KFPX-TV


KFPX-TV, virtual channel 39, is an Ion Television owned-and-operated station serving Des Moines, Iowa, United States that is licensed to Newton. The station is owned by West Palm Beach, Florida-based Ion Media Networks. KFPX-TV's offices are located on 114th Street in Urbandale, and its transmitter is located in Alleman, Iowa. On cable, the station is available on Mediacom channel 10 in standard definition and digital channel 810 in high definition.

Digital television

Analog-to-digital conversion

KFPX-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 39, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station "flash-cut" its digital signal into operation UHF channel 39.

Former transmitter site

KFPX previously maintained transmitter facilities in Baxter, Iowa. Due to its short tower height, the station's broadcasting radius was largely confined to the immediate Des Moines area, although some southern and western suburbs may have had difficulty picking up the station's signal. Therefore, KFPX relied on cable and satellite carriage to reach the entire market. With the move to Alleman, KFPX now provides over-the-air coverage comparable to the market's other stations.

Newscasts

For a short time in 2001, KFPX ran a prime-time newscast produced by NBC affiliate WHO-TV to compete with Fox affiliate KDSM-TV 's Fox News at Nine. After that newscast was cancelled, KFPX reran WHO-TV's 10:00 p.m. newscasts on a 30-minute delay until early 2005.