For 60 years until 2014, CBS Television Network coverage of the Fargo and Grand Forks, N. Dakota, area involved a broadcast facility that used the KXJB call letters. At that time, Gray Television shifted CBS programming to a digital LPTV facility and sold the former home of “KX4.”
The buyer? Ravi Kapur, the entrepreneur who has been snapping up low-power TV stations across the U.S. Kapur rechristened the station as KRDK-TV, and ownership of the COZI TV affiliate has had its challenges — namely, carriage on two MVPDs serving Fargo.
A fresh FCC decision will likely resolve that issue.
Steven Broeckaert, Media Bureau Policy Division Senior Deputy Chief, issued on Friday (12/17) a memorandum opinion and order that grants Kapur’s complaints through Parker Broadcasting of Dakota License LLC that both Otter Com and Arvig each violated the Commission’s must-carry rules by declining to include KDRK on their respective Fargo channel lineups.
The ruling came despite opposition from both Otter Com and Arvig.
At issue is carriage of KDRK for the remainder of the current must-carry election cycle that expires on December 31, 2023. Otter Com’s and Arvig’s principal headend is located in Perham, Minn., and that’s about 100 miles from the KDRK transmitter. As such, providing a good quality signal, in the view of Otter Com and Arvig, was not possible.
This led Parker to respond that, through “alternative means,” it would be pleased to provide a “good quality signal” to the MVPDs.
While Parker remains in active discussions with the parties in an attempt to resolve the technical issues, it filed the complaints to protect its must carry rights.
And, it worked.
“We agree with Parker Broadcasting that it is entitled to mandatory carriage under the
provisions of section 614 of the Act because KRDK-TV qualifies as a local television station on the Otter Com and Arvig cable systems, and it has made a commitment to provide, at its own expense, whatever equipment is necessary to ensure the delivery of a good quality signal to the principal headend of each system,” Broeckaert said. “Neither Otter Com or Arvig dispute Parker Broadcasting’s assertion that KRDK-TV is entitled to must carry status. Thus, we find that the unopposed representations made by KRDK-TV demonstrate that it is a local full-power commercial television station qualified for carriage on the Otter Com and
Arvig systems … Parker Broadcasting has satisfied its obligation by pledging to purchase and install any additional equipment necessary to deliver an adequate signal to the Otter Com and Arvig headend while it continues to explore alternative means of delivery.”
