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KTVA

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Coordinates:61°11′31″N149°54′9″W/ 61.19194°N 149.90250°W/61.19194; -149.90250
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KTVA
Channels
BrandingKTVA 11
Programming
Affiliations11.1:Rewind TV
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
December 11, 1953(70 years ago)(1953-12-11)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:11 (VHF,1953–2009)
Call signmeaning
Television Alaska
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID49632
ERP28.9kW
HAAT60.6 m (199 ft)
Transmitter coordinates61°11′31″N149°54′9″W/ 61.19194°N 149.90250°W/61.19194; -149.90250
Links
Public license information

KTVA(channel 11) is atelevision stationinAnchorage, Alaska,United States, affiliated with the digital multicast networkRewind TV.The station is owned byDenali Media Holdings,a subsidiary of localcableproviderGCI.KTVA's transmitter is located inSpenard—covering the Anchorage bowl and much of the adjacentMatanuska-Susitna Valley.[2][3]

KTVA was affiliated withCBSfrom its sign-on in December 1953. That relationship ended on July 31, 2020, when the CBS affiliation in Anchorage was moved to KYES-TV (channel 5, nowKAUU) as that station's parent company,Gray Television,acquired KTVA's non-license assets.[4]

KTVA signed off on September 3, 2020. It resumed broadcasting on September 2, 2021, to retain its license.

In the past, KTVA was a partner of the service oflow-powertranslatorsthrough theAlaska Rural Communications Service(ARCS).

History

[edit]
Early KTVA broadcast, achildren's programsponsored by the regional department store chain Monty's. Host Paul West interviews members of the Buckeroo Mushers, a youthmushinggroup sponsored by the Alaskan Sled Dog and Racing Association.

Alaskan broadcast pioneerAugust G. "Augie" Hiebert(1916–2007) applied for the license in May 1953 through his company, Northern Television. He receivedFCCapproval forconstruction permitsin July 1953, and KTVA signed on the air on December 11, 1953, broadcasting (initially from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.). The studio and office were originally housed on the first floor and the transmitter on top of the pink 14-storyMcKinley Tower,[5]with ananalogsignal onVHFchannel 11.[6]The station aired a fewNBCprograms in the late 1960s, until KHAR-TV (channel 13, nowABCaffiliateKYUR) took the NBC affiliation in 1970. The station was aDuMontaffiliate in the early 1950s.[7]KTVA also carriedSesame Streetfrom 1970 untilPBSmember stationKAKM(channel 7) signed on in 1975.

On January 3, 1971, KTVA aired Anchorage's first-ever live satellite broadcast from thelower 48 states,the1970 NFC Championship Game.[8]Until the 1980s, when the networks went to full satellite distribution, KTVA and other TV stations in Alaska aired network programming on atape-delayedbasis viakinescopedand, later, videotaped recordings of network programs provided by fellow CBS affiliateKIRO-TVinSeattle(andKING-TVduring KTVA's NBC affiliation), which were then flown to Alaska.

Hiebert retired in 1997, and three years later in 2000, KTVA was acquired by the newspaper publisherMediaNews Group.KTVA brought in $6.8 million of revenue in 2009, second to NBC affiliateKTUU-TV(channel 2) with $10 million (40% of the market).[9]

On November 9, 2012,GCI,through subsidiary Denali Media Holdings, announced plans to purchase KTVA, as well asKATH-LD and KSCT-LPinSoutheast Alaska.[10]TheFederal Communications Commissionapproved the deal on October 29, 2013.[11]The sale was formally closed on November 1.

On December 2, 2013, KTVA moved to a new high definition-capable studio on the second floor of the headquarters of theAnchorage Daily News,and unveiled a new set and logo.[12]KTVA became the first television station in Alaska to broadcast local news in high definition.[13]

In 2017, KTVA was received a prestigiousJames Beard Awardfor itsHarvesting Alaskaseries, beating outCBS This MorningandWLS-TVinChicago.[14]KTVA has also received many accolades, including anEmmy,RTNDAawards,NPPAawards, Alaska Press Club awards and Alaska 'Goldie' Awards.

Channel 11's studios were severely damaged followingmajor earthquakes that hit Anchorageon the morning of November 30, 2018, which also temporarily knocked the station off the air. Part of the structure, equipment and water were strewn about the facility, which one reporter for the station called "absolutely destroyed."[15]

In 2020, GCI/Denali Media Holdings announced their intention to sell its broadcast holdings.Atlanta-basedGray Television,which already owned KTUU-TV andKYES-TV(channel 5) in Anchorage, and NBC affiliateKTVFinFairbanks,purchased KATH-LD and KSCT-LP in May.[16]On July 31, Gray and GCI/Denali announced that the former company had acquired KTVA's non-license assets, including its news department and CBS affiliation, and would move that programming to KYES-TV; the on-air transfer took place that same day. As Gray already owned two full-power stations in Anchorage, it could not directly purchase nor operate KTVA;[17]a GCI spokesperson said that it had not determined its plans for the KTVA license and facilities.[18]However, KYES-TV was simulcast on KTVA for a period for the benefit of viewers. On August 13, KYES-TV's CBS service permanently moved to GCI channel 5, while KYES-DT4, which also launched on August 1 and carries the former primary schedule and MyNetworkTV affiliation of KYES-TV, moved to GCI channel 11.[19]

After the final newscast for the KTVA news operation aired on August 30, 2020, the station notified the FCC it would godarkas of September 3, as it searched for a buyer. It stated that the expected time off the air was six months, although it had to resume broadcasting by September 3, 2021, to avoid automatic cancellation of its license.[20]Its website was then directed to a new combined KTUU/KYES website, with that news operation now known asAlaska's News Source.At the end of February 2021, KYES-TV's calls were changed to KAUU to coordinate with KTUU.

On September 2, 2021, KTVA resumed broadcasting as an affiliate ofRewind TV.

News operation

[edit]

KTVA broadcast 22 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with four hours each weekday and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays). Weekday news offerings included a one-hour morning newscast calledDaybreakat 6 a.m. with an additional hour at 9 a.m. (which premiered on September 12, 2016), two half-hour evening newscasts at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. and a one-hour newscast at 6 p.m. The station dropped its morning and weekend newscasts on April 18, 2012,[21]but they were reinstated in December 2013. News programming was simulcast on KYES in August, subsequent to the sale of non-license assets to Gray, until the last newscasts aired on August 30, 2020.

KTVA's newscast focused more on enterprise and investigative reporting, and less on crime, in contrast to its main competitor, KTUU. However, ratings remained weak and in 2018, the newscasts changed to a traditional format, with continued poor ratings until the newscast's termination.[22]

On September 21, 2014, during theoutroof a story regarding the state's NovemberMeasure 2ballot issue, which would allow recreational use ofmarijuana,reporter Charlene Ebge, who used the on-airpseudonymCharlo Greene,revealed that she was the president of themedical cannabisorganization Alaska Cannabis Club, which campaigned for thelegalization of the drug in Alaska.She ended the outro with a profane statement, resigned on-air and walked off the set. Ebge later admitted that she did this in order to "draw attention" to the issue of legalization of marijuana.[23]Following the incident, Bert Rudman, the station's news director, issued a formal apology.[24]As the incident occurred after 10 p.m. local time past theFCC'ssafe harborprovisions, FCC action was not pursued, and a fine was not assessed.[25]Measure 2 won voter support and was passed in the November 4 election.[26]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannel

[edit]
Subchannel of KTVA[27]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
11.1 1080i 16:9 KTVA-HD Rewind TV

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

KTVA shut down its analog signal, overVHFchannel 11, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcastsunder federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transitionUHFchannel 28,[28]usingvirtual channel11.

Former translators

[edit]

KTVA ran translator stations K16DO and K11RK. K16DO broadcast from along a road inEagle River,similar to other former translatorK61CB.[29]K11RK broadcast toHomer,but had their transmitter closer toSeldovia,on the other side from Homer.[30]K11RK shut down in 2011[31]and K16DO shut down in 2010.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for KTVA".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"FCC Digital TV Coverage Maps - Anchorage"(PDF).FCC.gov - Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  3. ^"KTVA – Online Coverage Map".TVFool.com - Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  4. ^"GCI announces sale of broadcast business",KTVA.com,July 31, 2020.
  5. ^Television: A World Survey. 1953.UNESCO. Retrieved January 28, 2012. 1953.
  6. ^Historic Anchorage: An Illustrated History. By John Strohmeyer.Anchorage Museum Association. 2001. Retrieved January 28, 2012. 2001.ISBN9781893619210./
  7. ^"Alaska Business People".Archived fromthe originalon June 19, 2006.RetrievedApril 26,2006.
  8. ^Tower, Elizabeth (April 1999).Anchorage: From Its Humble Origins as a Railroad Construction Camp.ISBN978-0945397724.
  9. ^"Market Eye: They're Anchored to Alaska".Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  10. ^"GCI to purchase NBC for Southeast Alaska KATH-TV and KSCT-TV".RetrievedNovember 9,2012.
  11. ^Burke, Jill (October 30, 2013)."GCI wins out in FCC fight over acquisition of Alaska TV stations".Alaska Dispatch.RetrievedOctober 31,2013.
  12. ^"KTVA debuts new station".KTVA.com.RetrievedDecember 4,2013.
  13. ^"Reinventing a television station in the middle of Alaska".RetrievedJanuary 11,2018.
  14. ^"'Harvesting Alaska' wins prestigious James Beard Award ".www.ktva.com.RetrievedJanuary 11,2018.
  15. ^"Alaska earthquake leaves Anchorage TV station KTVA heavily damaged".6abc.com.WPVI-TV.November 30, 2018.
  16. ^Jacobson, Adam (May 28, 2020)."Gray Expands Its Peacock Presence In Alaska".RBR+TVBR.Radio and Television Business Report.
  17. ^"GCI announces sale of broadcast business".www.ktva.com.RetrievedAugust 2,2020.
  18. ^DeMarban, Alex (August 1, 2020)."One company will own Anchorage's 2 local TV news stations after deal with GCI".Anchorage Daily News.RetrievedAugust 1,2020.
  19. ^"GCI Channel Changes List".RetrievedAugust 6,2020.
  20. ^"Suspension of Operations and Silent Authority of a DTV Station Application".FCC Filing.RetrievedSeptember 4,2020.
  21. ^Knox, Merrill (April 19, 2012)."Layoffs at KTVA as Morning and Weekend Newscasts are Canceled".TVSpy.Adweek,LLC.
  22. ^Grove, Casey; Anchorage, Alaska Public Media- (August 10, 2020)."Questions remain after GCI sells television assets to competitor".Alaska Public Media.RetrievedSeptember 5,2020.
  23. ^Andrews, Laurel (September 21, 2014)."KTVA reporter quits on-air after saying she owns Alaska Cannabis Club".Anchorage Daily News.Alaska Dispatch.RetrievedSeptember 23,2014.
  24. ^Feldman, Josh (September 23, 2014)."KTVA Issues Formal Apology for Its 'F*ck It, I Quit' Reporter".Mediaite.
  25. ^Herbert, Geoff (September 22, 2014)."TV reporter drops F-bomb live on air, quits to focus on her marijuana club".
  26. ^Suzanna Caldwell, Laurel Andrews (November 4, 2014)."Alaskans vote to legalize marijuana".Anchorage Daily News.RetrievedNovember 10,2014.
  27. ^RabbitEars TV Query for KTVA
  28. ^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 29, 2013.RetrievedMarch 24,2012.
  29. ^"Facility Details « Licensing and Management System Admin « FCC".
  30. ^"Facility Details « Licensing and Management System Admin « FCC".
  31. ^"Facility Details « Licensing and Management System Admin « FCC".
  32. ^"Facility Details « Licensing and Management System Admin « FCC".
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