KCHF (channel 11) is a religious independent television station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States, serving the Albuquerque area and most of the state. It is owned by the estate of Belarmino "Blackie" Gonzalez[3] and his non-profit ministry, Son Broadcasting. KCHF's studios are located on 4th Street in northwestern Albuquerque, and its transmitter is located on Sandia Crest.

KCHF
CitySanta Fe, New Mexico
Channels
BrandingKCHF TV 11
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
  • Belarmino Gonzalez
  • (Son Broadcasting, Inc.)
KNMQ-LD
History
First air date
January 21, 1984 (40 years ago) (1984-01-21)
Former channel number(s)
Analog: 11 (VHF, 1984–2009)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID60793
ERP22 kW[2]
HAAT1,252 m (4,108 ft)[2]
Transmitter coordinates35°12′53.51″N 106°27′3.94″W / 35.2148639°N 106.4510944°W / 35.2148639; -106.4510944[2]
Translator(s)see § Translators
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.sonbroadcasting.org

KCHF's main channel is relayed on the fifth digital subchannel of KYNM-LD (channel 21.5) in Albuquerque to provide improved reception in areas of the city where the main signal is hard to receive, and on translators K24ML-D (channel 24) in Taos, New Mexico, and K29ME-D (channel 29) in Antonito, Colorado.

History

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The original construction permit for KCHF was granted on January 19, 1983. The station signed on in January 1984 and was granted a license to cover on June 29, 1984, from a transmitter near Los Alamos, New Mexico. It claims to be the first VHF Christian television station in the United States. During the analog era, KCHF was one of a few Christian television stations in the United States to operate on the VHF band (KJNP-TV in Fairbanks, Alaska, is another example).

KCHF's digital transmitter was licensed on January 26, 2006. The transmitter was relocated to Sandia Crest in December 2024.[4]

Programming

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Some of the programs produced by KCHF include Restoring God's People, Healing is for You, A Healthier You and God Answers Prayer.

God Answers Prayer is a weekday, studio-based talk show with a live call-in segment. A "best of" show, with highlights of the past week, is seen on Sundays.

As part of its compliance with the federal Children's Television Act, KCHF broadcasts over eight hours of E/I-compliant children's programming each week, mostly aimed at children under 10, including a five-hour block on Saturday mornings.

Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KCHF[5]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
11.1 720p 16:9 KCHF-TV Main KCHF programming
11.2 480i QVC QVC
11.3 QVC-2 QVC2
11.4 4:3 Buzzr Buzzr
11.6 16:9 RAV Real America's Voice
11.7 4:3 Retro Retro TV
11.8 NMax2 Newsmax 2
20.2 ShopTV Infomercials

KCHF carried the country music channel Heartland on channel 11.3 beginning June 30, 2014.[6] In early June 2016, Heartland was dropped for QVC with Antenna TV moving from 11.4 to 11.2 and WeatherNation moving from 11.2 to 11.6.

Translators

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Analog-to-digital conversion

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KCHF shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 11, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10,[7] using virtual channel 11.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KCHF". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b c "Modification of a Licensed Facility for DTV Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  3. ^ "Christian TV Pioneer, 'Blackie' Gonzalez, Passes Away - Christian Newswire" (Press release).
  4. ^ "License To Cover for DTV Application". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KCHF". RabbitEars.info. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "Luken Welcomes KCHF As Heartland Affiliate In Albuquerque–Santa Fe". Luken Communications.
  7. ^ "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.
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