Local TV station files bankruptcy, goes off air

Local fans of shows such as "America's Next Top Model" or "Gossip Girl" may have had trouble tracking down new episodes or reruns this past week.

That's because KCWK-TV, the local affiliate for The CW, went off the airwaves at midnight Sunday, weeks after the station filed for bankruptcy.

KCWK-TV general manager Bob Powers will stay on until the end of June. But the station has informed the Federal Communications Commission that it may return when television begins broadcasting on a digital signal in 2009, and likely under new ownership.

In the meanwhile, The CW, a network aimed at viewers between the age of 18 to 34, can still be viewed on cable and satellite. The network is broadcasting directly to cable households while the satellite companies are receiving feeds from affiliates in Spokane and Los Angeles.

KCWK-TV was among 13 Pappas Telecasting Co. television stations that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this month. The stations that filed are local affiliates of a variety of English- and Spanish-language networks. The Fresno, Calif.-based company also owns 17 other television stations and two radio stations, which are not affected by the bankruptcy cases.

The stations filed for bankruptcy after Pappas Telecasting failed to resolve financing issues with several non-bank lenders.

The company has struggled with low network ratings, a tightening credit market and a tough economic climate, which have all cut into the stations' revenues.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685, or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.