Twin Cities NBC affiliate KARE has announced plans to move to a UHF frequency on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at noon.
The move follows work at the Telefarm transmitter site in Shoreview used by several major TV stations. KARE, owned by Tegna, will continue to be seen on virtual channel 11 but will move its RF broadcasts from VHF channel 11 to UHF channel 31. The station has said it’s an effort to make it easier for viewers to receive the station with indoor antennas.
A post on the station’s website advises viewers to rescan on Oct. 20 after 12:00. A video posted on the page is similar to a promotional video that antenna manufacturer Dielectric posted on Facebook in late September:
As previously reported, CBS’ WCCO-TV/4.1 (RF 32) and KARE will share a new antenna on the Telefarm North tower.
In early October, WCCO-TV informed the FCC that it would be temporarily operating at 750kW, rather than its licensed 1,000kW, “to accommodate a series of facility changes by other DTV stations at the multiāuse tower facility.”
The filing specified an antenna height that matches plans for the new antenna, 456 meters above average terrain. The reduced power operation was expected to take place for no more than 30 days.
Then, on Oct. 8, a DX’er noted brief test broadcasts of KARE’s new facility on UHF 31:
KARE’s move to RF 31 will displace Daystar/Word of God Fellowship’s WDMI-LD/31 (Minneapolis), which on Oct. 6 requested special temporary authority to move to channel 26 with 1kW.
WDMI’s filing says KARE wants to start using channel 31 “as soon as possible” and that it will use the 1kW facility temporarily until it can install a directional antenna, needed because channel 26 is also used by a Rochester station (KXLT). WDMI’s application remains pending as of Oct. 15.
KARE’s move to UHF will leave FOX owned-and-operated KMSP/9.9 as the only Twin Cities station still transmitting on VHF, though it simulcasts on channel 9.1 of co-owned WFTC (RF 29).
Meanwhile, as noted here previously, Hubbard Broadcasting’s two stations are also planning changes at the Telefarm site. KSTP-TV/5.1 has received a construction permit to move from the north tower to a top-mounted antenna on the south tower, while KSTC-TV/5.2 has a permit to move from the south tower to a new antenna just below the WCCO/KARE antenna on the north tower.
This article was originally posted on Oct. 8 and was updated on Oct. 15.