KAKM (channel 7) is a PBS member television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Owned by Alaska Public Media, it is sister to NPR member KSKA (91.1 FM). The two stations share studios at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center on the campus of Alaska Pacific University; KAKM's transmitter is located near Knik, Alaska.
KAKM was the only PBS station in Alaska that was not part of AlaskaOne during its existence. The call letters were chosen to represent the three major geographic areas served by the station: Anchorage, Kenai, and Matanuska.
KAKM operates a full-time satellite station, KTOO-TV (channel 3), licensed to the capital city of Juneau. This station is owned by Capital Community Broadcasting as a sister to non-commercial FM radio stations KTOO, KNLL, and KRNN, but is operated by Alaska Public Media. KTOO's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau. KTOO was formerly part of AlaskaOne, until its dissolution in 2012.
KAKM is also relayed on low-power station KYUK-LD (channel 15) in Bethel, owned by Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated as sister to radio stations KYUK (AM) and KYUK-FM.
History
KAKM first started regular transmissions on May 7, 1975, at 7:07 p.m. Previously, PBS programming had been offered to Anchorage stations on a per-program basis: for example, Sesame Street was carried on KTVA (channel 11), Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on KIMO (channel 13, now KYUR) and The Electric Company on KENI-TV (channel 2, now KTUU-TV).
KAKM became the flagship station of Alaska Public Television, the successor to AlaskaOne, replacing KUAC-TV in Fairbanks, on July 1, 2012 (which became a standalone station again).[4] As a result, KTOO-TV became a full-time satellite of KAKM. KYUK-LD also rebroadcasts KAKM, but it carries the Alaska Rural Communications Service on its second digital subchannel in place of Create.
Station presentation
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KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in blue -
KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in mauve -
KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, with sister station KSKA
Technical information
The stations' signals are multiplexed:
KAKM subchannels
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | KAKM-HD | PBS |
| 7.2 | 480i | Create | Create | |
| 7.3 | 4:3 | KAKM7.3 | 360 North | |
| 7.4 | 1080i | 16:9 | 24_7HD | PBS Kids |
KTOO-TV subchannels
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | AK PBS | PBS |
| 3.2 | 480i | Create | Create | |
| 3.3 | 360Nort | 360 North |
KYUK-LD subchannels
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.1 | 480i | 4:3 | AK PBS | PBS |
| 15.2 | ARCS | Alaska Rural Communications Service | ||
| 15.3 | 360Nort | 360North |
360 North provides statewide coverage of Alaska public affairs, documentaries, historical programs, and Native topics. Originating at KTOO-TV, 360 North replaced Gavel to Gavel Alaska, which televised the Alaska Legislature.[8]
Analog-to-digital conversion
KAKM and KTOO shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate:[9]
- KAKM shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8, using virtual channel 7.
- KTOO shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10, using virtual channel 3.
Translators
KAKM and KTOO extend their over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.
KAKM translators
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KAKM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KTOO-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KYUK-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Split in Alaska public TV consortium". Television Business Report. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KAKM". RabbitEars. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KTOO-TV". RabbitEars. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KYUK-LD". RabbitEars. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.