KASY-TV

KASY-TV (channel 50) is a television station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It is primarily programmed as an independent station, but maintains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV. KASY-TV is owned by Mission Broadcasting alongside CW outlet KWBQ (channel 19); both stations are operated under a shared services agreement (SSA) by Nexstar Media Group, owner of Fox affiliate KRQE (channel 13). The four stations share studios at Broadcast Plaza in Albuquerque; KASY-TV's transmitter is located atop Sandia Crest. KASY-TV first signed on the air on October 6, 1995, owned by Ramar Communications and managed by Lee Enterprises (then-owners of CBS affiliate KRQE) under a local marketing agreement (LMA). The station was primarily a UPN affiliate, but had a secondary affiliation with The WB; this was easy to do as neither network had more than a couple nights a week of programming at that time. Initially, KASY ran cartoons, old movies, talk shows, and classic and recent off-network sitcoms. In fall 1997, KASY dropped WB programming and became an exclusive UPN affiliate; The WB would return to the market when upstart KWBQ signed on in March 1999 with a similar general entertainment format. In the interim, WB programming was brought in out-of-market from KTLA in Los Angeles or Chicago-based superstation WGN on Albuquerque area cable providers. In June 1999, ACME Communications, KWBQ's owner, bought KASY from Ramar and terminated the local marketing agreement with Lee Enterprises, resulting in the creation of the first major television duopoly in the Albuquerque market.