KXGN-TV

Encyclopedia : K : KX : KXG : KXGN-TV

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KXGN-TV operates as NTSC TV channel 5 in Glendive, Montana, a primarily agricultural (cattle, sheep, pigs, grain, cereal) region in eastern Montana which is the smallest of the 210 US Nielsen-designated broadcast television market areas ([market data]) in the United States.

KXGN carries a portion of the CBS network feed, along with some NBC and UPN programming. KXGN is the last remaining TV station in the country affiliated with more than one "big three" network.

The only other station serving Glendive is KWZB, a cable-only WB affiliate, with a total potential home-market audience of a mere five thousand households.

KXGN operates two radio stations -- KXGN-AM (1400kHz, oldies) and KDZN-FM (96.5MHz, country music).

KXGN and KDZN are owned and operated by the Glendive Broadcasting Corporation, a company owned by Stephan Marks, a Maryland man who also owns KYUS-TV in Miles City, Montana, WBKB-TV in Alpena, Michigan and WBKP in Marquette, Michigan. KXGN-AM and KDZN-FM are his only radio properties.

Glendive Broadcasting is based at 210 S Douglas Glendive, MT 59330; Telephone 406-377-3377.

Translators

Like many other Montana stations, KXGN relies heavily on a mix of broadcast translators and cable TV systems to extend its reach to more viewers.

KXGN's programming can be seen on the following translators (all in Montana):

• Baker: K10JP, K42GA
• Culbertson: K34GY
• Ekalaka: K09BE
• Plentywood: K44ID
• Plevna: K03HD, K09IV
• Poplar: K05KK
• Richey: K13JU
• Sidney: K13IG
• Terry Creek: K07EK

K13IG is the only translator owned by KXGN -- all others are either owned by local governments or television associations.

Transition to ATSC digital

KXGN was allocated ATSC TV channel 10 by the FCC in September, 2004 [link] after receiving multiple extensions (on the grounds of financial hardship) of the original May 1, 2002 deadline to go digital. [link]

Obstacles to the digital transition include cost (estimated as of 2002 at slightly over $1 million for KXGN and two other stations owned by the same person), the limited number of households which would be able to receive the digital signal (as many depend on repeaters to receive TV at all) and the small number of ATSC-digital TV sets in use. If as of 2002 new analogue TV's outsold the expensive digital sets 50 to 1, few will be watching ATSC even where the signal is physically available.

The major obstacles which apply to the adoption of terrestrial digital TV elsewhere (limited amount of HD content, high cost relative to competition from free-to-air DVB satellite or subscription TV services) still apply, but are magnified by the small and widely geographically-distributed audience of a small-market station.

External links

• [Official site]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for KXGN]
• *[Query the FCC's TV station database for K13IG]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K10JP]
• *[Query the FCC's TV station database for K42GA]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K34GY]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K09BE]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K44ID]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K03HD]
• *[Query the FCC's TV station database for K09IV]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K05KK]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K13JU]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for K07EK]