KIAH
kW | |
---|---|
HAAT | 586 m (1,923 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 29°34′7″N 95°29′58″W / 29.56861°N 95.49944°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | cw39 |
KIAH (channel 39) is a
History
Origins
The station first signed on the air on January 6, 1967, as an
As Houston's first general entertainment independent station, KHTV ran a schedule of programs including children's shows, syndicated programs, movies, religious programs and some sporting events. One of its best known locally produced programs was Houston Wrestling, hosted by local promoter Paul Boesch, which aired on Saturday evenings (having been taped the night before at the weekly live shows in the Sam Houston Coliseum). From 1983 to 1985, the station was branded on-air as "KHTV 39 Gold". It was the leading independent station in Houston, even as competitors entered the market (including KVRL/KDOG (channel 26, now KRIV), when it launched in 1971). During this time, KHTV was distributed to cable providers as a regional superstation of sorts, with carriage on systems as far east as Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
As a WB affiliate
On November 2, 1993, the
A wrench was thrown into that agreement in May 1994, after
Not pleased with Gaylord's about-face, on August 18, WB majority owner Time Warner filed several lawsuits in attempts to block the Gaylord-CBS affiliation deal under
KHTV became a WB affiliate two days later on September 20 and changed its callsign to KHWB (for "Houston's WB"), at which time, it began to identify as "Houston's WB39". However, because the network offered prime time programs only on Sunday and Wednesday evenings at the time (it would gradually evolve into offering a six-night-a-week schedule by September 1999), KHTV continued to fill the 7 to 9 p.m. time slot with feature films and some first-run syndicated programs on nights when the network did not offer programming. During this period, alongside WB prime time and Kids' WB children's programming, KHTV carried recent and some older off-network sitcoms and drama series, movies on weekends as well as in prime time on weekdays, some first-run syndicated shows, and a blend of animated and live-action syndicated children's shows. The station subsequently dropped on-air references to its over-the-air channel position in September 2003, opting to identify only as "Houston's WB".
As a CW affiliate
On January 24, 2006, UPN parent company
Nearly one month after the CW launch announcement, on February 22, 2006,
On July 15, 2008, Channel 39 changed its call letters to KIAH as part of a branding campaign emphasizing the station's local orientation (KIAH also serves as the ICAO airport code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport).[2] Due to The CW's sagging ratings, Tribune wanted its CW-affiliated stations (including KIAH) to change their on-air imaging and de-emphasize the network's branding. The station changed to the simplified "Channel 39" branding on August 29, 2008, although "Channel 39, The CW" was used during network promotions. However, it was simplified again to just "39" in January 2011 for regular programming, and the "CW 39" branding returned for use in network promotions (though retaining the numeric "39" introduced with the 2008 rebranding); the "CW 39" branding returned full-time on March 28, using the slogan "Real Houston" to continue to emphasize KIAH's local orientation.[23]
Aborted sale to Sinclair; sale to Nexstar
Sinclair Broadcast Group entered into an agreement to acquire Tribune Media on May 8, 2017, for $3.9 billion, plus the assumption of $2.7 billion in Tribune debt.[24][25] The deal received significant scrutiny over Sinclair's forthrightness in its applications to sell certain conflict properties, prompting the FCC to designate it for hearing and leading Tribune to terminate the deal and sue Sinclair for breach of contract.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]
Following the Sinclair deal's collapse, Irving-based Nexstar Media Group announced its purchase of Tribune Media on December 3, 2018, for $6.4 billion in cash and debt.[38] The sale was completed on September 19, 2019.[39]
News programming
When the current incarnation of channel 39 signed on as an independent station, it aired hourly news updates between programs during commercial breaks. In August 1990, the station launched its first news department and began producing half-hour newscasts at 7 and 11 p.m., a move that was made to fill a gap that KRIV had left open, following that station's 1989 decision to discontinue its 7 p.m. newscast and move it to 9 p.m. as the Fox network had expanded its prime time schedule to additional nights. The 11 p.m. newscast was intended to cater to people that missed the traditional 10 p.m. newscasts, though both proved unsuccessful and the news department was ultimately shut down in May 1992.
KHTV (later KHWB) did not carry any news programming from that point on, until Tribune Broadcasting required its then-WB affiliates that did not already produce their own newscasts to form news departments in 1999; the station launched a half-hour 9 p.m. newscast in 2000, to compete with KRIV's longer-running and hour-long late evening newscast in that timeslot. The station's then-chief meteorologist, Keith Monahan, won numerous awards for his weather reports including several Texas Lone Star Awards and multiple first-place finishes in Texas
The station expanded its late evening newscast to one hour on June 30, 2008 (the program previously only expanded to a one-hour broadcast due to significant breaking news events). Plans originally called for the launch of a weekday morning newscast in 2010 (which ultimately never launched), along with plans to unveil a new set and the upgrade of its news broadcasts to high definition.[41] On September 28, 2009, KIAH launched an hour-long early evening newscast at 5 p.m. The station then began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition on May 10, 2010, with the debut of a new set, becoming the last English-language network station in the Houston market to make the upgrade. However, like most Tribune-owned stations with in-house newscasts in HD, the locally originated live field reports are also broadcast in the format.
NewsFix, Eye Opener and Morning Dose
On March 19, 2011 (delayed from an originally slated fall 2010 launch), KIAH relaunched its newscasts and became the pilot station for a new Tribune-developed news format, NewsFix. Described by KIAH general manager Roger Bare as "a newsreel updated for the 21st century,"[42] the program de-emphasizes the traditional use of anchors and reporters, preferring instead to use footage featuring those involved in the story. Houston radio personality Greg Onofrio provides continuity as the program's narrator, and also appears on-screen to provide a commentary segment at the end of the newscast. The plan was to roll out the format to certain other Tribune-owned stations if NewsFix proved successful on KIAH;[43][44] Dallas sister station KDAF would adopt the NewsFix format in 2014,[45] and WSFL-TV in Miami followed suit in September 2015.
On May 9, 2011, KIAH became the test market for another Tribune news concept, Eye Opener. Airing weekday mornings (from 5 to 8 a.m.), the program is a local/national hybrid show billed as a "provocative and unpredictable" combination of daily news, lifestyle, entertainment and opinion segments, interspersed with half-hourly local news, weather and traffic inserts presented by a solo anchor from KIAH's Houston studios,[46] with national content initially pre-produced at Tribune's Chicago headquarters.[47] By the fall of 2011, production of Eye Opener's national segments relocated from Chicago to the studios of KIAH sister station and fellow CW affiliate KDAF in Dallas,[48] which began airing Eye Opener on October 31 of that year, along with WPHL-TV in Philadelphia, WSFL-TV in Miami and KRCW-TV in Portland, Oregon (which, unlike KDAF and KIAH, do not produce their own news programming). Eye Opener ended its run on June 21, 2017, and was replaced with Morning Dose on June 29.
On September 6, 2018, Tribune announced that Morning Dose and NewsFix would be canceled effective September 14, and that KIAH would begin producing a local three-hour morning newscast titled Houston Morning Dose which was launched on October 22.[49]
9 p.m. newscast from KTRK and traffic and weather-focused morning show
A 9 p.m. newscast returned to KIAH on May 11, 2020, with the introduction of a nightly newscast entitled ABC 13 Eyewitness News at 9 p.m. on CW 39. The show utilizes the news staff and studio of
On August 20, 2020, KIAH rebranded its morning newscast as No Wait Weather + Traffic, ending Morning Dose.
Notable current on-air staff
- Maggie Flecknoe – morning reporter
Notable former on-air staff
- Alan Ashby – sports director (now at Space City Home Network)
- Jim McKrell – station spokesman (later became an anchor and after the newscast had ended, he hosted station-produced specials; appeared in the film Teen Wolf)
- Donna Savarese – anchor/reporter (now Director of Corporate Communications for Stride, Inc.)
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's ATSC 1.0 channels are carried on the
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming | ATSC 1.0 host |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
39.1 | 1080i | 16:9 |
KIAH-DT | The CW | KPRC-TV |
39.2 | 480i | 4:3 |
Ant TV | Antenna TV | KHOU |
39.3 | 16:9 | Comet | Comet | KUHT | |
39.4 | TBD | TBD | KHOU | ||
39.5 | CourtTV | Court TV | KTMD |
KIAH (as KHCW) carried The Tube Music Network on its second digital subchannel until the service was discontinued on October 1, 2007.
Analog-to-digital conversion
KIAH discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over
ATSC 3.0 lighthouse service
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
2.1 | 1080p | 16:9 |
KPRC | NBC (KPRC-TV) |
8.1 | KUHT | PBS (KUHT) | ||
11.1 | KHOU | CBS (KHOU) | ||
39.1 | KIAH | The CW | ||
47.1 | KTMD | Telemundo (KTMD) |
See also
- Channel 34 digital TV stations in the United States
- Channel 39 virtual TV stations in the United States
References
- ^ Commercial Broadcast Stations Biennial Ownership Report (FCC Form 323), Federal Communications Commission, January 31, 2020, p. 11, retrieved February 2, 2020
- ^ a b Barron, David (June 27, 2008). "One more time: Channel 39 decides to change call letters yet again". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KIAH". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- Cahners Business Information. p. 26. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.(PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. p. 28. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
Flint, Joe (November 8, 1993). "Warner details hybrid WB Network" - ^ "Tribune Broadcasting Joins with Warner Bros. to Launch Fifth Television Network" (Press release). Warner Bros./Tribune Broadcasting. PR Newswire. Retrieved December 10, 2010 – via The Free Library.
- ^ Schodolski, Vincent J. (November 3, 1993). "Showdown Set Over 5th Network". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ Carter, Bill (May 24, 1994). "FOX WILL SIGN UP 12 NEW STATIONS; TAKES 8 FROM CBS". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
- Hollinger International. May 23, 1994. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ Steve Spann, Counsel for Gaylord at the time of these agreements.
- ^ "New net for Gaylord" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. July 25, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "Paramount adds, Warner fights for affils" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. August 1, 1994. p. 15. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "WB countersues Gaylord" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. August 22, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
- ^ "Gaylord gets CBS affiliates in Seattle and Dallas" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. September 19, 1994. p. 14. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
- ^ Rathbun, Elizabeth (September 18, 1995). "Tribune buys Houston U for WB" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. p. 16. Retrieved July 19, 2018 – via American Radio History.
- ^ Flint, Joe (September 18, 1995). "Tribune buys KHTV from Gaylord for $95 million". Variety. Cahners Business Information. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "KHTV, Houston". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. September 15, 1995. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ "NewsInc. News Briefs . . . Tribune to buy KHTV-Houston". NewsInc. October 16, 1995. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2011 – via HighBeam Research.
- Time Warner.
- ^ Carter, Bill (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times.
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- Gannett Company. February 22, 2006. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- Reed Business Information.
- ^ McGuff, Mike (March 28, 2011). "KIAH 39 becomes CW39 again with new look starting today". mikemcguff.com blog. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Battaglio, Stephen (May 8, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion plus debt". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (May 8, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media". Variety. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ Shields, Todd (July 16, 2018). "Sinclair and Tribune Fall as FCC Slams TV Station Sale Plan". Bloomberg News. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ^ Neidig, Harper (July 16, 2018). "FCC chair rejects Sinclair-Tribune merger". The Hill. Capitol Hill Publishing Corp. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Feder, Robert (July 16, 2018). "FCC throws Sinclair/Tribune deal in doubt". RobertFeder.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Hart, Benjamin (July 16, 2018). "FCC Throws Wrench into Sinclair Media Megadeal". New York. New York Media, LLC. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Lee, Edmund (July 18, 2018). "Sinclair Tries to Appease F.C.C., but Its Tribune Bid Is Challenged". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- Baltimore Sun. Tronc. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- News Corp.August 9, 2018.
- ^ Miller, Mark K. (August 9, 2018). "Tribune Kills Sinclair Merger, Files Suit". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media.
- Tronc.
- ^ Lee, Edmund; Tsang, Amie (August 9, 2018). "Tribune Ends Deal With Sinclair, Dashing Plan for Conservative TV Behemoth". The New York Times.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (August 9, 2018). "Tribune Ends Deal with Sinclair, Files Breach of Contract Suit". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media.
- ^ Fung, Brian; Romm, Tony (August 9, 2018). "Tribune withdraws from Sinclair merger, saying it will sue for 'breach of contract'". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (December 3, 2018). "Nexstar Announces Deal to Buy Tribune for $6.4B". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ Miller, Mark K. (September 19, 2019). "Nexstar Closes On Tribune Merger". TVNewsCheck. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ "Lone Star Chapter of NATAS – Emmy Awards". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
- ^ Hoffman: Channel 39 amps up its nightly news | Ken Hoffman | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle
- ^ "KIAH VP-GM Describes New, Anchor-less Newscast...," from MediaBistro, March 14, 2011
- ^ "KIAH's 'NewsFix': The Anticipated TV News Revolution Begins Saturday, But We Won't Be Covering It," from houstonpress.com, March 15, 2011
- ^ Barron, David (July 23, 2010). "Channel 39 changing its newscast format". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
- ^ Steve Simon expands NewsFix to KDAF from KIAH, MikeMcGuff.com, November 25, 2013.
- ^ "KIAH 39 to start morning news with Eye Opener; Mia Gradney returns," from the MikeMcguff.com blog, posted February 5, 2011
- ^ "Two familiar names are back in the news game," from Houston Chronicle, May 5, 2011
- ^ "CW33 hires new meteorologist, ramps up for early morning show on two levels," from UncleBarky.com, posted August 31, 2011
- ^ Darling, Cary (September 6, 2018). "CW 39 cancels 'NewsFix' and 'Morning Dose'". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (April 13, 2020). "Nexstar to Launch 9 p.m. Newscast at KIAH, Houston". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KPRC
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KHOU
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KUHT
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KTMD
- ^ List of Digital Full-Power Stations Archived August 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ Consumer Watch: Stations have more DTV work to do, Houston Chronicle, February 6, 2009.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KIAH