KYTV (TV station)

This article is about a TV station in Springfield, Missouri. For for the British television programme, see KYTV (TV series).

Not to be confused with YTV.

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KYTV, virtual channel 3, is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Ozark Plateau area of Southwestern Missouri that is licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 44 from a transmitter in Fordland. Owned by Schurz Communications of South Bend, Indiana, the station is sister to CW affiliate K15CZ and operates ABC affiliate KSPR (owned by Perkin Media, LLC) through a shared services agreement (SSA). All three share studios on West Sunshine Street in Springfield. Syndicated programming on KYTV includes: Wheel of Fortune, Oprah, Dr. Phil, and The Doctors.

Digital programming

Its signal is multiplexed. On KYTV-DT2, Mediacom digital channel 212, and live streaming video on its website, is a 24-hour local weather channel. This is currently not offered on Suddenlink in Branson.

Subchannel	Programming
3.1	main KYTV programming / NBC HD
3.2	KYTV-DT2 "KY3 24/7 Weather"

In 2009, KYTV left channel 3 and moved to channel 44 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.

History

The station signed on October 1, 1953 as Springfield's second television station after KTTS-TV (now KOLR) had launched in March. It was the first station built west of the Mississippi River specifically for television production and was owned by the Cox and Duvall families. Although KYTV has been an NBC affiliate since its sign-on, it also shared a secondary ABC affiliation with KTTS until 1968 when KMTC (later KDEB-TV and now KSFX-TV) signed-on. On December 26, 1953, KYTV first brought Ozark Jubilee (a live country music program on KWTO radio) to Springfield viewers. On January 22, 1955, ABC picked up the program nationally although it temporarily originated from Columbia until it moved to the Jewell Theatre on April 30 using KYTV's staff and equipment. The station's staff and facilities also played key roles in the production of two other ABC shows during the 1950s, Talent Varieties and The Eddy Arnold Show.

KYTV purchased remote broadcasting gear in 1954 with its first remote broadcast originating from the Ozark Empire Fair. Remote telecasts were also brought to viewers from the Plaza Bowl featuring area bowling teams. Other remotes included Springfield Christmas parades, "Man with a Mike" from the Tower Theater on the Plaza, sporting events, and (beginning in 1986) the station's Celebrate the Ozarks program. KYTV purchased one of the nation's first mobile videotape units in March 1959. That year, the station videotaped the dedication of Table Rock Dam and produced Harold Bell Wright's The Shepherd of the Hills on location in Branson. From March 17 until September 22, 1961, KYTV fed Five Star Jubilee to NBC from the Landers Theatre. It was the first network color television program to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood although KYTV could not yet broadcast the show locally in color.

In 1978, KYTV's original local owners sold the station to Harte-Hanks Communications. Current owner Schurz Communications bought the station in 1987. Schurz moved KYTV into new facilities in 1997 from its original building on West Sunshine Street. On September 21, 2006, Schurz and Perkin Media signed a deal with Piedmont Television to take over ABC affiliate KSPR. Under the deal, Schurz controls all non-Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assets and runs that station's operations through a shared services agreement. However, it remained at its studios on East Saint Louis Street in Springfield until November 2009 when KSPR moved into a new newsroom and studio addition built onto the Sunshine Street facility.

Broadcast towers

From 1973 to 2001, KYTV's broadcast tower was the tallest structure in Missouri approaching nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) feet more than three times the height of the Gateway Arch. In 1973, it built a 608.4 metres (1,996 ft) tower in Marshfield. In 2000, this was followed by a 609.4 metres (1,999 ft) tower in Fordland for high definition broadcasts. The towers were surpassed in 2001 by the Sedalia-based KMOS-TV tower in Syracuse which was only 0.2 metres (7.9 in) higher 609.6 metres (2,000 ft). The towers remain the second and third tallest structures in the state and are among the tallest structures in the world.

News operation

File:Kytv news 2010.PNG

A general identification screen for KY3, often used on the two projection screens in the studio.

KYTV currently produces 22½ hours of news each week and is ranked number one in all time slots according to Nielsen Media Research. Since its sign-on, the station has been airing nightly 6 and 10 o'clock broadcasts. A satellite news gathering truck was purchased in 1986. In November 2006, KYTV debuted an all-new news set. The weather area was moved to the main studio and a background can be lowered over the sports section to make an interview area. This is changed with the time of day (such as the morning featuring a picture of the sunrise in Springfield). The former weather area was turned into the "Virtual Newsroom" later renamed "KY3 Web Center" where Internet-related topics are discussed.

On December 31, 2008, with the discontinuation of NBC Weather Plus, the station changed it to a 24-hour local weather channel known as "KY3 24/7 Weather". KSPR moved into KYTV's newly renovated facilities on November 1, 2009 and began airing its local broadcasts in high definition. The two stations maintain separate news departments although it is not uncommon for them to share video. On January 28, 2010, KYTV began airing its newscasts in high definition with the weeknight 5 p.m. show. With the change came a new logo and updated graphics. It operate its own weather radar, called "Storm Tracker 3", near its transmitter in Fordland. All news anchors also serve as reporters. On June 28, 2011, KYTV began acquiring video in the field for its newscasts in high-definition. On August 22, 2011 KYTV will begin producing an hour-long extension of Ozarks Today weekday mornings at 7 a.m., and a half-hour nightly 9 p.m. newscast for CW affiliate K15CZ (which is also simulcast on the digital signal of sister station and ABC affiliate KSPR).

News team

Anchors

• Paul Adler - weekday mornings Ozarks Today
• Ethan Forhetz - weeknights at 5, 9 and 10 p.m.
• Steve Grant - weekdays at noon and 6 p.m.
• Maria Neider - weekday mornings Ozarks Today
• Paula Morehouse - weekend evenings; also Monday and Tuesday reporter
• Chad Plein - weekend evenings; also Monday, Thursday and Friday reporter
• Lisa Rose - weeknights at 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m.

KY3 Storm Team

• Ron Hearst (AMS Seal of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Brandon Beck (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings Ozarks Today, and Monday-Thursdays at noon
• Abby Dyer - meteorologist; weekend evenings
• Sarah Jones - meteorologist; weekend mornings

Sports team

• Ned Reynolds - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m., also sports reporter
• Joe Hickman - sports anchor; weekend evenings, also sports reporter and "Joe's Journal" segment producer

Reporters

• Sara Forhetz - crime and courts reporter; also fill-in news anchor
• Dustin Hodges - general assignment reporter
• Mike Landis - Wednesday-Sunday evening reporter
• Ashley Reynolds - Thursday-Tuesday reporter
• Linda Russell - general assignment reporter
• Jay Scherder - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff

• Norma Champion - former children's show host)
• Marie Saavedra - now reporter in Phoenix, Arizona
• Dave Snider - now meteorologist for National Weather Service in Alaska
• Slim Wilson - country music host (1964–1975)

External links

• KYTV channel 44
• KYTV mobile
• KSPR channel 19
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