KOAA-TV

KOAA-TV is the NBC affiliate television station for southern Colorado. It is licensed to Pueblo, and broadcasts on digital channel 42 (virtual channel 5). It also operates a digital translator, K30JM-D channel 30, in Colorado Springs. The station has staff and offices in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Its news studio is located in Pueblo.

Early years as KCSJ-TV
The station signed on for the first time on June 30, 1953 as KCSJ-TV, owned by the Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation, owners of Pueblo's two major newspapers, the morning Pueblo Chieftain and evening Pueblo Star-Journal, along with KCSJ-AM. It is Colorado's second-oldest station outside of Denver.

During the 1950s, KCSJ-TV was one of two full-time NBC affiliates serving Southern Colorado - the other being KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, about 40 miles to the north. In 1960, the Federal Communications Commission collapsed all of southern Colorado into a single television market. At this point, KCSJ-TV became the area's sole NBC affiliate with KRDO-TV switching to ABC.

Change to KOAA-TV
In 1961, Star-Chieftain sold KCSJ-TV to Metropolitan Broadcasting, owners of KOA-AM-FM-TV in Denver. KCSJ-TV then became KOAA-TV, but remained a free-standing station programmed separately from Denver's KOA-TV (now KCNC-TV). The two stations did, however, occasionally do cross-promotion. With much wealthier ownership, KOAA was able to add videotape in 1962. In 1967, it became the first television station in Southern Colorado to broadcast local programming in color.

1970s decline and rebound
KOAA floundered through the early and mid-1970s largely because of reception problems in the northern part of the market. Channel 5 had to conform its signal to protect KGWN-TV in Cheyenne. As a result, while most of Colorado Springs received the channel 5 signal very well, it was barely viewable in northern Colorado Springs and that city's northern suburbs because of the area's rugged terrain. As a result, many Colorado Springs viewers could only watch the station on cable. This posed a problem for KOAA, as the Colorado Springs area underwent unprecedented population growth that continues to this day while Pueblo remained relatively unchanged. KOAA also changed hands several times during this period passing through several non-broadcast owners, leading the station to lose its prestige and become less profitable.

Things didn't really turn around until 1977, when the Evening Post Publishing Company of Charleston, South Carolina bought the station and brought in former ABC executive John Gilbert as general manager. Evening Post still operates the station today through its broadcasting arm, Cordillera Communications. Soon after Gilbert's arrival, KOAA opened a studio and sales office in Colorado Springs and steadily beefed up its news operation. In 1980, KOAA signed on K30AA, a 132,500-watt translator on channel 30 in Colorado Springs, bringing a clear signal to the northern part of that city for the first time ever.

It was also during this time that KOAA adopted the Eyewitness News format that was popular with TV stations nationwide during the 1970s and 1980s, using the Eyewitness News 5/30branding (denoting both the main and Colorado Springs translator channels). Since 2001, the newscast has been branded as NewsFirst 5/30 which begin on its morning and midday newscasts but KOAA continued to use the Eyewitness News brand until February 8, 2002 (the first day of the 2002 Winter Olympics) when the station adopted the News First brand for all of its newscasts. The station operates a NewsFirst Now channel on the cable systems in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo, which includes news updates along with real-time weather forecasts and conditions. KOAA used to have a 4 pm newscast and 9 pm but it canceled 4 pm and reduced 9 pm to 10 minutes. Eventually the 9PM newscast was canceled alltogether.

Transition to digital television
KOAA-DT is the digital television service of KOAA, located on channel 42 (virtual channel 5.1). It commenced operations on 1 August 2006. It has the capability to broadcast in Dolby 5.1 surround sound. It began broadcasting NewsFirst Now as a digital subchannel (5.2) after only having it on local cable systems for some time.

On February 18, 2010, KOAA became the third station in the Colorado Springs-Pueblo market to broadcast its newscasts in 16x9 Wide Screen, beginning with NewsFirst5 Midday.

KOAA newscasts are in True High Definition; only one other station in the market is High Definition during news casts, and the other television stations are just lower resolution 16x9 wide screen during news casts.

On April 15, 2010, K30AA was converted from analog to digital and continues to operate as a repeater of KOAA-TV.[1] On June 14, K30AA changed its calls to K30JM-D.[2]

Repeaters
In addition to K30JM-D in Colorado Springs, the station also has the following repeater stations throughout the state of Colorado.


 * Aguilar —K02AC
 * Cañon City —K19DY
 * Cheyenne Wells —K60AM
 * Coaldale —K10AR
 * Crested Butte —K10AK
 * Deora —K45BU
 * Eads —K50AA
 * Gunnison —K07BE
 * Jacks Cabin —K05EJ
 * Lake City —K04HG
 * Lamar —K09DH/K53AA
 * Las Animas —K63AF
 * Parlin —K61DC
 * Pitkin —K12AL
 * Sapinero —K48EF
 * Sargents —K53AY
 * Somerset —K02IJ
 * Spring Creek —K11QK
 * Springfield —K64CT

KOAA have a construction permit for a digital fill-in translator in Woodland Park, CO on channel 47. At this time, no word on when the repeater will become operational.[3]

Newscast titles

 * The Eleventh Hour Report (1960s-1970s)
 * TV-5 News (1970s)
 * Channel 5 News (1970s-1980)
 * Eyewitness News 5/30 (1980–2002)
 * NewsFirst 5/30 (2001–2009)
 * NewsFirst 5 (2009–present)

Station slogans

 * 5 and 30, Proud as a Peacock! (1979–1981; local version of NBC campaign)
 * 5 and 30, Our Pride is Showing (1981–1982; local version of NBC campaign)
 * We're 5 and 30, Just Watch Us Now (1982–1983; local version of NBC campaign)
 * Where You Belong (1983–1984)
 * 5 and 30, Be There (1983–1984; local version of NBC campaign)
 * 5 and 30, Let's All Be There! (1984–1986; local version of NBC campaign)
 * Come Home To 5 and 30 (1986–87; local version of NBC campaign)
 * Come on Home to 5 & 30 (1987–88; local version of NBC campaign)
 * Come Home To The Best, Only on 5 and 30
 * Channels 5 & 30, See It, Share It! (mid 1980s)
 * When You Need to Know, Watch the People You Know (1998–2001)
 * Southern Colorado's News Leader (2001–2010)
 * Accurate and Balanced Coverage (2010–Present)