KNMD-TV


KNMD-TV is a World-affiliated station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, licensed to Santa Fe. It is the sister station of KNME-TV.
KNMD broadcasts on digital channel 8 and displays as channel 9, its original channel position.
KNMD's main channel is also available statewide on Dish Network channel 9 and both digital channels are available on Comcast cable channels 204 and 205.

History

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 much pixelation and sound chops. KNMD is not licensed as a low powered 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. They were granted a permit to make the changes in October 2009 and in late August 2010 the upgrades were completed, greatly improving the station's signal.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
ChannelVideoAspectPSIP Short NameProgramming
9.11080iWorldMain KNMD programming / World
9.2480iCreateCreate

For most of the broadcast day, KNMD's main HD channel 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 primetime 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.