Jump to content

KSMO-TV

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from KSMO Candelabra Tower)

KSMO-TV
ATSC 3.0 station
CityKansas City, Missouri
Channels
BrandingKSMO-TV
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KCTV
History
First air date
December 7, 1983 (40 years ago) (1983-12-07)
Former call signs
  • KEKR-TV (1983–1985)
  • KZKC-TV (1985–1986)
  • KZKC (1986–1991)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 62 (UHF, 1983–2009)
  • Digital: 47 (UHF, until 2019)
Call sign meaning
Postal abbreviations of Kansas and Missouri
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID33336
ERP750 kW
HAAT358 m (1,175 ft)
Transmitter coordinates39°5′25.8″N 94°28′19.2″W / 39.090500°N 94.472000°W / 39.090500; -94.472000
Links
Public license information

KSMO-TV (channel 62) is a television station in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, affiliated with MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KCTV (channel 5). The two stations share studios on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway, Kansas; KSMO-TV's transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri.

Channel 62 in Kansas City began broadcasting as KEKR-TV in 1983, changing its call letters to KZKC in 1985. Originally owned by Media Central of Chattanooga, Tennessee, it suffered for most of its first decade on air from a management style more suited to stations in smaller markets, inferior programming, and a poor reputation. In 1988, the station was fined for airing an indecent film in prime time, attracting national attention. Financial issues also strapped KZKC, particularly after Media Central entered bankruptcy reorganization in 1987.

KZKC was sold out of bankruptcy to First American National Bank of Nashville, Tennessee, in early 1990; the bank quickly sold the station to ABRY Communications. ABRY instituted a top-to-bottom overhaul of programming and facilities, changing the call letters to KSMO-TV in April 1991. The relaunched channel 62 cemented itself as the primary sports and children's station in Kansas City; from 1990 to 1995, viewership tripled and advertising revenue quadrupled. ABRY affiliated the station with UPN upon its January 1995 debut. The station also was the broadcast home of Kansas City Royals baseball for four years, further increasing its visibility.

Sinclair Broadcast Group exercised an option to buy KSMO-TV in December 1995. The station dropped UPN in January 1998 after a corporate dispute between Sinclair and the network; two months later, the station became the new Kansas City affiliate of The WB. With the company focusing on duopolies elsewhere and unable to buy a second station in Kansas City, Sinclair sold KSMO-TV to the Meredith Corporation, then-owner of KCTV, in 2005 after Meredith assumed operating control the year before. The station affiliated with MyNetworkTV upon the merger of UPN and The WB into The CW in 2006, and it also added newscasts from KCTV and other local programming to its lineup. Gray acquired Meredith in 2021, the same year that the station converted to ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) broadcasting.

History

[edit]

KEKR-TV: Construction and launch

[edit]

Several applications had been made for channel 62 in Kansas City in the late 1960s, including by Dick Bailey and TVue Associates,[2] but interest around the channel allocation started in earnest at the end of the 1970s, as several business ventures around the country analyzed using unused UHF channels in major cities to broadcast subscription television (STV) programming. In 1977, Buford Television of Tyler, Texas, and SelecTV of Kansas City, Inc., both made applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking to establish channel 62 in Kansas City and use it to broadcast STV to paying subscribers, even though Kansas City had an area-wide cable system.[3]

You can build a two-bit Mickey Mouse station in Cape Girardeau, and it will be OK. You can't do that in Kansas City.

Gary Liebling, KEKR-TV's first engineering manager[4]

After reaching a settlement with Buford that gave it the right to buy stock in SelecTV of Kansas City,[5] that company was granted the construction permit on April 8, 1981, but channel 62 continued to sit unbuilt for more than two years. The permittee changed its name from SelecTV of Kansas City to Choice Channel of Kansas City in 1982, a year in which Kansas City and its metropolitan area were wired for cable at an accelerated pace[6] and the national economic picture for STV began to sour.[7] Choice Channel of Kansas City then took on a new majority investor: Media Central Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which purchased a 60 percent interest in the station in February 1983.[8] With Media Central on board, consideration of STV service was dropped and an agreement reached to co-locate its transmitting facility with public television station KCPT.[9] Media Central used modular construction methods: studio equipment was assembled in Chattanooga before being shipped to Kansas City for installation once the studio facility was completed.[10] However, its construction methods ultimately resulted in subpar equipment and poorer reception; at one time, the station volunteered to send repairmen to homes experiencing difficulty tuning it in.[4] In a January 1988 article in Channels magazine, a former station employee was quoted as saying that the high school in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, had better equipment than channel 62, though Media Central's corporate office in Chattanooga did have high-quality equipment.[11]

KEKR-TV—whose call letters represented an attorney who helped file for the license[12]—debuted on December 7, 1983, from studios in Blue Summit. It was the first new station in Kansas City since KYFC-TV, a Christian television station, began in 1978, and it was the first new general-entertainment independent since KSHB-TV went on the air as KBMA-TV in 1970. Programming consisted primarily of classic reruns, as well as a handful of first-run and new shows in the Kansas City area and Big Eight Conference college basketball.[13][14][15] The station, however, was far from an immediate success. In its first year on air, it attracted just three percent of the Kansas City viewing audience,[16] well below the six to eight percent its founding program director had set as a goal.[17] The station's lone bright spot was that it was drawing young people to watch cartoons in mornings and afternoons.[16] A new general manager, Steve Friedheim, was appointed in a management shakeup; when he attempted to gather public feedback, he found that nobody had heard of his station.[4] Three of his colleagues at his former employer, independent station WNOL-TV in New Orleans, followed him to Kansas City amid turmoil at the New Orleans station.[18]

KZKC: Revamp and indecency dispute

[edit]

After a year, Media Central sought to turn the ailing station around by spending more money on programming and overhauling its image. In January 1985, the station changed its call sign to KZKC-TV, having decided not to purchase the designation KCKC from a radio station in California.[19] The new call sign did attract attention—from KCTV, the Kansas City CBS affiliate, which sued channel 62 a month after it made the change, citing a potential likelihood of confusion.[20] The lawsuit was heard by a federal judge in June 1986,[21] and the judge ordered KZKC-TV to simply become KZKC without the suffix.[22] In another fruitless attempt to improve its image, the station filed for channel 32 when the FCC made it available in Kansas City;[23] however, with multiple applicants proposing new stations in the market, an FCC administrative law judge ruled against its bid in 1991 and in favor of another group.[24]

One way the station tried to attract interest was its policy to only edit films where there were explicit sexual acts, leading to occasional shots of nudity.[25] On May 26, 1987, even after announcing it would start censoring frontal nudity the year before, KZKC aired the 1981 comedy-drama film Private Lessons, known for its frontal nudity and a plot involving a relationship between a high school student and a maid, in prime time.[26] Acting on a viewer complaint, the FCC opened an investigation into the station's broadcast of the film in January 1988, with possible sanctions including a formal reprimand, a fine, or even revocation of the station's broadcast license.[27] The case shed light on the practice of "stacking" titillating movies for ratings sweeps periods several times a year, a practice followed throughout Media Central's eight-station chain of independents.[28]

The FCC—operating with just three of five commissioners at the time—unanimously agreed the material was obscene and, on a 2–1 vote, fined KZKC $2,000 in June 1988. The fine represented the first punishment of a television station for airing obscene programming.[29][30] Media Central chairman Morton Kent called the fine "outrageous" and declared to Dennis McDougal of the Los Angeles Times that he would not pay.[31] However, the commission rescinded the fine in 1989 after a court ruling overturned changes to its "safe harbor" for indecent programming.[32]

By the time of the indecency investigation, Media Central had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization; in July 1987, the parent company and its eight stations—KZKC initially the lone exception—presented petitions for reorganization.[33] The firm had $68 million in assets but owed $50 million to creditors, including program suppliers;[28] KZKC's reorganization plan stated that paying off its debts could take 10 years.[34] The station's front office urged general manager Friedheim to barter advertising for goods and services wherever possible to save money.[4] The disposition of the company's stations lasted three years. Only in March 1989 did a Chattanooga bankruptcy court begin considering plans to sell some of the Media Central stations,[35] eventually approving a purchase of KZKC by one of Media Central's creditors, First American National Bank of Nashville, Tennessee. First American then contracted Act III Broadcasting, an Atlanta-based company with significant operations in Nashville, to run the station.[36] This was heavily delayed by appeals in federal court.[37] While that went on, Steve Engles—who then left when his bid to purchase Media Central-owned KBSI in Cape Girardeau was approved—improved KZKC's programming, signal, and on-air look.[38]

KSMO-TV: The independent rebuild

[edit]

On February 7, 1990, a subsidiary of First American National Bank received KZKC's license,[39] with Act III taking over management duties. This was a short-term solution; Act III's contract precluded it from buying KZKC, and Act III president Bert Ellis noted that the bank was interested in selling.[40] Two and a half months later, the bank filed to sell the station to ABRY Communications. ABRY, which owned two independent stations in Baltimore and Cincinnati, promised to spend millions of dollars to replace the transmitting facility and purchase new movies for air on the station.[41] Additionally, the company announced it would move the station to new studios.[42] Even before the sale closed, the station aimed to prepare for a major overhaul and to capitalize on KSHB-TV, its primary competitor, having an increasing obligation to Fox programs.[43] It lured a series of college basketball broadcasts from channel 41 in part by having time to air Kansas and Kansas State coaches' shows.[44]

Many major changes and a large promotion campaign were implemented in March and April 1991. A three-week "Your Vote Counts" campaign was begun in March; ballots were placed at points around the city to allow viewers to vote on programming, following a model ABRY had successfully used at its WNUV in Baltimore.[45] The next month, the station relocated to the Cambridge Circle office park in Kansas City, Kansas, in studios that were twice the size of the Blue Summit facility built by Media Central;[46] the program lineup was shuffled, a new antenna was installed, and a children's club known as "Crew 62" was started. The station also changed its call sign to KSMO-TV, incorporating the postal abbreviations for Kansas and Missouri; a radio station in Salem, Missouri, agreed to share, and the O also allowed the station to insert a check mark in its logo in a nod to the voting campaign.[47][48] The outgoing KZKC call sign was labeled by Jim McDonald as "probably the worst call letters that any station in America could have chosen", being tough to say and hard to remember to the point that some people noted in Nielsen Media Research ratings diaries that they had watched programs which channel 62 carried but ascribed them to other local stations.[47]

The ABRY overhaul brought KSMO-TV credibility it had previously lacked. The station made an intensive push to become the market's sports station, picking up rights packages including Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, and UMKC basketball, Kansas City Blades hockey, and—starting in 1993—65 Kansas City Royals baseball games each year, which was more than longtime rightsholder WDAF-TV had ever carried in its 13-year relationship with the franchise.[49] In its last year, WDAF-TV had especially strained to juggle the Royals and NBC programming: Johnny Carson's final nights of The Tonight Show and several NBA playoff games in 1992 were seen on a tape-delayed basis to accommodate baseball telecasts.[50] To woo the Royals, the station telecast a baseball game between Kansas and Wichita State just to prove that it could commit to the sport.[51] The changes paid off: in 1993, twice as many Kansas City TV viewers watched KSMO-TV for more than 15 minutes per month than had done so just three years prior. Its total market share was seven percent, far better than the three percent registered in May 1990, before the ABRY acquisition.[52][53]

KSMO-TV also profited from a major change elsewhere in the Kansas City television market. As a result of a group affiliation agreement between Fox and New World Communications, the Fox affiliation moved from KSHB-TV to WDAF-TV in September 1994. WDAF-TV, however, did not take Fox Kids programming; the entire network lineup moved to channel 62,[54] making the station the only one in the market programming for kids and fueling large viewership increases, particularly in the early evening hours.[55] This also left syndicators of children's TV shows desperate for their programs to air in Kansas City to have to accept less-than-ideal time slots for their programs: general manager Jim McDonald was offered $100,000 in advertising support to place a children's show on KSMO-TV's schedule before 6 a.m., and he described the challenge of accommodating Fox Kids, The Disney Afternoon, and the forthcoming UPN Kids as "fit[ting] so many ten-pound turnips into a five-pound sack".[56]

Meanwhile, the Royals relationship grew somewhat strained midway through. In 1994, the national television rights to Major League Baseball moved to a new arrangement known as The Baseball Network, with games on ABC and NBC; this led to more nationally telecast games than the previous CBS national rights agreement. As a result, in June, KSMO-TV sued the Royals for breach of contract, objecting to having lost its exclusivity over Royals telecasts; the loss of prime-time games to The Baseball Network meant that the station's commitment to a minimum number of telecasts was filled by more day games. Further, the station charged in the suit that the ABC and NBC affiliates were charging less for advertisements in their Royals games than KSMO-TV.[57] The lawsuit never went to trial and was settled out of court that December.[58]

Sinclair ownership and affiliations with UPN and The WB

[edit]

On January 16, 1995, KSMO-TV became the Kansas City charter affiliate of the United Paramount Network (UPN), which was created as a partnership between Paramount Television and Chris-Craft/United Television. KSMO-TV, the only available independent sought by two new networks—The WB and UPN—initially chose the latter on the strength of its primary attraction, Star Trek: Voyager.[59] Sinclair Broadcast Group had acquired an option to buy KSMO-TV and WSTR-TV in Cincinnati from ABRY in 1994, after ABRY had sold most of its other TV properties to Sinclair; the Maryland-based broadcaster opted in December 1995 to purchase the station for $18 million. In ABRY's ownership tenure, spanning 1990 to 1995, viewership tripled and advertising revenue quadrupled to $17 million; because Sinclair's rate had been previously set, it significantly underpaid compared to an estimated value of $60 million for the station.[60] The station continued to carry the Royals through 1996; however, due to UPN commitments, its game inventory dropped from 65 games in the first year of the contract to 53 games, the second-lowest exposure of any major-league franchise.[61] In 1997, the Royals moved to an 80-game package, with 30 cable telecasts on Fox Sports Rocky Mountain and 50 games broadcast over-the-air. The broadcast rights to the package were won by KMBC-TV and KCWB (channel 29), an affiliate of The WB which KMBC-TV managed.[62][63]

On July 21, 1997, Sinclair signed a long-term affiliation agreement with Time Warner, under which the group committed five of its UPN-affiliated stations to that network in 1998, with a sixth independent station to join in 1999.[64] KSMO-TV was not among the defecting stations and was one of six Sinclair-controlled outlets that would remain with UPN; in Kansas City, The WB had not had a broadcast affiliate until KCWB began broadcasting in 1996.[65] However, the high-profile move by Sinclair to move five stations from UPN to The WB, its direct competitor, led to a legal dispute between the companies. UPN sued Sinclair, alleging it had breached its affiliation contract by exiting it early.[66] At the end of December, Sinclair announced that KSMO would exit the network when its affiliation agreement ended on January 16, 1998.[67] The station then became an independent again, even as reports surfaced of renewed talks between Sinclair and UPN.[68] The network was left without a Kansas City affiliate for more than a month, but by late February, all signs pointed to KCWB taking on the UPN affiliation as KSMO negotiated with The WB.[69] This occurred on March 30, 1998; Kids' WB did not immediately move from channel 29 because of the Fox Kids program commitment at channel 62, with those blocks instead swapping stations later in the year.[70]

In the early 2000s, Sinclair laid the groundwork to introduce what would have been KSMO-TV's first local newscast, utilizing its News Central hybrid format. The station was approved to hire a news staff of two dozen; the newscast would feature local stories read by an anchor in Kansas City mixed with national segments from News Central's facility at Sinclair headquarters in Hunt Valley, Maryland.[71]

The Meredith years: consolidation with KCTV, affiliation with MyNetworkTV

[edit]

On November 12, 2004, the Meredith Corporation, owner of KCTV, announced that it would acquire the non-license assets of KSMO-TV from Sinclair for $26.8 million, immediately assuming responsibility for KSMO's advertising sales and administrative operations under a joint sales agreement. It also had an option to buy the station if FCC rules so approved for a further $6.7 million.[72][73][74][75] Sinclair's decision to hand over sales and most other functions of KSMO-TV, with an option to sell it completely, was motivated by a corporate decision to focus on duopoly markets where it owned or could feasibly own two stations.[76] It created the third such combination in Kansas City, alongside KSHB-TV with KMCI-TV and, indirectly, KMBC-TV with KCWE (the former KCWB).[72] After the sale, KSMO-TV operations were moved to KCTV's offices in Fairway, Kansas.[77]

Meredith then filed to buy KSMO-TV outright in January 2005, a transaction that would require a failing station waiver from the FCC as there would be fewer than eight unique owners of TV stations in the market.[78] On the grounds that KSMO-TV's revenue and market share had steadily declined in the preceding five years,[77] the commission granted the waiver in September 2005, approving the transaction.[79][80][81]

On January 24, 2006, the respective parent companies of UPN and The WB—CBS Corporation and the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner, announced that they would dissolve the two networks and create The CW Television Network, functionally a merger, beginning that fall.[82][83] Even though KSMO-TV had placed fifth in total-day ratings at the time of the Meredith purchase,[72] the company found that affiliation would not be financially viable and passed on The CW (which went to KCWE in early March);[84] instead, the station affiliated with MyNetworkTV, set up by Fox Television Stations to serve former UPN and WB affiliates spurned in the merger.[85]

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, KSMO experimented with a variety of local programs, including TeenStar, a weekly teen show co-produced with The Kansas City Star; weekly public affairs show Your Kansas City; bilingual Hispanic program Qué Pasa KC; film showcase CinemaKC; and high school football and Missouri Valley Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association college sports.[86] From 2011 to 2013, it was the television home of Sporting Kansas City soccer.[87]

Sale to Gray Television

[edit]

On May 3, 2021, Gray Television announced its intent to purchase the Meredith Local Media division, including KSMO and KCTV, for $2.7 billion. The sale was completed on December 1.[88]

Newscasts

[edit]

While Sinclair had first intended to establish a News Central newscast in Kansas City, that had not materialized by the time Sinclair outsourced most of KSMO-TV's operations to Meredith.[72] Meredith, however, pledged to extend KCTV's newsroom to KSMO-TV as part of its proposal to win the FCC waiver it needed to purchase the station.[78] The 30-minute KCTV 5 News at 9:00 debuted in October 2005, following the closure of the Meredith purchase, promising the same experience "lock, stock, and barrel" as the station offered at 10 p.m. even though KCTV general manager Kirk Black had previously declared it would have its own presentation style.[78][89] By 2010, the station was also airing a 7 a.m. morning newscast and simulcasting a noon newscast also aired on KCTV.[90]

On August 4, 2014, KCTV began producing a half-hour newscast at 6:30 p.m. for KSMO, utilizing the same anchor team as the 6 p.m. newscast on channel 5.[91] This newscast had been canceled by 2018, when KCTV shifted to airing news in the 7 p.m. hour.[92]

Technical information

[edit]

Subchannels

[edit]

The station's channels are carried in ATSC 1.0 format on the multiplexed signals of other Kansas City television stations:

Subchannels provided by KSMO-TV (ATSC 1.0)[93][94][95]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming ATSC 1.0 host
62.1 1080i 16:9 KSMO-TV MyNetworkTV KCTV
62.2 480i H & I Heroes & Icons KMBC-TV
62.3 Dabl Dabl
62.4 Cozi TV Cozi TV KCWE
62.5 Comet Comet

Analog-to-digital conversion

[edit]

KSMO-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 62, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal continued to broadcast on its pre-transition UHF channel 47, using virtual channel 62.[96] The station was then repacked to channel 32 in April 2019.[97]

ATSC 3.0

[edit]
Subchannels of KSMO-TV (ATSC 3.0)[97]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
5.1 1080p 16:9 KCTV KCTV / CBS DRM
9.1 KMBC-HD KMBC-TV / ABC DRM
29.1 KCWE-HD KCWE / The CW DRM
62.1 KSMO-TV MyNetworkTV DRM
  Subchannel broadcast with digital rights management

On August 24, 2021, KSMO-TV converted to ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) broadcasting as one of two 3.0 transmitters in Kansas City. KSMO-TV hosts the main subchannels of KCTV, KMBC-TV, and KCWE; those stations in turn broadcast its five subchannels in ATSC 1.0 format.[98]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KSMO-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Ellingsworth, Rosalind K. (October 24, 1968). "New Channels May Give TV Viewer Wider Choice". The Kansas City Times. p. 5B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Nicely, Steve (January 12, 1980). "Firms Hope to Provide Subscription TV to Kansas City". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 1C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d Taylor, Jeff (February 6, 1988). "Indecency charge is just latest setback to hit Channel 62". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. A-1, A-24. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Nicely, Steve (August 12, 1980). "KC viewers to get a taste of pay TV: Rival companies reach an agreement on using Channel 62". The Kansas City Times. p. A-1, A-4. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Uncertainty surrounds proposed TV station". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. January 19, 1982. p. B-3. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Jordan, Gerald B. (January 3, 1983). "A progress report on Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "For the Record..." (PDF). Broadcasting. Taishoff Publications, Inc. February 28, 1983. p. 102. ProQuest 963236788. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  9. ^ Jordan, Gerald B. (July 20, 1983). "Channel 62's plans to go on air remain up in air". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Jordan, Gerald B. (September 6, 1983). "Investors put their money on UHF channels". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Berry, John F. (January 1988). "Anatomy of a Bankruptcy" (PDF). Channels. pp. 70–72. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  12. ^ Garron, Barry (July 28, 1985). "Letter-perfect combinations on the air: Stations scour alphabet to find the right names". The Kansas City Star. p. 1J, 3J. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Garron, Barry (December 7, 1983). "Channel 62 to sign on today as KEKR-TV". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Garron, Barry (October 31, 1983). "Channel 62 will be new, but its programs won't". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Pulliam, Kent (November 27, 1983). "New TV station committed to Big Eight basketball". The Kansas City Star. p. Sports 24. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Garron, Barry (November 21, 1984). "Channel 62 in ratings basement". The Kansas City Star. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Garron, Barry (January 8, 1984). "The chess game of TV programming". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 1J, 3J. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Landphair, Ted (December 9, 1985). "Real Independence Ends at Flashy, Cash-Thin WNOL-TV". New Orleans Business. p. 1A. ProQuest 208906743.
  19. ^ Garron, Barry (January 13, 1985). "Channel 62 is going after greater visibility". The Kansas City Star. p. 1J, 3J. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Garron, Barry (February 25, 1985). "KCTV sues KZKC over new call letters". The Kansas City Star. p. 6B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Henderson, Joe (June 10, 1986). "TV stations take suit on call letters to trial". The Kansas City Star. p. 5B. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Garron, Barry (July 22, 1986). "KZKC told to drop 'TV' from name". The Kansas City Star. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Channel 62 seeks new spot on dial". The Kansas City Star. January 6, 1987. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Garron, Barry (January 5, 1991). "Channel 32 moving closer to reality". The Kansas City Star. p. E-3. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Garron, Barry (November 21, 1985). "Channel 62 creates a stir with movies". The Kansas City Star. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Garron, Barry (May 27, 1987). "Edited movies still reveal more than some want to see". The Kansas City Star. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Taylor, Jeff (January 13, 1988). "Channel 62 faces indecency charge". The Kansas City Times. p. A-1, A-10. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ a b McDougal, Dennis (February 16, 1988). "Station Gets Lesson in Decency". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. VI:1, 10. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Garron, Barry (June 23, 1988). "Channel 62 fined for indecency violation". The Kansas City Star. pp. 1A, 10A. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "FCC to decide whether to impose fine for prime-time showing of sexy movie". The Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. Associated Press. June 23, 1988. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  31. ^ McDougal, Dennis (June 27, 1988). "TV Indecency Fine Raises New Fears in Broadcasters". The Los Angeles Times. pp. VI:1, 4. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "FCC drops fine for indecency in KZKC case" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 14, 1989. p. 60. ProQuest 1016929972. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  33. ^ Carter, Reon (July 8, 1987). "WKCH-TV parent bankrupt". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. A10. Archived from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ Perlmutter, Rod (November 25, 1987). "Troubled KZKC eliminates its late-night movies". The Kansas City Times. p. C-7. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ^ Garron, Barry (March 9, 1989). "Future of Channel 62 still in court's hands". The Kansas City Star. p. 2D. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ Garron, Barry (April 12, 1989). "Atlanta firm is ready to operate Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Garron, Barry (February 2, 1990). "New manager of 62 faces uncertain future". The Kansas City Star. p. 7C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ Garron, Barry (November 15, 1989). "Despite good deeds, TV empire crumbling". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 2D. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Garron, Barry (February 8, 1990). "Nashville bank assumes Channel 62 ownership". The Kansas City Star. p. 2D. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ Garron, Barry (February 12, 1990). "Atlanta firm takes over as Channel 62 manager". The Kansas City Star. p. 2C. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ Garron, Barry (April 25, 1990). "Boston company to buy Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. C-3. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ Garron, Barry (September 5, 1990). "New bosses, big plans at 62". The Kansas City Star. pp. F-1, F-4. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ Garron, Barry (September 2, 1990). "Big changes just ahead on Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. pp. TV 4, 6. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. ^ Garron, Barry (August 24, 1990). "KU, K-State to play ball on Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. E-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "Channel 62 viewers to vote on programs". The Kansas City Star. March 16, 1991. p. E-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ Akers, Regina (April 18, 1991). "City to help Channel 62 celebrate its impending move into KCK". The Kansas City Star. p. Wyandotte County 1. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ a b Garron, Barry (March 28, 1991). "Channel 62 to change its letters". The Kansas City Star. p. F-1, F-8. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ Garron, Barry (April 21, 1991). "Channel 62 tries for a new image: Station juggles schedule, changes call letters and cranks up the power". The Kansas City Star. p. TV 4. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ Covitz, Randy (January 10, 1993). "Executive turns sports into beacon for Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. C-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Covitz, Randy (January 10, 1993). "Royals' shift follows industry trends". The Kansas City Star. p. C-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ Covitz, Randy (August 4, 1994). "Royals fall through TV crack". The Kansas City Star. p. D-1. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ Garron, Barry (September 16, 1993). "KSMO-TV flexes new muscles: Independent station offers lots of variety to its growing audience". The Kansas City Star. pp. F-1, F-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Sales manager at Channel 62 to become new general manager". The Kansas City Star. July 31, 1990. p. E-3. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  54. ^ Garron, Barry (September 7, 1994). "'Power Rangers' heading for Channel 62's schedule". The Kansas City Star. p. C-1. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ Garron, Barry (October 29, 1994). "Ratings have surprise 'winner': 'Big switch' leaves KSMO in best shape". The Kansas City Star. pp. E-1, E-2. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Driver's seat" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. July 24, 1995. p. 85. ProQuest 1014776009. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  57. ^ Garron, Barry (June 16, 1994). "Channel 62 sues Royals over TV deal". The Kansas City Star. p. A-1, A10. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ Covitz, Randy (December 24, 1994). "Channel 62, Royals put end to lawsuit over contract". The Kansas City Star. p. D-5. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ Garron, Barry (July 28, 1994). "KSMO links up with fifth network, United/Paramount". The Kansas City Star. p. E-5. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ Garron, Barry (December 13, 1995). "Sinclair Broadcasting to buy Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. F-6. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  61. ^ Covitz, Randy (August 16, 1996). "Royals agree to 80-game TV package". The Kansas City Star. p. D-3. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  62. ^ Kaegel, Dick; Covitz, Randy (September 27, 1996). "Ticket prices to remain same". The Kansas City Star. p. D-3. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  63. ^ "Royals' TV picture now is crystal clear: Channels 9 and 29 to carry over-the-air games in new set-up". The Kansas City Star. October 18, 1996. p. D-1. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  64. ^ McClellan, Steve (July 21, 1997). "WB woos and wins Sinclair" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. pp. 4, 8. ProQuest 1016966796. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  65. ^ Butler, Robert W. (August 24, 1996). "KCWB says hello, WGN says goodbye". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. E-1, E-10. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  66. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (August 9, 1997). "Corporate conflict raises doubts about Channel 62-UPN union". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. E-4. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  67. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (December 30, 1997). "UPN set to fade from KSMO; network may jump to KMCI". The Kansas City Star. p. D-3. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  68. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (January 22, 1998). "Voyage of the lost network UPN may yet end on Channel 62". The Kansas City Star. p. F-10. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  69. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (February 26, 1998). "UPN expects trek to take it to Channel 29". The Kansas City Star. p. A-1, A-10. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  70. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (March 24, 1998). "'Star Trek: Voyager' leads return of UPN shows to KC". The Kansas City Star. p. D-3. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  71. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (November 13, 2003). "A new kind of news: KSMO and corporate parent will present blend of local and national reports". The Kansas City Star. p. E-1, E-6. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  72. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Aaron (November 13, 2004). "CBS affiliate taking over WB station". The Kansas City Star. p. C-1, C-6. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  73. ^ "KCTV owner pays $26.8M for WB affiliate's assets". Kansas City Business Journal. American City Business Journals. November 12, 2004. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  74. ^ Eggerton, John (November 12, 2004). "Meredith Creates Duopoly-Lite". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  75. ^ Eggerton, John (November 21, 2004). "Deals". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. BIA Financial Networks. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  76. ^ Walker, Andrea K. (December 3, 2004). "Sinclair to sell Calif. station to Viacom". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 1D, 8D. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  77. ^ a b "More local programming planned for Channel 62: KCTV buys KSMO license". The Kansas City Star. September 30, 2005. p. C-1, C-8. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  78. ^ a b c King, Suzanne (January 27, 2005). "KCTV owner seeks KSMO license: Meredith Corp. seeks FCC waiver for the merger". The Kansas City Star. p. C3. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  79. ^ "FCC approves sale of KSMO-TV license". Kansas City Business Journals. American City Business Journals. September 30, 2005. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  80. ^ Eggerton, John (September 29, 2005). "Meredith Buys Rest of KSMO". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  81. ^ Romano, Allison (February 13, 2005). "Station to Station". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  82. ^ Seid, Jessica (January 24, 2006). "'Gilmore Girls' meet 'Smackdown'; CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September". CNNMoney.com. Time Warner. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  83. ^ Carter, Bill (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  84. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (March 8, 2006). "KCWE snags new network: Affiliation with The CW is a minor coup for buyer Hearst". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. C-1, C-8. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  85. ^ Romano, Allison (March 9, 2006). "My Network TV Signs Six Affils". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  86. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (June 28, 2011). "'SMO local TV shows? Cable channel 10's programs include a big dose of grassroots content". The Kansas City Star. p. D1, D3. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  87. ^ Vaupel, Andrew (December 20, 2016). "Sporting KC's new TV deal sees it joining another major leaguer". Kansas City Business Journal. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  88. ^ "Gray Television Closes on Acquisition of Meredith Corporation's Local Media Group" (Press release). Gray Television. Globe Newswire. December 1, 2021. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  89. ^ Barnhart, Aaron (October 19, 2005). "What's new on The WB? The news". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. F6. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  90. ^ Bachman, Katy (June 28, 2010). "Market profile: Kansas City". Mediaweek. p. 22. ProQuest 612718904.
  91. ^ Engle, Tim (August 1, 2014). "KCTV-5 to launch 6:30 p.m. newscast on KSMO". The Kansas City Star. The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  92. ^ "KSMO (Kansas City) Issues/Program Report, 1st Quarter 2018" (PDF). Online Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. March 31, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  93. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KCTV". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  94. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KMBC". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  95. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KCWE". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  96. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  97. ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KSMO". RabbitEars. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  98. ^ "Eight Stations Launch NextGen TV In Kansas City". TVNewsCheck. August 24, 2021. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
[edit]