KTAB-TV

Last updated

KTAB-TV
KTAB logo.png
KTAB-DT2 logo.png
Channels
Branding
  • KTAB News (pronounced "K-TAB")
  • Telemundo Abilene(DT2)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KRBC-TV
History
First air date
October 6, 1979(44 years ago) (1979-10-06)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 32 (UHF, 1979–2009)
  • Digital: 24 (UHF, to 2020)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 59988
ERP 1,000 kW
HAAT 258 m (846 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 32°16′38″N99°35′52″W / 32.27722°N 99.59778°W / 32.27722; -99.59778
Links
Public license information
Website

KTAB-TV (channel 32) is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to NBC affiliate KRBC-TV (channel 9) under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on South 14th Street in western Abilene; KTAB-TV's transmitter is located on Texas State Highway 36 in neighboring Callahan County.

Contents

KTAB-TV went on the air in October 1979 as the third major TV station for the Abilene area, bringing a full schedule of CBS programs to the Big Country area. It was built by a consortium headed by Bill Terry, who had been KRBC-TV's general manager, and several of that station's on-air personalities moved to the new channel 32. The news product was successful and supplanted KRBC as the dominant station for local news in town. The station was sold several times in the 1980s and 1990s, including an 11-year ownership tenure by Shamrock Broadcasting, before being purchased by Nexstar in 1999. Nexstar acquired the assets of KRBC-TV in 2003 and merged the two operations together in that station's studios in 2004.

History

Big Country TV Inc., a group majority-owned and led by KRBC-TV general manager Bill Terry, filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March 1978 for a construction permit to build a new TV station on ultra high frequency (UHF) channel 32 in Abilene. [2] The group waited a year before receiving FCC approval in March 1979, announcing it would be a CBS affiliate. At the time, KTXS-TV in Sweetwater was a dual affiliate of CBS and ABC, [3] though it heavily favored ABC. [4] Picking up CBS gave the new station, designated KTAB, an immediate audience draw: most Dallas Cowboys football games. [5]

In staffing KTAB, Terry poached a number of key employees from KRBC-TV, then the dominant news station in Abilene. Larry Fitzgerald, a 25-year veteran of KRBC, left that station to become channel 32's first news director. Sportscaster Bob Bartlett joined KTAB as a news anchor; [6] he remained with KTAB as of 2019. [7] Meanwhile, equipment arrived at the studios and the transmitter site, 15 miles (24 km) southeast of the city; at the latter, an oil rig trailer was used to haul materials up the site. [4]

KTAB began broadcasting on October 6, 1979. [8] On Abilene's cable system, it replaced Dallas CBS affiliate KDFW-TV. [9] It benefited in its first year from the Cowboys and a strong performance by the CBS network. [10]

When KTAB signed on, KRBC dominated the Abilene market's news ratings, obtaining as much as 80 percent of the audience, but by 1983, it had edged ahead of KRBC in news viewership. After the Minneapolis-based International Broadcasting Corporation, [11] owned by stockholder Thomas Scallen, acquired KTAB in 1984, [12] [13] the station's news ratings continued to grow. By 1985, its 10 p.m. newscast attracted a 52 percent share at 10 p.m., among the highest in the nation, [14] and its noon and 6 p.m. newscasts led in their time slots. [15]

Shamrock Broadcasting, Roy E. Disney's broadcasting company, bought the station in 1986. [16] [17] Under Shamrock, KTAB continued to be the news leader in Abilene, though KTXS made inroads with younger viewers and won more regional awards. [18] In August 1995, channel 32 became a secondary affiliate of UPN. [19]

Shamrock announced in 1990 that it intended to sell KTAB-TV, KXXV in Waco, and three radio stations, [20] though it took years for Shamrock to sell the Abilene station. By 1996, it was Shamrock's last broadcasting property; the company put KTAB-TV on the market again because Roy E. Disney was joining the board of ABC as part of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of the network and KTAB would thus count against ABC's ownership cap. [21] The station was sold to ShootingStar Inc., a company controlled by Diane Sutter, who had headed the television stations division of Shamrock; [22] Alta Communications then acquired 81 percent of KTAB from ShootingStar. [23]

Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased KTAB-TV from Alta Communications and ShootingStar in 1999. [24] The station continued to lead with its newscasts, but it faced a growing challenge from KTXS in the years after the purchase. KTAB's 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts still won their time slots, but KTXS experienced growth in mornings and among younger, more desirable demographics, [25] as well as in total-day ratings, where it managed to edge out KTAB for the first time in a non-Olympics rating period since at least 1994. [26]

In 2003, Nexstar acquired the assets of KRBC-TV, with Mission Broadcasting assuming the license and outsourcing much of the station's operation to Nexstar under joint sales and shared services agreements for a monthly fee. [27] The stations—along with KACB, KRBC's semi-satellite in San Angelo—came under one news director, though the stations continued to have separate anchors and reporters for their newscasts. [28] The next year, KTAB moved up 14th Street into the KRBC-TV studios; though KRBC had the older building, it also had unused space from when KRBC radio existed. [29] At the same time, Nexstar acquired KLST in San Angelo and consolidated traffic—the scheduling and logging for commercials—for the San Angelo stations in Abilene. [30]

In 2014, KTAB added Telemundo to its 32.2 digital subchannel, three years after low-power station KTES-LP dropped the network in 2011 to join This TV. [31] [32]

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KTAB-TV [33]
Channel Res. Aspect Short nameProgramming
32.1 1080i 16:9 KTAB-DT CBS
32.2KTABDT2 Telemundo
32.3 480i KTABDT3 Ion Mystery
32.4KTABDT4 Ion

Related Research Articles

WANF is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship property of locally based Gray Television and is co-owned with CW affiliate WPCH-TV and low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WKTB-CD. WANF and WPCH-TV share studios on 14th Street Northwest in Atlanta's Home Park neighborhood, while WANF's transmitter is located in the city's Woodland Hills section.

WIAT is a television station in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, affiliated with CBS and owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's studios are on Golden Crest Drive atop Red Mountain, where its tower is also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KETK-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Jacksonville, Texas

KETK-TV is a television station licensed to Jacksonville, Texas, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for East Texas. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Tyler-licensed low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate KTPN-LD ; Nexstar also provides certain services to Longview-licensed Fox affiliate KFXK-TV under a shared services agreement (SSA) with White Knight Broadcasting. The stations share studios on Richmond Road in Tyler, while KETK-TV's transmitter is located near FM 855 in unincorporated northwestern Cherokee County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFXK-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Longview, Texas

KFXK-TV is a television station licensed to Longview, Texas, United States, serving East Texas as an affiliate of the Fox network. It is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Nexstar Media Group owner of Jacksonville-licensed NBC affiliate KETK-TV and Tyler-licensed low-power MyNetworkTV affiliate KTPN-LD, for the provision of certain services. The stations share studios on Richmond Road in Tyler; KFXK-TV's transmitter is located near FM 125 in rural northwestern Rusk County. It is rebroadcast by KFXL-LD in Lufkin, from a transmitter northwest of the city on SH 103 near Loop 287.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEYE-TV</span> CBS/Telemundo affiliate in Austin, Texas

KEYE-TV is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on Metric Boulevard in North Austin and a transmitter on Waymaker Way on the city's west side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNXV-TV</span> ABC/CW affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona

KNXV-TV is a television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, affiliated with ABC and The CW. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside independent station KASW. The two stations share studios on 44th Street on the city's east side; KNXV-TV's transmitter is located atop South Mountain. KNXV-TV's signal is relayed across northern Arizona through a network of low-power translators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLST</span> CBS affiliate in San Angelo, Texas

KLST is a television station in San Angelo, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to NBC affiliate KSAN-TV under joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on Armstrong Street in San Angelo; KLST's transmitter is located near Eola, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTMD</span> Telemundo TV station in Galveston, Texas

KTMD is a television station licensed to Galveston, Texas, United States, serving as the Houston area outlet for the Spanish-language network Telemundo. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal's Telemundo Station Group, the station maintains studios on I-610 and Bevis Street on Houston's northwest side, and its transmitter is located near Missouri City, in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTKR</span> CBS affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia

WTKR is a television station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by E. W. Scripps Company alongside Portsmouth-licensed CW affiliate WGNT. Both stations share studios on Boush Street near downtown Norfolk; WTKR's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXXV</span> ABC affiliate in Waco, Texas

KXXV is a television station in Waco, Texas, United States, serving Central Texas as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios on South New Road in Waco, and its transmitter is located near Moody, Texas. KXXV and co-owned KRHD-CD in Bryan split the market; KRHD-CD is a semi-satellite of KXXV with separate local news programming for the Brazos Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOLR</span> CBS affiliate in Springfield, Missouri

KOLR is a television station in Springfield, Missouri, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of MyNetworkTV affiliate KOZL-TV and Osage Beach–licensed Fox affiliate KRBK, for the provision of certain services. The stations share studios on East Division Street in Springfield, while KOLR's transmitter is located on Switchgrass Road, north of Fordland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTXS-TV</span> ABC/CW affiliate in Sweetwater, Texas

KTXS-TV is a television station licensed to Sweetwater, Texas, United States, serving the Abilene area as an affiliate of ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power TBD owned-and-operated station KTES-LD. Both stations share studios on North Clack Street in Abilene, while KTXS-TV's transmitter is located near Trent, Texas.

KWES-TV is a television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, serving the Permian Basin area as an affiliate of NBC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc. and maintains studios on West County Road 127 near the Midland International Air and Space Port, between Odessa and Midland; its transmitter is located near Notrees, Texas.

KLBK-TV is a television station in Lubbock, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to ABC affiliate KAMC under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on University Avenue in south Lubbock, where KLBK-TV's transmitter is also located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSAN-TV</span> NBC affiliate in San Angelo, Texas

KSAN-TV is a television station in San Angelo, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements with Nexstar Media Group, owner of CBS affiliate KLST, for the provision of certain services. Both stations share studios on Armstrong Street in San Angelo, while KSAN-TV's transmitter is located north of the city on SH 208.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRBC-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Abilene, Texas

KRBC-TV is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of dual CBS/Telemundo affiliate KTAB-TV, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on South 14th Street in western Abilene; KRBC-TV's transmitter is located on Texas State Highway 36 in neighboring Callahan County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVEO-TV</span> NBC/CBS affiliate in Brownsville, Texas

KVEO-TV is a television station licensed to Brownsville, Texas, United States, serving the Lower Rio Grande Valley as an affiliate of NBC and CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Harlingen-licensed primary Antenna TV owned-and-operated station and secondary MyNetworkTV affiliate KGBT-TV. Both stations share studios on West Expressway in Harlingen, while KVEO-TV's transmitter is located in Santa Maria, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXVA</span> Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Abilene, Texas

KXVA is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station broadcasts from a transmitter located in rural southwestern Callahan County. Its operations and local productions are housed at sister station and fellow Fox affiliate KIDY in San Angelo; the two stations are commonly branded as "Fox West Texas" and largely simulcast the same programming, including local newscasts covering both areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment</span> Television station affiliation switches

Between 1994 and 1996, a wide-ranging realignment of television network affiliations took place in the United States as the result of a multimillion-dollar deal between the Fox Broadcasting Company and New World Communications, announced on May 23, 1994. Unprecedented in the broadcast industry, the deal resulted in twelve stations owned by, or in the process of being purchased by New World, switching network affiliations to Fox over the course of a two-year period when existing contracts expired. These stations were long-standing affiliates of the traditional "Big Three" television networks—CBS, NBC, and ABC—in some of the country's largest markets, with the majority having been aligned with CBS individually for over 40 years.

KTES-LD is a low-power television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, airing programming from the digital multicast network TBD. It is owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Sweetwater-licensed dual ABC/CW+ affiliate KTXS-TV, channel 12. The two stations share studios on North Clack Street in Abilene; KTES-LD's transmitter is located near Trent, Texas. In addition to its own digital signal, KTES-LD is simulcast in standard definition on KTXS-TV's third digital subchannel.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KTAB-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Lawrence, Larry (April 7, 1978). "Group seeking another groove on the tube". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. pp. 1A, 8A . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "TV station to start in fall". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. March 28, 1979. pp. 1A, 10A . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Wienandt, Chris (September 23, 1979). "Federal, Murphy's Laws Slow New TV Station". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 7-B. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Vernon, Robert (March 31, 1979). "Terry Carries Some Kick With His Sidekick". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 1C. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Dupont, Michael (August 10, 1979). "Fitzgerald to Move to KTAB". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 12A. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Jaklewicz, Greg. "Last original KTAB staffer, Bartlett, star of Abilene TV station's 40th anniversary". Abilene Reporter-News. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ Reed, Jerry (October 4, 1979). "Mighty Mouse, KTAB Both Ready for Abilene". Abilene Reporter-News . p. 13-A. Retrieved October 12, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Wienandt, Chris (September 30, 1979). "Loop, Bow Tie or Cable Will Get You Channel 32". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 2B. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Reed, Jerry (April 19, 1981). "TV: a 28-Year West Texas Marvel". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. Centennial 59. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Rux, Connie (February 21, 1984). "The Ratings Game: Stations Rely on Programming While Courting Advertisers". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 1B. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting . April 23, 1984. ProQuest   963247560 . Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  13. ↑ "City firm acquires Texas TV station". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. August 22, 1984. p. 10B. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ Pratt, Andrew (June 2, 1985). "Vying for Viewers: Ratings game is played for keeps". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. pp. 1D, 4D . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "What's news? Local stations answer differently". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. June 2, 1985. pp. 1D, 4D . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Horn, Richard (October 16, 1986). "KTAB purchased by Disney nephew". Abilene Reporter-News. pp. 1A, 10A . Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 27, 1986. ProQuest   1014714752 . Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  18. ↑ "KTAB does well in ratings; KTXS reaps media awards". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. April 2, 1995. p. 2C. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (August 28, 1995). "UPN falls in with 17 new affils". The Hollywood Reporter. pp. 3, 19. ProQuest   2467925221.
  20. ↑ "Shamrock to sell five b'cast stations". The Hollywood Reporter. January 11, 1990. p. 23. ProQuest   2610470506.
  21. ↑ "KTAB-TV to be sold". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. September 7, 1996. p. 4A. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. October 14, 1996. p. 43. ProQuest   1014769906.
  23. ↑ "Changing Hands". Broadcasting & Cable. April 21, 1997. p. 43. ProQuest   1016941081.
  24. ↑ williamson, Doug (April 16, 1999). "KTAB-TV sold to Nexstar Broadcasting". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. pp. 8B, 7B . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Murphy, Brien (May 4, 2003). "What we watched on TV". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 2E. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ Murphy, Brien (January 8, 2003). "Ratings race: ABC, KTXS edge KTAB in Nielsens". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 1E. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ Murphy, Brien (January 26, 2003). "View Bonics: Significant changes under way in the Abilene TV News game". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. pp. 1E, 2E . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ Murphy, Brien (June 11, 2003). "Television stations join forces". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. pp. 1D, 4D . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "KTAB, KRBC to become a little closer—literally". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. July 4, 2004. p. 21. Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Claunch, Aleshia (July 9, 2004). "KLST-TV drops five jobs: Following merger, station operations begin streamlining". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. pp. 1A, 8A . Retrieved December 9, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ Perry, Sook (May 8, 2014). "Q1 2014 Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. Earnings Conference Call". Fair Disclosure Wire. ProQuest   1529008903. Now we just recently this year put a Telemundo D2 on the air in Abilene, Texas where there was no other Telemundo affiliate over the air, and that makes perfect sense.
  32. ↑ Adame, Jaime (July 29, 2011). "Telemundo giving way to This TV: KTES to also air ACU football games". Abilene Reporter-News. ProQuest   2561196441.
  33. ↑ "TV Query for KTAB". RabbitEars .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.