owned by Texas Tech University. The station's offices are located on Viscount Boulevard (northeast of I-10) in east El Paso, and its transmitter is located atop the Franklin Mountains on the El Paso city limits. Its nominal main studio is located at Texas Tech-owned KTTZ-TV in Lubbock.

Efforts to start a public television station in El Paso had flickered on and off in the 1960s but took shape in the early 1970s with the formation of the El Paso Public Television Foundation. A construction permit for the station was issued in 1975, and KCOS began broadcasting on August 18, 1978. It originally aired on channel 7 until a July 1981 channel swap with KVIA-TV, then on channel 13; the swap was part of an agreement by which KVIA-TV donated use of its transmitter facility to the public station. KCOS persevered despite several fiscal crises and low public support. In 2019, Texas Tech Public Media absorbed KCOS, continuing to operate it as an El Paso–focused public TV station.

History

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Planning

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Channel 7 was the originally-allocated channel for non-commercial television service in El Paso. The first discussions of starting a station to use it came in late 1962, when a group met to consider the formation of a non-profit entity to promote its establishment.[3] This group, the Rio Grande Council on Educational Television, began raising $500,000 in order to build a transmitter site on the Franklin Mountains.[4] However, these plans soon were put on hold, as it was felt that there were more important community projects.[5] The Council, however, continued to exist, and in 1970 the idea met with renewed community interest.[6]

A second organization, the El Paso Public Television Foundation (EPPTF), was formed in 1971 by a group of business leaders with the goal of establishing a public station in El Paso, one of the largest cities in the nation without public broadcasting.[7] Under this organization, plans accelerated. The station would be located on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP),[8] while fundraising and awareness-generating activities began in the community.[9] On November 25, the foundation filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking a construction permit for channel 7.[10]

In June 1972, the foundation unveiled a capital plan to raise $275,000 of community support, with the remainder of the $1 million cost coming from the federal government as well as the local and state boards of education.[11] However, the sudden death of Thorne Shugart, vice president in charge of fundraising, caused efforts to stall.[1] By 1974, it was hoped that the station would be on air that year if federal grant money from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) was received in time.[12] That year, John Walton, owner of commercial station KELP-TV (channel 13), donated space on a new KELP-TV tower to the new public television station.[13]

Construction, start-up on channel 7, and change to channel 13

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HEW approved the grant at the start of July 1975,[14] though in a smaller than expected amount,[15] and the FCC granted the construction permit on July 16.[10] As part of the agreement with KELP-TV, both groups then proposed a channel swap, moving the public station to channel 13 and KELP-TV to channel 7; a clause in the agreement would give additional funding and technical support to the public station if the FCC approved.[15] The idea of switching the commercial allocation from channel 13 to channel 7 had predated both stations. In 1954, Gordon McLendon, who at the time held the construction permit for channel 13, applied to the FCC for a switch and was denied; he wanted to be located between El Paso's two existing commercial stations, channel 4 and channel 9, on the dial.[16][17][18]

Walton's donation was imperiled when he sold KELP-TV to Marsh Media, which renamed it KVIA-TV in 1976. The agreement was renegotiated with Marsh, which introduced a delay; meanwhile, EPPTF needed another $80,000 to cover startup costs. However, KVIA-TV continued to be interested in moving to channel 7, a number used by several other ABC affiliates nationally.[19][20][21][a] Construction of KCOS also took other steps in late 1977 and early 1978, as senior management was hired; KDBC-TV donated two cameras;[23] and the station leased space at UTEP.[24] An eight-hour telethon aired by KDBC-TV, previewing public TV programming and seeking donations to get KCOS started, helped bring the station closer to its fundraising goals.[25]

The transmitting equipment for KCOS was transported to the Franklin Mountains in April 1978.[26] KCOS then began broadcasting on August 18, 1978.[27][28] On El Paso's cable system, KCOS programming supplanted KNME-TV from Albuquerque when the station was on the air.[29] In December, the station debuted its first local production, the arts program De Art.[30]

In June 1981, the FCC approved a channel swap with KVIA-TV, which took place on July 10, 1981. It was the third such exchange among VHF television stations.[31][32]

Growth and financial crises

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This station has lived literally for 30 years hand-to-mouth at best, and there were a number of those times in 30 years where the hand wasn't sufficiently feeding the mouth.

Craig A. Brush, general manager of KCOS, on the station's survival in 2008[33]

For much of its 41-year history under a community licensee, the station had to navigate persistent low rates of public support, accentuated by its location in a border city. Elaine Rosen, who chaired the El Paso Public Television Foundation board for KCOS's first nine years in operation, recalled that "El Paso is cheap" and that some in town objected to a public station with perceived "liberal" content.[33] KCOS, as with other community-owned public stations, also was barred under Texas law from being supported by the state; this was in contrast to KRWG-TV, whose budget is subsidized by its owner, New Mexico State University.[34][33]

As a result, the station suffered occasional financial crises. In 1981, the station faced a $25,000 budget deficit, and the chairman of the foundation asked general manager John Siqueiros to produce a five-year plan for KCOS.[35] Siqueiros resigned in 1983 as he was facing possible dismissal over poor job performance.[36] He was replaced by John Kasdan, who came from WVPT in Virginia.[37] Finances improved, but a decision in the late 1980s to expand the station's local program production doubled the annual budget and ultimately led to a financial crisis in 1992, when Kasdan departed KCOS. From 1990 to 1992, memberships declined by 25 percent, while support from businesses and the federal government also diminished.[38][39] The El Paso Public Television Foundation analyzed merging KCOS with KRWG-TV, El Paso Community College, and two public stations in Texas, but no agreement emerged.[34] A former board member, who resigned in lieu of being removed from the board, accused station management of attempting to hide the depth of KCOS's financial issues.[40]

The new general manager, Robert Muñoz, sought to steady the station's finances. In response to the fact that Hispanics were severely underrepresented as donors to KCOS, the station launched a membership drive focusing on the Hispanic community, known as Algo Más ("Something Else").[41] KCOS was also one of the first 11 stations to participate in the pilot for PBS's Ready-to-Learn initiative, devoting its daytime schedule to children's programs aimed at preschoolers, in 1994.[42] During Muñoz's tenure, KCOS also produced and distributed the docudrama Held in Trust: The Story of Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, a first in station history.[43]

Muñoz left in 1998[44] and was replaced by Craig Brush.[45] Early in his time running the station, KCOS dealt with being off air for non-cable viewers for three weeks in early 2000 when the antenna partially failed. Only one channel could be broadcast, and KVIA-TV had priority; it also needed the remaining transmission capacity in order to broadcast Super Bowl XXXIV.[46][47][48]

In 2003, UTEP informed KCOS that it needed the space the station occupied in the university's Education Building and would not renew its lease for 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) in the Education Building. KCOS had few options and needed to find space in an existing building that could provide services such as security and cleaning.[49] In July 2006, KCOS relocated to a building at the headquarters of El Paso Community College, sharing space with the college's communications system.[50]

KCOS was financially battered by the Great Recession in the late 2000s. From a high of 6,000 members, KCOS counted 3,500 members by November 2008; membership provided 63 percent of the station's revenue, with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) providing the remainder.[33] The station's budget declined from $1.8 million in 2008 to $1.4 million in 2013.[51] After Brush resigned in 2010, the station had two interim leaders.[52][51]

Merger into Texas Tech Public Media

[edit]

In 2015, the El Paso Public Television Foundation decided that KCOS needed to partner with another station. Non-federal government support for KCOS had fallen below levels stipulated by the CPB to continue to receive community service grants; it then received a waiver to continue receiving the grants. The foundation approached Texas Tech Public Media, the public media service of Texas Tech University, in late 2017 about the possibility of a merger.[53]

On August 12, 2019, a purchase agreement was announced that would see KCOS sold to Texas Tech University for a token amount of $1,000. All nine of the station's full-time local personnel would remain in place under the new ownership, which would see it become a sister station to Lubbock's KTTZ-TV, KTTZ-FM, and KTXT-FM. Adding KCOS expanded Texas Tech Public Media's reach by more than one million households.[53] The sale was completed on September 30, 2019.[54] Shortly after, KCOS rebranded as PBS El Paso.[55]

Local programming

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PBS El Paso produces three local programs on its own—the monthly health series El Paso Physician, culture series Only in El Paso, and Rooted and a fourth in collaboration with KTTZ-TV in Lubbock, music showcase Sound on Tap.[56]

Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KCOS[57]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
13.1 1080i 16:9 KCOS-HD PBS
13.2 480i CREATE Create
13.3 PBS Kids

Until July 1, 2023, the station carried channels produced by El Paso Community College and the city of El Paso. These were removed, while PBS Kids was added.[58]

Analog-to digital conversion

[edit]

KCOS shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 13, at 11:30 p.m. on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 30 to VHF channel 13 for post-transition operations.[59]

Notes

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  1. ^ Notably, one of these affiliates was Marsh-owned KVII-TV in Amarillo, whose news format was copied by KVIA-TV under Marsh ownership.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lee, Bill (February 21, 1978). "Editor's Corner". El Paso Herald-Post. p. B-2. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KCOS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ "To Organize Educational TV Station". El Paso Times. November 25, 1962. p. 9-A. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "TV Educational Council Gets Charter". El Paso Herald-Post. January 10, 1963. p. A-3. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Rice, Joseph (October 12, 1965). "Mr. Reporter, Tell Me..." El Paso Times. p. 3-A. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "A Possibility For El Paso: Seminar To Explore Public TV". El Paso Times. December 13, 1970. p. 128. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Goal Is TV Without Commercials". El Paso Herald-Post. September 30, 1971. p. D-1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "U.T. El Paso To Be Site Of Proposed PTV Station". Prospector. October 7, 1971. p. 5. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "El Paso Public TV Group Cites Support". El Paso Herald-Post. October 29, 1971. p. A-5. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "History Cards for KCOS". Federal Communications Commission.
  11. ^ "Public Television Plan For El Paso Is Outlined". El Paso Times. June 20, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Public TV Due on Air This Year". El Paso Herald-Post. February 7, 1974. p. 13. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Public TV Transmitter Location". El Paso Herald-Post. April 12, 1974. p. B-1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Public television on E.P. horizon". El Paso Herald-Post. July 1, 1975. p. A-7. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b "Public TV channel change is sought". El Paso Herald-Post. August 18, 1975. p. A-10. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "KELP-TV Asks Channel Change". El Paso Herald-Post. May 12, 1954. p. 6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "E. P. Station Asks TV Channel Change". El Paso Herald-Post. United Press. June 23, 1954. p. 6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Channel Change For KELP Denied By FCC". El Paso Times. January 28, 1955. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Ontiveros, Manny (December 20, 1976). "Public TV backers running out of time, money". El Paso Herald-Post. p. A-1, A-3. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Ontiveros, Manny (December 21, 1976). "Agreement opens door for local public TV". El Paso Herald-Post. p. A-1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Contract signed for KCOS-TV, 7". El Paso Herald-Post. January 12, 1977. p. B-8. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Kimble, Ed (January 16, 1977). "KVIA Pros Seek Top Ratings". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. p. Sundial 3. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Jones, Gregory (October 6, 1977). "Public Television Nears Reality". El Paso Times. p. 13-B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Regents OK artifacts survey". Prospector. November 15, 1977. p. 2. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Watson, Jessica (March 13, 1978). "Telethon Provides Public TV With Money Transfusion". El Paso Times. pp. 1B, 5B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "PBS Transmitter Installed On Mountain". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. April 9, 1978. p. Sundial 19. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Flynn, Ken (August 18, 1978). "Like 'dream come true' KCOS takes to the air". El Paso Herald-Post. p. B-1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Large, Jerry (August 19, 1978). "After 7 Years—KCOS: El Paso's Public TV On Air". El Paso Times. pp. 1A, 13A. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Cable television viewers have to wait for KCOS". El Paso Herald-Post. August 22, 1978. p. A-6. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Issues and artists: KCOS premieres 'de art'". El Paso Herald-Post. December 2, 1978. p. TV Week 2. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Television stations will swap channels". El Paso Herald-Post. El Paso, Texas. June 20, 1981. p. B-6. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "The Great Channel Change". El Paso Herald-Post. July 10, 1981. p. Accent 9. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ a b c d Pullen, Doug (November 8, 2008). "30 years of public television: Cash-hungry KCOS keeps chugging along". El Paso Times. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ a b Carroll, Nicole (August 2, 1992). "2 PBS stations compete for regional donations". El Paso Times. pp. 1B, 2B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Woodyard, Don (June 5, 1981). "KCOS battles deficit". El Paso Herald-Post. p. A1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ Loving, Bill (May 26, 1983). "Committee to seek new KCOS chief". El Paso Herald-Post. p. B1. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Virginian to head KCOS TV". El Paso Herald-Post. October 7, 1983. p. A-4. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ Carroll, Nicole (August 1, 1992). "KCOS money crunch threatens local programs". El Paso Times. p. 1A. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Carroll, Nicole (August 2, 1992). "KCOS' local programs are both its pride and its budget headache". El Paso Times. pp. 1B, 2B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ Carroll, Nicole (August 8, 1992). "KCOS hid money woes, ex-member says". El Paso Times. p. 1B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ Ramírez, Cindy (October 9, 1992). "Channel 13 plans fund-raise to attract more Hispanic members". El Paso Times. p. 1E. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Cortés González, Marla (July 2, 1994). "PTV is on the air: Children get programming". El Paso Times. pp. 1F, 6F. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Ballew, Coco (January 30, 1996). "Film moves viewers, makers: Docudrama premiere draws crowd". El Paso Times. pp. 1D, 3D. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ "KCOS general manager resigns". El Paso Times. March 27, 1998. p. 1B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ Renteria, Ramon (August 9, 1998). "New KCOS general manager sets priorities for transition". El Paso Times. p. 1F. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ Kolenc, Vic (February 12, 2000). "Wind-blown KCOS could be back on air by Sunday". El Paso Times. p. 10B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ "KCOS back on the air". El Paso Times. February 17, 2000. p. 10B. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ Washington Valdez, Diana (March 3, 2007). "Ready to broadcast to the faithful: KSCE-TV auction to help it recover from being off air". El Paso Times. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ Martinez, Victor R. (August 12, 2003). "25 Years of KCOS: TV station seeks to stay at UTEP". El Paso Times. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Villalva, Maribel (October 8, 2006). "Creative Kids grows into big new space". El Paso Times. p. 3F. Retrieved June 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ a b Renteria, Ramon (April 7, 2013). "El Paso's KCOS under pressure". El Paso Times. ProQuest 1324311552.
  52. ^ Molina Johnson, Erica (June 18, 2010). "El Paso PBS station KCOS-TV names interim chief". El Paso Times. ProQuest 502584064.
  53. ^ a b Falk, Tyler (August 12, 2019). "Deal between Texas stations aids struggling KCOS in El Paso". Current. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  54. ^ "Consummation Notice". Consolidated Database System. Federal Communications Commission. September 30, 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  55. ^ Chacon, Andrea (November 6, 2019). "Local station KCOS-13 is under new ownership". KTSM-TV. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  56. ^ "Local Productions". PBS El Paso. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  57. ^ "TV Query for KCOS". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  58. ^ "PBS El Paso: New Channel Lineup". PBS El Paso. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  59. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. May 23, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
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