KUTA 8: UPDATE!

UPDATE: KUTA 8.1 is once again broadcasting America One programming as of today, 3/14/2012. I take back what I wrote about your choice of SBC. My comments about your website and your 8.3 sub-channel stand, however.
What's happening over at KUTA-LD channel 8? Are you guys on the crack, or what? I was planning to review channel 8 KUTA in a series of posts along with every channel I get here starting with channel 2, KUTV. But I can't wait. Someone is asleep at the wheel over at KUTA, and they need to wake up.
 So before I go off on a rant about all that's wrong, let me say that I don't often watch KUTA. For one, 8.1 is (or was??) America One network, and sports just ain't my thing. I have, however, watched a few things on 8.1, and many people without Pay TV here in the valley who DO like sports appreciate that America One is the ONLY remaining OTA sports network since NBC-Universal Sports went to Pay TV only. I even pointed a few of my Filipino friends to channel 8 to watch Filipino basketball last year. Number two reason I don't watch KUTA often is that 8.2 is Telemundo - and I don't speak Spanish. Three, 8.3 is a weather loop that is down more than up, so much so that I refer to it as the BSOD channel.. And finally, number 4, KUTA-8 is VHF, and it's transmitter is 90 degrees away from both Cache and Franklin county's transmitters. I'm just not set up for that here - I don't get channel 12 at all, and 8 is hit and miss. I was about to fix that with a new antenna here at Cache Free TV home base, but now I am seriously wondering if it's worth the effort.

So, let first look at what KUTA is doing right. I'll make this very short. One word. Telemundo. There are only 2 Spanish language channels in the valley, Telemundo, 8.2, and V-me, 7.3. And since Franklin county added channel 8 KIFI, it also carries Telemundo on their 8.2 subchannel. So although it's now redundant, KUTA does provide Telemundo to parts of the valley that wouldn't get it otherwise.

Now that we've covered the good, lets get to the bad and the ugly. What have you done with America One, and whatinthehell is STC? Suddenly, and I don't know when it happened, America One is gone from 8.1. In its place are a bunch of music videos, with the logo "STC" at the lower right of the screen. A bit of google-fu reveals STC to be the "Sound Track Channel". According to their Wikipedia page...

The Soundtrack Channel (STC) is a 24-hour cable and satellite channel which features various film and television music. The channel features music videos and other related programming. STC exclusively features music videos from movie and television soundtracks, including original movie videos that are produced specifically for the channel. Soundtrack Channel also features entertainment news, behind-the-scenes specials of the movie-making process and celebrity interviews.

 ...And their "official website" http://www.soundtrackchannel.com/ redirects to a Wordpress Blog. Checking with RabbitEars.info's network grid shows no channels broadcasting STC. So, I'm stumped here. Did KUTA lose A-1, is it some sort of contract thing? And if the decided to go with STC, WHY? Really, we already have The Cool TV and The Country Network here - do you really think we need another music channel? More important, who do you think is going to watch? There's so many other networks out there looking for a home. Luken Communications has lots of them, and Me-TV could use an affiliate, too.

Now, the next thing I want to mention about KUTA is their website: http://www.kutatv.com/ . What a hot mess! What's there? Way too many outdated videos (over 20) that try to load up all at once, and the last thing posted: before the November 2011 elections. What's not there? Anything pertaining to what's on channel 8: network affiliations, schedule, program grid, or really anything you would expect to see on a TV stations website. KUTA is on Facebook, too: Last post, Nov. 16, 2011. I posted on  their wall in January, and got a response - from a viewer. I am posting a link to this article as soon as I finish it, and we'll see if there is any response from the station. I'm not holding my breath. I would like to contact them and find out whats going on but - THEY DON'T HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS! I can't find one anywhere! All I can find is a phone number: 435-752-2888. I'll attempt to call them this week and find out what the heck they're thinking over there!  

And one more sign that "The lights are on, but nobody's home" at KUTA: their station has PSIP data that identifies the station as "KUAT" for 8.1 - what the heck is a KUAT?  And of course, there is also no program data in the PSIP for all 3 subchannels...(edit: there is a PBS station in Prescott, AZ with the callsign "KUAT")

KUTA, if and when you read this, please respond in the comments section, or Email me : CacheFreeTV AT Gmail.com - help me and your viewers ( what's left of them!) understand what's going on over there. If you're all just hangin' around smoking the crack pipe, we understand, but please, pass the pipe - share. If you've lost A-1, for whatever reason, talk to me. There are good networks out there looking for affiliates, and although I may seem like just another schmuck with a blog to you, I do have some connections. Let me help hook you up! Your competition in Cache Valley has only been on air a few months, and they're walking all over you...

KUTA viewers, I invite you to comment here or email me, and I also encourage you to call KUTA (KUAT???) at 435-752-2888 and ask them... What the heck is going on?