KPVI-DT

KPVI-DT is a full-power television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, and serving the Idaho Falls–Pocatello media market. The station operates as an NBC affiliate and identifies with virtual channel 6, while its post-transition digital transmission uses UHF channel 23. Its studios are located on East Sherman Street in downtown Pocatello, and its transmitter is positioned on a mountain site roughly four miles east-northeast of the city. The transmitter location was selected in part because of potential signal interference with KIVI-TV in Boise, which historically also used analog channel 6. The station began broadcasting on April 26, 1974, as an ABC affiliate under Eastern Idaho Television Corporation. That company also owned Boise station KIVI-TV, and the shared Roman-numeral branding reflected the stations' relationship. Before KPVI launched, ABC programming in the market had been carried on a shared basis by KID-TV and KIFI-TV. In 1977, Eastern Idaho Television Corporation sold KPVI and KIVI to Futura Titanium Corporation. Futura later divested KIVI and sold KPVI in 1983 to Ambassador Media, an entity associated with U.S. Senator William L. Armstrong and then-general manager Brian Hogan. KPVI briefly carried a secondary UPN affiliation in the mid-1990s. The arrangement centered on selected UPN programming, including Star Trek: Voyager, which the station used in place of NYPD Blue. In April 1995, Sunbelt Communications Company acquired KPVI along with satellite or related stations KJVI in Jackson, Wyoming, and KKVI in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction later that year. Under Sunbelt, KPVI moved from a smaller downtown facility to a remodeled East Sherman Street operation, whose formal opening included television performer Molly Shannon. A major programming change occurred in January 1996, when KPVI moved from ABC to NBC and exchanged affiliations with KIFI. The change also reshaped the affiliations of the related stations in Sunbelt's portfolio. KPVI's former secondary UPN programming moved to KIDK, while KKVI became a full Fox affiliate. KJVI continued for a period as a semi-satellite of KPVI before eventually being sold in 2009. Ownership subsequently changed several times. Intermountain West Communications Company agreed in 2013 to sell KPVI and KXTF to Idaho Broadcast Partners, a subsidiary of Frontier Radio Management; the transaction closed in May 2014. Frontier sold Idaho Broadcast Partners to NBI Holdings in 2016. NBI was associated with Northwest Broadcasting, which became part of the broadcasting group operated by Cox Media Group after transactions involving Apollo Global Management were completed in December 2019. Cox Media Group sold KPVI and other stations to Imagicomm Communications in 2022. In 2025, Imagicomm announced a sale of KPVI-DT to Deltavision Media, and the transaction was completed on August 15, 2025. KPVI has also operated a local news service. Economic pressures led to substantial staff reductions in January 2011, including cuts across the news department and the elimination of weekend newscasts. The station formerly produced a weeknight 9 p.m. program, KPVI on Fox News at 9, for Fox outlets KFXP and KXTF. That program ended in July 2012 after those stations lost their Fox affiliations, with related news programming moving to an earlier time slot. As a digital broadcaster, KPVI has carried multiple multicast services. Antenna TV replaced Universal Sports on its over-the-air subchannel lineup in January 2012 after Universal Sports moved to cable and satellite distribution. Decades subsequently replaced Antenna TV in January 2016. The station ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated United States digital television transition. Its digital operation retained virtual channel 6, preserving the station's long-established identity.

KPVI-DT signed on April 26, 1974, as an ABC affiliate licensed to Pocatello, Idaho. It was established by Eastern Idaho Television Corporation, which also owned KIVI-TV in Boise. The shared ownership explains the stations' related identities and use of Roman numerals. Prior to KPVI's launch, ABC programming had been divided between KID-TV and KIFI-TV in the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market. In 1977, Idaho Television Company sold KPVI and KIVI to Futura Titanium Corporation. Futura later sold KPVI to Ambassador Media, a newly formed company associated with Senator William L. Armstrong and general manager Brian Hogan. The 1983 transaction included a noncompete arrangement concerning additional television operations in the market. Futura had already sold KIVI separately. KPVI carried a limited secondary UPN affiliation beginning in early 1995, clearing selected programming such as Star Trek: Voyager. That same year, Sunbelt Communications Company purchased KPVI and related stations KJVI in Wyoming and KKVI in Twin Falls. The FCC approved the sale in September 1995. Sunbelt subsequently moved KPVI into a remodeled facility on East Sherman Street in Pocatello, where the station remains based. On January 1, 1996, KPVI changed its primary affiliation from ABC to NBC, exchanging network affiliations with KIFI. The shift altered the arrangements of the related stations: KKVI became a full Fox affiliate, while the UPN programming formerly carried by KPVI moved to KIDK. KJVI operated for some time as a semi-satellite before being sold in 2009. KPVI's ownership changed again in the 2010s. Intermountain West Communications Company agreed to sell the station and KXTF to Idaho Broadcast Partners in 2013, with completion in May 2014. Idaho Broadcast Partners was then sold to NBI Holdings in 2016. NBI owned Northwest Broadcasting, which entered a larger corporate transaction involving Apollo Global Management and the broadcasting operations later identified as Cox Media Group. That transaction closed in December 2019. Cox Media Group announced in March 2022 that it would sell KPVI-DT and seventeen other stations to Imagicomm Communications. The sale closed on August 1, 2022. Imagicomm announced in April 2025 that Deltavision Media would acquire KPVI-DT, and the purchase was completed on August 15, 2025. The station's news operation has faced periodic structural and economic changes. In January 2011, KPVI announced layoffs affecting all departments, including twelve news employees, and eliminated weekend newscasts. The station had also produced a weeknight 9 p.m. newscast for Fox affiliates KFXP and KXTF. That program ended in July 2012 when those stations no longer carried Fox, after which their news programming shifted to an earlier broadcast. Technically, KPVI ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, the nationwide deadline for full-power television stations in the United States. The station's digital signal operates on UHF channel 23 while retaining virtual channel 6. Its over-the-air multicast lineup has included Antenna TV, which replaced Universal Sports in 2012, and Decades, which replaced Antenna TV in 2016. KPVI also maintains translator coverage in communities across southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming.

1. 2025Deltavision Media acquisition

   Deltavision Media completes its acquisition of KPVI-DT on August 15.

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2. 2022Imagicomm Communications acquisition

   Imagicomm completes its acquisition of KPVI-DT on August 1.

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3. 2019Cox Media Group transaction closes

   KPVI becomes part of the broadcasting group operated as Cox Media Group after the transaction closes in December.

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4. 2016Decades replaces Antenna TV

   Decades becomes the replacement for Antenna TV on the relevant multicast channel.

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5. 2014Idaho Broadcast Partners transaction closes

   The sale of KPVI and KXTF to Idaho Broadcast Partners is completed on May 13.

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6. 2012Antenna TV joins the multicast lineup

   Antenna TV replaces Universal Sports on the station's over-the-air digital lineup.

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7. 2009Analog broadcasting ends

   KPVI shuts down its analog channel 6 signal as part of the United States digital television transition.

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8. 1996KPVI switches from ABC to NBC

   KPVI exchanges affiliations with KIFI and becomes the NBC affiliate for the market.

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9. 1995Sunbelt Communications acquires KPVI

   Sunbelt Communications purchases KPVI and associated stations, with FCC approval completed later that year.

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10. 1983Ambassador Media acquisition

    Ambassador Media announces its acquisition of KPVI from Futura.

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11. 1977Station sold to Futura Titanium Corporation

    Eastern Idaho Television Corporation sells KPVI and sister station KIVI-TV to Futura Titanium Corporation.

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12. 1974KPVI begins broadcasting

    KPVI signs on April 26 as an ABC affiliate serving Pocatello and the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market.

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A local broadcast television station combining NBC network programming with news, weather, community coverage, syndicated content, digital multicast channels, and advertising services for viewers in eastern Idaho and nearby western Wyoming.

• KPVI NBC serviceBroadcast television1996

  The station's primary service is an NBC-affiliated broadcast feed distributed through its digital transmitter and translator network. It combines NBC network programming with locally produced news, weather, public-affairs, syndicated, and paid programming for viewers in eastern Idaho and nearby Wyoming.

• KPVI local newsTelevision news1974

  KPVI's local news operation covers communities in and around Pocatello and the wider Idaho Falls–Pocatello market. Its output includes local reporting, weather, traffic, community information, and digital updates distributed through the station's website and broadcast services.

• Digital multicast servicesDigital television2012

  KPVI has used its digital capacity to carry additional television services. Universal Sports was replaced by Antenna TV in 2012, and Decades later replaced Antenna TV in 2016. The specific current multicast lineup is not established by the supplied reference material.

• 2012Change to digital multicast programmingOther

  Universal Sports ceased being available to over-the-air broadcast stations and moved to cable and satellite distribution.

  What changed. KPVI replaced Universal Sports with Antenna TV on January 1, and later replaced Antenna TV with Decades on January 13, 2016.

  Aftermath. The station continued using its digital capacity for additional network programming, although the supplied material does not establish the current lineup.

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• 2011News operation restructuringStrategy

  The station cited a weakened economy when announcing staffing reductions.

  What changed. KPVI reduced staff across the organization, cut twelve news employees, eliminated weekend newscasts, and changed news leadership.

  Aftermath. The station's local news schedule and staffing model were reduced, while Todd Blackinton became news director.

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• 2009Digital transitionStrategy

  United States full-power television stations were required to end regular analog broadcasting under the national digital transition.

  What changed. KPVI ended its analog VHF channel 6 transmission and continued digitally on UHF channel 23 while retaining virtual channel 6.

  Aftermath. The station preserved its established channel identity in digital form and continued serving the market through its digital signal and translators.

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• 1996Switch from ABC to NBCStrategy

  KPVI and KIFI were part of a broader affiliation realignment in the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market.

  What changed. KPVI exchanged its ABC affiliation for NBC, while KIFI took the ABC affiliation.

  Aftermath. KPVI has continued as the market's NBC affiliate, while the change also affected the network affiliations of related stations.

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• 2025Imagicomm announces sale of KPVI-DT to Deltavision Media

  Imagicomm Communications announced that Deltavision Media would acquire KPVI-DT. The transaction was completed on August 15, 2025.

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• 2012KPVI ends KPVI on Fox News at 9

  KPVI discontinued its weeknight 9 p.m. newscast for KFXP and KXTF after those stations ended their Fox affiliations. Related programming moved to an earlier evening time slot.

  Other
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• 2011KPVI experiences broad layoffs and ends weekend newscasts

  The station announced substantial layoffs across its departments, including twelve news-department employees, and discontinued weekend newscasts amid difficult economic conditions. Todd Blackinton assumed the news director role after Brenda Baumgartner's resignation.

  Leadership changeOther
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1. KPVI-DT
2. KPVI official website