View source for KPBS (TV)

{{Short description|Television station in San Diego}}
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{{Update|date=April 2024}}
{{Rewrite|date=April 2024}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = KPBS
| logo                   = KPBS logo 2019.svg
| logo_size              = 220px
| branding               = KPBS
| digital                = 19 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 15
| translators            =
| affiliations           = {{unbulleted list|'''15.1:''' [[PBS]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| owner                  = [[San Diego State University]]
| licensee               = The Board of Trustees of the [[California State University]] for San Diego State University
| location               = [[San Diego, California]]
| country                = United States
| airdate                = {{Start date and age|1967|06|12|p=y}}
| last_airdate           =
| callsign_meaning       = Public Broadcasting Service
| sister_stations        = [[KPBS-FM]]
| former_callsigns       = {{ubl|KEBS-TV (1967–1970)|KPBS-TV (1970–1991)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{unbulleted list|'''Analog:''' 15 (UHF, 1967–2009)|'''Digital:''' 30 (UHF, 2001-2019)}}
| former_affiliations    = [[National Educational Television|NET]] (1967–1970)
| erp                    = 285 kW
| haat                   = {{convert|572.7|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id            = 6124
| coordinates            = {{coord|32|41|52.7|N|116|56|6.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=KPBS|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority    = [[FCC]]
| website                = {{URL|https://www.kpbs.org/}}
}}
'''KPBS''' (channel 15) is a [[PBS]] member [[television station]] in [[San Diego]], California, United States. Owned by [[San Diego State University]] (SDSU) as part of [[KPBS Public Media]], it is a [[sister station]] to [[NPR]] member [[KPBS-FM]] (89.5). The two outlets share studios at the Conrad Prebys Media Complex at Copley Center on Campanile Drive on the SDSU campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kpbs.org/press-releases/2022/03/29/kpbs-honors-the-late-conrad-prebys-with-new-building-name|title=KPBS Honors the Late Conrad Prebys with New Building Name|website=KPBS.org|date=March 29, 2022|accessdate=March 13, 2023}}</ref> The TV station's transmitter is located on [[San Miguel Mountain]] in southwestern [[San Diego County]].

==History==
In 1960, San Diego State College (now San Diego State University) applied for a [[broadcast license|license]] from the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) to operate a [[non-commercial educational]] television station to serve San Diego. The station first signed on the air on June 12, 1967, as KEBS-TV.<ref>{{cite web |title=KAAR/39, San Diego CA |url=https://uhfhistory.com/articles/kaar.html |website=uhfhistory.com |access-date=June 5, 2022}}</ref> The station was originally a member of [[National Educational Television]] (NET) before becoming a member of PBS when it launched in October 1970, at which time the station changed its call letters to KPBS-TV.<ref>[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=82870 FCC History Cards for KPBS]. [[Federal Communications Commission]].</ref> Despite the calls, which mimic the callsign schemes used by stations owned by [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[NBC]], and [[CBS]] in New York City and Los Angeles, it is not an [[owned-and-operated station]] (nor is similarly-named [[WPBS-TV|WPBS]] in [[Watertown, New York]]), as PBS cannot own or operate any of its member stations or regional member networks due to the service's local and non-profit nature. The KPBS call sign reflects the station's affiliation and programming, but not any special status within PBS.

KPBS started broadcasting digital television on November 21, 2001.<ref name=KPBSliveNov21>{{cite web|url=http://www.avsforum.com/forum/34-hdtv-programming/92382-kpbs-dt-san-diego-live-november-21st-2.html#post699233|title=KPBS-DT (San Diego) live November 21st|date=November 21, 2001 |access-date=June 18, 2017|publisher=avsforum.com}}</ref> On June 12, 2009, the station turned off its analog signal over [[UHF]] channel 15 in accordance with the federal mandate for [[Digital television transition in the United States|transitioning television broadcast from analog to digital]]. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101231044&formid=387&fac_num=6124 CDBS Print<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 

On January 1, 2011, when Los Angeles' longtime PBS station [[KCET]] ended its membership, KPBS began to be carried on cable providers in the [[Bakersfield]] market, alongside fellow PBS stations [[KVCR-DT]] in [[San Bernardino]] and [[KVPT]] in [[Fresno]]. It is also one of three PBS member stations that serve the [[Palm Springs]] market, alongside KVCR-DT and [[KOCE-TV]] in [[Huntington Beach]] (which succeeded KCET as Los Angeles' primary PBS member station).

By the middle of the 2010s, KPBS experienced budgetary constraints and erosion of viewership. The locally produced current affairs show ''Full Focus'' attracted less than one percent of the potential audience. One of the ways to increase viewership was to increase the number of subchannels as other public TV stations had done.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/media-tag/station-identification-kpbs-faces-time-of-tremendous-change/|title=Station Identification: KPBS Faces 'Time of Tremendous Change'|first=Randy|last=Dotinga|date=January 4, 2009 |access-date=June 12, 2017|publisher=Voice of San Diego}}</ref>

On March 26, 2019, the digital signal has been moved to UHF channel 19 as a result of [[spectrum reallocation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2019/feb/09/rescan-day-san-diego-county-march-14/ |title=Rescan Day for San Diego County is March 26 |date=February 9, 2019 |access-date=May 2, 2019 }}</ref> 

==News programming==
KPBS produces a nightly half-hour news program on weeknights titled ''KPBS Evening Edition'', a self-contained television newscast that is an extension of the ''Midday Edition'' newscast aired by its radio sister. KPBS' news department is editorially independent from the station's management, San Diego State University and corporate underwriters and donors. The station's investigative reports are conducted in collaboration with the nonprofit newsgathering organization Investigative Newsource, which shares a newsroom with KPBS television and radio at the Campanile Drive studios.

The station collaborates on breaking news coverage and shares news video with the local [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[KGTV]] (channel 10).

==Subchannels==
The station's signal is [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of KPBS<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KPBS#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KPBS|website=[[RabbitEars.info]]|accessdate=December 25, 2024}}</ref>
! [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! Short name
! Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 15.1 
| rowspan="2"|[[720p]] || rowspan="4" |[[16:9]] || KPBSHD || [[PBS]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 15.2 
| KPBS2H || [[World Channel|World]] / local programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 15.3 
| rowspan="2"|[[480i]] || Create || [[Create (TV network)|Create]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 15.4 
| Kids || [[PBS Kids]]
|}

The initial lineup consisted of two multiplexed channels: the main high definition channel in 720p and the standard definition channel in 480i, the latter used for DTV simulcast of analog channel 15.<ref name="KPBSliveNov21" /><ref name="T4390">{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/discus/messages/6283/4390.html |title=KPBS 15.1, 15.2 quality? |date=January 27, 2006 |access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> In 2006, an SD sub-channel was added, carrying content from [[Create (TV network)|Create]].<ref name="T4309">{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/discus/messages/6283/4309.html |title=KPBS "Create" |date=January 7, 2006 |access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> That same year, the main HD channel was switched from 720p to 1080i.<ref name="T4390"/> Later that year, KPBS dropped the simulcast of analog channel 15 and implemented statistical multiplexing.<ref name="T4587">{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/discus/messages/6283/4587.html |title=Your opinion about KPBS-HD picture quality |date=March 6, 2006 |access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>

In 2007, KPBS replaced Create with [[V-me]], a 24/7 [[Spanish language in the United States|Spanish-language]] public television channel.<ref name="T5403">{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/discus/messages/6283/5403.html |title=KPBS 15.2 CREATE Carriage |date=January 11, 2007 |access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref>

In January 2017, V-me ended its multicast service for public television, transitioning to commercial cable. KPBS, along with many other PBS affiliates, replaced V-me with the [[PBS Kids]] multicast channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://current.org/2016/12/spanish-language-multicaster-vme-will-soon-drop-public-tv-service/|title=Spanish-language multicaster Vme will soon drop public TV service|first=Dru|last=Sefton|date=December 14, 2016 |access-date=June 12, 2017|publisher=current.org}}</ref> KPBS relaunched Create subchannel and added one more subchannel, KPBS2. John Decker, director of programming at KPBS in San Diego, explained that multicasts such as PBS Kids, Create, World, and locally developed programming "give public TV an opportunity to increase value and thus loyalty among viewers" as well as "allow KPBS to expand its universe".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://current.org/2017/01/launch-of-pbs-kids-streaming-channel-reshapes-multicast-lineups/|title=Launch of PBS Kids streaming channel reshapes multicast lineups|first=Dru|last=Sefton|date=January 15, 2017 |access-date=June 12, 2017|publisher=current.org}}</ref>

Simultaneously with the 2017 lineup change, KPBS switched its HD format from 1080i to 720p and changed aspect ratio of SD channels from 4:3 to 16:9. Image quality degradation, caused by sharing of available bandwidth over four multiplexed channels, was noticed by viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/community/threads/kpbs-sub-channels.1653/#post-6952|title=KPBS Sub Channels|date=December 28, 2016|access-date=June 12, 2017|publisher=sandiegohdtv.org|archive-date=October 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031133036/http://www.sandiegohdtv.org/community/threads/kpbs-sub-channels.1653/#post-6952|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.kpbs.org/}}

{{San Diego TV}}
{{PBS California}}
{{San Diego State University}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kpbs (Tv)}}
[[Category:1967 establishments in California]]
[[Category:PBS member stations]]
[[Category:San Diego State University]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1967]]
[[Category:Television stations in San Diego|PBS]]