KMBH (TV)
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Harlingen, Texas United States |
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|---|---|
| Branding | RTV |
| Channels | Digital: 38 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | (see article) |
| Affiliations | Cozi TV (2016–present) |
| Owner | MBM Corporative (Martinez-Behringer-McCarter Family) (MBTV Texas Valley, LLC) |
| First air date | May 1982 (as KZLN) October 8, 1985 (as KMBH) |
| Call letters' meaning | K McAllen Brownsville Harlingen |
| Former channel number(s) | 60 (UHF analog, 1985–2009) |
| Former affiliations | PBS (1985–2016) V-me (DT2, until 2016) EWTN (DT3, until 2016) |
| Transmitter power | 1000 kW |
| Height | 345.5 m |
| Facility ID | 56079 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 26°7′15.6″N 97°49′19.3″W / 26.121000°N 97.822028°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
| Website | www.kmbh.org |
KMBH is a television station in Harlingen, Texas, broadcasting in the Rio Grande Valley on digital channel 38. Initially licensed sometime before 1979 and signing on on October 8, 1985, the station is owned by MBM Corporative (Martinez-Behringer-McCarter Family) .
The station initially signed on in May 1982 as KZLN channel 60, with the intent to provide PBS programming to the Rio Grande Valley. Prior to KZLN's arrival, PBS programming was provided to the valley's commercial stations, on a per-program basis, or via cable from KLRN in San Antonio. The station was operated by the Texas Consumer Education and Communications Development Committee, with the license held by the Diocese. KZLN suffered a lengthy delay from its original proposed sign-on of December 1979, due to lack of funds. The station's intent was to implement a bilingual schedule, which included Spanish-language programming aimed at residents of the colonias along the border. However, it soon left the air due to lack of support, with only 400 members at its peak. Three years later, the Diocese would try again, this time launching the more-successful KMBH on October 8, 1985, under the same license originally issued for KZLN.
On January 14, 2014, the Diocese announced its intention to file with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to convert KMBH's license to a commercial license, with the intention to sign a local marketing agreement with, and sell the station to, MBTV Texas Valley LLC; the Diocese cited the expenses of running the station. Though both KZLN and KMBH have always operated as noncommercial, public television stations, its channel allocation is not reserved for such operation—a rarity for a PBS station. The move may result in KMBH leaving PBS, though efforts will be made to keep PBS programming available in the Rio Grande Valley;KEDT, the PBS station in Corpus Christi (which itself served as the Rio Grande Valley's default PBS station before KMBH's launch), also sought a potential purchase of the station. The proceeds from the sale will be reused to repay nearly $800,000 in grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Sister station KMBH-FM, since re-called KJJF, will not be affected by the proposed sale of KMBH television. As of February 21, 2014, the facility status went from non-commercial educational to commercial.
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