KCWT-CD (channel 21) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to McAllen, Texas, United States, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an affiliate of The CW Plus. The station also carries non-commercial PBS programming on its fourth subchannel. KCWT-CD is owned by Entravision Communications alongside Harlingen-licensed Fox affiliate KFXV, channel 60 (and translators KMBH-LD and KXFX-CD), McAllen-licensed Univision affiliate KNVO (channel 48), and Class A UniMás affiliate KTFV-CD (channel 32). The stations share studios on North Jackson Road in McAllen, while KCWT-CD's transmitter is located in La Feria, Texas.
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| Channels | |
|---|---|
| Branding |
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| Programming | |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KNVO, KMBH-LD, KTFV-CD, KFXV | |
| History | |
| Founded | August 11, 1997 |
First air date | May 21, 1998 |
Former call signs |
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Former channel numbers |
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| Spanish Independent (1998–2002) Telefutura (via KXFX-CD and KTFV-CD, 2002–2011) | |
Call sign meaning | The CW Texas |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 40058 | |
| ERP | 5 kW |
| HAAT | 266.8 m (875 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 26°8′28″N 97°50′4″W / 26.14111°N 97.83444°W |
| Translator(s) | KMBH-LD 67.2 (20.2 UHF) McAllen |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
Previously, KCWT was a low-power translator of KXFX-CA and KTFV-CA. Entravision has held the rights to The CW in the market since 2007 on several stations; previous to that, it aired on a cable-only affiliate, "KMHB" (later "Rio Grande Valley's CW").
History
editUntil 2014, KCWT broadcast on analog channel 30. KCWT launched a digital feed on RF channel 23 that March;[2] however, the station maps to virtual channel 21, as nearby Mexican station XHAB-TDT in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, whose digital broadcasts use RF channel 30, also mapped to virtual channel 30 rather than its analog channel 7 (it now uses virtual channel 8). (Channel 23 is itself unavailable to KCWT as a virtual channel, as it is used in the Rio Grande Valley by KVEO-TV.[3]) Even before then, KCWT, as had previous CW affiliate KSFE-LD (channel 67, now Fox affiliate KMBH-LD), has long branded as "CW 21" in reflection of its channel 21 slot on area cable systems.
After sister station XHRIO-TDT (channel 15) ceased operations on December 31, 2021, KCWT became the sole CW Plus affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley.
In 2020, KCWT began carrying PBS' national feed on its fourth digital subchannel. PBS had previously been provided by KMBH-TV (now KFXV) until 2018, when that station's transmitter was damaged in a power surge.[4]
Subchannels
editThe station's signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21.1 | 1080i | KCWT-DT | Rio Grande Valley CW 21 |
| 21.4 | PBS | PBS |
References
edit- ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KCWT-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ↑ "Application for Class A Television Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ↑ Hashemzadeh, Hossein (September 30, 2013). "Re: KCWT-CA, La Feria, TX…" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ↑ Vitaglione, Grace (July 28, 2020). "PBS programming returns to South Texas after two years without over-the-air service". Current. American University School of Communication. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Digital TV Market Listing for KCWT". RabbitEars. RabbitEars. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
External links
edit- YourCWRioGrandeValley.com - Official website
- PBS.org website regarding DT4 PBS feed