was looking for a station to increase coverage of the local area beyond what Los Angeles stations offered. However, the problem posed a puzzle to the station. The expanded coverage would be entirely in the Los Angeles television market, and ABC threatened KESQ with disaffiliation were the move to come to fruition and cut into the market of its KABC-TV. The local chapter of the Sierra Club also objected to the site on environmental grounds; these two challenges doomed the proposal. The station shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009, as part of the digital television transition in the United States. Programming Syndicated programming As of September 2022, Syndicated programming on KESQ includes Access Hollywood, Extra and Inside Edition. News operation KESQ has generally had the highest-rated local news department in the market, competing against KMIR, since the 1980s. In addition to programs simulcast on KESQ and KPSP, the station airs morning and 10 p.m. newscasts for KDFX-CD, started in 1999, and Spanish-language news airing on KUNA-LD. In 2018, KPSP's separate local news brand was dropped, and KPSP began simulcasting existing KESQ newscasts. Notable on-air staff John Coleman – weatherman (1990s) Bob Goen – sports reporter (1981–1987), later a game show host Subchannels The station's digital signal is multiplexed: KESQ's subchannels consist of high-power, standard-definition multicasts, using other minor channel numbers, of the principal Gulf-California channels. See also Channel 3 branded TV stations in the United States Channel 28 digital TV stations in the United States Channel 42 virtual TV stations in the United States References External links KESQ-TV "NewsChannel 3 HD" KCWQ-LP/LD "Palm Springs CW 5" KUNA-LD "Telemundo 15" Television channels and stations established in 1968 ESQ-TV ABC network affiliates News-Press & Gazette Company Taft Broadcasting 1968 establishments in California