Mankato’s KEYC-TV is collecting viewer comments in an effort to expand its satellite coverage to more of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.
The Gray TV CBS/FOX affiliate has long covered news across the region, but its official market — and therefore its satellite coverage area — is limited to Blue Earth, Brown, Martin, and Watonwan counties. The station has now posted a form on its website asking people outside of those counties to provide comments to the FCC about why they would like to receive KEYC.
Rob Folliard, Gray TV’s Vice President of Government Relations & Distribution, confirmed that KEYC plans to file a petition with the FCC in the next few weeks to extend its reach on satellite.
“If the FCC agrees, satellite customers in southern Minnesota that traditionally received only the Twin Cities stations would also receive KEYC and satellite customers in north central Iowa would receive KEYC in addition to the Des Moines stations. No one will lose access to any stations. Instead, satellite customers will finally have a choice to also watch KEYC,” Folliard said.
A provision in the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization Act of 2014 allows TV stations, county governments, and satellite providers to petition the FCC to allow a station to be carried outside of its Nielsen-defined market (though the market definition does not change for ratings purposes).
Up until now, most or all proposed STELAR market modifications have dealt with “orphan counties,” which are areas that are served by out-of-state TV stations. However, STELAR does not specifically require that the counties in question be orphans.
Folliard said a desire by satellite customers to receive KEYC will be a key factor in the FCC’s decision.
KEYC’s over the air signal reaches beyond its official market boundaries and it has historically had cable carriage stretching from Owatonna to Hutchinson to Spencer. Even St. Peter, less than 15 miles up Highway 169 from Mankato, is considered to be outside of KEYC’s official market.
“KEYC has been the station that viewers in southern Minnesota and north central Iowa have turned to for decades for news about their communities, for up to date information on school closings and weather, and for other breaking news affecting their daily lives,” said Ed Woloszyn, KEYC General Manager.
“As we have heard time and again, our local coverage focusing on southern Minnesota and north central Iowa is more relevant to our viewers day-to-day lives than the news coming out of the Twin Cities or Des Moines. Despite this, KEYC is only carried on satellite by DIRECTV and DISH Network in a small portion of our service area, meaning that satellite customers in Blue Earth, Waseca, Windom and Estherville get the more distant Twin Cities or Des Moines stations and not their true hometown local station,” Woloszyn said.
A letter from DirecTV already on file with the FCC indicates that KEYC asked DirecTV to study potential carriage in 23 out-of-market counties. The letter indicates that the spot beam carrying KEYC’s HD signal is fully available in 17 of the counties but not available in western Minnesota.
It’s not yet known which counties KEYC will ultimately request to be added through a market modification. Once KEYC’s petition is submitted, the FCC will have 120 days to consider the request.
KEYC is the only station in the Mankato market and is also in the process of launching low-power sister station KMNF-LD/7, which will carry NBC and CW.
Find more coverage in the TV Market Modifications category.