The FCC has approved Gray TV’s plan to move an NBC affiliate closer to Nebraska’s capital city, moving from VHF to UHF at the same time.
In a two step legal procedure, KSNB/4.1 (Superior) will change its community of license to York and then change its broadcast frequency from RF channel 4 to 24. It will also move from its present site near York to the KOLN-TV tower near Beaver Crossing, which is being reconstructed.
The move will put KSNB about 15 miles closer to Lincoln and make the station easily receivable in the city.
Though the change will leave Superior without a TV license, Gray pointed out that KSNB’s signal to Superior is already poor due to its transmitter site being 60 miles away and its VHF Low frequency. Superior will still be served by several other TV signals.
(See this site’s earlier report for more background.)
The FCC agreed that the move to Superior is a preferential arrangement of allotments because York is a bigger city and has no existing TV licenses.
Moreover, other important public interest benefits would accrue by permitting KSNB-TV to change its channel and community, and co-locate with KOLN, including operational and economic efficiencies and resolving low VHF reception problems for KSNB-TV. Finally, Gray has demonstrated that there are a number of channels that may be allotted to Superior if an interested party wishes to pursue acquiring a construction permit for a new station in the area. In addition, we find that Superior will receive improved service from KSNB-TV’s operation on channel 24 on the KOLN tower.
FCC Report and Order
Following Tuesday’s Report and Order, KSNB now must go through the formality of applying for a construction permit for the new facility.
Once the move is complete, it will mark a historic moment for Lincoln: For the first time, the city will have a DT1 signal from an in-market affiliate of each of the “big four” networks. KOLN was the only commercial TV station in town for decades until ABC affiliate KLKN/8 signed on in the 1990s, and another major network came along when KFXL/51.1 switched to FOX in 2009. (The city also receives Omaha stations over the air.)