KBKF-LD

KBKF-LD
ATSC 3.0 station
San Jose, California; United States;
Channels	Digital: 6 (VHF); Virtual: 6;
Programming
Affiliations	6.2: U Channel
Ownership
Owner	Venture Technologies Group, LLC
Operator	Educational Media Foundation
History
Founded	March 22, 2004
Former call signs	K26HN (2004); KBKF-LP (2004–2021);
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	127882
Class	LD
ERP	2 kW
HAAT	776.9 m (2,549 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	37°6′38.9″N 121°50′40.8″W / 37.110806°N 121.844667°W
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Radio station information
Frequency	87.7 MHz
Branding	Air1
Programming
Format	Defunct (Was Contemporary worship music )
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	air1.com

KBKF-LD (channel 6) is a low-power television station in San Jose, California, United States. Owned by Venture Technologies Group, it transmits from an antenna on Loma Prieta Peak.

Although licensed as a TV station, KBKF-LD primarily functions as a radio station, broadcasting Contemporary Christian music from the Air1 network that can be heard by FM radios at 87.7 MHz. Its ATSC 3.0 video feed broadcasts U Channel on digital channel 6.2.

History

Originally KBKF-LP, it initially transmitted as an analog TV station, taking advantage of the fact that the analog TV standard for channel 6 specifies the audio portion of the transmission as an FM signal centered on 87.75 MHz. This can be picked up by most FM receivers at 87.7 FM.

Faced with an approaching July 13, 2021, FCC deadline requiring all LPTV stations to convert from analog to digital transmissions,^[2] Venture Technologies developed a version of the ATSC 3.0 digital TV standard that allows an analog FM audio subcarrier to coexist with the digital TV signal.^[3]

Now operating as a digital LPTV station with the call sign KBKF-LD, this station was used as a test site, and began dual digital TV/analog FM transmissions in February 2021.^[4] On June 10, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a six month long Special Temporary Authority (STA) grant allowing KBKF-LD to continue analog FM broadcasts on 87.75 MHz using this method.^[5] On July 20, 2023, an FCC "Report and Order" included this station as one of 13 "FM6" stations allowed to continue to operate an FM radio broadcast, as a "ancillary or supplementary" service.^[6]