KQDS-TV

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KQDS-TV
Fox21logoDuluthMNKQDS-TV.png
Duluth, Minnesota/
Superior, Wisconsin
Branding Fox 21 (general)
Fox 21 News
Channels Digital: 17 (UHF)
Virtual: 21 (PSIP)
Subchannels 21.1 Fox
Owner Red River Broadcasting
(KQDS Acquisition Corporation)
First air date September 20, 1994
Call letters' meaning Quality Duluth/Superior
Sister station(s) KQDS, KQDS-FM, KZIO, WWAX
Former callsigns KNLD (1994-1999)
Former channel number(s) 21 (UHF analog, 1994-2009)
Former affiliations Independent (1994-1999)
Transmitter power 1000 kW
Height 299.0 m
Facility ID 35525
Transmitter coordinates 46°47′37″N 92°7′3″W / 46.79361°N 92.1175°W / 46.79361; -92.1175
Website fox21online.com

KQDS-TV is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Twin Ports and Iron Range areas of Northeastern Minnesota that is licensed to Duluth. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 17 from a transmitter west of downtown in Hilltop Park. Owned by Red River Broadcasting, the station has studios on London Road in Duluth along I-35. However, master control and some internal operations are based at the facilities of sister station and fellow Fox affiliate KVRR in Fargo, North Dakota. Syndicated programming on KQDS includes: Two and a Half Men, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Family Feud and According to Jim.

Contents

[edit] Outlying translators

Red River Broadcasting owns and operates eight analog translators that serve to increase the coverage area of KQDS-TV. All of the translators except K31GH and K39GG had construction permits to air low-powered digital signals, but the permits expired without any of the stations converting from analog to digital broadcasting. To comply with the digital television transition in the United States all of the stations must get new permits and convert to digital by September 1, 2015 in order to remain on the air.[1]

Call letters Channel City of license Transmitter location
K15GT 15 Hibbing, Minnesota southwest of downtown
K29EB 29 Grand Rapids, Minnesota northwest of Taconite
K31GH 31 Hayward, Wisconsin east of city
W32CV 32 Ironwood, Michigan Hurley, Wisconsin
K39GG 39 Aitkin, Minnesota east of Rabbit Lake Township along the Crow Wing and Aitkin County line
K45JD 45 International Falls, Minnesota east of city
W45CI 45 Ashland, Wisconsin
K47IR 47 Virginia, Minnesota Midway

[edit] History

The station signed-on as KNLD on September 20, 1994 airing an analog signal on UHF channel 21. However, very few people knew the station was actually on-the-air at this time as it aired at low power with an extremely limited schedule of usually only a few hours in the morning to meet minimum Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements for keeping its license. The station was Duluth's first independent station, and although its lineup once included Big Ten college football, most of the schedule was filled with the Shop at Home Network by the late-1990s.

In 1998, Red River Broadcasting (via sister company KQDS Acquisition Corporation) purchased KNLD and several area radio stations, and later changed the TV station's call sign to KQDS-TV. The new owners found some controversy as they tried to upgrade the station. It was attempting to construct a new tower to replace its old one adjacent to Duluth Central High School but some school and city officials expressed concern about the danger of ice falling from the tower onto the school parking lot. Although the new tower had already been approved by city officials, KQDS agreed to build it further from the parking lot than initially planned.

On September 1, 1999, it became the area's first-ever Fox affiliate while also increasing its transmitting power and adding eight translator stations. Previously, area cable systems had provided Fox programming through either Foxnet or Twin Cities stations--KMSP-TV from 1986 to 1988 and WFTC from 1988 onward. On February 1, 2009, this station ceased analog transmissions and now broadcasts only in digital.

[edit] News operation

Its news open.

Early in KQDS's Fox affiliation, it experimented with a 9 p.m. newscast produced by NBC affiliate KBJR. It was broadcast out of that station's studios on South Lake Avenue in Duluth and was anchored by Mark Mallory with meteorologist Paul Heggen and sports from Tom Hansen. The broadcast was canceled after about nine months due to low ratings and was replaced by a half-hour simulcast of CNN Headline News. KBJR's 9 o'clock broadcast resurfaced in September 2002 when that station launched a UPN affiliate on its second digital subchannel.

KQDS currently produces a live newscast twice nightly during the week at 6 and 9 p.m., and once per evening on the weekends at 9. The weeknight show debuted on March 12, 2007 with co-anchors Amy Rutledge and Nick LaFave (the only dual anchor team in the market). Rutledge co-anchored at CBS affiliate KDLH until it was combined with KBJR in March 2005. The Fox 21 News staff at one time included veterans of every commercial station in the area. The Sunday newscast was added on August 26, 2007 and was the first one in the area. The Saturday production was added on November 29, 2008 and also holds that distinction.

In its first ratings period in May 2007, KQDS was third among all evening newscasts. It drew more viewers than KBJR's Northland's NewsCenter Tonight at 9 and KDLH's 10 p.m. shows. In August, after just six months on-air, Fox 21 News was nominated for three Upper Midwest Emmy Awards in the categories of "Best Newscast", "Best News Special", and "Investigative Series". KQDS provides weather forecasts for the Red Rock Radio-owned stations in the market. July 2009 showed to be this station's best ratings period to date. It came in third place with about 8,650 viewers just about 2,000 less than KBJR's 10 o'clock show. In Fall 2009, this station was the winner of two regional Emmys for "Best Newscast" and "Overall Station Excellence". On June 28, 2010, KQDS debuted a half-hour weeknight newscast at 6 p.m.[2]

[edit] News team[3]

Anchors

  • Diane Alexander - weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m.; also reporter and producer
  • Dan Hanger - weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m.; also reporter and producer
  • Jacob Kittilstad - weekends at 9 p.m.; also weeknight reporter

Storm Tracker Weather Team

  • Jason Sydejko - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m.
  • Bonnie McLaughlin - meteorologist; weekends at 9 p.m.

Sports team

  • Greg Chandler - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 9 p.m.
  • Eric Gullickson - sports anchor; weekends at 9 p.m., also sports reporter

Reporters

  • Dana Thayer - general assignment reporter
  • Maya Holmes - general assignment reporter
  • Jeremy Scott - general assignment reporter
  • Chaas Toborg - general assignment reporter; also weekend producer

[edit] Former on-air staff

  • Melissa Ganje - reporter
  • Makenzi Henderson - anchor/reporter
  • Randy Howe (now sports reporter at KRNV in Reno, NV)
  • Beth Jett - anchor/reporter (now anchor/reporter at WHNT in Huntsville, AL)
  • Nick LaFave - anchor/reporter (now weeknight anchor at KTAL-TV in Shreveport, LA)
  • Bonnie McLaughlin - health reporter/weekend meteorologist
  • Todd Nelson (now with WeatherNation)
  • Chris Nettleton - sports director
  • Joy Redmond (now anchor at WDBD in Jackson, MS)
  • Amy Rutledge (now with Minnesota Power)
  • Sam Ryan - weekend meteorologist (now weekday morning meteorologist at WSAW in Wausau, WI)
  • Chris Snider - chief meteorologist
  • Karl Spring (now meteorologist at KMSP-TV in Minneapolis, MN)
  • Tracee Tolentino - weekend anchor/reporter (now reporter at WKRN in Nashville, TN)
  • Lisa Waldrup (now with Minnesota Dept. of Revenue)

[edit] Production and management

  • Jason Vincent - news director
  • Melissa Burlaga - assignment manager/producer
  • Bob Pfeilsticker - production manager/director
  • Josh Miller - assistant production manager/director
  • Kyle Wanek - weekend director
  • Jesse Gangi - web manager
  • Joe Mann - production assistant
  • Jarrod Nelson - production assistant
  • Jakob Randa - production assistant
  • Kaela Rannikar - production assistant
  • Jake Rowe - production assistant
  • Jessie Wagner - production assistant

Photojournalists

  • Harry Baker - chief photojournalist
  • Adam Jagunich
  • Nathaniel LeCapitaine
  • Derek Seashore
  • Kristian Tharaldson

[edit] References

  1. ^ FCC Sets Deadlines for LPTV, TV Translator and Class A Stations To Convert to Digital - And Gives Hints When Television Spectrum May Be Reclaimed for Broadband Broadcast Law Blog July 19, 2011
  2. ^ "Fox 21 News adding 6 p.m. newscast". Duluth News Tribune. April 7, 2010. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/165107/. Retrieved April 7, 2010. 
  3. ^ FOX 21 Staff

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin, including the Twin Ports (Duluth-Superior)
Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television
Duluth-Superior
KDLH (3.1 CBS, 3.2 CW)
KBJR (6.1 NBC, 6.2 MNTV)
WDSE (8.1 PBS, 8.2 PBS, 8.3 Create, 8.4 MN)
WDIO (10.1 ABC, 10.2 Me-TV)
KQDS (21.1 Fox)
KCWV (27.1 My Family TV)
Iron Range
KRII (11.1 NBC, 11.2 CW, 11.3 CBS, 11.9 MNTV)
WIRT (13.1 ABC, 13.2 Me-TV)
K15GT 15 (Fox)
K29EB 29 (Fox)
WRPT (31.1 PBS, 31.2 PBS, 31.3 Create, 31.4 MN)
K47IR 47 (Fox)
International Falls
K53CQ-D (11.1 NBC, 11.2 CW, 11.3 CBS, 11.9 MNTV)
K49BU-D (13.1 ABC, 13.2 Me-TV)
K51CM-D (31.1 PBS, 31.2 HD, 31.3 Create, 31.4 MN)
K39GT 39 (3ABN)
K45JD 45 (Fox)
Fort Frances, Ontario
CBWCT 5 (CBC)
CBWFT-11 15 (Radio-Canada)
Adjacent locals
Defunct
Fox Network Affiliates in the state of Minnesota
Fox Network Affiliates in the state of Michigan

WJBK 2 (Detroit) • WLUC 6.2 (Marquette) • WBKB 11.2 (Alpena) • WXMI 17 (Grand Rapids) • W32CV 32 1 (Ironwood) •
WFQX 32 / WFUP 45 (Cadillac / Vanderbilt) • W40AN 40 2 (Escanaba) • WSYM 47 (Lansing) • WSMH 66 (Flint)
1 W32CV is a repeater of KQDS-TV Duluth, Minnesota; 2 W40AN is a repeater of WLUK-TV Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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