BEK Sports Network has formally launched a new full-power TV station in the Fargo market, the first new Upper Midwest station to sign on following an FCC auction last year.
BEK won KNGF/27 (Grand Forks) in FCC Auction 112 with a $6,411,000 bid. It was the most paid for any of the 18 full-power TV construction permits sold nationally during that auction.
KNGF transmits with 720kW from the KVLY-TV tower near Blanchard, reaching both Fargo and Grand Forks. It will also be able to assert must-carry rights for its primary channel on cable and satellite providers serving the Fargo market.
Exact program listings are not yet available online. BEK produces sports and conservative talk programming.
BEK’s programming in the Fargo market has previously been seen on Major Market Broadcasting’s KRDK/4.1 (Valley City-Fargo), which airs some BEK programming on its main channel and carries BEK Sports on 4.2. KRDK’s main channel also carries programming from Cozi TV and MyNetworkTV.
BEK’s news release about KNGF’s launch notes that the previous arrangement for the Fargo market “limited BEK’s ability to broadcast its original, unique, and award-winning programming. It also limited the hours it could broadcast to afternoons and evenings.”
Steele-based BEK also owns KNDB/26 (Bismarck) and KNDM/24 (Minot). It got its start as a telephone cooperative and now also offers TV and internet services.
Disclosure: Jon Ellis was an employee of Gray Media Group at the time this item was posted. The statements and views expressed in this posting are his own and do not reflect those of Gray Media Group.