WKBT-DT
This article needs to be updated.(November 2021) |
kW | |
HAAT | 464.9 m (1,525 ft) |
---|---|
Transmitter coordinates | 44°5′28″N 91°20′17″W / 44.09111°N 91.33806°W |
Translator(s) | see § Translators |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | www |
WKBT-DT (channel 8) is a television station licensed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, serving the La Crosse–Eau Claire market as an affiliate of CBS and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Morgan Murphy Media, the station maintains studios on South 6th Street in downtown La Crosse, and its transmitter is located on Silver Creek Road in Galesville, Wisconsin.
History
WKBT signed-on August 8, 1954, as a sister station to WKBH radio (AM 1410, now
On April 16, 1965, during the worst of the famous 1965 flood, the downtown La Crosse building that housed both WKBT and WKBH burned to the ground; WKBT would rebuild its current building on the same site. WKBT was sold to Harold F. Gross, a businessman from Lansing, Michigan, in 1970, who owned WJIM-AM-FM-TV in that city. Gross Telecasting sold both stations to Backe Communications in 1984, following a licensing dispute involving WJIM-TV (which changed its call letters to WLNS-TV). Backe sold both stations to Young Broadcasting in 1986. In March 2000, Young sold WKBT to current owner Morgan Murphy Media (ironically, the founding original owner of WEAU-TV from 1953 to 1962).
Throughout its history, WKBT's news operation has tended to favor their news coverage on their home city of La Crosse, Winona, Minnesota, and the Coulee Region, with a secondary emphasis on Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, ceding to WEAU's geographical strength overall in Eau Claire. However, WKBT's weather coverage is balanced equally to cover the entire market.
WKBT's transmitter, in Galesville, is located about 30 miles (48 km) north of the channel 8 studios in order to provide a clear signal to the entire market. If put up next to Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), the WKBT transmitter would surpass the upper roof and fall just about 100 feet (30 m) short of the highest antenna on top.
On January 30, 2006, WKBT signed-on a new second
News operation
WKBT presently broadcasts 34 hours of local newscasts each week (with six hours each weekday and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).
Controversies
Jennifer Livingston fat shaming
In October 2012, WKBT was in the national spotlight when morning news anchor Jennifer Livingston addressed a viewer who
EAS intrusion incident
In the afternoon of February 11, 2013, WKBT-DT's
Technical information
Subchannels
The station's signal is
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
8.1 | 1080i | 16:9 |
WKBT-HD | CBS |
8.2 | 720p | WKBT-DT | MyNetworkTV | |
8.3 | 480i | ION | Ion Television | |
8.4 | Dabl | |||
8.5 | 4:3 |
QVC | ||
8.6 | HSN |
WKBT added digital subchannel 8.2 in January 2006, a channel originally affiliated with UPN before joining
Analog-to-digital conversion
On March 28, 2003, WKBT signed on its digital signal on
In the summer of 2011, WKBT became the first station in the market to air newscasts in
Translators
City of license | Callsign | Channel | ERP | HAAT
|
Facility ID | Transmitter coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elk Mound (Eau Claire) | WBDL-LD | 18 | 15 kW | 106.5 m (349 ft) | 130843 | 44°48′0.0″N 91°27′57.0″W / 44.800000°N 91.465833°W |
La Crosse ) |
KQEG-CD | 23 | 225 m (738 ft) | 72207 | 43°44′53″N 91°17′51″W / 43.74806°N 91.29750°W | |
Tomah | WPDR-LD | 35 | 232.4 m (762 ft) | 39628 | 43°53′50″N 90°34′57″W / 43.89722°N 90.58250°W |
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WKBT-DT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "RadioInsight.com: Classic TV => Retro: Minnesota Tues, July 26, 1955". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
- ^ a b Cahalan, Steve (January 27, 2006). "Local stations to compete for CW". La Crosse Tribune. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ "FindArticles.com - CBSi". findarticles.com.
- ^ "Jennifer Livingston responds to viewer letter about her weight". October 2, 2012.
- ^ Clarke, Suzan; Kindelan, Katie (October 3, 2012). "Overweight TV Anchor Jennifer Livingston Responds to Viewer 'Bully'". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Goodin, Dan (February 14, 2013). "Bogus zombie apocalypse warnings undermine US emergency alert system". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ Storm, Darlene (July 9, 2013). "Hackers can hijack unpatched Emergency Alert System devices, broadcast bogus warnings". Computerworld. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for WKBT". rabbitears.info.
- ^ "LaCrosse / Wausau, WI - HDTV - AVS Forum - Home Theater Discussions And Reviews". www.avsforum.com.