KTUU-TV

KTUU-TV
Anchorage, Alaska
United States
Branding Channel 2 (general)
Channel 2 News (newscasts)
Slogan Alaska's News Source
Channels Digital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 2 (PSIP)
Subchannels 2.1 NBC
2.2 Justice Network
Affiliations NBC (since 1971; also joint primary 1953–1967, secondary 1967–1970)
Owner Gray Television
(Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
Founded October 16, 1953 (1953-10-16)
Call letters' meaning TUU sounds like Two
Former callsigns KFIA (1953–1955)
KENI-TV (1955–1981)[1]
Former channel number(s) Analog:
2 (VHF, 1953–2009)
Former affiliations ABC (joint primary 1953–1967; primary 1967–1971)
PBS (per program, 1970–1975)
Transmitter power 50 kW
Height 240 m
Facility ID 10173
Transmitter coordinates 61°25′19.8″N 149°52′27.8″W / 61.422167°N 149.874389°W / 61.422167; -149.874389
Licensing authority FCC
Public license information: Profile
CDBS
Website www.ktuu.com

KTUU-TV is an NBC affiliated television station serving Anchorage, Alaska. The station is owned by Gray Television of Atlanta, Georgia. The station is broadcast over the air on digital channel 10; on the local cable TV system, GCI on standard cable channel 2 and high-definition cable channel 652. KTUU is also available on DIRECTV and DISH Network for the Anchorage television market. Its over-the-air transmitter is located in Knik, Alaska, while its studios are located on East 40th Avenue in Anchorage.

History

KTUU is one of Alaska's first two TV stations to sign on in the state (KTVA is the other), signing on October 16, 1953 as KFIA. It became KENI-TV in 1955, and then KTUU on June 10, 1981.

On September 19, 1966, channel 2 became the first station in Alaska to transmit in color (NTSC) when it aired the premiere episode of the ABC situation comedy That Girl (entitled "Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!"). The station had joint primary affiliation with NBC and ABC (with KTVA picking up some of the slack) until October 1, 1967 when it switched to ABC primary and NBC secondary, primarily because ABC had more programs on film. Channel 2 became a full-time ABC affiliate in 1970 when KHAR (now KYUR) took the NBC affiliation. The two stations switched networks in October 1971, at which time KHAR became KIMO. Channel 2 also carried a few PBS programs (particularly The Electric Company) until KAKM signed on in 1975. Until KTVF in Fairbanks switched networks from CBS to NBC in April 1996, KTUU was the only full-time NBC affiliate in Alaska, clearing every network program.

In August 2010, KTUU became the third Schurz-owned television station (after KWCH-DT and KSCW-DT in Wichita, Kansas and WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia) to relaunch its Web site through a new partnership with the Tribune Company's Tribune Interactive division. Previously, the Web address was operated by the local media division of World Now. The other Schurz television station Web sites, which are currently operated by Broadcast Interactive Media, will follow suit when their CMS contract with BIM runs out.

Megan Baldino, former reporter and anchor for the station, waits to begin her report from Front Street in Nome during the 2007 Iditarod.

KTUU has been number one in the Anchorage, AK market for decades; its ratings for their newscasts helped make them one of the strongest NBC affiliates in the country. The Channel 2 News team routinely wins regional and national awards and in 1999, became the first television station in Alaska with their own satellite uplink truck (NewsStar 2). The National Press Photographers Association named KTUU the Small Market Television News Photography Station of the Year in 2006, 2008 and 2010.[2] In 2013, KTUU was also the first in Alaska to broadcast their news in high-definition.

On November 9, 2013, KTUU-TV was dropped by GCI in 22 rural communities, after the two sides were unable to come to a new retransmission agreement, though GCI still carries some KTUU and NBC programming in some of these areas through the Alaska Rural Communications Service. The dispute does not involve areas (including Anchorage) where GCI carries KTUU through must-carry. The move followed the sale of rival KTVA to a subsidiary of GCI a week earlier, which KTUU had opposed over concerns that this move could be made. KTUU's channel slot on most of the affected systems was filled by Starz Kids & Family. Despite this dispute, KTUU extended its newscast carriage agreement with KATH-LD in Juneau and KSCT-LP in Sitka (which were also acquired by GCI at the same time it acquired KTVA) through November 22;[3][4][5] that agreement was subsequently extended through December 6 as negotiations continued toward a long-term deal,[6] but the deal ultimately fell through, and by December 7 KATH/KSCT no longer aired KTUU programming.[7] A deal between GCI and KTUU was finally reached on February 6, 2014; this allowed the station to return to GCI's rural systems (as well as separately-owned cable systems that receive KTUU through GCI) in time for NBC's broadcast of the 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as the eventual restoration of KTUU's newscasts to KATH/KSCT.[8]

Schurz announced on September 14, 2015 that it would exit broadcasting and sell its television and radio stations, including KTUU-TV, to Gray Television for $442.5 million.[9][10] Associated with the purchase, on October 1, 2015, it was announced that Gray will buy MyNetworkTV-affiliated KYES-TV for $500.000.[11] The acquisition of KYES, will create the first legal duopoly on the area (KTBY and KYUR operate as a virtual duopoly).The FCC approved the Schurz sale on February 12, 2016;[12] and the sale was completed on February 16.[13]

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[14]
2.1 1080i 16:9 KTUU-HD Main KTUU-TV programming / NBC
2.2 480i 4:3 Justice Network

Analog-to-digital conversion

KTUU-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 2, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10.[15] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 2.

Translators

KTUU-TV extends its over-the-air coverage through a network of translator stations.

Translators of KTUU-TV
Call sign Community of license Additional Information
K04DS-D Kenai River, Alaska FCC
K08PN-D Homer, Alaska FCC
K10NC-D Kenai, Alaska FCC
K12MM-D Girdwood Valley, Alaska FCC
K27AI-D Ninilchik, Alaska FCC
K44LE-D Kasilof, Alaska FCC

Notable former staff

References

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Elaine B., ed. (1973). Alaska Blue Book (First ed.). Juneau: Alaska Department of Education, Division of State Libraries. p. 136.
  2. ↑ Archived December 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Torquiano, Neil (November 9, 2013). "GCI Drops KTUU-TV from 22 Communities in Broadcast Dispute". KTUU.com. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  4. ↑ Grove, Casey (November 9, 2013). "Deal fails; GCI drops KTUU to 7,000 rural subscribers". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  5. ↑ "KTUU leaves 22 Alaska communities". SitNews. November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ Alexander, Rosemarie (November 25, 2013). "KTUU And GCI Cable Continue Talks". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ "KTUU service in Southeast to change". Juneau Empire. December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Agreement finalized, KTUU-TV programming to return to rural Alaska on GCI cable systems". KTUU.com. February 6, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Schurz Communications to sell WSBT and other TV, radio stations". South Bend Tribune. September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ Kuperberg, Jonathan (September 14, 2015). "Gray Acquiring TV, Radio Stations from Schurz for $442.5 Million". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  11. ↑ Gray Television Sells Some, Buys Some - TVNewsCheck
  12. ↑ FCC Approves Gray-Schurz TV Station Deal. Broadcasting & Cable, 12 February, 2016, Retrieved 13 February, 2016.
  13. ↑ Gray Closes Schurz Acquisition, Related Transactions, And Incremental Term Loan Facility Press Release, Gray Television, Retrieved 16 February, 2016.
  14. ↑ RabbitEars TV Query for KTUU
  15. ↑ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-03-24.

External links

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