KGET-TV

KGET-TV is a television station serving Bakersfield, California, owned by High Plains Broadcasting and operated by Newport Television, LLC. It is an NBC affiliate, and transmits on UHF channel 17. KGET also has a digital-only/cable CW outlet called KWFB, one of the The CW Plus stations. It was originally part of The WB 100+ Station Group for the WB network when it was still in operation. The network ended in September 2006 along with UPN to form The CW and KWFB affiliated with the new network.

History
Founded by businessman Ed Urner, channel 17 first broadcast on November 8, 1959 as KLYD, an ABC affiliate.[1] The call letters changed to KJTV in 1969.[2] In 1974, KJTV swapped affiliations with KBAK-TV, becoming a CBS affiliate.

The station's call letters changed again to KPWR-TV in 1978. In 1984, the station changed its calls to the present day "KGET-TV", coinciding with an affiliation swap with KERO-TV to become Bakersfield's NBC affiliate, an affiliation which continues to the present day. That same year the station was purchased by the Ackerley Group. It was sold to Clear Channel Communications in 2001.

KGET stands for "Kern Golden Empire Television," a moniker coined by the station's longtime vice president and general manager, Ray Watson. Watson, now retired, is now a Kern County Supervisor. The current KGET manager is RVP/GM Tom Randour.

KGET has dominated Bakersfield television in the Nielsen ratings since 1998.

On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a broadcasting holding company controlled by Providence Equity Partners.[3] However, Providence Equity Partners owns a 19 percent share of the Spanish-language media company Univision, the owner of MyNetworkTV affiliate KUVI-TV. In addition, with only five full-power stations, Bakersfield does not have enough to legally support a co-owned duopoly operation. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission granted conditional approval of the sale, provided that Providence Equity Partners divest either KGET or its stake in Univision as soon as the deal was finalized. That happened on March 14, 2008.

In May 2008, Newport Television agreed to sell KGET and five other stations to High Plains Broadcasting, Inc. due to the aforementioned ownership conflict.[4] The sale closed on September 15, 2008;[5] Newport continues to operate KGET under a shared services agreement.[4]

Syndicated Shows
Current syndicated programming includes The Insider, Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil, Swift Justice with Nancy Grace, Entertainment Tonight, and Access Hollywood.

Newscast titles

 * KLYD-TV News (1959–1964)
 * The Six O'Clock Report/The Eleven O'Clock Report (1964–1970)
 * TV-17 News (1970–1975)
 * Newscene 17 (1975–1978)
 * Channel 17 News (1978–1980)
 * The Newscenter (1981–1984)
 * 17 Newscenter (1984–1991)
 * Team 17-The News (1991–1996)
 * Team 17 News (1996–1998)
 * 17 News (1998–present)

Station slogans

 * Color 17, The Full Color Station (1960s)
 * Let's Get Together on 17 (1970–1971; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * This is the Place to Be, on 17 (1971–1973; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
 * TV-17 is Your Place to Be (1973–1974)
 * See the Best...17 (1974–1975; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * Catch the Brightest Stars on 17 (1975–1976; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * 17, We're the Hot Ones (1976-1977; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * There's Something in the Air, on 17 (1977–1978; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * 17, Turn Us On, We'll Turn You On (1978-1979; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * We're Looking Good, on 17 (1979–1980; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * Looking Good Together, 17 (1980–1981; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * Reach for the Stars on 17 (1981–1982; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * Great Moments on 17 (1982–1983; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * We've Got the Touch, You and 17 (1983–1984; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
 * 17, Let's All Be There! (1984–1986; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come Home to 17 (1986–1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come on Home to 17 (1987–1988; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come Home to the Best, Only on 17 (1988–1990; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * 17, is the Place to Be! (1990–1991; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Working in the Spirit of the Golden Empire (1991–present)

[edit] Current on-air staff
Anchors Weather anchors Sports anchors Reporters
 * Kiyoshi Tomono - 5 am/6 am anchor
 * Katie Harlan - 5 am/6 am/noon anchor
 * Jim Scott - 5 pm/6 pm/11 pm anchor
 * Robin Mangarin - 5 pm/6pm anchor
 * Tami Mlcoch - 11pm anchor
 * Madelyn Jarrett - 5pm/11pm weekend anchor
 * Kevin Charette - 5 am/6 am/noon weather anchor
 * Alissa Carlson - 5 pm/6 pm/11 pm chief meteorologist
 * Leslie Lopez - 5pm/11pm weekend weather anchor
 * Todd Strain - 5pm/6pm/11pm sports director
 * Mark Haas - 5pm/11pm weekend sports anchor
 * Tim Calahan - reporter
 * Jennifer Duck - reporter
 * Mark Haas - reporter
 * Madelyn Jarrett - reporter
 * Emily Moore - reporter
 * Paige Hansen - reporter
 * Victoria Spilabotte - reporter
 * Kelsey Thomas - reporter

Former Staff

 * Alexia Kapaniaris - 6 PM / 11 PM anchor 2005-2006
 * Alicia Acuna - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter until 1995 (currently with Fox News Channel)
 * Aaron Rothskoff - 5pm news producer 2003-2005
 * Annette Clauson - 17 sunrise & midday producer until 1998
 * Brad Hoffman - sportscaster / director 1999-2003
 * Bob Dlugos - 5pm news producer 1998-2003 (currently with KSEE-TV in Fresno, CA)
 * Brett Barnes - weekend sportscaster / reporter 2002-2004
 * Carolyn Douglas - anchor / reporter 1985-1993 (currently with KING 5 Seattle)
 * Charlotte Starck - sunrise/noon/6 PM /11 PM anchor-reporter 1997-2002 (currently with KING 5 / NWCN Seattle)
 * Chelsea Wilhite - producer, 17 news at sunrise 1998-2001
 * Chris Burrous - 5 PM / 11PM weekend / sunrise anchor/reporter/weathercaster 1999-2001, 2003–2005 (currently with KOVR / KMAX in Sacramento)
 * Chris Donohue - weathercaster until 1995
 * Clint Olivier - reporter, 17 news at sunrise 2003-2005 (currently with KMPH)
 * Doug Potter - producer 5pm news until 1998
 * Drew Sugars - 5 PM / 11PM weekend anchor/reporter 1998-1999
 * Elita Loresca - assignment editor 2001-2003 (currently weather anchor at KNBC in Los Angeles)
 * Gaylen Young - sunrise-noon-6 PM-11 PM anchor/business reporter 1984-2007 (currently living in Salt Lake City, UT and running website: Bakersfield Business.com)
 * George Lindsay Young - chief weathercaster 1987-1990, 1997–2004 (son of weathercaster Lloyd Lindsay Young) (left broadcasting to pursue a career in real estate. Currently in San Diego)
 * Jack Bowe - news director 1990-2001
 * Jeff Ricou producer 6&11pm newscasts 1997-2005/Weekend reporter 1999/Cable Cut-in anchor 1999-2001 (Now at KNBC-TV)
 * Anna Velasquez - Anchor-Reporter
 * Katie Harlan-Sunrise-and-Noon-Anchor-Reporter
 * Kiyoshi Tomono - 5 am/6 am anchor
 * Mike Trsin
 * Victoria Spilabotte - reporter
 * Jennifer Musa - 5 PM / 11 PM weekend anchor-reporter 2006-2008 (currently with KSWB San Diego)
 * Jennifer Ramp - 5 PM-11PM weekend then sunrise-noon anchor/reporter 1995-1997
 * John Elliot sunrise-noon-5 PM- 6 PM- 11 PM weathercaster / anchor 1995-1999 (currently with WCBS New York)
 * Lou-Wasson-Reporter
 * John Pilios - news director 2001–present
 * Bob Trazle
 * Susie Frankeberger - noon-5 pm-6 pm then 5 pm-11 pm weekend anchor 1990-1998

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 * Jystin Allen - weekend sportscaster/reporter 2000-2002 with WTSP until mid 2009.
 * Keith Pate - weekend sportscaster/reporter 2004-2007
 * Doug Potter - producer 5 pm news until 1998
 * Elita Loresca - assignment editor 2001-2003 (currently weather anchor at KNBC in Los Angeles)
 * Kevin Keeshan - nephew of Captain Kangaroo star Bob Keeshan (currently with KGO San Francisco as news director)
 * Kit Olpin - reporter/anchor 1996-1999 (left broadcasting in 2004, currently pursuing career in hospitality & real estate in Salt Lake City)
 * Kurt Rivera - sunrise anchor/reporter 1999-2003 (currently with KBAK andKBFX as anchor)
 * Leslie Kirk - reporter 2002-2003
 * Leticia Ordaz - reporter 2000-2002 (currently with KCRA Sacramento)
 * Lori Wallace - weathercaster 2003-2004, 2005–2007 (currently with KMAX 31 CW Sacramento as Good Day Sacramento features reporter)
 * Mai Do - anchor/reporter 1999-2005 (retired from broadcasting & living in Sacramento)
 * Maryellen Ford - reporter 1996-1999 (wife of John Elliott)
 * Maya Nishikawa - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter until 1997
 * Maya Sanchez - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter 1998-2006
 * Megan Trihey - 11pm news producer 2005-2007
 * Mike Valpredo - weekend sportscaster/reporter 1999-2000
 * Mike Trihey - assignment manager 2001–present
 * Natalie Moultrie - noon-6 PM-11 PM anchor/reporter 1992-1998
 * Natasha Stenbock - sunrise-noon weathercaster/reporter 2003-2005 (currently with KFMB San Diego)
 * Nerissa Sugars - 5 PM / 11PM weekend anchor/reporter 1998-1999 (wife of Drew Sugars)
 * Patricia Soto - anchor/reporter 1996-2000
 * Quyen Chung - reporter 2004-2005
 * Rebecca Klein - reporter 1997-1999 (retired from broadcasting and living in Baltimore, MD)
 * Rick Griffith - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter until 1998
 * Ron Lewis - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter 1992-2002 (retired from broadcasting and living in Colorado)
 * Rusty Shoop - 5 PM-11 PM anchor until 1996 (retired from broadcasting and living in Bakersfield)
 * Sandra Gonzalez - reporter/fill-in anchor 2002-2006
 * currently with WVUE Fox New Orleans
 * Shelle Jackson - 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor/reporter 1996-1998
 * Sherry Hayamiya - reporter 2007-2008
 * Spencer Washburn - weekend anchor/reporter 2003-2006
 * currently with KFMB San Diego
 * Steve Talbot - sportscaster/director 1992-1998, news director 1972-1973
 * Susie Frankeberger - noon-5 PM-6 PM then 5 PM-11 PM weekend anchor 1990-1998
 * Katie Price - weekend/morning anchor/reporter 1988-1996 (currently broadcast consultant and program host for KGOV)
 * Suzanne Marques - weekend anchor/reporter 2002-2003 (currently with KTTV Los Angeles)
 * Tiffany McElroy - reporter 1998-1999
 * Trisha Lewis - reporter 2004-2006 (currently with WTVJ Miami/Fort Lauderdale)
 * Tom Helmer - weekend sportscaster/reporter 1997-1998
 * Tricia Hua - reporter 2001-2004
 * Vic Salazar - anchor/reporter (currently President/CEO of Vic Salazar Communications San Diego)
 * Vivian Tucker - host/historical features reporter 1979-2007 (deceased)