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KSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, which also owns several other TV stations across the United States and some other properties.

KSTP is licensed in St. Paul (as referenced by its call letters), but its studios lie right on the boundary line between St. Paul and Minneapolis, along with KSTC-TV (channel 45) and KSTP radio (AM 1500 and FM 94.5).

KSTP's broadcasts became digital-only, which went into effect on June 12, 2009.[1]

History

Stanley E. Hubbard, founder of KSTP radio, was one of broadcasting's foremost pioneers. In June 1939, he purchased one of the first television cameras available from RCA and began experimenting with television. But, the television blackout brought on by World War II prevented any transmissions from being made. The first telecast by KSTP reportedly occurred on December 7, 1947, when Jack Horner hosted a 25-minute program. On April 27, 1948 Channel 5's regular broadcasts began from their current studios straddling the St. Paul/Minneapolis line, making KSTP-TV the first commercial television station in Minnesota. However, an experimental mechanical TV station had set up by WDGY station engineers more than a decade earlier. That station's license expired in 1938 as the Federal Communications Commission was not interested in continuing mechanical TV broadcasts.

KSTP has a number of claims for broadcasting "firsts." These include:

  • First independently-owned NBC Television affiliate (April 1948)
  • First in the United States with a regularly scheduled seven-day newscast at 10 p.m. (1950)
  • First in the country to broadcast fully in color (courtesy of the NBC affiliation—ABC wouldn't go all-color until 1967) (1961)
  • First in the U.S. to include live satellite-fed reports (satellite news gathering) in local news broadcasts (1984)

KSTP-TV was originally an NBC affiliate, as KSTP-AM had long been an NBC radio affiliate. It was part of NBC's Midwest Network, a regional group of NBC affiliates that fed programming in the days before the coaxial cable link to New York City.

In the late 1970s, ABC began looking for stronger affiliates across the country—including the Twin Cities. KMSP-TV, the Twin Cities' ABC affiliate since 1961, had long struggled in the ratings. ABC had talks with WTCN-TV (Channel 11, now KARE--ironically, the original ABC affiliate in the Twin Cities from 1953 to 1961), CBS affiliate WCCO-TV, and KSTP-TV. Channel 5 surprised the industry in August 1978 by announcing its intention to sever ties with NBC and join ABC. Hubbard's relationship with NBC dated to 1928, when KSTP-AM joined NBC Radio (it had switched to independent status in 1974. Channel 5 became an ABC affiliate on March 5, 1979—the network's biggest coup at the time. “We want to go into the 1980s in a leadership position with a network which we think has the management, team and depth to be the best. That's ABC. We're just absolutely thrilled,” gushed KSTP's Stanley S. Hubbard.

A digital TV signal from KSTP started airing in 1999, and it became part of the first TV "duopoly" in the state with the purchase of KVBM-TV, channel 45 (now KSTC) the year after that (though there is a longstanding public television pair: KTCA/KTCI).

KSTP-TV has used its "groovy 5" logo, or variations on it, since April 1969 —- it is the longest-used logo in the Upper Midwest. By 1982, the design contained a white '5' on a red rounded edge square background. The number was italicized for a time in the mid-to-late 1980s. In the early 1990s, a red triangular backdrop was in place. Eventually, the logo endured a more dramatic makeover, with a gold colored '5' on an ABC-style disc, outlined in green. By the late 1990s, a brighter, classier logo—still with a gold '5' -- returned the rectangular look, adding a black ABC logo. Since 2004, a white '5' has been used on a red parallelogram, also with a black ABC logo.

In April 2008, KSTP started airing commercials commemorating their 60 years on the air. The commercials ended with what is presumably a new slogan, "Minnesota's News Leader".

Programming and personalities

Channel 5 had been the dominant Twin Cities news channel from its inception until the late 1960s, when WCCO-TV created its popular "The Scene Tonight." Trying to reclaim the ratings crown, KSTP installed the market's first co-anchor team in 1970, with longtime station anchors Bob Ryan and John MacDougall. They failed to attract more viewers and were fired from the station in 1971. Channel 5 grabbed the "Eyewitness News" moniker for its newscasts in 1973; KMSP-TV had used the title since 1969, but discarded it in favor of 'news nine'. In 1974, KSTP struck gold with the hiring of Ron Magers and soon returned to #1 status. The news team was strengthened even further with the addition of the well-respected Cyndy Brucato in 1979. The anchor duo led a strong ratings era, which has been unparalleled at the station.

The good times wouldn't last long. Barry ZeVan--'the weather man', as well as top sports personality Tom Ryther left the station in the late 70s, followed by weekend weatherman, Roy Finden, in 1980. After highly publicized fallout with management, Ron Magers abruptly departed KSTP in 1981, joining WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

With all of the on-air fluctuation, KSTP-TV once again fell from its top perch. WCCO-TV climbed back to #1, but the market and the national networks were changing. Gannett bought WTCN-TV in 1983 and immediately revitalized the station. Also, NBC began a major climb in primetime ratings it hadn't seen in years, while ABC lost steam. This combination of events, along with the 'anchor-go-round' at KSTP, allowed a significant third contender into the Twin Cities news race. Despite its extensive news background, Channel 5 dipped to 3rd in the ratings by 1986—the same year it lost ZeVan's replacement, Dennis Feltgen to KARE and replaced Cyndy Brucato as anchor. It has remained near the bottom of the heap since then, occasionally dropping to fourth behind 9:00 p.m. newscasts on KMSP-TV. Even a shakeup and quirky advertisements featuring Ed Asner (emulating Lou Grant)[2] didn't help.

Despite all the upheaval, a few staffers have managed to stay at KSTP for several years. Stan Turner wore a number of hats at Channel 5 -- from news director to news anchor -- beginning in 1968 through the late 1980s. Starting in October 1976, reporter Jason Davis produced feature stories. Since 2003, Davis had been host and executive producer of a half hour program called "On the Road," broadcast on Sunday nights at 10:35 (originally a segment produced for newscasts). The show was canceled altogether in 2008 although Davis remained an employee at the station.[3] Meteorologist Dave Dahl was hired at the station in 1977 and has been doing on-air weather reporting since 1979. He became Chief Meteorologist in 1986. Dahl has been noted as being a skeptic of global warming.[4] Joe Schmit was Sports Reporter/Director for 20 years, beginning in 1985, before switching to news anchor in 2005. In June 2006, Schmit left the station to join Petters Media and Marketing Group, a subsidiary of Petters Group Worldwide.[5] Schmit returned to the station in January 2010. [6]

Cyndy Brucato made a surprise return to the KSTP-TV anchor desk in 2004, after an 18-year absence from the station. Her comeback had been preceded by a guest appearance as a fill-in sportscaster, at Joe Schmit's request. Management then decided to rehire her for a news anchor position. While Brucato's return only caused an initial bump in the ratings, her greater significance has been to add insight and depth to the news desk, which has many newer personalities in the market. Brucato has also given public support for the Hubbard family.

A notable local program produced each week is At Issue, a political discussion show hosted by Tom Hauser, with former state governor Wendell Anderson as a regular guest.

"Sports Wrap" aired twice a week—on Friday nights from September through May, for high school sports and on Sunday nights, featuring Minnesota Vikings football, as well as other pro sports. These segments were usually hosted by Rod Simons and Anne Hutchinson. Simons was later fired by the station in 2008 and Hutchinson also was let go in December of that year. A week prior to Hutchinson's departure "High School Sports Wrap" was canceled due to low revenues.[3]

From 1982 to 1994 when nationally-syndicated talk shows started ruling the daytime airwaves, KSTP ran a talk program of its own known as Good Company. Married couple Sharon Anderson and Steve Edelman hosted the show. They appeared briefly in the movie Fargo as show hosts. The two continue to be recognized as area celebrities from time to time. Currently, Edelman runs Edelman Productions, a company that produces TV shows for Food Network, HGTV, The History Channel and DIY with his wife Anderson hosting a few of them. Edelman Productions is headquartered in California where both Edelman and Anderson now live, but they have offices both in California and Minnesota where they produce their shows.

In 2007, Channel 5 decided to bring back an hour long afternoon talk program similar to Good Company. A public casting call at the Mall of America attracted a Burnsville, Minnesota native, John Hanson, who was selected from over 500 people. A few months later, a Milwaukee TV news anchor, Rebekah Wood, was hired as his partner. The new program is called Twin Cities Live, "a show about Minnesotans created by Minnesotans." Its first air date is slated for April 21, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.[7] The title Twin Cities Live was first used in the late 1980s for a short-lived morning talk show. That show debuted at a time that KSTP was trying to reinvent its news image. 1990 saw the launch of the cable and satellite channel All News Channel (ANC) and all-night news on KSTP which alternated between ANC half hours and local half hours.

In late 2004, the station became part of the controversies surrounding missing explosives following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Anchor/Reporter Dean Staley and cameraman Joe Caffrey visited the Al Qa'qaa munitions dump on April 18, 2003. By the next year, Staley had moved on to another station, but the tapes still existed and Caffrey was still at KSTP. When reports surfaced that explosive material might have been stolen from the site, the two realized that they had filmed at the facility during an important time.

On May 12, 2006, KSTP announced it was adding a half hour newscast at 4 p.m. On September 10, 2007, it was switched to 4:30 p.m., allowing the show to blend with the 5 p.m. newscast. For the first year, KSTP had no news competition at that time. However, in late May 2007, KARE began an online/television lifestyles show at 4 p.m. But, KSTP can now claim the market's only hour long afternoon and evening newscasts—at 4:30 and 6:00.

For much of the 1980s KQRS-FM morning show host Tom Barnard was the station announcer.

In August 2007, News Director Chris Berg left the station. A report to the Star Tribune says that his departure was "mutual" and was also delayed due to KSTP's coverage of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse.

KSTP began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition on June 15, 2009 making it the last news station in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market to broadcast its news in High Definition.[8]

KSTP has rehired Joe Schmit as Sports Director who will be on air Monday to Fridays starting 1/14/2010 He will also bring back Sunday Sports wrap with Joe Schmit. Phil will move to weekends until his contract is up in June. KSTP also has hired Chris Long to become sports reporter/fill in and will start Feb 2010.

News/Station presentation

Equipment inside a KSTP-TV news van.

Newscast titles

  • The KSTP 10PM Report (1960s-1973)
  • (Channel) 5 Eyewitness News (1973-present)
  • Eyewitness News Update (10PM newscast; mid-1980s)

Station slogans

  • The Northwest's First Color Television Station (1950s-1960s)
  • News Headquarters for the Northwest (late 1960s)
  • Minnesota's Leading News Station (1982-mid 1980s)
  • Minnesota's News Channel (late 1980s-1991)
  • Your 24-Hour News Channel (1991-1995)
  • News That Matters to You (1998-1999)
  • We Are More News (1999-2003)
  • 100% News, 0% Fat (early 2000s; parody used for billboards)
  • 0 to informed in 30 Minutes (2000s; Used for advertising)
  • Leading With More News (2003-2008)
  • Minnesota's News Leader (2008-present)

Current on-air talent

News anchors

5 Eyewitness Weather Meteorologists
Note: KSTP-TV is the only station in the nation to have two Co-Chief Meterologists.

  • Dave Dahl (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Lead Meteorologist; weeknights at 4:30, 5, 6, 6:30, 10 and 11 p.m. (and 9 p.m. on KSTC)
  • Patrick Hammer (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal of Approval) - Meterologist; weekday mornings and midday
  • Chikage Windler (NWA/AMS Seal of Approval) - Meterologist; weekends

5 Eyewitness Sports

  • Joe Schmit (Sports Director/anchor) Returns 1/14/2009
  • Phil Aldrige weekends
  • Chris Long (sports reporter) Feb 2010

Reporters

Former personalities

  • Ryan Kibbe (sports reporter)Left for job in Green Bay WI.
  • Angela Astore (anchor/reporter 1985-1993)
  • Todd Baer
  • John Barr
  • JoAnn Bemoras
  • Jo Bender (Weather) -- Now with KARE
  • Mike Binkley (reporter/morning anchor, 1986-2006) Now morning anchor with Angela Davis on WCCO
  • Bridgette Bornstein
  • Dennis Bounds (5pm anchor) Now with KING-TV
  • Paul Brand (Automotive reporter)
  • Paul Brandt (consumer reporter, producer, 1972-1978)
  • Bob Bruce (Sports and later Morning anchor/host, 1978-1990) Now with WPXI
  • Wally Brueske (sidekick, Treasure Chest, Dialing for Dollars)
  • Don Buehler (reporter, 1970s)
  • Charlie Bush (staff announcer, late night movie host) (1965-1981)
  • Randall Carlisle (anchor, 1988-1990)
  • Reg Chapman (now with WCCO)
  • Chris Conangla (main anchor/midday anchor, 1993-2000)
  • Angela Davis (Mornings) (Now morning anchor with Mike Binkley on WCCO)
  • Heidi Deja (1993-1997-reporter/anchor) now a media relations manager in NC
  • J.B. Eckert (reporter, 1970s)
  • John Evans (reporter-anchor, 1970s)
  • Harris Faulkner (Evenings) (now with Fox News Channel)
  • Dennis Feltgen (Weather, 1978-1986) Now with NOAA
  • Roy Finden (weekend weather, later with Brown Insitiute, 1968-1981)
  • Heather Filkins (reporter)
  • Marcia Fluer (reporter, political correspondent, and weekend anchor, 1972-1984)
  • Micheal Gargiulo (Anchor/Reporter) (now with WCCO)
  • Gretchen Gehlbach (now a teacher 1971-1972)
  • David George (weekend meteorologist, 1994-1997)
  • Eric Gislason (Sports, 1989-2004)
  • Jim Guy (morning meteorologist, 1993-2005)
  • John Hines, (announcer, program host, 1979-1981)
  • Val Holley-Dennis (Evening anchor, 1990-1993—now in media relations for Sonic Automotive, Inc.)
  • Jim Hutton (host, Treasure Chest, Dialing for Dollars, Dial 5)
  • Anne Hutchinson (sports)
  • Bill Ingram (Original anchor, 1948-1959) (died Dec. 1989)
  • Jeff James (weather)
  • Beth Jett (Now at KQDS-TV)
  • Jane Johnston (women's affairs, Dialing for Dollars, Dial 5) (died Nov. 2007)
  • Ed Karow (Sports) (1965-2003) (died May 2003)
  • Kalley King Yanta (anchor, 1994-2000)
  • Ross Kirgiss (Field Reporter)
  • Janel Klein
  • Jay Kolls (investigative reporter: now sidekick at KSTP-AM radio morning show)
  • Mike LaPoint (Midday weather) (Now at WPXI/Pittsburgh)
  • Daryl Laub (children's personality Cap'n Daryl and T.N. Tatters, 1955-1960s)
  • Dave Layman (reporter, 1970-1973)
  • Rob Leer (Sports & later Investigations, 1979-2003)
  • Kirsten Lindquist (anchor/reporter, 1988-1990)
  • Wendy Lubovich (anchor)(1980s)
  • Dr. Walt Lyons (Weather, 1975-1978)
  • John MacDougall (anchor, 1959-1971, continued as staff announcer through 1980s) (died Oct. 1993)
  • Ron Magers (main anchor, 1974-1981)
  • Richelle McGinnis (Now at KMSP-TV)
  • Randy Meier (anchor)
  • Johnny Morris (weather, 1959-1971)
  • Neil Murray ("On Your Behalf" consumer reporter, 1978-1987)
  • Tom Murray (reporter 1960s-1970s)
  • Julie Nelson (anchor, 1998-2002) (now with KARE)
  • Dick Nesbitt (sports, 1948-1959)
  • Craig Nigrelli (Reporter/Anchor)
  • Kent Ninomiya (anchor, 2003-2004)
  • Ted O'Brien (news anchor, 1971-74)
  • Kris Patrow
  • Lynsey Paulo (Investigations/Anchor) - Now with KCRA in Sacramento
  • Gail Plewacki (Investigative reporter)
  • Cale Ramaker (5 pm Anchor)
  • Gillian Rice (reporter, 1980-1981)
  • Lorraine Roe (Investigative reporter - now psychic)
  • Bob Ryan (anchor, 1948-1971, later at KROC-TV/KTTC Rochester, MN)
  • Tom Ryther (Sports, "Bowling for Dollars" host, 1971-1978, later at WTCN-TV/WUSA/KARE-11)
  • Laird Brooks Schmidt (Late-night movie host, 1978-79)
  • Joe Schmit (Sports Director/anchor, now VP at Petters Family Foundation)
  • Phil Schwarz (Weather)
  • Scott Seroka (reporter, 2004-2007—now with KARE)
  • Kathleen Shannon (reporter/anchor)
  • Angela Shelley (reporter, early 1980s)
  • Andy Skoogman (reporter)
  • Frank Somerville (Morning Anchor, 1980s)
  • Ruth Spencer (anchor/reporter, 1985-1989—now with WDIV Detroit)
  • Karl Spring- weather
  • Dean Staley (weekend anchor/reporter)
  • David Stone (agriculture & Hymn Time show, host of "Open Forum", 1948-1984) (Died Aug. 1995)
  • John Stone (anchor/reporter)
  • Mark Suppelsa (anchor, 1987-1993)
  • Al Tighe (sports 1960-1969, later with KMSP-TV) (Died June 2008)
  • Allision Triarssi
  • Stan Turner (News Director, anchor/reporter, 1968-1989) Later with All News Channel, now in radio.
  • Jimmy Valentine (announcer & children's programming, 1948-1984) (Died Dec. 2002)
  • Betty Wolden (reporter)
  • Henry Wolf (talk show host, 1960s-1980s)
  • Barry ZeVan (weather, 1971-1974)
  • Dave Verhasselt (reporter: now in Government PR)
  • Susie Jones (reporter: now radio host at WCCO-AM)
  • Michelle Magadance (reporter)
  • Kerri Miller (Capitol reporter; now Mid Morning host at KNOW-FM (MPR)
  • Lou Harvin (reporter)
  • Katy Boo (reporter)

Broadcast center

Entrance to the KSTP studios on University Avenue in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The sidewalk leading to the building lies precisely on the city line, as does the central leg of the tower.

KSTP-TV's studios and offices are located on University Avenue, precisely on the Minneapolis-St. Paul border. The sidewalk in the adjacent photo of the building is on the city line. The principal broadcast studios are on the Minneapolis side of the building. Most of the rest of the operation is on the St. Paul side, including the business side—hence the St. Paul mailing address. There is a large transmitting tower behind the station, with one leg in each city and a third leg precisely on the city line. This tower is primarily used to relay the station's signal to the Telefarm paired tower setup in Shoreview (shared with KSTP-FM, WCCO-TV, KARE, and WUCW).

Outlying stations and translators

Combined with satellites KSAX Alexandria and KRWF in Redwood Falls, KSTP has the most extensive network of television broadcast translators in the state, reaching much of central Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Listed here are the translators served directly by KSTP:

See also

TV queries

References

  1. ^ http://wcco.com/digital/digital.switch.tv.2.928751.html
  2. ^ Meyer, Joel (17 October 2005). "Twin Cities Tradition: Hubbard's historic KSTP faces new challenges". BroadcastingCable.com. Reed Elsevier. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  3. ^ a b Minn Post - David Brauer - 12-05-08
  4. ^ WCCO-TV - Esme Murphy - 5-20-08
  5. ^ Minneapolis Star Tribune - Judd Zulgad - 7-30-06
  6. ^ http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1350162.shtml?cat=1
  7. ^ KSTP.com - Twin Cities Live launches April 21 at 3pm
  8. ^ http://kstp.com/article/stories/S978823.shtml?cat=1
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