KYTX

KYTX, virtual channel 19 (UHF digital channel 15), is a dual CBS/CW-affiliated television station serving Tyler and Longview, Texas, United States that is licensed to Nacogdoches. The station is owned by Tegna Inc. KYTX's studios are located near Loop 323 in the southeastern portion of Tyler, and its transmitter is located near State Highway 110 in rural east-central Cherokee County (northwest of Ponta).

KYTX

Nacogdoches/Lufkin/
Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville, Texas
United States
CityNacogdoches, Texas
ChannelsDigital: 15 (UHF)
Virtual: 19 (PSIP)
BrandingCBS 19 (general)
CBS 19 News (newscasts)
SloganEverywhere you go. (primary)
We've got you covered! (weather)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerTegna Inc.
(LSB Broadcasting, Inc.)
History
First air dateSeptember 1, 1991 (1991-09-01)
Former call signsKLSB-TV (1991–2004)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
19 (UHF, 1991–2009)
Digital:
18 (UHF, 2004–2019)
Former affiliations
Call sign meaningTYler, TeXas
or
EYE of East TeXas
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID55644
ERP873 kW
HAAT455 m (1,493 ft)
Transmitter coordinates31°54′21″N 95°5′6″W
Links
Public license informationProfile
LMS
Websitewww.cbs19.tv

History

The history of CBS in East Texas traces back to the sign-on of the market's first television station, KTVE (channel 32) in 1953; that station shut down due to financial problems in 1955. After KLTV (channel 7) signed on in October 1954, it carried select CBS programming as part of a shared primary affiliation with ABC and NBC (eventually becoming a full-time ABC affiliate in 1984). CBS would not have a full-time affiliate in the Tyler–Longview market until September 1984, when KLMG-TV (channel 51, now KFXK-TV) signed on the air from Longview; KLMG disaffiliated from the network in April 1991 to become the market's Fox affiliate. For the thirteen years that followed, viewers in the portion of East Texas that KFXK-TV served had to rely on cable or satellite for CBS programming. Most area cable providers imported Shreveport–Texarkana affiliate KSLA, while some cable systems in the western portion of the market carried the network's Dallas–Fort Worth affiliates (KDFW was carried from 1991 until it switched to Fox in July 1995 while affiliate-turned-O&O KTVT was then carried from that point until early 2004); cable systems in Houston County carried KBTX-TV instead.

KYTX station history
KYTX logo used from April 2004 to April 2010.
KYTX logo used from April 2010 to December 2015
KYTX logo used from December 2015 to April 2019

The station first signed on the air on September 1, 1991 as KLSB-TV, operating as a satellite station of NBC affiliate KETK-TV (channel 56). Max Media (a company partially related to Max Media Properties, former owner of KETK) purchased the station in 2003. Upon acquiring the station, Max Media signed an affiliation agreement to become the market's CBS affiliate. The company also leased a building in southeast Tyler that formerly operated as a four-screen movie theater to serve as the station's studio facilities. That winter, Max filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the station's callsign to KYTX. Channel 19 officially joined CBS on April 12, 2004, broadcasting from the KLSB transmitter; the following day, the FCC officially granted the call sign change to KYTX (the KLSB callsign ended up on a low-power station broadcasting on UHF channel 53, which became the sole repeater of KETK, until it shut down in 2012). The station relocated its transmitter facilities to new tower located south of New Summerfield on June 13, 2004.

On October 18, 2007, the station was sold to the Addison-based London Broadcasting Company (owned by former Gaylord Entertainment Company CEO Terry E. London, in association with private equity firm Sun TX Capital Partners) for $25 million.[1][2]

On May 14, 2014, the Gannett Company announced that it would acquire KYTX and five other London Broadcasting stations in a $215 million all-cash transaction. Gannett's CEO Gracia Martore touted that the acquisition would give the company a presence in several fast-growing markets, and opportunities for local advertisers to leverage its digital marketing platform.[3] Gannett also owns fellow Texas-based CBS affiliates KHOU in Houston and KENS in San Antonio, which the company had acquired in its 2013 purchase of the Belo Corporation. The sale was completed on July 8.[4]

London exempted sister station and MeTV affiliate KCEB (channel 54) from the deal (as well as company flagship KTXD-TV in the Dallas suburb of Greenville), which resulted in the first instance in which a duopoly was legally and operationally separated.[5][6]

The acquisition closed on July 8, 2014.[7] Under Gannett ownership, the station is held under the same holding company that previously used to own KMOV-TV, which was sold to Meredith Corporation after Gannett's purchase of Belo.

On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. KYTX was retained by the latter company, named Tegna.[8]

Anchorwoman reality show

KYTX was the center of a reality series on Fox titled Anchorwoman, which filmed at the station's Tyler studios during the spring of 2007. The series starred Lauren Jones (a former beauty pageant winner, The Price Is Right model and featured WWE Diva), who trained to become an anchor at the station. Billboards promoting the program, showing Jones posing provocatively alongside the caption "She's coming," caused controversy across East Texas. The station's participation in the program received attention from many national news outlets including Fox News and Good Morning America, who did stories on the filming of the series.

As the program aired on a competitor of CBS, KYTX temporarily removed CBS branding from most of its signage and equipment until filming of the program wrapped. The program premiered on Fox with back-to-back episodes on August 22, 2007; it was canceled the following day after the series premiere garnered a disappointing 2.0 household rating and 1.0 rating among adults between the ages of 18 to 49, according to Nielsen Media Research. In the Tyler–Longview market, local Fox affiliate KFXK-TV aired the program as scheduled, but the station did not sell any advertising during the program to local businesses, opting to use that time to air promotions for local newscasts on sister station KETK-TV as KFXK did not air a local newscast at that time.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[9]
19.11080i16:9KYTX-DTMain KYTX programming / CBS
19.2480i4:3MYTXEast Texas CW
19.3MeTVMeTV

On January 1, 2006, the station launched digital subchannel 19.2 as a UPN affiliate (assuming the network's affiliation in the market from KCEB). Shortly after receiving the affiliation, on January 24, the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner and CBS Corporation announced that the two companies would shut down The WB and UPN and combine the networks' respective programming to create a new "fifth" network called The CW, which would be aimed at young adults between the ages of 18 and 34.[10][11] KCEB assumed the CW affiliation, while KYTX-DT2 became an independent station branded as "MYTX" on September 18 after the network ceased operations; "MYTX" eventually became a Retro Television Network affiliate until it affiliated with MeTV on September 19, 2011; the subchannel then switched to The CW in May 2012 (assuming the affiliation with the network's CW Plus service from KCEB, which took the MeTV affiliation).

In 2009, KYTX added Azteca América on digital subchannel 19.3, becoming the first Spanish language network affiliate in East Texas.[12] The subchannel became a This TV affiliate in March 2012. In March 2013, digital channel 19.3 switched its affiliation to Cozi TV (with This TV programming later moving to KCEB on its third digital subchannel).

Analog-to-digital conversion

KYTX signed on its digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a new transmitter tower in Ponta, becoming the first station in the Tyler–Longview market to transmit a full-power digital signal, and the first to offer network programming in high definition on June 12, 2004. The station shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 19, at 11:59 p.m. on February 17, 2009, the original target date for full-power television stations in the United States to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which Congress had moved the previous month to June 12). The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 18,[13] using PSIP to display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 19.

As part of the SAFER Act,[14] KYTX kept its analog signal on the air until March 19 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters.

Availability

Cable
Cable Providers Selected Cities Covered Channel
Suddenlink Tyler, Athens, Carthage, Center, Crockett, Frankston, Gilmer, Gladewater, Henderson, Jacksonville, Marshall, Mineola, Nacogdoches, Palestine, Rusk 11
Longview-Kilgore Cable[15] Kilgore, Longview 11
Consolidated Communications Lufkin 6[16]
Northland Cable Crockett 5[17]

Satellite

KYTX can be seen on DirecTV and Dish Network (both on channel 19) in the following counties: Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Houston, Nacogdoches, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Smith, Upshur, and Wood.[18]

Over-the-air

KYTX can be viewed with a TV antenna in various east Texas cities, such as: Tyler, Nacogdoches, Athens, Carthage, Center, Crockett, Diboll, Henderson, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Lindale, Longview, Lufkin, Mineola, Palestine, and Rusk.[19]

Programming

Syndicated programs broadcast by KYTX include The Dr. Oz Show, Access Hollywood and Judge Judy among others.

News operation

KYTX presently broadcasts 26 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 4½ hours each weekday, 1½ hours on Saturdays and two hours on Sundays); unlike most CBS affiliates, the station does not presently carry early evening newscasts on Saturdays and Sundays. On September 10, 2018, the station launched a noon newscast for the first time in station history, named The Noon Show.

Shortly after taking the CBS affiliation, Max Media invested in developing a news department for the station. In the interim, during the station's first few months as a CBS affiliate, KYTX resorted to simulcasting local newscasts from the network's Dallas owned-and-operated station KTVT. KYTX debuted its local newscasts on September 12, 2004 (under the original brand of CBS 19 Eyewitness News) with the launch of a weeknight-only 6:00 p.m. newscast. In addition to the 6:00 p.m. program, the station initially offered an hour-long 6:00 a.m. newscast on weekday mornings, and a half-hour late evening newscast at 10:00 p.m. seven nights a week. The following year, KYTX launched a half-hour 5:00 p.m. newscast (originally titled Eye @ 5), which was followed in 2007 by the addition of a 6:30 p.m. newscast that focused on news stories in the Longview and Kilgore areas (similar to a previously attempt at a Longview-centric local newscast that aired on KFXK during its days as a CBS affiliate). The 5:00 p.m. newscast was rebranded as Primetime at 5 that year, while the 10:00 p.m. newscast adopted the Ten @ 10 format in January 2008, focusing on faster delivery of news and weather in the first ten minutes of the newscast. Later in 2008, the station launched a half-hour newscast on Sunday mornings.

In 2009, KYTX dropped the Eyewitness News title for its newscasts in favor of KYTX CBS 19 News. On April 23, 2009, beginning with its weekday morning newscast, KYTX became the first television station in the Tyler-Longview market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.[20] Later that year, the station entered into a content partnership with the Tyler Morning Telegraph to collaborate on news stories as well as to provide weather forecasts for the newspaper.[6]

On March 16, 2015, KYTX debuted the Gannett graphics with an updated on-air branding as simply CBS 19 News (dropping the KYTX portion of the branding). CBS 19 currently produces a 2-hour weekday morning show called The Morning Loop, a 30-minute newscast at noon called The Noon Show, a 30-minute newscast at 5 p.m., a 30-minute newscast at 6 p.m., a 30-minute show at 6:30 p.m. called 19 Now, and a 35-minute newscast at 10 p.m. These all air during the week. On weekends CBS 19 produces an hour long 10 p.m. newscast Saturday and Sunday, an hour long morning news program (not branded as The Morning Loop) at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, and a half hour 19 Now Weekend at 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

Stormy, the Weather Dog

Stormy,[21] a dog adopted from the Humane Society of Smith County in 2005, served as the station's de facto mascot, "assisting" former chief meteorologist Doc Deason (who later was its weeknight 5:00 p.m. meteorologist) with his weather forecasts during the weeknight newscasts. The idea was inspired by a similar mascot used by Houston NBC affiliate KPRC-TV. Viewers named the dog in a poll; Stormy made his first on-air appearance on November 3, 2005. Sales of "Stormy's Dog-gone Goodwill Dog Cookies" featuring the dog benefitted area humane societies and Goodwill Industries chapters. Stormy no longer appears on KYTX's newscasts.

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See also

References
  1. http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/10182007_CBS_19.html Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 2007-10-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Gannett Buys 6 London Broadcasting Stations". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. Gannett Completes London Broadcasting Buy, TVNewsCheck, Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  5. "Gannett adds to TV holdings with six Texas stations but London Broadcasting holds onto the big one in Dallas". UncleBarky.com. May 14, 2014.
  6. "Gannett announces purchase of CBS 19, 5 others for $215M". Tyler Morning Telegraph. May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  7. "Gannett Completes London Broadcasting Buy". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  8. "Separation of Gannett into two public companies completed | TEGNA". Tegna. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  9. RabbitEars TV Query for KYTX
  10. 'Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September, CNNMoney.com, January 24, 2006.
  11. UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network, The New York Times, January 24, 2006.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2009-01-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  14. "UPDATED List of Participants in the Analog Nightlight Program" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. June 12, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  15. "Channel Lineup" (PDF). Longview Kilgore Cable TV. Retrieved 2017-04-10.
  16. "Channel Lineup". Consolidated Communications. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  17. "Northland Cable" (PDF).
  18. "Designated TV Market Map" (PDF).
  19. "KYTX-TV Station Information | NACOGDOCHES, TX". NoCable.org. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  20. CBS 19 Goes HD Archived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine
  21. Stormy
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