KALB-TV
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| KALB-TV | |
|---|---|
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| Alexandria, Louisiana | |
| Branding | NewsChannel 5 CBS Alexandria (on DT2) |
| Slogan | On Your Side Your Eye on Central Louisiana (on DT2) |
| Channels | |
| Subchannels | 5.1 NBC 5.2 CBS |
| Owner | Hoak Media Corporation (Hoak Media Of Alexandria License, LLC) |
| First air date | September 29, 1954 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Know Alexandria, Louisana Better |
| Former channel number(s) | 5 (VHF analog, 1954-2009) |
| Former affiliations | DuMont (1954-1955) ABC (1954-1957) CBS (1954-1957) all secondary |
| Transmitter Power | 1,000 kW |
| Height | 457 m |
| Facility ID | 51598 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 31°2′15.6″N 92°29′45.3″W / 31.037667°N 92.495917°W |
| Website | kalb.com |
KALB-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Alexandria, Louisiana. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from a transmitter southeast of Forest Hill. Although the station no longer airs an over-the-air analog signal, it can be seen on Suddenlink cable channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 730 with the PSIP data striped out. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation, KALB has studios on Washington Street in downtown Alexandria. Syndicated programming on the station includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Oprah, and Ellen. KALB operates the area's CBS affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as CBS Alexandria, it is also offered on Suddenlink cable channel 2 and in high definition on digital channel 715. KALB-DT2 broadcasts the entire CBS schedule and syndicated programming such as: Access Hollywood, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and Judge Alex. There is no separate website for the CBS station.
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[edit] History
KALB began its broadcasting on September 29, 1954 with NBC's broadcast of the 1954 World Series. The station has been an affiliate with the network from the very first day although it also carried programs from CBS and ABC until 1957 plus DuMont until that network folded in 1955. In 1957, the station was bought by Red River Valley Broadcasting that was owned by Shreveport businessman T.B. Lanford. Park Communications purchased KALB in 1993 and merged with Media General in 1997. It began broadcasting in stereo in 1988. The station launched its digital signal on UHF channel 35 in 2002. On October 29, 2007, Media General announced that it was exploring the sale of KALB. On March 14, 2008, Media General reached an agreement to sell KALB and its sister station, WMBB in Panama City, Florida, to Hoak Media Corporation. The deal was closed on July 16. On February 17, 2009, KALB turned off its analog feed on channel 5 and now only operates in digital on channel 35. However, through PSIP, digital tuners show KALB's virtual channel as its former analog channel 5.
After the conversion to digital, FCC coverage maps now show that many parishes can no longer receive the signal. Many customers no longer receive the signal in the daytime and have dropouts. Originally, the station broadcasted a digital signal from a transmitter in downtown Alexandria. KALB is one of the country's most dominant stations in part because it was the only commercial station in town until KLAX-TV signed on in 1983. Alexandria is sandwiched between Monroe and El Dorado, Arkansas to the north, Baton Rouge to the east, Shreveport to the west, plus Lafayette and Lake Charles to the south. This created a large "doughnut" in central Louisiana where there could be only one VHF license. When cable arrived in the market in the 1970s, cable companies supplemented the area with stations from those cities. Before CBS began broadcasting on KALB-DT2, central Louisiana viewers watched CBS on cable from KLFY-TV in Lafayette, KNOE-TV in Monroe, or WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge.
[edit] Newscasts
KALB operates a fairly large news department for a market of its size resulting in a higher-quality news product than conventional wisdom would suggest for a station in the 169th market. It currently leads KLAX by a wide margin. The station's newscasts are known as NewsChannel 5. KALB-DT2 airs one live newscast weeknights at 5:30. It operates its own weather radar, known as "Sky Warn 5 Live Doppler", at Alexandria International Airport. KALB's News Director is Michele Godard who can occasionally be seen during breaking news and special projects.
[edit] Newscast titles
- Your Esso Reporter (1954-1961)
- The Central Louisiana Report (1961-1966)
- The Sixth Hour Report / The Eleventh Hour Report (1966-1971)
- TV-5 News (1971-1978)
- Region 5 News (1978-1984)
- News Central 5 (1984-1994)
- NewsChannel 5 (1994-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- TV-5, We're Central Louisiana's Station (early 1970s)
- Turn to TV-5 (late 1970s)
- TV-5, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981, local version of NBC campaign)
- Central Louisiana's #1 News Team (1970s-1990s)
- On Your Side (2005-present)
[edit] News team
Anchors
- Alan Quartemont - weekday mornings and Noon
- reporter and part-time videographer
- Dale Hoffman - weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, and 10
- reporter
- Diana Raphael - weeknights at 6 and 10
- reporter
- Leigh Culbert - weekends
- special projects and general assignment reporter
Sky Warn 5 Meteorologists
- Tom Konvicka (AMS Member) - Chief seen weeknights and Sunday nights
- Sara Black - weekday mornings and noon and Saturday Nights
Sports
- Mark Hamblen - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10
- Sharief Ishaq - weekends and reporter
Reporters
- Bryant Ferguson - photojournalist
- Chris Blalock - photographer
- Mike Magnoli - crime and military
- Nancy Henry - website
- Joel Massey
[edit] Trivia
- on the June 12 2009 the digital signal from KPRC-TV Houston,_Texas ch35 was so strong that viewers woke up to find Ch2.1 in place of KALB-TV Ch5.1 on digital convertor boxes as both channels broadcast on digital ch 35.
[edit] External links
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