KBVU (TV)


KBVU is a television station in Eureka, California, United States, airing programming from the digital multicast network Roar. It is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement with the Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of Arcata-licensed ABC/Fox affiliate KAEF-TV, for the provision of certain services. However, Sinclair effectively owns KBVU as the majority of Cunningham's stock is owned by the family of deceased group founder Julian Smith. KBVU is also sister to two low-power stations owned by Sinclair: dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate KECA-LD and Univision affiliate KEUV-LD. The four stations share studios on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka; KBVU's transmitter is located along Barry Road southeast of Eureka.
Although it identifies as a station in its own right, KBVU is considered a semi-satellite of KCVU in ParadiseChicoRedding, with the only difference between the two stations being the hourly station identification as Roar uses a master default schedule, with LMA partner KRCR-TV providing services to the station from their Auditorium Drive facility in Redding.

History

The station signed on the air as a Fox affiliate on July 20, 1994. Prior to KBVU's launch, Fox's programming was only available via a secondary affiliation with ABC affiliates KAEF and KFWU, while out-of-market affiliates KTVU and KTXL were imported by some cable providers.
On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased KAEF and the LMA with KBVU as part of a four-station deal. The sale was completed on September 1.
On December 9, 2025, the Fox affiliation was moved to KAEF-TV's second subchannel, while KBVU's main channel flipped to Roar.

Technical information and subchannels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
ChannelRes.AspectShort nameProgramming
28.1720p16:9KBVU-HDRoar
28.2480i16:9COMETComet
28.3480i16:9CHARGECharge!
28.6480i16:9STADIUMThe Nest

Analog-to-digital conversion

KBVU shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 29, on December 22, 2008, along with KCVU, due to financial hardship. The station's digital signal broadcasts on its pre-transition UHF channel 28.