KBVU (TV)
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| Channels | |
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KAEF-TV | |
| History | |
| Founded | July 10, 1991 |
First air date | July 20, 1994 |
Former call signs | KZJA (CP) |
Former channel numbers | Analog: 29 (UHF, 1994–2008) |
Call sign meaning | Best VU (as in "view") |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 58618 |
| ERP | [3] |
| HAAT | 512 m (1,680 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | (STA)[3] |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
KBVU (channel 28) is a television station in Eureka, California, United States, airing programming from the digital multicast network Roar. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Arcata-licensed ABC/Fox affiliate KAEF-TV (channel 23) and two low-power stations: dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate KECA-LD (channel 29) and Univision affiliate KEUV-LD (channel 35). The four stations share studios on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka; KBVU's transmitter is located along Barry Road southeast of Eureka.
Although it identifies as a station in its own right, KBVU is considered a semi-satellite of KCVU (channel 20) in Paradise–Chico–Redding, with the only difference between the two stations being the hourly station identification as Roar uses a master default schedule.
History
KBVU signed on the air as a Fox affiliate on July 20, 1994. Prior to its launch, Fox's programming was only available via a secondary affiliation with ABC affiliates KAEF and KFWU (both satellites of KRCR-TV), while out-of-market affiliates KTVU and KTXL were imported by some cable providers.
On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased KAEF and the LMA with KBVU as part of a four-station deal.[4] The sale was completed on September 1.[5]
Sinclair filed to buy KBVU outright from Cunningham in August 2025, following a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that struck down limitations on ownership of two of the four highest-rated TV stations in a market.[1] On December 9, 2025, the Fox affiliation was moved to KAEF-TV's second subchannel, while KBVU's main channel flipped to Roar.[6] The sale was completed on March 1, 2026.[7]
Technical information and subchannels
The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KBVU-HD | Roar |
| 28.2 | 480i | COMET | Comet | |
| 28.3 | CHARGE | Charge! | ||
| 28.6 | STADIUM | The Nest |
Analog-to-digital conversion
KBVU shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 29, on December 22, 2008, along with KCVU, due to financial hardship.[9] The station's digital signal broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 28.
References
- ^ a b "Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBVU". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b "TV Query Results -- Video Division (FCC) USA". transition.fcc.gov.
- ^ Houston, Will (April 4, 2017). "Media giant Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy four Eureka stations". Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. September 5, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
- ^ Robinson, Adam (December 4, 2025). "Fox 20 (Chico/Redding) and Fox 28 (Eureka) to change channels for some viewers December 9". KRCR-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ^ "Notification of Consummation". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. March 2, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KBVU". RabbitEars. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.