KETV

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KETV
Omaha, Nebraska
Branding	KETV NewsWatch 7
Slogan	More Complete Coverage
Channels	7 (VHF) analog, 20 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	ABC
Owner	Hearst-Argyle
Founded	1957
Call letters meaning	Kiewit TV (after Peter Kiewit, Jr., its first owner)
Former callsigns	None
Former affiliations	None
Transmitter Power	316 kW/418.5 m (analog) 350 kW/409 m (digital)
Website	http://www.ketv.com/

KETV channel 7 is the ABC affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska.

It was founded in September 1957 as Omaha's third television station. The station has always been an ABC affiliate, and is the city's only station to never change its affiliation. The station was founded by construction magnate Peter Kiewit, Jr. From 1963 to 1976, it was co-owned with the Omaha World-Herald. Kiewit sold the station to Pulitzer Broadcasting Company in 1976. In 1998, Pulitzer sold its entire broadcasting division, including KETV, to Hearst-Argyle Television.

For nearly 30 years, the station's newscasts have been branded as NewsWatch 7. Under its current ownership, it has been known over the last few years as KETV NewsWatch 7. The station's studios are located near 27th and Douglas in downtown Omaha. The transmitter tower is located on a "tower farm" near North 72nd and Crown Point.

Since 1982 KETV NewsWatch 7 has been known for its weekly Crimestoppers segments, and has contributed to the arrest and conviction of more than 1000 wanted felons. KETV has also had a long running hotline and webpage called 7 Can Help. which has and continues to contribute to helping the greater Omaha community through financial grants, high utility bill relief, and services for area children. 7 Can Help has also been known to intercede on behalf of senior citizens with matters such as getting benefits that have been otherwise denied them.

In October of 1996, KETV made local broadcasting history, when it began televising all of its local newscasts from a working newsroom which is known as The Newsplex. The multi-million dollar broadcast facility is still in use to date. In February 2006, KETV NewsWatch 7 reformatted its investigative unit, in an effort to bring more attention to in depth investigative stories, along with health and consumer reporting. It has been re-launched as the NewsWatch 7 "I" Team.

Advances in weather forecasting have also been a staple of Channel 7. KETV was the first to have a full time meteorologist beginning in the early 1970's, and was the second station to utilize Doppler radar. In July 2006 KETV launched a 24-hour local weather channel, "Weather Now," that appears on digital subchannel 7.2 as well as local cable systems and the station's website.

Among the many KETV alumni are John Coleman and Charlie Levy (Known as Charlie Martin in Omaha) who both worked for the station at different times as on-air meteorologists (in the 1960s for Coleman and the late 1970s and early 1980s for Levy/Martin). Coleman went on to be the on air meteorologist at Good Morning America and later, he was instrumental in lauching The Weather Channel in 1982. Around that same time, Charlie Martin (as Charlie Levy) joined John Coleman and TWC as one of the cable channel's first on-air meteorologists.

On July 4, 2003, KETV's transmitter tower (at the north 72nd St. tower farm) collapsed during the addition of a digital television antenna. Thankfully, it happened late at night and no one was injured. The station was forced to broadcast from their shorter auxiliary tower for over a year. A new transmitter was erected almost exactly where the old transmitter stood on the tower farm and was completed in late 2004.

KETV's nearest sister stations are CBS affiliate KCCI-TV channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa, and fellow ABC affiliate KMBC-TV channel 9 in Kansas City, Missouri.

KETV's logo is their variation of the famous Circle 7 logo.

[edit] KETV NEWSWATCH 7 Team Weeknights at 5, 6, & 10

Rob McCartney (Lead Anchor)

Julie Cornell (Lead Anchor)

Bill Randby (Chief Meteorologist)

Jon Schuetz (Sports Director)

[edit] Notable Past NEWSWATCH 7 Personnel

Carol Schrader (Anchor/Reporter: Late 1970s-1996) Hosted PBS interview program from 1997-2006. Currently Chief Deputy with the Douglas County Assessor's office.

Michael Scott (Anchor/Reporter: 1982-1993) Later an Anchor for KMTV from 1995 to 1999.

John Knicely (Sports Director: 1984-1992) Now Lead Anchor for WOWT.

Jim Flowers (Chief Meteorologist: Mid 1980s until 1992) Now with WOWT.

Ross Jernstrom (Sports: 1979-1994) Now with WOWT.

Margaret Bumann (Health/Reporter: 1986 until early 2000s)

Allan Muse (Anchor/Reporter: 1970s)

Marcia Ladendorff (Omaha's first female Anchor: late 1970s)

Lee Terry Sr. (Anchor/News director: 1960s-1970s)

Frank Brown (Reporter: 1980s-1990s) Now on the Omaha City Council.

Greg Peterson (1992-1995 Sports Director) Now lead news anchor at KMTV.

[edit] External links

• KETV.com
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KETV