Channel 51 first signed on in the Wichita area as K51DN "KDN-TV" in late 1992.[2] It was one of two low-power TV stations started by Wichita-based River City Broadcasting (the other station being KCTU-LP) and served as an over-the-air subscription TV station for the Playboy Channel.[3] During the daytime hours, the Cable Video Store movie service was added. On June 14, 1993, it added a separate pay service: the Sci-Fi Channel, a national cable service that was not being carried by Wichita's cable system, replacing Cable Video Store. By this time, there were 200 Playboy subscribers.[4]
Luken Communications purchased the station in 2010 and entered into a local marketing agreement with Great Plains Television Network, LLC to manage the station; that year, the station flash cut its digital signal into operation on UHF channel 51. Luken also began providing the station with affiliations from the company's various networks.
On October 17, 2013, KSMI-LP began transmitting its digital signal (which moved to UHF channel 30) from a new, taller tower near Colwich and increased its effective radiated power to 15 kilowatts.
Curtright, Bob (June 27, 1992). "Playboy signal coming to town". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. p.5C. Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
Curtright, Bob (June 12, 1993). "Sci-Fi Channel coming to town on UHF". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. p.3C. Retrieved March 13, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article KSMI-LD, and is written by contributors.
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