KASY-TV

KASY-TV is a full-power television station serving Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the surrounding Albuquerque–Santa Fe market. Broadcasting on virtual channel 50, the station is owned by Mission Broadcasting and operated by Nexstar Media Group under a shared services agreement. KASY shares facilities at Broadcast Plaza in Albuquerque with Mission-owned CW affiliate KWBQ and Nexstar-owned KRQE, the market’s Fox affiliate. Its transmitter is located on Sandia Crest. The station began broadcasting on October 6, 1995, under the ownership of Ramar Communications. At launch, it was managed by Lee Enterprises, then the owner of KRQE, through a local marketing agreement. KASY initially carried programming from both UPN and The WB, a practical arrangement at a time when each network supplied only a limited number of prime-time programs per week. Its general-entertainment schedule also included cartoons, older films, talk shows, and syndicated sitcoms. In 1997, KASY ended its WB affiliation and became an exclusive UPN affiliate. A major ownership and affiliation transition occurred in 1999. ACME Communications, which also owned the newly launched KWBQ, acquired KASY from Ramar and ended Lee’s local marketing agreement. The transaction created a major television duopoly in the Albuquerque market. Later that year, KASY dropped UPN amid a contract dispute associated with ACME’s close relationship with The WB and operated as an independent station under the “Superstation 50” identity. During this period it substituted syndicated programming and movies for UPN content. UPN programming was temporarily available to some cable viewers through out-of-market stations, while over-the-air viewers lacked a local UPN feed. KASY restored its UPN affiliation in February 2000 and adopted the “UPN 50” brand. The station changed networks during the major U.S. broadcast-network restructuring of 2006. After The WB and UPN announced plans to combine into The CW, News Corporation announced MyNetworkTV as a separate programming service. KASY joined MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, while KWBQ joined The CW two weeks later. KASY was branded “My50TV.” It became notable as an ACME-owned station that carried MyNetworkTV while its sister station in the same market carried The CW. KASY has supplemented network and syndicated programming with local-interest and sports content. It carried Colorado Rockies baseball games during the 2008 season and aired University of New Mexico men’s basketball games beginning in fall 2008, with the basketball arrangement continuing through the 2010–11 season. The station broadcast its first true high-definition program, a MyNetworkTV presentation of the sitcom Under One Roof, on April 30, 2008. In 2010, ACME arranged a shared services agreement with LIN Media. LIN’s KASA-TV and KRQE supplied technical, engineering, and accounting support to KASY and KWBQ, with operating costs shared among the parties. ACME agreed in 2012 to sell KASY, KWBQ, and KWBQ’s Roswell repeater KRWB-TV to Tamer Media, a company founded by broadcast executive John S. Viall Jr. The transaction, valued at $17.3 million, was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in November 2012 and completed in December of that year. The LIN Media and Media General merger in 2014 transferred the relevant service arrangements to Media General. Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired Media General in a transaction announced in 2016 and completed in January 2017, making Nexstar the operator of KASY through the continuing shared-services structure. Mission Broadcasting announced its acquisition of KASY and KWBQ, including the associated satellites, from Tamer Media in August 2020; the transaction closed on November 16, 2020. KASY has also carried several digital multicast services. Escape was added in 2016, followed by GetTV and Cozi TV in January 2017. Cozi TV was later replaced by Court TV in December 2021. The station completed the federally mandated transition from a…

KASY-TV signed on October 6, 1995, as a Ramar Communications station managed by Lee Enterprises under a local marketing agreement. Its early schedule combined UPN and The WB programming with cartoons, movies, talk shows, and syndicated sitcoms. The station dropped The WB in 1997 and continued as an exclusive UPN affiliate. In June 1999, ACME Communications purchased KASY and ended Lee’s local marketing agreement. Because ACME also owned KWBQ, the deal created a significant Albuquerque television duopoly. KASY subsequently dropped UPN in the fall of 1999 during a contract dispute and operated temporarily as the independent “Superstation 50.” Movies and syndicated programs filled the former network schedule. UPN returned in February 2000, when the station became “UPN 50.” The U.S. network realignment of 2006 brought another major change. KASY joined MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, while KWBQ became an affiliate of The CW on September 18. KASY was rebranded “My50TV,” giving ACME both network formats in the same market through separate stations. The station later expanded its non-network role by carrying Colorado Rockies baseball in 2008 and University of New Mexico men’s basketball beginning that fall. Its first true high-definition program aired on April 30, 2008. ACME entered a shared services agreement with LIN Media in 2010. Through the arrangement, LIN’s KASA-TV and KRQE provided operational support to KASY and KWBQ, including technical, engineering, and accounting services. In 2012, ACME sold KASY, KWBQ, and KRWB-TV to Tamer Media for $17.3 million. The sale marked ACME’s exit from television-station ownership. The LIN service arrangement continued after the transaction. Media General acquired LIN Media in 2014, and Nexstar acquired Media General in a transaction completed in January 2017. These corporate changes preserved Nexstar’s operational role in the Albuquerque station group. Mission Broadcasting announced its purchase of KASY and KWBQ from Tamer Media in 2020, with closing on November 16 of that year. KASY’s digital service has included multicast networks such as Escape, GetTV, Cozi TV, and later Court TV. It ended regular analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, while continuing a limited analog information loop under the SAFER Act until June 26. The station’s digital signal uses UHF channel 45 with virtual channel 50. On December 13, 2022, KASY adopted ATSC 3.0 and also hosted the NextGen TV signals of KRQE, KWBQ, and KOAT. Today, the station functions primarily as an independent general-entertainment outlet with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation, supported by Mission ownership and Nexstar-managed shared operations.

1. 2022ATSC 3.0 service launches

   KASY switches to ATSC 3.0 and hosts NextGen TV signals for several other Albuquerque stations.

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2. 2020Mission Broadcasting ownership begins

   Mission Broadcasting completes its purchase of KASY and KWBQ from Tamer Media.

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3. 2017Nexstar becomes operator through Media General acquisition

   Nexstar completes its purchase of Media General and assumes the operating role associated with the Albuquerque station group.

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4. 2012Tamer Media purchase closes

   Tamer Media completes its acquisition of KASY, KWBQ, and KRWB-TV from ACME Communications.

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5. 2009Analog broadcasting ends

   The station completes the federally mandated U.S. transition to digital television.

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6. 2008Sports programming expands

   KASY carries Colorado Rockies games and begins a University of New Mexico men’s basketball package.

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7. 2006MyNetworkTV affiliation begins

   KASY joins MyNetworkTV and adopts the “My50TV” brand, while KWBQ joins The CW.

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8. 2000UPN affiliation returns

   After a short independent period, KASY resumes UPN programming as “UPN 50.”

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9. 1999ACME acquires KASY

   ACME Communications purchases KASY and aligns it with KWBQ, ending the Lee Enterprises local marketing agreement.

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10. 1997The WB programming is dropped

    KASY becomes an exclusive UPN affiliate after ending its secondary WB affiliation.

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11. 1995KASY-TV begins broadcasting

    The station signs on in Albuquerque under Ramar Communications and initially carries UPN and The WB programming.

    Source

A locally distributed Albuquerque general-entertainment television station that combines independent programming with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation and operates within a broader Nexstar-managed station group.

• KASY-TV channel 50Broadcast television station1995

  The station’s primary over-the-air television service for Albuquerque and the surrounding market. It uses virtual channel 50 and broadcasts from a transmitter on Sandia Crest. Its schedule combines independently acquired entertainment programming with MyNetworkTV content and selected local or sports programming.

• MyNetworkTV affiliationNetwork programming service2006

  KASY has maintained a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV since September 2006. The affiliation supplies scheduled network programming while the station continues to operate primarily with an independent general-entertainment format.

• Digital multicast servicesMulticast television2016

  KASY has carried additional digital networks, including Escape, GetTV, Cozi TV, and Court TV at different times. These services have occupied secondary subchannels and broadened the station’s over-the-air programming offer.

• ATSC 3.0 transmissionNextGen TV transmission2022

  Since December 2022, KASY has operated an ATSC 3.0 service. The facility also hosts NextGen TV signals for KRQE, KWBQ, and KOAT, making it part of the market’s shared advanced-broadcast infrastructure.

• 2008University of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball broadcasts

  Albuquerque · New Mexico

  KASY began carrying selected University of New Mexico men’s basketball games and renewed the arrangement for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons.

  Outcome. The package extended KASY’s local sports role beyond network and syndicated entertainment.

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• 2008Colorado Rockies game broadcasts

  Albuquerque · New Mexico

  The station carried Colorado Rockies baseball games during the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

  Outcome. The broadcasts provided seasonal professional sports programming for the Albuquerque market.

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• 2022ATSC 3.0 transitionGeneration change

  Broadcasters in the Albuquerque market were adopting the newer ATSC 3.0 digital transmission standard.

  What changed. KASY switched to ATSC 3.0 and hosted signals from KRQE, KWBQ, and KOAT.

  Aftermath. KASY became part of a shared NextGen TV transmission platform serving multiple local stations.

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• 2012Sale to Tamer MediaM&A

  ACME Communications decided to leave the television-station ownership business.

  What changed. ACME sold KASY, KWBQ, and KRWB-TV to Tamer Media in a transaction reported at $17.3 million.

  Aftermath. Tamer Media became the stations’ owner while the existing shared-services arrangement continued.

  Reported transaction value. $17.3 million (2012 transaction)

  Source
• 2010Shared services agreement with LIN MediaStrategy

  ACME sought to reduce operating costs for KASY and KWBQ.

  What changed. LIN Media’s KASA-TV and KRQE began supplying technical, engineering, and accounting services under a shared arrangement.

  Aftermath. The service relationship continued after KASY changed ownership in 2012 and later passed through Media General and Nexstar operations.

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• 2006Switch from UPN to MyNetworkTVStrategy

  The planned merger of UPN and The WB into The CW prompted a new network affiliation structure.

  What changed. KASY joined MyNetworkTV and was rebranded “My50TV,” while KWBQ joined The CW.

  Aftermath. KASY continued as a general-entertainment station with a secondary network affiliation.

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• 1999Temporary move to independent programmingStrategy

  A contract dispute between UPN and ACME Communications followed ACME’s acquisition of KASY and its association with The WB.

  What changed. KASY dropped UPN and used movies and syndicated programming under the “Superstation 50” identity.

  Aftermath. UPN programming returned to KASY in February 2000.

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• 2022KASY transitions to ATSC 3.0

  KASY began ATSC 3.0 broadcasting and hosted NextGen TV signals for KRQE, KWBQ, and KOAT alongside its own transmission.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 2020Mission Broadcasting acquires KASY-TV and KWBQ

  Mission Broadcasting announced and completed its acquisition of KASY, KWBQ, and the related satellites from Tamer Media.

  M&A
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• 2017Nexstar completes Media General acquisition

  Nexstar Broadcasting Group completed its acquisition of Media General, becoming the operator of KASY through the shared-services structure.

  M&A
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• 2014Media General completes its acquisition of LIN Media

  Media General acquired LIN Media and inherited the operating and service relationship involving KRQE, KASA-TV, KASY-TV, and KWBQ.

  M&A
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• 2012Tamer Media agrees to acquire KASY-TV

  ACME announced a $17.3 million sale of KASY, KWBQ, and KRWB-TV to Tamer Media. The transaction closed in December after FCC approval.

  M&A
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• 2010ACME enters a shared services arrangement with LIN Media

  LIN Media’s Albuquerque stations assumed technical, engineering, and accounting functions for KASY and KWBQ under a cost-sharing agreement.

  Other
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• 2008KASY adds Colorado Rockies and University of New Mexico sports

  The station carried Rockies baseball during the 2008 season and began airing University of New Mexico men’s basketball, later renewing the basketball arrangement for subsequent seasons.

  CampaignProduct launch
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• 2008KASY begins true high-definition programming

  KASY broadcast its first program in true high definition on April 30, using a MyNetworkTV presentation of Under One Roof.

  Product generation
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• 2006KASY-TV becomes a MyNetworkTV affiliate

  KASY joined MyNetworkTV while sister station KWBQ joined The CW, following the replacement of UPN and The WB by the new network structure.

  Product launch
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• 2000KASY restores its UPN affiliation

  After a period as the independent “Superstation 50,” KASY resumed UPN programming and adopted the “UPN 50” identity.

  Product generation
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• 1999ACME Communications acquires KASY-TV and forms an Albuquerque duopoly

  ACME acquired KASY from Ramar and ended the station’s local marketing agreement with Lee Enterprises, aligning KASY with ACME-owned KWBQ.

  M&A
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• 1995KASY-TV launches as a UPN and WB outlet

  KASY-TV began broadcasting in Albuquerque under Ramar Communications, with Lee Enterprises managing the station through a local marketing agreement. It initially combined UPN and WB programming with syndicated general entertainment.

  Product launch
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1. KASY-TV