KWTX-TV
This article is missing information about KWTX's news operation.(March 2024) |
kW | |
HAAT | 554.9 m (1,821 ft) |
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Transmitter coordinates | 31°19′19.2″N 97°19′3″W / 31.322000°N 97.31750°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | (DT2) |
KWTX-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Waco, Texas, United States, serving Central Texas as an affiliate of CBS and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Belton-licensed CW affiliate KNCT (channel 46). The two stations share studios on American Plaza in Waco; KWTX-TV's transmitter is located near Moody, Texas.
KWTX-TV offers Telemundo programming on its second digital subchannel. This subchannel started on January 23, 2006, as an UPN affiliate ("UPN Waco") and changed its branding to "CW 12 Central Texas" on September 15, 2006. The subchannel switched to Telemundo on January 2, 2019, after Gray Television moved its CW affiliation to former PBS member station KNCT, which it had just acquired from Central Texas College.[2]
History
Beginnings
KWTX-TV first signed on the air as an independent station on April 3, 1955. It was originally owned by Texoma Broadcasting, a holding company owned by businessman Milford N. "Buddy" Bostick alongside KWTX radio (AM 1230 and FM 97.5). At the time, crosstown KANG-TV (channel 34) had the ABC, CBS and DuMont affiliations. KWTX picked up ABC in time for the fall 1955 TV season, and DuMont's closure left KANG as a full-time CBS station.
Long plagued by financial difficulties due to being the only
Texoma purchased
First live televised trial
Beginning December 6, 1955, KWTX-TV televised the murder trial of Harry L. Washburn, marking the first live telecast of a courtroom trial in the United States. The telecast earned near universal praise from the legal community. District Judge D.W. Bartlett praised the station's crew for its unobtrusiveness: "I have not noticed anything that would in any way interfere with the administration of justice. I don't think anyone could object to the television being run while this is on. It is perfectly quiet, it's outside the jury, and there's been perfect decorum of all concerned, and I don't think there would be any reflection on any court to have this television carried on as it has been carried on in this court."[9]
Role during Branch Davidian raid
Just before the
According to the Treasury report, Jones told DeGuerin that "Peeler warned him not to go near the Compound as there were going to be 60 to 70 TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) guys in helicopters and a shoot-out would occur'." And Peeler himself confessed to the Treasury review team that he had told Jones there would be "some type of law enforcement action" and that "the action was likely to be a raid of some type and that there might be shooting."[11]
KWTX-TV cameraman Dan Mulloney testified that KWTX-TV's initial information came from law enforcement agents he refused to name—something the Treasury report failed to reveal—as well as from a private ambulance driver working with
Mulloney, Peeler, and reporter John McLemore, along with reporters from the Waco Tribune-Herald, were the only non-combatants at Mount Carmel that day. Mulloney shot the TV footage used around the world of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms storming the Davidians' home. Mulloney and McLemore later used their vehicle to transport injured ATF agents away from the shootout.[13] McLemore received letter of commendation from the ATF Director for his bravery that day. However, KWTX reporters became easy targets for blame during the subsequent trials following the botched raid, particularly because Koresh learned about the approaching raid from Jones, the postal worker from which Peeler asked directions.[12] McLemore, Peeler and Mulloney were never charged with any crime.
Gray Television ownership
On April 15, 1999, Atlanta-based Gray Communications Systems (now Gray Television) announced that it would acquire KWTX-TV, KBTX-TV, and KXII from Texoma Broadcasting for $139 million. Texoma had long owned the stations through three Bostick-controlled holding companies—KWTX Broadcasting, Inc., Brazos Broadcasting, Inc., and KXII Broadcasters, Inc., respectively. The decision to sell the stations stemmed from recommendations by shareholders of the companies because of the costs that the Bostick companies would incur in launching and operating digital television signals for the three stations, with Gray CEO Hilton H. Howell Jr. (a Waco native and shareholder in KWTX) inquiring about purchasing the stations after Bostick was initially unsuccessful in reaching sale agreements with prospective buyers. Through the transaction, which was finalized on October 1, 1999, Gray paid $41.5 million in cash as well as additional cash payments for certain accounts receivable to purchase channel 12 from Bostick-owned KXII Broadcasters Inc.[14][15][16][17][18][19]
On August 28, 2018, it was reported that the Central Texas College Board of Trustees had voted to assign the broadcast license of PBS member station KNCT to Gray, which would create a duopoly with KWTX-TV.[20] This was possible because KNCT broadcasts on a channel not reserved for non-commercial broadcasting.[21] The sale was approved by the FCC on December 12, and it was completed on December 17.[22][23] KNCT returned to the air on January 2, 2019, taking CW programming from KWTX-TV.[2][24]
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
10.1 | 1080i | 16:9 |
KWTX-DT | CBS |
10.2 | 720p | TELMDO | Telemundo | |
10.3 | 480i | MeTV | MeTV |
Analog-to-digital conversion
KWTX-TV shut down its analog signal, over
See also
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KWTX-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b c "Time to Rescan! New KWTX Channels Coming in 2019". KWTX.com. Gray Television. December 27, 2018. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Closed Circuit". Broadcasting/Telecasting. 50 (3): 5. January 16, 1956.
- ^ "Four More UHF Stations Call it Quits". Broadcasting/Telecasting. 50 (2): 63. January 2, 1956.
- ^ "WSOC-TV ships on with ABC-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 1, 1977. pp. 32, 33.
- ^ "Texas switch" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 8, 1983. p. 74.
- ^ "KCEN-TV Switched To ABC; Still NBC". The Waco Citizen. Waco, Texas. August 31, 1984. p. 33. Retrieved January 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "In Brief" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 30, 1985. p. 136.
- ^ "KWTX-TV Covers Murder Trial Live, Sets Precedent in Courtroom Access". Broadcasting/Telecasting. 49 (24): 79–80. December 12, 1955.
- ^ "What Really Happened at Waco «". Moorethink.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ "Report to the Justice and Tresury Departments by Nancy T. Ammerman". Hirr.hartsem.edu. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Bryce, Robert (June 23, 2000). "Killing the Messenger: Who's Really to Blame for the Botched Raid in Waco? – News". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ Robert Bryce, Jim Moore and Joe Ellis (April 19, 2000). "Who tipped off the media about the Waco raid? - Salon.com". Archive.salon.com. Archived from the original on January 20, 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
- ^ "COMPANY NEWS; GRAY COMMUNICATIONS ADDING 3 CBS TV AFFILIATES". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 15, 1999. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- ^ "Dobson Communications expands ties with AT&T". Tulsa World. World Publishing Company. April 16, 1999. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- Cahners Business Information. Archived from the originalon October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "New Stock Paves Way for Gray to Buy TV Stations". NewsInc. October 11, 1999. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "BIG DEALS OF 1999.(broadcast industry)". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. February 14, 2000. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ "SEC Filing on Gray Communications Systems' Acquisitions". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. August 16, 1999. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- ^ Carroll, John (August 28, 2018). "CTC Approves sale of KNCT-TV to Gray Television and KWTX-TV". KWTX.com. Gray Television. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "47 CFR 73.622 – Digital television table of allotments". Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Broadcast Actions" (PDF). CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 18, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 19, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "New year sees shift in some local TV channel positions", Waco Tribune-Herald, January 5, 2019, Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KWTX
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.