KFYR-TV
Encyclopedia
KFYR-TV, ATSC
channel 31 (redirects to former NTSC
channel 5 via PSIP), is the NBC
affiliated television station for Bismarck, North Dakota
. KFYR-TV is the flagship station of NBC North Dakota
, a network of four stations that serve most of central and western North Dakota, along with parts of South Dakota
and Montana
.
The station serves the southern half of the Western North Dakota television market. It operates a semi-satellite, KQCD-TV, ATSC
channel 7 in Dickinson
, that serves the southwestern portion of the state. Although KQCD identifies itself as a station in its own right, it airs a time-shifted feed of KFYR-TV in Mountain Time
for most of the day. However, it airs its own station identifications, as well as its own commercials. NBC prime time programming runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
The entire NBC North Dakota network began broadcasting digital-only
on February 16, 2009.
The station is owned by Hoak Media Corporation
of Dallas, Texas
.
(550 AM). Marietta's parents, Phillip Meyer and Etta Hoskins Meyer, had founded KFYR radio in 1925. It carried programming from all four networks of the time—NBC, CBS
, ABC
and DuMont
, but has always been a primary NBC affiliate owing to KFYR radio's long affiliation with NBC radio. Marietta Ekberg was one of three female station owners in the NBC network, along with Dorothy Bulitt of KING-TV
in Seattle and Georgia Davidson of KIDO-TV (now KTVB
) in Boise.
KFYR-TV's transmitting antenna was originally set up temporarily atop the 19-story North Dakota State Capitol building, and operated from that location for just over a year. In the interim, a new tower (approximately 580 feet high) was erected adjacent to the KFYR-AM radio transmitting site near Menoken
. It currently operates from a 1,246-foot tower in St. Anthony
, overlooking the Missouri River
.
In 1966, KFYR-AM and KFYR-TV were joined by KFYR-FM on 92.9 (now KYYY
). The stations all broadcast from the Hoskins-Meyer building on Fourth and Broadway in downtown Bismarck; KFYR-TV is still headquartered there today.
In the mid-1950s the Federal Communications Commission
collapsed all of central and western North Dakota into one giant television market. Accordingly, the Meyers opened three other stations. KUMV-TV in Williston
signed on in 1957, followed by KMOT
in Minot
in 1958 and KQCD-TV in Dickinson in 1980. These stations became known as the "Meyer Television Network," with KFYR-TV as the flagship station.
KQCD was the last of the four stations to sign on when it debuted on January 25, 1980. It has always been a semi-satellite of KFYR-TV.
The station dropped CBS when KBMB-TV (now KXMB-TV
) signed on in 1955, and lost DuMont when that network shut down a few months later. It shared ABC with KXMB until full-time ABC affiliate KBMY signed on in 1985.
The Meyers sold their broadcast holdings in 1997, with the TV stations going to Sunrise Television Corporation. Sunrise sold them to The Wicks Group of Companies of New York City
.
Hoak bought KFYR and its satellites in July 2006, as well as KVLY-TV
and KXJB-TV
(LMA
with Catamount Broadcasting) of Fargo
and KSFY-TV
of Sioux Falls and its satellite stations. On November 17, 2006, the sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
The station broadcasts local newscasts at 5:30 a.m., noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday; 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday. KFYR-TV anchors include Monica Hannan
and Alan Miller. The weekday morning and afternoon newscasts are simulcast across the entire four-station network, along with all weekend newscasts.
KQCD's news department consists of bureau chief Brian Howell and reporter Cebe Schneider. They are the only reporters based in southwestern North Dakota. Their stories appear on KFYR-TV's newscasts.
The stations occasionally share stories with co-owned KVLY. The five stations simulcast major North Dakota sporting events under the NBC North Dakota brand name and share certain equipment, such as remote broadcasting vehicles.
Reporters
First Warn Weather Team
Sports Team
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
channel 31 (redirects to former NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
channel 5 via PSIP), is the NBC
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...
affiliated television station for Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. KFYR-TV is the flagship station of NBC North Dakota
NBC North Dakota
NBC North Dakota is a network of four television stations that serve most of central and western North Dakota, along with parts of South Dakota and Montana. All four are affiliates of NBC, and the flagship station is KFYR-TV. All four stations serve as semi-satellites of KFYR and share common...
, a network of four stations that serve most of central and western North Dakota, along with parts of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
The station serves the southern half of the Western North Dakota television market. It operates a semi-satellite, KQCD-TV, ATSC
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
channel 7 in Dickinson
Dickinson, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,690.7 inhabitants per square mile . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of 742.7 per square mile...
, that serves the southwestern portion of the state. Although KQCD identifies itself as a station in its own right, it airs a time-shifted feed of KFYR-TV in Mountain Time
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
for most of the day. However, it airs its own station identifications, as well as its own commercials. NBC prime time programming runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m..
The entire NBC North Dakota network began broadcasting digital-only
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
on February 16, 2009.
The station is owned by Hoak Media Corporation
Hoak Media Corporation
Hoak Media Corporation is a United States broadcasting media company based in Dallas, Texas. Hoak owns eighteen television stations , all in medium and small-markets, mostly in the Great Plains states and Colorado....
of Dallas, Texas
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...
.
History
KFYR-TV, signed on December 19, 1953 as the third television station in North Dakota and the first in Bismarck. It was owned by Marietta Meyer Ekberg along with KFYR radioKFYR (AM)
KFYR is a radio station located in Bismarck, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. It transmits on a 5,000 Watt signal that can be heard in seven U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. KFYR also broadcasts on translator K259AF in Bismarck...
(550 AM). Marietta's parents, Phillip Meyer and Etta Hoskins Meyer, had founded KFYR radio in 1925. It carried programming from all four networks of the time—NBC, 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...
, 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...
and 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...
, but has always been a primary NBC affiliate owing to KFYR radio's long affiliation with NBC radio. Marietta Ekberg was one of three female station owners in the NBC network, along with Dorothy Bulitt of KING-TV
KING-TV
KING-TV, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Seattle, Washington, affiliated with the NBC network. Owned by Belo Corporation, it broadcasts on UHF digital channel 48. Its offices and broadcasting center are located just east of Seattle Center...
in Seattle and Georgia Davidson of KIDO-TV (now KTVB
KTVB
KTVB, channel 7, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Boise, Idaho, it is owned by Belo Corporation. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 7.-History:...
) in Boise.
KFYR-TV's transmitting antenna was originally set up temporarily atop the 19-story North Dakota State Capitol building, and operated from that location for just over a year. In the interim, a new tower (approximately 580 feet high) was erected adjacent to the KFYR-AM radio transmitting site near Menoken
Menoken, North Dakota
Menoken is a census-designated place in southwestern Burleigh County, North Dakota, United States. An unincorporated community, it was designated as part of the U.S. Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program on June 10, 2010...
. It currently operates from a 1,246-foot tower in St. Anthony
St. Anthony, North Dakota
St. Anthony is an unincorporated community in southeastern Morton County, North Dakota, United States. It lies a short distance to the west of North Dakota Highway 6, south of the city of Mandan, the county seat of Morton County. Its elevation is 1,827 feet...
, overlooking the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
.
In 1966, KFYR-AM and KFYR-TV were joined by KFYR-FM on 92.9 (now KYYY
KYYY
KYYY , known as Y-93, is a radio station in Bismarck, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications with an Adult Contemporary format...
). The stations all broadcast from the Hoskins-Meyer building on Fourth and Broadway in downtown Bismarck; KFYR-TV is still headquartered there today.
In the mid-1950s the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
collapsed all of central and western North Dakota into one giant television market. Accordingly, the Meyers opened three other stations. KUMV-TV in Williston
Williston, North Dakota
-Demographics:Preliminary data from a 2010 housing study indicates that population has grown by nearly 22 percent over the past decade; the actual increase might be much higher. Williston is in western North Dakota's booming oil patch, and adequate, affordable housing has become a concern. The...
signed on in 1957, followed by KMOT
KMOT
KMOT, channel 10, is an NBC affiliate located in Minot, North Dakota. The station serves the northern half of the Western North Dakota television market...
in Minot
Minot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
in 1958 and KQCD-TV in Dickinson in 1980. These stations became known as the "Meyer Television Network," with KFYR-TV as the flagship station.
KQCD was the last of the four stations to sign on when it debuted on January 25, 1980. It has always been a semi-satellite of KFYR-TV.
The station dropped CBS when KBMB-TV (now KXMB-TV
KXMB-TV
KXMB-TV, channel 12, is the CBS affiliated television station for Bismarck, North Dakota. The station serves the southern half of the Western North Dakota television market....
) signed on in 1955, and lost DuMont when that network shut down a few months later. It shared ABC with KXMB until full-time ABC affiliate KBMY signed on in 1985.
The Meyers sold their broadcast holdings in 1997, with the TV stations going to Sunrise Television Corporation. Sunrise sold them to The Wicks Group of Companies of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Hoak bought KFYR and its satellites in July 2006, as well as KVLY-TV
KVLY-TV
KVLY-TV, is an NBC affiliated television station in Fargo, North Dakota, USA, serving Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. It broadcasts on ATSC channel 44, which redirects to former NTSC channel 11 via PSIP. In addition to its main studio in Fargo, it operates a satellite studio in...
and KXJB-TV
KXJB-TV
KXJB-TV is a CBS affiliated television station in Fargo, North Dakota, USA, serving Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. It broadcasts on ATSC channel 38, which redirects to former NTSC channel 4 via PSIP. It is licensed to nearby Valley City...
(LMA
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with Catamount Broadcasting) of Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
and KSFY-TV
KSFY-TV
KSFY-TV is the ABC television affiliate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It broadcasts on ATSC Channel 13 . Its transmitter is located near Rowena, South Dakota. KSFY is currently owned by Hoak Media Corporation of Dallas, Texas.-Station history:...
of Sioux Falls and its satellite stations. On November 17, 2006, the sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC).
Programming and news
KFYR's newscasts have led the ratings in western North Dakota for many years. Early on, the Meyers devoted significant resources to KFYR's news department, resulting in a higher-quality product than conventional wisdom would suggest for such a small market. This tradition has continued today.The station broadcasts local newscasts at 5:30 a.m., noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday; 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Sunday. KFYR-TV anchors include Monica Hannan
Monica Hannan
Monica Hannan is the news director of KFYR-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota and anchors The Evening Report and First News at Five.-Career:...
and Alan Miller. The weekday morning and afternoon newscasts are simulcast across the entire four-station network, along with all weekend newscasts.
KQCD's news department consists of bureau chief Brian Howell and reporter Cebe Schneider. They are the only reporters based in southwestern North Dakota. Their stories appear on KFYR-TV's newscasts.
The stations occasionally share stories with co-owned KVLY. The five stations simulcast major North Dakota sporting events under the NBC North Dakota brand name and share certain equipment, such as remote broadcasting vehicles.
Current on-air staff
Anchors- Monica Hannan - weeknights at 5 and 6 p.m.
- Alan Miller - weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- Courtney Kabot - mornings at 6 a.m., noon
- Joel Porter - mornings at 6 a.m.
Reporters
- Retha Colclasure - general assignment reporter
- Kristin Clouston - city beat reporter
- Juli McDonald - medical reporter
- Michelle San Miguel - energy reporter
- Brian Howell - political reporter
First Warn Weather Team
- Kevin Lawrence (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...
Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
/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. - Henry Blakes - Meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.
- Cliff Naylor - Weather Anchor; weekday mornings and noon (also feature reporter and special projects director)
Sports Team
- Lee Timmerman - Sports Director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- Scott Westerberg - Sports Anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.
- Joey Whelan - general assignment and sports reporter
Station slogans
- The Area's News and Information Leader (1992–1996)
- The News Leader (1996–present)
Translators
In addition to KQCD, KFYR-TV's programming is simulcast on two low-powered translators:- K07FG Lemmon, South DakotaLemmon, South DakotaLemmon is a city in Perkins County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,227 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lemmon is located at ....
- K09EZ Beulah, North DakotaBeulah, North DakotaAt the 2000 census, there were 3,152 people, 1,213 households, and 851 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,307.8 inhabitants per square mile . There were 1,475 housing units at an average density of 612.0 per square mile...