KTVQ

For the defunct television station in Oklahoma City, see KTVQ (Oklahoma City).

KTVQ

Billings, Montana
Branding	Q2 (general) Q2 News (newscasts)
Slogan	Fair. Accurate. To The Point.
Channels	Digital: 10 (VHF) Virtual: 2 (PSIP)
Subchannels	2.1 CBS 2.2 The CW
Affiliations	CBS
Network	Montana Television Network
Owner	Evening Post Publishing Company (KTVQ Communications, Inc.)
First air date	November 9, 1953
Former callsigns	KOOK-TV (1953-1973)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 2 (VHF, 1953-2009)
Former affiliations	DuMont (1953-1955/6) NBC (secondary, 1953-1958 and 1968-1980) ABC (secondary, 1953-1968) PBS (per program, 1970-1984)
Transmitter power	26.1 kW
Height	180 m
Facility ID	35694
Transmitter coordinates	45°46′0.9″N 108°27′28.8″W
Website	www.ktvq.com

KTVQ, virtual channel 2, is the CBS-affiliated television station in Billings, Montana, and it is owned by the Evening Post Publishing Company; the station is part of the Montana Television Network, a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 10 (remapped to former analog channel 2); on cable, it is carried on Comcast channel 5.

Digital television

In February 2009, KULR, KTVQ and two other stations in the Billings market were refused Federal Communications Commission permission to end analogue broadcasts and operate as digital-only effective on the originally-scheduled February 17, 2009 date.

Channel	Aspect	Format	Programming
2.1	16:9	1080i	main KTVQ programming / CBS
2.2	4:3	480i	"Billings CW"

History

The station began broadcasting on November 9, 1953, as KOOK-TV, Montana's second television station; Butte's KXLF-TV had begun in August. It was owned by Montana broadcasting pioneer Joe Sample and his Garryowen Corporation along with KOOK radio (AM 970, now KBUL). The station carried programming from all four major networks of the time — CBS, NBC, ABC and DuMont Television Network-- but has always been a primary CBS affiliate. It lost DuMont when that network shut down in 1956 and lost NBC when KGHL-TV (now KULR-TV) began in 1958. The station changed its callsign to KTVQ in 1973.

In 1968, channel 2 picked up a secondary affiliation with NBC after KULR opted to take a primary affiliation with ABC. This was very unusual for a two-station market, especially one as small as Billings. It shared NBC with KULR until KOUS (now KHMT) began in 1980.

In 1970, channel 2 picked up a secondary affiliation with PBS, mainly for Sesame Street. It was standard practice at the time for PBS to offer its programming to any interested commercial outlet in areas where no PBS station was available. Channel 2's secondary PBS affiliation lasted until Montana PBS finally started in 1984.

Sample owned the station until 1984, when he sold it to SJL Broadcasting. Evening Post bought it in 1994. The station remains the only Billings television station that has not changed its affiliation. In January 2010, KTVQ.com made the switch to a continuous news format.

Programming

KTVQ offers 24/7 programming at all times of the day from morning to night. KTVQ gets programs from the CBS network. Daytime and primetime programming is what also holds the station together.

News operation

National news comes from several sources; CBS News and AP give their nationwide and international news to the station for its local newscasts. The Northern AG Network provides farm and ranch reports during Montana This Morning and The Noon News. The station has, along with most other MTN stations, been the leader in local news ratings. In February 2012, KTVQ began its switch to a new news studio set, and speculations are that KTVQ will begin broadcasting its newscast in widescreen (but not high definition).

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

• MTN News (Montana Television Network) (1970s, 1980s, and 1990–1992)
• Carter Reporter (weekday morning newscast; 1953–1961)
• The Noon News (weekday noon newscast; 1960s–present)
• Today In Montana (weekday morning newscast; 1978–1995)
• Montana's News Station (1993–present)
• Daybreak (weekday morning newscast; 1995–2005)
• Montana This Morning (weekday morning newscast; 2005–present)
• The 5:30 News (weeknight 5:30 p.m. newscast; 1953–present)
• The 10:00 News (weeknight 10 p.m. newscast; 1953–present)

Station slogans

• "Channel 2, The Better View" (1950s)
• "Montana Turns Us On" (1970s)
• "Still The One To Watch" (1980s)
• "The News Station" (1980s–1996)
• "Coverage You Can Count On" (1996–2005)
• "Fair. Accurate. To the Point." (2005–present)

Newscast music

• KTVQ News Theme (1990-1993)
• Advantage (Series 1) by Gari Communications (1993-2003)
• Impact by 615 Music (2003-present)

News team

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Angela Douglas - weekdays at noon; also reporter
• Jay Kohn - weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m.; also assistant news director
• Nikki Laurenzo - weekday mornings Montana This Morning; also reporter
• Jeanelle Slade - weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m.; also health reporter
• Amanda Venegas - weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter

STORMTracker Weather Team

• Bob McGuire (member, NWA) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m.
• Ed McIntosh - (AMS Seal of approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings Montana This Morning and weekdays at noon
• Jeff Womack - meteorologist; weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m., also reporter
• Rob Griggs - meteorologist; fill-in

Sports team

• Scott Breen - sports director; weeknights at 5:30 and 10 p.m.
• Casey Conlon - sports anchor; weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m., also sports reporter

Reporters

• Jon Arneson - "Road Watch Montana" traffic reporter
• Katrina Heser - general assignment reporter
• David Jay - general assignment reporter
• Rory Jetmore - general assignment reporter
• Jill Melle - general assignment reporter
• Vic Miller - commentator; seen Thursdays at 5:30 p.m.
• Russell Nemetz - farm and ranch reporter
• Drew Trafton - general assignment reporter
• Brittany Wooley - weekday morning reporter

Photographers

• Paul Humphrey - chief photographer
• Justin Hosa - photographer
• Jesse Kester - photographer
• Rob Monaco - photographer

Notable former on-air staff

• Heather Jennings - 5:30 and 10 p.m. anchor (?-1996)
• Becky Hillier - 5:30 & 10pm news anchor (?-2011; currently working at Rocky Mountain Hospice)
• Kelly Werthmann - morning reporter (now at KXRM-TV in Colorado Springs, CO)
• Jay Olstad - reporter (now at WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee, WI)
• Dianne Baker - anchor/reporter (?-2008)
• Courtney Carlmark (Hanson) - Montana This Morning and noon anchor (?-2010; now at KOLD-TV in Tucson, AZ)
• Jim Connors - sports anchor
• Joe Gehl - fill-in meteorologist and anchor (now at KEYT-TV in Palm Springs, CA)
• Laura Hendrickson - 5:30 and 10:00 news anchor
• Gus Koernig - anchor
• Julie Lovell - weeknight 5:30 and 10 p.m. news anchor (moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2010.
• Marc Moraniec - morning and statewide noon meteorologist until August 2010
• Jennifer Rohrer - Montana This Morning/statewide noon anchor until August 2008 (currently at KHQ-TV in Spokane, WA)
• Kathy Weber - anchor/reporter (currently working for Senator Max Baucus)
• Matt Winer (currently with Turner Sports)

External links

• KTVQ Q2
• Antenna Information
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KTVQ
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KTVQ-TV