KENS is the
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
television affiliate in
San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing...
owned and operated by The Belo Corporation. KENS also manages
KCWXKCWX is the CW affiliate for San Antonio, Texas, broadcasting on PSIP virtual channel 2 over digital channel 5. The station is licensed to Fredricksburg,with the transmitter located in Albert, North of San Antonio. Owned by Corridor Television...
under a local marketing agreement (
LMALMA may refer to:* Laryngeal mask airway, a mask used in anaesthesia and emergency medicine.* Leaf Mass per Area* League Managers Association, an organization representing managers of English football clubs....
). Its transmitter is located in
Elmendorf, TexasElmendorf is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 664 at the 2000 census. Elmendorf is located seventeen miles southeast of San Antonio at the juncture of Farm Road 327 and the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was...
. KENS can also be seen through cable in
Laredo, TexasLaredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2007 census estimate, the city population was 233,152. Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Metropolitan...
.
History
KENS 5 signed on the air on February 15, 1950 as
KEYL, a
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
affiliate with secondary affiliations with
DuMontThe 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...
,
Paramount Television NetworkThe Paramount Television Network was an ill-fated attempt by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to launch a successful television network in 1949. The company had built television stations KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago...
, and
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American 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. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
(shared with
WOAI-TVWOAI-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the San Antonio, Texas metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas, with its studios located in downtown San Antonio....
). A year after its launch,
Storer BroadcastingStorer Broadcasting, Inc. is a former owner of television and radio stations in the United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
bought the station. In 1954, Storer had to sell KEYL to the
San Antonio Express-NewsThe San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
, which also purchased what became the original KENS-AM (680 kHz, now
KKYXKKYX is a classic country music radio station owned by Cox Radio. It is licensed to, and headquartered in, San Antonio, Texas. The station also carries play-by-play of the San Antonio Missions of the Texas League...
), in order for Storer to complete its purchase of WXEL-TV (now WJW) in
Cleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
because the company would have been one
VHFVHF is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
station over the
Federal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, directed, and empowered by Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President...
's new ownership limit of seven television stations, with no more than five of those on VHF, which went into effect that year. (At the time, newspapers could own television and/or radio stations in the same market provided that such ownership complied with the FCC-mandated ownership limits of each property in effect at the time.) The new owner changed KEYL's call letters to the present-day KENS-TV. KENS was the second station to begin broadcasting in San Antonio, three months behind WOAI-TV. DuMont ceased most network operations in 1955, but would honor network commitments until 1956; at that point, DuMont disappeared from the station's schedule. It lost ABC when KONO-TV (now
KSAT-TVKSAT-TV, channel 12, is the local ABC affiliate in the greater San Antonio area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas. The station brands as "KSAT 12", pronounced as "K-Sat"....
) signed on in 1957, leaving KENS as a full-time CBS affiliate. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with the
NTA Film NetworkThe NTA Film Network was an early American television network founded by Ely Landau in 1956. The network was not a full-time network like CBS, NBC, or ABC. Rather, it operated on a part-time basis, broadcasting films and several first-run TV programs from major Hollywood studios...
.
In early 1962, the
Express-News and KENS-AM-TV were purchased by
Harte-HanksHarte-Hanks , headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a worldwide direct marketing company that provides a full range of marketing services. Consumers in California and Florida are probably most familiar with the company's PennySaver and The Flyer shopper publications which arrive at millions of...
Communications; the radio station was sold off a few months later since Harte-Hanks was not interested in radio station ownership at the time. When the FCC tightened its cross-ownership rules in the early 1970s, Harte-Hanks sought
grandfatheredA grandfather clause is an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, when a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption. Frequently, the exemption is limited; it may extend for a...
protection for its San Antonio media combination. However, while the FCC granted such protection to several media combinations across the country, it would not do the same to the Harte-Hanks combination in San Antonio. Accordingly, in 1973, Harte-Hanks opted to keep KENS-TV and sell the
Express-News to
Rupert MurdochKeith Rupert Murdoch, AC , usually known as Rupert Murdoch, is an Australian-born American global media mogul. He owns media outlets and is a major shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation ....
's
News CorporationNews Corporation is the world's second largest media conglomerate as of 2008 and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009...
.
In 1993, Harte-Hanks acquired what at the time became the second incarnation of KENS-AM (1160 kHz). In September 1997, Harte-Hanks sold its remaining media properties, including the KENS stations, to the
E. W. Scripps CompanyThe E.W. Scripps Company is an American media conglomerate founded by Edward W. Scripps on November 2, 1878. The company is headquartered inside the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA....
in order to concentrate on direct marketing. At the same time, Belo announced that it would swap its controlling stake in the
Food NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs specials and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns roughly two thirds of the network, and Tribune Company owns the rest....
to Scripps in exchange for the KENS stations. The Harte-Hanks/Scripps deal and the transfer of Belo's stake in the Food Network to Scripps were both completed on October 15 of that year. At that time, Belo took over the operation of the KENS stations under a time brokerage agreement. Belo officially completed its purchase of the KENS stations on December 4 1997. The second incarnation of KENS-AM was sold off to
DisneyThe Walt Disney Company , often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products...
/
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American 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. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
in 2003, becoming
Radio DisneyRadio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California, from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas. Radio Disney broadcasts music and other content targeted at children and young teenagers; its format can be described as a...
station
KRDYKRDY is a radio station broadcasting a Children's Radio format.Licensed to San Antonio, Texas, USA, the station serves the San Antonio area. The station is currently owned by the Walt Disney Company and features programing from Radio Disney....
.
KENS remained closely associated with the
Express-News, even though the station and newspaper have been under separate ownership for many years. The station shared its main website with the newspaper until the end of 2008, when the news partnership agreement between KENS and the
Express-News expired. The station launched Kens5.com on January 26, 2009. Immediately following the digital transition on June 12, KENS officially dropped the
-TV suffix from its legal call sign.
In the mid-1980s, KENS broadcast a short-lived second channel, exclusively on Rogers Cablevision channel 24, called KENS II.
KENS is one of the broadcast homes of the NBA
San Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association ....
, and has also been the home of game shows
Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. Three contestants compete against each other to solve a word puzzle, similar to those seen in the game hangman...
and
Jeopardy!Jeopardy! is an American quiz show featuring trivia in topics such as history, literature, the arts, pop culture, and science. The show has a unique answer-and-question format in which contestants are presented with clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in question form.The...
for two decades.
Bob Rogers still is KENS most successful and longest running News Director. Rogers kept KENS in the number one ratings spot for over two decades. He was also responsible for hiring, coaching and helping the careers of many local and national news anchors, reporters and correspondents. He left KENS in the late 90's and retired.
Digital Television
KENS shut down its analog signal on June 12, 2009 , as part of the
DTV transition in the United StatesThe DTV transition in the United States is the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
. KENS remained on its current pre-transition channel number, 39 using PSIP to display KENS'
virtual channelIn telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel in North America, is a channel designation which differs from the actual radio channel or frequency on which the signal travels....
as 5.
This move also allowed sister station
KCWXKCWX is the CW affiliate for San Antonio, Texas, broadcasting on PSIP virtual channel 2 over digital channel 5. The station is licensed to Fredricksburg,with the transmitter located in Albert, North of San Antonio. Owned by Corridor Television...
(which prior to the conversion, did not have an over-the-air digital signal) to begin digital broadcasts on channel 5.
Prior to November 2008, KENS-DT was on channel 55, which had to be vacated due to the FCC auctioning off the frequencies used by channels 52-69. In the interim period between November 2008 and June 2009, KENS-DT's digital signal was broadcast on a subchannel of
KWEX-DTKWEX-DT is the local Univisión owned and operated station in San Antonio, Texas. The station is the first commercially-based Spanish language television station in the United States.- History :...
(mapped to virtual channel 5.1), which broadcasted on channel 39 prior to the transition. After the digital transition was complete, KENS-DT kept channel 39 for itself since KWEX-DT moved back to channel 41 (the station's previous analog frequency).
News Operation
KENS broadcasts a total of 27.5 hours of local news per week (with 3½ hours on weekdays, 2½ hours on Saturdays and two hours on Sundays).
The station also produces a local morning talk show titled
Great Day SA, airing weekdays from 9-10AM (CT). The program debuted on September 8, 2003. The show features local and national music artists, celebrities, and local human interest stories. Formerly hosted by 1994
Miss USAThe Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA.-History:...
Lu Parker and later Kristina Guererro (who later was a reporter at
Inside Edition),
Great Day SA is currently hosted by reporter Bridget Smith, along with GDSA reporter Eileen Teves, morning meteorologist Paul Mireles, and "Traffic Watch" reporter Kellie Patterson.
When
The Early ShowThe Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City, 7 to 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday. The Early Show features celebrity interviews and light entertainment and news pieces.In some markets, the Saturday version may not air...
abandoned the local/national hybrid format and replaced it with a national format on January 7, 2008, KENS decided to cut their weekday morning newscast from three hours to two, airing from 5-7AM. Also at the same time, Itza Gutierrez left as anchor for the Saturday morning newscast to become a stay-at-home mother (she has since been replaced by Stacia Willson).
A long-running, weeknight segment of the news is the
Eyewitness Newsreel in which anchor
Chris MarrouChris Rene Marrou is the top news anchor for KENS 5-TV in San Antonio, Texas. Marrou married wife Kathy in 1974. They have twin daughters.-Early life:...
narrates a faux, old-style newsreel at the end of the 10PM newscast. The Newsreel usually consists of humorous segments of local news juxtaposed with out-of-context snips of CBS news anchors, politicians or celebrities "commenting" on the situation. Marrou writes the segment each weeknight.
Eyewitness News HD
At the beginning of June 2008, KENS began to run ads about "the biggest thing in KENS' history", however that ad specifically would not say exactly what, only that it would happen on June 30, 2008. On June 30, 2008 KENS became the first television station in the San Antonio market to produce its newscasts in High Definition. One of KENS' rivals, ABC affiliate KSAT-TV (channel 12), also claims to broadcast its newscasts in high definition, but actually airs them in upconverted widescreen standard definition.
Ratings
As of the end of the February 2007 ratings period, KENS had taken first place for their 10 o'clock newscast. As of the November 2007 ratings period, KENS also took first place in the morning newscasts. KENS is in a spirited battle with
KSAT-TVKSAT-TV, channel 12, is the local ABC affiliate in the greater San Antonio area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas. The station brands as "KSAT 12", pronounced as "K-Sat"....
for first place at noon and 6 p.m. newscasts. Rival
WOAI-TVWOAI-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the San Antonio, Texas metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas, with its studios located in downtown San Antonio....
is at third place in all time slots.
Current On-Air Talent
Current Anchors
- Vicki Buffolino - weekday mornings and noon
- Barry Davis - Sunday mornings
- Karen Grace - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10PM
- Christopher Heath - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10PM
- Fred Lozano - weekday mornings and noon
- Deborah Knapp - weeknights at 5PM
- Sarah Lucero - weeknights at 6 and 10PM
- Chris Marrou
Chris Rene Marrou is the top news anchor for KENS 5-TV in San Antonio, Texas. Marrou married wife Kathy in 1974. They have twin daughters.-Early life:...
- weeknights at 5, 6 and 10PM (will be retiring at the end of 2009)
- Bridget Smith - "Great Day SA" host
- Stacia Willson - Saturday mornings
Reporters
- Joe Conger - general assignment and "I-Team" investigative reporter
- Barry Davis - general assignment reporter (also "I-Team" investigative and "Eyewitness Wants To Know" feature reporter)
- Karen Grace - general assignment reporter
- Christopher Heath - general assignment reporter
- Marvin Hurst - general assignment reporter
- James Munoz - general assignment reporter
- Brian New - general assignment and "I-Team" investigative reporter
- Kellie Patterson - "Traffic Watch" reporter
- Wendy Rigby - 5PM medical reporter
- Chris Sadeghi - general assignment reporter
- Amanda Stanzylis - general assignment reporter
- Bridget Smith - general assignment reporter
- Stacia Willson - general assignment reporter
Belo News Bureaus
- Dave Cassidy - Washington Bureau reporter
- Mike Goldfein - Washington Bureau reporter
- Angela Kocherga - Border Bureau (Mexico) Reporter
- Sarah Nakasone - Washington Bureau reporter
VIPIR 5 Weather Team
- Bill Taylor - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10PM
- Paul Mireles (AMS
The 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...
/NWAThe National Weather Association is an American scientific organization with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon
- Jared Silverman (AMS/NWA Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10PM
Sports Team
- Joe Reinagel - Sports Director; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10PM
Former On-Air Talent
- Jim Abbott
- Megan Alexander (now reporter for the syndicated newsmagazine Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a syndicated news program, on the air since January 9, 1989. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles Entertainment Tonight or The Insider. It was created by John Tomlin and Bob Young for King World Productions Inside...
)
- Joe Alston (died in 1989)
- Anita Jane Anderson
- Dionne Anglin (now at KDFW
KDFW, channel 4 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area. The station is licensed to Dallas and the main business offices and studios are located downtown. The station's transmitter is located in Cedar Hill...
in Dallas)
- Jud Ashmore
- Bob Ballou (now sports director at KEYE
KEYE or Keye may refer to:* KEYE-TV, a television station licensed to Austin, Texas, United States* KEYE , a radio station licensed to Perryton, Texas, United States...
in Austin)
- Randy Beamer (now at WOAI-TV
WOAI-TV is the NBC affiliate serving the San Antonio, Texas metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas, with its studios located in downtown San Antonio....
)
- Kym Benson
- Barry Brickman
- Mike Brown
- Lisa Burkhardt
- Cindy Casiano
- Kelly Chapman
- Nancy Clayton
- Dan Cook
Daniel John Cook, Jr. was a sports writer for the San Antonio Express-News, where he worked for 51 years. He is most notable for popularizing the phrase "the opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." Described as a "sports icon", Cook also was a sports anchor at San Antonio television station...
(retired in 2000, died in 2008)
- Tony Dale
- Paul Deanno (now at KOMO
KOMO may refer to:* KOMO-TV, a television station licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States* KOMO , a radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States...
in Seattle)
- Gary DeLaune
- Mary Denman
- Ted Dracos
- Dennis M. DuPriest
- Ainsley Earhardt
Ainsley Hayden Earhardt is an American correspondent for the Fox News Channel, where she provides live news cut-ins at night Monday through Wednesday. Earhardt also reports for FOX's Hannity's America on Sunday nights with her own segment called "Ainsley Across America"...
(now at Fox News)
- Melvin Epps
- Patricio Espinoza
- Albert Flores
- Alex Garcia (now at KABB
KABB is the Fox Network affiliate in San Antonio, Texas. It is co-owned with MyNetworkTV affiliate KMYS by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. KABB's studios are located in Northwest San Antonio off Loop 410 and its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas...
)
- Glenn Glazer
|
Itza Gutierrez (now a stay-at-home mother)
Don Hammond
David Hebert (now at PR Manager at San Antonio International Airport)
Selena Hernandez
Kristina Huey
Sara Lee Kessler
Nydia Lopez
Tony Mann
Michael Marsh
Larry Meyer
Leslie Mouton (now at KSAT-TVKSAT-TV, channel 12, is the local ABC affiliate in the greater San Antonio area. Its transmitter is located in Elmendorf, Texas. The station brands as "KSAT 12", pronounced as "K-Sat"....
)
Ross Palombo
Maclovio Perez (later at WOAI)
Mike Pesina (now at KIIIKIII, channel 3, is an ABC affiliate broadcasting on digital channel 8 in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is currently owned by McKinnon Broadcasting, though licensed under "Channel 3 of Corpus Christi, Inc." in the FCC database.-History:...
in Corpus Christi)
Brandy Ralston
Sylvan RodriguezSylvan Rodriguez was a television news personality in Texas, United States....
(died in 2000)
Lynn Russell (moved to CNN Headline NewsHLN, is a cable television news channel based in the United States, and a spinoff of the original cable news channel, CNN...
)
Mary Alice Salinas
Bob Salter (now a medical helicopter pilot in Arizona)
Marshall Seese (former host of Your Weather Today on The Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite television network that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news 24 hours a day. In addition to its cable TV programming, TWC also provides forecasts for terrestrial and satellite radio stations, newspapers, and websites, and maintains...
)
Bob Sellers (former anchor at CNBCCNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBC Universal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
and Fox News ChannelThe Fox News Channel , commonly referred to as Fox or Fox News, is a major American cable news and satellite channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation. As of April 2009, it is available to 102 million households in the U.S...
)
Margo Spitz
Amanda Taylor (now at KWTVKWTV-DT, commonly referred to as "News 9" is the CBS affiliate in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. During the May 2006 sweeps period KWTV was the highest-rated late newscast in the United States. It has long been one of the strongest CBS affiliates in the country...
in Oklahoma City) |
Ron Taylor
Jim Thomas
Paul Thompson
Gene Tuck
Michael Tuck
Michael Turcot
Maury Vasquez
Anne Wheeler
Liz Wiggins
Jerry Zimmerman
Al Zimmerman
- Others:
- Jeff Haessler - news videographer (1983-1996; now senior videographer at the University of Denver)
|
Newscast Titles
- The San Antonio/South Texas Report (1950-1954)
- Your Esso Reporter (1954-1962)
- Television 5/TV 5 News (1962-1970)
- (Channel 5/KENS 5) Eyewitness News (1970-1998)
- KENS 5 Eyewitness News (1998-present)
Station Slogans
- 5 Alive (1970s)
- Eyewitness News: San Antonio's Top-Rated (Satellite) Newscast (1979-1987)
- KENS-TV Spirit, Oh Yes! (1987-1988; localized version of the CBSpirit campaign)
- Coverage You Can Count On (1998-present)
- San Antonio's #1 Newscast (2002-present)
- South Texas' #1 Newscast (2008-present)
- San Antonio's News Leader (2008-present)
- San Antonio's Only High Definition Newscast (2008-2009)
- South Texas' First High Definition Newscast (2009-present)
External links