In July 2023, the FCC Media Bureau’s Video Division gave a broadcast TV station serving a distant portion of the Salt Lake City DMA the green light to move ahead with a VHF-to-UHF upgrade. By the end of July 2026, that shift in channels had not yet occurred — and wasn’t likely to transpire by its August 14, 2026 deadline date. As such, a negation of the Commission’s channel change was requested.
Now, the licensee, a shared services partner of Sinclair Inc. that in September agreed to sell facility to the company led by Chris Ripley has been given permission to fully erase the VHF-to-UHF move.
As such, a television station based in Elko, Nev., operated by Sinclair Inc. through a shared services agreement with Cunningham Broadcasting, will not be relocating from VHF channel 10 to UHF channel 20.
That was the original plan, with KENV-DT‘s owner citing viewer complaints regarding reception of the station.
However, as can happen in situations like these, the licensee in April 2026 explained to the Commission that it was “unable to complete construction of the Channel 20 facility by the deadline specified in the station’s granted construction permit.”
And, to little surprise, Video Division Chief David Brown said yes to keeping KENV on VHF Channel 10, concluding the public interest would be served with deleting the planned move to UHF Channel 20.
Elko is 290 miles east via Interstate 80 of Reno, and is about 225 miles due west of Salt Lake City International Airport. Historical TV viewing patterns made Salt Lake City TV stations those most accessible in Elko, and as such placed the city in the DMA for Utah’s largest television market.
Until the FCC’s 2-1 vote to eliminate the 39% national television ownership reach cap and, independently, allow duopolies and “triopolies” in a single market, outright ownership of KENV by Sinclair was hampered by its possession of KJZZ-TV, KMYU-TV & KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City.
Now, KENV is poised to become the fourth O&O for Sinclair in the DMA, as a pair of Form 314 filings dated July 22 but appearing for the first time on September 9 indicate that Sinclair is agreeing to purchase KENV-DT and KRNV-DT in Reno, Nev., from Cunningham.
As previously reported, a $6.5 million purchase price has been agreed to. However, this may be increased or decreased as required “to effectuate the proration of revenues and expenses.”
KENV was an NBC affiliate until the end of 2017; the affiliation was not renewed by Cunningham as KENV was a secondary NBC affiliate in the Salt Lake City market — something the network was seeking to cease in that era.
Both KENV and KRNV as of today air the Roar digital multicast TV network, which is owned by Sinclair.
