| Sioux City, Iowa | |
|---|---|
| Branding | KMEG 14 (general) KMEG 14, Your Hometown News |
| Channels | Digital: 39 (UHF) Virtual: 14 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels | 14.1 CBS 14.2 Azteca América |
| Translators | 30 K30BP Norfolk, NE 40 K40CO Storm Lake, IA 55 K55FL Spencer, IA |
| Owner | Waitt Broadcasting, Inc. (operated through SSA by New World TV Group) |
| First air date | October 1, 1967 |
| Call letters' meaning | MEG Donovan |
| Sister station(s) | KPTH |
| Former channel number(s) | 14 (UHF analog, 1967-2009) 35 K35FM Norfolk, NE |
| Former affiliations | Fox (secondary, 1988-1999) UPN (secondary) |
| Transmitter power | 1,000 kW |
| Height | 611 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 39665 |
| Website | kmeg.com |
KMEG is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Southern Siouxland licensed to Sioux City, Iowa. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 (or virtual channel 14.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in unincorporated Plymouth County, Iowa east of James and US 75 along the Woodbury county line. The station can also be seen on Cable ONE channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 460. Owned by Waitt Broadcasting, KMEG is operated through a shared services agreement (SSA) by New World TV Group. This makes it a sister station to Fox affiliate KPTH and the two outlets share studios along I-29 (postal address says Gold Circle) in unincorporated Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. Syndicated programming on this station includes Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, The Doctors, and The Nate Berkus Show among others.
Contents |
On KMEG-DT2 is Azteca América which launched in October 2008 as a straight simulcast of sister station KAZO-LP/KXVO-DT2 in Omaha, Nebraska. In Spring 2010, it was spun-off to have a separate feed in the Sioux City area. Although this local service is currently not offered on Cable ONE, the provider airs the national feed on channel 18.
| Channels (physical/virtual) | Name | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.1/39.1 | KMEG-HD | 1080i | 16:9 | main KMEG programming/CBS (HD) |
| 14.2/39.2 | KMEG-DT2 | 480i | 4:3 | Azteca América (SD) |
KMEG's signal is repeated over three translators. [1] Since all are licensed as low-powered stations, they were exempt from transitioning to digital-only broadcasts in 2009 as mandated by law for all full-power television stations.
The station signed-on October 1, 1967 as the market's fourth television outlet. It has been affiliated with CBS since the beginning. Before its launch, the network had previously been carried on KVTV (now KCAU-TV) from 1953 until 1965 through a primary relation. When that station switched its affiliation to ABC, KCAU shared secondary CBS relations with NBC outlet KTIV until KMEG signed-on. KMEG was started by a group of local investors led by Bob and Norma Donovan. Its call letters were selected in honor of their daughter Meg who would later pass away.
The station's original ownership group sold KMEG to John Fetzer in 1969. Fetzer sold off all of his broadcasting properties in the mid-1980s. KMEG was among the last to be divested going to Gillett Holdings in 1985. The next year, Gillett spun-off the station to an employee group called KMEG Television, Inc. In 1991, Maine Radio acquired the station.
KMEG was acquired by Waitt Broadcasting in 1998, and after that company took control, the station received significant upgrades. This included an increase of its broadcast tower height to 2,000 feet and effective radiated power to five million watts. The station transformed its analog signal on UHF channel 14 from the Sioux City metro area to full-market coverage spanning 23 counties in Northwestern Iowa, Northeastern Nebraska, and Southeastern South Dakota. Around the same time Waitt bought KMEG, the company also purchased Fox affiliates WFXL in Albany, Georgia, WPGX in Panama City, Florida, WDFX-TV in Dothan, Alabama, and KYOU-TV in Ottumwa, Iowa. However, the Fox affiliates were kept separate from KMEG through a subsidiary known as Waitt Media. In 2003, Waitt Broadcasting sold its entire Waitt Media unit to Raycom Media (who concurrently transferred KYOU's license to a third party due to Federal Communications Commission duopoly regulations as Raycom already owned Ottumwa's ABC affiliate KTVO at the time) but retained KMEG.
It was one of only two CBS stations not to air The Late Show with David Letterman when it premiered. KXJB Fargo, North Dakota also declined to alter its syndicated lineup in order to air the new program. [2] This led Sioux City to become known as The Late Show's first home office. KMEG would began airing the show in 1994. [3] KMEG's first studios were at the corner of 7th Street and Floyd Boulevard in Downtown Sioux City until around the turn of the 21st century when it moved into new facilities in Dakota Dunes near North Sioux City, South Dakota. The 20,132 sq ft (1,870.3 m2) building was constructed by Darland Construction Company, and at the time, the building housed KMEG and two radio stations (KZSR-FM 102.3 and KKYY-FM 101.3). In May 2005, Waitt Broadcasting entered into a shared services agreement (SSA) with Pappas Telecasting Companies (then owner of Fox affiliate KPTH). The two radio stations moved out and KPTH was integrated into KMEG's facility even though it was the senior partner in the arrangement.
In November 2007, Waitt announced it would sell KMEG to Siouxland Television, LLC. Pappas was to have continued operating the station as part of the deal. However, Pappas' Sioux City duopoly is among the company's thirteen stations which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As a result, the sale of KMEG to Siouxland Television fell through. On January 16, 2009, it was announced several of the Pappas stations involved in the bankruptcy (including KPTH) would be sold to New World TV Group after the transaction received United States bankruptcy court approval. [4] The change in ownership was completed on October 15, 2009, and on that day, New World TV Group took over the SSA with KMEG. From 1988 until the sign-on of KPTH in 1999, the station maintained a secondary affiliation with Fox. It also aired selected UPN programming out-of-pattern until the network merged with The WB (carried locally on KTIV-DT2 and cable television) to form The CW in 2006. Since noon on February 17, 2009, KMEG's broadcasts have been digital-only. [5] [6]
After being acquired by Waitt Broadcasting in 1998, KMEG added evening and late-night local news. On October 9, 2006, KMEG began producing a weeknight prime time newscast on its sister outlet. Known as Fox 44 News at Nine, the broadcast can currently be seen for thirty minutes. This station handles primary newscast production even through KPTH is the senior partner in the SSA. On October 25, 2010, KMEG became the first station in the market to upgrade its news operation to 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen. Although not truly high definition, the broadcasts match the ratio of HD television screens. The weeknight news at 9 on KPTH was included in the change.
KCAU became the area's first outlet to add full high definition newscasts soon after on November 23. It would not be until June 2011 when KTIV would complete the same upgrade. KMEG does not air any weekend newscasts but does offer a weekly summary of headlines Sunday nights at 10. Its weekday broadcasts in the morning, at 5, and 10 are streamed live on the station's website. Unlike most CBS affiliates in the Central Time Zone, it does not air local news weeknights at 6. Maintaining only nine on-air personalities, KMEG has a smaller news department compared with most other big three network affiliates.
Anchors and reporters
Other anchors
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||