KEGS (TV)

{{Short description|Television station in Goldfield, Nevada (2002–2009)}} {{update|date=November 2010}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox television station | callsign = KEGS | logo = | location = Goldfield, Nevada | country = United States | city = | branding = | analog = 7 (VHF) | digital = | subchannels = | translators = {{ubl|KEGS-LP 30 Las Vegas|KRRI-LP 43 Reno}} | affiliations = {{ubl|ImaginAsian (2004–2007)|RTN (2007–January 2009)|Independent (2002–2004, January–June 2009)}} | owner = Equity Media Holdings Corporation | licensee = Nevada Channel 3, Inc. | founded = | airdate = {{start date|2002|4|11}} | last_airdate = {{ubl|{{end date|2009|6|12}}|({{age in years and days|2002|4|11|2009|6|12}})}} | callsign_meaning = Equity Goldfield Station | sister_stations = | former_callsigns = KTVY-TV (2002–2005) | former_channel_numbers = | former_affiliations = | erp = 22.9 kW | haat = {{convert|448|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | class = | facility_id = 86201 | coordinates = {{coord|38|3|5|N|117|13|33|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=KEGS}} | website = }} '''KEGS''' (channel 7) was an independent television station in Goldfield, Nevada, United States. It served both the Reno and Las Vegas markets by way of translators KRRI-LP (channel 25) in Reno and KEGS-LP (channel 30) in Las Vegas. Like many stations that were owned by Equity Broadcasting, the stations were operated remotely by satellite; their programming could be seen free-to-air on Galaxy 18.<ref>Lyngsat FTA channel listings for Equity on [http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy3c.html Galaxy 3C (C-band, 95°W)] and [http://www.lyngsat.com/galaxy18.html Galaxy 18 (Ku, 123°W)]</ref>

==History== The Las Vegas station was founded on January 12, 1993, as K63FD, and later gained the call sign KTVY-LP in 1997. In April 2002, the Goldfield station signed on as KTVY-TV, matching the station in Las Vegas. Finally, in late May 2005, both stations changed their call sign to KEGS.

Until May 30, 2007, KEGS was affiliated with ImaginAsian. On that day, the station switched to the Retro Television Network (RTN).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rtnville.com/affiliates.html |title=''RTN/Equity Broadcasting'' website, accessed 4/20/08 |access-date=April 21, 2008 |archive-date=July 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080711110504/http://www.rtnville.com/affiliates.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On January 4, 2009, a contract conflict between Equity Media Holdings Corporation and RTN interrupted the programming on many RTN affiliates.<ref>[http://www.wsav.com/sav/news/local/article/whats_wrong_with_mytv/7919/ What's Wrong with MyTV?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113030808/http://www.wsav.com/sav/news/local/article/whats_wrong_with_mytv/7919/ |date=January 13, 2009 }}</ref> As a result, Luken Communications, LLC (who had purchased RTN in June 2008), restored a national RTN feed from its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with individual customized feeds to non-Equity-owned affiliates to follow on a piecemeal basis. As a result, KEGS lost its RTN affiliation immediately, though Luken vowed to find a new affiliate for RTN in the Las Vegas market.<ref>[http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2009/01/05/daily.5/ TV Newsday: "Financial Dispute Disrupts RTN Diginet", 1/5/2009.]</ref> Viewers in the Reno area could still watch RTN on the digital subchannel of local Fox affiliate KRXI-TV, while KGNG-LP's DT4 subchannel took the affiliation in Las Vegas in June 2009.

At auction on April 16, 2009, KEGS-LP was sold to Mako Communications, while KRRI-LP and KELM-LP were sold to Ngensolutions LLC.<ref name="tvbr-auctionmako">{{cite news|url=http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/14101.html |title=Takers found for 60 Equity stations |date=April 18, 2009 |work=Television Business Report |accessdate=April 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424220318/http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/14101.html |archivedate=April 24, 2009 }}</ref> In June 2013, Mako planned to sell what had become KEGS-LD to Landover 5 LLC as part of a larger deal involving 51 other low-power television stations;<ref name=tvbr-saletolandover>{{cite news|last=Seyler|first=Dave|title=Anatomy of an LPTV deal extravaganza|url=http://rbr.com/anatomy-of-an-lptv-deal-extravaganza/|accessdate=July 3, 2013|newspaper=Television Business Report|date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> the deal fell through in June 2016,<ref name="fcc-nosaletolandover">{{cite web|title=Notification of Non-consummation|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1732256&Form_id=905&Facility_id=168004|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=January 20, 2018|date=June 29, 2016}}</ref> and in 2017 Mako's stations, including KEGS-LD, were acquired by HC2 Holdings.<ref name="fcc-saletohc2">{{cite web|title=APPLICATION FOR CONSENT TO ASSIGNMENT OF BROADCAST STATION CONSTRUCTION PERMIT OR LICENSE|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1765834&Service=LD&Form_id=345&Facility_id=52930|website=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|accessdate=January 20, 2018|date=September 8, 2017}}</ref> The full-service KEGS signal never found a buyer,<ref name="tvbr-stillforsale">{{cite news|url=http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/14129.html|title=Equity stations still on the block|date=April 20, 2009|work=Television Business Report|accessdate=April 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502204648/http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv_deals/14129.html|archive-date=May 2, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> and signed off permanently on June 12, 2009; its license was finally canceled on July 6, 2010.<ref name="fcc-kegsdefunct">{{cite web|url=https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=20330|title=Re: KEGS, Goldfield, Nevada|last=Pendarvis|first=Clay C.|date=July 6, 2010|work=CDBS Public Access|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=August 2, 2010}}</ref>

==Digital television== Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.transmitter.com/FCC97115/chanplan.html | title=Final DTV Channel Plan from FCC97-115 }}</ref> the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. Instead, at the end of the digital TV conversion period for full-service stations, KEGS would have been required to turn off its analog signal and turn on its digital signal (called a "flash-cut").

The station's owner, Equity Media Holdings, declared bankruptcy in 2008 and was unable to construct digital facilities, leaving the station to go dark in 2009. According to the station's DTV status report, "On December 8, 2008, the licensee's parent corporation filed a petition for bankruptcy relief under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code... This station must obtain post-petition financing and court approval before digital facilities may be constructed. The station must cease analogue broadcasting on February 17, 2009, regardless of whether digital facilities are operational by that date. The station will file authority to remain silent if so required by the FCC."<ref>[http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1285136&Service=TV&Form_id=387&Facility_id=86201 FCC DTV status report]</ref>

While the DTV Delay Act extended this deadline to June 12, 2009, Equity had applied for an extension of the digital construction permit in order to retain the broadcast license after the station became silent. Equity Broadcasting also held a construction permit to construct a digital companion station to KEGS-LP on channel 24 in Las Vegas; that station, as a low-power broadcasting operation, was not required to cease analog transmission due to DTV transition in 2009.

While the majority of Equity's assets were sold in a 2009 liquidation, neither the digital KEGS transmitter nor the new Las Vegas station were ever constructed.

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kegs (Tv)}} Category:2002 establishments in Nevada Category:2009 disestablishments in Nevada EGS (TV) Category:Equity Media Holdings Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2009 Category:Television channels and stations established in 2002 EGS (TV) EGS (TV)