KAKM

KAKM (channel 7) is a PBS member television station in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. Owned by Alaska Public Media, it is sister to NPR member KSKA (91.1 FM). The two stations share studios at the Elmo Sackett Broadcast Center on the campus of Alaska Pacific University; KAKM's transmitter is located near Knik, Alaska.

KAKM

Anchorage, Alaska United States
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 7
Branding	Alaska Public Media
Programming
Affiliations	7.1: PBS for others, see § KAKM subchannels
Ownership
Owner	Alaska Public Media (Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.)
Sister stations	KTVA, KSKA
History
First air date	May 7, 1975 (50 years ago) (1975-05-07)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 7 (VHF, 1975–2009)
Call sign meaning	Anchorage, Kenai, Matanuska
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	804
ERP	50 kW
HAAT	240 m (787 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	61°25′19.8″N 149°52′27.8″W
Translator(s)	see § KAKM translators
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	www.alaskapublic.org

KTOO-TV

Satellite of KAKM
Juneau, Alaska
Channels	Digital: 10 (VHF) Virtual: 3
Programming
Affiliations	3.1: PBS for others, see § KTOO-TV subchannels
Ownership
Owner	Capital Community Broadcasting, Inc.
Operator	Alaska Public Media
Sister stations	KTOO, KNLL, KRNN
History
First air date	October 1, 1978 (46 years ago) (1978-10-01)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 3 (VHF, 1978–2009)
Call sign meaning	The word "Too"
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	8651
ERP	1 kW
HAAT	−363.7 m (−1,193 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	58°18′4.8″N 134°25′13.6″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	ktoo.org

KYUK-LD

Translator of KAKM
Bethel, Alaska
Channels	Digital: 15 (UHF) Virtual: 15
Branding	KYUK-TV 15
Programming
Affiliations	15.1: PBS 15.2: ARCS 15.3: 360 North
Ownership
Owner	Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated
Operator	Alaska Public Media
Sister stations	KYUK-FM
History
First air date	September 18, 1981 (43 years ago) (1981-09-18)
Former call signs	K02KU (1981–1985) K15AV (1985–2012) K15AV-D (2012)
Call sign meaning	Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	62614
Class	LD
ERP	100 W
HAAT	46.51 m (153 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	60°47′30.3″N 161°46′30.3″W
Links
Public license information	LMS
Website	kyuk.org

KAKM was the only PBS station in Alaska that was not part of AlaskaOne during its existence. The call letters were chosen to represent the three major geographic areas served by the station: Anchorage, Kenai, and Matanuska.

KAKM operates a full-time satellite station, KTOO-TV (channel 3), licensed to the capital city of Juneau. This station is owned by Capital Community Broadcasting as a sister to non-commercial FM radio stations KTOO, KNLL, and KRNN, but is operated by Alaska Public Media. KTOO's transmitter is located in downtown Juneau. KTOO was formerly part of AlaskaOne, until its dissolution in 2012.

KAKM is also relayed on low-power station KYUK-LD (channel 15) in Bethel, owned by Bethel Broadcasting, Incorporated as sister to radio stations KYUK (AM) and KYUK-FM.

History

KAKM first started regular transmissions on May 7, 1975, at 7:07 p.m. Previously, PBS programming had been offered to Anchorage stations on a per-program basis: for example, Sesame Street was carried on KTVA (channel 11), Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on KIMO (channel 13, now KYUR) and The Electric Company on KENI-TV (channel 2, now KTUU-TV).

KAKM became the flagship station of Alaska Public Television, the successor to AlaskaOne, replacing KUAC-TV in Fairbanks, on July 1, 2012 (which became a standalone station again).^[4] As a result, KTOO-TV became a full-time satellite of KAKM. KYUK-LD also rebroadcasts KAKM, but it carries the Alaska Rural Communications Service on its second digital subchannel in place of Create.

Station presentation

• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in blue
• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, in mauve
• 
  KAKM's former "Line 7" logo, with sister station KSKA

Technical information

The stations' signals are multiplexed:

KAKM subchannels

Subchannels of KAKM^[5] and KTVA^[6]

Channel		Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
KAKM	KTVA
7.1	11.1	1080i	16:9	KAKM-HD	PBS
7.2	11.2	480i		Create	Create
7.3	11.3			KTOO360	360 North
7.4	11.4	1080i		24_7HD	PBS Kids

KTOO-TV subchannels

Subchannels of KTOO-TV^[7]

Channel	Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
3.1	1080i	16:9	AK PBS	PBS
3.2	480i		Create	Create
3.3			360Nort	360 North

KYUK-LD subchannels

Subchannels of KYUK-LD^[8]

Channel	Res.	Aspect	Short name	Programming
15.1	480i	4:3	AK PBS	PBS
15.2			ARCS	Alaska Rural Communications Service
15.3			360Nort	360North

360 North provides statewide coverage of Alaska public affairs, documentaries, historical programs, and Native topics. Originating at KTOO-TV, 360 North replaced Gavel to Gavel Alaska, which televised the Alaska Legislature.^[9]

Analog-to-digital conversion

KAKM and KTOO shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate:^[10]

• KAKM shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8, using virtual channel 7.
• KTOO shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10, using virtual channel 3.

Translators

KAKM and KTOO extend their over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.

KAKM translators

• Girdwood: K05FW-D
• Homer: K07PF-D
• Kasilof: K25PI-D
• Kenai: K12LA-D
• Ninilchik: K21AM-D
• Sitka: K09AAD-D