KYTV (TV)

KYTV
Springfield, Missouri
Branding	KY3 (general) KY3 News (newscasts)
Slogan	The Place to Be
Channels	Digital: 44 (UHF)
Subchannels	3.1 NBC 3.2 local weather
Owner	Schurz Communications (KY3, Inc.)
Founded	October 1, 1953
Call letters' meaning	TeleVision
Sister station(s)	K15CZ, KSPR
Former channel number(s)	3 (VHF analog, 1953–2009)
Former affiliations	ABC (secondary, 1953–1967)
Transmitter power	967 kW
Height	628 m
Facility ID	36003
Transmitter coordinates	37°10′26″N92°56′28.1″W
Website	ky3.com

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.

Subchannel	Programming
3.1	main KYTV programming / NBC HD
3.2	KYTV-DT2 "KY3 24/7 Weather"

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 K SFX-TV) signed-on. On December 26, 1953, KYTV first brought Ozark Jubilee (a live country music program on KWTO radio) to S

pringfield 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[]

Ozarks Report/Night Desk (?–1970s)
First Team News (1970s)
KY-3 News (1970s & 1993–present)
KY-3 Action News (1977–1993)

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

Chad Plein - weekday mornings
Jackie Garrity - weekday mornings
Joe Hickman -Journalist
- "Joe's "Journal" - segment producer
Leigh Moody - weekday Midays and Afternoons 11 and 4
Steve Grant - weekdays at noon and 6
Maria Neider - weeknights at 5, 9 and 10
Paul Adler - weeknights at 5, 9 and 10
Lisa Rose - weekdays at noon and 6
Frances Watson - weekend evenings as well as Monday and Tuesday reporter

TBD - weekend evenings as well as Monday, Thursday, and Friday reporter

KY3 Storm Team Meteorologists

Ron Hearst (AMS Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
Brandon Beck - weekday mornings and Monday through Thursday at noon
Nick Kelly- meteorologist; weekend evenings
Nicolete Zangara - weekend mornings
Danielle Davis - (meterologist) Fill in

Sports

Mark Spillane - Director seen weeknights at 6 and 10
Danielle King - sports reporter
Chris Neyenhouse - weekend evenings and sports reporter

Reporters

Cara Restelli - Monday through Thursday consumer investigator
Ashley Reynolds- weekday crime and courts as well as fill-in news anchor
TBD - Wednesday through Sunday nights
Lauren Schwentker - weekdays
TBD - weekdays

Former on-air staff[]

Jerry Adams

Ned Reynolds

Tony Beason

Leanne Gregg

Lisa Rose

Joe Hickman

Tom Dye

Fred Miller

Monote Schisler

Brian Shipman

Dennis Graves

Jerry Jacob

Ron Hearst

Dolores Quinn

Cristina King

Steve Grant
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
Felica Combs -(meterologist) now at The Weather Channel
Tristan Davies
Michelle Davidson
Tom Dye - meteorologist (retired)
Abby Dyer - meterologist Now Living In Springfield, MO
Ed Fillmer
Ethan Forhetz - anchor/reporter now living in Springfield, MO
Sara Forhetz - anchor/reporter now living in Springfield, MO
Dina Freedman
Dennis Graves
Leanne Gregg - now NBC News Channel reporter
Leah Hill - (meterologist) now at KMOV in St. Louis MO
Jerry Jacob - now in the U.S. Army
Grant Johnston
Sarah Jones - (meterologist) now living in Kansas City
Cristina King
Elizabeth Manresa
Liz McGiffin - Meterologist now at WCMH-TV in Columbus, OH
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
Ned Reynolds (retired)
Monte Schisler - now a Customer Service Representative at Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson, MO. Also a freelance reporter and voice-over talent for various media outlets.
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