KTVX

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KTVX
KTVX logo
Salt Lake City, Utah
Branding ABC4
Slogan Close To Home
Channels 4 (VHF) analog,
40 (UHF) digital
Affiliations ABC (since 1960)
Owner Clear Channel Communications
(sale pending)
Founded April 15, 1948 (briefly experimental W6SIX in 1947)
Call letters meaning K TeleVision eXellence (1975)
Former callsigns KDYL-TV (1948-53)
KTVT (1953-59)
KCPX-TV (1959-75)
Former affiliations NBC (1949-60)
Transmitter Power 32.4 kW (analog)
475.7 kW (digital)
Height 1180 m (analog)
1256.1 m (digital)
Facility ID 68889
Website www.abc4.com

KTVX, "ABC4", is the ABC affiliate for Salt Lake City, Utah. A large translator network extends the station's coverage throughout the state. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.

Contents

[edit] History

The station signed on the air on in 1947 under the experimental callsign W6SIX as Utah's first TV station. It received its full license on April 15, 1948, later that year as KDYL-TV, signifying its ownership with KDYL-AM. The floor in the first studio had a slope and cameras would easily roll. The original transmitter was on the top of the Walker Bank Building.

It is the oldest station in the Mountain Time Zone, and it is the third oldest TV station west of the Mississippi. The station changed its call letters to KTVT in 1953 and KCPX-TV in 1959, finally settling on KTVX in 1975. The KTVT call letters are now used by the CBS station in Dallas, Texas. The change of call letters to KCPX came with the sale to Screen Gems Broadcasting, a division of Screen Gems, then the television division of Columbia Pictures. For a brief period it was owned by Time Life, Inc.

Originally an NBC affiliate with color network feeds, it joined ABC in 1960. In 1961 it added KCPX-FM. Although KCPX had one early studio color camera it was mostly unusable, so KCPX killed the color on network feeds, this coupled with poor management caused studio unrest. Several of the original KCPX-TV crew ended up at NBC in Burbank, California, where they were working in color. KCPX-TV was completely in black and white until 1969, while KUTV and KSL were in color since the 1950's. Some of the memorable shows from the 1960's includes Fireman Frank and Nightmare Theater, both hosted by Ron Ross.

For several years, KTVX was owned by Chris-Craft Industries. After Chris-Craft's stations were sold to FOX, KTVX and KMOL (now WOAI-TV) in San Antonio were traded to Clear Channel for WFTC in the Twin Cities. Since FOX already owned KSTU, it was forced to sell KTVX due to current FCC regulations prohibiting one company from owning two of the four highest-ranked stations in a single market. KTVX was traded because it had a long-term ABC affiliation as well as the fact that FOX wanted to offer an attractive package to Clear Channel to get WFTC.

KTVX was the only Chris-Craft owned station to have never been affiliated with UPN during the time Chris-Craft owned a partial stake in the network.

On November 16, 2006, Clear Channel announced that it would be selling all of its television stations, including KTVX,[1] after being bought by private equity firms. The station was last sold in 2001.

[edit] Newscasts

The station's lead news anchors are Ruth Todd and Terry Wood who anchor the 10pm newscast. Randall Carlisle and Barbara Smith anchor the news at 5:00pm and 5:30pm.

The morning news program recently re-imaged with an anchor team (Kerry Kinsey and Erika Edberg), a new weather person (Marti Skold), and an on-set traffic person. The show is now the typical ABC name of "Good Morning (insert market here)" at Good Morning Utah. Previously, the show promised to deliver traffic and weather every ten minutes on the sixes and used the slogan "A.M. Express" as the program repeated format every half hour from 5:30 to 7 am.

ABC4 also broadcasts a live show at 10 am titled Good Things Utah with Nicea DeGering, Reagan Leadbetter, Angie Larsen and Marti Skold as its hosts. The weekend newscasts are anchored by Buddy Blankenfeld.

[edit] On Air Personalities

[edit] ABC4 News Close to Home Anchors

  • Ruth Todd - 10PM (Sunday - Friday)
  • Terry Wood - 10PM (Sunday - Friday)
  • Randall Carlisle - 5PM and 5:30PM
  • Barbara Smith - 5PM and 5:30PM (health reporter)
  • Erika Edberg - 5:30AM, 6AM and 6:30AM (also reporter)
  • Kerry Kinsey - 5:30AM, 6AM and 6:30AM (also reporter)
  • Buddy Blankenfeld - Weekend Afternoons and 10PM (also reporter)

[edit] ABC 4Warn Weather LIVE from the Weather Porch

  • Dan Pope - Chief Meteorologist (5PM, 5:30PM and 10PM)
  • Marti Skold - Weekday Mornings at 5:30AM, 6AM and 6:30AM ('Good Things Utah' host)
  • Clayton Brough, Climatologist - Weekend Afternoons and 10PM (ABC4's longest personality -- 26 years @ KTVX!)

[edit] Hot Ticket Sports

  • Wesley Ruff - Sports Director (5:30PM and 10PM)
  • Dana Greene - Tuesdays and Wednesdays (5:30PM and 10PM)
  • Kent Rupe - Saturday Afternoons, Fill-In anchor, Hot Ticket 700 Sports Saturday & Sunday

[edit] Traffic

  • Mike McKay - Good Morning Utah (5:30AM, 6AM and 6:30AM)

[edit] Reporters

  • James Brown (staff general assignment / 'Good Things Utah' contributor)
  • Christiana Brady (staff general assignment)
  • Reed Cowan (staff general assignment / anchor)
  • Nicea DeGering ('Good Things Utah' host / staff general assignment / anchor)
  • Brent Hunsaker (anchor / staff general assignment)
  • Elizabeth Hur (staff general assignment)
  • Chris Jones (staff general assignment)
  • Angie Larsen ('Good Things Utah' host / staff general assignment)
  • Reagan Leadbetter ('Good Things Utah' host / staff general assignment)
  • Marcos Ortiz (staff general assignment)
  • Chris Vanocur (political reporter / 'On The Record' host)
  • Robert Walz (staff general assignment)
  • Larry Warren (staff general assignment)
  • Susan Wood (anchor / staff general assignment)

[edit] Controversy

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During the visit by US President George W. Bush to Salt Lake City to speak to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in August 2005, Cindy Sheehan was featured in a paid political message protesting against the war in Iraq. The top four stations in the market (KSL-TV, KSTU, KTVX and KUTV) were offered to be paid to air the ad, and KTVX declined the offer. KTVX management said the content "could very well be offensive to our community in Utah, which has contributed more than its fair share of fighting soldiers and suffered significant loss of life in this Iraq war."[1]

KTVX was criticized on several fronts for its decision not to air the ad.[citation needed] Clear Channel Communications has long been criticized for its ties to the Republican Party.[citation needed] KSL-TV aired the ad despite a history of preempting programming that its owner, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormon Church), felt might offend its viewers.[citation needed] KSL's own parent NBC seems to take such stands, apparently turning down advertising of a film about the Dixie Chicks because "they are disparaging of President Bush."[2]

[edit] Translators

KTVX uses an extensive network of over 100 translator stations to extend its signal throughout Utah, plus parts of Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming. See translator list.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Clear Channel agrees to sale", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, 2006-11-16. Retrieved on 2006-11-17.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Broadcast television in the Salt Lake City/St. George/Provo/Ogden/Orem market  (Nielsen DMA #35)

KUTV 2 / KUSG 12 (CBS) - KCBU 3 (RTN) - KTVX 4 (ABC) - KCSG 4 (A1) - KSL 5 (NBC) - KUED 7 (PBS) - KUEN 9 (Ind) - KENV 10 (NBC) - KBYU 11 (PBS) - KUTF 12 (TFU) - KSTU 13 (Fox) - KJZZ 14 (MNTV) - KUPX 16 (i) - KTMW 20 (Ind) - KPNZ 24 (Ind) - KUCL-LP 26 (3ABN) - KUCW 30 (The CW) - KUTH 32 (UNI) - KKRP-LP 46 (A1) - KSVN-CA 49 / K66FN 66 (AZA) - KEJT-LP 50 / KULX-LP 51 (TEL) - K68FY 68 (TFU)

other media
Clear Channel Communications, Inc.

Corporate officers: Lowry Mays | Mark Mays | Randall Mays | Tom Hicks
Board of directors: Alan Feld | Perry Lewis | Lowry Mays | B.J. McCombs | Phyllis Riggins | Theodore Strauss | J.C. Watts | John H. Williams

Radio / Television stations: (See List of broadcast stations owned by Clear Channel)
Other major assets: Clear Channel Outdoor | Clear Channel UK | Premiere Radio Networks | FOX Sports Radio Network