KERO-TV
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| KERO-TV | |
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| Bakersfield, California | |
| Branding | 23ABC |
| Channels | Analog: 23 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | ABC (since 1996) |
| Owner | McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company, Inc. |
| First air date | September 26, 1953 |
| Call letters’ meaning | KERn County's TV Outlet |
| Former channel number(s) | 10 (1953-1963) |
| Former affiliations | NBC (1953-1984) CBS (1984-1996) |
| Transmitter Power | 1760 kW (analog) 4.6 kW (digital) |
| Height | 1128 m (analog) 1081 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 40878 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.turnto23.com |
KERO-TV is a television station serving Bakersfield, California. It is an ABC affiliate, and transmits on UHF channel 23. It has previously been affiliated with the CBS television network. The station is owned by McGraw-Hill.
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[edit] History
KERO went on the air on September 26, 1953, on VHF channel 10 (now home to KERO's digital signal). The station moved to UHF channel 23 on July 1, 1963 and simulcasted on channels 10 and 23 for two months, channel 10 being shut off at the end of August of the same year. KERO was first owned by a local interest, who sold it to Marietta Broadcasting in 1957. Marietta was absorbed by Transcontinent Broadcasting of Buffalo, New York in 1959. Transcontinent's merger with Taft Television and Radio Co., Inc. in 1964 left the newly-merged company two television stations over the FCC's ownership limit of the time. As a result, Taft divested both of Transcontinent's California stations to separate owners, with KERO going to Time-Life Broadcasting. McGraw-Hill acquired KERO in 1972 along with most of Time-Life Broadcasting's stations. The TV station, along with KERO radio (1230AM) originally broadcast from the lobby of the El Tejon Hotel, which was located at the corner of Truxtun Ave & Chester Ave. KERO later moved to its current studios at 321 21st St.
In August 2006 KERO-TV officially became a duopoly with KZKC-TV, an Azteca America affiliate, which broadcasts on channel 42. At this time, KERO-TV does not plan on airing any local Spanish language news on this channel.
In May 2007, KERO along with its sister stations began to use the same news music of the ABC O&O's Eyewitness News New Generation package and branded themselves as ABC 23, however KERO is not owned or operated by ABC. It is in plans to broadcast their news in HD for the Bakersfield market soon, but that has yet to be determined.
[edit] Network affiliations
KERO was affiliated first with NBC until March 1984, when it switched to CBS. In March 1996, KERO became the second television station in the Bakersfield market (after KGET), and one of a handful of television stations in America, to have been an affiliate of all 3 big networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC), when KERO picked up ABC affiliation from cross-town rival KBAK-TV as part of a corporate affiliation deal between McGraw-Hill and ABC.
[edit] Programming
Former news anchor Burleigh Smith (d.1990) is considered by many to be the father of television news in Bakersfield. Smith produced and anchored at KERO from 1954-1960, and again from 1973-1989.
Other longtime KERO news personalilties include Don Rodewald (who hosted the afternoon movie), George Day, and Sunny Scofield. MSNBC "Live & Direct" host Rita Cosby, was a KERO reporter in the 1980s.
KERO news anchors Jackie Parks and Todd Karli, a husband and wife team, currently anchor KERO 23 News at 6.
Lloyd Lindsay Young joined the station in 2005, as chief weathercaster. He is the father of former KGET weatherman George Lindsay Young. Lloyd grew up in Hollywood, California and has been in the TV/Radio broadcasting business since 1962; starting at Bakersfield radio station KWAK AM 970 in 1962. He also spent 10 years at WWOR TV 9 in New York City. His trademark intro is "Hellooooo (insert city name)". He is also known for his outrageous weather pointers which are sent in by viewers. Submissions are usually outrageous & have ranged from a mannequin leg, to a dildo. His wild weather routine has earned him guest spots on "The Geraldo Rivera Show" and the "Howard Stern Show". In a March 2007 interview of Stern's Sirius Satellite radio show, Stern called Young "the most successful mentally challenged person I've ever met." He is widely considered to be one of the greatest local news weather talents of all time.
One of KERO's best remembered shows was "Cousin Herb's Trading Post", a local variety series in the 1950s. The show's host, Herb Henson (d.1963), was a country musician, and often featured budding country artists like Buck Owens and Tommy Collins, who would come to popularize the "Bakersfield Sound". Another local favorite was The Uncle Woody Show in the 60s and 70s.
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- This Day 19- (1953-1973)
- The News (1973-1981)
- 23 News (1981-present)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- turnto23.com
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KERO
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KERO-TV
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