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KKEY-LP, virtual and VHF digital channel 13, is a low-powered Telemundo affiliated television station licensed to Bakersfield, California, United States. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it is a sister station to NBC affiliate KGET-TV (channel 17). The two stations share studios on L Street in downtown Bakersfield; KKEY-LP's transmitter is located atop Mount Adelaide. There is no separate website for KKEY-LP; instead, it is integrated with that of sister station KGET-TV.

In addition to its own digital signal, KKEY-LP is simulcast in standard definition on KGET-TV's third digital subchannel (virtual channel 17.3, UHF channel 25.3) from the same transmitter site.

History[]

The station was formerly known as K14IK and carried a low-powered signal on UHF channel 14. In 2003, it moved to VHF channel 11 and was renamed KKEY-LP and became a Telemundo affiliate that same year. Previously, Telemundo programming was piped through KVEA on cable providers. On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a broadcasting holding company established by the private equity firm Providence Equity Partners. This deal closed on March 14, 2008. However, due to Providence Equity Partners' partial ownership stake in rival Spanish-language network Univision, the owner of MyNetworkTV affiliate KUVI-TV (channel 45), KKEY-LP was sold along with KGET-TV and five other stations (CBS affiliate KGPE in Fresno, KTVX and KUCW in Salt Lake City, WOAI-TV in San Antonio, and WTEV-TV in Jacksonville) to High Plains Broadcasting. However, due to KKEY-LP's low-power status, it was excluded along with KTVX from the deal, which was finalized on September 15, 2008. Newport Television continued to operate KGET through a shared services agreement.

Newport agreed to sell KKEY-LP and KGET-TV, as well as KGPE in Fresno, to Nexstar Broadcasting Group on November 5, 2012. The sale was completed on February 19, 2013.

On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced it would acquire the assets of Chicago-based Tribune Media for $6.4 billion in cash and debt. The deal—which would make Nexstar the largest television station operator by total number of stations upon its expected closure late in the third quarter of 2019—would result in KKEY-LP and KGET-TV gaining additional sister stations in nearby markets including Los Angeles (CW affiliate KTLA) and San Diego (Fox affiliate KSWB-TV). The sale was approved by the FCC on September 16 and was completed on September 19, 2019.

Technical information[]

Subchannel[]

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

Subchannel of KKEY-LP
Virtual Channel Physical RF Channel Video Aspect Short Name Programming
13.1 13.3 1080i 16:9 KKEY-LP Main KKEY-LP programming / Telemundo

Former Subchannel[]

The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:

Former Subchannel of KKEY-LP
Virtual Channel Physical RF Channel Video Aspect Short Name Programming
13.1 13.3 480i 4:3 TELM Main KKEY-LP programming / Telemundo

Analog-to-digital conversion[]

The analog signal went off the air on July 31, 2009, and for a year KKEY only existed as a subchannel of KGET and was even rebranded "Telemundo 17.3". On July 23, 2010, the analog signal on channel 11 came back on the air—just nine days before the station's analog license was to be cancelled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In April 2014, the analog signal on channel 11 went off the air and a high definition digital signal went on the air on channel 13.

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
Television stations in the greater Bakersfield area (Southern Kern River Region)
Full-power stations: Low-power digital stations:
KGET-TV 17 (NBC) KTLD-CD 8 (3ABN)
KERO-TV 23 (ABC) KJOU-LD 12 (Silent)
KBAK-TV 29 (CBS) KKEY-LP 13 (TLM)
KUVI-DT 45 (Twist) KXBF-LD 14 (SBN)
K18HD-D 18 (PBS)
KBBV-CD 19 (Azteca)
KZKC-LD 28 (ABC)
KBTF-CD 31 (UMas)
KCBT-LD 34 (Estrell)
KBFK-LP 34.2 (Movies!)
KABE-CD 39 (UNI)
KDBK-LD 41 (JTV)
KPMC-LD 43 (HSN)
KEBK-LD 47 (RDI)
KNXT-LD 53 (MNTV)
KBFX-CD 58 (Fox)
Defunct stations
K21FP (TBN - ceased in 2012) (as a Translator of KTBN-TV)
KJBC (RDI/Home Shopping)
KERN/KRNT (Ind)
"KWFB" Bakersfield's WB 12 (WB) (cable only)
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