KMID

KMID

Midland/Odessa, Texas
Branding	KMID ABC2 or Big 2
Slogan	The Basin's FIRST Station
Channels	Digital: 26 (UHF)
Affiliations	ABC (2.1)
Owner	Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. (Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.)
First air date	December 18, 1953
Call letters' meaning	MIDland
Former callsigns	KMID-TV (1953-1992)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 2 (VHF, 1953-2009)
Former affiliations	Primary: NBC (1953-1981) Secondary: DuMont (1953-1955) CBS (1953-1955) ABC (1953-1958)
Transmitter power	1000 kW
Height	323 m
Facility ID	35131
Transmitter coordinates	32°5′10.9″N 102°17′12″W
Website	www.permianbasin360.com

KMID is the ABC affiliated television station in Midland-Odessa, Texas, owned and operated by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas. KMID ABC2 was acquired by Nexstar in 2000. Syndicated programming on KMID includes: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Oprah and AgDay.

History

KMID-TV went on the air on December 18, 1953 as a dual NBC/ABC affiliate. Later on, it became a primary NBC affiliate after KWES-TV 9 (then known as KVKM) signed on in 1958 and became the area's ABC affiliate. In 1981, KMID became an ABC affiliate when it swapped its NBC affiliation with KWES-TV (KTPX at the time). KMID's studio is adjacent to Midland International Airport just off US Highway 80 about 10 miles west of downtown Midland or midway between Midland and Odessa. KMID's transmitter is located near Gardendale, Texas.

For many years, KMID was known as "Big 2", but adopted the "ABC2" moniker in early 2004, but sometimes is still known as "Big 2". The newscast was called Big 2 News and at one point, Big 2 News Nightbeat. Its newscast was known as Big 2 Eyewitness News during the latter years of its NBC affiliation. More recently, "Big 2 News" has returned as it primary name.

Recently, KMID has cut weekend evening newscasts, making it the third-watched newscast in the Permian Basin. Though in late 2006, Sunday night news broadcasts were reinstated with the introduction of KMID ABC2 News Sunday.

The KMID logo is very similar to the logo used by WDTN, the NBC affiliate in Dayton, OH.

Digital television

KMID began transmitting high-definition broadcasts from ABC following analog switch-off on June 12, 2009. However, like other Nexstar owned or operated stations, KMID lagged behind other stations in beginning high definition broadcasting. As of August, 2011, KMID has yet to offer local news and other local programming in HD unlike the competitive NBC and CBS local affiliates in the Permian Basin. KMID lags in ratings behind their competors because of the HD technical defiencies in the local programming.

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors/reporters

• Karl Rundgren - weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Stephanie Sobic - weekday mornings Good Morning West Texas
• Shelby Levins - weeknights 5 and 10pm/Sunday 10pm

Weather team

• Horace Brown - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Alison Ciaramitaro - meteorologist; weekday mornings "Good Morning West Texas"

Sports team

• Caroline Lockwood - sports director; weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Jamie Kuras - sports anchor; Sundays at 10 p.m.

Former on-air staff

• Mike Emanuel

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• Your Esso Reporter (1953-1957)
• The Midland Report (1957-1963)
• The Bob Wilson Report (1963-1968)
• TV-2 News (1968-1974)
• NewsWatch 2 (1974-1977, 1981-1984)
• Big 2 Eyewitness News (1977-1981)
• Big 2 News (1984-2003)
• KMID ABC 2 News (2003-present)
• Big 2 News (2009-present; for some newscasts)

Station slogans

• It All Adds Up on Channel 2 (1968-1969)
• Come and See KMID-TV Channel 2 (1973-1974)
• Big 2 Eyewitness News: The News People (1977-1980)
• Channel 2, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981, localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• You and Me and Channel 2 (1980-1981; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• Now is the Time, Channel 2 is the Place (1981-1982; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• Come Along With Channel 2 (1982-1983; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• We're With You on Channel 2 (1984-1985; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• You'll Love It on Channel 2 (1985-1986; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• Together on Channel 2 (1986-1987; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• Something's Happening on Channel 2 (1987-1990; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• The Basin's Watching Channel 2 (1990-1992; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• If It's Channel 2, It Must Be ABC (1992-1993; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
• Coverage You Can Count On (1998-2001)
• The One to Count On (2001-2005)
• The Basin's First Station (2005-present)

External links

• KMID ABC2 ONLINE
• Nexstar Broadcasting Group: KMID Station Profile
• Photojournalist Page
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KMID
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KMID-TV