KBNT-CD (channel 17) is a
low-power,
Class A television station in
San Diego, California, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language
Univision network. It is owned by
Entravision Communications alongside
UniMás
UniMás (, stylized as ''UNIMÁS'', and originally known as TeleFutura from its launch on January 14, 2002, to January 6, 2013) is an American Spanish free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. The network's programming, which is ...
affiliate
KDTF-LD (channel 36); it is also
sister to
Azteca América affiliate
XHAS-TDT (channel 33) and
Milenio Televisión affiliate
XHDTV-TDT (channel 49). The latter two stations are owned by Mexican-based Televisora Alco, which is 40% owned by Entravision. All four stations share studios on Ruffin Road in San Diego's
Kearny Mesa
Kearny Mesa is a community in the central part of San Diego, California. It is bounded by State Route 52 to the north, Interstate 805 to the west, Aero Drive to the south, and Interstate 15 to the east. Adjacent communities include Serra Mesa, C ...
section, while KBNT-CD's transmitter is located on
Mount Soledad in
La Jolla.
The station's signal is
relayed on low-powered KHAX-LD (channel 25) in
Vista.
History
KBNT launched on May 19, 1987, as K19BN, owned by Cabrillo Broadcasting Corporation. The station obtained the
Univision affiliation from
Televisa-owned
XEWT in
Tijuana on
January 1, 1990. The station obtained its call signal, KBNT-TV. At that time, San Diegans could receive the station only through
cable television, because its weak broadcast signal could not reach the city proper. The station increased its transmitting power, boosting its signal. While still not reaching San Diego proper, it could be picked up in
Escondido,
San Marcos,
Vista and
Fallbrook
Fallbrook is a CDP in northern San Diego County, California. Fallbrook had a population of 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census.
Fallbrook's downtown is not on a major highway route. It is west of Interstate 15 or n ...
.
On October 29, 1987, K49BV in Vista, owned by Vista Television, was launched. It was a repeater of the
TBN network. In 1995, its call sign was changed to KHAX-LP.
On December 3, 1992, another low-power was created in San Diego. K17DI, owned by Community Broadcasting Co. of San Diego. It was a simulcast of
Los Angeles-based
KWHY-TV. Its transmitter facilities were originally based on
Palomar Mountain, some north of the center of San Diego. It broadcast with a power of 11.9 kW, covering a major part of the city.
On December 23, 1994, K19BN reached an agreement with
NBC affiliate
KNSD (channel 39) to retransmit its programs on KBNT-LP (channel 62, later KNSD-LP in 1997) in La Jolla.
K19BN became KBNT-LP on August 22, 1997. That same year, ownership switched from Cabrillo to Entravision.
On June 28, 2000, major changes took place at Univision San Diego. The Univision affiliation switched from channel 19 (closed in 2001) to channel 17 (obtaining the KBNT-LP callsign and bought by Entravision), allowing Univision to reach San Diego,
National City and
Chula Vista over the air. This allowed then-
The WB affiliate (now
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
affiliate)
KSWB-TV (channel 69) to operate on digital channel 19.
The new KBNT-LP added KHAX-LP as its relay station, extending its coverage to the north. In 2002, KBNT-LP upgraded to
Class A status, becoming KBNT-CA. KHAX-LP was sold to Entravision at the same time. The station's relay in La Jolla, KNSD-LP 62, was shut down in 2007.
That signal was leased to Entravision by KNSD owners Station Venture Operations,
L.P. (operated as a
joint venture between
NBCUniversal and
LIN Media until LIN dropped out of the venture in February 2013).
In the fall of 2008, KBNT-CD expanded again to a three-repeater operation, when KTCD-LP switched from repeating Azteca America-affiliated sister station
XHAS-TV (channel 33) to KBNT.
On March 4, 2020, analog channel 49 (KHAX-LP) was shut down and a new digital channel 25 (KHAX-LD) signed on in Vista, California.
On August 9, 2021, the
Federal Communications Commission canceled the license for translator KTCD-LP (analog channel 46 in San Diego), as the station did not transition to digital operation by the July 13, 2021 deadline.
Newscasts
KBNT-CD broadcasts five hours of local newscasts each week (with one hour each weekday); the station does not produce newscasts on Saturdays or Sundays. The station produces the
public affairs program ''Perspectiva Nacional'' on Sundays at 6:00 p.m. The station's half-hour newscasts compete with local newscasts on Azteca-affiliated sister station XHAS-TV. KBNT-CD focuses more of its news content on San Diego, while XHAS focuses its newscasts more on issues affecting Tijuana (competing against locally programmed XEWT-TDT (channel 12)).
Subchannels
The station's digital signal is
multiplexed:
References
External links
*
{{Entravision Communications
Univision network affiliates
LATV affiliates
Stadium (sports network) affiliates
Comet (TV network) affiliates
Low-power television stations in the United States
BNT-CD
Television channels and stations established in 1989
1989 establishments in California
BNT-CD
Entravision Communications stations