KTMW's programming is relayed on three low-power digital translators: Class A stations KULX-CD (UHF channel 14) in Ogden and KEJT-CD (UHF channel 21) in Salt Lake City, and KULU-LD (UHF channel 16) in Park City.
History
The channel 20 allocation in Salt Lake City was originally occupied by KSTU (an independent station at the time, now a Fox affiliate) from 1978 to 1987. As part of a deal that was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the KSTU intellectual unit moved to channel 13 in 1987 and currently operates under a separate license. The old channel 20 license was deleted; KTMW's license dates back to its filing on December 8, 1997. Alpha & Omega Broadcasting, former owners of KOOG (channel 30), was granted the license in 1998. KTMW signed on March 31, 2001, with a religious format. The station would run shows like The 700 Club, Joyce Meyer, James Robison, and others; the original meaning of the calls stood for "The Master's Way". It eventually affiliated with FamilyNet and ran its classic TV shows for about a third of the day.
On April 1, 2015, Alpha & Omega Communications filed an application to sell KTMW to Serestar Communications.[2] It was approved by the FCC on August 13, 2015. The sale was completed on August 31, 2015.[3]
On July 30, 2015, Airwaves, Inc. filed an application to sell KULX-CD and KULU-CD to Serestar, who immediately took over the station's operations through a time brokerage agreement (TBA).[4] The sale was completed on October 7, 2015.[5] Later that month, KTMW switched to Telemundo, simulcasting low-power sister station KULX-CD.
Serestar agreed to sell KTMW, KULX-CD, and KULU-CD to NBCUniversal on November 28, 2018, as part of a $21 million deal;[6] that transaction closed on March 5, 2019.[7] NBCUniversal already owned the KEJT-CD license, with Serestar operating it under a TBA that was terminated concurrent with the sale.[8]
KEJT-CD was the second property in Utah to be owned by NBC as it previously owned KUTV (channel 2, now a CBS affiliate) until 1995 when it was sold to CBS alongside then-sister station KCNC-TV in Denver. KUTV is currently owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group as of 2021.
Older station logos.
Former original programming
When it was owned by Alpha & Omega Communications, KTMW's original programming had included:[9]
Heart for the Lost with Andy Bird – a program that discusses Evangelism, Apologetics and Christ.[10]
Heart of the Matter with Shawn McCraney[11] – author of I Was a Born-Again Mormon[12] and pastor of C.A.M.P.U.S (Christian Anarchists Meeting Prayerfully Understand Scripture),[13] McCraney offers his personal insight about the differences between Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity. In January 2013, Heart of the Matter was abruptly canceled under pressure from local Evangelical pastors who feared McCraney would discuss and possibly criticize them and their methods.[14]
The Ancient Paths with Jason Wallace[19] – a television ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church (an Orthodox Presbyterian Church), in Magna, Utah. The host discusses his perspective on various topics and takes questions and comments from callers.
This Week in the Word with Greg Johnson[20] – as founder of the evangelical Standing Together ministry, Rev. Johnson is joined by two other local Pastors for weekly theological discussions. A common topic is dialogue between faith groups found in Utah.
Word of the Kingdom with Ernest Khokhar[21] – a television ministry of Miracle Rock International Ministries, where Pastor Khokhar hosts bible study, interviews, and call-in prayer lines.
Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997,[23] the station did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station. KTMW shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 20, on June 12, 2009,[24] and "flash-cut" its digital signal into operation UHF channel 20. KTMW used NVerzion Automation to complete the flash cut.[25]
^"KTMW Goes Digital with NVerzion Automation". archive.is. broadcastengineering.com. February 23, 2010. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
1These stations are owned by Mission Broadcasting but operated by Nexstar under an LMA. 2These stations are owned by Londen Media Group but operated by Nexstar under a TBA. 3Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery still own a combined 25 percent stake in The CW, however the network is operated entirely by Nexstar. 4These stations are owned by Vaughan Media but operated by Nexstar under an LMA. 5TelevisaUnivision owns the licenses to these stations but the stations themselves are operated by Entravision Communications (of which the company owns a 10 percent stake) under an LMA.