KJRH-TV

KJRH-TV

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Branding	Channel 2 (general) 2 News HD (newscasts)
Slogan	2NEWS Works for You
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF) Virtual: 2 (PSIP)
Subchannels	(see article)
Affiliations	NBC Live Well Network (DT2)
Owner	The E.W. Scripps Company (Scripps Media, Inc.)
First air date	December 5, 1954
Call letters' meaning	Jack R. Howard (long time chairman of Scripps Broadcasting)
Former callsigns	KVOO-TV (1954–1971) KTEW (1971–1980) KJRH (1980-2010)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 2 (VHF, 1954-2009) Digital: 56 (UHF, 2000-2009)
Transmitter power	15.9 kW
Height	572.3 m
Facility ID	59439
Transmitter coordinates	36°1′15″N 95°40′32″W
Website	KJRH.com

KJRH-TV, virtual channel 2, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. KJRH broadcasts from its studios in the Brookside district in midtown Tulsa on South Peoria Avenue and its transmitter is located in Oneta, Oklahoma.

The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 8, using its former analog channel assignment of 2 as its virtual channel via PSIP. On cable, KJRH is the only VHF station in the market not to have a matching cable channel number for the analog, so instead it can be seen on channel 9 on Cox Tulsa in standard definition, and it is also available in high definition on channel 709.

Digital programming

On digital subchannel 2.2 and on Cox digital channel 222 is the Live Well Network, a 24-hour nework devoted to health and lifestyle programming; from 2007 to 2011, the subchannel operated as a 24-hour weather channel under the "2NEWS Weather Plus" branding (originally affiliated with NBC Weather Plus until the network ceased operations on December 1, 2008 and then with NBC Plus until the subchannel became a Live Well affiliate).

KJRH terminated its analog broadcasts on June 12, 2009. KJRH moved its broadcasts to VHF channel 8 after KTUL ceased analog operations. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display KJRH's virtual channel as 2.

Channel	Video	Aspect	Programming
2.1	1080i	16:9	Main KJRH programming / NBC
2.2	480i	4:3	Live Well Network

History

Channel 2 signed on as KVOO-TV, on December 5, 1954. It was owned by oilman William G. Skelly along with KVOO radio (1170 AM, now KFAQ). It was the second VHF station to sign on in the Tulsa market, behind KOTV; KTVX (now KTUL) did not officially move its license there from Muskogee until a year later, though it had studios in west Tulsa.

It has been an NBC affiliate from its debut, owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with NBC Radio. The station's first broadcast was a 39-minute station dedication broadcast from its studios, it then later broadcast its first NBC network program, an edition of Meet the Press.

It was the first Tulsa television station to air all of its programs in color, first with NBC network programming, and then in 1955, the station installed equipment that allowed local films and slides to be telecast in color. In November 1964, KVOO began originating its locally-produced programs in color from its Broadcast Center studios.

Scripps bought the station in 1971 and changed its call letters to KTEW-TV (for Tulsa E.W. Scripps, and also easily interpreted as sounding like "two"). The station adopted its present-day calls, KJRH (in honor of Scripps' former president, Jack R. Howard) on July 14, 1980. In 1984, it became the first Tulsa station to broadcast in stereo sound.

KJRH had operated for many years three low-powered translator stations all operating on channel 4, K04DW in Independence, Kansas, K04EJ in Coffeyville, Kansas, and K04DY in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. K04DY is now owned and operated by Northeastern State University in Tahlequah for use of the campus television station.

For New Year's Eve 2009, a large "crystal" ball was dropped from the large spire on top of the iconic TV Tower from the studios located in the entertainment district of Brookside, Tulsa. Streets were closed off and people were allowed to view and celebrate, much in the same vein as in Times Square in New York City.

Programming

KJRH broadcasts all of NBC's schedule, however the Saturday morning qubo block is aired one hour later than NBC's recommended time (NBC recommends that it air from 9 a.m.-noon) due to a two-hour Saturday edition of 2NEWS Today. Current syndicated programming includes Live with Kelly, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. KJRH is also the Tulsa home for Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy!, which both moved to the station from ABC affiliate KTUL in 2005.

Currently, KJRH airs Today in three segments; the original 7-9 a.m. block, followed by Live with Kelly, then the third hour of Today from 10-11 a.m., leading into the hour-long 2NEWS Midday newscast and Days of Our Lives, and then the final hour from 1-2 p.m.

News operation

KJRH broadcasts a total of 29 hours of local news per week (with 4½ hours on weekdays, 3½ hours on Saturdays and three hours on Sundays). It has the unique characteristic of being only one of two stations in the state with two Doppler weather radars (the other is KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City, also an NBC affiliate), the southwest Oklahoma City Doppler, owned by KFOR being the most powerful at 1 million watts of power.

On February 25, 2008, KJRH became the first television station in Oklahoma to broadcast news in High Definition. The station now broadcasts all of its newscasts in HD. KJRH also introduced a new graphics package similar to that used by sister station KSHB in Kansas City with the format change, but continued to employ the same set until 2011.

In November 2009, KJRH introduced a new red and brown graphics package and new news theme on its newscasts, that is being utilized on all Scripps-owned stations. KJRH is one of ten television stations that air consumer reports from John Matarese of ABC affiliate (and sister station) WCPO in Cincinnati.

Ratings

In July 2009, KJRH's newscasts set a new benchmark for the station, firmly capturing second place in nearly all time slots, including: the weekday newscasts 2News Today at 6a, 2News Midday, 2News @ 5pm, 2News at 6pm, 2News at 10pm, and the weekend evening newscast 2News at 5pm, 2News at 6pm Saturday and 2News @ 10pm.

In the November 2009 ratings period, KJRH saw its ratings in the 5-6 a.m. slot on weekday mornings increase to a 2 rating and a 10 share. KJRH remained second in early evening news, behind KOTV, with a 7 rating/12 share.

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• KVOO News (1954-late 1950s)
• TV-2 News (1960s-1970s)
• Scene 2 News (1970s)
• NewsCenter 2 (early 1980s-1991)
• Channel 2 News (1991–1994 and 2001–2008)
• NewsChannel 2 (1994–1995)
• 2 News-NBC (1995–2001)
• 2 News/2 News HD (2008–present)

Station slogans

• "The Eyes of Oklahoma" (1954-1960s; adapted from KVOO-AM's then-slogan "The Voice of Oklahoma")
• "Two's Company You Can Depend On" (early 1970s)
• "You're in 2 Country!" (mid 1970s)
• "Two's Family is You" (mid 1970s)
• "Get the Picture on Scene 2 News" (mid 1970s)
• "Turn on 2" (late 1970s)
• "Hello, Tulsa" (1982–1985; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Hello News")
• "Hello, Oklahoma" (1985–1990; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Hello News")
• "Come Home to Channel 2" (1986-1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• "Making a Difference for Oklahoma" (1986–1991)
• "Tulsa's 24-Hour News Source" (1991–1994)
• "Oklahoma's Hometeam" (1994–2001)
• "2 Works for You" (2001–2008)
• "2 News Works for You" (2008–present)

News team

Anchors

• Erin Christy - weekend mornings; also weekday reporter
• Jason Grubbs - Saturdays at 6, and weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
• Karen Larsen - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.; also reporter
• Russ McCaskey - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.; also reporter
• Deana Silk - weekday mornings 2NEWS Today (5-7 a.m.) and 11 a.m.; also reporter
• Justin Wilfon - weekday mornings 2NEWS Today (5-7 a.m.) and 11 a.m.; also reporter

2NEWS Works for You Weather

• Dan Threlkeld (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• George Flickinger (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings 2NEWS Today (5-7 a.m.) and 11 a.m.
• Taft Price (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend mornings
• Andy Wallace (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, and weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.)

Sports team

• Allen "Big Al" Jerkens - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Jason Shackelford - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6 and weekends at 5 and 10 p.m.; also sports reporter
• Cayden McFarland - sports reporter; also fill-in sports anchor

Reporters

• Liz Bryant - multimedia journalist
• Sara Goldenberg - multimedia journalist
• Beth Hawkins - general assignment reporter
• John Matarese - consumer reporter (based out of WCPO in Cincinnati)
• Dan Pearlman - weekday morning multimedia journalist
• Breanne Palmerini - multimedia journalist
• Brandon Richard - multimedia journalist
• Casey Roebuck - general assignment reporter

Channel 2 Problem Solvers

• Marla Carter - investigative reporter; also fill-in/weekend anchor
• Pete Knutson - investigative reporter
• Michelle Lowry - investigative reporter; also news producer

Notable former on-air staff

• Jim Forbes - investigative reporter (1980-1981; currently narrator for VH1's Behind The Music)
• Mike Morgan - meteorologist (1985–1988; later chief meteorologist at KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City, now at KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City in same position)
• Anthony Mason - reporter (1980-1982; now chief business correspondent at CBS News)

External links

• KJRH.com (Official Website)
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KJRH
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KJRH-TV