KSPR

KSPR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Ozark Plateau area of Southwestern Missouri that is licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter in Fordland. Owned by Perkin Media, it is operated by Schurz Communications of South Bend, Indiana through a shared services agreement (SSA) as sister station to NBC affiliate KYTV and low-powered CW affiliate K15CZ. All three share studios on West Sunshine Street in Springfield. Syndicated programming on KSPR includes: Inside Edition, Jeopardy!, The Dr. Oz Show, and Live with Regis and Kelly.

Digital programming
The station's digital signal is multiplexed. In 2009, KSPR left channel 33 and moved to channel 19 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.

History
[[File:KSPR ID From 1993.jpeg|alt=|thumb|220x220px|KSPR 1993 - 1996

]] The station first signed on the air on March 9, 1983; it was the first independent station  in the Springfield market. KSPR was founded by Springfield TV Association Ltd. The station originally operated from studio facilities located on South Glenstone Avenue in eastern Springfield. The following year, it sold channel 33 to the broadcasting unit of television production company Telepictures  (later renamed Lorimar-Telepictures ); the sale was approved by the Federal Communications Co

mmission on December 12, 1984. The following February, Telepictures pursued an affiliation with ABC. On April 3, 1986, ABC decided to terminate its affiliation with KDEB

-TV (channel 27, now independent station KOZL-TV ) and the network subsequently moved to KSPR. It was at this time KSPR moved to the Saint Louis Street facility. Over the next several years, KSPR underwent several ownership changes. Lorimar-Telepictures sold the station to Goltrin Communications in 1987; the sale was approved by the FCC on February 12, 1988. Goltrin subsequently sold KSPR to Davis Goldfarb Communications several months later, with the sale being finalized on December 1, 1988. Cottonwood Communications acquired the station on March 29, 1995. Two years later, KSPR was sold to GOCOM Communications; which assumed ownership of the station on September 18, 1997. The station changed its branding to "ABC 33" around this time, before adopting the "Springfield 33" brand in 1998. GOCOM then merged with Grapevine Communications to form COGOM Holdings LLC, which was later renamed Piedmont Television Holdings on November 1, 1999.

On September 21, 2006, Piedmont Television announced that it would sell KSPR to Perkin Media, LLC. Under the agreement, South Bend, Indiana-based Schurz Communications, owners of NBC affiliate KYTV (channel 3), would take over KSPR's operations under a shared services agreement; the FCC approved the sale on August 18, 2007 and the purchase was finalized on August 28, 2007. Two weeks later on September 9, the station changed its on-air branding to "KSPR ABC"; a gray and black "33" was added to the logo first introduced with the rebrand in November 2009. On November 1, 2009, KSPR relocated its operations from its longtime studios on East Saint Louis Street into KYTV's facility on West Sunshine Street in an expanded wing of the building.

Original programming
Beginning on April 21, 1989 and ending the same year, KSPR produced and aired The Late Night Horror Show with Count Norlock. This show featured syndicated horror films along with new introductory and interstitial segments featuring a horror host character. Host segments were locally produced and featured local actor Jim Kellett in the role of "Count Norlock", a vampire reminiscent of Count Orlok from the 1922 F. W. Murnau film Nosferatu. Featuring films such as Magic and The Brides of Dracula, The Late Night Horror Show with Count Norlock only lasted one season.[1]

From 1985 until 1990, Springfield area kids went home after school to watch Sammy's Place on KSPR, an afternoon show hosted by hobo clown "Sammy B. Good". The afternoon program featured cartoons such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, Voltron, Transformers, and G.I. Joe. Between cartoons, Sammy featured area kids as in-studio guests and entertained with a number of clown acts and skits. He famously excited the in-studio kids with screams of "Everybody go 'yeaaaa'!" which would be echoed in unison.

News operation
On November 1, 2009, KSPR moved into KYTV's newly renovated facilities and began airing its local broadcasts in high definition from a secondary set. The two stations maintain separate news departments. KSPR also added a gray and black "33" to its logo. Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Central Time Zone, it does not air local news weeknights at 5, but at 4.

Newscast titles

 * Channel 33 News (1983– 1986)
 * 33 Eyewitness News (1986<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1989)
 * NewsTeam 33 (1989<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1991 and 1993<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1996)
 * 33 Newstime (1991<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1993)
 * News 33 (1996<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1997)
 * ABC 33 News (1997<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 1998)
 * Springfield 33 News (1998<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 2007)
 * KSPR News (2007<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– present)

Station slogans

 * "Just Watch Us Now!" (1996-1998)
 * "Where Your Forecast Comes First." (1998<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 2002, weather)
 * "Where Springfield Comes First." (2002<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">– 2007, general)
 * "Covering Our Community" (2007<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">–2014 )
 * "Keeping You Connected" (<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:19.200000762939453px;">2014--present )

News team
Anchors KSPR Weather  KSPR/Ozone Sports team Reporters
 * Jerry Jacob - weeknights at 4, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Leigh Moody - weeknights at 4, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Adam Hoop er - weekday mornings
 * Melody Pettit - weekday mornings
 * Frances Watson - weekend evenings; also weeknight report er
 * Kevin Lighty (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; Monday-Friday at 4, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Lindsey Slater - meteorologist; weekday mornings
 * Bob Trihy - weekend evenings
 * Mike Scott - sports director; now in off-air role.
 * Hugh Keeton - sports anchor; weeknights 6 and 10pm.
 * Bobby Oler - sports anchor; weekends
 * Lauren Pozen - general assignment reporter
 * Sheena Elzie - general assignment reporter
 * Matt Buhrman - general assignment reporter
 * Rachel Dubrovin - general assignment reporter
 * Jonathan Harper - general assignment reporter
 * Jonathan Wahl - general assignment reporter

Former on-air staff
Title sequence from The Late Night Horror Show.*Dave Akerly Sports Anchor
 * Doug Aronson
 * Jes Beard
 * Lynne Da Costa
 * Brooke Borden
 * John Brown
 * Andy Asher
 * Patrick Madden
 * Margaret Burnquist
 * Kristi Capel
 * Will Carter
 * Jim Lobbey
 * CJ Cassidy
 * Ken Hyde
 * Melissa Ward
 * Eric Chaloux
 * Donna Cline (Deceased)
 * Amy Marks
 * Kristin Clouston
 * Zach Daniel
 * Christine Daues
 * Joe Daues
 * Josh DeBerge
 * Tim Drum
 * Dave Dunn (now at WDAF Kansas City)
 * Danielle Elliott
 * Jerri Fisher (Deceased)
 * Ray Foreman
 * Lori Fullbright
 * Susan Harding
 * Mark Harmon Sports Anchor
 * Erin Hartness
 * Ron Hearst (Now on KYTV)
 * Ralph Hipp (Now at WIBW Topeka)
 * Daniel Holdge
 * Jasmine Huda (now at KTVI St Louis)
 * Jerry Jacob (Now in the Army)
 * Kathy Jones
 * Karen Kelly
 * Terry Kniess - meteorologist (famous for perfect bid on The Price is Right Showcase Showdown)
 * Mark Kulda
 * Sonia Kullmann (now at KOLR)
 * Scott Lane
 * Ann Ladenberger
 * Mary Maloney (CNN)
 * Kirk Mason
 * Ed Messett
 * Scott Noll (now at WREG-TV)
 * Theresa Petry
 * Ray Preston (now at KMOV-TV)
 * Lori Schell
 * Whitney Scott
 * Joanna Small (KIRO)
 * Bob Snell (now at KAIT-TV)
 * Mark Steines (at Entertainment Tonight)
 * Natalie Swallow
 * Steve Tommey
 * Tracy Turner (News Director TV 3 Winchester, Winchester VA)
 * Shane Doyle