KESQ-TV
kW | |
HAAT | 189 m (620 ft) |
---|---|
Transmitter coordinates | 33°51′58.1″N 116°26′5″W / 33.866139°N 116.43472°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | kesq |
KESQ-TV (channel 42) is a
Along with other major Coachella Valley television stations, KESQ-TV identifies itself on-air using its cable designation, channel 3, because of the exceptionally high cable penetration rate in the area.
History
KPLM-TV
On June 1, 1966, Pacific Media Corporation filed an application for a construction permit to build a new television station to operate on channel 27 in Palm Springs.[2] Three months after Pacific filed, the Federal Communications Commission issued a report and order changing the allocation to channel 42,[2] a move necessitated to avoid interference to channel 28 in Los Angeles.[3] Channel 42 received another bid in December, when Palm Springs Communications Corporation, co-owned with local radio station KCMJ, filed for a station.[4] After Palm Springs Communications reached a settlement agreement with Pacific Media, the latter was awarded the permit on October 11, 1967.[2] The new station took the call letters KPLM-TV and immediately began construction and talks with the major networks on affiliation.[5]
Channel 42 set up shop in the Smoke Tree Village shopping center,[6] the station joined the ABC network[7] and secured channel 3 on all the cable systems in the area[8] for its debut on October 5, 1968.[9] KPLM-TV was the only television station in Palm Springs for just three weeks. In parallel with the battle for channel 42, channel 36 was also contested; on the morning of October 26, NBC affiliate KMIR-TV began broadcasting.[10]
Channel 42 was not an immediate financial success. In 1972, Cine-Prime, a company engaged in educational television production and distribution, announced that it had purchased the station, though no transfer of control was ever filed.
Esquire years
In late 1977, negotiations were concluded to sell KPLM-TV to Esquire, Inc. The $800,000 purchase marked Esquire's return to broadcasting after owning and selling WQXI radio in Atlanta in the 1960s.[14] The call letters were changed to KESQ-TV on September 18, 1978.[2]
Esquire purchased
Expansion under NPG
Fitts reached a deal to sell KESQ-TV to its current owner, the News-Press & Gazette Company of St. Joseph, Missouri, for $19.4 million in late 1995.[20]
Under NPG, KESQ-TV's operation expanded to include additional low-power TV stations.
While in the later years under Fitts, KESQ had briefly run a radio station (920 AM),[26] it returned to the field again when 1400 AM, previously KUNA, was bought by the station and flipped to sports as KESQ at the end of 1997.[27]
In the late 1990s, KESQ-TV flirted with another kind of expansion. In 1996,
The station shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009, as part of the digital television transition in the United States.
News operation
KESQ has generally had the highest-rated local news department in the market, competing against KMIR, since the 1980s.[33] In addition to programs simulcast on KESQ and KPSP, the station airs morning and 10 p.m. newscasts for KDFX-CD, started in 1999,[23] and Spanish-language news airing on KUNA-LD.[21]
In 2018, KPSP's separate local news brand was dropped, and KPSP began simulcasting existing KESQ newscasts.[34]
Notable on-air staff
- John Coleman – weatherman (1990s)[35]
- Peter Daut – anchor (2020–present)
- Bob Goen – sports reporter (1981–1987), later a game show host[36]
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
42.1 | 720p | 16:9 |
KESQ-DT | ABC |
42.2 | 480i | 4:3 |
LCLCBS2 | CBS (KPSP-CD) |
2.3 | 16:9 | KCWQ-DT | The CW Plus (KCWQ-LD) | |
15.2 | 4:3 | KUNA-DT | Telemundo (KUNA-LD) | |
33.2 | KDFX-DT | Fox (KDFX-CD) |
KESQ's subchannels consist of high-power, standard-definition multicasts, using other minor channel numbers, of the principal NPG 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
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KESQ-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b c d e f FCC History Cards for KESQ-TV
- ^ "Hope Television Plan Confirmed". The Desert Sun. November 10, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Another Application Set for Springs TV". The Desert Sun. December 21, 1966. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "KPLM-TV Call Sign Confirmed". The Desert Sun. January 10, 1968. p. 3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "42 Gets Permanent Quarters". The Desert Sun. August 2, 1968. p. 4. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Local TV Joins ABC Network". The Desert Sun. September 9, 1968. p. 3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Heinemann, Stuart (September 27, 1968). "First Local TV To Debut on Monday". The Desert Sun. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Local Video Goes on Air Saturday A.M." The Desert Sun. October 4, 1968. p. 3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Channel 36 Due For Air Debut". The Desert Sun. October 25, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "New Owners Will Enlarge TV Station". The Desert Sun. August 16, 1972. p. A2. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Station Sued". The Desert Sun. February 22, 1974. p. A3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "TV Station Reorganized". The Desert Sun. May 17, 1975. p. A3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Lazarus, George (December 8, 1977). "Esquire, Inc., finds itself free to fly". Chicago Tribune. p. 4:10. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "Oklahoma firm buys KESQ-TV for $4.5 million". The Desert Sun. July 5, 1983. p. A2. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "KESQ-TV sale falls through, GM announces". The Desert Sun. p. A2. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "KESQ-TV bought by Texas firm". The Desert Sun. May 1, 1984. p. A3. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "The upward mobility of Taft Broadcasting" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 11, 1985. pp. 32, 33. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Weiss, Michael (June 20, 1985). "Broadcast firm slips from view - Executive focusing on next endeavors". The Dallas Morning News. p. 1D.
- ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. December 4, 1995. p. 48. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Hussar, John (October 10, 1997). "KESQ-TV plugs into power of local Hispanic market". The Desert Sun. p. C10. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Hussar, John (May 5, 1998). "TV group reaches out to control competition". The Desert Sun. p. E1. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Ascenzi, Joseph (July 20, 1998). "Fox affiliate plans local newscast - New owners to fund nightly news show in the Coachella Valley". The Business Press. p. 1.
- ^ Ascenzi, Joseph (December 6, 1999). "Media & Marketing: Redlands agency swaps ad campaigns for logo work". The Business Press. p. 11.
- ^ Perrault, Mike (February 1, 2012). "Houston sells CBS affiliate to KESQ". The Desert Sun. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Briefs: KESQ-TV converting KDES-AM to news/talk". The Press-Enterprise. April 16, 1994. p. A14.
- ^ Ascenzi, Joseph (January 12, 1998). "2 desert radio stations change formats - Conversion to sports aimed at wealthy male listeners". The Business Press. p. 4.
- ^ "KESQ courts Belo, others". The Press-Enterprise. April 5, 1999. p. 11.
- ^ Spielvogel, Jill (February 4, 1999). "Riverside County courts TV station". The Press-Enterprise. p. A1.
- ^ McCue, Andy (June 10, 1999). "Inland Empire television game welcomes a new player". The Press-Enterprise. p. E1.
- ^ Spielvogel, Jill (June 7, 1999). "Compromise sought over TV tower". The Press-Enterprise. p. B3.
- ^ Shikes, Jonathan (December 5, 2002). "TV news just for Inland: A university-linked network will serve western San Bernardino County". The Press-Enterprise. p. E1.
- ^ Perrault, Michael (June 21, 2007). "Race for top ratings not slowing for local stations". The Desert Sun. pp. E1, E5. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Tsoflias Siegel, Stephanie (December 3, 2018). "KESQ Will Begin Simulcasting on Sister Station KPSP". TVSpy. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Feder, Robert (September 1, 1993). "Female Jock Loses Equal-Pay Lawsuit". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Margulies, Lee (December 20, 1987). "Update". Los Angeles Times. p. Television Times 3. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- RabbitEars.info. Retrieved September 4, 2021.