KCWT-CD (channel 21) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to McAllen, Texas, United States, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an affiliate of The CW Plus. The station also carries non-commercial PBS programming on its fourth subchannel. KCWT-CD is owned by Entravision Communications alongside Harlingen-licensed Fox affiliate KFXV, channel 60 (and translators KMBH-LD and KXFX-CD), McAllen-licensed Univision affiliate KNVO (channel 48), and Class A UniMás affiliate KTFV-CD (channel 32). The stations share studios on North Jackson Road in McAllen, while KCWT-CD's transmitter is located in La Feria, Texas.

KCWT-CD
Channels
BrandingRio Grande Valley's CW 21
PBS Rio Grande Valley (CD4)
Programming
Affiliations21.1: CW
21.3: Laff
21.4: PBS
Ownership
Owner
KNVO, KMBH-LD, KTFV-CD, KXFX-CD, KFXV
History
FoundedAugust 11, 1997
First air date
May 21, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-05-21)
Former call signs
K30FF (1997–2000)
KFTN-LP/CA (2000–2012)
KCWT-CA (2012–2014)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
30 (UHF, 1998–2014)
Spanish Independent (1998–2002)
Telefutura (via KXFX-CD and KTFV-CD, 2002–2011)
Call sign meaning
The CW Texas
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID40058
ERP5 kW
HAAT266.8 m (875 ft)
Transmitter coordinates26°8′28″N 97°50′4″W / 26.14111°N 97.83444°W / 26.14111; -97.83444
Translator(s)KMBH-LD 67.2 (20.2 UHF) McAllen
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.yourcwriograndevalley.com

Previously, KCWT was a low-power translator of KXFX-CA and KTFV-CA. Entravision has held the rights to The CW in the market since 2007 on several stations; previous to that, it aired on a cable-only affiliate, "KMHB" (later "Rio Grande Valley's CW").

History

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Until 2014, KCWT broadcast on analog channel 30. KCWT launched a digital feed on RF channel 23 that March;[2] however, the station maps to virtual channel 21, as nearby Mexican station XHAB-TDT in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, whose digital broadcasts use RF channel 30, also mapped to virtual channel 30 rather than its analog channel 7 (it now uses virtual channel 8). (Channel 23 is itself unavailable to KCWT as a virtual channel, as it is used in the Rio Grande Valley by KVEO-TV.[3]) Even before then, KCWT, as had previous CW affiliate KSFE-LD (channel 67, now Fox affiliate KMBH-LD), has long branded as "CW 21" in reflection of its channel 21 slot on area cable systems.

After sister station XHRIO-TDT (channel 15) ceased operations on December 31, 2021, KCWT became the sole CW affiliate in the Rio Grande Valley.

Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect Short name Programming[4]
21.1 1080i 16:9 KCWT-DT Rio Grande Valley CW 21
21.3 480i Laff Laff
21.4 1080i PBS PBS

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KCWT-CD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Application for Class A Television Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. March 3, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  3. ^ Hashemzadeh, Hossein (September 30, 2013). "Re: KCWT-CA, La Feria, TX…" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "Digital TV Market Listing for KCWT". RabbitEars.
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