KNMD-TV

KNMD-TV (channel 5) is an ATSC 3.0 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station serving Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States that is licensed to the capital city of Santa Fe. Owned by the University of New Mexico, it is a sister station to Albuquerque-licensed KNME-TV (channel 5). The two stations share studios on UNM's North Campus on University Boulevard Northeast in Albuquerque; KNMD-TV's transmitter is located atop Sandia Crest.

KNMD-TV

ATSC 3.0 station
Santa Fe–Albuquerque, New Mexico United States
City	Santa Fe, New Mexico
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 5
Programming
Affiliations	see KNME-TV infobox
Ownership
Owner	University of New Mexico (The Regents of the University of New Mexico)
Sister stations	KNME-TV
History
First air date	2004; 21 years ago (2004)
Former channel number(s)	Digital: 9 (VHF, 2004–2010) Virtual: 9 (2004–2021)
Former affiliations	PBS (2004–2009) World Channel (2009–2021)
Call sign meaning	New Mexico Digital
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	84215
ERP	16.6 kW
HAAT	1,274 m (4,180 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	35°12′44.1″N 106°26′59″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	www.newmexicopbs.org

History

KNMD logo from 2009 to 2013

KNMD began broadcasting in late 2004 at 200 watts on VHF channel 9. It was launched as an exclusively digital television station and is the first and only station in the Albuquerque market to have never broadcast in analog.

Signal issues

Broadcasting at only 200 watts, KNMD's signal was sometimes hard to pick up in many areas without pixelation and choppy sound. KNMD was not licensed as a low-power TV station but originally used low power because of interference issues with KCHF which broadcasts its digital signal on channel 10 from a site near Los Alamos, New Mexico. KNMD filed an application with the FCC in 2009 to move transmission frequency to channel 8 and increase power to 5.14 kW in order to improve its signal quality and range.^[2] They were granted a permit to make the changes in October 2009. In late August 2010, the upgrades were completed, greatly improving the station's signal.

ATSC 3.0 conversion

KNMD-TV converted to ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV) on June 30, 2021. In preparation for this change, on February 15, World Channel began airing on KNME-TV channel 5.4, and Create debuted on 5.5. KNMD-TV simulcasts the entire KNME multiplex in ATSC 3.0 format.^[3] Prior to the conversion, KNMD received a construction permit to increase power from 5.14 kW to 16.6 kW.^[4]

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KNMD-TV^[5]

Channel	Video	Aspect	Short name	Programming
5.1	1080p	16:9	KNME HD	ATSC 3.0 simulcast of KNME-TV / PBS
5.2	480p		Kids HD	ATSC 3.0 simulcast of KNME-DT2 / PBS Kids
5.3			FNX HD	ATSC 3.0 simulcast of KNME-DT3 / FNX
5.4	1080p		KNMD HD	ATSC 3.0 simulcast of KNME-DT4 / World Channel
5.5	480p		Create	ATSC 3.0 simulcast of KNME-DT5 / Create

In the new ATSC 3.0 signal, KNMD's main HD channel is on 5.4 and runs programming from the "World" public television network which airs mostly news and documentaries. Some hours are programmed locally with re-airings of recent PBS prime time shows. Locally produced programs such as New Mexico In Focus are also shown on KNMD.

KNMD had previously aired the PBS Satellite Service on channel 9.1 but on January 28, 2009, had moved PBS World from 9.2 to 9.1 and launched the how-to programming channel Create on 9.2.