KIFI-TV

KIFI-TV is the local American Broadcasting Company affiliated television station for Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho. It broadcasts a digitalsignal on channel 8. The station is owned by News-Press & Gazette Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.

History
Founded in 1961, KIFI-TV was the third television station to broadcast in Eastern Idaho. It went on the air in January 1961. KIFI began broadcasting the NBC television network, with 316,000 watts, at the time the most powerful television station in Idaho.

1962 – KIFI aired the first live remote basketball telecast in Idaho from Reed Gym at Idaho State University in Pocatello. 1965 – KIFI was the first station in Idaho to install a color film chain for color film (16mm and 35mm color slides). 1968 – KIFI broadcast the first live telecast from the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot with weatherman Lloyd Lindsey Young.

In early 1996, KIFI-TV changed from an NBC affiliate to an ABC affiliate, swapping with the longtime ABC affiliate KPVI after KPVI was sold to Sunbelt Broadcasting.

Originally owned by The Post Register, the area's leading newspaper, it was sold to News-Press & Gazette in 2005.

KIFI-TV was branded as Idaho 8 for a number of years, before being branded Local News 8 in early 1999.

2008 – KIFI Launches WiNG or Wireless Internet Newsgathering – becoming the First station in the United States to execute live shots using WiMAX technology.

KIFI has ended analogue broadcasts and transmits as digitally only, effective June 12, 2009.[2]

On March 1, 2009, KIFI became the first station in the Idaho Falls/Pocatello TV market to air Local News in High Definition. It is currently broadcasting in a 720p format.

As of September 7, 2009, KIFI added the CW as a DT3 subchannel.

In December 2010 it was announced that KIFI had entered into a shared services arrangement with Fisher Communications-owned KIDK and would operate the CBS affiliate out of the KIFI facility.[3]

Current on-air staff
Anchors


 * Jay Hildebrandt - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. (also Vice President of News)
 * Karole Honas - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Justin Betti - weekday mornings and noon
 * Dairen Laird - weekday mornings and noon (also reporter/weather anchor)
 * Jessica Crandall - weekends at 5 and 10 p.m. (also reporter)

Reporters


 * Brett Crandall - Upper Valley reporter
 * Marissa Bodnar - Bingham County reporter
 * Troy Campebll - Idaho Falls reporter
 * Genevieve Judge - Pocatello Bureau chief (also fill-in anchor)
 * Dairen Laird - general assignment reporter (also anchor/weather anchor)
 * Brittany Borghi - Pocatello reporter

First Alert 8 Weather Team


 * Michael Coats - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Ido Walker - Meteorologist; weekday mornings
 * Brett Crandall - Weather Anchor; weekends at 5 and 10 p.m. (also reporter)
 * Darien Laird - Weather Anchor Fill In (also anchor/reporter)

<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Sports team


 * Scott Bemis - Sports Director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
 * Alyssa Chin - Sports Anchor; weekends at 5 and 10 p.m. (also reporter)

Former on-air staff
<p style="margin-top: 0.4em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; ">Danielle Grant (weekend meteorologist) 2007-2010. Currently weekend meteorologist/fill-in reporter at KREM (TV) in Spokane, WA.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1em; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; ">[4]. Emma Jade (weekend anchor/reporter) 2008-2010. Currently reporter/weekend morning show producer at KPNX in Phoenix, AZ.

Newscast titles

 * TV-8 News (1961–1970s)
 * Newservice 8 (1970s–1980s)
 * Newsbeat 8 (1980s)
 * Idaho 8 News (1980s–1999)
 * Local News 8 (1999–present)

Station slogans

 * Coverage You Can Count On (1995–1999)
 * Local People, Local News (1999–present)