KTMJ-CA - History

History

What is now KTMJ began its life on June 16, 1982 as K06KZ on channel 6 in Junction City. It became a low-powered Fox affiliate under the call sign KTMJ-LP ('Topeka / Manhattan / Junction City). It was known as "KTMJ-TV 6" in TV Guide listings and other references in newspapers. KETM-LP went on-the-air on November 30, 1988 as K17CK. Eventually, it became a repeater of the main signal. In 2001, it became a Class A station and changed its calls to KETM-CA. On March 30, 2011, it surrendered its class A license and reverted to a standard low-power one, with the call sign changing to KETM-LP. When the KTMJ-CA calls were moved to channel 43 in Topeka and became the flagship station, KETM became a repeater of that channel. KMJT-CA began life on August 4, 1992 as K15DQ. It became a Class A repeater of the original signal on September 24, 2001.

It became a Class A station in 2001 and gained the "KTMJ-CA" call sign. The KTMJ calls would be moved to a Topeka repeater of the Junction City station leaving the original KTMJ to become KTLJ-CA while the modern KTMJ-CA became the flagship of several Class A Fox stations in the Topeka viewing area. It carried UPN as a secondary affiliation until 2003. On July 7, 2008, New Vision Television (owner of NBC affiliate KSNT) announced its intention to buy KTMJ and its repeaters from Montgomery Communications. The purchase was completed on September 1. In November 2008, KTMJ started broadcasting as a second digital subchannel of KSNT replacing a CW Plus affiliate. It can be received in 720p HD by using a ClearQAM device connected to Cox cable.

From June 16, 1982 until the transition to a digital-only signal, K06KZ at first, KTMJ-LP and KTMJ-CA at the time, and now KTLJ-CA is broadcast on the radio in the Junction City area on 87.7 FM. This is possible because channel 6 is close to the FM radio band and radios sold in the United States at the time. When the DTV transition is done to KTLJ-CA, it will be the last 87.7 FM radio staiton in the state of Kansas that will go off air. The first station that went off air was K06LZ licensed in Salina in the year 2008. The second station that went off air was KBSD-DT on June 12, 2009, because of the full power license.

On September 1, 2010, KTMJ-CA applied to flash-cut from analog to digital on channel 43, which it was granted a construction permit on September 28. On September 29, 2011, KTMJ-CA began broadcasting its programming in high definition.

On May 7, 2012, LIN TV announced that it will acquire the New Vision Television station group, including KSNT and KTMJ-CD, for $330.4 million and the assumption of $12 million in debt. The agreement includes the acquisition of New Vision's shared services agreement with Parkin Broadcasting, giving LIN operational control of KTKA-TV. On October 2, the FCC approved the proposed sale to LIN TV. The transaction is expected to close in late 2012.