KTLE

Last updated

KTLE
Channels
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerKBLI Inc.
History
First air date
July 3, 1959 (1959-07-03)
Last air date
May 1971 (1971-05)
Technical information
ERP 70.7 kW [1]
HAAT 302 m (990 ft)
Transmitter coordinates 42°52′26″N112°30′47″W / 42.87389°N 112.51306°W / 42.87389; -112.51306

KTLE (channel 6) was a television station in Pocatello, Idaho, United States. It operated from July 3, 1959, to January 23, 1961, as an NBC affiliate and as an independent station for brief stints in August 1962; from November 1963 to February 1964; and February 1969 to about May 1971. KTLE was owned by KBLI Inc. and maintained studios at 928 North Main Street in Pocatello and a transmitter west of the city.

The station's history was dominated by NBC's decision, finalized in November 1960, to move its affiliation from KTLE to KIFI-TV, a new station being set up in Idaho Falls with a better signal NBC felt was more acceptable to the network's advertisers. KIFI debuted on January 23, 1961, and KTLE left the air that night. The station's operations in several periods after that time were sporadic, with minimal programming and no network affiliation. The Federal Communications Commission designated its broadcast license for hearing with a competing challenger in 1968; KBLI Inc. withdrew its efforts to have the license renewed in 1971, thus clearing the way for KPVI to debut on the channel in 1974.

History

On March 19, 1958, KBLI Inc. applied with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit to build channel 6 in Pocatello. KBLI Inc. was majority-owned by Granite District Radio Broadcasting Company, the owner of KBLI in Blackfoot and KNAK in Salt Lake City. [2] This was not the first attempt at channel 6, as another group had filed for it in 1956. [3] The construction permit was granted in October 1958. [4]

KTLE made its on-air debut on July 3, 1959, with special coverage of the arrival of a wagon train in Pocatello. [5] Even when it went on the air, the station faced difficulty broadcasting network programming in its early days due to interference from electrical systems. [6] The station was an affiliate of NBC and offered viewers nightly news and sports coverage. [7]

NBC announced on November 7, 1960, that it had signed an agreement to affiliate exclusively with a new Idaho Falls–based station, KIFI-TV (channel 8), which was under construction at the time. [8] At the same time, KTLE was informed of its impending loss of NBC affiliation. [9] It was claimed that KIFI offered a better, full-power signal to Eastern Idaho. [10] NBC also alleged that Idaho Falls was an easier sell than Pocatello to network sponsors, to which KTLE executive director L. John Miner noted that Pocatello had not been a city with a station until channel 6 signed on, compared to Idaho Falls, which already had KID-TV (channel 3). [11] As KIFI prepared to launch, it pressured many of KTLE's engineers to leave channel 6 and join the new channel 8, raising the prospect that the station might have to leave the air before KIFI was ready; [12] national advertisers also began canceling their contracts with channel 6 after the disaffiliation was announced. [13] KTLE attempted to obtain ABC affiliation in a final effort to keep the station viable, [12] but ABC was already affiliated with KID-TV. [9]

KIFI-TV began broadcasting on January 23, 1961. [14] That same day was also KTLE's last: it left the air "to conserve the assets" of the company, per manager Gloria Dillard, in the wake of losing its NBC affiliation. Features of the last day included a roundtable discussion of KBLI Inc. officers discussing the station's closure and an editorial explaining the closure. [13]

After the closure, KBLI Inc. sued KIFI-TV, KID-TV, and NBC in Utah federal court on antitrust grounds. The lawsuit was settled in November 1961; KBLI Inc. received $50,000, a special moratorium on more to $42,000 it owed to RCA, and limited NBC affiliation for KTLE when it resumed telecasting. [15] Three stockholders sued KBLI Inc. alleging a series of misrepresentations in the offering of stock in the firm as well as "mismanage[ment of] the affairs of [KTLE] in a careless and negligent manner" that caused the affiliation loss. [16] During this time, Idaho State College expressed interest in reserving the channel 6 facility for educational television. [17]

KTLE finally made its return to the air on August 15, 1962, on what Dillard called an "emergency" basis to save the license. The station's operation at this phase was limited, consisting entirely of filmed material with no network affiliation and no commercials. Though the station was eligible to receive some NBC programming as a result of the settlement, its ability to air those programs depended on national advertising. [18] [19] The station soon left the air again. A second return attempt was mounted in November 1963, utilizing educational film programming from Idaho State College and the University of Utah. [20] Around February 9, 1964, trouble developed at KTLE's tower, and the station opted to remain off the air until a sale or liquidation, with Dillard citing a lack of interest from local advertisers that preferred to advertise on KID-TV or KIFI. [21]

In May 1968, KBLI Inc. stockholders offered Snake River Valley Television, Inc., an option to acquire KTLE's assets. [22] Meanwhile, in September 1968, the Eastern Idaho Television Corporation of Salt Lake City applied for the channel. [23] Three months later, in an unusual move, the FCC set the KTLE renewal application for comparative hearing against the one from Eastern Idaho Television Corporation, which at the same time sought channel 6 at Nampa. [24] With the hearing in progress, KTLE again returned to the air in a limited capacity on February 13, 1969. As before, the station had no network affiliation and was limited to a broadcast day of about four hours, with some local programming and films on a non-commercial basis. [25] During the hearing, Johnson testified that ABC had agreed to affiliate with the winner of the Pocatello channel 6 battle. [26] KTLE was on the air as late as May 1971 [27] but closed when Snake River Valley opted not to purchase the assets. [28]

In an initial decision issued August 20, 1971, [29] FCC examiner David Kraushaar dismissed the KTLE application with prejudice—the license having been surrendered for cancellation—and approved a grant of channel 6 to Eastern Idaho Television. [30] This followed a decision by KBLI the month before not to pursue the renewal of the KTLE license, [28] as well as a 1969 decision by the FCC review board to enlarge the comparative proceeding and consider character defects stemming from the FCC's non-renewal of the related KSHO-TV in Las Vegas. [29] Eastern Idaho Television opted to build entirely new facilities [28] and began broadcasting on April 26, 1974, as ABC affiliate KPVI. [31]

Related Research Articles

KTVQ is a television station in Billings, Montana, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of the Montana Television Network, a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. KTVQ's studios are located on Third Avenue North in Billings, and its transmitter is located on Sacrifice Cliff southeast of downtown.

KTVB is a television station in Boise, Idaho, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on West Fairview Avenue in Boise, and its transmitter is located on Deer Point in unincorporated Boise County. It is rebroadcast by KTFT-LD in Twin Falls, which airs KTVB programming with local advertising for the Magic Valley area from its transmitter on Flat Top Butte near Jerome, Idaho, and maintains a local sales office in Twin Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTBS-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana

KTBS-TV is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with ABC. The station is owned by the locally based KTBS, LLC, alongside Minden-licensed CW affiliate KPXJ. The two stations share studios on East Kings Highway on the eastern side of Shreveport; KTBS-TV's transmitter is located near St. Johns Baptist Church Road in rural northern Caddo Parish. Currently, KTBS-TV is one of a handful of American television stations to have locally based ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIVI-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Nampa, Idaho

KIVI-TV is a television station licensed to Nampa, Idaho, United States, serving the Boise area as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios on East Chisholm Drive in Nampa, while its transmitter is located at the Bogus Basin ski area summit in unincorporated Boise County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOTA-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Rapid City, South Dakota

KOTA-TV is a television station in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside MeTV affiliate KHME and low-power Fox affiliate KEVN-LD. The stations share studios on Skyline Drive in Rapid City, where KOTA-TV's transmitter is also located.

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

KTAL-TV is a television station licensed to Texarkana, Texas, United States, serving the Shreveport, Louisiana, area as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate KSHV-TV ; Nexstar also provides certain services to Fox affiliate KMSS-TV under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Mission Broadcasting. The three stations share studios on North Market Street and Deer Park Road in northeast Shreveport; KTAL-TV maintains a secondary studio on Summerhill Road in Texarkana, Texas, and transmitter facilities northwest of Vivian, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIFI-TV</span> TV station in Idaho Falls, Idaho

KIFI-TV is a television station licensed to Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States, serving the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market as an affiliate of ABC, CBS, The CW Plus, and Telemundo. The station is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), which provides certain services to Idaho Falls–based KIDK under a shared services agreement (SSA) with VistaWest Media, LLC. The two stations share studios on North Yellowstone Highway/US 26 in Idaho Falls; KIFI-TV's transmitter is located on East Butte in unincorporated northern Bingham County along the Idaho National Laboratory border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIDK</span> Dabl/Fox affiliate in Idaho Falls, Idaho

KIDK is a television station licensed to Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States, serving the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market as an affiliate of Dabl, Fox, and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by VistaWest Media, LLC, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with the News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), owner of ABC/CBS/CW+/Telemundo affiliate KIFI-TV, for the provision of certain services. The two stations share studios on North Yellowstone Highway/US 26 in Idaho Falls; KIDK's transmitter is located on East Butte in unincorporated northern Bingham County along the Idaho National Laboratory border.

KPVI-DT is a television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market. Owned by Imagicomm Communications, the station maintains studios on East Sherman Street in downtown Pocatello. Its transmitter is situated on a mountain top about four miles (6.4 km) east-northeast of the Pocatello city limits; this location was chosen because of possible interference from KIVI-TV in Boise, which also broadcast its analog signal on channel 6. At one time, KPVI and KIVI were sister stations with the same affiliation. KPVI broadcast its analog signal at 100 kW.

KVUI is a television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States, serving the Idaho Falls–Pocatello market as an affiliate of Ion Television. It is owned by Ventura Broadcasting alongside Grit affiliate KPIF. The two stations share studios on West Alameda Road in Pocatello; KVUI's transmitter is located on Howard Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEII</span> Radio station in Idaho, United States

KEII is a commercial radio station in Blackfoot, Idaho, broadcasting to the Idaho Falls-Pocatello area. The station airs a variety hits format branded as Cannonball 101.

WDPN-TV is a television station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware, United States, serving the Philadelphia television market as an affiliate of the classic television network MeTV. It is owned by Maranatha Broadcasting Company alongside Allentown, Pennsylvania–licensed independent station WFMZ-TV. The two stations share studios on East Rock Road on South Mountain in Allentown; WDPN's transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

KXTF is a religious television station in Twin Falls, Idaho, United States, owned and operated by Tri-State Christian Television (TCT). The station's transmitter is located on Flat Top Butte in unincorporated Jerome County east of Jerome and US 93.

KPIF is a television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States, serving the Idaho Falls–Pocatello media market as an affiliate of the digital multicast network Grit. It is owned by Ventura Broadcasting alongside Ion Television affiliate KVUI. The two stations share studios on West Alameda Road in Pocatello; KPIF's transmitter is located on Howard Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTVH-DT</span> NBC affiliate in Helena, Montana

KTVH-DT is a television station in Helena, Montana, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside CBS affiliate KXLH-LD. The two stations share studios on West Lyndale Avenue in Helena; KTVH-DT's transmitter is located on Hogback Mountain. KTVH-DT operates low-power translator KTGF-LD in Great Falls, where Scripps also owns CBS affiliate KRTV.

KXLF-TV is a television station in Butte, Montana, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, it is part of the Montana Television Network (MTN), a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. KXLF-TV's studios are located on South Montana Street in downtown Butte, and its transmitter is located on XL Heights east of the city. KXLF-TV and KBZK in Bozeman split the media market, and local news for the Butte area is produced from KBZK's Bozeman studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXPI-LD</span> KIDK translator in Pocatello, Idaho

KXPI-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States. Owned by News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), it is a translator of Idaho Falls–licensed Dabl/Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate KIDK, channel 3 ; it is also a sister station to ABC affiliate KIFI-TV, channel 8, which NPG owns outright. KXPI-LD's transmitter is located on Howard Mountain in unincorporated Bannock County west of downtown Pocatello; its parent station shares studios with KIFI-TV on North Yellowstone Highway/US 26 in Idaho Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSAW-LD</span> ABC affiliate in Twin Falls, Idaho

KSAW-LD is a low-power television station in Twin Falls, Idaho, United States, affiliated with ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains an advertising sales office in the Blue Lakes Office Park on Falls Avenue in Twin Falls, and its transmitter is located on Flat Top Butte near Jerome, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCIX-TV</span> Television station in Nampa, Idaho (1958–1960)

KCIX-TV was a television station broadcasting on channel 6 in Nampa, Idaho, United States, from November 9, 1958, to January 4, 1960. It was the second attempt to establish a station on the allocation, after KFXD-TV, which had lasted two months in 1953.

References

  1. ↑ "KTLE". Television Factbook. 1970–1971. p. 222-b.
  2. ↑ "For the Record". Broadcasting. March 24, 1958. p. 104. ProQuest   1401224288.
  3. ↑ "Group Seeks Pocatello Ch. 6". Broadcasting. February 27, 1956. p. 84. ProQuest   1401213814.
  4. ↑ "Pocatello, Idaho, Vhf Granted". Broadcasting. October 20, 1958. p. 73. ProQuest   1401230799.
  5. ↑ "KTLE Goes On the Air". Idaho State Journal. July 3, 1959. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  6. ↑ "KTLE Delay Blamed on Power Lines". Idaho State Journal. July 7, 1959. p. 5. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  7. ↑ "TV Station Opened In City During 1959". Idaho State Journal. February 29, 1960. p. C16.
  8. ↑ "KIFI-TV Signs With NBC". The Post-Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. November 7, 1960. p. 12. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  9. 1 2 "City to Support KTLE in Saving NBC Affiliation". Idaho State Journal. November 18, 1960. p. 3.
  10. ↑ "KIFI History Began On Jan. 23, 1961". The Post-Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. September 10, 1965. p. 27. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ "KTLE Official Clarifies Statement on Pocatello". Idaho Sunday Journal. January 15, 1961. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "KTLE Faces Operating Crisis: Pocatello TV Station May Go Off Air Soon". Idaho State Journal. January 10, 1961. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "KTLE to Leave Air After Monday Night". Idaho Sunday Journal. January 22, 1961. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  14. ↑ "KIFI-TV to Inaugurate New Service Monday: Channel 8 Facility Offers Full Power". The Post-Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. January 22, 1961. p. 6.
  15. ↑ "$50,000 Settlement Ordered In KBLI Suit Against NBC". Idaho State Journal. Associated Press. November 29, 1961. p. 11. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Stockholders Sue KBLI for Refund". Idaho State Journal. August 9, 1961. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ "ISC Asks TV Channel to Join State Educational Network". Idaho State Journal. July 12, 1962. p. 10. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ "KTLE to Start Telecasting, Lacks Network". Idaho State Journal. August 14, 1962. pp. 1, 2.
  19. ↑ "KTLE Returns To TV Screens". Idaho State Journal. August 16, 1962. p. 4. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  20. ↑ "KTLE Plans Commercial TV Resumption". Idaho State Journal. November 7, 1963. p. 7. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  21. ↑ "KTLE-TV Gives Up After 4 1/2-Year Life". Idaho State Journal. February 19, 1964. p. 4. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Stockholders Approve Option On KTLE Assets". Idaho State Journal. May 28, 1968. p. A-1. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  23. ↑ "FCC Receives Application For Channel 6". Idaho State Journal. Associated Press. September 17, 1968. p. A-2. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Pocatello channel may change hands". Broadcasting. January 6, 1969. p. 56. ProQuest   1016852709.
  25. ↑ "Channel 6 Now On Air, Hearing Set for April 7". Idaho State Journal. February 13, 1969. p. A-8.
  26. ↑ "KTLE-TV Owner Testifies at FCC License Hearing". Idaho State Journal. Associated Press. April 16, 1969. p. A-1. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Anti-War Film To Be Shown On KTLE". Idaho State Journal. May 2, 1971. p. A-6. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 "Company to Build New Television Station in Pocatello on Channel Six". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. October 22, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved July 17, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  29. 1 2 Kraushaar, David (August 20, 1971). "Memorandum Opinion and Order (32 FCC 2d 23)". FCC Reports, Second Series. p. 23. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  30. ↑ "For the Record". Broadcasting. September 6, 1971. ProQuest   1016856344.
  31. ↑ "New TV station, KPVI, starts Friday evening". The Post-Register. Idaho Falls, Idaho. April 25, 1974. p. A-2. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
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.