filled when Northern Arizona University began producing a local newscast, NAZ Today, for cable and streaming in 2008. Notable former on-air staff Emme Aronson – former reporter/morning anchor and current plus-size model (as Melissa Julian) Steve Bunin – former sports director/anchor (1997–2000) Dina Eastwood – former anchor/reporter Technical information In its DTV allotment plan of April 3, 1997, the FCC assigned channel 22 for KNAZ-DT, and on February 22, 2001, it granted to Gannett a construction permit to build the digital facilities. The digital facility did not begin full-power broadcasts until January 2007. KNAZ had originally intended to move its digital broadcasts to VHF channel 2 after the digital transition. This plan was abandoned as the existing channel 2 antenna had sustained damage in three successive ice storms; an April 2008 inspection found arcing and repeated automatic shutdown due to signal power being reflected back into the transmitter that left it incapable of full-power operation, as well as an crack in the antenna mast that would have required welding to repair. The channel 2 antenna failed completely on April 16, 2009, forcing KNAZ's analog signal to go dark permanently. KNAZ-TV was therefore forced to request that the FCC allow it to remain on channel 22 as its DTV channel, a change the FCC approved of on September 15, 2009. References External links KPNX website Television channels and stations established in 1970 NAZ-TV Tegna Inc. 1970 establishments in Arizona Former Gannett subsidiaries NBC network affiliates Flagstaff, Arizona