KUSA (TV)

History
The station first went on the air on October 12, 1952 as KBTV, the second television station in Denver (KFEL-TV, now KWGN-TV, was first by about three months). It was owned originally by Mullins Broadcasting. The station carried programming from CBS, ABC and NBC, but was a primary CBS affiliate. Channel 9 lost CBS to KLZ-TV (channel 7, now KMGH-TV) in November 1953 and lost NBC to KOA-TV (channel 4, now KCNC-TV) a month later, leaving it with ABC. The station struggled in the ratings for some years, in part because ABC was not on par with the other major networks until the 1970s. The current logo, in use since 1984 (contrary to this picture, the 9 is seldom seen by itself). A variant with "KUSA" next to the 9 (with a star-shaped hole in between the "K" and "U") had served as the primary logo until the network switch; it was slowly phased out from that point on. This "9" has also been used by other stations around the country, such as KWTV and KGUN.In 1972, the station was sold along with then sister station KARK-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas to Combined Communications, which would be merged into the Gannett Company seven years later. The station changed its call letters to the current KUSA-TV on March 19, 1984.

In 1995, KCNC-TV, then an NBC-owned station, became a CBS affiliate as a result of a complex ownership/affiliation deal between Westinghouse Electric Corporation, NBC and CBS which also included stations in Miami, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City. At the same time, McGraw-Hill, owner of longtime CBS affiliate KMGH-TV, entered into a network affiliation agreement with ABC, thereby causing KMGH to become an ABC station. Gannett then entered into an affiliation agreement with NBC that included, among others, KUSA, which then became an NBC affiliate in the very early morning hours of September 10, 1995.

KUSA served as the default NBC affiliate for Rapid City, South Dakota, from 1995, when KEVN (channel 7) flipped to Fox, until 2000, when KNBN (channel 21) went on the air.

In April 2004, KUSA became the first television station in the Denver market, the first Gannett-owned station, and the second station nationally to produce newscasts in high definition. From April 2005 until December 2008, KUSA aired NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel (9.2) and Comcast digital cable channel 249. KUSA replaced the NBC Weather Plus network with The AccuWeather Channel on the same broadcast channels after NBC announced Weather Plus would be shut down. The station continues to use the brand "9 NEWS Weather Plus".

In August 2007, KUSA started the "9NEWS High School Hotshots Program", which incorporated twelve Colorado high schools: Berthoud High School, Broomfield High School, Fort Collins High School, Greeley West High School, Lakewood High School, Lamar High School, Limon High School, Montbello High School, Ponderosa High School, Ralston Valley High School, Thunder Ridge High School, and Wheat Ridge High School. The "Hotshots" are students from each school, selected by the administration and staff of the school, who filmed the school's football games. The program has since extended to cover winter sports at the schools. The "Hotshots" footage can be found on KUSA's website.

[edit] Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Digital channels On April 16, 2009, KUSA remained on channel 9 when the analog to digital conversion completed.[1] [2]

Programming
Syndicated programing on the station includes The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Entertainment Tonight, Extra! and The Doctors. KUSA airs the fourth hour of Today apart from the first three hours; it airs at 11 a.m., with Colorado & Company airing between the first three hours and the fourth hour.

In September 2004, KUSA started broadcasting a lifestyle magazine called Colorado & Company. It airs after the third hour of The Today Show at 10 a.m. MT. When the show started, it also aired on KPXC-TV, but that ended when NBC ended its joint ownership of Pax/Ion Television. Colorado & Company is produced live each weekday morning from the KUSA studios and features paid segments by local companies.

KUSA broadcasts the Gannett ID & Sounder (The "Death Star") after 9 NEWS at 6pm Monday-Friday only, while some Gannett stations play the ID & Sounder hourly, and occasionally at the introduction of newscasts, while some do not at all.

News operation
"9 NEWS" logo, in use since 1984. The NBC peacock was added in 1996. This logo now features an "HD" tag next to it during newscasts.For over 30 years, KUSA's newscasts, which are known as 9NEWS, have dominated the ratings in Denver. In February 1976, Ed Sardella and John Rayburn anchored the weekday edition of 9NEWS at 10PM to the top of the ratings, overtaking longtime leader KMGH-TV. Rayburn was succeeded by Mike Landess in 1977. He would remain paired with Sardella as one of Denver's top anchor teams for 16 years until leaving for KUSA's sister station WXIA-TV in Atlanta in late 1993. Sardella retired from the anchor desk in 2000, but returned briefly to replace Jim Benemann, who left for KCNC.[3] Landess, after anchoring at WTTG in Washington, D.C., returned to Denver on rival KMGH-TV.

In the November 2007 sweeps, KCNC's 5 p.m. newscast surged over KUSA for the first time in over a decade, and also overtook KUSA in overall sign-on to sign-off numbers. This is partially due to KCNC's recent highlights in investigative reports and human interest stories, though also largely due to CBS's primetime lineup strengths and NBC's primetime lineup weaknesses. However, overall, KUSA is still the #1 station for news despite the closest ratings between KUSA, KCNC, and KMGH ever.

On September 5, 2006, KUSA launched a daily half-hour 9 p.m. newscast on sister station KTVD, to coincide with that station's affiliation switch from UPN to MyNetworkTV. On December 5, 2006, KUSA launched a two-hour extension of its weekday morning newscast on KTVD, which airs from 7 to 9 a.m. with the same anchors as its 5 to 7 a.m. morning newscast on KUSA. The station now produces weekend morning newscasts at 6 a.m. on KTVD. In addition to its main studios in downtown Denver, KUSA operates a "Northern Newsroom" out of the offices of the Fort Collins-based Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper. The newsroom is staffed by photojournalist Gary Wolfe and reporter Adam Chodak. The station also operates a "Mountain Newsroom" in Silverthorne staffed by Matt Renoux.

According to its newscast closings from March 11, 2007 to September 26, 2007, the 9NEWS Networks are 9NEWS.COM (their website), 9NEWS Now (their ticker), 9NEWS Weather Plus (their version of NBC Weather Plus) and My20. From September 27, 2007,-August 1, 2010 the 9NEWS Networks also include m.9news.com (Their smaller version of 9NEWS.COM for Palm Pilots & other Mobile devices). As of August 1, 2010 the 9NEWS Networks are: 9NEWS.COM, 9NEWS Now,9NEWS Weather Plus, My 20,M.9NEWS.COM,Universal Sports,HighSchoolSports.net & 9NEWS Weather Call

When NBC partnered with Pax (now ION Television) in the late 1990s, KUSA rebroadcast its weeknight 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts on KPXC-TV (channel 59). This ended in 2005 when NBC ended its agreement with Pax. The station stopped providing weather forecasts for KOA (AM), on January 1, 2008 and entered a partnership with Entercom Communications to provide daily weather forecasts for KALC, KEZW, KQMT, and KOSI. On March 6, 2009, KUSA started streaming its noon newscast on its website with a live chat room.

The weather forecasts are typically presented outside in the "9 Back Yard". The back yard is simply a courtyard, with a chroma key (bluescreen) wall and a robo cam. Weather forecasts for The Today Show and updates for 9 NEWS Weather Plus are done from a chroma key wall inside the weather center. It uses advanced designs corporation "DOPRAD" radar known on air as "HD-Doppler 9". It uses 1000 watts of power and is located east of Elizabeth, Colorado. In June 2010, KUSA will expand its morning newscast to 2½ hours with the addition of a 4:30 a.m. newscast, the KUSA-produced 9 p.m. newscast on KTVD will also expand that month to one hour.

The KUSA News Package (created by Third Street Music) was commissioned by KUSA in 1995, making it one of the two Gannett-owned NBC affiliated stations to use a custom news package by Third Street Music. KUSA's sister station, KARE in Minneapolis-St. Paul commissioned the KARE 11 News Theme for its newscasts since 1996. On October 15, 2008, KUSA debuted a brand new and standardized graphics package created by the Gannett Graphics Group (G3), and a standardized music package composed by Rampage Music New York, which is used by other Gannett stations. The closing cut of the theme was last used on February 6, 2009; the remastered talent bumper cut is still being used. KARE is also using the new graphics package, but is still using KARE 11 News Theme as of this day.

KUSA and KTVD collectively air approximately 47.5 hours of local news a week; KUSA airs 32 hours of local news per week (five hours on weekdays and 3½ hours on weekends), while KTVD airs 15.5 hours of local news per week (2½ hours on weekdays and an hour-and-a-half on weekends).

[edit] Newscast titles

 * 9 KBTV NEWS (1970–1976)
 * 9 NEWS Action Center (1976–1984)
 * KUSA 9 NEWS (1984–1995)
 * 9 NEWS (1995–present)

[edit] Station slogans
This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.===On-air staff===
 * Colorado's News Leader (1976–2008)
 * We're Still the One, on Channel 9 (1977–1978, 1978–1979; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * We're the One You Can Turn To, Channel 9 (1978–1979; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * You and Me and Channel 9 (1980–1981; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Now is the Time, Channel 9 is the Place (1981–1982; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Come on Along to Channel 9 (1982–1983; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * That Special Feeling on Channel 9 (1983–1984; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * We're With You on Channel 9 (1984–1985; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * You'll Love it On Channel 9 (1985–1986; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Together on Channel 9 (1986–1987; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * Something's Happening on Channel 9 (1987–1990; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * It's All Right Here on Channel 9 (1988–1992; used during period station used Frank Gari's It's All Right Here)
 * There's No Substitute (1992–1995; used in image campaign)
 * NBC & 9NEWS Follow the Leaders (September 1995; used to promote affiliation switch to NBC)
 * NBC & 9NEWS Switch to Great TV! (September 1995; produced by NBC, to promote the affiliation switch)
 * Colorado's On-Line News Leader (June 1996–present; used only on 9NEWS.COM)
 * Where News Comes First (April 2004–present)
 * 9NEWS.COM It's All Right Here (June 1, 2009-present; used on-air to promote the website)
 * Colorado's High Definition News Leader (May 12, 2008–present)
 * The 9 NEWS Networks, Colorado's Information Center (May 12, 2008–present; used on newscast reopens)

[edit] Current on-air staff
Anchors Weather Team The weather team also provides daily weather guesses for the Denver Post and the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspapers, and KALC, KEZW, KQMT and KOSI radio. Sports Team Reporters Contributors
 * Adele Arakawa - weeknights at 5, 6, and 10 p.m.
 * Aristea Brady - weekend mornings; also reporter
 * Kim Christiansen - weekdays at 4 p.m.; also reporter
 * Kyle Clark - weekends at 5, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.; also reporter
 * Kyle Dyer - weekday mornings and noon
 * Eric Kahnert - weekend mornings (also reporter
 * Bazi Kanani - weeknights at 9 p.m. (on KTVD); also reporter
 * Mark Koebrich - weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6, and 10 p.m.; also consumer reporter
 * Cheryl Preheim - weekends at 5, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.; also reporter
 * Gary Shapiro - weekday mornings and noon
 * Kathy Sabine (AMS/NWA Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weekdays at 4, weeknights at 5, 6, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.
 * Ashton Altieri (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist/NWA Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekend mornings
 * Marty Coniglio (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist/NWA Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekends at 5, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.
 * Becky Ditchfield (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon
 * Drew Soicher - Sports Director; weeknights at 5, 6, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.
 * Rod Mackey - Sports Anchor; weekends at 5, 9 (on KTVD) and 10 p.m.; also sports reporter
 * Susie Wargin - Sports Anchor; weekday mornings
 * Jesse Horne - high school sports reporter; also "Prep Rally" anchor
 * Anastasiya Bolton - general assignment reporter
 * Adam Chodak - Northern Newsroom reporter
 * Dave Delozier - general assignment reporter
 * Amelia Earhart - Traffic reporter
 * Matt Flener - general assignment reporter
 * Nelson Garcia - education and technology reporter
 * Jamie Kim - general assignment reporter
 * Jace Larson - investigative reporter ("9 Wants to Know")
 * Heidi McGuire - Metromix reporter
 * Kirk Montgomery - entertainment anchor; seen weekdays at 4 p.m.
 * Gregg Moss - business reporter/anchor
 * Matt Renoux - Mountain Newsroom reporter
 * Corey Rose - general assignment reporter
 * Jennifer Ryan - morning reporter
 * Adam Schrager - political reporter
 * Deborah Sherman - investigative reporter ("9 Wants to Know")
 * Brooke Thacker - morning reporter
 * TaRhonda Thomas - general assignment reporter
 * Dr. John Torres - medical reporter
 * Kevin Torres - general assignment reporter ("Backpack Journalist")
 * Chris Vanderveen - general assignment reporter
 * Jessica Zartler - morning reporter
 * Floyd Ciruli - political analyst
 * Greg Feith - aviation expert
 * Scott Robinson - legal analyst
 * Dr. James Rouse - nutrition expert; now featured only on 9NEWS.com
 * Steve Spangler - science experiments; featured on the morning and 4 p.m. newscasts

Other staff

 * Andy Schaeffer - Promotion Photographer/Producer 1989—now

Trivia

 * KUSA's 1996-2004 news set was seen in the NBC made-for-TV movie Asteroid.

Translators
The Denver market includes large portions of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. KUSA & NBC serve this vast area with one of the largest translator networks in the country. (All translators on this list are in Colorado unless otherwise listed)
 * K41EV - Akron
 * K49EX - Anton
 * K02FW - Ashcroft
 * K19FH - Ashcroft
 * K06HU - Aspen
 * K06BX - Axial Basin
 * K07KR - Basalt
 * K59BZ - Broadmoor
 * K59AP - Bethune/Burlington
 * K10LW - Carbondale
 * K48IC - Carbondale
 * K24CH - Cortez
 * K55KN-D - Cortez
 * K03CK - Craig
 * K04GS - Crested Butte, ETC
 * K58AA - Crystal, ETC
 * K02GJ - Delta, ETC
 * K02JD - East Elk Creek
 * K08OF-D - Estes Park
 * K61AA - Estes Park
 * K69AX - Flagler-Seibert
 * K39BT - Fraser, ETC
 * K02IK - Gateview, ETC
 * K12KP - Glen Haven
 * K09DC - Glenwood Springs
 * K07JM - Grand Vally, ETC
 * K04DH - Gunnison
 * K64AQ - Hartsel, ETC
 * K41IT - Haxtun
 * K28FX - Idalia & S. Yuma Cty
 * K55JC - Julesburg
 * K13GI - Leadville
 * K11LM - Lower Frying Pan River
 * K50AS - Marvine Creek Campground
 * K48CL - Meeker
 * K06JJ - Meeker,ETC
 * KXHD-LP - Montrose
 * K11JZ - New Castle, ETC
 * K09QA - Paonia, ETC.
 * K63CX - Parlin, ETC.
 * K64AV - Piceance Creek
 * K08JZ - Pitkin-Ohio, CO
 * K18GM - Pleasant Valley
 * K12LX - Powder Horn Valley
 * K04HP - Red Stone
 * K09XN - Red Stone (NBC / Universal-Owned Translator)
 * K06HF - Salida, ETC.
 * K46DB - Sapinero
 * K57CS - Sargents
 * K04HH - Snowmass-At-Aspen
 * K10KK - Somerset
 * K56GL - Sterling ETC.
 * K39HE - Woody Creek
 * K44GQ - Woody Creek (NBC/Universal-Owned Translator)
 * K11LW - Woody Creek
 * K52FZ - Wray
 * K07GK - Yampa
 * K38AD - Yuma