KUCO-LD

KUCO-LD and K19NH-D
Channels for KUCO-LD
Channels for K19NH-D
BrandingUnivision 27
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KRCR-TV, KCVU, KXVU-LD, KRVU-LD/KZVU-LD, KKTF-LD
History
First air date
  • KUCO-LD: May 21, 2002 (2002-05-21)
Former call signs
  • KUCO-LD:
    • K27HC (2002–2003)
    • KUCO-LP (2003–2019)
  • K19NH-D:
    • K46HI(-D) (2003–2023)
    • K15KO-D (2023–2024)
Former channel number
  • KUCO-LD: Analog: 27 (UHF, 2002–2019)
  • K19NH-D:
    • Analog: 46 (UHF, 2003–2016)
    • Digital: 46 (UHF, 2016–2023)
Call sign meaning
  • KUCO-LD: Univision Chico
Technical information[1][2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID
  • KUCO-LD: 127046
  • K19NH-D: 129800
Class
  • KUCO-LD: LD
  • K19NH-D: LD
ERP
  • KUCO-LD: 15 kW
  • K19NH-D: 5 kW
HAAT
  • KUCO-LD: 373.6 m (1,226 ft)
  • K19NH-D: 444.3 m (1,458 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
Translators
Links
Public license information

KUCO-LD (channel 27) is a low-power television station licensed to Chico, California, United States, serving the Chico–Redding market as an affiliate of the Spanish-language network Univision. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside ABC/Fox affiliate KRCR-TV (channel 7), KCVU (channel 20), and four other low-power stations: Antenna TV affiliate KXVU-LD (channel 17); MyNetworkTV affiliates KRVU-LD (channel 21) and KZVU-LD (channel 22), and UniMás affiliate KKTF-LD (channel 30). The stations share studios on Auditorium Drive east of downtown Redding and maintain a news bureau and sales office at the former Sainte Television Group facilities on Main Street in downtown Chico. KUCO-LD's transmitter is located along Cohasset Road northeast of Chico.

KEUV-LD (channel 35) in Eureka operates as a semi-satellite of KUCO-LD. As such, it simulcasts all Univision programming as provided through KUCO but airs separate local commercials and legal station identifications. Although KEUV-LD maintains its own studios (shared with KAEF-TV and KBVU) on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka, master control and some internal operations are based at KUCO's facilities.

History

KUCO-LP was founded by country-western singer Chester Smith's broadcast company Sainte Partners II, L.P. and first hit the air in 2002 to help bring Spanish-language television to the growing Spanish-speaking population in Northern California. It was the first Spanish-language station to air in the Chico/Redding market. It would soon be joined by Telemundo affiliate KXVU-LP and UniMás affiliate KKTF-LD, both also founded by Smith's company.

In 2014, six years after Smith's death, his company sold KUCO-LP and the remaining stations to Bonten Media Group, owners of ABC affiliate KRCR-TV in Redding.

In 2016, KUCO-LP conducted an unauthorized test of the Emergency Alert System. However, the message read that the activation was for an Emergency Action Notification.[3] It is unknown if any panic from residents followed.

On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations (including KUCO-LP) for $240 million.[4][5] The sale was completed September 1, 2017.[6]

The station changed its call sign to KUCO-LD on April 5, 2019, coincident with receiving its license for digital operations.

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KUCO-LD[7]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
27.1 1080i 16:9 KUCO-LD Univision
27.2 480i 4:3 Unimas UniMás (KKTF-LD)
27.3 16:9 TBD Roar
27.4 Rewind Rewind TV
  Simulcast of subchannels of another station

On October 13, 2021, KUCO-LD gained two additional subchannels: TBD (now Roar) moved over from KXVU-LD; and Rewind TV was added.

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KUCO-LD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for K19NH-D". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ Spanish EAN - YouTube (uploaded May 24, 2017)
  4. ^ "Sinclair Buying Bonten Stations For $240M". TVNewsCheck. April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  5. ^ "SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE BONTEN MEDIA GROUP TV STATIONS - Sinclair Broadcast Group". Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for KUCO". RabbitEars. Retrieved May 28, 2025.