KCEN-TV
Encyclopedia
KCEN-TV, virtual channel 6, is the NBC
affiliate for Waco
, Killeen
and Temple
, Texas. Licensed to nearby Temple
, it is owned by London Broadcasting. It was founded in 1953 by Frank W. Mayborn
, publisher of the nearby Temple Daily Telegram
newspaper
. With studio and transmitter on a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) tract of land one mile (1.6 km) south of Eddy on I-35
, KCEN-TV broadcasts locally on digital channel 9, which appears on tuners
as channel 6.
, publisher of the Temple Daily Telegram
and owner of KTEM radio
. Early on, Mayborn realized that Temple/Killeen and Waco were going to be a single television market (although they are separate radio markets). To signify his goal to serve all of Central Texas, he decided to call his new station KCEN-TV (for CENtral Texas) rather than KTEM-TV (for TEMple). It was the first television station to serve the Waco/Temple/Killeen market, and the second television station in Central Texas behind KTBC
in Austin
by a year.
KCEN signed on with one of the tallest towers in the Southwest, at 830 feet (253 m). The station originally carried programming from all four major networks at the time, but was a primary NBC affiliate. It lost CBS
to KWTX-TV
in 1955; later that year DuMont
halted operations. This left KCEN as an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC
affiliation.
In 1981, KCEN moved to a new 1924 feet (586.4 m) tower, expanding its coverage area to almost 29000 square miles (75,109.7 km²)--one of the largest in the nation. The station now provides at least secondary coverage from the fringes of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the fringes of Austin.
The station switched to a primary ABC affiliation in March 1984, while continuing to carry some NBC programs in off-hours. When KXXV
signed on in March 1985, it took over the NBC affiliation. However, that fall, NBC returned to KCEN and KXXV picked up ABC programs.
The station was the first in Central Texas to broadcast closed captioning
, in 1989.
KCEN, the Temple Daily Telegram and the Killeen Daily Herald remained under Mayborn family ownership after Frank's death in 1987. In January 2009, a sale of both KCEN and KMAY-LP to London Broadcasting Company of Dallas, Texas
was announced, with a purchase price of $26 million. The sale was completed on April 30, 2009.
KCEN broadcasts on cable channel 3 in Waco, Killeen and Temple.
KCEN also maintains business offices at 111 West Central Ave. in Temple, as well as sales and news offices in Killeen and Waco.
On July 3, 2011, London Broadcasting announced that in fall 2011 KAGS would be expanded to a full NBC station for the Bryan/College Station area, with no shared content with KCEN. A fully independent KAGS-HD began airing newscasts in October of 2011. On September 26, 2011, Azteca America on 6.3 was replaced with classic programming from Me-TV.
The station ended its analog broadcasts on February 17, 2009 — the original date for the analog shutdown in the United States. KCEN's digital branding became KCEN 9. The branding was again changed, to simply KCEN-HD, on February 1, 2010; the station also resumed mapping to channel 6 via PSIP
.
Weather team
Sports team
Reporters
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate for Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
and Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
, Texas. Licensed to nearby Temple
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
, it is owned by London Broadcasting. It was founded in 1953 by Frank W. Mayborn
Frank W. Mayborn
Frank Willis Mayborn was a 20th century Texas newspaper publisher and philanthropist who played a crucial role in the development of Temple and Bell County, located north of the state capital of Austin....
, publisher of the nearby Temple Daily Telegram
Temple Daily Telegram
The Temple Daily Telegram is the daily newspaper of Temple, Texas, serving Central Texas since 1907. The Telegram is locally owned and operated by Frank Mayborn Enterprises, under editor and publisher Anyse Sue Mayborn, the widow of Frank Mayborn....
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. With studio and transmitter on a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) tract of land one mile (1.6 km) south of Eddy on I-35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
, KCEN-TV broadcasts locally on digital channel 9, which appears on tuners
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
as channel 6.
History
KCEN signed on for the first time on November 1, 1953 on analog channel 6. It was owned by Frank W. MaybornFrank W. Mayborn
Frank Willis Mayborn was a 20th century Texas newspaper publisher and philanthropist who played a crucial role in the development of Temple and Bell County, located north of the state capital of Austin....
, publisher of the Temple Daily Telegram
Temple Daily Telegram
The Temple Daily Telegram is the daily newspaper of Temple, Texas, serving Central Texas since 1907. The Telegram is locally owned and operated by Frank Mayborn Enterprises, under editor and publisher Anyse Sue Mayborn, the widow of Frank Mayborn....
and owner of KTEM radio
KTEM
KTEM , branded as "Newsradio 1400", is a radio station serving the Killeen-Temple, Texas, area with a News/Talk/Sports format. This station operates on AM frequency 1400 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media....
. Early on, Mayborn realized that Temple/Killeen and Waco were going to be a single television market (although they are separate radio markets). To signify his goal to serve all of Central Texas, he decided to call his new station KCEN-TV (for CENtral Texas) rather than KTEM-TV (for TEMple). It was the first television station to serve the Waco/Temple/Killeen market, and the second television station in Central Texas behind KTBC
KTBC
KTBC, channel 7, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in Austin, Texas. Studios are located in downtown Austin at the corner of 10th and Brazos Streets , and its transmitter is located in the city....
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
by a year.
KCEN signed on with one of the tallest towers in the Southwest, at 830 feet (253 m). The station originally carried programming from all four major networks at the time, but was a primary NBC affiliate. It lost CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
to KWTX-TV
KWTX-TV
KWTX-TV, channel 10, is a full-power television station in Waco, Texas, serving Central Texas as a CBS affiliate. Owned by Gray Television, it airs a digital signal on VHF channel 10...
in 1955; later that year DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
halted operations. This left KCEN as an NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliation.
In 1981, KCEN moved to a new 1924 feet (586.4 m) tower, expanding its coverage area to almost 29000 square miles (75,109.7 km²)--one of the largest in the nation. The station now provides at least secondary coverage from the fringes of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to the fringes of Austin.
The station switched to a primary ABC affiliation in March 1984, while continuing to carry some NBC programs in off-hours. When KXXV
KXXV
KXXV ' is a full-power television station in Waco, Texas, serving Central Texas as an ABC affiliate. It is currently owned by the Drewry Communications Group . A planned late 2008 sale of the Drewry stations to London Broadcasting fell through due to the late 2000s credit crisis...
signed on in March 1985, it took over the NBC affiliation. However, that fall, NBC returned to KCEN and KXXV picked up ABC programs.
The station was the first in Central Texas to broadcast closed captioning
Closed captioning
Closed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
, in 1989.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
was announced, with a purchase price of $26 million. The sale was completed on April 30, 2009.
KCEN broadcasts on cable channel 3 in Waco, Killeen and Temple.
KCEN also maintains business offices at 111 West Central Ave. in Temple, as well as sales and news offices in Killeen and Waco.
On July 3, 2011, London Broadcasting announced that in fall 2011 KAGS would be expanded to a full NBC station for the Bryan/College Station area, with no shared content with KCEN. A fully independent KAGS-HD began airing newscasts in October of 2011. On September 26, 2011, Azteca America on 6.3 was replaced with classic programming from Me-TV.
Digital television
| Channel | Resolution | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | 1080i | Main KCEN Programming / NBC HD |
| 6.2 | 480i | This TV (Branded as MY TX) |
| 6.3 | Me-TV |
The station ended its analog broadcasts on February 17, 2009 — the original date for the analog shutdown in the United States. KCEN's digital branding became KCEN 9. The branding was again changed, to simply KCEN-HD, on February 1, 2010; the station also resumed mapping to channel 6 via PSIP
Program and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
.
News team
Anchors- Myra Arthur - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Britney Glaser - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
- Teal Jennings - weekday mornings KCEN-HD Texas Today
- Kris Radcliffe - weekday mornings KCEN-HD Texas Today
Weather team
- Andy Andersen (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
and NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. - Lynae Miyer (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings KCEN-HD Texas Today
- Nick Piesco (AMS Seal of Approval; member, NWA) - meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.
Sports team
- Tyler Hedrick - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- David Wilkinson - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m., also sports reporter
Reporters
- Jennifer Black - Capitol Bureau reporter
- Renee Cervantes - video journalist
- Rebecca Galuppo - host of What's HOT
- Ashley Goudeau - general assignment reporter
- Shawn Hobbs - film critic
- Tania Ortega - general assignment reporter; also weekend evening newscast producer
- Rebecca Schleicher - general assignment reporter