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KCSO-LD (channel 33) is a low-power television station in Sacramento, California, United States, airing programming from the Spanish-language Telemundo network. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group, KCSO-LD maintains studios on Media Place in the Woodlake neighborhood of Sacramento, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove, California.

Due to its low-power status, KCSO's programming is simulcast in widescreen standard definition on The CW owned-and-operated station KMAX-TV digital channel 31.6 (displayed as channel 33.2) to reach the entire market. KCSO-LD operates translator stations KMUM-CD and KMMW-LD in Sacramento and Stockton, and also relies on cable and satellite to reach the entire market.

On cable, KCSO-LD is available locally on Comcast Xfinity channels 25 and 714 in HD, AT&T U-verse channels 25 and 1025 in HD, Consolidated Communications channel 25, Spectrum channels 22 and 790 in HD and Wave Broadband channels 610 and 704 in HD in Placer County and channels 15 and 715 in HD in Yolo County. The station is also available on satellite television providers Dish Network and DirecTV channel 33 throughout the Sacramento market.

The 33.1 signal is rebroadcast in widescreen standard definition on full-power KMAX-TV to provide a Telemundo signal to the entire market, using virtual channel 33.2.

History[]

The station was founded by country-western performer Chester Smith and his company Sainte Partners II, L.P. and first signed on the air in 1999. It was the last station to be owned by his company. On August 8, 2008, Chester Smith died of heart failure at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. The station continued operating under the Sainte banner until it was sold to Serestar Communications Group in 2013. Sainte folded shortly thereafter.

In 2014, KCSO began simulcasting in widescreen standard definition on Ion owned-and-operated station KSPX-TV digital channel 29.7 (displayed as channel 33.2) to reach the entire market due to KCSO's low-power status. The simulcast was discontinued in October 2021.

In 2017, KCSO's transmitter was moved from Angels Camp to Walnut Grove, California.

Sale to NBCUniversal[]

Serestar agreed to sell KCSO-LD, KMUM-CD, and KMMW-LD to NBCUniversal on November 28, 2018, as part of a $21 million deal. The sale was completed on March 5, 2019. As a result, KCSO-LD becomes the sixth television station in the Sacramento market (excluding translator stations) to be owned-and-operated by its affiliated network.

News operation[]

KCSO launched a local news department (with newscasts branded as Noticiero 33) following its sign-on. The half-hour local evening news program was broadcast every Monday through Friday at 6:00 p.m. However, it had low ratings and was canceled after five years.

Later, news briefs were aired online (branded as Telemundo 33 Al Día). In late 2014, it started airing morning news briefs called Noticias 33 Por la mañana, which aired at :25s and :55s from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. during Telemundo's Un Nuevo Dia morning news program.

On November 6, 2016, KCSO re-launched a weekday half-hour long newscast at 6:00 p.m. (initially branding as Noticiero Telemundo 33, later as Noticias Telemundo Sacramento, now as Noticias Telemundo California after the purchase by NBCUniversal), 11 years after its initial newscast was cancelled. It directly competes with Univision owned-and-operated KUVS's long-established (and for several years, the Sacramento area's only) Spanish-language newscast.

In 2017, a weeknight 11:00 p.m. newscast (branded as Noticias Telemundo California) was launched, further competing with KUVS. Noticias Telemundo California is simulcast on Fresno sister station KNSO.

On March 18, 2020, one year after the purchase by NBCUniversal, the station launched 5 and 5:30 newscasts, and began simulcasting all of their newscasts on KNSO. The station does not air any local newscasts on the weekends.

Technical information[]

Subchannels[]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KCSO-LD
Virtual Channel Physical RF Channel Video Aspect Short Name Programming
33.1 03.3 1080i 16:9 KCSO-LD Main KCSO-LD programming / Telemundo
33.3 03.4 480i 4:3 TeleX TeleXitos
33.4 03.5 16:9 TheGrio TheGrio
33.5 03.6 NBCLX LX
33.6 03.7 Oxygen (soon)

On September 3, 2012, MeTV was moved to KCRA 3.2 (replacing the MoreTV format); 33.3 became silent afterward. 33.3 was re-launched on January 21, 2017, broadcasting TeleXitos.

In 2018, KCSO affiliated with Light TV on newly launched subchannel 33.4. TheGrio replaced Light TV after the channel shut down in January 2021.

On April 2022, KCSO began simulcasting in widescreen standard definition on The CW owned-and-operated station KMAX-TV digital channel 31.6 (displayed as channel 33.2) to reach the entire market due to KCSO's low-power status.

The KCSO-LD feed on the KMAX-TV multiplex uses channel 33.2.

Former Subchannels[]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Former Subchannels of KCSO-LD
Virtual Channel Physical RF Channel Video Aspect Short Name Programming
33.1 03.3 1080i 16:9 KCSO-LD Main KCSO-LD programming / Telemundo
33.3 03.4 480i 4:3 TeleX TeleXitos
33.4 03.5 16:9 TheGrio TheGrio
33.5 03.6 NBCLX LX

Translators[]

City of license Callsign Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates
Sacramento KMUM-CD 19 15 kW 104 m (341 ft) 18736 38°42′28.1″N 121°28′36.3″W
Stockton KMMW-LD 14 5.9 kW 582 m (1,909 ft) 1874 38°7′9.7″N 120°43′30.9″W


TV stations in California
Azteca América UniMás Telemundo Univision Other stations
KMSG-LD2, Fresno KBTF-CD/KTFB-CA, Bakersfield KKEY-LP, Bakersfield KVER-CD, Indio KVMM-CD, Santa Barbara KVMD, Twentynine Palms KCBT-LD, Bakersfield KZMM-CD, Fresno
KVYE-DT2, El Centro KEVC-CD, Indio KUNA-LD, Indio KVYE, El Centro KSDX-LD, San Diego KWHY, Los Angeles
XHAS-TDT, Tijuana/San Diego KKTF-LD, Chico KMUV-LD, Monterey KDTV-DT/KDTV-CD, San Francisco/Santa Rosa KGMC, Merced
KRHT-LD, Redding KDJT-CD, Monterey KNVN-DT2, Chico KBNT-CD, San Diego KQCA-DT3, Stockton
KSBO-CD, San Luis Obispo KTSB-CD, Santa Maria KCSO-LD/KMUM-CD/KMMW-LD, Sacramento/Stockton KUVS-DT/KEZT-CD, Modesto/Sacramento KRCA, Riverside
KBBV-CD, Bakersfield KFTR-DT, Ontario KTAS, San Luis Obispo KFTV-DT, Hanford
KMCE-LD, Monterey KDTF-LD, San Diego KSTS, San Jose KUCO-LD, Chico
KSAO-LD, Sacramento KAJB, Calipatria KUAN-LD, Poway KEUV-LD, Eureka
KEMO, San Francisco KTFF-DT/KTFF-LD, Porterville/Fresno KNSO, Clovis KMEX-DT, Los Angeles
KWHY-DT2, Los Angeles KTFK-DT, Stockton KVEA, Corona KPMR, Santa Barbara
KFSF-DT, Vallejo KABE-CD, Bakersfield
KSMS, Monterey
TV stations in Northern California, including Sacramento, Stockton, and Modesto
KCRA 3 (NBC) |

KVIE 6 (PBS) | KBTV-CD 8 (Ind) | KXTV 10 (ABC) | KOVR 13 (CBS) | KUVS-DT 19 (UNI) | K20JX-D 20 (3ABN) | KEZT-CD 23 (UNI) | KBSV 23 (Ind) | K20JX-D 27 (3ABN) | KSPX-TV 29 (Ion) | KMAX 31 (CW) | KSTV-LP 32 (JTV) | KFKK-LD 32 (DrTV) | KCSO-LD/KMUM-CD/KMMW-LD 33 (TLM) | KACA-LD 34 (Daystar) | K04QR-D 38 (Info) | KTXL 40 (Fox) | KAHC-LD 43 (Stadium) | KRJR-LP 44 (Daystar) | KFMS-LD 47 (Info) | KSAO-LD 49 (AZA) | KMSX-LD 51 (IBN) | KQCA 58 (MNTV) | KTFK-DT 64 (UMas)
Defunct Stations:
KAZV-LP 14 (A1)|KCCC/KVUE 40 (Ind)|KMMK-LP 47 (Tr3́s)


Adjacent locals
Fresno:
KAIL 7 (TCT) | KMPH-CD 17 (Fox)| KFTV-DT 21 (Uni) | KSEE 24 (Fox) | KFSN 30 (ABC) | KGMC 43 (Estrela) | KNSO 51 (TLM) | KFRE 59 (CW)
San Francisco:
KTVU 2 (Fox) | KRON 4 (MNTV) | KGO 7 (ABC) |KNTV 11 (NBC) |KSTS 48 (TMD)
Chico:
KHSL 12 (CBS) | KCVU 20 (FOX) | KNVN 24 (NBC) | KUCO-LD 27 (Uni)

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