Although KXAN-TV (then known as KTVV) increased its transmitting power in 1973, the station found it difficult to adequately compete against CBS affiliate KTBC-TV (channel 7, now a Fox owned-and-operated station), ABC affiliate KVUE (channel 24) and, later, original KBVO-TV (channel 42, now CBS affiliate KEYE-TV) largely because of the difficulties that UHF television stations experienced with signal propagation in areas of rugged terrain. The station's analog signal on UHF channel 36 provided an inadequate over-the-air signal to the western part of the Hill Country and was marginal to basically unviewable in Llano, Fredericksburg, Blanco and surrounding areas, with some parts of the region only being able to receive a clear signal from channel 36 once cable television became established in the Austin market in the late 1970s.