KCTV

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KCTV
Kansas City, Missouri
Branding	KCTV 5
Slogan	Live. Late-Breaking. Investigative.
Channels	Analog: 5 (VHF) Digital: 24 (UHF)
Affiliations	CBS
Owner	Meredith Corporation
First air date	September 27, 1953
Call letters’ meaning	Kansas City's TeleVision
Sister station(s)	KSMO-TV
Former callsigns	KCMO-TV (1953-1983)
Former affiliations	Primary: ABC (1953-1955) Secondary: DuMont (1953-1955)
Transmitter Power	100 kW (analog) 1000 kW (digital)
Height	342 m (analog) 319.3 m (digital)
Facility ID	41230
Transmitter Coordinates	39°4′14.4″N, 94°34′57.5″W
Website	www.kctv5.com

For the North Korean TV channel, see Korean Central Television.

KCTV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Kansas City metropolitan area. Licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, the station broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 5 and a digital signal on UHF channel 24. KCTV is owned by the Meredith Corporation as part of a duopoly with the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate KSMO-TV. The two stations share studios located on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway, Kansas. KCTV is known on-air as "KCTV 5".

KCTV's transmitter tower is a 317.6-meter-high free-standing steel framework tower for FM and television broadcasting that is located on Union Hill south of Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

[edit] History

Channel 5 debuted on September 27, 1953 as KCMO-TV (for Kansas City, MissOuri). The station was owned by the KCMO Broadcasting Corporation along with KCMO-AM (then at 810 kHz, now at 710 kHz). It was originally an ABC affiliate with DuMont programming. A week after its launch, Meredith Broadcasting bought KCMO-AM-TV. ^[1] In 1955, it took the CBS affiliation from KMBC-TV.

Its call letters were changed to the current KCTV in 1983 when Meredith sold off KCMO-AM-FM. At the same time, the station moved from its studios (now occupied by KCPT) located next to its landmark tower (see below) to its current studios in Fairway,Kansas.

In 2005, Meredith Broadcasting purchased the area's WB affiliate KSMO-TV. That fall, KCTV began producing a daily 9 PM newscast for KSMO to compete with WDAF-TV's nightly 9 PM newscast.

In May of 2006, KCTV acquired a new helicopter called "Chopper 5".

[edit] Tower

KCTV's transmitter tower.

This OR is wrong. This hasn't always been used as a Weather Tower during that period. This Section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (November 2007)

KCTV's 1,042-foot transmitter tower, located at its former studios (now home to KCPT) on East 31st Street on Union Hill south of downtown Kansas City, is a widely recognized Kansas City landmark. This is due largely in part to the string lights on the four corners of the tower that can be seen for miles around at night. It is so recognized that, for a time, it was the official logo of KCTV. From the 1970s until September 11, 2001, KCTV flashed the lights on the tower due to inclement weather in Kansas City and the immediate surrounding communities in three sections:

• top third flashing = thunderstorm watch / tornado watch / winter weather advisory
• two thirds flashing = thunderstorm warning / winter weather warning
• all lights flashing = tornado warning / highly threatening weather

After the September 11 attacks, KCTV changed the tower to red-white-blue, with the top third red and the bottom third blue.

KCTV's transmitter tower as seen from Liberty Memorial.

The lights on the tower went dark for a period, until all of the light bulbs could be changed. On July 1, 2006, KCTV turned the tower back on in all white lights, as it had originally been until the 1970s. It has stayed that way ever since. It is yet to be determined whether the tower will flash in the same manner it had before September 11, 2001.

The tower is similar to the KQTV 750 foot (228.6 m) high tower in St. Joseph, Missouri. That station also began broadcasting on September 27, 1953.

[edit] Branding

As featured in news footage from the 1960s, KCMO branded itself as "Television 5". The branding was simplified to "TV 5" when the "Eyewitness News" format was adopted and continued into the 1980s. When Meredith separated KCMO radio from KCMO-TV, the "KCTV" calls were adopted based on the familiarity of the "TV 5" branding. A font similar to that of co-owned WNEM-TV was then adopted and a new slogan brought forth: "TV 5 Loves You".

The advertised "TV 5" branding ended in 1990 when a new logo was adopted and KCTV took on the "Kansas City's News" slogan, simply taking on the "KCTV Kansas City" branding. Its logo, however, continues to subtly advertise its commonly known former branding, "TV 5" by changing the font of "TV" (as done when the "TV 5" branding was dropped from 1990-1999), bolding the "TV" (as done from 1999-2002), or connecting "T" to "V" (as seen in the current logo).

In 1993, KCTV dropped "Kansas City's News" and adopted "In Kansas City, '5' stands for News" as its new slogan. Its newscasts were branded as "News 5". However, KCTV still branded itself as "KCTV Kansas City".

KCTV took on its current "KCTV 5" branding upon a logo redesign in September of 1999.

[edit] Programming

Over the years, KCTV would preempt moderate amounts of CBS programming such as some morning daytime shows, Sunday morning cartoons, a couple Saturday morning cartoons, an occasional primetime show, and some late night shows prior to David Letterman's arrival to CBS in 1993. Today, KCTV still runs a large amount of local news along with most every CBS show. The only CBS program it currently regularly pre-empts is The Saturday Early Show in favor of "KCTV 5 News This Weekend". However, it has been shown in years past as a brief back-up in the event of technical difficulty.

KCTV and its News Director, Regent Ducas, have come under fire in recent years for bringing what some call tabloid-style reporting to the market. "Live. Late-breaking. Investigative." became KCTV's new slogan in September of 2002 (also the slogan of sister KPHO), six months after Regent's hiring. A year later, the station's sports department was shut down and sports news was outsourced to Metro Sports, a local cable channel operated by Time Warner cable, with most of the KCTV former sports staff making the move.

As a result of the station's "new direction", several high profile anchors and reporters left the station including Anne Peterson, Russell Kinsaul (who is now working across the state in St. Louis), and Dave Helling.

A May 26, 2007 article in The Kansas City Star revealed the turbulence behind KCTV's move to become the #1 newscast producer in the market. A lawsuit, filed by a longtime newscast director, alleges that the station's owners engaged in systematic harassment and dismissal of older workers. The judge denied KCTV's move to dismiss the suit and the station settled with the plaintiff, according to an article in the newspaper. ^{[2] [3]}

[edit] Controversial programming

KCTV has not shied away from reporting on controversial topics, two of which were featured nationally by CBS. KCTV aired a seven-part series in February of 2004 that exposed the dangers children can face in internet chat rooms. A group called "Perverted Justice" posed as minors in chat rooms and waited for adult men to proposition them for sex. The "minors" then invited the men to meet them at a house where KCTV was waiting. Dateline NBC later used "Perverted Justice" as the basis for its To Catch A Predator series.

After the series aired, local law enforcement made a new effort to police chat rooms and prosecute men who attempt to meet minors for sex through the internet. None of the people "stung" by KCTV could be charged in these cases because the operation was done without police involvement.

In June of 2005, KCTV exposed a doctor's negligent handling of private medical records. A scavenger gave the station a computer found at the curb of a Mission Hills, Kansas plastic surgeon's home. The plastic surgeon claimed he erased the patients' information from the computer. However, only the computer's random access memory was removed. The computer's hard drive was intact and contained photos and files on many patients.

KCTV attempted to contact several of the patients whose information was found on the discarded computer. The surgeon sued, citing that interviewing the patients violated medical confidentiality. The judge ruled in favor of the doctor, though KCTV took the case to federal court in Kansas City, Kansas. The doctor withdrew his lawsuit, and the story aired on June 30.

As a result of this story, several of the surgeon's patients filed a class action lawsuit against him for negligent handling of their confidential records.

[edit] Ratings

In November of 2004, KCTV won the coveted 10 PM news race, unseating KMBC-TV for the first time in a decade. However, in November of 2006 KCTV dropped back to second place at 10 PM. The station remains in third place at 5 and 6 PM after KMBC-TV and WDAF-TV. KCTV continues to win the Noon newscast period (against WDAF-TV), but once again finishes third in the morning.

In February of 2007, KCTV regained the top spot at 10 PM and most of its other newscasts made viewership gains as well. [1]

In November 2007, KCTV shared the #1 10 PM ranking^[4], tied with KMBC.

[edit] Awards and honors

KCTV's news team has been honored with the Mid-America Emmy award for overall news excellence, the Edward R. Murrow Award for overall news excellence, and multiple awards for its investigative reporting.

[edit] Notable personalities

[edit] Current news team

KCTV produces three newscasts for KSMO. On the weekdays, there is one at 7 AM and one at 9 PM. On the weekends, there is one at 9 PM.

Anchors

• Chris Pisano - weekday morings and Noon
• Carolyn Long - weekdays at noon and 4pm
• Brad Stephens - weekdays at 4, 5, 6 and 10 PM on KCTV and at 9 PM on KSMO
• Dana Wright - weekday mornings
• Karen Fuller - weeknights at 5, 6, 9 (on KSMO), and 10 PM
• Matt Stewart - weekend mornings (also reporter)
• Surae Chinn - weekend mornings (also reporter)
• Craig Nigrelli - weekend evenings (also reporter)
• Amy Anderson - weekend evenings (also reporter)
• Shaun Broyls - weekend evenings (also reporter)

Reporters

• Rhiannon Ally - weekday morning traffic reporter
• Ash-har Quraishi - chief investigative reporter
• Betsy Webster - 10 PM reporter
• Ty Wilson - afternoon reporter
• Ty Chandler
• Eric Chaloux
• Liana Joyce
• Jeanene Kiesling
• Sandra Olivas
• Heather Staggers
• Tom Wait
• Sophia Wharton

Storm Track 5 meteorologists

• Katie Horner (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
• Gary Amble (AMS Seal of Approval) - weekday mornings and Noon
• Devon Lucie (AMS Certified) - weekend evenings
• Julie Broski, KCTV5 News Weekend mornings meteorologist

Sports (broadcasted out of Metro Sports)

• Leif Lisec - weeknights (also sports reporter)

[edit] Former personnel

• Michael Scott, 5, 6, 9 (on 62), and 10 PM anchor until December 1, 2006 [2], now at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, AL
• Karen Foss, 6 and 10 PM anchor, (moved to KSDK in St. Louis, now retired)
• Mike Thompson, Chief Meteorologist (moved to WDAF-TV)
• Fred Broski, "KCTV5 News This Weekend" morning meteorologist
• Stan Cramer, "Call For Action" Segments
• Tracy Townsend, (moved to WBBM-TV in Chicago, now at WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio)
• Wendall Anchsutz, 5 and 10 PM anchor at time of retirement
• Jack Harry, Sports reporter (moved to KSHB-TV)
• Don Fortune, Sports reporter (retired)
• Lili Shank, 5 PM anchor
• Kathy Quinn, "KCTV5 News This Morning" traffic reporter (moved to WDAF-TV)
• Valissa Smith, "KCTV5 News This Weekend" morning anchor
• Dee Griffin, Weekend 6 and 10 PM anchor (later at WPTY)
• Brian Curtis, "KCTV5 News This Morning" weekday anchor (later at KXAS-TV)
• Barbara Porter, Weekend 6 and 10 PM anchor
• Bob Thill, "KCTV5 News This Weekend" morning anchor
• Anne Peterson, 5 and 6 PM anchor (later at KSHB-TV)
• Russell Kinsaul, 6 and 10 PM anchor (later at KMOV in St. Louis)
• Krista Klaus, reporter and anchor (went to KMBC-TV; now at WFLA-TV in Tampa Bay)
• William Jackson, Sports director, ousted with the KCTV sports dept. (now with Comcast Sportsnet-Chicago)
• Tim Vetscher, Moved to KNXV-TV in Phoenix, AZ
• Bruce Thomas, Weekend 6 and 10 PM meteorologist
• Dave Helling, 4 PM and Weekend 6 and 10 PM anchor (later at Kansas City Star)
• Ted Textor, Weekend 6 & 10 PM meteorologist
• Ally Francis, "More in the Morning" traffic anchor, resigned after being indicted for federal wire fraud[3]

[edit] News/Station presentation

[edit] Newscast titles

• The Ford News (1953-1956)
• Your Esso Reporter (1956-1962)
• National News (1962-1966)
• Eyewitness News (1966-1984)
• Kansas City's News (1984-1993)
• News 5 (1993-1999)
• KCTV 5 News (1999-present)

[edit] Station slogans

• "We're Part of Your Life" (1970's)
• "Hello Kansas City" (Early 80's)
• "Gimme 5" (1984)
• "The Team That Always Takes You One Step Further" (1980's)
• "Kansas City's Television" (1983-1993)
• "5 Stands For News" (1993-1997)
• "News That Makes A Difference" (1999-2002)
• "Live. Late-breaking. Investigative." (2002-present)

[edit] Logos

Used From 1970 to 1972 On KCMO-5.	KCTV's "heart logo" from 1983-1990.	KCTV's logo from 1993-1999.	KCTV's logo from 1999-2002.
Current KCTV logo used since 2002.

[edit] External links

• Station Website
• KSMO Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KCTV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KCTV-TV

[edit] References

Coordinates: 39°4′14.37″N, 94°34′57.53″W