View source for KCSO-LD

{{short description|Television station in Sacramento, California}}
{{About||the Modesto, California–licensed station that formerly carried the KCSO call sign|KUVS-DT}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{more citations needed|article|date=June 2010}}
{{Infobox television station dual
| name1 = KCSO-LD
| city = [[Sacramento, California]]
| logo = Telemundo332018.svg
| logo_size = 210px
| branding = {{ubl|{{lang|es|italic=no|Telemundo 33}} (general)|{{lang|es|Noticias Telemundo California}} (newscasts)}}
| digital1 = 3 ([[VHF]])
| virtual1 = 33
| affiliations = {{Unbulleted list|'''33.1:''' [[Telemundo]]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| translators = {{ubl|[[KSPX-TV]] 33.2|[[KMAX-TV]] 31.7}}
| owner = [[Telemundo Station Group]]
| licensee = NBC Telemundo License [[LLC]]
| country = United States
| airdate1 = {{start date and age|1999}}
| callsign_meaning1 = Chester Smith Owner
| former_channel_numbers1 = '''Analog:''' 33 ([[UHF]], 1999–2012)
| erp1 = 5 [[kW]]
| haat1 = {{convert|516.9|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id1 = 18998
| class1 = [[low-power broadcasting#Television|LD]]
| coordinates1 = {{Coord|38|16|18|N|121|30|22|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline, title}}
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.telemundo33.com/}}
| name2 = KMUM-CD
| digital2 = 19 ([[UHF]])
| virtual2 = 33
| callsign_meaning2 = variations of Más Música TeVe (former affiliation)
| former_affiliations2 = {{ubl|[[MTV Tres|Más Música TeVe]] (until 2006)|[[Tr3́s]] (2006–2014)}}
| erp2 = 15 [[kW]]
| haat2 = {{convert|103.9|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id2 = 18736
| class2 = [[Class A television service|CD]]
| coordinates2 = {{Coord|38|42|28.1|N|121|28|36.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
}}

'''KCSO-LD''' (channel 33) is a [[low-power television station]] in [[Sacramento, California]], United States, serving as the local outlet for the Spanish-language network [[Telemundo]]. [[Owned and operated]] by [[NBCUniversal]]'s [[Telemundo Station Group]], KCSO-LD maintains studios on Media Place in the [[North Sacramento, Sacramento, California#Woodlake|Woodlake neighborhood]] of Sacramento, and its transmitter is located in [[Walnut Grove, California]]. The station is also sister to [[regional sports network]]s [[NBC Sports Bay Area]] and [[NBC Sports California]].

Due to its low-power status, KCSO-LD [[simulcast]]s in [[High-definition television|high definition]] on [[Ion Television]] outlet [[KSPX-TV]] (channel 29) on a subchannel displayed as channel 33.2 and in [[widescreen]] [[standard definition]] on [[independent station]] [[KMAX-TV]] (channel 31) on subchannel 31.7. KCSO-LD also operates [[Class A television service|Class A]] [[Broadcast relay station#Broadcast translators|translator station]] '''KMUM-CD''' in Sacramento and also relies on [[cable television|cable]] and [[satellite television|satellite]] to reach the entire [[media market|market]].

KCSO formerly operated translator '''KMMW-LD''' in [[Stockton, California|Stockton]]; this station ceased operations in March 2025 and its license was returned to the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076ff39568c87a019580f416c40d0a&id=25076ff39568c87a019580f416c40d0a&goBack=N|title=Cancellation Application|work=Licensing and Management System|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|date=March 13, 2025|accessdate=April 18, 2025}}</ref>

==History==
{{expand section|date=October 2015}}
KCSO was founded by [[country-western]] performer [[Chester Smith]] and his company [[Sainte Partners II, L.P.]] and first signed on the air in 1999. It was the last station to be owned by his company. On August 8, 2008, Chester Smith died of heart failure at [[Stanford University Medical Center]] in [[Palo Alto, California]].<ref>[http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_10173912 TV station owner Chester Smith dies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020044730/http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_10173912 |date=October 20, 2012 }} (Chico Enterprise Record: August 11, 2008)</ref> The station continued operating under the Sainte banner until it was sold to Serestar Communications Group in 2013. Sainte folded shortly thereafter.

In 2014, Serestar Communications agreed to purchase both KMUM-CD and KMMW-LD from [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] for a disclosed amount. The sale of both stations was finalized on September 25, 2014. Prior to the sale, both of the stations dropped the [[Tr3́s]] affiliation and switched to Telemundo. After the sale, they became sister stations and translators to KCSO-LD. Also in 2014, KCSO began simulcasting in widescreen standard definition on KSPX-TV's seventh subchannel (displayed as channel 33.2) to reach the entire market due to KCSO's low-power status. The simulcast was discontinued in October 2021.

Serestar agreed to sell KCSO-LD, KMUM-CD, and KMMW-LD to [[NBCUniversal]] on November 28, 2018, as part of a $21 million deal.<ref name="fcc-saletonbc">{{cite news |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=1796630&Service=DC&Form_id=314&Facility_id=10177 |access-date=December 6, 2018 |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref> The sale was completed on March 5, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/231441/nbcu-closes-serestar-stations/|title=NBCU Closes On Serestar Stations|last=Miller|first=Mark K.|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheckMedia LLC|date=March 6, 2019|access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref> As a result, KCSO-LD became the sixth television station in the Sacramento market (excluding translator stations) to be owned-and-operated by its affiliated network.

In April 2022, [[The CW|CW]] owned-and-operated station [[KMAX-TV]] (channel 31, now an [[independent station]]) resumed the widescreen SD simulcast from KSPX-TV on a new subchannel also displayed as channel 33.2.

In March 2025, the simulcast returned to KSPX-TV in [[High-definition television|high definition]] on subchannel 33.2. An SD simulcast remains on KMAX-TV, but is now displayed as channel 31.7.

==News operation==
KCSO launched a local news department (with newscasts branded as {{lang|es|Noticiero 33}}) following its sign-on. The half-hour local evening news program was broadcast every Monday through Friday at 6&nbsp;p.m. However, it had low [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] and was canceled after five years.

Later, news briefs were aired online (branded as {{lang|es|Telemundo 33 Al Día}}). In late 2014, it started airing morning news briefs called {{lang|es|Noticias 33 por la mañana}}, which aired at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour from 7 to 9&nbsp;a.m. during Telemundo's ''[[Un Nuevo Dia]]'' [[breakfast television#United States|morning news program]].

On November 6, 2016, KCSO re-launched a weekday half-hour long newscast at 6&nbsp;p.m. (initially branding as {{lang|es|Noticiero Telemundo 33}}, later as {{lang|es|Noticias Telemundo Sacramento}}, now as {{lang|es|Noticias Telemundo California}} after the purchase by NBCUniversal), 11 years after its initial newscast was canceled. It directly competes with [[Univision]] owned-and-operated [[KUVS-DT|KUVS's]] long-established (and for several years, the Sacramento area's only) Spanish-language newscast.

In 2017, a weeknight 11&nbsp;p.m. newscast (branded as {{lang|es|Noticias Telemundo California}}) was launched, further competing with KUVS. {{lang|es|Noticias Telemundo California}} is simulcast on [[Fresno]] sister station [[KNSO]].

On March 18, 2020, one year after the purchase by NBCUniversal, the station launched 5 and 5:30 p.m. newscasts, and began simulcasting all of their newscasts on KNSO. The station does not air any local newscasts on the weekends.

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of KCSO-LD<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KCSO#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KCSO|website=[[RabbitEars]]|accessdate=April 17, 2025}}</ref> and KMUM-CD<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KMUM#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KMUM|website=[[RabbitEars]]|accessdate=April 17, 2025}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | [[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" | [[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" | [[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 33.1
| [[1080i]] || rowspan=4|[[16:9]] || KCSO-LD || [[Telemundo]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 33.3 
| rowspan=3| [[480i]] || TeleX || [[TeleXitos]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 33.5 
| CRIMES || [[NBC American Crimes]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 33.6 
| Oxygen || [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]]
|}

There is no 33.2 on this multiplex, as it is broadcast from KSPX-TV.

On September 3, 2012, MeTV was moved to [[KCRA]] 3.2 (replacing the MoreTV format); 33.3 became [[Dark (broadcasting)|silent]] afterward. 33.3 was re-launched on January 21, 2017, broadcasting [[TeleXitos]].

In 2018, KCSO affiliated with Light TV on newly launched subchannel 33.4. On January 15, 2021, Light TV was relaunched as [[TheGrio]]. TheGrio was dropped in March 2024 and the channel is currently silent.

In October 2023, [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]] was added on a new subchannel 33.6.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.telemundo33.com/}}

{{Sacramento TV|state=expanded}}
{{Telemundo California}}
{{NBC Universal}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kcso-Ld}}
[[Category:1995 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Low-power television stations in California|CSO]]
[[Category:Spanish-language television stations in California|CSO-LD]]
[[Category:Telemundo Station Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1995]]
[[Category:Television stations in Sacramento, California|CSO-LD]]
[[Category:TeleXitos affiliates]]