KLTV

KLTV is the ABC-affiliated television station for East Texas that is licensed to Tyler. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Red Springs. KTRE (channel 9) in Lufkin operates as a semi-satellite of KLTV; it clears all of KLTV's syndicated programming, but produces separate weeknight newscasts and airs its own commercials and station identifications. Syndicated programming on KLTV includes:Wheel of Fortune, ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy! Jeopardy!], Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Texas Country Reporter''. The station can also be seen Suddenlink channel 7 and in high definition on digital channel 720. Owned by Raycom Media, the channel has studios on West Ferguson Street in Downtown Tyler, located between the Smith County and the United States courthouses.

Digital programming
On KLTV-DT2 and Suddenlink digital channel 247 is This TV. On KLTV-DT3 is Telemundowhich is carried on Suddenlink channel 22.

History
KLTV went on-the-air October 14, 1954 [1] and shared primary affiliation time with ABC, CBS, and NBC until the early 1980s. The station also aired programming from DuMont on a secondary basis until 1955. It was originally locally operated by Buford Television which was owned by Lucille Buford. In 1964, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) collapsed Lufkin and Nacogdoches into the Tyler market. Soon afterward, the Buford family bought KTRE and made it a satellite of KLTV. Buford Television owned the stations until the early 1990s when they were sold to Civic Communications of Jackson, Mississippi. Civic merged with The Liberty Corporation in 2002 which in turn merged with current owner Raycom Media in 2006.

KLTV's studios were near TX 31 and Loop 323 on the east side of Tyler until the late-1990s when it moved to facilities in Downtown Tyler. The old studios were demolished in November 2007. This channel's current studios are in a former savings loan branch and office complex near the Smith County courthouse.

The station installed its digital tower on September 23, 2005 and started broadcasting a high definition signal on VHF channel 10 on December 14 becoming the second East Texas station to do so. It also started airing the "StormTracker 24/7 Weather Channel" on a new second digital subchannel. This consisted of temperatures, weather conditions, and "StormTracker 7 Live Doppler Network" graphics in a rotating schedule.

In the first round of DTV channel elections,[2] KLTV elected to return its digital channel assignment back to channel 7. On June 12, 2009, it ceased analog broadcasting on channel 7 and performed a "flash-cut" from digital channel 10 to channel 7. In December 2009, KLTV changed programming on DT2 to This TV.

In January 2011, KLTV started "KLTV in Your Community" on its website as a branch for citizen journalism, or community blogging, with Elizabeth Thomas as its director. "Be the reporter in your neighborhood," by Morgan Chesky announced the new service's beginnings at KLTV's website. Fifteen East Texas communities are listed with Tyler divided into four quadrants.

Tower collapse
At approximately 7:30 in the morning on February 3, 2006, KLTV's 1,078 foot broadcast transmitter in Red Springs collapsed taking both its over-the-air analog and digital signals off-the-air leaving customers of Cox Communications as the only customers who could receive the station. The outage also affected the feed of the station to DirecTV and Dish Network. Interestingly, the collapse occurred the day after new owners Raycom Media officially took ownership of the station. Within thirteen hours of the collapse, KLTV re-established analog broadcasts at reduced power from its former station and transmitter location in Eastern Tyler. No injuries were reported as a result. No cause for the collapse has been disclosed to date.

A new Harris transmitter was brought in the day after the collapse allowing resumption of high-power broadcasts from the Tyler site though from a tower slightly less than half the height of the destroyed one. This allowed the viewing area to see Super Bowl XL on analog channel 7. Digital broadcasts resumed from the Tyler site several days later. In addition, Christian radio station KVNE-FM was also knocked off as a result of the collapse. On February 7, KVNE held a one-day fundraiser to raise a goal of $70,000 to put the station back on at high-power. The station raised more than $80,000 in its fifteen-hour campaign.

KLTV restored its analog over-the-air signal from its original tower along with its signals to DirecTV and Dish Network and the feeds to all area cable companies. Its analog transmitter equipment was undamaged and was supplemented at the original tower site with a newer transmitter. However, its over-the-air high definition and digital television transmission equipment was a total loss. In March and April 2007, KLTV ran a "Flip the Switch" promotion to promote the completion of the new Red Springs tower. Viewers were urged to submit thirty second videos to show why they should be selected to "Flip The Switch". Winners were selected by popular vote on the station's website. The winner was Jeff Heimer, and on April 17, 2007 at approximately 6:58 p.m., he officially flipped the switch to turn on the new transmitter and tower.

Programming
Syndicated programming on KLTV includes Wheel of Fortune, Oprah, Dr. Phil and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy! Jeopardy!]''

News operation
It has been the dominant station in the market for most of its history and news broadcasts on the station routinely garner several times the number of viewers of its nearest competitor. KLTV and its staff have received several awards including seven Lone Star Emmy awards.

The station's most well known slogan is "Proud of East Texas" which has been used since 1985. In a June 2006 article, the Longview News-Journal reported KLTV continued its dominance of the area with an estimated 70,000 households tuning in to its weeknight 10 o'clock broadcast. KETKwas second with about 12,000 viewers and KYTX was watched by an estimated 9,000 viewers. The station was nominated in 2008 for eleven Lone Star Emmy Awards including: best morning and evening newscasts, weather, along with several news/sports specials and reporting. KTRE simulcasts KLTV's weekday morning, midday, and weekend newscasts. On June 21, 2010, KLTV-TV became the third station in the market to broadcast its local newscasts in high definition.

Newscast titles

 * East Texas News (19??–1998)
 * Channel 7 News (1998–2003)
 * KLTV 7 News (2003–present)
 * Good Morning East Texas (2007–present)
 * East Texas News Weekend (2008–present)

Station slogans

 * "Come On Along With Channel 7" (1982-1983; local version of ABC campaign)
 * "Were With You, KLTV With You!" (1984-1985; local version of ABC campaign)
 * "Proud of East Texas" (1985–2003)
 * 'You'll Love it on Channel 7" (1985–1986; local version of ABC campaign)
 * "Caring. Committed. Proud of East Texas." (2003–present; general slogan)
 * "Your East Texas News Leader" (2006–present; news slogan)

News team
+ denotes personnel not seen on KTRE

Anchors


 * Anissa Centers - Monday-Thursday at 6, and Sunday-Thursdays at 10 p.m.
 * Taylor Hemness - weekday mornings 5-7 a.m. +
 * Jennifer Hines - 11:30 a.m. and weeknights at 5 p.m.; also "Gift of Love" segment producer
 * Joe Terrell - weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.; also assistant news director and "Does It Work?" segment producer
 * Dia Wall - weekday mornings 5-7 a.m.
 * Jena Johnson - Saturdays at 6 and 10 p.m.

StormTracker 7 Weather Team


 * Mark Scirto (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. +
 * Grant Dade (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and 11:30 a.m.
 * Brent Collar- Meteorologist; weekends

Sports Team


 * Ryan Peterson - Sports Director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m. +
 * Coleman Swierc - Sports Anchor; Saturdays at 6 and weekends at 10 p.m.

Reporters


 * Kerri Compton - morning traffic reporter
 * Ed Dominguez - feature reporter
 * Bob Hallmark - general assignment reporter
 * Joan Hallmark - feature reporter
 * Layron Livingston - general assignment reporter
 * Sara Story - general assignment reporter

Former staff

 * Morgan Chesky: general assignment reporter from 2007-2011 (starts work with KVUE)
 * Paul Abrams: general assignments reporter from 1993-1996 (currently a public relations director)
 * John Adams: meteorologist (now with KYTX)
 * Jennifer Brice: morning anchor from 2002-2005 (currently with KSEE)
 * Sandra Brown: weatherperson (currently a popular novelist)
 * Danielle Capper
 * Carol Cavazos: news reporter/anchor (currently with KTVT)
 * Michael Coleman: sports director from 1997-2004 (currently with News 12 Long Island)
 * Maya Golden: Maya Bethany, Lindale ISD Education Foundation
 * Michael Hetrick: Video Editor, Weekend Meteorologist
 * Robert Hilliard: cameraman, director, and news anchor
 * Cynthia Izaguirre: anchor/reporter (currently with WFAA)
 * Judy Jordan: news anchor
 * Vivian King: Public Affairs Director with Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc. - formerly a news anchor with WTMJ-TV
 * Reid Kerr: sportscaster/WebJ (currently Sports Director at 99.3 Talk FM)
 * Gail Leach-Lollar: reporter, anchor
 * Steve Lee: - sports anchor (left to form LPH Productions)
 * Chuck McDonald: news anchor (currently with KYTX)
 * Allen R. Morris: National Emmy Award winner: Was Director of Operations and Creative Services 1979-1984; Was at KTRE from 1969–1975
 * Michelle Mortensen: news anchor from 2002-2005 (currently with Liquidation Channel)
 * Christine Nelson: news anchor and reporter at 5 p.m. (currently with WBTV)
 * Oralia Ortega: reporter/weekend anchor (currently with KTSM-TV)
 * Morgan Palmer: anchor/meteorologist from 1999-2007 (currently with WBBH)
 * Stephen Parr: morning meteorologist from 2003-2006 (currently with KSLA as Chief Meteorologist)
 * Bobby Perdue: news anchor (left to form LPH Productions)
 * Molly Reuter: reporter/anchor (now with KSTP)
 * Devin Scillian: news anchor from 1986-1989 (currently with WDIV, and also a children's author)
 * Gillian Sheridan, co-anchor (now with KYTX)
 * David Smoak: sports director
 * Eric Sorensen: morning meteorologist from 2000-2003 (currently with WREX)
 * Julie Tam: news reporter from 2003-2005 (currently general assignment reporter with KXAS-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth)
 * Lorri Vaughter: reporter
 * Tracy Watler: general assignment reporter (currently with KTUL)
 * Roger Wallace sports anchor late 1980s (currently sports director/sports anchor with KXAN)
 * Lindsay Wilcox: reporter/anchor, currently weekend morning anchor with KXAS in Dallas/Fort Worth)