KIEM-TV

KIEM-TV is a broadcast television station in Eureka, California. It is an NBC affiliate which broadcasts on digital channel 3. KIEM is licensed to and located in downtown Eureka on South Broadway.[1] As of August 2010, KIEM is one of the few remaining television stations that signs off on weekends.

Digital television
KIEM-TV is one of the very few stations (50 or so) left on the low VHF band (channels 2-6) after the digital transition. It is also one of the very few NBC affiliates in the country which still transmits its signal in 480i SDTV with a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than 1080i HDTV with a 16:9widescreen aspect ratio. As of August 2010, despite the signal status, KIEM's news studios is shot in 4:3 ratio while field reports are in 16:9 ratio, however, the video is letterboxed.

KIEM is the only station left in the Eureka market that is not broadcasting an HD signal, also one of the very few NBC affiliates remaining in the United States that broadcast only in SD.

History
KIEM-TV signed on the air as Eureka's first television station on October 25, 1953. Since KIEM-TV was the only station in the Eureka market at the time, it offered programs from more than one network. Initially KIEM was affiliated with CBS; however, the station also provided programs from NBC, ABC, and DuMont (the DuMont Network folded in 1955). After KVIQ signed on in 1958 and took the NBC affiliation, both stations offered some ABC programs on a part-time basis. Full-time ABC coverage was provided by Redding ABC affiliate KRCR-TV on area cable systems.

By 1984, KVIQ and KIEM had swapped affiliations, with KIEM picking up the NBC affiliation. Another commercial station, 'KREQ-TV' (laterKAEF) signed on the air in 1987 offering ABC to the North Coast. When the new station signed on, both KVIQ and KIEM ceased offering ABC programs on a part-time basis.

News Operation
As of August 2010, KIEM currently has newscasts at 5, 6, and 11pm on weeknights, and 6:30 and 11pm on weekends, in which all newscasts are only 30 minutes long. However, KIEM's news programming, particularly on weekends is subject to preemption due to coverage of NBC Sunday Night Football or other special programming. KIEM is one of the few NBC stations that does not produce morning or noon newscasts, however, KIEM has been noted as the only "local" source for news due to the other stations' influences from Chico and Redding.

Economy's effects on KIEM
Station manager Roy Frostenson cited low advertising revenues in an October 19, 2008 article in the Eureka Times-Standard. Station officials said once ad dollars return the station will replenish its news department. Regular viewers will notice that KIEM has, for some time during football season, pre-recorded its Sunday night newscasts that air at unconventional times. ”We think we're adequately staffed in the newsroom,” he said in the article. “We're not reducing our commitment in news at all. That's a commitment we take very seriously.” On July 20, 2009, the opening and music was updated along with Ben Kropelin replacing Scott Hurst at 6 & 11 p.m.

Satellite availability
The Eureka television market, one of the smallest in the country, was the only TV market in California not available on DISH Network until June 3, 2010, at which time it became available.[2] The Eureka local channels are not yet available on DirecTV.

Syndicated Shows
As of August 2010, syndicated programming on KIEM includes Live with Regis and Kelly, Family Feud, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, The Doctors, Dr. Phil, The Oprah Winfrey Show, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy! Jeopardy!], Wheel of Fortune, and Entertainment Tonight, as well as weekend rerun airings of Monk.

Current on-air staff
Anchors


 * Betsy Lambert - News Director/5 & 6 p.m. anchor
 * Matt Mendes - 6 & 11 p.m. anchor/reporter

Weather


 * Jim Bernard (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief meteorologist, Monday-Thursday at 5, 6, & 11 p.m. (also weekend morning weather at KPIX in San Francisco)

Sports


 * Manuel "Manny" Machado - 6 & 11 p.m. Sports Director
 * Taylor Lambert - weekends at 6:30 & 11 p.m.; also sports reporter
 * Ben Chew - sports reporter

Reporters


 * Andrea Marvin - senior reporter

Former on-air staff

 * Tracey Leong, now weekend anchor at KRCR-TV ABC in Redding, CA
 * Scott Hurst, 6 & 11pm news/weather anchor
 * Rick Willis, now sports anchor at KUSI-TV in San Diego, CA
 * Eric Koch, sports anchor/reporter
 * Jill Weaver, weekend anchor/reporter
 * Ariana Duarte, now weeknight anchor at KMPH-TV Fox in Fresno, CA
 * Laura Berry, now at NYOne
 * Michelle West, anchor/reporter mid 1980's, now Fresno County Deputy District Attorney
 * Noelle Gardner, now morning anchor at KLFY-TV CBS in Lafayette, LA
 * Preston Phillips, weeknight anchor, now at KGTV in San Diego, CA
 * Jennifer Whalen, weekend anchor
 * Bruce Macgowan, longtime KNBR (San Francisco) radio sportstalk host
 * Frank Boal, now working as longtime sports director of KDAF, Kansas City
 * Mike O'Brian, worked for many years as KPTV-12 (Portland, Ore) Sports Director
 * Samuel Lewin, anchor mid-late 1990s
 * Jane Rogers, anchor late 1990s-early 2000s, now at Humboldt State University
 * Mark Demsky, sports director 1990s-early 2000s, now at KTXL Sacramento
 * Jim Moritz, anchor early 2000s
 * Kristian Leitzen, anchor until 2008, now in Cedar Rapids, IA
 * Heather (Johnson) Lewin, anchor/reporter mid-late 1990s (last seen at KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma
 * Andrea Nakano, weekend anchor/reporter, now sports anchor at XETV in San Diego
 * Dennis Shanahan, weekend anchor/reporter, now at KTXL Sacramento
 * Shelby Sheehan, 11 p.m. weeknight anchor, now at KRNV in Reno, Nevada
 * Matt Skryja, anchor early-mid 1990s, now at AAA in San Francisco
 * Dede Stirnaman-Harper, reporter
 * Mary Strong, anchor/reporter, later worked for KCRA in Sacramento
 * Lori Wallace, anchor/reporter, later forecast the weather in Bakersfield area and currently works for KMAX-TV in Sacramento
 * Heather Lambert, weekend weather
 * Ranjini Srinivasan, Reporter/ Fill-in Anchor/Producer (2009-2010). Columbia Journalism School Grad.
 * Bill Kelly, weekend weathercaster, now news director at KOBI in Medford, Oregon
 * Sara Miles, weekend anchor/reporter, now weekend anchor at KEYC in Mankato, Minnesota
 * Rissa Shaw, reporter/anchor 2007-2009
 * Sara Underwood, reporter, later worked for WBZ/WSBK-TV, now at WFXT in Boston
 * Suzanne Horgan, weather anchor, now at WLKY-TV Louisville, KY
 * Adriene Laurent, anchor/News Director
 * Kevin Wing, news anchor/reporter (1989), later reporter at KTVU in Oakland; now at KNTV in San Jose
 * Mark Wright, anchor/reporter
 * Jon Crane, reporter
 * Erin Meehan-Breen, reporter
 * Andy Messerschmidt, anchor/reporter
 * Camila Plesmid, weather
 * Jan Richards, anchor/news director
 * Bob Lorenz, sports director

Newscast titles

 * Eyewitness News (1970`s-1996)
 * NewsChannel 3 (1996-present)

Station slogans

 * Channel 3, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Channel 3, Our Pride is Showing (1981-1982; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * We're Channel 3, Just Watch Us Now (1982-1983; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Channel 3 There, Be There (1983-1984; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Channel 3, Let's All Be There (1984-1985; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come Home to Channel 3 (1986-1987; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come on Home to Channel 3 (1987-1988; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 3 (1988-1990; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * Channel 3, The Place to Be (1990-1992; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * It's A Whole New Channel 3 (1992-1993; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * The Stars Are Back on Channel 3 (1993-1994; local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * The Spirit of the North Coast (1996-present)

Translators
KIEM is rebroadcast on the following translator stations. Unless linked, these rebroadcasters are not listed in the FCC database:


 * K02OD Channel 2 Shelter Cove
 * K04NX Channel 4 Garberville
 * K04NY Channel 4 Rio Dell
 * K07GJ Channel 7 Hoopa
 * K08GR Channel 8 Willow Creek
 * K10NU Channel 10 Miranda
 * K12JL Channel 12 Burnt Ranch
 * K13MD Channel 13 Hyampom