KOTR-LD

KOTR-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Monterey, California, and serving viewers in the Monterey Bay region. The station operates on channel 7 and is owned by Mirage Media 2, LLC. Although it has a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV, its schedule is primarily that of an independent station rather than a conventional full-time network affiliate. The station developed from K02DC, a translator of Monterey's NBC affiliate KSBW. That translator was licensed to serve the Sycamore Flat area near Greenfield, California, and was acquired by Mirage Media from the Arroyo Seco Citizens Association. After the acquisition, Mirage Media sought Federal Communications Commission approval to relocate the transmitter so that the facility could better serve Gonzales and to substantially increase its effective radiated power, from 44 watts to 3,000 watts. K02DC went silent on May 23, 2006, while construction of the replacement facilities was pending. In June 2006, KOTR-LP was announced as a future MyNetworkTV affiliate for the Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market. The station first became available to local cable viewers on December 6, 2006, when it began operating as channel 11 on Monterey County's Comcast system. Its over-the-air service followed on April 9, 2007. The use of the low-power designation reflected the station's regulatory and technical status during this period; the station is now identified as KOTR-LD. KOTR-LD's facilities include studios on Garden Road, south of Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey. Its transmitter is located on Mount Toro, approximately 10 miles, or 16 kilometers, south of Salinas. This transmitter location supports coverage across the broader Monterey Bay television area while the station remains locally licensed to Monterey. The station formerly carried local news programming through a simulcast arrangement with San Francisco's KRON-TV. Until 2012, those broadcasts included weekday morning programming from 6 to 9 a.m., weekday early-evening and late-evening newscasts at 5, 6 and 11 p.m., and an 8 p.m. weekend newscast. Those news broadcasts were later replaced by paid programming. Available reference material does not identify a current in-house news operation or provide a detailed present-day subchannel lineup. In 2018, Mirage Media agreed to sell the KOTR-LP license in Santa Cruz to South Asian broadcaster Diya TV for $50,000. The related programming and intellectual property were to move to another station owned by Mirage Media. This transaction concerned the Santa Cruz-licensed facility and its associated assets, while KOTR-LD's Monterey operation remained associated with Mirage Media 2, LLC in the available station description.

KOTR-LD traces its regulatory and technical lineage to K02DC, a low-power translator of KSBW, the NBC affiliate serving the Monterey area. K02DC was licensed to serve Sycamore Flat near Greenfield, California, and was owned by the Arroyo Seco Citizens Association before its broadcast license was acquired by Mirage Media. Following the acquisition, Mirage Media sought to relocate the transmitter to improve service toward Gonzales and to increase effective radiated power from 44 watts to 3,000 watts. The original facility went silent on May 23, 2006, while the proposed replacement facilities were being built. During the same period, the station's future role in the local television market became clearer. On June 15, 2006, KOTR-LP was announced as a MyNetworkTV affiliate for the Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market. The affiliation gave the low-power station a network programming source while leaving room for a broader independent schedule. KOTR-LP entered local cable distribution on December 6, 2006, when it began appearing as channel 11 on Monterey County's Comcast system. The station subsequently launched its over-the-air service on April 9, 2007. Its facilities were associated with Monterey, while the transmitter was placed on Mount Toro, roughly 10 miles south of Salinas. The station's studios were located on Garden Road south of Monterey Regional Airport in Monterey. KOTR-LD's programming model has combined independent content with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation. The station also carried news programming through a simulcast arrangement with KRON-TV in San Francisco. Before 2012, viewers could receive KRON simulcasts on weekday mornings from 6 to 9 a.m., at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. on weekdays, and at 8 p.m. on weekends. The available station history indicates that paid programming later replaced those newscasts, and it does not establish a current locally produced news service. A related ownership development was reported in March 2018, when the KOTR-LP license in Santa Cruz was being sold to Diya TV, a South Asian broadcaster, for $50,000. The associated programming and intellectual property were expected to move to another Mirage Media station. The transaction is distinct from the current description of KOTR-LD as a Monterey-licensed operation owned by Mirage Media 2, LLC. KOTR-LD remains a market-specific broadcast outlet rather than a nationally distributed consumer brand. Its importance lies in providing a local low-power signal, independent programming and MyNetworkTV content to the Monterey Bay television market. Publicly available reference material does not provide a complete current subchannel listing, detailed staffing information or a full account of the station's present schedule.

• 2018

  Santa Cruz license sale reported

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The KOTR-LP license in Santa Cruz was reported as being sold to Diya TV, with related programming and intellectual property to move to another Mirage Media station.

• 2012

  KRON-TV news simulcasts replaced

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station's former simulcast news schedule from KRON-TV was replaced by paid programming after 2012.

• 2007

  Over-the-air launch

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  KOTR-LP began over-the-air operations on April 9.

• 2006

  Mirage Media acquires the K02DC license

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Mirage Media acquired the broadcast license of K02DC, a translator serving the Sycamore Flat area near Greenfield, from the Arroyo Seco Citizens Association.

• 2006

  Transmitter relocation and power increase proposed

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  Mirage Media applied to relocate the transmitter toward Gonzales and raise effective radiated power from 44 watts to 3,000 watts.

• 2006

  Station goes silent during facility construction

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station ceased broadcasting temporarily on May 23 while its new broadcast facilities were being constructed.

• 2006

  MyNetworkTV affiliation announced

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  KOTR-LP was announced as a MyNetworkTV affiliate for the Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market.

• 2006

  Cable launch on Comcast

  [1]KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org

  The station began operating as channel 11 on Monterey County's Comcast cable system.

A locally licensed low-power television outlet combining independent programming with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation for the Monterey Bay market.

• Broadcast television · 2007

  KOTR-LD over-the-air television service

  The station's core offering is a low-power digital television signal licensed to Monterey and transmitted from Mount Toro. It serves the Monterey Bay area, including the broader Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market. The available reference does not provide a complete current list of digital subchannels.

• Television programming

  Independent programming

  KOTR-LD is programmed primarily as an independent station. Its schedule has included non-network television content and, according to the station history, paid programming after the end of its regular KRON-TV news simulcasts.

• Network television affiliation · 2006

  MyNetworkTV affiliation

  The station maintains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. The affiliation was announced in 2006 for the Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market and supplements the station's primarily independent programming identity.

• 2018

  Sell the Santa Cruz-licensed KOTR-LP facilityM&A

  Background

  Mirage Media reorganized assets associated with the Santa Cruz-licensed KOTR-LP operation.

  Action taken

  The license was reported as being sold to Diya TV for $50,000, with programming and intellectual property planned for transfer to another Mirage Media station.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not describe further transaction details or indicate that the Monterey-licensed KOTR-LD operation ceased.

  Reported license sale price. $50,000 (2018 reported transaction)

  Source

• 2006

  Relocate the transmitter and increase signal powerStrategy

  Background

  After acquiring the K02DC license, Mirage Media sought to improve the facility's service area and technical reach.

  Action taken

  The company applied to move the transmitter toward Gonzales and raise effective radiated power from 44 watts to 3,000 watts.

  Aftermath

  The station went silent during construction and later launched its over-the-air service under the KOTR-LP identity.

  Source

• 2006

  Adopt a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliationProduct launch

  Background

  The Monterey–Salinas–Santa Cruz market was being assigned a MyNetworkTV outlet as the station developed its post-acquisition programming strategy.

  Action taken

  KOTR-LP was announced as a MyNetworkTV affiliate while retaining a primarily independent station format.

  Aftermath

  The affiliation became part of KOTR-LD's market positioning alongside independent and paid programming.

  Source

1. 1KOTR-LDen.wikipedia.org