| Topeka, Kansas | |
|---|---|
| Branding | 49 ABC (general) Kansas First News (newscasts) |
| Channels | Digital: 49 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | (see article) |
| Affiliations | ABC The CW (DT3) |
| Owner | PBC Broadcasting, LLC (operated through SSA by New Vision Television) (PBC Broadcasting of Topeka License, LLC) |
| First air date | June 20th, 1983 |
| Call letters' meaning | TopeKA |
| Sister station(s) | KSNT, KTMJ-CA |
| Former callsigns | KLDH (1983-1987) |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 49 (UHF, 1983-2009) Digital: 48 (UHF, 1998-2010) |
| Transmitter power | 55 kW |
| Height | 451.1 m |
| Facility ID | 49397 |
| Website | www.ktka.com (official site) 49abc.com (program listings) |
KTKA-TV, channel 49, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Topeka, Kansas. Owned by PBC Broadcasting, the station is operated by New Vision Television though a shared services agreement with NBC affiliate KSNT and low-powered Fox affiliate KTMJ-CA. Its studios are located on Northwest 27th Street (U.S. 24) near the Kiro section of Topeka, while its transmitter is located west of the city.
The station operates its digital signal on UHF channel 49. In the Topeka area, KTKA is available on Cox Communications analog cable channel 9 in standard definition and on digital cable channel 2009 in high definition; KTKA digital channel 49.2, a local weather channel, is carried on Cox digital cable channel 675.
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This station's digital signal is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KTKA-DT | Main KTKA-TV / ABC HD programming |
| 49.2 | 480i | 4:3 | KTKA-DT2 | Local and regional weather information |
| 49.3 | 480i | 4:3 | Northeast Kansas' CW5 | CW network and syndicated programming |
On June 2, 2009, KTKA added CW network programming on digital subchannel 49.3.
KTKA's broadcasts are digital-only, effective 12:01 a.m. on February 17, 2009.[1][2] Originally, the station aired its digital signal on channel 48 and remained there after the analog shutdown. However, through the use of PSIP, its signal redirected to channel 49. In mid-2010, the station moved its digital broadcasts back to channel 49.
KTKA originally signed on the air as KLDH in June 1983, immediately taking the ABC affiliation. Previously, ABC had been relegated to off-hours clearances on CBS affiliate WIBW-TV (channel 13) and NBC affiliate KTSB (channel 27, now KSNT). Channel 49's sign-on made Topeka one of the last markets in the country with full service from all three networks. Most of the area, however, could get the full ABC schedule from KMBC-TV in Kansas City or KQTV in St. Joseph, and KMBC had been available on cable in Topeka for decades.
KLDH was plagued by technical problems during its first two years on-air, including a transmitter fire that knocked it off the air for a few weeks. It changed its calls to the current KTKA-TV in 1987.
In 1998, KTKA moved its studios from downtown Topeka to southwest Topeka; the current studio facilities are also used by radio station KTPK. On August 29, 2005, KTKA was purchased by the World Company, publisher of the Lawrence Journal-World.
On February 4, 2011, KTKA announced that Free State Communications will sell the station to PBC Broadcasting. PBC Broadcasting also owns stations in Youngstown, OH and Savannah, GA. Both operations are part of shared service and local marketing agreements with stations owned by New Vision Television in their markets, suggesting that KTKA would be structured under the same sort of arrangement with New Vision-owned KSNT. Despite objections to the sale by the American Cable Association that the sale could give the virtual triopoly too much leverage in retransmission consent negotiations, the FCC approved the sale of KTKA to PBC Broadcasting for $1.5 million on July 21, 2011.[3]
KTKA began airing newscasts after it signed on, but never gained much traction against WIBW-TV and KSNT. It phased out news programming in 2002. After the World Company acquired the station, KTKA received new software and hardware for the re-development of a news division. On February 5, 2006, KTKA launched 49 News at 10 immediately following Super Bowl XL.
At one time, KTKA offered newscasts on weekday mornings (branded as Good Morning Kansas) and a weekday midday newscast at 11 a.m., but they were canceled on November 6, 2008 as part of cutbacks that resulted in nine employees being let go. On July 29, 2011, the station aired its final newscast as a standalone news operation; a shared newscast produced in conjunction with KSNT debuted on July 30, under the banner of Kansas First News. The arrangement is similar to other virtual triopoly joint news operations such as Raycom Media/MCG Capital's Hawaii News Now in Honolulu, Hawaii and Granite/Malara's Indiana's NewsCenter in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Northland's NewsCenter in Duluth, Minnesota.[4]
Current anchors
First Warning Weather
Sports team
Reporters
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