Duluth KCWV-TV Channel 27
Have any of you noticed Duluth has a new broadcast TV station? Is anyone able to get decent reception of it?
The station runs programming from the My Family TV network, which features “programming to entertain, educate and edify,” including “uplifting spiritual” shows. In other words, a bunch of preaching and paid programming with some Andy Griffith and Bonanza mixed in.
I live near the zoo in West Duluth. Reception of channel 27 is terrible here.
I get it. I watch barely any actual broadcast TV (more into movies, internet etc). But I have seen that station two or three times in the last couple of months. If they can add more digital channels I see some possibilities for public access, or local content on one of their signals. I know that the local churches would eat that up … and I’d love to see local long form arts programs, such as performance reviews, etc. But … No one asked me fro programming help. And the likely never will.
I am ambivalent about Christian Broadcasters, sometimes the messages are really helpful for people who are genuinely seeking answers to life’s persistent questions. In my opinion, as a minor student of the bible, the answers themselves are often theologically and spiritually sound, but that is certainly not ALWAYS the case. Some of the stuff is just plain wrong, in fact, and counter productive in my opinion. Further, the cost of producing the programs and the potential conflict of interest regarding solicitation of funds continually grates on me from an ethical stand point. However, for religious programs to come from a for-profit station like KCWV is actually LESS of a conflict for me than a “not-for-profit” religious broadcaster such as TBN which operated a low power station in this area for 20 years or more, and it’s still there, I guess, despite the DTV switch. I like how they are open about the fact that there is an income motive along with the “edify” goal, it’s more transparent.
At night I once caught a really bad Christian movie from the 1980s. Most of those films from that era (even if they are well intentioned) rise to the level of MST3K badness and that is always fun in its way.
Related: I like old time TV. Not for the shows themselves necessarily as much as for the clues to pop culture, fashion, cars, habits, and even the actors you can see in their much younger days. The old episodes of shows that are just preposterous to me now, but that i lived as a kid, such as Knight Rider and the A-Team are good examples of that, as is Marcus Welby, Emergency and other shows that I barely remember from the 70s. Besides PBS, the Retro TV station is definitely my favorite of the over the air signals in this town*
*Now that Vikings season is over, football is over for me til September.
My reception (upper Woodland) is good.
As for the content on channel 27, it occasionally has a decent movie (The Shooting with Jack Nicholson, for eg.) but most are pretty bad — like last night’s Gilligan’s Island movie — yikes! The on-screen channel guide is rarely accurate. Late in the afternoon it runs The Green Hornet.
KCWV TV must be a tax write off for someone. It must be automated and run off the dish somewhere up at the antenna farm. Dunno what their future is as their is no local ads or content whatsoever. Even their top of the hour Id’s are poorly done. As far as TBN goes in channel 58. They are having technical issues with Digital and they may go off the air soon permanently.
I get 27 though any time I go to it there isn’t much on.
Philoe Beddoe?
Where’s Clyde!!!
I hate to contribute to the hijacking of my own post, but here’s Clyde.
Actually, I’m enjoying this hijack.
Local content definitely would be nice here. Paul, you should have a late night show. Tangier 57 can be your house band!
I would totally watch that show.
When did Chad Lyons get his own show?
KCWV comes in great in downtown Duluth, of course you can see all the towers up on the hill. Using a rabbit ears antenna. A recording on the phone up at the antenna, tells you no one is available to answer, but leave your phone number and they will get back to you for sure. Don’t believe that, I am still waiting over three weeks.
They had some good special at Christmas but most of their movies are in bad condition and in black and white, so I turn them off. The televisions stations using their network at last count was less than a dozen.
I just watched a half hour diatribe on KCWV at 5:30 am. I believe the name of the program was Greater than Gold. The program preached that evolution teaching was state sponsored indoctrination and part of a communist plot trying to overthrow the government. The program was an intense, vitriolic indictment of science as a secular human attempt to poison the minds of the young. This is hardly responsible programming! This type of programming gives broadcasting, religion and free speech all a bad name. Hardly Family TV! Mr. Flinn seems to think that his money gives him the right spread any lies he wishes. This station is an attempt to promote a political, keep them ignorant with radical religion, agenda. This is a common thread with politicos of this ilk, accuse the other side of the very thing your side is up to. In this case indoctrination and theocratic overthrow of the government.
Is there any chance KCWV could air some first-run syndicated programs not picked by either KDLH, KBJR, WDIO or KQDS by this fall?
@ Brad: not. a. chance.
I have noticed a gaping hole in the tuner “dial” left by TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)…oh how I miss me some Pink Haired Lady and Plastic Preacher begging for my hard earned dollars while wearing clothing that cost more than my month’s take home pay commingled with rebroadcasts of the “Left Behind” series.
Is there any chance KCWV could be carried to its cable line-up on Charter Communications in the Duluth/Superior area and Mediacom cable in Hermantown/Proctor, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton and the Iron Range anytime soon?
I get the channel on Dish Network and it comes in just fine. Some of the movies and old programs I believe are blurry cuz they are maybe old vcr tapes or old 8mm or 16 mm reels.
We don’t need anymore Religious Programming. Most is a bunch of bull**IT. Fill the air time with re-runs of I Love Lucy.