KFTV-DT

KFTV-DT, virtual channel 21 (UHF digital channel 20, is a Univision owned-and-operated television station serving Fresno, California, United States that is licensed to Hanford. The station is owned by Univision Communications, as part of a duopoly with UniMas owned-and-operated station KTFF-DT (channel 61). The two stations share studio facilities located on North Palm and West Herndon Avenues (using Univision Plaza as its street address) in northwestern Fresno, KTFF maintains transmitter facilities located on Blue Ridge in rural northwestern Tulare County. KFTV's programming is simulcast on several low-power translator stations throughout the Central Valley region.

History

The UHF channel 21 allocation in the Fresno market was originally licensed to KDAS-TV, which signed on in 1962 as an English-language independent station; KDAS was hampered by low viewership as only a small percentage of Fresno area television sets were even capable of receiving UHF stations since set manufacturers were not required to equip televisions with UHF tuners until the Federal Communications Commission passed the All-Channel Receiver Act in 1961, with UHF tuners not included on all newer sets until 1964. The station survived for two years before ceasing operations in 1964. The station's license was then sold in 1965; that year, channel 21 briefly returned to the air as independent station KSJV-TV.