KPNX

KPNX

Mesa / Phoenix, Arizona
Branding	Channel 12 (general) 12 News (newscasts)
Slogan	The Leader in HD It's all on 12News
Channels	Digital: 12 (VHF)
Subchannels	See below
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Gannett Company (Multimedia Holdings Corporation)
Founded	1953
First air date	April 23, 1953
Call letters' meaning	PhoeNiX
Former callsigns	KTYL-TV (1953-1955) KVAR (1955-1959) KTAR-TV (1959-1979)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 12 (VHF, 1953-2009) Digital: 36 (UHF, 2000-2009)
Transmitter power	819 kW
Height	534 m (1,752 ft)
Facility ID	35486
Transmitter coordinates	33°19′59.2″N 112°3′51.2″W
Website	12 News

KPNX is a full-service television station serving the Phoenix, Arizona, television market as the NBC affiliate. Its studios and offices are located in Phoenix and its transmitter is on South Mountain in Phoenix, but it is licensed to the suburb of Mesa. It is owned by the Gannett Company which also owns The Arizona Republic and USA Today newspapers.

The station broadcasts on VHF channel 12. As a full-service station it is carried on all local cable television systems and appears on the local stations lineup on all of the satellite television systems. It is rebroadcast on full power satellite station KNAZ-TV in Flagstaff and on a network of low-power translators throughout northern and central Arizona.

Digital television

Channel	Aspect	Video	Programming
12.1	16:9	1080i	Main KPNX programming / NBC
12.2	4:3	480i	12 News Weather Plus

Analog-to-digital transition

KPNX ceased analog broadcasts at 10:12 p.m. on June 12, 2009, the day mandated by the Federal government for TV stations to cease analog transmissions across the country. The switch occurred during the station's 10 p.m. newscast. After the analog switchoff, KPNX returned its digital broadcasts to channel 12 at 10:38 p.m.

History

KPNX is the only major English-language commercial television station in Phoenix to never change its primary affiliation. It was founded in 1953 as KTYL-TV, owned by the Harkins Theatre Group and was a sister station to KTYL radio (AM 1490, later on 1310 and now KIHP, and FM 104.7, now KZZP). The original studios were located in Mesa, its city of license. Its appearance brought the metro Phoenix area a full-time NBC affiliate; the other three networks shared time on KPHO-TV, as did NBC prior to 1953. Channel 12 carried some DuMont programming prior to that network's demise in 1956.

John J. Louis, owner of KTAR radio (AM 620 and FM 98.7, now KPKX), bought channel 12 in 1955 and changed its calls to KVAR. The station then became KTAR-TV four years later. It moved into a facility on Central Avenue in Phoenix in 1959, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed stations to locate its studios outside the city of license. Over the years the Louis family bought several other broadcasting outlets, including WQXI-TV in Atlanta, Georgia (now WXIA-TV) and WPTA-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Eventually, the Louis family's broadcasting interests became known as Pacific & Southern Broadcasting, headquartered in Phoenix with KTAR-AM-FM-TV as the flagship stations.

Advertising mogul Karl Eller bought Pacific & Southern in 1968 and combined it with his existing business to form Combined Communications. Eller was also one of the original founding owners of the city's first major professional sports team, the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. Channel 12 carried Suns games for years from the team's 1968 inception until the 1980s when Suns telecasts moved to KNXV-TV channel 15.

KTAR-TV NBC 12 logo used in 1970.

KTAR-TV ident from 1973. Based on the lettering used by NBC News at the time, the "12" logo survived until 1986, long after the station became KPNX.

KTAR-TV was the Phoenix pioneer of what some call "happy-talk" news when it debuted "Action News" in late 1973, with long-time anchor Ray Thompson paired up with Bob Hughes, weatherman Dewey Hopper (lately with Air America Radio affiliate KPHX, and a long-time weather forecaster in Sacramento) and sportscaster Ted Brown.

Combined Communications merged with Gannett in 1979, in what was at that time the biggest media merger in U.S. history. Combined's ownership of KTAR-AM-TV had been grandfathered earlier in the decade when the FCC forbade common ownership of television and radio stations in the same market. However, with the Gannett merger, KTAR-AM-TV lost its grandfathered protection. Gannett opted to keep channel 12 and sell off the radio station. KTAR-TV then renamed itself KPNX, since the radio station had held the call letters first.

The station had ranked third in the ratings for many years behind ABC affiliate KTVK and CBS affiliate KTSP (now KSAZ-TV). That changed in 1994, when every major English-language commercial station in Phoenix changed affiliations except KPNX. Coupled with a resurgent NBC, KPNX surged past KTVK to the top of the ratings, where it has stayed ever since, only wavering as NBC has experienced its own network troubles.

In 2000, Gannett merged with Central Newspapers, owner of The Arizona Republic. Gannett would have been forced to sell off either KPNX or the Republic had it not been issued a "permanent" waiver of the FCC's rules forbidding common ownership of newspapers and television stations in the same market.

In 1997, the FCC allocated UHF channel 36 as the station's digital companion channel, and construction began the following year. KPNX launched its digital channel in June 2000. On December 29, 2005, the station began carrying NBC Weather Plus on subchannel 12.2, making it the first station in Phoenix to offer a 24-hour local weather channel. KPNX achieved another first in Arizona on November 2, 2006, when it began broadcasting local news programming in high definition.

On February 24, 2009, it was announced that KTVK, KPHO-TV and KPNX will share a helicopter starting March 1, 2009.

In March 2009, KPNX switched its weather subchannel system to The Local AccuWeather Channel. KNXV already implements this service, but its GoAZ.tv product focuses on traffic. KPNX offers a more traditional Local AccuWeather product with the Weather Plus brand name.

At the start of 2011, KPNX moved from its location on Central Avenue, where the station had been since 1959, to the building that houses the Arizona Republic at 200 East Van Buren in downtown Phoenix.

Newscasts and local programming

Weather Plus local insert with former meteorologist Bill Kelly

KPNX's news operations (12 News) is among one of the highest rated news operations in Arizona during primetime news hours. Its evening newscasts have dominated ratings for several years.

While rivals KSAZ and KTVK produce dramatically more local news per week, KPNX airs the largest amount of news (local and national) in the market, running about 30 hours a week of local news, along with 25 hours a week of national news from NBC (Today, NBC Nightly News, etc.). It also runs syndicated first-run talk and reality shows (Live with Kelly being one of them, which has aired on Channel 12 since its debut as [Live with Regis & Kathie Lee] in the 1980s) along with the entire NBC schedule.

In November 2009, KPNX was beaten by KPHO at 10pm. This loss ended 50 consecutive sweeps victories in the time slot – dating back to 1996 – as the latter's ratings increased due to a strong CBS. a rare loss for a channel 12 that ended more than 50 straight sweeps victories dating back to the 1995 affiliation switch. Although KPNX has traditionally been known as a very news-intensive station, it is currently going through a period of transition. Nearly all of its tenured reporters have left; most recently, long-time consumer reporter Rick DeBruhl retired in November 2009.

KPNX produces a daily local lifestyle show. Arizona Midday, a general lifestyle show with paid segments hosted by Jan D'Atri and Destry Jetton, runs weekdays at 1pm. A second, now-cancelled lifestyle program, 12 News Valley Dish, hosted by former morning anchor Tram Mai, aired weekdays at 3:30pm. A new lighter news and entertainment show, "EVB Live" (named after 12 News' new location at 200 East Van Buren), started in August 2011. It is a 90 minute show airing at 4pm hosted by former morning anchors Scott Light and Tram Mai along with weather personality Caribe Devine. So far, EVB Live ratings have been substantially lower than the previous combination of Ellen and 12 News at 5.

KPNX airs "12 News Weather Plus," a 24-hour weather service showing forecasts and weather conditions, on its 12.2 subchannel. It also airs as a separate channel on the local cable systems. In addition to national forecasts from AccuWeather, Weather Plus also has local inserts, shown at right, allowing KPNX weather staff to show conditions and forecasts for the Phoenix market, including northern Arizona. In addition, weather conditions and forecasts from around the region are displayed on the left and at the bottom of the screen (known as an "L-bar").

Newscasts

Weekdays

• 12 News Today – 4:30-7 a.m.
• 12 News at Noon – 12-12:30 p.m.
• Arizona Midday – 1-2 p.m.
• EVB Live – 4-5:30 p.m.
• Arizona Nightly News – 6-6:30 p.m.
• 12 News at 10 p.m. – 10-10:35 p.m.

Saturdays

• 12 News Weekend Today – 7-9 a.m.
• 12 News at 6 p.m. – 6-6:30 p.m.
• 12 News at 10 p.m. – 10-10:30 p.m.

Sundays

• 12 News Sunday Square-Off – 8-8:30 a.m.
• 12 News Weekend Today – 8:30-10 a.m.
• 12 News at 5:30 p.m. – 5:30-6 p.m.
• 12 News at 10 p.m. – 10-10:35 p.m.

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• Your Esso Reporter (1953–1956)
• News Nite (1956–1962)
• News 90/The World Today (1962–1967)
• TV-12 News (1967–1972)
• Phoenix News (1972–1977)
• Action News (1977–1986)
• Channel 12 News (1986–1990)
• 12 News (1990–present)

Station slogans

• Arizona's Full Color Station (1960s)
• It's All Right Here (early 1980s)
• Hello Phoenix / Hello Arizona (1980s; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Hello News")
• We're Going Where You're Going (mid 1980s)
• Arizona's Most Watched Station (1992–2004)
• 12 Stands for Local News (2004–2008)
• Arizona's #1 Source for Local News (2004–2008)
• The Leader in HD, Local Television Redefined (2006–present)
• It's All on 12 News (2008–present)
• The 1-2 (pronounced like "one to") Watch for NBC (Used in radio promos for primetime shows, used infrequently for TV promos)

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

News team

Anchors

• Lin Sue Cooney - weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Kim Covington - weekend evenings; also community reporter for EVB Live
• Mark Curtis - weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
• Joe Dana - weekday mornings 12 News Today (4:30-7 a.m.); Sunday mornings "12 News Weekend Today"
• Haley Francis - Saturday mornings; also reporter for EVB Live
• Fay Fredricks - weekday mornings 12 News Today (4:30-7 a.m.)
• Scott Light - weekdays EVB Live (4-5:30 p.m.)
• Tram Mai - weekdays EVB Live (4-5:30 p.m.)
• Brahm Resnik - fill-in anchor (often anchors Friday nights at 6 and 10pm); also moderator of "12 News Square Off" and chief political reporter
• Syleste Rodriguez - weekday mornings 12 News Today (4:30-7 a.m.)

12 News Weather Plus

• James Quiñones - chief meteorologist; weekday mornings 12 News Today (4:30-7 a.m.)
• Caribe Devine - weather anchor; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m., also host of EVB Live (weekdays 4-5:30 p.m.)
• Rob Carlmark - meteorologist; weekend mornings and evenings
• Mary Yuan - meteorologist; fills-in where needed

Sports team

• Kevin Hunt - sports director; Sunday-Thursdays at 5 and 10, and Monday-Thursdays at 6 p.m.
• Bruce Cooper - sports anchor; Fridays at 5, and Friday-Saturdays at 6 and 10 p.m., also host of "Sports Tonight"

Reporters

• Melissa Blasius - general assignment reporter
• Dave Cherry - "Call 12 For Action" investigative reporter
• Wendy Halloran- Watchdog/investigative reporter
• Emma Jade - general assignment reporter, weekday morning traffic
• Kevin Kennedy - general assignment reporter
• Lissette Martinez - general assignment reporter
• William Pitts - general assignment reporter
• Veronica Sanchez - "Call 12 For Action" investigative reporter
• Ed Tribble - general assignment reporter
• Chris Williams - general assignment reporter

Local program hosts

• Jan D'Atri - host of "Arizona Midday"
• Destry Jetton - host of "Arizona Midday"

Sky 12 pilots/reporters (as part of a Local News Service the helicopter is shared with KTVK and KPHO-TV and operated by Helicopters Inc.)

• Scott Clifton
• Jimmy Castanza
• Tammy Rose

Notable former on-air staff

• Pat Finn - host of Finn & Friends (1989-1990; now host of California Lottery's The Big Spin)
• Jineane Ford - anchor (1991–2007; most recently anchored Arizona Midday, still fills in as Arizona Midday anchor)
• Jerry Foster - SKY 12 pilot-reporter (1979-1988; FIRST SKY12 pilot-reporter; joined KTVK TV-3 1994-1996, now retired in Sun City, AZ - www.sky12.tv)
• Sean McLaughlin - chief meteorologist (1992–2004; moved at first to MSNBC/NBC Weather Plus, now primary anchor at KPHO)
• Fred Roggin - sports anchor (late 1970s; now at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles)
• Mary Kim Titla - reporter (1993–2005; publisher of Native Youth Magazine online; unsuccessfully sought Congressional seat in 2008)

Station identification

FCC-compliant station identification used by KPNX beginning in 2008.

Over the years, KPNX has used a legal station identification that did not comply with FCC regulations, which require that in the legal identification broadcast aurally or visually, a station must state its call sign, followed by its city of license. Dating back to its days as KTAR-TV, channel 12 long identified as "Phoenix/Mesa," though legally it should have been "Mesa/Phoenix." Beginning in 2008, KPNX begun using a new, FCC-compliant station ID on its analog and primary digital channels (shown at right, top). On its Weather Plus programming on 12.2, KPNX still identifies using non-compliant ID, and does not air separate ID at the top of the hour (shown at right, bottom).

References in movies

A reporter for KPNX appears in the 1978 made-for-TV movie A Fire In The Sky. Elizabeth Ashley portrayed fictional Channel 12 reporter Sharon Allan. The movie aired as a three-hour event on NBC.

Translators

• K24FA Blythe, California¹
• K09KG Bullhead City²
• K42CQ Chloride²
• K35EI Dolan Springs²
• K48NH-D Globe/Miami
• K21EG Golden Valley
• K50CY Kingman²
• K46GI Lake Havasu City²
• K23DK Meadview²
• K30BQ Needles, California⁴
• KPSN-LP 22 Payson⁵
• K26GF Peach Springs²
• K06AE Prescott⁶
• K57DC Verde Valley/Camp Verde⁷
• KNAZ Flagstaff

Notes:

• 1: Not owned by KPNX. Formerly K71AB ch 71.
• 2: Mohave County-owned. K42CQ was once K74AN channel 74; K50CY was K70AC channel 70; K46GI has been on channel 54 (K54AN) and 7 (K07JH); and K26GF was K80AP channel 80 until 1989, when it became K54DD.

• 3: Formerly K70BY ch 70. Gannett-owned (through Multimedia Holdings Corporation, owners of KPNX and KUSA-TV). Construction permit for channel 48 expires 23 October 2009.

• 4: Not owned by KPNX. Formerly K72AE channel 72.

• 5: Gannett-owned through Multimedia. Took current callsign in 2005.

• 6: Gannett-owned through Multimedia.

• 7: Not owned by KPNX. Formerly channel 67/K67BR.

External links

• KPNX Website
• Gannett Broadcasting website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KPNX
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KPNX-TV
• Program Information for KPNX at TitanTV.com