KDFW
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| KDFW | |
|---|---|
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| Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas | |
| Branding | Fox 4 (general) Fox 4 News (newscasts) |
| Slogan | The News Station Now You Know |
| Channels | |
| Affiliations | Fox |
| Owner | Fox Television Stations, Inc. (KDFW License, Inc.) |
| First air date | December 3, 1949 |
| Call letters’ meaning | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| Sister station(s) | KDFI |
| Former callsigns | KRLD-TV (1949-1970) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 4 (1949-2009) |
| Former affiliations | CBS (1949-1995) |
| Transmitter Power | 857 kW |
| Height | 510 m |
| Facility ID | 33770 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | 32°35′6″N 96°58′41″W / 32.585°N 96.97806°W |
| Website | www.myfoxdfw.com |
KDFW, channel 4 (digital 35), is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area. The station is licensed to Dallas and the main business offices and studios are located downtown. The station's transmitter is located in Cedar Hill. It is co-owned with MyNetworkTV affiliate KDFI, channel 27, as well as Fox Sports Southwest.
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[edit] History
The station signed on as CBS affiliate KRLD-TV on December 3, 1949, owned by the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald newspaper, which also operated KRLD radio (1080 kHz.). Channel 4 was the third television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area to sign-on, following Dallas-based KBTV (now WFAA-TV) earlier in 1949, and Fort Worth-based WBAP-TV (now KXAS-TV) in 1948.
KRLD-TV served as the home base for the CBS network's coverage of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, led by Dan Rather, on November 22, 1963. News director Eddie Barker was the first person to announce Kennedy's death on television, passing along word from a Parkland Hospital official. (Because of a local pool arrangement, Barker's scoop appeared live simultaneously on CBS and ABC.)
KRLD-TV's transmission tower in Cedar Hill, which was 586 feet tall and was considered the highest television transmission tower in the world, was hit by a military helicopter doing training exercises in 1968. The two passengers survived, but the tower had to be reconstructed.
Federal Communications Commission rules at the time prevented common ownership of newspapers and broadcast outlets in the same market, and the combination of KRLD-AM-TV and the Dallas Times-Herald was protected under a grandfather clause from forced divestiture. However, the newspaper and its broadcast holdings were sold to the Los Angeles-based Times-Mirror Company on May 15, 1970 for $30 million. As a result of the sale, Times-Mirror could not keep the Times-Herald's grandfathered protection for the radio and television stations, but was granted a waiver to keep the newspaper together with the television station, which was renamed KDFW-TV on July 2, 1970. KRLD radio was sold to Metromedia soon thereafter; the newspaper was sold off in 1986, and was shut down five years later. In 1993, KDFW and the other Times-Mirror stations were sold to Argyle in a group deal. Early in 1994, KDFW began managing a struggling station, KDFI, which was rebroadcasting KDFW's newscasts in different time slots.
In late 1993, when Fox gained the contract from CBS to carry the NFC package of the National Football League, New World Communications reached an agreement to make for its stations to make the big switch to the network. Afterwards, New World bought out Argyle, which owned KDFW along with sister stations KTVI in St Louis, WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama, and KTBC in Austin. When that buyout was final, KDFW, along with KTBC and KTVI switched affiliations to Fox on July 1, 1995 -- while WVTM remained affiliated with NBC because former ABC affiliate WBRC in the same market was sold directly to Fox (WVTM was subsequently sold to NBC before being purchased by current owner Media General). Upon the network switch, the Cowboys football games moved back to KDFW after a one year absence; KDFW as a CBS affiliate carried the Cowboys through 1993, after which the NFC package moved from CBS to Fox. The CBS affiliation moved to KTVT, and former Fox O&O station KDAF (which Fox sold to Renaissance, later Tribune Company) took The WB affiliation from KXTX. News Corporation purchased KDFW and its LMA with KDFI in a group deal in early 1997. Like most New World-owned stations, KDFW did not pick up Fox Kids; it stayed with KDAF until 1997 when Fox Kids moved to KDFI. (Fox/NewsCorp eventually bought KDFI outright in 2000.) KDFW is not the only Fox O&O to replace a previous Fox O&O (KDAF); sister station WAGA in Atlanta replaced WATL during the Fox/New World agreement in 1994. KDFW and KDFI are the only network O&O's (albeit a duopoly) based in Dallas.
With Fox switching from a UHF to a VHF position, Dallas-Fort Worth became the first market at the time where all "Big Four" affiliates are on the VHF dial alongside New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Miami, Las Vegas and Seattle. Portland and Minneapolis-St. Paul would not join suit until 2002.
KDFW broadcasts close to 50 hours of local news a week along with prime time Fox programming, sports, syndicated talk, court and reality shows. By the very late 1990s, the station also began to broadcast a few off-network sitcoms. When the station switched networks in 1995, it was known as Fox 4 TEXAS. It is now known as Fox 4: The News Station.
Under Fox ownership, KDFW is the alternate flagship of Texas Rangers baseball as KDFI is the official flagship; Fox Sports Net also broadcasts some games as well.
[edit] Digital Television
After the analog television shutdown of June 12, 2009 [1], KDFW-DT remains on channel 35 [2] PSIP is used to display KDFW's virtual channel as 4 on digital television receivers. Their analog signal was nightlighting until July 12, 2009.[3]
[edit] Programming
Being a network O&O, KDFW airs the entire Fox network schedule (primetime, Saturday late night and sports programming, and the political talk show Fox News Sunday). Syndicated programming includes talk shows (such as Live with Regis and Kelly, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet and The Tyra Banks Show), court shows (such as Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown and Cristina's Court), newsmagazines (such as Access Hollywood), sitcoms (such as Seinfeld), off-network dramas (such as Stargate: Atlantis) and weekend morning children's shows. The station began to broadcast a few off-network sitcoms by the late 1990s (though for a brief period during the mid-2000s, no off-network sitcoms were on its schedule -- a rarity for a Fox station). Some of the syndicated court shows airing on the station air in both daytime and late night.
KDFW is also the 'official station' of the Dallas Cowboys, airing shows involving the team, including the head coach's weekly show, the Dallas Cowboys postgame show and specials, such as the Making of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Calendar and post-season team reviews. KDFW is also the alternate flagship station for Texas Rangers baseball; sister station KDFI (channel 27) is the official flagship, and Fox Sports Net also broadcasts some Rangers games.
[edit] News Operation
KDFW broadcasts a total of 44 hours of local news a week (7½ hours on weekdays, four hours on Saturdays and 2½ hours on Sundays), more than any other station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the most of any television station in Texas. From the time KDFW became a Fox affiliate (and later owned-and-operated station) in 1995, the station has placed more emphasis on local news; maintaining a newscast schedule that is very similar to a CBS, ABC, or NBC affiliated station, along with the added 5:30 and 9PM newscasts and the additional two hours of news on weekday mornings.
KDFW is one of a steadily growing number of Fox stations with a newscast in the traditional late news timeslot (with Texas being located in the Central time zone, at 10PM in KDFW's case), in addition to the primetime (9PM) newscast, along with one of the few to continue their Big Three-era 10PM (or 11PM) newscast after the affiliation switch. In 2006, Fox Television Stations Group started to push expansion into that time slot (sister station KTBC in Austin had a 10PM newscast for years after switching to Fox, which was moved to 9PM in 2000). After the switch, KDFW's 10PM newscast was scaled back to weeknights only (Fox late night programming airs on Saturdays at 10PM, while the sports wrap-up show "FOX4 Sports Sunday" airs Sundays in that timeslot). It is likely that Fox will have all of its Owned-and-operated stations add these later newscasts within the next few years (at least half of the Fox O&Os already have added newscasts at 11PM (ET/PT)/10PM (CT/MT)).
Starting in 2006, the Fox-owned stations began revamping their sets and graphics to be more closely aligned with Fox News Channel. The stations now have standardized logos that resemble Fox News Channel's. KDFW debuted the new logo, set, graphics and news music (OSI Music's FOX Affiliate News Package, formerly WTVT NewsEdge Theme) on September 20, 2006 on their 9PM newscast. The station also launched a new website, which features more news and video with the "myfox" name and interface (the "My" in the "myfox" name may be a reference to MySpace, which Fox's parent News Corporation owns).
On February 18, 2009 at noon, KDFW became the fifth station in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to broadcast local news in High Definition, thus leaving KDAF (channel 33, a CW affiliate [and the Metroplex's original Fox O&O] owned by Tribune Company) as the only local English-language television station not to broadcast their newscasts in HD.
[edit] FOX4 Notable Personalities
[edit] Current On-Air Talent
(as of July 1, 2009)
Current Anchors
- Steve Eagar - weeknights at 5:30, 6 and 9PM
- Dan Godwin - Noon weekdays and Saturday mornings "Good Day"
- Heather Hays - weeknights at 6 and 9PM
- Baron James - weeknights at 5 and 10PM
- Richard Ray - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5, and weekends at 9PM
- Tim Ryan - weekday mornings "Good Day"
- Natalie Solis - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5, and weekends at 9PM
- Clarice Tinsley - weeknights at 5 and 10PM
Reporters
- Fil Alvarado - general assignment reporter
- Dionne Anglin - general assignment reporter
- Adrian Arambulo - general assignment reporter
- Lari Barager - general assignment reporter
- Melissa Cutler - general assignment reporter
- Peter Daut - general assignment reporter
- Saul Garza - general assignment reporter and "What's Buggin' You" feature reporter
- Matt Grubs - general assignment reporter
- Krystle Gutierrez - general assignment reporter
- Lynn Kawano - general assignment reporter
- Emily Lopez - general assignment reporter
- Doug Luzader - Fox News Washington D.C. correspondent
- Steve Noviello - "FOX4 On Your Side" consumer reporter
- Becky Oliver - investigative reporter
- Shawn Rabb - general assignment reporter
- James Rose - general assignment reporter and "Street Squad" feature reporter
- Brandon Todd - general assignment reporter
- Chip Waggoner - traffic reporter; seen weekdays 5-9AM and 5-6PM
4WARN Weather Team
- Dan Henry (AMS Certified) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6, 9 and 10PM
- Ron Jackson (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend mornings "Good Day", Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5, and weekends at 9PM
- Evan Andrews (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Good Day" and noon
- Fiona Gorostiza - Weather Anchor; weekdays at noon
Sports Team
- Mike Doocy - Sports Anchor; weeknights at 6, 9 and 10PM (also "Sports Sunday" host)
- Max Morgan - Sports Reporter & Weekend Anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5, and weekends at 9PM
[edit] KDFW alumni
- Paul Adrian - Investigative Reporter
- Rebecca Aguilar - Reporter (1994-2008)
- Howard Ballou - weekend anchor/reporter (1989-1991 now weekday anchor/reporter WLBT in Jackson)
- Ashleigh Banfield - anchor (1995-2000, now at TruTV)
- Eddie Barker - newscaster (1949-1972)
- Gary Bazner - weather anchor (1978-1982, deceased)
- Steve Bosh - anchor (1984-1990, now a reporter at KUSI-TV in San Diego)
- Bill Brown - reporter (1970s, now in public relations)
- Jack Brown - "Jack Brown's Texas" feature reporter (1980-1998, deceased)
- Mike Burger - meteorologist (1989-1996, now at KTVT)
- Todd Carruth - Team Traffic
- Bill Ceverha - anchor/reporter (1962-1972, served as Republican member of Texas House from 1977-1989)
- Bill Clarke - consumer reporter (1974-1975, now at KMGH-TV in Denver)
- Paul Crane - sports anchor (1983-1992, now at Cox Sports Television in New Orleans)
- Katherine Creag - reporter (2002-2005, now at WNYW-TV in New York)
- Jeff Crilley - longtime General Assignment Reporter
- John Criswell - anchor (1990-1997)
- Steve Crocker - anchor (1995-1998, now at WBRC-TV in Birmingham)
- Warren Culbertson - meteorologist (1963-1984); deceased
- Ryan Davis - Sky 4- Aerial Photojournalist (1996-2000)
- Steve Dawson - anchor (1984-1986)
- Ted Dawson - sports anchor (1987-1995, now a sports anchor at KIDK-TV in Idaho Falls, ID)
- John Discepolo - Sports Anchor (2000-2001, now a sports anchor at WCBS 2 in New York.
- Sam Donaldson - announcer (1959-1960, now with ABC News in Washington, D.C.)
- Jack Dubberley - station announcer; weekend weather anchor
- Jack Harrison - weather anchor
- Linda Edwards - anchor/reporter (1990-1997, now a communications consultant)
- Bobby Estill - sports anchor (1992)
- Walter Evans - anchor (1963-1993)
- Wayne Freedman - reporter (1980-1981, now at KGO-TV in San Francisco)
- Warren Fulks - reporter/anchor
- John Gilbert - Capitol Bureau reporter (now at KCEN-TV in Waco)
- Bud Gillett - reporter (1978-2000, now at KTVT)
- Eric Glasser - anchor (1995-2005, now at WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach)
- Frank Glieber - sports reporter/anchor, later at CBS Sports and deceased
- Sylvia Gomez - reporter/anchor (1990-1992)
- Cynthia Gouw - weekend anchor/reporter (1993-1994)
- Patricia Guillermo-General Assignment Reporter (1996-1998)Now a screenplay writer.
- Judd Hambrick - anchor (1972-1973)
- John Hammarley: Medical Reporter (1996-2008)
- Dale Hansen - sports anchor (1980-1983, now at WFAA-TV)
- Barbara Harrison - anchor/reporter (1979-1980, now at WRC-TV in Washington, DC)
- Tim Heller - chief meteorologist (1994-2002, now at KTRK-TV in Houston)
- Megan Henderson Good Day Anchor (2003-2009) Now doing mornings on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.
- Craig James - sports anchor (1992-1993), now at CBS Sports
- Dick Johnson - anchor (1976-1982, now at WMAQ-TV in Chicago)
- Judy Jordan Greene - anchor (1966-1980, now at KYTX-TV in Tyler)
- Kim Keelor - anchor (mid 1990s)
- Su Keenan - reporter (1980s)
- Kimberly Kennedy - anchor (1992, now at WSB-TV in Atlanta)
- Stephanie Lucero - reporter, now at KTVT-TV
- Bill Mercer - sportscaster/wrestling announcer (1953-1964), later Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers announcer
- Kevin McCarthy - sports reporter (1981-1986), later worked on KLIF radio and Dallas Mavericks PA announcer, now co-hosts weekend automotive show on WBAP radio
- Marlene McClinton - anchor/reporter (1980-1984)
- Stan Miller - anchor/reporter (1985-1986)
- Chip Moody - anchor (1980-1984, deceased)
- Jason Overstreet - Metro North Bureau
- Bob Phillips - hosted 4 Country Reporter, later at WFAA-TV, now host of Texas Country Reporter
- George Riba - sports reporter (1975-1977, now at WFAA-TV)
- Dick Risenhoover - sports anchor (1970-1973, later Texas Rangers broadcaster, deceased)
- Erika Ruiz - reporter (1999-2004, now at KRQE in Albuquerque)
- Cameron Sanders - reporter (?-1988)
- Hosea Sanders - weekend anchor/reporter (1981-1986, now at WLS-TV in Chicago)
- Scott Sayres - Business News Reporter
- Dale Schornack - anchor/reporter (1991-1995, now at KXTV in Sacramento)
- Wayne Shattuck - meteorologist (1981-1984, now at WFTS-TV in Tampa)
- Brett Shipp - investigative reporter (1990-1992, now at WFAA-TV)
- Sara Sidner - reporter (was at KTVU in San Francisco 2004-2007, now at CNN in the New Dehli, India bureau)
- James Spann - meteorologist in mid 1980's, now at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham
- Casey Stegall - reporter (2005-2007, now correspondent at Fox News Channel in Los Angeles)
- Steve Stoler - reporter (1985-2002, now at WFAA-TV)
- Maria Sotolongo: Noon Weather Anchor (2003-2008)
- Bill Swanbeck - sports anchor (1986-1987)
- Julia Jackson-Somers - morning anchor/reporter (1992-2003, now Julie Sommers and at WPLG-TV in Miami)
- Roger Twibell - sports reporter (1975-1976, now at ABC Sports and ESPN)
- Scott Wapner - business news reporter (now with CNBC)
- Phyllis Watson - anchor (1995-1998)
- Ray Walker - anchor (1973-1978)
- Barbara White - reporter (1981-2005), later at WFAA-TV
- Dick Wheeler - anchor/reporter
- Charlie Wilson - reporter (1968-1991, deceased)
- Wes Wise - sports anchor (1961-1968), former Mayor of Dallas, Texas
- Bill Woods - station announcer
- Nita Wiggins: Sports Reporter
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- The Esso Reporter (1949-1963)
- Big City News (1963-1968, 5:30 p.m. newscast)
- Nightly News (1963-1968, 10 p.m. newscast)
- NewsScene (1968-1975, 5 p.m. newscast)
- 24 Hours (1968-1978, 10 p.m. newscast)
- Eyewitness News (1975-1978)
- Channel 4 News (1978-1980)
- News 4 Dallas-Fort Worth (1980-1984)
- Channel 4 News (1984-1990)
- News 4 Texas (1990-1997; KDFW kept this news title after switch to Fox in 1995)
- Fox 4 News (1997-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- Eyewitness News: Dallas/Fort Worth's #1 News Team (1975-1978)
- Hello Dallas (1980s-1989, during period station used Frank Gari's Hello News)
- Reach for the Stars on Channel 4 (1981-1982, local version of CBS campaign)
- Share The Spirit (1986, local version of CBS campaign)
- Channel 4 News, Working For You (1989)
- Believing in Texas (1989)
- Your 24 Hour News Source (1990-1995)
- Fox 4 Texas (1995-1997)
- Fox 4: The News Station (1997-present)
- Now You Know (2009-present)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf
- ^ CDBS Print
- ^ List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program - FCC (accessed June 14, 2009)
- Shannon, Mike (January, 2004). Dallas-Fort Worth TV Station History. The History of Dallas-Fort Worth Radio and Television.
- KDFW Fox 4 -- 50 Years and Counting! (1999) KDFWFox4.com.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KDFW
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KDFW-TV
- Very old pictures from KRLD Radio and TV
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