KNEP

2002 tower collapse

On September 24, 2002, the KDUH-TV tower in Hemingford collapsed during tower work, replacing burned-out lights. Two workers on the tower—Lawrence A. Sukalec, 59, of Valier, Illinois, and Daniel E. Goff, 25, of Sesser, Illinois[15]—were killed, and two more conducting maintenance on the transmitter building and a bystander were injured.[16] Investigations later found that the contractors neglected to stabilize the tower while original structural components were being replaced with stronger ones.[17]

The immediate effect of the collapse was to cut KDUH-TV off from many viewers and cut many viewers from ABC network programming. In some areas, Charter Communications had a direct fiber-optic link to KDUH and could continue to televise it. Other cable systems imported KMGH-TV of Denver or WXYZ-TV of Detroit, while some could not offer a replacement affiliate.[18] By January 2003, the station claimed to have restored service to 70 to 80 percent of viewers. In Scottsbluff, low-power channel 2 began broadcasting KDUH programming, and a low-power digital signal went into service.[19] K02NY in Chadron also rebroadcast KDUH.[20]

In January 2003, KDUH announced it would rebuild, but not at Hemingford. Duhamel's insurer found the work a "non-covered event" and refused to pay out on the company's insurance claim. To save money while retaining most viewership, Duhamel opted to build a shorter tower at Angora, east of Scottsbluff.[21] The 1475 ft[22] Angora tower began operating on September 19, 2003.[23]

Schurz and Gray ownership

Bill Duhamel announced on October 31, 2013, that KOTA-TV and its satellites (including KDUH-TV) would be sold to Schurz Communications' subsidiary Rushmore Media Company, pending FCC approval.[24][25] The FCC granted the sale on March 31, 2014; and it was completed on April 28, 2014.[26][27][28][29]

On September 14, 2015, Schurz announced that it would exit broadcasting and sell its television and radio stations, including KDUH-TV, to Gray Television for $442.5 million.[30][31] In its original filing with the FCC, Gray said that KDUH would be converted to a satellite of KNOP-TV, a Gray-owned NBC affiliate in North Platte.[32][33] In a subsequent filing with the FCC, Gray requested change the KDUH-TV call letters to KNEP following its conversion to a KNOP-TV satellite. It also sought to change KDUH/KNEP's city of license to Sidney, Nebraska. By changing its city of license, KNEP was now officially reckoned as part of the Denver market rather than the Cheyenne–Scottsbluff market, eliminating an ownership conflict with KSTF in Scottsbluff, a semi-satellite of KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[34][35] The FCC does not allow one company to own two of the four highest-rated stations in the market. Additionally, the Cheyenne–Scottsbluff market had only five full-power stations (KGWN and KSTF are counted as one station for ratings and regulatory purposes), which was three stations too few to legally permit a duopoly in any case.

The sale was approved by the FCC on February 12, 2016,[36] and was completed on February 16.[37] The FCC approved the change of station's city of license on May 16, making KDUH/KNEP a Denver DMA station.[38] For all intents and purposes, however, it remained a de facto Scottsbluff station.

On May 5, 2016, the station officially became the NBC affiliate for the Nebraska Panhandle. Despite officially becoming a semi-satellite of KNOP-TV, the station formerly aired ABC programming from KOTA on channel 4.1 until 2020, when it was replaced with a simulcast of Fox programming from Rapid City-licensed KEVN-LD until 2022; initially, "NBC Nebraska Scottsbluff" was aired on channel 2.1.[39] As of October 2021, NBC programming is seen on channel 4.1.[40]

On December 8, 2023, KNEP re-branded from "NBC Nebraska Scottsbluff" to "KGWN Scottsbluff".[41] The station continues to be rebroadcast on KGWN channel 5.2 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as well as KSTF channel 10.2 in Scottsbluff.

Marquee Broadcasting ownership

On February 1, 2024, Gray announced that it was swapping its stations in the Cheyenne–Scottsbluff and Casper, Wyoming, markets to Marquee Broadcasting in exchange for the construction permit for KCBU in the Salt Lake City market.[42][43]

Subchannels

KNEP is broadcast from a tower east of Angora, Nebraska. The station's signal is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

KNEP (as KDUH-TV) shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 4, on February 17, 2009,[47] the original target date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12). The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 7, using virtual channel 4.[48]