KPNZ is an independent television station serving the Salt Lake City, Utah television market. Owned by Los Angeles-based Liberman Broadcasting, the station broadcasts a variety of Spanish-language programming.

History[link]

The station signed on in 1998 as KAZG, which became the Salt Lake City market's UPN affiliate, replacing previous affiliate KJZZ-TV in January 2001. This change came about due to several factors, most notably a disagreement over affiliate compensation, pre-emption terms, and what KJZZ ownership saw as the lack of financial viability of urban-themed programming in the Salt Lake City market. In October 2000, KJZZ made national headlines when it demanded the right to back out of its UPN contract if UPN increased its "urban/ethnic programming" to more than two hours per week. UPN responded by moving their programming to KAZG, which then changed its call letters to KPNZ.

In August 2001, the station moved from their location in Ogden to the Salt Lake City studio in the International Center.

In January 2006, CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Warner Brothers announced that the UPN and WB networks would merge into one giant network called "The CW." Later that year, KPNZ removed the UPN branding from its website, referring to the station as Utah's 24. On June 5, 2006, KPNZ removed UPN programming from its schedule in retaliation for being passed over by both The CW (which went to former WB affiliate KUWB, now KUCW)^[2] and another new netlet, News Corporation's MyNetworkTV (which at the time went to KJZZ-TV, which has since reverted to independent status).

On May 30, 2007, Utah Communications, LLC, the licensee of KPNZ filed an application with the FCC to sell the station to Liberman Broadcasting, a broadcaster that generally specializes in Spanish-language radio and television. The sale was completed on November 30, 2007.[1] After Liberman took over, it continued to broadcast entirely in English until February 2008, when it officially switched to Spanish-language programming.

On September 14, 2009, KPNZ and the other Liberman television stations became O&Os of the new Spanish-language network, Estrella TV. This new network also began airing on the digital subchannels of selected stations owned by Belo Corporation, Sunbeam Television, Hearst Television, Tribune Broadcasting and ComCorp, as well as selected stations then-owned by Pappas Telecasting Companies that were sold to the New World TV Group (d/b/a Titan Broadcast Group), upon its launch.

Digital television[link]

Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997 [2], the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, on or before June 12, 2009, which is the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KPNZ was required to turn off its analog signal and turn on its digital signal (called a "flash-cut").

Legal Battles[link]

In May 2005, H.R. Director and Accounting Manager Brad Brewer was fired from KPNZ for embezzlement. Shortly thereafter, in July 2005, Mr. Brewer, General Manager Kurt Gentry and Traffic Manager Bonnie Dunn were originally arrested by Salt Lake City Police on charges of theft, fraud and forgery. The charges against Gentry were dropped after investigation by the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office. Charges against Dunn were dismissed in court as well. Brewer was charged with 31 separate counts and has since settled. All charges have been dropped or dismissed. The circumstances behind the arrests and dismantling of KPNZ are still unclear, though many rumors have been made public by partners, former employees and clients.

Translators[link]

KPNZ is rebroadcast on the following stations:

• K41IL Huntsville
• K41IY Huntsville
• K16GG Logan
• K32GT Logan
• K56IQ Park City, Utah

External links[link]

• Station website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KPNZ
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K16GG
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K32GT
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K41IL
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K43IY
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K56IQ
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KPNZ-TV

References[link]