KDLT-TV

KDLT-TV / KDLV-TV

KDLT: Sioux Falls, South Dakota KDLV: Mitchell, South Dakota
Branding	KDLT (general) KDLT News (news)
Slogan	We Know What Matters
Channels	Digital: KDLT: 47 (UHF) Virtual: 46 (PSIP) Digital: KDLV: 26 (UHF) Virtual: 5 (PSIP)
Subchannels	(see article)
Affiliations	NBC (since 1982)
Owner	Red River Broadcasting (Red River Broadcast Company, LLC)
First air date	KDLT: June 12, 1960 KDLV: September 8, 1998
Call letters' meaning	KDLT: K-DakotaLand Television (former owners) KDLV: K-DakotaLand V (roman numeral 5)
Former callsigns	KDLT: KORN-TV (1960-1972) KXON-TV (1972-1982) KDLV: none
Former channel number(s)	Analog: KDLT: 5 (VHF, 1960-1998) 46 (UHF, 1998-2009) KDLV: 5 (VHF, 1998-2009)
Former affiliations	ABC (1960-1982)
Transmitter power	KDLT: 1000 kW KDLV: 1000 kW
Height	KDLT: 608 m KDLV: 315 m
Facility ID	KDLT: 55379 KDLV: 55375
Transmitter coordinates	KDLT: 43°30′18″N 96°33′22″W KDLV: 43°45′33″N 98°24′44″W
Website	www.kdlt.com

KDLT is the NBC-affiliated television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, serving Eastern South Dakota and Southwestern Minnesota. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 47, which remaps to analog channel 46 via PSIP. It also operates a full-powered satellite station: KDLV in Mitchell, South Dakota (digital channel 26, virtual channel 5). KDLT's 2,000 feet (610 m) transmitter tower is located near Rowena.

Digital programming

Digital channels

KDLT	KDLV	Video	Aspect	Programming
46.1	5.1	1080i	16:9	main KDLT programming / NBC (HD)
46.2	5.2	480i	4:3	TBA

On February 1, 2009, KDLT ceased analog transmissions, and began broadcasting only in digital. KDLV flash-cut to digital on the same day.

History

In 1960, KDLT started broadcasting from Mitchell, South Dakota as KORN-TV on channel 5, an ABC affiliate. The station's original call letters were intended to honor the famous Mitchell Corn Palace.

In 1972, the station changed its calls to KXON-TV. In 1982, KXON changed its call letters to KDLT when it was purchased by Dakotaland Broadcasting. Dakotaland Broadcasting eventually sold KDLT to Heritage Broadcasting in the mid-1980s. In 1982, KDLT and KSFY-TV switched affiliations, with KSFY getting ABC and KDLT getting NBC. At the time of the switch KSFY had three full-power transmitters to KDLT's one and ABC was the #1 network with NBC in third, making it logical for the more popular network to align with the more dominant station. The next year NBC and ABC ratings flip-flopped leaving KDLT once again affiliated with the more popular network. The station eventually moved its main studio to Sioux Falls in the mid to late 1980s.

On September 8, 1998 KDLT moved its city of license to Sioux Falls and began broadcasting on channel 46 from a new tower in Rowena, where most of the other Sioux Falls stations have their towers. This was largely because the channel 5 tower was too far away from Sioux Falls to adequately cover it with a digital signal. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules required a station's digital signal to cover at least 80 percent of its analog footprint. Channel 5 in Mitchell survives as a full-power satellite, KDLV. Due to the way the changeover was structured legally, the FCC considers KDLV to be the same station as the old KDLT.

News operation

Currently, KDLT broadcasts a total of 14½ hours of local newscasts each week, with 2½ hours on weekdays and one hour each on Saturdays and Sundays.

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• Metro News (1960s)
• Sioux First News (1970s–1980s)
• News 5 (1980s–1990s)
• KDLT News (1990s–present)

Station slogans

• "It's About Award Winning Journalism" (2004–present)

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

News team

Anchors

• Tom Hanson - weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Paul Heinert - weeknights at 5 p.m.; also news director
• Jennifer Hudspeth - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Jill Johnson - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
• Phil McIlrath - weekday mornings KDLT Today (6-7 a.m.)

Weather team

• Cody Matz - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Kelly Smith - meteorologist; weekday mornings KDLT Today (6-7 a.m.)
• Angela Schilling - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.

Sports team

• Mark Ovenden - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Kolbe Nelson - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.

Reporters

• Max Jensen - general assignment reporter; also chief photographer
• Maren Larson - general assignment reporter
• Ashley Kringen - general assignment reporter
• Jenna Mann - general assignment reporter; also assignment editor
• Jeff Rusack - general assignment reporter

Translators

The programming of KDLT is also rebroadcast on the following translator stations:

• K27HJ Pierre
• K33GX Springfield
• K33HC Aberdeen
• K35GR Badger
• K40FZ Brookings
• K42FI Watertown
• K44GG Murdo
• K47IC Milbank

Transmitter antenna replacement

The station's television transmitter antenna replacement was featured on the National Geographic Channel television show World's Toughest Fixes.

External links

• KDLT website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KDLT
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KDLV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KDLT-TV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KDLV-TV
• Program Information for KDLT at TitanTV.com