KBLR

KBLR is a full-power Spanish-language television station serving the Las Vegas, Nevada, metropolitan area. Licensed to Paradise, the station broadcasts on channel 39 and operates as a Telemundo network station within NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group. Its facilities include studios on Polaris Avenue in Las Vegas and a transmitter on Black Mountain near Henderson. KBLR is notable in the market because it became Las Vegas's first full-power Spanish-language television station and remains the only network-owned-and-operated station in the Las Vegas media market following its acquisition by NBC in 2005. The station was established in 1988 by Glenn Rose, a Southern California entrepreneur whose earlier business success as a Nutrisystem franchisee provided the capital for the venture. During its initial years, KBLR functioned as a struggling independent station. Its schedule relied heavily on public-domain films and television programs, professional wrestling, and other programming that competing Las Vegas stations did not carry. The station faced strong competition from several established independent outlets, including KVVU-TV, and did not develop a clear market position. A proposed sale to The Gaming Network collapsed in December 1990. KBLR subsequently carried programming from Channel America, a service used primarily by low-power stations, but its schedule was reduced to contractual minimums and largely Christian programming. The station ceased broadcasting on July 12, 1991. A later attempt to relaunch KBLR as a western-oriented superstation also failed. Source Venture Capital proposed combining programming from Willie Nelson's Outlaw Channel with acquired British series, but repeated delays pushed back the planned October 1991 launch. The proposal was ultimately abandoned after Rose's investors declined to support the arrangement. In 1993, Rose sold KBLR to Summit Media, a partnership led by Scott Gentry. Summit repositioned the station as a Spanish-language outlet and secured a Telemundo affiliation. KBLR resumed broadcasting on March 1, 1994, filling a gap in a market where Spanish-language television had previously been represented mainly by the low-power Univision outlet K27AF. KBLR initially developed local news programming, including evening and late-night broadcasts and later weekend coverage. In 1994, it also aired a Spanish-dubbed repeat of KLAS-TV's 5 p.m. newscast. NBCUniversal budget reductions moved Telemundo newscast production to a Dallas hub in 2007. When many Telemundo stations restored local news production in 2010, KBLR continued to use an external operation, first through KTAZ in Phoenix, with Las Vegas reporters and Phoenix-based anchor resources. The station later rebuilt its own local news operation. On June 30, 2014, it introduced locally produced 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, supported by more than a dozen new employees and technical resources from NBC affiliate KSNV. NBC acquired KBLR from Summit Media for $32.1 million in a transaction announced in February 2005 and completed on May 24 of that year. The change placed KBLR within NBCUniversal's Telemundo station portfolio and gave it network-owned-and-operated status. In 2009, KBLR moved its studios to Neonopolis on Fremont Street, with the new facility beginning operations on February 22. The station later relocated its studios to Polaris Avenue in Las Vegas sometime in the late 2010s. KBLR also previously operated a Reno-area repeater, K52FF, which later went dark and had its license canceled. KBLR completed the United States full-power analog television shutdown on June 12, 2009. Its digital signal initially remained on pre-transition UHF channel 40 before moving to channel 20 under the 2018 television repack. Today, KBLR's principal role is to distribute Telemundo's Spanish-language entertainment, news, sports, and other network programming while providing locally relevant news and information for Southern Nevada's Hispanic audience.

KBLR was founded in 1988 by Glenn Rose and initially operated as an independent television station in the Las Vegas market. Rose, who had built wealth as a Nutrisystem franchisee in Southern California, created the station as a new local broadcasting venture. Its original programming strategy was broad but weakly differentiated: public-domain movies and television shows, professional wrestling, and programs that other Las Vegas stations had declined to carry. Competition from other independent stations, including Fox affiliate KVVU-TV, made it difficult for KBLR to establish a sustainable audience. A proposed sale to The Gaming Network failed in December 1990. KBLR then added Channel America programming, but by February 1991 it had sharply reduced its schedule, carrying only the minimum programming required under its Channel America arrangement along with a largely Christian schedule. The station went off the air on July 12, 1991. Source Venture Capital later proposed relaunching KBLR as a western superstation featuring Willie Nelson's Outlaw Channel and imported British programs. The project was repeatedly postponed and was eventually abandoned when Rose's investors did not approve the plan. In 1993, Rose sold KBLR to Summit Media, a partnership headed by Scott Gentry. Summit changed the station's strategic direction, converting it into a Spanish-language service and affiliating it with Telemundo. KBLR returned to the air on March 1, 1994, becoming the first full-power Spanish-language television station in Las Vegas. Before that change, Spanish-language programming in the area had primarily been available through the low-power Univision outlet K27AF. KBLR built a local news presence after its relaunch. It initially offered local evening and late-night newscasts and later added weekend news. In 1994, the station also broadcast a Spanish-dubbed repeat of a KLAS-TV newscast. A 2007 NBCUniversal cost-reduction program shifted Telemundo newscast production to a centralized Dallas operation. In late 2010, many Telemundo stations returned to local production, but KBLR continued using an external model, with KTAZ in Phoenix producing the broadcasts and employing Las Vegas-area reporting resources. The 6 p.m. newscast was live, while the 11 p.m. program was recorded in advance. NBC acquired KBLR from Summit Media for $32.1 million in 2005. The deal was announced on February 23 and closed on May 24, making KBLR part of NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group. It became the only network-owned-and-operated station in the Las Vegas media market. The station announced a move to Neonopolis in 2008 and began broadcasting from those studios on February 22, 2009. In the late 2010s, its studio operations moved again, this time to Polaris Avenue in Las Vegas. KBLR expanded its local news capabilities on June 30, 2014, when it launched locally produced 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. The operation hired more than a dozen employees, including anchor Beatriz Moncayo and weather presenter Leticia Castro, and used technical resources from KSNV. The station also historically operated Reno-area repeater K52FF, although that facility later ceased operation and its license was canceled. As part of the United States digital television transition, KBLR ended analog broadcasting on UHF channel 39 on June 12, 2009. Its digital signal continued on pre-transition UHF channel 40 until August 22, 2018, when it moved to channel 20. KBLR currently serves Southern Nevada as a Telemundo station, distributing Spanish-language network content alongside local news and market-specific broadcast services.

• 2018

  Digital signal moves to channel 20

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  The station moves its digital transmission from channel 40 to channel 20 during the United States spectrum repack.

• 2014

  Local news production is restored

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  KBLR launches locally produced 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on June 30.

• 2009

  Digital transition and studio relocation

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  KBLR ends analog broadcasting under the national digital transition and begins operations from new studios at Neonopolis.

• 2005

  NBC completes acquisition

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  NBC completes its $32.1 million purchase of KBLR from Summit Media on May 24.

• 1994

  KBLR returns as a Telemundo station

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  KBLR resumes broadcasting on March 1 as Las Vegas's first full-power Spanish-language television station.

• 1993

  Summit Media acquires KBLR

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  Summit Media purchases the station and prepares it for conversion to a full-power Spanish-language Telemundo affiliate.

• 1991

  Station goes dark

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  After programming and ownership difficulties, KBLR stops broadcasting on July 12.

• 1988

  KBLR is founded

  [1]KBLRen.wikipedia.org

  Glenn Rose establishes KBLR as a new television station serving the Las Vegas market.

A locally focused Spanish-language television station combining Telemundo network content with Las Vegas and Southern Nevada news, information, and advertising services.

• Spanish-language network television · 1994

  Telemundo Las Vegas broadcast service

  KBLR distributes Telemundo's Spanish-language network schedule across the Las Vegas market. The service encompasses network entertainment, news, sports, specials, and other programming delivered through the station's digital over-the-air signal and associated local distribution arrangements.

• Local television news · 1994

  KBLR local news

  KBLR's local news offering reports on Las Vegas and Southern Nevada, with programming designed for Spanish-speaking viewers. The station has used several production models over time, including centralized Telemundo production, Phoenix-based production supported by Las Vegas reporters, and locally produced evening newscasts.

• Broadcast distribution · 2009

  KBLR digital television signal

  KBLR operates a full-power digital television service associated with channel 39. Its digital transmission used pre-transition UHF channel 40 before moving to UHF channel 20 in 2018 as part of the nationwide television spectrum repack.

• 2018

  Change digital transmission channelGeneration change

  Background

  Federal spectrum-reallocation requirements required many United States television stations to change digital transmission channels.

  Action taken

  KBLR moved its digital signal from pre-transition UHF channel 40 to UHF channel 20 on August 22.

  Aftermath

  The station continued digital over-the-air service after the spectrum repack.

  Source

• 2014

  Launch locally produced evening newscastsProduct launch

  Background

  KBLR had previously used centralized and Phoenix-based production models for its local news output.

  Action taken

  On June 30, KBLR launched locally produced 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, hiring more than a dozen staff members and using KSNV's technical resources.

  Aftermath

  The decision expanded KBLR's local news capacity and increased its direct production presence in Las Vegas.

  Source

• 2007

  Move Telemundo newscast production to a centralized hubStrategy

  Background

  NBCUniversal implemented budget reductions affecting Telemundo newscast production.

  Action taken

  Production of KBLR's newscasts was shifted to a centralized Dallas operation.

  Aftermath

  KBLR continued serving the Las Vegas market but relied on centralized production rather than a fully local newsroom.

  Source

• 2005

  NBC acquires KBLRM&A

  Background

  KBLR was operating as a Telemundo affiliate under Summit Media ownership.

  Action taken

  NBC agreed to buy KBLR for $32.1 million and completed the transaction on May 24, placing the station within NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group.

  Aftermath

  KBLR became a network-owned-and-operated station and the only such station in the Las Vegas media market.

  Acquisition price. $32.1 million (2005 acquisition)

  Source

• 1993

  Convert KBLR to a Spanish-language Telemundo stationStrategy

  Background

  Summit Media acquired KBLR after earlier attempts to operate it as an independent station had failed. The Las Vegas market had Spanish-language television but no full-power Spanish-language station.

  Action taken

  Summit Media repositioned KBLR, affiliated it with Telemundo, and returned it to the air on March 1, 1994.

  Aftermath

  KBLR became the first full-power Spanish-language television station in Las Vegas and established the core identity it retains today.

  Source

1. 1KBLRen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Telemundo Las Vegastelemundolasvegas.com