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KFOR-TV
A blue box with the text "Oklahoma's News" in a sans-serif; to the right, a red box with a stylized segmented number 4 in white
Channels
BrandingOklahoma's News 4
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KAUT-TV
History
First air date
June 6, 1949
(75 years ago)
(1949-06-06)
Former call signs
  • WKY-TV (1949–1976)
  • KTVY (1976–1990)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog:4 (VHF,1949–2009)
Call signmeaning
"Channel Four"[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID66222
ERP
HAAT467 m (1,532 ft)
Transmitter coordinates35°34′7″N97°29′21″W/ 35.56861°N 97.48917°W/35.56861; -97.48917
Translator(s)See§ Translators
Links
Public license information
Websitekfor

KFOR-TV(channel 4) is atelevision stationinOklahoma City, Oklahoma,United States, affiliated withNBC.It is owned byNexstar Media GroupalongsideCWstationKAUT-TV(channel 43). The two stations share studios in Oklahoma City's McCourry Heights section, where KFOR-TV's transmitter is also located.

As Oklahoma's first television station, KFOR-TV signed on in June 1949 as WKY-TV, the television extension toWKY (930 AM).In its early years, WKY-TV boasted several regional and national technical firsts: it was the first independently-owned network affiliate to directly originatecolorprograms, the first station to operate amobile broadcasting unitfor live event coverage, the first station to broadcastlegislative sessionsand covercourt proceedings,and the first television station to broadcast atornado warning.Originally owned by the Oklahoma Publishing Company, a direct predecessor toGaylord Broadcasting,the station became KTVY in 1976 and KFOR-TV in 1990.

History[edit]

WKY-TV[edit]

Edward K. Gaylord's vision[edit]

There is no outlook now for telecasting here, developments are coming every day, but the time is yet fairly distant... When television is practicable on a local scale, WKY, which led the radio field here, will install the necessary machinery.

Edgar T. Bell, Oklahoma Publishing Co. general manager, November 17, 1939[3]

Fascinated with the medium since the late 1930s,Edward K. Gaylord's April 13, 1936, dedication to new studios at theSkirvin Tower Hotelfor his radio station,WKY,ended with a public pledge to bring television to Oklahoma when it and other related inventions had been perfected.[4][5]With his Oklahoma Publishing Company (OPUBCO), Gaylord published both the morningDaily Oklahomanand eveningOklahoma Timesnewspapers, and had purchased WKY—established in 1922 as Oklahoma's first radio station[a]—in 1928, successfully turning a profit for the station within two years.[6]His pledge soon manifest itself on an exhibitory basis in mid-November 1939[7]when OPUBCO sponsored a six-day demonstration of telecasts and broadcast equipment at the Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium indowntown Oklahoma City,now theCivic Center Music Hall.[8][9]With equipment set up and operated byRCAengineers,[10]the event featured appearances by performers fromNBCand WKY[11][12]with attendees given an opportunity to be "televised" to other attendees watchingtelevision setsthroughout the auditorium.[13]OPUBCO executive Edgar T. Bell downplayed the immediate outlook for local television as "distant" despite well-received attendance for the exhibition; estimates had as many as 25,000 attendees on Thursday, ta xing the auditorium's capacity.[3]During November and early December 1944, OPUBCO conducted a similar, 19-city television exhibition tour acrosscentralandwestern Oklahoma[14]—open to residents who had purchasedwar bonds,as well as for attendees that wished to purchase them—that included performances from WKY personalities and demonstrations by television technicians.[15]The tour was attended by a total of 50,000 bond buyers with crowd size regarded as large throughout,[16]several cities even saw encore performances due to overwhelming demand.[17]

We knew we'd lose money.... I expected it would take at least 90 days of red tape up there in Washington, but we got approval almost by return mail.

Edward K. Gaylord, recounting the 1948 application for WKY-TV's license[18]

Gaylord submitted apermit applicationto theFederal Communications Commission(FCC) on April 14, 1948[19][20]for a television station onVHFchannel 4.[21]Upon filing, Gaylord estimated any financial loss for the TV station would be offset within two years, echoing how WKY turned a profit two years after being purchased by OPUBCO.[22]The FCC granted thelicenseto Gaylord on June 2, 1948,[23]with the station assigned the WKY-TV call sign, joining WKY andWKY-FM (98.9),which signed on in July 1947.[24]Studio facilities for WKY-TV were based at the Municipal Auditorium—WKY's studios remained at the nearby Skirvin Tower Hotel—with production facilities on the second floor in the Little Theatre.[25][26]Prior to launch, a fire to the theatre on November 17, 1948, resulted in $150,000 in damage[27]with most of the technical and production equipment replaced during renovations to the theatre that followed;soundproofing materialwas also added to limit disruptions between television productions and stage productions.[28]

While assembling the TV transmitter antenna onto WKY's 968-foot (295 m) broadcast tower in April 1949, an accident occurred when the antenna fell 8 feet (2.4 m) while being hoisted upward; the antenna suffered minimal damage[29]but added to delays earlier in the month due to inclement weather.[30]Daily test broadcasts over WKY-TV began on April 21 consisting of music played over atest pattern slide,[12]enabling television set owners in Oklahoma and neighboring states to contact the station to report signal reception.[31]The test signal operated at low power for three days following a lightning strike to ajunction boxon the tower on April 27.[32]Closed-circuit transmissionsbegan on May 27 with awrestlingmatch at theStockyards Coliseum[33]along with two weeks worth ofdress rehearsalsbetween the local performers and show producers.[34]

A 'pioneer station'[edit]

Refer to caption
A June 5, 1949, newspaper advertisement forRCA Victortelevision setsexhibiting WKY-TV's studios, control room andtransmitterinstallation; WKY-TV was set to begin formal operations the following day.

WKY-TV's inaugural broadcast on June 6, 1949, included speeches from Gaylord, executive vice president/general manager Proctor A. "Buddy" Sugg andGovernorRoy J. Turner,a short feature on the new medium by Gaylord and Sugg and a film outlining programs WKY-TV would air.[35]Gaylord boasted during his on-air address that WKY-TV had both the finest television studio in the country and the tallest transmission tower outside of NBC's transmitter forWNBTatop theEmpire State Building.[36][37]The station was the first to sign on in the state of Oklahoma and the 65th station in the United States to sign on.[38]"Television parties" occurred throughout the city and state as people suspended or heavily curtailed their regular activities to watch the new station in homes, laundromats, bars, appliance stores and other businesses;[39][40]inTulsa,approximately 1,000 people sat outside of a store to watch the transmissions.[41]

Broadcasting over WKY-TV was originally limited to two and a half hours every night, Saturday excluded.[42]Saturday transmissions began on February 11, 1950, and a morning schedule was added by 1951, giving the station 90 cumulative hours of weekly programming.[43]As WKY had been anNBC Radio Networkaffiliate since December 1928, WKY-TV debuted with the market's NBC-TV affiliation along with supplementalCBS-TVandABC-TVclearances.[44]Due to Oklahoma City not being connected yet to transcontinentalcoaxial cables,a processAT&Testimated could take another two years to complete,[38]all network programming had to be via film andkinescope.[44]A short feature NBC prepared welcoming WKY-TV to the network aired on the station's debut night,[35]while the first NBC program,Who Said That?,was broadcast via kinescope on June 17.[18]The station additionally carried select programming fromDuMontand theParamount Television Network,the latter from 1950 until ceasing operations in 1953.[45]

Channel 4's initial local programming included some WKY shows that were adapted for television, including variety seriesWiley and Genehosted by Wiley Walker and Gene Sullivan, andchildren's programThe Adventures of Gismo Goodkinhosted bypuppeteer—and high school senior—Robert Jerkins.[46]Oklahoma Timesscribe R. G. Miller hosted the weeklySmoking Roomthat was an extension of his newspaper column.[47]Danny Williams joined WKY-TV in 1950 to host a daily talk show, announce professional wrestling telecasts, and appear as Spavinaw Spoofkin onGismo Goodkin.[48]Williams later fronted children's programThe Adventures of 3-D Dannyas "Supreme Galaxy Chief Dan D. Dynamo", incorporating science fiction andtime travelelements derived fromFlash Gordonwithcartoonshort subjects.[49][50]Airing on WKY-TV from 1953 to 1959, theratingsfor3-D Dannyoften beat those of ABC'sThe Mickey Mouse Club,[51]making it the first local television program in the country to achieve that feat.[49]

Exterior picture of the Civic Center Music Hall in downtown Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma City Municipal Auditorium (now theCivic Center Music Hall) served as the first studio home for WKY-TV. Studios were custom-built to minimize interference with any adjacentstage productions.

Sports quickly became a fixture at the station, with high school basketball,[52]football, golf and softball matches all broadcast within the first year.[53]WKY-TV reached a deal to broadcast all tenOklahoma Sooners footballgames for the 1949 season, with all home games airing live starting with the October 1Texas A&M Aggiesmatchup atOwen Field.[54]Oklahoma A&M Aggies footballwas subsequently added, but with all of their games recorded on film.[55]WKY-TV also originatedBud Wilkinson's Footballstarting in September 1953.[56]The first college football analysis program, it featured the Sooners' three-time national championshiphead coachdiscussing the previous week's game,[57]a necessity after theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) enacted guidelines limiting live television coverage of college football.[58]Wilkinson also hostedSports for the Familystarting in 1954 that focused on a variety of sports, filmed and packaged for syndication to television stations around the U.S.[59]Among the play-by-play announcers for these shows wasRoss Porter,starting with the 1960 season at age 21;[60]already a WKY news reporter, Porter would soon emerge as WKY-TV's sports director until leaving for Los Angeles in 1966.[61][62]Under varying titles to 1963, Wilkinson's shows on WKY-TV helped boost awareness of the Sooners' football program and encouragephysical fitness,with Wilkinson rejecting most advertising in favor ofNational GuardPSAs.[57]Football was not the only college sport WKY-TV covered, a 1966wrestlingmatch between the Sooners and theOklahoma State University Cowboysbecame the first of its kind to be televised live.[63]

After OPUBCO declined to renew the lease for WKY's studios in the Skirvin, plans were made to combine it and WKY-TV's operations into a combined studio facility[64]on Britton Road east of the transmission towers for both stations, as well as WKY-FM.[65]Ground was broken for the studios on July 10, 1950, with WKY moving into the facility on March 26, 1951;[66]WKY-TV followed suit by July 17.[67]The new facility included television soundstages engineered to also allow origination of radio programs over WKY.[68]The AT&T coaxial cable network was completed in 1952, WKY-TV was able to link to the network viamicrowave relaysfrom Dallas.[69]The milestone was inaugurated the morning of July 1, 1952, with Gaylord giving a short message and pressing a button to activate the network connections, joining NBC'sTodaylive in progress.[70]With this, WKY-TV was able to sign on at 7 a.m. daily, increasing its programming to 111 hours per week.[65][71]Gaylord's predictions of financial shortfalls for the station being offset after two years came to pass, as WKY-TV lost $270,000 between 1949 and 1950, then turned a profit in 1951.[72]

OPUBCO successfully challenged the FCC over theirSixth Report and Order[b]that proposed the channel 4 allocation be reassigned to Tulsa and WKY-TV move to channel 7, citing engineering costs, possible effects on the AM station's transmissions, and a need for viewers to replace existing outdoor antennas.[73]The FCC rescinded the frequency change request in April 1952, noting WKY-TV would have enough feasible co-channel assignment separation fromDallas'sKRLD-TV;the channel 7 allocation was reassigned toLawtonfor use byKSWO-TV.[74]Due to the FCC's 1948 licensing freeze, WKY-TV was the only television station in Oklahoma City until 1953, when UHF-based competitors—KTVQandKMPT "KLPR-TV"—debuted on October 28 and November 8. Though KTVQ and KMPT respectively signed on as basic ABC and DuMont affiliates, channel 4 continued to carry selected programs from both networks;[75]in contrast, WKY disaffiliated from CBS on November 14, one month prior toKWTV(channel 9) signing on.[76]At the same time, OPUBCO donated $150,000 worth of existing WKY-TV equipment to theOklahoma Educational Television Authority(OETA) for its proposed Oklahoma City station, KETA-TV (channel 13), which signed on in April 1956.[77][78]WKY-TV carried select DuMont fare until that network discontinued operations in August 1956, while ABC programming left in March 1958 whenEnid-licensed ABC affiliate KGEO-TV (channel 5) changed call letters toKOCO-TVand refocused its coverage area to include Oklahoma City.[79]

Broadcasting in living color[edit]

Once viewers observe color telecasts they will feel it is far more revolutionary than was the beginning of regular televising in the first place. Color will add a whole new perception and dimension to television that will certainly justify immediate viewer acceptance.

P. A. Sugg, WKY-TV general manager[80]

Refer to caption
A WKY-TVRCA TK-40color televisioncamera on display at theOklahoma History Center.WKY-TV was the first non-network owned television station to originate local programming in color in 1954.[81]

WKY-TV was the first television station not owned by a network to produce and transmit local programs incolor.Before the FCC had even approved a color transmission standard, Gaylord ordered color equipment from RCA—including twoTK-40color cameras—in September 1949.[82]By March 1954, the equipment was delivered and installed,[83]and WKY-TV was successfully receiving color programming from NBC via a separate microwave relay system, as the coaxial cable network was incompatible with color.[80]OPUBCO had a special exhibition at the Municipal Auditorium's Home Show on April 4, 1954, where 30 patrons watched a color set displayingThe Paul Winchell Show,one of three color programs NBC was regularly transmitting for testing purposes and the station's first color telecast.[84]The station's first local colorcast occurred on April 8 with a live five-minute message from E. K. Gaylord,[85]followed by a half-hour sponsored variety show on April 21.[86][87]With the hour-longCook's Bookbecoming the first regularly scheduled weekday colorcast on April 26,[88][65]WKY-TV carried more programming in color than all of the networks combined.[89]NBC's color coordinatorBarry Woodeven remarked that WKY-TV's color output was of better quality than the network itself.[90]

The station became the first network affiliate to provide live color programming to a network[65]on August 17, 1954, when a feed of theAmerican Indian ExpositioninAnadarkowas sent to NBC;[91]the ten-minute segments onTodayandHomefeatured participants dressed intribal"war dance"regalia.[92][93]On April 23, 1955, WKY-TV producedSquare DanceFestivalfor NBC, showcasing the National Square Dance convention at Municipal Auditorium, the first full-length color program fed to a network by an affiliate.[94]Also in 1955, the station transmitted to the network asurgical procedurein color via closed-circuit[95]four years after becoming the first station in Oklahoma to broadcast a surgery on-air.[96]In 1958, WKY-TV became one of the first local television stations in the U.S. to acquire avideotape recorder,intended for the news department but also used for some show production. One videotaped show, theStars and Stripes Show,premiered on NBC that year as the first network television program to be produced by a local station.[97]

WKY-TV and theLions Clubof Oklahoma collaborated onGift of God,a December 2, 1957, program profiling medical and legal aspects ofcorneal transplantsthrough the perspective of anorgan donor's eyes transported 150 miles (240 km) to an operating room, concluding with a film of a successful transplant.[98]An appeal then aired for viewers wishing to become organ donors to join a statewideeye bankestablished by the Lions Sight Conservation Foundation initiative; 700 donor card requests were received by the bank 90 minutes after the program aired, including one signed by then-Oklahoma governorRaymond Gary,[99]the number increased to 2,000 cards after 48 hours.[98]The WKY-TV/Lions partnership lasted for four years with more than 16,400 volunteer donor cards signed, with 346 Oklahomans—including two who underwent surgery within 48 hours of the broadcast—having successful corneal transplants.[99]

Long-running local shows[edit]

Another children's show with a similar local impact to3-D DannywasForeman Scotty's Circle 4 Ranch,hosted by Steve Powell as the titular cowboy. Airing from 1957 to 1971, Scotty's supporting characters included Danny Williams as sidekick Xavier T. Willard;[51]Powell, with Williams, had additionally teamed up to host WKY-TV'sThe Giant Kids Matinee.The show also featured prize giveaways including the Golden Horseshoe, whose winner was selected through the "Magic Lasso," a cut-out slide that was superimposed on-screen over the audience, and honorary rides on a wooden horse named Woody for children in the studio audience who were celebrating their birthday. At its peak, the show had a 1½-year backlog of kids who wanted to be part of the show's audience.[100][101]

Buck Owens playing the guitar at a 1968 state fair music performance.
Buck OwenshostedThe Buck Owens Ranch Show,a country-variety show based at WKY-TV, from 1966 to 1973; at its peak, theRanch Showwas seen in over 100 markets.[102]

During this era, the station featured an assortment of other noted locally-oriented fare. In 1965, WKY host Don Wallace began hostingThe Wallace Wildlife Show,a weekly fishing show that was the highest-rated program of its kind in the country from 1974 to 1975 and ended after 920 episodes with Wallace's 1988 retirement.[103]The Scene,a Saturday afternoon music and dance show hosted by WKY personality Ronny Kaye,[104]aired from 1966 to 1974.[105]The Jude 'n' Jody Show,acountry-variety program hosted by singers/furniture salespeople Jude Northcutt and Jody Taylor, aired on channel 4 and other Oklahoma City stations between 1954 and 1982.[106]Danny Williams returned to channel 4 in 1967 to host the local midday talk-variety showDannysday,which enjoyed a 17-year run.[51]Among Williams' co-hosts includedMary Hart,who became a fan favorite onDannysdayfrom 1976 until leaving for Los Angeles at the end of 1979,[107]later becoming the co-host ofEntertainment Tonight.[108]John Ferguson hosted three distinct horror movie showcases at the station under thehorror hostpersona "Count Gregore": a local version ofShock Theaterfrom 1958 to 1962,[109]Thriller Theaterfrom 1962 to 1964 andSleepwalker's Matineefrom 1973 to 1979.[110]WKY-TV originatedTheBuck OwensRanch Showfrom 1966 to 1973; seen in over 100 U.S. markets, the half-hour country-variety show was the most successful of its kind not produced inNashville.[102]In addition to hosting theRanch Show,Owens was paired withRoy Clarkin 1969 to host the similar-themedHee Hawon CBS,[111]which was relaunched as a syndicated show in 1971.[112][113]As the result of a renegotiated contract, Yongestreet Productions forced Owens to discontinue theRanch Showdue to heavy music and content duplication withHee Haw.[102]

Through its WKY Radiophone Company subsidiary, the Oklahoma Publishing Company eventually acquired or launched other television and radio stations during and after its stewardship of WKY-TV, includingMontgomery, Alabama'sWSFA-TVandWSFA (1440 AM)in 1955,[114][115]Tampa'sWTVTin 1956,Milwaukee'sWUHF-TVin 1966,KTVTinFort Worth, Texas,in 1962,[116]Houston'sKHTVin 1967, andTacoma, Washington'sKTNT-TVin 1973.[117][118]WKY-TV served as the company's flagship station, and in October 1956, OPUBCO renamed its broadcast group the WKY Television System.[119][120]After Edward K. Gaylord's death at the age of 101 on May 30, 1974, control of OPUBCO was transferred to sonEdward L. Gaylord.[121]

KTVY[edit]

...at that time period we were successful in selling the station to close business people that we knew well—The Detroit Evening News—and we knew their type of operation was similar to ours. They had agreed that they would take care of our people who were long-term employees of the station, and we also got a very handsome sales price for it.

Jim Terrell, Gaylord Broadcasting president, on why WKY-TV was sold to the Evening News Association in 1975[122]

Newspaper advertisement for the television talk show Dannysday, hosted by Danny Williams and Mary Hart, including a list of guests for an upcoming program.
April 1979 advertisement for the KTVY talk showDannysday,hosted by Danny Williams andMary Hart;Hart left the program at the end of 1979 to move to Los Angeles, and co-hostedEntertainment Tonightfor 29-years.

OPUBCO sold WKY-TV to theEvening News Associationon July 16, 1975, for $22.697 million; this included $197,000 for upgrades to the studio building.[123]WKY-TV was sold after the FCC adoptedcross-ownership rulespreventing the same company from owning newspapers and broadcast outlets in the samemarket.[124]While Oklahoma City was not one of 16 markets the FCC had planned to strictly enforce this rule, the sale happened under the possibility, with OPUBCO preferring Evening News as the buyer since it also was a newspaper publisher-turned-broadcaster.[122]Additionally, Oklahoma City was the smallest market in which the company owned a TV station.[120]WKY, theOklahoman,and theTimeswere all retained by OPUBCO, which planned to purchase additional TV and radio stations with the sale proceeds[124]under the newly renamedGaylord Broadcastingdivision.[125]As OPUBCO/Gaylord retained the rights to the WKY call sign,[124]WKY-TV was rechristened as KTVY on January 5, 1976.[19]

Starting with the1978 Oklahoma Sooners season,KTVY debutedThe Oklahoma Playback,a next-day hour-long condensed recap of the most recent Sooners football game with wraparound segments co-hosted by then-head coachBarry Switzer.[126]Also regarded as a continuation of the Bud Wilkinson coaches shows by sponsorKerr Magee,Tulsa'sKTULhandled production for the 1980 season but became a KTVY production again in 1981 with sportscasterRon Thulinas host.[127]This program—which was also syndicated throughout theSouthwestand on cable—ended in 1984 after a successfullegal challengeto theU.S. Supreme Courtby the University of Oklahoma and then-Oklahoma City mayorAndy Coatsagainst the NCAA restrictions over the number of games that could be televised live in a single season.[45]KTVY was occasionally granted exceptions to this rule, most notably with the 1983 Oklahoma–Texasrivalry game,which aired live on the station.[128]KTVY addedSooners college basketballcoverage to the lineup in 1982.[129]Originally produced by KTVY and the university under a revenue-sharing deal, production subsequently was taken over byRaycom Sportsunder a larger deal with theBig Eight Conferencein 1985;[130][131]the station continued to airESPN Plus,though withKOCBairing more games to allow KFOR to fulfill NBC obligations,[132]until KOCB became the exclusive carrier in 2001.[133]

KTVY became the first television station in Oklahoma to broadcast in stereo on June 6, 1985; initially, the station broadcast NBC network programs, local programs and certain syndicated shows that were transmitted in the audio format.[134]Taking advantage of the new format, channel 4's daily sign-ons and sign-offs began to feature music videos, some of which were tailored to the station's public service campaigns.[135]That September, the station debuted another local talk show in the vein ofDannysday,which had ended its run the previous year:[136]AM Oklahoma,hosted by brothersBenandButch McCain,who were also KTVY's morning news and weather anchors, respectively.[137]The program was canceled in May 1986 after nine months, and the McCains ultimately left KTVY in June 1987 for KOCO-TV. A local version ofPM Magazinehad much better success, airing on KTVY from 1980 to 1988 with hosts Stan Miller, Karen Carney,[138]Dan Slocumb,[139]Dave Hood,[140]Kelly Robinson[141]and Becky Corbin.[142]

TheGannett Companypurchased the Evening News Association on September 5, 1985, for $717 million,[143][144]thwarting a $566 millionhostile takeoverbid by L.P. Media Inc., owned by television producerNorman Learand media executiveA. Jerrold Perenchio.[145]Due to Gannett already owning KOCO-TV since their 1979 acquisition ofCombined Communications,[137]KTVY, along withWALA-TVinMobile, Alabama,andKOLD-TVinTucson, Arizona,were sold toKnight Ridder Broadcastingfor $160 million;[146][147]KTVY sold for a reported $80 million.[148]Knight Ridder subsequently announced in October 1988 their intent to sell their station group to help reduce a $929 million debt load[149]and finance a $353 million acquisition of online information providerDialog Information Services.[150]Four months later, KTVY was sold to Palmer Communications, owner ofWHO-TVinDes MoinesandKWQC-TVinDavenport, Iowa,[151]for $50 million on February 27, 1989.[152][153]

KFOR-TV[edit]

It's up to us to give (the viewers) a reason to be loyal to us. People want to identify with that kind of thing. This is the foundation for a long-term future. KTVY kind of lost a sense of community, lost its heart. That's one of the reasons why we changed our call letters.

Bob Brooks, KFOR-TV program director[154]

The transmission tower for KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, in the middle of a field with a dirt access road in the foreground.
An undated image of the channel 4 tower on Britton Road; constructed in 1965, this mast measures 1,602 feet (488 m) in height.[155]

After several weeks of on-air promotions that "TV reception in Oklahoma would get stronger,"[156]KTVY's call sign changed to KFOR-TV on April 22, 1990, at the start of their 10 p.m. newscast, coupled with an overhaul to the station's on-air presentation.[157]Station program director Bob Brooks explained in an interview that KTVY had lost "a sense of community, lost its heart" in recent years, and that was a driving force behind the call sign change;[154]management opted for calls that alluded to their dial position and new "4-Strong" branding.[1]As part of the change, the station altered their newscasts to have a statewide focus, with reporter Kelly Ogle filing a series of statewide reports during theMay sweepsthat management described as "abarnstormingapproach to news. "[158]

KFOR-TV began maintaining a 24-hour programming schedule seven days a week beginning on May 11, the additional programming included hourly local news updates, which was attributed to viewer demand;[159]the move was to have taken place on May 13 and was pushed up after management found out KOCO-TV was also planning to broadcast around the clock.[160]It was KFOR-TV's usage of the "24-Hour News Source" phrase that led KOCO-TV owner Gannett, which filed a 10-yearservice markfor the phrase on May 11—the same day KFOR-TV begin using it over the air—to sue Palmer Communications allegingtrademark infringement.[161]Gannett claimed in court testimony that KFOR-TV's infringement of the phrase cost KOCO-TV $208,000 annually in lost revenue, while KFOR-TV argued that the phrase only described a programming service and was not an advertising slogan.[160]The lawsuit was eventually settled with KFOR-TV adopting a different promotional slogan.[162]

Palmer signed aletter of intenton November 7, 1991, to sell KFOR-TV and their Des Moines properties to Hughes Broadcasting Partners for $70.2 million;[163]Hughes was formed earlier that year with their purchase ofWOKR-TVinRochester, New York.[164]Palmer terminated the sale agreement was on April 2, 1992, after rejecting the bid submitted by Hughes Broadcasting.[165]In a lawsuit against Palmer, majority owner VS&A Communications Partners LP asked theDelaware Chancery Courtto force Palmer, which claimed it had no binding obligation to negotiate or reach a formal agreement, into resuming negotiations to reach a definitive sale contract.[166]Hughes formally gave up its pursuit of the transaction[167]months after the judge presiding the case ruled that the agreement between VS&A and Palmer was not binding.[168]KFOR-TV and WHO-TV would ultimately be sold toThe New York Times Companyfor $226 million on May 14, 1996;[169][170]KFOR in particular sold for $155 million.[171]The sale received FCC approval less than two months later on July 3 and was finalized on July 16.[172]

On June 13, 1998, the former transmitter tower for WKY and WKY-TV collapsed due tostraight-line wind gustsnear 105 mph (169 km/h) produced by asupercell thunderstormthat also spawnedfour tornadoes,a KWTV tower camera captured the collapse on-air.[173]Still in use as an auxiliary tower for KFOR-TV and WKY up to that point, the tower had been designed to withstand winds in excess of 125 mph (201 km/h).[174]Channel 4 had already moved off the tower in April 1965 when a 1,602-foot (488 m) mast was constructed off of Britton Road.[155]

Refer to caption
KFOR-TV reporter Ed Doney interviewing aFEMAmitigation expert inMoore, Oklahomaaboutsafe roomsfor an October 2013 news report.

The New York Times Company operatedPax TVstationKOPX-TV(channel 62) from October 11, 2000, to July 1, 2005, via ajoint sales agreementwithPaxson Communications.[175][176]As part of the arrangement, KFOR handled advertising sales for KOPX, and KOPX rebroadcast KFOR's evening newscasts on a tape-delayed basis.[177]Several weeks after Paxson dissolved the KOPX joint sales agreement, the Times Company purchasedUPNstationKAUT-TV(channel 43) fromViacom Television Stations Groupon November 4, 2005, for an undisclosed price.[178]The Times Company left television broadcasting altogether with the $530 million sale of their nine station group toLocal TV LLC[179][180]the deal was finalized on May 7, 2007.[181]TheTribune Company—which formed a management company in December 2007 for their stations and those owned by Local TV—acquired Local TV LLC on July 1, 2013, for $2.75 billion,[182][183]this sale was completed on December 27.[184]

A new combined facility for KFOR-TV and KAUT was constructed adjacent to KFOR-TV's existing studios;[185]groundbreaking occurred in January 2015.[186]Completed in August 2017, the new building both boasted a floorplan improving workflow and employee collaboration, and was built with reinforced steel, concrete and protective glass that could withstand a direct hit from severe weather and enable unlimited broadcasting.[187]Several conference rooms in the new facility were named after former on-air staff—including the "Barry Huddle Room" in honor ofBob Barry Sr.andBob Barry Jr.[188]—and the main studio was later named in honor ofLinda Cavanaughupon her December 15, 2017, retirement.[189]Along with the studio move, the station rebranded toOklahoma's News 4concurrent with a revised on-air presentation.[190]

Sinclair Broadcast Groupagreed toacquire Tribune Mediaon May 8, 2017, for $3.9 billion, plus the assumption of $2.7 billion in debt held by Tribune.[191][192]As Sinclair already owned KOKH-TV and KOCB, the company agreed on April 24, 2018, to divest KOKH-TV toStandard Mediaas part of a $441.1 million group deal.[193]Howard Stirk Holdingsalso agreed to purchase KAUT for $750,000 in a deal that includedshared servicesand joint sales agreements with Sinclair, which planned to retain KFOR-TV and KOCB.[194]All three transactions were nullified on August 9, 2018, after Tribune Media terminated the merger and filed abreach of contractlawsuit;[195]this came several weeks after the FCC voted to bring the deal up for a formal review and lead commissionerAjit Paipublicly rejected it.[196]

Following the collapse of the Sinclair merger,Nexstar Media Groupannounced it would acquire Tribune Media in a $6.4 billion all-cash deal on December 3, 2018, which also included all outstanding Tribune debt.[197][198]Approved by the FCC on September 16, 2019, the merger was completed three days later.[199]

Local programming[edit]

Newscasts[edit]

We try, and I think we have succeeded, in identifying our station with news. We like to feel that the two are synonymous. Our people are known personally by every news source in our immediate area... And of one thing I am convinced. An aggressive, competent news establishment can make a television station individually outstanding.

John Fields, WKY-TV news director[200]

Channel 4's news department began with the station on June 6, 1949, originally consisting of 10-minute-long newscasts at sign-on and sign-off, using wire copies of local news headlines read by anchors over still newspaper photographs.[201]WKY-TV's firstnews directorBruce Palmer saw the new medium as a way to provide immediacy to news coverage.[202]In aDaily Oklahomanop-ed Palmer penned the day before WKY-TV's launch, he not only foresaw television news using films and photographs to provide anewsreel-like method to storytelling, but that coaxial cable-driven networks would soon be able to relay major news events to stations nationwide.[203]Within a few years, WKY-TV employed a staff of 44 Oklahoma-based reporters and additional correspondents in three surrounding states[200]and was recognized in 1958 by theRadio-Television News Directors Associationas the nation's "outstanding television news operation".[204]Ernie Schultz, who joined channel 4 in 1955 as a reporter and photographer, became news director and noon news anchor in 1964, and remained at the station until 1980.[205]

Refer to caption
A 1954 newspaper advertisement for WKY-TV's news department, including profiles of reporterFrank McGee—using theair nameMack Rogers[206]—and meteorologistsWally KinnanandHarry Volkman.

The television station's news department used WKY's news staff, includingFrank McGee,who had joined WKY in 1947 and added duties on the TV side in 1950 under theair name"Mack Rogers";[206]during this time, WKY and WKY-TV used stage names for their airstaff that could be retained as intellectual property in the event an on-air personality were to leave the station.[207]In 1950, WKY-TV became one of the first television stations in the country to employ amobile broadcasting unitto conduct live broadcasts that would be relayed to the Oklahoma City studio or to film on-scene footage for later broadcast.[43]The unit employed up to three cameras, one of which was stationed on a special platform on the bus's roof, and included a 12-inch television receiver built onto its side to display the direct-to-studio feed.[208]This unit was used to cover both the 1952 Oklahoma Republican and Democratic State Conventions,[63]relayed live from the Municipal Auditorium[77]and reported on by both McGee and John Fields.[208]

WKY-TV started broadcasting twice-weeklyOklahoma Legislaturesessions from theState Capitolin January 1951, becoming the first station in the U.S. to provide coverage of state legislature sessions.[63][209]Channel 4 claimed to have made the fastest showing of any sound on film ever to have been processed and aired on television at the time, when on February 8, 1952, WKY-TV aired introductory remarks by anchor John Fields filmed 15 minutes prior to that evening's newscast. The Houston film processor used by the station allowed WKY-TV to broadcast news coverage only a few hours after it was shot on-scene.[210]The station is also purported to be the first in the U.S. to have been allowed access to film acourt proceedingon December 13, 1953, while covering Billy Eugene Manley's murder trial at theOklahoma County Courthouse.[211]Led by Frank McGee,[212]a WKY-TV news crew was placed in a custom-built enclosed booth near the courtroom's rear, with a discreet microphone[213]and a small button that Judge A. P. Van Meter could use to stop recording at any point.[214]The swearing in of the jury, some testimony and Manley's sentencing was filmed for later news broadcasts.[215][216]After OPUBCO purchased WSFA and WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, McGee—under his real name—became WSFA-TV's news director;[217]McGee's reporting regarding both theMontgomery bus boycottand riots on theUniversity of Alabamacampus overAutherine Lucy's admission motivatedNBC Newsto hire him at the end of 1956 for their Washington operations.[218]

The station was full of mentors. In all categories someone took the time to mentor me and critique me in a helpful way. That is how I learned. No one ever once made me feel bad. Their feedback was pointed and important, and I soaked up the lessons they were teaching.

Virgil Dominic, former WKY-TV reporter[219]

Headshot portrait of reporter Bob Dotson
As a reporter, photographer and anchorman for WKY-TV from 1969 to 1975, future NBC News reporterBob Dotsonproduced multiple award-winning documentaries and netted the station its first nationalEmmy Award.[220]

Virgil Dominic initially joined WKY-TV in 1956, then after two months was called intoactive dutywith theU.S. Air Force;[219]Dominic returned to the station in 1959 as both a reporter and news anchor.[221]As NBC News did not have dedicatednews bureausin the early 1960s, Dominic was often requested to file reports to the network—particularly onThe Huntley–Brinkley Report—whenever a story was needed from Oklahoma or portions of adjacent states.[222]In 1964 alone, Dominic and WKY-TV provided 36 news stories, a record amount for any NBC affiliate.[223]When NBC hired away Virgil in 1965, he was assigned to network-ownedWKYC-TVinClevelandas that station's lead anchor[221]in addition to newscasting duties for NBC Radio.[224]

In 1972, Pam Henry—who after contractingpolioat 14 months old, was theMarch of Dimes' 1959 nationalposter child—was hired by channel 4 as an assignment reporter, the first female television news reporter in Oklahoma.[225]After a brief stint working in Washington, D.C.,[226]Henry worked at other television stations in Oklahoma City and Lawton, and was OETA's news and public affairs manager for 16 years.[227]From 1973 to 1978, WKY-TV airedSpectrum,a weekly prime timepublic affairsnewsmagazine focused on issues affecting Oklahoma's minority community.[228]Through The Looking Glass Darkly,aSpectruminstallment about the history ofblacksin Oklahoma produced and reported by eventual NBC News correspondentBob Dotsonbecame the first program from an Oklahoma television station to win a nationalEmmy Awardin 1974.[229]

Members of the Ogle family have been part of channel 4 in some manner since 1962, when Jack Ogle joined WKY-TV as its main news anchor. Best known for a friendly, "good-ol'-boy"on-air delivery,[230]Ogle became the station's news director in 1970 and served in that capacity until leaving in 1977 to join Oklahoma State's athletic department.[231]Ogle continued to make occasional appearances on channel 4, KOCO-TV and KWTV delivering commentaries.[232][233]All three of Jack's sons followed him into broadcasting, two of them at channel 4. Eldest sonKevinfirst worked at KTVY from 1986 to 1989 as a reporter, then returned in 1993 and was promoted to weeknight co-anchor in 1996. Middle son Kent was hired by KFOR-TV as a reporter in 1994,[234]anchored weekend newscasts[235]and became weekday morning/noon anchor in 1997. Youngest son Kelly has been KWTV's evening anchor since 1990,[230]and granddaughters Abigail and Katelyn Ogle work at KOCO-TV and KFOR-TV, respectively.[236]

As many years as he was in the job, he was always enthusiastic about it. He was always a young guy in a little bit older body. He always stayed that same young guy and embraced life.

Damon Fontenot, KFOR sports anchor, on Bob Barry Jr.[237]

Bob Barry Jr. interviewing marathon runner Camille Herron after her win at the 2015 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
Bob Barry Jr. (withCamille Herronafter her 2015Oklahoma City Memorial Marathonwin) was a KTVY-KFOR sports anchor from 1981 until his death in 2015; his father Bob Barry Sr. preceded him as station sports director from 1966 to 1997.

Bob Barry Sr. started his television career at WKY-TV in 1966 as lead sports anchor, but was already a fixture in the market as the radio play-by-play voice of the Oklahoma Sooners, a position Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson selected Barry for in 1961.[238]Barry called radio broadcasts of OU and Oklahoma State football and basketball games with Jack Ogle until 1974. Barry became sports director in 1970,[239]holding that position for 26 of his 42 years at channel 4,[240]and remained a part-time evening sports anchor until his May 2008 retirement.[241]His son Bob Barry Jr. became KTVY's weekend sports anchor/reporter in 1982, working along Bob Sr. for 25 years and assuming his father's role as sports director in 1997. The younger Barry—who was known for a jovial, off-the-cuff style—was KFOR-TV's sports director and weeknight sports anchor until his June 20, 2015, death in an auto/motorcycle accident.[237][242]Including a posthumous win by Bob Barry Jr. in 2016, both Barrys earned 22 "Sportscaster of the Year" awards from theNational Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association;Barry Sr. holds the record for most wins with 15.[243]Station veteran Brian Brinkley succeeded Barry Jr. as sports director in February 2016.[244][245]

Brad Edwards,who joined channel 4 as a reporter/photographer in 1973 and became late evening anchor in 1977,[231]launched theIn Your Cornerseries ofconsumer advocacyreports in 1981. Edwards also started several community initiatives for the station to assist low-income residents, including the winter-focused "Warmth 4 Winter" and summer-focused "Fans 4 Oklahomans".[246]Following Edwards's death in May 2006,[247]In Your Cornerduties were handled by a rotation of staffers until Scott Hines took over the role in 2007,[248]remaining at the station until September 2019.[249]Adam Snider was subsequently named as Hines' replacement in December 2019.

Refer to caption
KFOR's Ali Meyer interviewingRear Adm.Doug McClain, Director of Global Operations (J3) United States Strategic Command, about Oklahoma Navy Week.

The station began to slowly expand its local news programming following the 1990 call letter change to KFOR-TV. Under the direction of then-general manager Bill Katsafanas and news director Melissa Klinzing, a greater emphasis was placed on Oklahoma-related stories and features[158]along with the aforementioned hourly news updates.[159]Klinzing enacted the strategy to gear KFOR-TV as "theCNNof the (Oklahoma City) market ". With Palmer Communications committing resources to the news department, KFOR-TV's news output increased from 25 hours to over 40 hours per week by 1996; the station accordingly became the top-rated local newscast with the May 1995 sweeps.[250]

During coverage of theAlfred P. Murrah Federal Buildingbombingon April 19, 1995, KFOR-TV erroneously reported a member of theNation of Islamcontacted the station to take credit, but cautioned the phone call might have been acrank call.[251]Lead anchor Linda Cavanaugh was inVietnamproducing a series aboutVietnam Warprisoner of warexperiences, and only found out about the bombing by seeing KFOR-TV's coverage, helmed by co-anchorDevin Scillian,simulcast on CNN in her hotel room;[252]NBC additionally relayed KFOR-TV's feed across their entire network.[253]In the bombing's aftermath, then-KFOR reporter Jayna Davis filed a report claiming thatTimothy McVeighwas seen drinking beer with a former Iraqi soldier in an Oklahoma City tavern; the individual Davis implicated on-air sued the station, while KFOR-TV sued Davis and her husband after they stole videotapes of her past work when she left the station.[254]Cavanaugh would produce and hostTapestry,a 1996 documentary on the lives of survivors of the bombing[255]honored with four regional Emmys, aGabriel Award,and accolades by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, theNational Press Cluband theSociety of Professional Journalists.[252][256]

I never had any intention of anchoring or being in front of the camera. As I was growing up, Channel 4 was the only station that my grandparents watched... and so when it came time to pick a station (to work at), that was the only one I knew about.

Linda Cavanaugh[257]

Linda Cavanaugh spent her entire 40-year broadcasting career at the station, from October 17, 1977, to December 15, 2017.[257]Originally an assignment reporter and news photographer, Cavanaugh was promoted to weekend anchor in June 1978, and then became the station's first weeknight co-anchor the following year. Until her retirement in 2017, Cavanaugh's co-anchors included George Tomek, Brad Edwards, Gary Essex, Jerry Adams,[258]Jane Jayroe,[259]Dan Slocum,[260]Bob Bruce,[261]Devin Scillian[253]and Kevin Ogle. In addition toTapestry,Cavanaugh's 1989 documentaryFrom Red Soil to Red Square—assisted by chief photographer Tony Stizza—about life in theSoviet Unionunderglasnostwas awarded the Edward Weintal Prize for Diplomatic Reporting.[43]

KFOR-TV has competed with KWTV for first place among the market's local television newscasts for decades. It had placed second behind KWTV in the morning and late evening news timeslots.Nielsenlater found an error in KFOR's ratings reports in September 2008, in which share points were mistakenly assigned to KFOR's 4.1 digital multicast signal from 2005 to 2008;[262]the corrected ratings showed that it had placed second in all timeslots at that time. On June 5, 2006, KFOR-TV began producing a half-hour weeknight 9 p.m. newscast for KAUT-TV;[263]by 2023, the total weekly output of news across both stations was54+12hours, including the KAUT 9 p.m. news and the two-hour morning showRise and Shine.[264]

A collection of16 mmnews footage shot by WKY-TV between 1953 and 1979 was donated to theOklahoma Historical Society,which made the films available on its website and a dedicated YouTube channel, in 2013.[265]

Severe weather coverage[edit]

We had hundreds and hundreds of postcards and letters of thanks... I remember one card said, 'Thank God for Harry Volkman.'

Harry Volkman, remembering viewer reaction to his pioneering 1952 telecast of a tornado warning[266]

Meteorologist Harry Volkman from 1956 standing in front of a weather map of Oklahoma and adjacent states, presenting a weather report on-air.
Regarded as one of the firstmeteorologiststo be employed by a television station,Harry Volkmanalso became the first person to broadcast atornado warninglive over WKY-TV, in defiance of what had been a federal ban on the practice.[266]

Channel 4 has laid claim as the first television station to house a professionalmeteorologicaldepartment, beginning withWally Kinnan's February 1951 hiring as a nightlyweather presenter,dubbed "Wally the Weatherman."[267]A graduate ofMIT,Kinnan was one of the first meteorologists to be awarded a "seal of approval" by theAmerican Meteorological Societywith seal number No. 3[268]and was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, stationed atTinker Air Force Baseas anAir Weather Service(AWS) officer and tornado researcher.[269]Kinnan had developed methodology to predict and detect tornadoes using radar by identifying wind patterns to predict precipitation movement, despite the AWS's belief no method could exist to accurately predict them.[270]Kinnan was soon teamed with fellow meteorologistHarry Volkman,who joined WKY-TV in March 1952 after a two-year stint at Tulsa's KOTV.[63]

WKY-TV holds the distinction of being the first television station to broadcast atornado warning.Station general manager P.A. Sugg and Oklahoma SenatorMike Monroneyhad actively lobbied the federal government to overturn a ban on disseminating tornado alerts to the public, believing the high fatality risk and urgency for residents to take safety precautions outweighed concerns that they could incite panic.[270]Several weeks after Harry Volkman joined the station on March 21, 1952,[c]Sugg intercepted an AWStornado forecast—intended to be released exclusively to Tinker Base staff—and instructed Volkman to deliver an on-air bulletin of the "tornado risk" for central Oklahoma.[266]Though he had apprehension of facing arrest for violating government rules, Volkman agreed to deliver the warning after Sugg volunteered to take responsibility.[272]WKY-TV and WKY remained on-air until 1 am,[273]with residents ofWoodward,Alvaand adjacent farm communities having retreated tostorm cellars,prompted by the alert.[274]It was on May 1, 1954,[d]that Frank McGee intercepted another AWS weather bulletin meant for Tinker Base regarding a tornadic thunderstorm approachingMeeker,relaying it over the phone to Volkman.[276]No one in Meeker lost their lives despite the tornado's destruction, with one resident telling anAssociated Pressreporter, "God bless Harry Volkman."[277]The federal ban on broadcasting tornado watches/warnings was eventually repealed in part due to the efforts of Volkman and Kinnan, and WKY-TV became the first station to hold a contract with theNational Weather Service.[278]

Volkman left the station in October 1955 to join KWTV andKOMA (1520 AM),prompting Kinnan to take over his nightly forecasting duties.[279]On January 23, 1958, WKY-TV became the first Oklahoma television station to use theweather radarfromWill Rogers Fieldduring severe weather conditions, with aneffective rangeof 200 miles (320 km) radius.[280]The station additionally installed a converted surplus military radar for use as a radar of their own, using that unit until 1970.[281]Kinnan departed WKY-TV in September 1958 to join Philadelphia'sWRCV-TV,thenownedby NBC; Bob Thomas, who had joined the station at the end of 1957, became Kinnan's replacement.[282][283]1958 also saw the hiring of Jim Williams, who would succeed Bob Thomas as chief meteorologist in 1967.[284]Williams worked at channel 4 for 32 years, earning industry praise for a calm and steady on-air demeanor[285]in addition to pioneering further technical advancements.[286]

A news van with a microwave antenna fully extended in front of a section of tornado-damaged houses.
A KFOR-TVelectronic news-gatheringvan stationed inEdmond, Oklahomato cover the aftermath of aMay 19, 2013, tornado.

In recent years, KFOR-TV, KWTV and KOCO-TV have displayed a public rivalry over severe weather coverage. KWTV became the first station in the country to use a Doppler weather radar system in 1981, then upgraded the system in 1984.[287]Channel 4 followed suit with colorized Doppler radar in 1986, then "Super Doppler" in 1990.[154]Mike Morgan joined KFOR-TV as chief meteorologist in 1993,[288]having taken over for one of Jim Williams' short-lived successors, Wayne Shattuck, whohimselfpreceded Morgan at KOCO-TV in the same position.[289]

In 1994, KFOR-TV became the first television station to transmit images over cell phones with the development of "First Video", technology that allowed the station's news crews to send photos and video of severe weather over mobile relays for broadcast.[290]While the video was transmitted at lower frame rates, this enabled quicker transmission and increased flexibility compared to conventional microwave or satellite facilities.[291]For decades, KFOR-TV'shelicoptershave been used extensively in newsgathering and severe weather coverage, with the station currently operating aBell 206L-4 LongRanger IV.Along with KWTV's chopper, it captured live, continuous footage of anF5 tornadothat killed 36 people fromAmbertoMidwest Cityon May 3, 1999, withMooreamong the hardest hit,[292]which earned industrial acclaim for station chopper pilot Jim Gardner.[293]Government officials praised the local broadcast media as a whole after the storm for properly alerting the public and preventing additional fatalities.[294]

Living in Oklahoma, our weather is tough but our people are tougher. The Moore tornado was devastating, but we know that our severe weather coverage saved lives that day. Our team did everything possible to alert viewers to the danger. We are honored to accept this Emmy award and we would like to dedicate this to the people of Moore.

Wes Milbourn, KFOR-TV general manager, accepting the station's 2015 Emmy Award for their coverage of the2013 Moore tornado[295]

KWTV management criticized KFOR-TV after what it deemed "sensationalistic" coverage on March 7, 2000, when the station preempted programming for possible tornadic activity, the only station in the market to do so.[296]KWTV meteorologistGary Englandthen stated on-air that other stations—not specifically citing KFOR-TV or Mike Morgan—should not take a "chicken little"approach by excessively covering tornadoes that don't immediately threaten life and property, and compared it to"yelling 'fire' in a crowded auditorium."[297]Morgan and KFOR-TV defended their coverage after hearing of initial damage totelephone polesand eyewitness reports that suggested dangerous conditions.[297]During an October 2000 storm, Morgan noted on-air that KFOR-TV's "The Edge" radar was "20 to 25 minutes" ahead ofNEXRADdata due to unexpecteddata lag,noting that KWTV forecaster Brady Bus erroneously listed a specific area as in "the danger zone" minutes after the fact; Bus later remarked he didn't put stock in anything said by someone without a meteorological degree.[298]Afteranother tornadostruck Moore in 2003, KFOR-TV invested in the first million-watt radar system in the area, which came into service in 2005.[299]David Payne,a KFOR-TV meteorologist from 1993 to 2013, also performedstorm chasingfor the station during severe weather coverage,[297]most notably capturing footage of a rareanticyclonic tornadothat damaged theEl Reno Regional Airporton April 24, 2006.[300]Payne left the station in 2013 to become KWTV's chief meteorologist, working with, and ultimately succeeding, Gary England.[301]

It was KFOR-TV's coverage of the May 20, 2013,EF5 tornadowhich struck Moore that garnered national and international attention, as it was significantly aided by chopper footage that captured both the tornado's path in real-time and the immediate destruction to the city.[302][303]Visuals from the scene, and particularly from KFOR-TV's helicopter,[304]were aired live on CNN[305]leading to increased coverage by other national news outlets and pleas to donate to theAmerican Red Crosson social media.[306]The station was awarded the 2015News & Documentary Emmy Award for "Regional – Spot News"for their coverage of the tornado with the staff dedicating the Emmy to the citizens of Moore.[295]It was the third national Emmy in channel 4's history,[302]having also won in the same category in 2007 for their 2006 El Reno tornado coverage.[300][307]

Non-news[edit]

In addition to newscasts, KFOR-TV also airs some ancillary non-news local programming. Since 1993, KFOR-TV has aired theSunday morning talk showFlash Point,hosted by weeknight anchor Kevin Ogle withMike TurpenandTodd Lambasliberalandconservativepanelists, respectively.[308]The station has exclusively broadcast theOklahoma City Memorial Marathonbenefiting theOklahoma City National Memorial & Museumsince its April 2001 inaugural run.[309]

KFOR-TV originatesDiscover Oklahoma,a half-hour regionally syndicated program highlighting tourist attractions, events and restaurants produced by theOklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation.[310]The program initially ran on KFOR-TV from 1992 to 1995,[311]and returned to the station in 2014 after a 21-year run at KWTV.[312]

Notable on-air staff[edit]

Current staff[edit]

Former staff[edit]

Technical information[edit]

Subchannels[edit]

The station's signal ismultiplexed:

Subchannels of KFOR-TV[324]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
4.1 1080i 16:9 KFOR-DT NBC
4.2 480i ANT-TV Antenna TV
4.3 Justice True Crime Network
4.4 DABL Dabl
43.1 1080i 16:9 KAUT-DT The CW(KAUT-TV)
Broadcast on behalf of another station

On October 8, 2020,ATSC 3.0Next Gen TV launched in Oklahoma City, with KAUT-TV as the host station and KFOR-TV as one of the feeds offered. KAUT's main subchannel in ATSC 1.0 format was moved onto KFOR-TV's multiplex on that date.[325]

Analog-to-digital conversion[edit]

KFOR-TV began transmitting adigital televisionsignal on UHF channel 27 on June 1, 1999, becoming the first television station in Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma as a whole to begin operating a digital signal; until KFOR-DT began broadcasting on a full-time basis on May 1, 2002, the digital feed only transmitted NBC prime time andsportsprogramming as well as a limited schedule of local programs carried by the main analog signal. The station discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, VHF channel 4, on June 12, 2009, as part of thefederally mandated transition from analog to digital television;the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transitionUHFchannel 27.[326]

Translators[edit]

KFOR-TV is additionally rebroadcast over a network of ninelow-powerdigitaltranslator stations:[324]

Map
  • Transmitter locations for KFOR-TV's translator network. Click on each marker to reveal details.
    • Originating station
    • Low-power translators

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Prior to receiving a commercial license in 1922, WKY operated as experimental station 5XT from 1920 to 1922 and is also regarded as one of the oldest radio stationswest of the Mississippi.
  2. ^TheSixth Report and Orderended a September 1948freezeimposed by the FCC on issuing television station licenses and realigned VHF channel assignments in multiple markets.
  3. ^An OPUBCO corporate brochure from 1967 erroneously attributes the date as in 1951.[271]
  4. ^A 2016Oklahomanstory regarding aNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museumexhibit gave the incorrect date of September 5, 1954, for this event.[275]

References[edit]

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Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]