KTVB

KTVB
Boise, Idaho
Branding	Idaho's NewsChannel 7
Slogan	Where the News Comes First
Channels	Digital: 7 (VHF)
Subchannels	7.1 NBC 7.2 24/7 NewsChannel 7.3 NW Cable News
Translators	KTFT-LD 20 (7.7) Twin Falls (for others, see article)
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Belo Corporation (King Broadcasting Co.)
First air date	July 12, 1953
Call letters' meaning	TeleVision Boise
Former callsigns	KIDO-TV (1953-59)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 7 (VHF, 1953-2009) Digital: 26 (UHF, 1997-2009)
Former affiliations	Both secondary: DuMont (1953-55) ABC (1953-74)
Transmitter power	27 kW
Height	806 m
Facility ID	34858
Transmitter coordinates	43°45′16″N116°5′56″W
Website	KTVB.com

KTVB is a television station in Boise, Idaho, affiliated with the NBC network, that broadcasts on digital VHF channel 7.

History

The station, Idaho's oldest, signed on July 12, 1953, as KIDO-TV. It was originally owned by Georgia Davidson, along with radio stationKIDO-AM. Davidson was one of only three female station owners in the NBC network. The others were Marietta Meyer Ekberg of KFYR-TV inBismarck, North Dakota, and Dorothy Bullitt of future sister station KING-TV in Seattle. Davidson sold KIDO-AM in 1959 but kept KIDO-TV, which she renamed KTVB.

KTVB has always been a primary NBC affiliate. After KBOI-TV (Channel 2, CBS) signed on in November 1953, the two stations briefly shared secondary DuMont affiliations, and shared secondary ABC affiliations until KITC (Channel 6) signed on in 1974. Before KAID-TV (Channel 4,PBS) signed on in December 1971, KTVB pre-empted the second hour of the Today Show to carry Sesame Street without commercials on weekday mornings.

In the early 1960s, KTVB built a satellite station in La Grande, Oregon. KTVR-TV channel 13 went on the air December 6, 1964, as a semi-satellite of KTVB, but had a La Grande studio at 1605 Adams Ave., producing a nightly newscast and other local programming. However, by 1967, the La Grande studio and office had been closed and KTVR was a total satellite of KTVB. KTVR was unique in the Pacific time zonebecause as a repeater of a Mountain time zone station, its "prime-time" schedule was broadcast from 6 to 9 p.m. PT, two hours early. OEPBS (now Oregon Public Broadcasting) bought KTVR on August 31, 1976, and converted it to PBS programming on February 1, 1977.

Philo Farnsworth, the father of television and an Idaho native, was present as the station signed on the air. During KTVB's fiftieth year celebration, the tag line "the first television station in the state where TV was invented" was used in some promotional announcements.

In 1979, KTVB was sold to the Bullitts' King Broadcasting Company, joining KING in Seattle, KREM-TV in Spokane, and KGW-TV inPortland. King Broadcasting was sold to the Providence Journal Company in 1992, which was later sold to current owner Belo Corporation in 1997.

KTVB started transmitting digital signals only, effective June 12, 2009.^[1] The station was one of four VHF digital stations granted a power increase later that month after stations experienced signal problems as a result of changing their digital channel from UHF to VHF.^[2]

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Digital channels

Channel	Name	Programming
7.1	KTVB-DT	main KTVB-TV programming / NBC-HD
7.2	24/7	24/7 NewsChannel, (newscast repeats)
7.3	NWCN	Northwest Cable News (Seattle)

By the end of June 2009, KTVB had received permission to increase its power.^[3]

Other initiatives

In November 2003, KTVB launched the 24/7 NewsChannel - a 24 hour cable channel consisting primarily of newscast repeats.

Programming for co-owned KTFT-LD in Twin Falls originates from the KTVB building. The two signals are identical, with the exception of commercials, which are sold and targeted to theMagic Valley area. KTFT-LD rebroadcasts KTVB's main signal on virtual channel 7.7 and 24/7 NewsChannel on virtual channel 7.8 by use of PSIP.

The station operates the state's first full-time online news service - KTVB.com - featuring news, video, weather, sports and traffic information.

KTVB has branched out in to non-traditional areas, such as its free "Idaho Classifieds" project on the ZIdaho website.

News operations

The KTVB news slogan is "Where the News Comes First." The station produces just more than 30 hours of original news and sports programming per week.

Former reporters have gone on to attain national prominence, including Christi Paul of CNN Headline News, Trace Gallagher of Fox News, David Kerley of ABC News, and Meg Oliver ofCBS News Up To The Minute.

The KTVB news gathering fleet includes a new state of the art satellite truck purchased in 2006, allowing for live coverage of events across the region. KTVB's resources also include two live units, 10 news gathering vehicles, and a digital production truck.

In 2004 and 2006, KTVB-TV was recognized with Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Northwest Chapter in the area of Program Achievement for having the best evening newscast in the Pacific Northwest, small market division.

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

Carolyn Holly
Mark Johnson
Maggie O'Mara
Kim Fields
Doug Petcash
Dee Sarton

Reporters

Justin Corr
Scott Evans
Nishi Gupta
Ty Brennan
Jamie Grey

First Alert Weather

Rick Lantz (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist/NWA Seal of Approval): chief meteorologist
Larry Gebert: meteorologist
Jim Duthie: meteorologist

Idaho's NewsChannel 7 Sports

Zach Wolken: sports reporter
Ryan Larrondo: sports reporter
Tom Scott: Scott Slant host/columnist

News/station presentation

Newscast titles

KIDO-TV News (1953–1957)
The Esso Reporter (1957–1960)
TV-7 News (1960–1970s)
NewsCenter 7 (1970s–1997)
Idaho's NewsChannel 7 (1997–present)

Station slogans

Channel 7, Proud as a Peacock! (1979–1980; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
Channel 7, Our Pride is Showing (1981-1982; localized version of NBC campaign)
We're Channel 7, Just Watch Us Now (1982–1983; localized version of NBC campaign)
Channel 7 There, Be There (1983-1984; localized version of NBC campaign)
Channel 7, Let's All Be There! (1984-1986; localized version of NBC campaign)
Come Home to Channel 7 (1986-1987; localized version of NBC campaign)
Idaho's News Channel (1980s–1997)
Come on Home to Channel 7 (1987–1988; localized version of NBC campaign)
Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 7 (19??-19??; localized version of NBC campaign)
Channel 7, The Place to Be! (1990-1992; localized version of NBC campaign)
It's A Whole New Channel 7 (1992-1993; localized version of NBC campaign)
The Stars Are Back on Channel 7 (1993-1994; localized version of NBC campaign)
Where the News Comes First (1997–present)