View source for KFQX

{{Short description|Television station in Grand Junction, Colorado}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox television station
| callsign               = KFQX
| city                   =
| logo                   = KFQX2025.svg
| logo_size              = 160px
| branding               = Fox 4
| analog                 = 
| digital                = 15 ([[UHF]])
| virtual                = 4
| translators            = ''see {{section link||Translators}}''
| affiliations           = {{ubl|'''4.1:''' [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]|'''[[KREX-TV|4.2]]:''' [[CBS]]|''(for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| network                = 
| airdate                = {{start date and age|2000|6|17|p=y}}
| location               = [[Grand Junction, Colorado]]
| country                = United States
| callsign_meaning       = Visually-similar "Q" replacing O in Fox (affiliated network)
| former_callsigns       = KJWA (1993–1996)
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:''' 4 ([[VHF]], 2000–2009)
| owner                  = [[Mission Broadcasting, Inc.]]
| licensee               = 
| operator               = [[Nexstar Media Group]]
| sister_stations        = KREX-TV, [[KGJT-CD]]
| former_affiliations    = 
| erp                    = 71.5 [[kW]]
| haat                   = {{convert|407|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class                  = 
| facility_id            = 31597
| coordinates            = {{coord|39|3|57.5|N|108|44|47.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=inline,title}}
| licensing_authority    = [[FCC]]
| website                = {{URL|https://www.westernslopenow.com/}} 
}}

'''KFQX''' (channel 4) is a [[television station]] in [[Grand Junction, Colorado]], United States, serving as the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate for Colorado's [[Colorado Western Slope|Western Slope]] region. Owned by [[Mission Broadcasting]], the station is managed by [[Nexstar Media Group]], owner of [[CBS]] affiliate [[KREX-TV]] (channel 5) and [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate [[KGJT-CD]] (channel 27), under a [[shared services]] agreement (SSA). The three stations share studios on Hillcrest Avenue in downtown Grand Junction; KFQX's transmitter is located at the Black Ridge Electronics Site at the [[Colorado National Monument]] west of the city.

KREX obtained the rights to provide Fox programming in Grand Junction in 1994 and began airing the network on a low-power station. KFQX went on the air in 2000 and has been co-managed with KREX for its entire history. KFQX has largely been owned by sidecars to other companies; when [[Hoak Media]] owned KREX, Parker Broadcasting owned KFQX, and Mission acquired the station in a deal related to the Nexstar purchase. The station airs Grand Junction newscasts from KREX at 6:30 and 9 p.m.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/05a88472-720e-cf57-ddfb-1d203aa5bcec/5f17c7bf-74d8-4263-900b-fb5a818e7e58.pdf|title=1st Quarter 2023 Issues and Programs List|website=Public Inspection File|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}}</ref> and morning and late evening news from Nexstar-owned [[KDVR]] in [[Denver]].

==History==
KREX first began providing Fox to the Grand Junction area on September 1, 1994, when Withers Broadcasting activated low-power station K27CO. This replaced [[Foxnet]] on cable in Grand Junction.<ref name="Dail940831">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-krex-owner-to-start-a/127621721/|date=August 31, 1994|page=2B|title=KREX owner to start airing Fox|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref><!-- Wed --> Withers Broadcasting had obtained the primary affiliation the previous May for its planned full-service station, KJWA.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Variety|first=Joe|last=Flint|title=Fox signs three primary affils, 17 secondaries|page=36|id={{ProQuest|1286106249}}|date=May 2, 1994}}</ref> John Harvey Rees had been granted the construction permit for channel 4 in Grand Junction on November 20, 1992.<ref>{{Cite news|work=Broadcasting|date=December 14, 1992|title=For the Record|page=76|id={{ProQuest|1014752305}} }}</ref>

KFQX signed on the air in June 2000, replacing K27CO (now KGJT-CD). Parker Broadcasting acquired KFQX in 2004,<ref>{{Cite news|page=36|title=Changing Hands|work=Broadcasting & Cable|id={{ProQuest|225300988}} }}</ref> following the 2003 purchase of KREX by [[Hoak Media]].<ref name="Dail031115">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-hoak-media-llc-is-new/127632302/|date=November 15, 2003|page=11A|first=Bob|last=Kretschman|title=Hoak Media LLC is new owner of KREX|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref><!-- Sat --> The station began offering simulcasts of the morning and late newscasts of [[KDVR]], the Fox station in [[Denver]], in 2006; at least one Denver newscast had long been available on cable in Grand Junction, though network duplication issues had left the city without access to a Denver newscast for much of the year. The Denver news simulcasts included Grand Junction-specific weather inserts.<ref name="Dail060122">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-grand-valley-to-get-d/127631476/|date=January 22, 2006|page=1E|first=Bob|last=Kretschman|title=Grand Valley to get Denver TV newscast|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref><!-- Sun -->

{{further|KREX-TV#Studio fire}}
The station was disrupted severely by a fire that destroyed the KREX studios in January 2008. The station was in service within two weeks airing national Fox programming.<ref name="Dail080201">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-kryd-back-on-air-afte/127631718/|date=February 1, 2008|page=8B|first=Amy|last=Hamilton|title=KRYD back on air after losing transmitter in fire: KREX will begin newscasts sometime in Feb. |newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref><!-- Fri --> A new studio facility was opened in August 2009.<ref name="Dail090801">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-krex-moving-to-new-di/127633045/|date=August 1, 2009|page=3A|first=Emily|last=Anderson|title=KREX moving to new digs|newspaper=The Daily Sentinel|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref><!-- Sat -->

On November 20, 2013, [[Gray Television]] announced it would purchase Hoak Media and Parker Broadcasting in a $335 million deal. KFQX was to be sold to Excalibur Broadcasting, a company intended to serve as a sidecar for Gray. However, Gray and Excalibur opted to put the Grand Junction stations on the market, with the companies already running [[KKCO]] and [[KLML|KJCT]].<ref name=tvnc-hoakgray>{{cite web|title=Gray Buying Hoak, Prime Stations For $342.5M|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/72138/gray-buying-hoak-prime-stations-for-3425m|work=TVNewsCheck|access-date=November 20, 2013}}</ref><ref name=b&c-saletoexcaliburandresale>{{cite news|last=Malone|first=Michael|title=Gray TV/Excalibur To Acquire Hoak Media, Parker Broadcasting Stations For $335 Million|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/496675-Gray_TV_Excalibur_To_Acquire_Hoak_Media_Parker_Broadcasting_Stations_For_335_Million.php|access-date=November 20, 2013|newspaper=[[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date=November 20, 2013}}</ref> On December 19, Gray announced that KREX and its satellites would be sold to [[Nexstar Broadcasting Group]], while KFQX would be sold to [[Mission Broadcasting]], for $37.5 million.<ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/72826/gray-sells-grand-junction-duop-to-nexstar Gray Sell Grand Junction Duop To Nexstar], TVNewsCheck, December 19, 2013</ref> The sale of KREX was completed on June 13, 2014; Nexstar began providing services to KFQX while it awaited FCC approval.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/77041/nexstar-completes-purchase-of-gray-stations|title=Nexstar Completes Purchase Of Gray Stations|work=TVNewsCheck|access-date=June 13, 2014}}</ref> The sale was approved on February 27, 2017,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1641591.pdf |title=Notice|website=Consolidated Database System|publisher= [[Federal Communications Commission]]|date= February 27, 2017|access-date= February 28, 2017}}</ref> and finalized on March 31.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1754246&Service=DT&Form_id=905&Facility_id=31597 |title=Consummation Notice|website=Consolidated Database System|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]|access-date= April 3, 2017}}</ref>

==Technical information==
===Subchannels===
The station's signal is [[multiplex (TV)|multiplexed]]:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Subchannels of KFQX<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KFQX#station|title = TV Query for KFQX|website=[[RabbitEars]]}}</ref> and KREY-TV<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KREY#station|title = TV Query for KREY|website=[[RabbitEars]]}}</ref>
! scope = "col" colspan="2"|[[Digital subchannel#United States|Channel]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|[[Display resolution|Res.]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|[[Aspect ratio (image)|Aspect]]
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Short name
! scope = "col" rowspan="2"|Programming
|-
! scope = "col" | {{small|KFQX}}||{{small|KREY-TV}} 
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.1 || 10.2
| [[720p]] || rowspan=2|[[16:9]] || KFQX-HD || [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|- 
! scope = "row" | 4.2 || 10.1
| rowspan=3|[[480i]] || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|KREY-SD || style="background-color: #E6FFF7;"|[[CBS]] ([[KREX-TV]])
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.3 || 10.3
| rowspan=2|[[4:3]] || Mystery || [[Ion Mystery]]
|-
! scope = "row" | 4.4 || 10.4
| Grit || [[Grit (TV network)|Grit]]
|}
{{legend|#E6FFF7|Simulcast of subchannels of another station}}

===Satellite station===
KFQX also operates a [[satellite station]] in [[Montrose, Colorado]], '''KREY-TV''' (channel 10). KREY transmits from Flattop Mesa, a hill northeast of Montrose. Due to its relatively weak signal and the area's very uneven terrain, the station uses six [[broadcast relay station#Broadcast translators|translators]] to relay its signal to the [[Uncompahgre Valley]] and surrounding San Miguel mountain communities. Local studios are located on North 1st Street in Montrose. In its earliest days, local programs including ''Letters to Santa'', in which area children were invited to sit on [[Santa Claus]]' lap on live television, were made in cramped quarters at the transmitter building, which doubled as KREY's studio through the 1970s. KREY previously produced short news inserts during KREX's weeknight newscasts, though this has since ended.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Station
! [[City of license]]
! [[channel (broadcasting)|Channels]]<br />([[Digital terrestrial television|RF]] / [[Virtual channel|VC]])
! First air date
! Callsign meaning
! [[effective radiated power|ERP]]
! [[HAAT]]
! Transmitter coordinates
! [[Facility ID]]
! Public license information
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| '''KREY-TV'''
| [[Montrose, Colorado|Montrose]]
| 13 ([[VHF]])<br />10
| {{start date and age|1956|9|18|p=y}}
| {{lang|es|Rey}} is the Spanish word for "king"
| 2.6 [[kW]]
| {{nowrap|{{convert|35|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}}}
| {{Coord|38|31|2|N|107|51|14|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=KREY}}
| 70579
| {{FCC-TV-Station-profile|KREY-TV|Public file}}<br />{{FCC-LMS-Facility|70579|3=LMS}} 
|}

===Translators===
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|197986|3=K26MS-D}}''' [[Collbran]]
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|70593|3=K13ML-D}}''' [[Hotchkiss, Colorado|Hotchkiss]]
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|41287|3=K17NI-D}}''' [[Mesa, Colorado|Mesa]]
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|70591|3=K06HZ-D}}''' [[Paonia]]
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|70581|3=K03AY-D}}''' [[Ridgway, Colorado|Ridgway]], etc.
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|70581|3=K33QL-D}}''' [[Snowmass Village]]
*'''{{FCC-LMS-Facility|56699|3=K26PG-D}}''' [[Woody Creek]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.westernslopenow.com/ Official website]

{{Grand Junction/Montrose TV}}
{{Fox Colorado}}
{{NXST TV}}

[[Category:2000 establishments in Colorado]]
[[Category:Fox Broadcasting Company affiliates]]
[[Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates]]
[[Category:Ion Mystery affiliates]]
[[Category:Nexstar Media Group]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2000]]
[[Category:Television stations in Grand Junction, Colorado|FQX]]