KYTV (TV)

KYTV is the NBC-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 44 from a transmitter in Fordland. Owned by Schurz Communications of South Bend, Indiana, the station is sister to CW affiliate K15CZ and operates ABC affiliate KSPR (owned by Perkin Media, LLC) through a shared servicesagreement (SSA). All three share studios on West Sunshine Street in Springfield. Syndicated programming on KYTV includes: Wheel of Fortune, Oprah, Dr. Phil, and The Doctors.

Digital programming
Its signal is multiplexed. On KYTV-DT2, Mediacom digital channel 212, and live streaming video on its website, is a 24-hour local weather channel. This is currently not offered on Suddenlink in Branson. In 2009, KYTV left channel 3 and moved to channel 44 when the analog to digital conversion was completed.

History
The station signed on October 1, 1953 as Springfield's second television station after KTTS-TV (now KOLR) had launched in March. It was the first station built west of the Mississippi River specifically for television production and was owned by the Cox and Duvall families. Although KYTV has been an NBC affiliate since its sign-on, it also shared a secondary ABC affiliation with KTTS until 1968 when KMTC (later KDEB-TV and now KSFX-TV) signed-on. On December 26, 1953, KYTV first brought Ozark Jubilee (a live country music program on KWTO radio) to Springfield viewers. On January 22, 1955, ABC picked up the program nationally although it temporarily originated from Columbia until it moved to the Jewell Theatre on April 30 using KYTV's staff and equipment. The station's staff and facilities also played key roles in the production of two other ABC shows during the 1950s, Talent Varieties and The Eddy Arnold Show.

KYTV purchased remote broadcasting gear in 1954 with its first remote broadcast originating from the Ozark Empire Fair. Remote telecasts were also brought to viewers from the Plaza Bowl featuring area bowling teams. Other remotes included Springfield Christmas parades, "Man with a Mike" from the Tower Theater on the Plaza, sporting events, and (beginning in 1986) the station's "Celebrate the Ozarks" program. KYTV purchased one of the nation's first mobile videotape units in March 1959. That year, the station videotaped the dedication ofTable Rock Dam and produced Harold Bell Wright's The Shepherd of the Hills on location in Branson. From March 17 until September 22, 1961, KYTV fed Five Star Jubilee to NBC from the Landers Theatre. It was the first network color television program to originate outside of New York City or Hollywood although KYTV could not yet broadcast the show locally in color.

In 1978, KYTV's original local owners sold the station to Harte-Hanks Communications. Current owner Schurz Communications bought the station in 1987. Schurz moved KYTV into new facilities in 1997 from its original building on West Sunshine Street. On September 21, 2006, Schurz and Perkin Media signed a deal with Piedmont Television to take over ABC affiliate KSPR. Under the deal, Schurz controls all non-Federal Communications Commission (FCC) assets and runs that station's operations through a shared services agreement. However, it remained at its studios on East Saint Louis Street in Springfield until November 2009 when KSPR moved into a new newsroom and studio addition built onto the Sunshine Street facility.

Broadcast towers
From 1973 to 2001, KYTV's broadcast tower was the tallest structure in Missouri approaching nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) feet more than three times the height of the Gateway Arch.[1] In 1973, it built a 608.4 metres (1,996 ft) tower in Marshfield. In 2000, this was followed by a 609.4 metres (1,999 ft) tower in Fordland for high definition broadcasts. The towers were surpassed in 2001 by the Sedalia-based KMOS-TV tower in Syracuse which was only 0.2 metres (7.9 in) higher 609.6 metres (2,000 ft). The towers remain the second and third tallest structures in the state and are among the tallest structures in the world.

News operation
 On December 31, 2008, with the discontinuation of NBC Weather Plus, the station changed it to a 24-hour local weather channel known as "KY3 24/7 Weather". KSPR moved into KYTV's newly renovated facilities on November 1, 2009 and began airing its local broadcasts in high definition. The two stations maintain separate news departments although it is not uncommon for them to share video. On January 28, 2010, KYTV began airing its newscasts in high definition with the weeknight 5 p.m. show. With the change came a new logo and updated graphics. It operate its own weather radar, called "Storm Tracker 3", near its transmitter in Fordland. All news anchors also serve as reporters.KYTV currently produces 22½ hours of news each week and is ranked number one in all time slots according to Nielsen Media Research. Since its sign-on, the station has been airing nightly 6 and 10 o'clock broadcasts. A satellite news gathering truck was purchased in 1986. In November 2006, KYTV debuted an all-new news set. The weather area was moved to the main studio and a background can be lowered over the sports section to make an interview area. This is changed with the time of day (such as the morning featuring a picture of the sunrise in Springfield). The former weather area was turned into the "Virtual Newsroom" later renamed "KY3 Web Center" where Internet-related topics are discussed.

Newscast titles

 * Nightdesk (1950s)
 * Ozarks Report (1960s)
 * KY3 News (1960s–early 1970s and 1993–present)
 * First Team News (early 1970s–1974)
 * KY3 Action News (1974–1993)

Station slogans

 * "KY-3, As Far as the Eye Can See" (1974–1975)
 * "KY-3, Proud as a Peacock!" (1979–1981, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "KY-3, Our Pride is Showing" (1981–1982, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "We're KY-3, Just Watch Us Now" (1982–1983, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "KY-3 There, Be There" (1983–1984, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "KY-3, Let's All Be There" (1984–1986, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "Come Home to KY-3" (1986–1987, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "Come on Home to KY-3" (1987–1988, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "Come Home To The Best, Only on KY-3" (1988–1990, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "The Place to Be" (1990–present, originated as a localized version of NBC ad campaign used during the 1990–1992 seasons but KY3 kept this slogan after the campaign ended)
 * "It`s A Whole New KY-3" (1992-1993, local version of NBC ad campaign)
 * "The Stars Are Back on KY-3" (1993-1994, local version of NBC ad campaign)

News team
Anchors


 * Paul Adler - weekday mornings
 * Maria Neider - weekday mornings
 * Steve Grant - weekdays at noon and 6
 * Marie Saavedra - weeknights at 5
 * Ethan Forhetz - weeknights at 5 and 10
 * Lisa Rose - weeknights at 6 and 10
 * Paula Morehouse - weekends as well as Monday and Tuesday reporter
 * Chad Plein - weekend evenings as well as Monday, Thursday, and Friday reporter

KY3 Storm Team Meteorologists


 * Ron Hearst - Chief seen weeknights
 * Brandon Beck - weekday mornings and Monday through Thursday at noon
 * Dave Snider (AMS Seal of Approval) - Fridays at noon and weekend evenings
 * Sarah Jones - weekend mornings

Sports


 * Ned Reynolds - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10
 * sports reporter
 * Joe Hickman - weekend evenings and sports reporter
 * "Joe's Journal" segment producer

Reporters


 * Cara Restelli - Monday through Thursday consumer investigator
 * Sara Forhetz - weekday crime and courts as well as fill-in news anchor
 * Mike Landis - Wednesday through Sunday nights
 * Linda Russell - weekdays
 * Jay Scherder - weekdays

Former on-air staff

 * Jerry Adams
 * Paul Aker
 * Tony Beason - retired
 * Christine Bielawski Daues
 * Kent Boyd
 * David Catanese - now at The Politico
 * Norma Champion - former children's host, now a member of the Missouri State Senate
 * Cara Connelly
 * Tristan Davies
 * Michelle Davidson
 * Tom Dye - meteorologist (retired)
 * Ed Fillmer
 * Dina Freedman
 * Dennis Graves
 * Leanne Gregg - now NBC News Channel reporter
 * Jerry Jacob - now in the U.S. Army
 * Grant Johnston
 * Cristina King
 * Elizabeth Manresa
 * Ellie Merritt - now at WCMH-TV
 * Fred Miller - deceased
 * Kristin Nelson - now at WGHP-TV
 * Natalie Newman
 * Maya Nishikawa
 * Laurie Patton
 * Mike Redding - now at WDBJ
 * Joyce Reed
 * Monte Schisler - now news director for KOMC / KRZK / HometownDailyNews.com in Branson,MO
 * Michelle Sherwood - now at WSFX-TV as Michelle Li
 * John Shields
 * Brian Shipman
 * Stacey Stidham
 * Tim Tialdo
 * Jack Wang
 * Bill Williams - retired from WBIR-TV
 * Slim Wilson - country music host (1964–1975)
 * Abby Wuellner