KZUP-CD

KZUP-CD, virtual channel 19 (UHF digital channel 20), is a low-powered, Class A independent television station licensed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it is a sister station to Fox affiliate WGMB-TV (channel 44) and Class A CW affiliate WBRL-CD (channel 21); Nexstar also operates NBC affiliate WVLA-TV (channel 33) under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with owner White Knight Broadcasting. The four stations share studios on Perkins Road in Baton Rouge; KZUP-CD's transmitter is located near Addis, Louisiana.

KZUP-CD
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
United States
ChannelsDigital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 19 (PSIP)
BrandingZ-TV
SloganRepresenting the Capital City and BR Proud
Programming
AffiliationsIndependent (2003–2008, 2012–present)
Ownership
OwnerNexstar Media Group
(Nexstar Inc.)
WVLA-TV, WGMB-TV, WBRL-CD
History
First air date
1999 (1999) (on cable)
November 26, 2002 (2002-11-26) (over-the-air)
Former call signs
WZUP (1999–2002)
KZUP-CA (2002–2010)
UPN (1999–2003)
RTV (2008–2012)
Call sign meaning
UPN (Former affiliation)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID24975
ERP10 kW
HAAT214 m (702 ft)
Transmitter coordinates30°19′34.6″N 91°16′36.1″W
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.brproud.com

While "KZUP-CD" is the station's official call sign, it uses "KZUP-TV" for promotional purposes.

History

The station signed on the air in 1999 as a WZUP,[1] a UPN affiliate available only on cable (TCI and later Cox channel 13). It was the second UPN affiliate (of three) in the Baton Rouge area. When the station went over the air on November 26, 2002, it changed its call sign to KZUP-CA; originally it was going to air on channel 21 and WB affiliate WBRL-CA was on channel 19, but this assignment was short-lived.[2] Channel 19 was once used as a translator station for local station and original UPN affiliate WBTR, and when KZUP went on the air, WBTR moved to previously-unused channel 41.[3] It became an independent station after losing UPN to Raycom Media's WBXH-CA in 2003. As an independent, it called itself "Z-19," and it primarily aired African-American-oriented programming like Good Times, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and The Jeffersons. For brief periods in 2005, KZUP was used to air WVLA and WGMB programming when those two stations were converting to high-definition programming.[4] KZUP became an affiliate of the Retro Television Network on September 15, 2008.[5] In 2012, White Knight Broadcasting dropped RTN and resumed carrying syndicated programming.

On April 24, 2013, Communications Corporation of America announced the sale of its entire group to Nexstar Broadcasting Group. WVLA and KZUP were to be sold to Mission Broadcasting, but on August 13, 2014, Mission withdrew its application.[6] The sale was completed on January 1, 2015.[7] Nexstar would continue to operate WVLA and KZUP under a shared services agreement, with sister stations WGMB and WBRL.[8]

KZUP was the official station of the Southern University athletic department.

On January 4, 2016, Nexstar agreed to exercise its option to purchase KZUP-CD. Nexstar also decided to enter KZUP-CD into the FCC's broadcast incentive auction, but the station's spectrum was never sold.[9] The sale was approved by the FCC on February 19[10] and completed on March 17.[11]

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced it would acquire the assets of Chicago-based Tribune Media for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. The deal—which would make Nexstar the largest television station operator by total number of stations upon its expected closure late in the third quarter of 2019—would give the KZUP/WBRL/WGMB/WVLA virtual quadropoly sister stations in Tribune's legal duopoly of ABC affiliate WGNO and CW affiliate WNOL-TV in New Orleans.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] On July 1, 2020, KZUP's frequency added WBRL's frequency to its signal and upgraded its feed to be high definition. Since then, KZUP and WBRL are both simulcast on channel 20, but KZUP's channel is mapped to 20.1, and WBRL's to channel 21.1.

Digital channel
Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[22]
20.11080i16:9KZUP-CDMain KZUP-CD programming

Programming

Syndicated programming on KZUP-CD includes Family Guy, Seinfeld, America's Court with Judge Ross, Supreme Justice with Judge Karen, The Simpsons and Cheaters, among others. The station is known for its afternoon court block, which airs from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. each weekday. KZUP also reairs WVLA's 10 p.m. newscast at 11 p.m.

References
  1. "Information Please," Baton Rouge Advocate, September 12, 1999
  2. "2 Cable Stations Go Over the Air," Baton Rouge Advocate, December 15, 2002
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2011-04-08.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. The Advocate, October 6, 2005
  5. "RTN press release". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  6. Application Info, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101552312&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=1
  9. Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License - Federal Communications Commission
  10. Application Search Details - Federal Communications Commission
  11. Consummation Notice - Federal Communications Commission
  12. "Acquisition of Tribune Media Company" (PDF). Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018.
  13. Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Buying Tribune Media For $6.4 Billion". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  14. Peter White; Dade Hayes (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Confirms $4.1B Tribune Media Acquisition To Become Leading Local TV Station Owner". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
  15. Gerry Smith; Nabila Ahmed; Eric Newcomer (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy WGN owner Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Bloomberg News.
  16. Arjun Panchadar; Sonam Rai (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar to buy Tribune Media for $4.1 billion". Reuters.
  17. Jon Lafayette (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
  18. Adam Jacobson (December 3, 2018). "It's Official: Nexstar Takes Tribune In Billion-Dollar Stock Deal". Radio-Television Business Report. Streamline-RBR, Inc.
  19. Harry A. Jessell; Mark K. Miller (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar To Spin Off $1B In Stations". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
  20. "Nexstar Media Group Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Tribune Media Company for $6.4 Billion in Accretive Transaction Creating the Nation's Largest Local Television Broadcaster and Local Media Company". Nexstar Media Group. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  21. "Nexstar Media Group Enters Into Definitive Agreement To Acquire Tribune Media Company". Tribune Media. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  22. RabbitEars TV Query for KZUP-CD
  • KZUP in the FCC's TV station database
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