KPLC
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| KPLC | |
|---|---|
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| Lake Charles, Louisiana | |
| Branding | KPLC 7News |
| Slogan | 7 at Your Service |
| Channels | Analog: 7 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC NBC Weather Plus (DT2) |
| Owner | Raycom Media, Inc. (KPLC License Subsidiary, LLC) |
| First air date | September 1954[1] |
| Call letters’ meaning | Keeping the People of Lake Charles |
| Former callsigns | KPLC-TV (1954-2003) |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 17 kW (digital) |
| Height | 451 m (both) |
| Facility ID | 13994 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.kplctv.com |
KPLC is an NBC affiliate licensed to Lake Charles, Louisiana; also serving Lafayette, Louisiana, broadcasting on analog channel 7. It is owned by Raycom Media, with transmitter facilities located in Fenton, Louisiana.
Contents |
[edit] History of KPLC
KPLC-TV began broadcasting in the summer of 1954. Owner T.B. Lanford of Shreveport had previously signed on KPLC-AM radio and was eager to expand into television.
The station was later purchased by a St. Louis group headed by investor Elliot Stien. He visited KPLC frequently along with his friend, St. Louis Cardinals baseball legend Stan Musial.
In 1970, G. Russell Chambers purchased KPLC-TV from the St. Louis group and dramatically increased the station's coverage by adding a 1,500 foot tower, providing a quality signal for the NBC affiliate as far north as Leesville, as far east as Lafayette and to the Gulf of Mexico. FCC regulations required that the radio stations be sold. Perry Sanders purchased the AM/FM combo and changed its call letters to KLCL.
In 1986, Cosmos Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Liberty Life Insurance Company, took over. KPLC was one of the first television stations in the U.S. to launch its own website in the 1990s.
In 2004, KPLC began broadcasting in digital as well as analog with the launch of KPLC (DT). Later in the year the station launched its first local 24-hour weather channel, "KPLC WeatherPlus." Simultaneously, the station launched a service specifically for cellphones and PDA's, "7 On Your Cell."
In January 2006, Liberty and KPLC were purchased by Raycom Media, which also owns two other Louisiana television stations, KSLA in Shreveport and WAFB in Baton Rouge.
KPLC is consistently one of the nation's most watched television stations, ranking among the top 5 Nielsen-rated stations nationally throughout the year.[citation needed]
[edit] KPLC 7 News Team
- Cynthia Arceneaux (7 News Live @ 5, 7 News @ 6, & 7 News Nightcast News Anchor)
- Marty Briggs (7 News @ 6 & 7 News Nightcast News Anchor)
- John Bridges (7 News Sunrise News Anchor)
- Britney Glaser (7 News Sunrise News Anchor, Healthcast Reporter)
- Evan Johnson ( 7 News Sunrise Reporter, Today Show Newsbreak Anchor, Fill-in Anchor)
- Theresa Schmidt (General Assignment & Environment Reporter)
- Curtis Atkinson, (7 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist - 5 pm, 6pm, & Nightcast)
- Wade Hampton (7 Storm Team Meteorologist - 7 News Sunrise, 7 News @ Noon)
- Kellie Hutchinson (7 Storm Team Meteorologist - Weekends)
[edit] Former News Team Members
- Vince Atkinson (Nightcast Reporter) - Left KPLC in 2007 - Moved to Texas
- Danica Abraham (General Assignments Reporter) - Left KPLC in 2007 - No word on her leaving
- Liberty Schauf (Noon & 5pm Producer) - Left KPLC in 2007 - No word on her leaving
- Jordan Sandler (Sports Reporter) - Left KPLC in 2007 - Moved to South Carolina
- Rhonda Kitchens (Reporter / Weekend News Anchor) - Left KPLC in 2007 - Moved to California then back to Lake Charles; Now working at KYKZ-FM (KYKZ 96)
- Laila Marcos (Sunrise News Anchor, Healthcast Reporter) - Left KPLC in 2007 - Moved back to New Orleans and WGNO-TV
- Garrett Lumpkin (Sports Anchor) - Left KPLC in 2007 - No word on his leaving
- Pam Dixon (Noon News Anchor, Education Reporter) - Left KPLC in 2007 - Became an educator at the Lake Charles Academy of Learning
[edit] KPLC News Programs
- 7 News Sunrise (Mon - Fri at 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM)
- Midday (Mon - Fri at 11:30 AM)
- 7 News @ Noon (Mon - Fri at 12:00 PM)
- Live @ 5 (Mon - Fri at 5:00 PM)
- 7 News @ 6 (Mon - Sat at 6:00 PM)
- 7 News Nightcast (Sun - Sat at 10:00 PM)
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- In March 2004 while workers were installing a new transmission tower in high winds, the old transmission tower fell, causing a service disruption lasting about two weeks to over-the-air viewers in Southwest Louisiana. Service to cable customers was not interrupted due to the station's signal being delivered by fiber lines. A lower-power temporary tower was erected on top the station's broadcast studios a couple of days after the tower fell, allowing viewers within a few miles of the station to again receive the signal over-the-air.
- During Hurricane Rita, which struck in September 2005, the station delivered around-the-clock news from a temporary, makeshift studio in a safer location than its normal studios in downtown Lake Charles.
- Game show announcer and host Bob Hilton started his career at KPLC.
- During 7 News Sunrise in the summer, John Bridges son, Jacob Bridges, helps out on cooking and previews for games.
[edit] External links
- Official homepage
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KPLC
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KPLC-TV
[edit] References
- ^ The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook does not give an exact date, while the Television and Cable Factbook says September 29.
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