KTTC

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KTTC
Kttc 2011.png

KTTC CW.png
Rochester/Austin, Minnesota-
Mason City, Iowa
City of license Rochester
Branding KTTC (general)
NewsCenter
Signal Hill CW (on DT2)
Slogan Expect Leadership
TV to Talk About
(on DT2)
Channels Digital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 10 (PSIP)
Subchannels 10.1 NBC
10.2 The CW
Translators 50 W50DR-D (UHF)
La Crosse, WI
Owner Quincy Newspapers
(KTTC Television, Inc.)
First air date July 14, 1953 [1]
Call letters' meaning Total Tri-State Coverage
Sister station(s) KXLT-TV, WXOW/WQOW
Former callsigns KROC-TV (1953-1976)
Former channel number(s) 10 (VHF analog, 1953-2009)
36 (UHF digital, 2000-2009)
Translators:
62 K62EV Winona, MN
67 W67CH La Crosse, WI
70 K70DR Blue Earth, MN
Former affiliations DuMont (1953-1955)
CBS (1953-1956)
ABC (1953-1956)
all secondary [2]
Transmitter power 43.1 kW
Height 381 m
Facility ID 35678
Transmitter coordinates 43°34′14.9″N 92°25′38.1″W / 43.570806°N 92.42725°W / 43.570806; -92.42725
Website kttc.com

KTTC is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota and Northeastern Iowa. Licensed to Rochester, Minnesota, the station broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 10 from a transmitter in Ostrander, Minnesota near the Fillmore and Mower County line. The station can also be seen on Mediacom channel 10 and Charter channel 12. There is a high definition feed offered on Charter digital channel 782 and Mediacom digital channel 810. Owned by Quincy Newspapers, KTTC operates the area's Fox affiliate KXLT-TV (owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting) through a shared services agreement.

Both stations share studios on Bandel Road Northwest along US 52 in Rochester. Syndicated programming on this station includes Inside Edition, Judge Judy, The Nate Berkus Show, and The Doctors among others. KTTC can be seen over-the-air through a low-powered translator W50DR-D. Licensed to La Crosse, Wisconsin, this station airs a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter at the facilities of ABC affiliate WXOW on County Highway 25 in La Crescent, Minnesota.

Contents

[edit] Digital programming

On KTTC-DT2, Mediacom channel 2, and Charter channel 7 is the market's CW affiliate. Known on-air as Signal Hill CW (named for KTTC's studio location in Rochester's northern-most point), this service receives all programming through The CW Plus. The station can also be seen over-the-air on the second digital subchannel of W50DR-D.

Channel Name Aspect Video Programming
10.1 KTTC-HD 1080i 16:9 main KTTC programming/NBC (HD)
10.2 KTTC-DT2 480i 4:3 "Signal Hill CW" (SD)

[edit] History

The station launched on July 14, 1953 under the KROC-TV call sign, and was the first station in Southern Minnesota and third in the state after KSTP-TV and WTCN-TV in the Twin Cities. Launched by G. David Gentling (son of KROC radio owner Gregory P. Gentling), it was sister to KROC radio (AM 1340 and FM 106.9). The station carried programming from all four commercial networks of the 1950s: ABC, CBS, and DuMont but was a primary NBC affiliate. [3] The family operation eventually became the Southern Minnesota Broadcasting Company.

In 1976, due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) restrictions on ownership of multiple stations in a single market, the station was purchased by Quincy Newspapers from Southern Minnesota Broadcasting. The call letters became KTTC. KTTC-DT began broadcasting on UHF channel 36 in September 2000. [4] It ceased analog broadcasting on VHF channel 10 at approximately 1:35 on the afternoon of February 17, 2009. [5] Later that afternoon, KTTC-DT commenced digital broadcasting on channel 10. [6] The station's pre-transition digital facility on channel 36 became the final post-transition facility for ABC affiliate KAAL. [7]

In 2001, the station entered into a shared services agreement with Fox affiliate KXLT which had been sold by Shockley Communications to Quincy. However, Shockley retained KXLT due to FCC restrictions on common ownership. As part of the arrangement, KTTC provides all technical support, promotions, commercial production, and master control for that channel.

In the La Crosse area, KTTC analog translator W67CH channel 67 ceased broadcasting on November 4, 2009. [8] It was replaced with digital translator station W50DR-D which went on-the-air at 2:10 in the afternoon on October 14. [9] KTTC previously operated two additional analog translators, in Winona (K62EV, channel 62) and Blue Earth (K70DR, channel 70), both left the air on December 29, 2011, due to the end of broadcasting on channels above 51 (K70DR in particular was one of the few remaining stations still operating on channel 70, which was phased out starting in 1983).[10]

[edit] News operation

News open.

Since KIMT is licensed to the Iowa side of the market, the station has traditionally focused on that state compared with the area's other stations (such as KTTC) which are based in Minnesota. In addition to its main studios, this station operates an Austin Bureau on 8th Avenue Northwest. That city is where KAAL has most of its operations based but the ABC affiliate also maintains a secondary facility on Superior Drive Northwest in Rochester where weeknight newscasts originate from. Technology to broadcast from two different studios has existed for several years allowing the ABC outlet to better cover the Rochester side of the market. The secondary facility in Rochester allows the station to have a solid presence in that area as opposed to a smaller bureau.

Through a news share agreement, KTTC produces a thirty minute broadcast seen Sunday through Friday nights on KXLT. Known as Fox 47 News at Nine, the newscast originates from a secondary set featuring a unique graphics package and news music theme. KXLT uses most of KTTC's on-air personnel but maintains separate news anchors and a weeknight sports personalty that also contribute to the NBC station. At some point in 2009, KIMT added the market's second prime time broadcast at 9 to its MyNetworkTV-affiliated second digital subchannel. This show could be seen for a half hour competing with KXLT. Eventually, it would be reduced to a five minute weather cut-in featuring an updated forecast.

On June 12, 2009, KIMT became the first television outlet to upgrade local newscasts to 16x9 enhanced definition widescreen with some parts in full high definition. Although not truly HD, the aspect ratio matches that of high definition television screens. Video reports from the field are still seen in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition. It would not be until March 20, 2011 when KTTC performed an upgrade to full high definition local news shows. With the launch to HD came a brand new set and HD graphics. KXLT made the switch a day later debuting updated graphics of its own similar to sister station WSJV in South Bend, Indiana. KTTC has a relationship with Charter in Olmsted County, Minnesota to provide local news updates on HLN. The station operates its own Doppler weather radar at the main studios which is also used on KXLT. All news anchors also serve as reporters.

[edit] Station slogans

  • "The Best to See is on Area 10" (early-1970s)
  • "Covering All of Southern Minnesota" (1980s)
  • "Southern Minnesota's 24 Hour News Channel" (1990-1994)
  • "Turn to the Leader" (1994-2003)
  • "The People You Know, The News You Trust" (2003-2011)
  • "Expect Leadership" (2011-present)

[edit] News team

Anchors

  • Daniel Wolfe - weekday mornings
  • Jess Abrahamson - weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
  • Robin Wolfram - weeknights at 5, 6, and 10
  • Tom Overle - weeknights at 6 and 10
  • Kelly Keiter - Sunday through Thursday at 9
  • Heidi Wigdahl - Fridays at 9
  • Aubrey Helms - weekends

KTTC NewsCenter Precision Meteorologists

  • Randy Brock (CBM Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
  • Ted Schmidt (NWA Seal of Approval) - weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
  • Jonathan Kegges - weekends

Sports

  • Pat Lund - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10 (also Sports Extra host)
  • Ben Chambers - Monday through Thursday at 9
  • Zac Choate - weekends and sports reporter (also Fridays at 9 and Sports Extra host)

Reporters

  • Jared Ransom - Austin Bureau multimedia journalist
  • Char Carey - "Pet of the Week" segment producer
  • Katie Lange - Austin Bureau multimedia journalist
  • John-Cletus Mueller - photographer
  • Chuck Sibley - Chief Photographer
  • Axel Gumbel - special projects
  • Peter Schuneman

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says July 16, while the Television and Cable Factbook says July 14.
  2. ^ http://www.ellwanger.tv/collect/tvg/eds/old/nw.html
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [http://www.kttc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9790528&nav=menu1348_2>
  5. ^ TV's digital conversion begins in Rochester, Post-Bulletin, Feb 17/2009
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ Congress postpones DTV transition, but KTTC-TV, KXLT will end analog broadcasting Feb. 17, KTTC-TV, Feb 4 2009
  8. ^ [3]
  9. ^ [4]
  10. ^ "Re: K62EV, Winona, Minnesota…K70DR, Blue Earth, Minnesota…". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=30486. Retrieved January 7, 2011. 

[edit] External links

Broadcast television in Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa, including Rochester, Austin, Albert Lea and Mason City
Stations

KIMT (3.1 CBS, 3.2 MNTV) • KAAL (6.1 ABC, 6.2 This TV) • KTTC (10.1 NBC, 10.2 The CW) • KSMQ (15.1 PBS, 15.2 HD, 15.3 Create, 15.4 MN) •
KYIN (24.1 PBS, 24.2 Create, 24.3 World) • KXLT (47.1 Fox, 47.2 Me-TV)
Eau Claire

WEAU (13.1 NBC, 13.2 WX) • WQOW (18.1 ABC, 18.2 CW, 18.3 This) • WHWC (28.1 PBS, 28.2 Wis, 28.3 Create) • WEUX (48.1 Fox, 48.2 Fox)
La Crosse

WKBT (8.1 CBS, 8.2 MNTV) • W50DR (10.1 NBC, 10.2 CW) • WXOW (19.1 ABC, 19.2 CW, 19.3 This) • KQEG-CA 23 / WIBU-LP 51 (FN/Ion) • WLAX (25.1 Fox, 25.2 Fox) • WHLA (31.1 PBS, 31.2 Wis, 31.3 Create)
NBC Network Affiliates in the state of Minnesota
CW Network Affiliates in the state of Minnesota
Corporate directors
Newspapers
Radio stations
Television stations
ABC Network Affiliates
WAOW / WYOW 1 2 · WKOW 2 3 · WQOW 1 2 · WXOW 1 2
CW Network Affiliates
WMOW 2 4
Fox Network Affiliates
KXLT 3 5 · WGEM-DT3 · WSJV
NBC Network Affiliates
KTIV 1 · KTTC 1 · KWWL 2 3 · WGEM 1 · WREX 1 · WVVA 1
Interactive asset

1 CW subaffiliate. 2 This TV subaffiliate. 3 Me-TV subaffiliate. 4 ABC subaffiliate.
5 Quincy Newspapers operates this station owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting.
Annual revenue: Unknown at this time. · Employees: 900+ · Stock symbol: None, privately held. · Website: qni.biz
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=KTTC&oldid=473067956"
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