# K26AC

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**K26AC** (channel 26) was a [low-power television station](/source/Low-power_television_station) in [Bemidji, Minnesota](/source/Bemidji,_Minnesota), United States. Owned by John Boler, it was the first low-power station to locally originate programs, instead of being a translator of another station,[2] and one of the longest-running [subscription television](/source/Subscription_television) (STV) operations in the country. K26AC later was converted to repeat [KVRR](/source/KVRR) of [Fargo, North Dakota](/source/Fargo,_North_Dakota), and it was forced off the air by the establishment of a full-power station on the channel on June 20, 1999.

## History

On May 15, 1981, the [Federal Communications Commission](/source/Federal_Communications_Commission) (FCC) made television history when it issued to John Boler the first-ever construction permit for a low-power television station that could originate its own programming.[3] Boler had previously built and operated television stations in [North](/source/North_Dakota) and [South Dakota](/source/South_Dakota), selling the last of his holdings in 1978,[3] but the creation of the low-power television service lured him out of retirement.[4] Channel 26 had been allocated as a full-power assignment to Bemidji in 1966 but was never built out.[3]

K26AC began broadcasting on January 12, 1982.[5] Until its sign-on, Bemidji's only broadcast television service was a translator of [KBJR-TV](/source/KBJR-TV) from [Duluth](/source/Duluth).[6] During the day, the station aired two live daily newscasts, [Bemidji State Beavers](/source/Bemidji_State_Beavers) athletic events, [CNN Headline News](/source/CNN_Headline_News) simulcasts, and some off-network reruns and syndicated fare.[6][7] The station used telephone and door-to-door surveys to solicit input for its programming.[4] At night, for $16 a month, it offered [subscription television](/source/Subscription_television) programming, including an optional adults only package.[8]

Channel 26 telecast from a 460-foot (140-meter) tower atop the Continental Divide.[5] The facility, which included studios and a mobile unit, cost Boler $650,000.[9] The station had 18 full-time and 7 part-time staff.[9] Channel 26's reach was expanded in November 1982 when K18AI channel 18 at [Grand Rapids](/source/Grand_Rapids,_Minnesota) began broadcasting, with plans to have news staff in the town to contribute to the newscasts from Bemidji.[8]

Despite the ambitious local programming and support from local advertisers, the station's money came primarily from its subscription television programming, which was sourced from [SelecTV](/source/SelecTV_(American_TV_channel)) and had 1,000 subscribers by early 1983.[10] In November 1982, Boler told *[Broadcasting](/source/Broadcasting_%26_Cable)* magazine, "We could go into the black next month if we switched completely to STV."[7] On April 1, 1983,[11] the station went into 24-hour STV operation, saying that it was easier to sell subscriptions than advertising.[12] Subscription television was reported to have lasted longer in Bemidji and Grand Rapids than almost anywhere else in the United States. In February 1986, *Broadcasting* noted that K26AC-K18AI and [WNUV](/source/WNUV) in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore) were the very last subscription outlets operating.[13] The stations continued as subscription operations using SelecTV and its successor Starion Premiere Cinema, serving several hundred customers, until Starion folded in early 1989; at that time, K26AC and K18AI became translators for KVRR.[14]

Red River Broadcasting, licensee of KVRR and partly owned by Boler, would obtain a construction permit to build a full-power channel 26 station in Bemidji with the call letters KXBJ in July 1983.[15] However, the station was never built. Instead, [Clear Channel Communications](/source/Clear_Channel_Communications), owners of [WFTC](/source/WFTC) in [Minneapolis](/source/Minneapolis), built and signed on channel 26 as satellite station KFTC on June 20, 1999, forcing K26AC off the air.[16] On September 1 of that year, K18AI had switched to rebroadcasting KVRR's new sister station in Duluth, [KQDS-TV](/source/KQDS-TV) (channel 21);[17] it is today KQDS-TV translator K29EB-D on RF channel 29.[18]

## References

1. ["K26AC"](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1997-TV-Factbook/Television-Factbook-1997-ALL-OTHER.pdf). *Television Factbook*. 1997. p. B-59 (249). Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Masland, Tom (January 4, 1982). ["Low-Power TV To Speak in Local Accents"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54280737/). *Hartford Courant*. Knight-Ridder Newspapers. p. C2. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["Low-power TV license granted for Bemidji"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54280933/). *Minneapolis Tribune*. Associated Press. May 15, 1981. p. 19B. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Larson, Mark (January 9, 1982). ["No time to quit: John Boler is just too busy to enjoy his days of retirement"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54280474/). *Desert Sun*. p. A4. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Shaw, Sydney (March 27, 1982). ["Is Low-Power TV In Your Future?"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54281146/). *Brattleboro Reformer*. UPI. p. 3. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Lumenick, Lou (March 15, 1982). ["Low-power TV: a new frontier"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54279836/). *The Record*. pp. A1, [A12](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54279687/). Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["John Boler, STV's voice of experience, talks about his year of operation"](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-11-15.pdf). *Broadcasting*. November 15, 1982. p. 88. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["With a first, pioneer expands TV airwaves"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54280564/). *St. Cloud Times*. Associated Press. October 30, 1982. p. 11B. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Alridge, Ron (April 18, 1982). ["Low power TV: A high powered future?"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54279529/). *Chicago Tribune*. p. TV Week 4. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["Industry Statistics"](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Broadcast-Week/Broadcast-Week-1983-02-21.pdf). *Broadcast Week*. February 23, 1981. p. 16. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. [*The News Tonight*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H21iO1hQpo). K26AC. March 31, 1983. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. Cooper, Ann (August 31, 1983). ["TV going rural via full-power outlets"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54281495/). *Baltimore Sun*. pp. C1, [C13](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54281440/). Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["End is near"](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-02-03.pdf). *Broadcasting*. February 3, 1986. p. 7.

1. Richards, K.M. ["Translators: The Complete Story"](https://uhfhistory.com/articles/translators.html). *UHF Television*. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["Construction Permits"](https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1988-TV-Factbook/TV-Factbook-1988-All-Other.pdf). *TV Factbook*. 1988. p. A-1275 (79). Retrieved June 29, 2020.

1. ["KFTC/26 (Bemidji) will begin testing..."](https://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0999.html). *Northpine*. September 22, 1999. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["Red River Broadcasting's FOX21 (KQDS-TV Duluth)..."](https://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0999.html). *Northpine*. September 10, 1999. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

1. ["K29EB-D"](https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=55363). *fccdata.org*. Retrieved June 27, 2020.

## External links

- [Video of K26AC's final local newscast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H21iO1hQpo)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [K26AC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K26AC) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K26AC?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.