KVLF-TV
| Company type | Television broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | January 19, 1961 (construction permit) |
| Defunct | December 1963 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | Alpine , United States |
Area served | Alpine, Texas |
Key people | Gene Hendryx (owner) |
| Products | Television broadcasting (ABC affiliate) |
KVLF-TV (channel 12) was a television broadcaster located in Alpine, Texas, United States, transmitting from December 1961 until approximately December 1963 as an affiliate of the ABC. As Alpine's inaugural television outlet, it functioned as a semi-satellite of KVKM-TV based in Monahans, operating alongside its sister radio station KVLF (1240 AM) within shared studio facilities.
History
Big Bend Broadcasters, the proprietors of KVLF radio, secured a construction permit for channel 12 in Alpine on January 19, 1961. The station commenced broadcasting on December 30, 1961, marking its debut with coverage of the 1961 Sun Bowl. Its transmission capabilities were modest, with an effective radiated power of only 170 watts.
At launch, KVLF-TV featured a local news and weather segment lasting thirty minutes at 7 p.m., divided into five distinct parts preceding the ABC network programming; the station signed off by 11 p.m. By December 1963, its broadcast schedule was curtailed: weekdays began at 6 p.m. displaying a test pattern, followed by 15 minutes of news at 6:15 p.m., then ABC content until 10 p.m., while weekend local programming was discontinued.
Industry publications such as the Television Factbook identified KVLF-TV as a satellite station of KVKM-TV; however, KVLF maintained a shorter broadcast day compared to KVKM-TV, which offered daytime programming but did not produce local news.
Operations at KVLF-TV ended near the close of 1963. According to a 2015 report, the station operated for roughly two years. Although specific reasons for its shutdown remain unclear, factors potentially contributing include owner Gene Hendryx's election to the Texas House of Representatives in 1962, which may have limited his ability to manage the station, and the presence of KVKM-TV on Alpine’s cable system.