KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with
MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate
WFTCWFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area...
(channel 29). Its studios are located in
Eden Prairie, MinnesotaEden Prairie is an edge city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 12th largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. As the seventh largest suburb, Eden Prairie...
, and its transmitter is located in
Shoreview, MinnesotaShoreview is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,924 at the 2000 census. It is also the hometown of Lewis Lovhaug, AKA Linkara.Many Twin Cities-area broadcasters use Shoreview as a site for their transmitting antennas...
.
KMSP is a more news-based Fox station with 41 hours a week of locally-produced newscasts, as well as first-run prime time, late night and sports programming from Fox. It also runs off-network sitcoms, talk shows, reality shows and court shows.
The KMSP-WFTC duopoly is a union shop, with all technicians and photographers being required to join the
IBEWThe International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
Local 292.
History
The station grew out of an AM station,
KEYD
KDIZ is a radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by The Walt Disney Company, and airs the Radio Disney radio network.-History:...
1440, with which it was co-owned until mid-1956. Leading up to the grant of the new TV station, two other Twin Cities radio stations were also interested: WLOL and WDGY, however, withdrew their applications at the last minute, assuring that the new station would go to KEYD.
KEYD-TV began broadcasting on January 9, 1955
http://www.slphistory.org/history/tv.asp and was affiliated with the
DuMont Television NetworkThe 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...
.
Harry ReasonerHarry Reasoner was an American journalist known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program.-Journalism: CBS News:...
was the station's first anchor and news director. DuMont shut down in late 1955, leaving the station as an independent outlet. When
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., or MGM, is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B...
purchased a minority (25 percent) but controlling stake in the station in 1956, the news department was shut down and Reasoner was hired by CBS.. Reasoner became an anchor for CBS's
60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American investigative television newsmagazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life,...
when it debuted in 1968.
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., or MGM, is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B...
changed the call sign to
KMGM-TV.
National Telefilm AssociatesNational Telefilm Associates was an independent distribution company that handled reissues of American film libraries, including much of Paramount Pictures' animated and short-subjects library.-History:...
, which later purchased
WNTAWNET, channel 13 , is a non-commercial television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the three-state New York metropolitan area, WNET is a flagship station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
in New York, purchased 75 percent of the station not owned by MGM in 1957.
KMSP became the new name of the station in 1958 when NTA acquired the remaining 25 percent of the station from MGM.. KMSP was sold to United Television (at the time
20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox, is one of the six major American film studios...
's broadcasting division) the following year.
ABC affiliate (1961-1979)
In 1961, KMSP took over the
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...
network affiliation from WTCN-TV (channel 11, now
KAREKARE, Digital Channel 11, is an NBC - affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis - St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Plus on its second digital subchannel...
), an affiliation it would keep until 1979. Throughout its years with ABC, KMSP was notorious for having a sub-standard news department with large staff turnover. Ratings were dismal with KMSP obtaining only one-third of the viewing audience of each of their two competitors,
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
WCCO-TVWCCO-TV, is the CBS owned and operated television station that serves the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. It broadcasts a digital television signal on channel 32 . It also operates two full-powered semi-satellites--KCCO-TV in Alexandria and KCCW in Walker . KCCO-TV simulcasts WCCO-TV, but...
(channel 4) and
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
station
KSTP-TVKSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, which also owns several other TV stations across the United States and some other properties.KSTP is licensed in St...
(channel 5).
Ratings improved by 1977 when ABC went from being the last-place network to being the first. To cash in, KMSP re-branded itself "ABC9" (approximately 20 years before U.S. stations began the network name in their branding
en masse), and retooled their newscast. Unfortunately, KMSP's news department was still a distant third behind WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV. That same year
Chris-Craft IndustriesChris-Craft Industries, Inc. was a privately held American corporation. The company it was named after was founded in the late 19th century by Christopher Columbus Smith and became famous for its mahogany hulled powerboats of the 1920s through the 1950s....
purchased a minority stake in United Television's parent 20th Century Fox.
In the late 1970s ABC steadily rose to first place in the network ratings. Accordingly, the network sought to upgrade its affiliate list, which was made up of some stations that either had poor signals or poorly-performing local programming. In early 1977, ABC warned KMSP that it would yank its affiliation unless improvements were made and fast.
Independent once again
On August 29, 1978, ABC announced that KSTP-TV would be its new affiliate in the Twin Cities. The signing of channel 5 made nationwide news, as it had been an NBC affiliate for three decades. KSTP looked forward to affiliating with the top network, as third-place NBC had been in a long slump. In retaliation for losing ABC, KMSP immediately removed all ABC branding and regularly preempted network programming. KMSP then attempted to affiliate with NBC, thinking
Johnny CarsonJohn William “Johnny” Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
would be a good lead-out from their 10:00 PM news, despite low prime time ratings. However, NBC, miffed at losing one of its strongest affiliates, and not wanting to pick up ABC's rejects, turned down KMSP's offer almost immediately and signed an affiliation agreement with independent WTCN.
As a result of being rejected by both ABC and NBC, KMSP prepared to become an independent station. It would also be freed up from investing as heavily in their meager news department. Most of the on-air and off-air staffers resigned, not wanting to work for a down-scaled independent operation, and frustrated with the station's lack of competitiveness over the years.
The affiliate switch occurred on March 5, 1979, and KMSP debuted its new independent schedule featuring cartoons, syndicated shows and even the locally-based
American Wrestling AssociationThe American Wrestling Association ' was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
, with much of it coming from WTCN-TV. It re-branded itself as "Receptive Channel 9", and became quite aggressive in programming, obtaining broadcast rights to several state high school sports championships (MSHSL), the
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league as a joint venture for its self perpetuating membership of 30 franchised member clubs located in the United States and Canada...
's
Minnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow gold and white...
and the
Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
baseball team. The stripped-down evening newscast was moved to 9:30, then by 1981 to 9:00 and expanded to one hour.
As many people were predicting failure for the new channel 9, KMSP's transition into an independent station turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was far more successful than it ever had been as an ABC affiliate. It became a regional
superstationSuperstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
, available on nearly every cable system in Minnesota as well as large portions of
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
,
South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota was carved out of the southern half of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889...
,
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
, and
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
. Over time, it became one of the most successful and profitable independent stations in the country.
In 1981, KMSP went through another ownership change when United Television was merged with
BHC CommunicationsBHC Communications, Inc. was the holding company for the broadcast property of Chris-Craft Industries. BHC is said to stand for "broadcasting holding company".-History:...
as the result of Chris Craft Industries' swap of its stake (then at 20 percent) in 20th Century Fox for a 19 percent stake in United Television. Two years later, Chris-Craft Industries gained majority control of United Television.
First Fox affiliation
The station remained independent through 1986. Intrigued by the idea of being a network affiliate while not having to be tied down to a network-dominated schedule, KMSP became one of the original affiliates of the newly-launched
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
network. However, it did not remain a Fox affiliate for long. By 1988, KMSP was one of several Fox affiliates nationwide disappointed with the network's weak programming offerings, particularly on Saturday nights, which were bogging down KMSP's otherwise successful independent lineup. It started preempting and time-shifting network shows, much to Fox's irritation. After an ultimatum by the network to run the full schedule in pattern, Fox named KITN (channel 29, now WFTC) as its new Twin Cities affiliate, and KMSP returned to full independent status.
UPN affiliation
By the early 1990s, Fox exploded in popularity. It had strong shows that were starting to rival the offerings of the 'Big Three' networks, and had just picked up rights to the NFL. In response to this, KMSP's then-owner, Chris-Craft/United Television, partnered with
Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is a Worldwide American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is the world's oldest existing American film studio; it is also the last...
(which soon became part of media conglomerate
ViacomViacom , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable and satellite television networks , and movie production and distribution with Paramount Motion Pictures Group. Paramount is also the distributor of movie studio DreamWorks...
) to create the
United Paramount Network (UPN)United Paramount Network was a television network that broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States, being in production for over eleven years. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries. It was later owned by CBS Corporation. Its first night of broadcasting was...
. Channel 9 became a UPN owned and operated station on January 16, 1995, the day the network commenced operations with UPN's two-hour pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager.
KMSP became one of UPN's most successful affiliates. In addition, it was still enjoying success with local sports programming featuring the Minnesota Twins, as well as the MSHSL championships.
Back to Fox
KMSP remained as a UPN affiliate even after the station, along with several other stations owned by Chris-Craft, was sold to the
Fox Television Stations GroupThe Fox Television Stations are a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of the News Corporation...
in 2001 (this brought KMSP, along with the other
twoWOAI-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....
ex-United stations, back under common ownership with 20th Century Fox). An affiliation swap was expected after KMSP's affiliation contract with UPN ran out. Besides Fox's presumed preference to have its programming on a station it already owned, KMSP's signal was much stronger than that of WFTC. Also, WFTC didn't have a news department. The move was made easier when Fox bought WFTC from
Clear ChannelIn the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, and the United States, a clear-channel station is an AM radio station which is given extraordinary protection from interference to its nighttime signal...
shortly after in July 2001 (it swapped KTVX in Salt Lake City and KMOL, now WOAI-TV in San Antonio, for WFTC).
On September 8 2002, KMSP and WFTC swapped network affiliations. This move (accompanied by a "Make the Switch" ad campaign on both stations) made KMSP a Fox station once again. At that time, KMSP took all Fox programming, including the
Fox Box (which later went back to WFTC as 4KidsTV until its December 2008 discontinuation). Notably, of all the former Chris-Craft stations Fox retained, KMSP was the only one not to retain its UPN affiliation. KMSP is one of three network-owned stations in the Twin Cities alongside sister WFTC and
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...
-owned
WCCOWCCO-TV, is the CBS owned and operated television station that serves the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. It broadcasts a digital television signal on channel 32 . It also operates two full-powered semi-satellites--KCCO-TV in Alexandria and KCCW in Walker . KCCO-TV simulcasts WCCO-TV, but...
.
Fox proceeded to invest heavily in KMSP, creating the station's strongest news operation ever (it even briefly produced a newscast for sister station WFTC). In addition, Fox soon become a full-fledged competitor with NBC, ABC and CBS with a number of hit shows and an aggressive cable news operation. Ironically, the late night edition of "Fox9 News" today often draws better ratings than the newscasts on KSTP-TV, which obtained the ABC affiliation from KMSP thirty years earlier.
Video news release controversy
On June 16, 2006, KMSP played a "
video news releaseA video news release is a video segment created by a PR firm, advertising agency,marketing firm, corporation, or government agency and provided totelevision news stations for the purpose of informing, shaping...
" about
convertibleA convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle. Many different automobile body styles are manufactured and marketed in convertible form....
s produced by
GMGeneral Motors Company, often known as simply GM, is a United States based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM was the world's 18th largest corporate entity and third largest automaker as ranked by 2008 revenues on the Fortune Global 500. Ranked by global unit sales for 2008, it...
in its entirety. The narrator,
MedialinkMedialink is a media representation company based in Ireland.Medialink was created in 1989, the company has worked with some Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom newspaper and magazine publishers...
publicist Andrew Schmertz, was introduced as reporter André Schmertz. KMSP did not disclose the corporate source of this segment to their viewers.
Digital television
Digital channels>
| Channel |
Programming |
| 9.1 |
KMSP-TV programming / Fox HD |
| 9.2 |
KMSP-TV programming / Fox SD |
KMSP-DT was originally on 26, using PSIP to display its
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 9. After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion was completed on June 12, 2009, KMSP-TV moved its digital broadcasts back to channel 9.
Awards
The station is noted for having a number of Emmy-winning
photojournalistsPhotojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
and reporters. The newscasts have been nationally honored with the prestigious
Edward R. Murrow AwardThe Edward R. Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio-Television News Directors Association in recognition of what the Association terms "outstanding achievements in electronic journalism."-Awards and categories:...
for Best Newscast and Spot News Coverage, in addition to Investigative Reporting, and Videography.
In October, 2008, KMSP won another 17 Emmys, along with 4 Emmys for its sister station
WFTCWFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area...
. Among this years Emmys were wins for ads for myfoxhockey.com, foxhilitestwincities.com, "Stay Connected with Fox 9", and best online marketing initiative for Family Guy Photos at the Fair. Sister station
WFTCWFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area...
won multiple Emmys for Twins on My29 Pinball Promos, and its generic composite ads.
In October, 2007, KMSP won 17 Emmys, along with 1 Emmy for its sister station
WFTCWFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area...
. Among the Emmys were wins for Best Website, Several Investigative Reports, along with several Emmys for Advertisements such as the "Wake Up With Fox 9" and the "Jeff & Robyne" spots. For a complete list visit
National Television Academy Upper Midwest Chapter.
News Operation
KMSP broadcasts a total of 41 hours of local news a week (6½ hours on weekdays, four hours on Saturdays and 4½ hours on Sundays), more than any other station in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota; however as is standard with Fox stations that carry early evening weekend newscasts, KMSP's Saturday and Sunday 5PM newscasts are subject to preemption due to sports coverage.
The station has had a long-running 9PM newscast (now known as
Fox at 9), which airs an hour before all other news broadcasts in the area. The two primary news anchors are
Jeff Passolt and
Robyne Robinson, who have been paired longer than any other anchor team in the Twin Cities, according to the station.
KMSP, along with
WFLDWFLD channel 32.1 is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Chicago, Illinois. WFLD is co-owned with WPWR-TV , Chicago's MyNetworkTV flagship station...
in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
,
KDFWKDFW, 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
DallasDallas , with a population of 1,279,910, is the third-largest city in Texas and the 8th-largest in the United States. The city is the main economic center of the 12-county Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area that according to the March 2009 U.S. Census Bureau release, had a population of...
/Fort Worth, and
KSAZ-TVKSAZ-TV is the owned-and-operated Fox station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is co-owned with sister KUTP. The station broadcasts in digital on VHF Channel 10 in Phoenix and on numerous translators throughout Northern Arizona...
in
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
are the only Fox-owned stations to have a 10PM newscast in the Central and Mountain Time Zones (of the mentioned stations, KMSP, WFLD and KDFW do not run their 10PM newscast nightly and KMSP is the only one that airs their 10PM newscast on during the weekend, airing it on Sunday).
Sister stations
WTVTWTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsdiary of the News Corporation. WTVT's studios are located in Tampa, and its transmitter is located in Riverview, Florida....
in
TampaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city....
-
St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The city is known as a vacation destination for North American and European vacationers. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 248,232. As of 2006, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 248,098. The 2007...
and
WTTGWTTG Channel 5 is an owned-and-operated TV station of the Fox Broadcasting Company. It's located in Washington, D.C. and serves the entire Washington metropolitan area from a studio and transmitter located in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
have a late newscast at the Eastern time zone equivalent of 11PM. On September 24, 2007, sister station
WJBKWJBK is the Fox-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
in
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
became the third Fox O&O in the Eastern time zone to add an 11 pm newscast. This was when
WJBKWJBK is the Fox-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
joined KMSP as being one out of several Fox O&Os to go with the FNC-look (new set, new rotating logo, etc.). Fox may have all the O&Os add an 11PM newscast should this become a success. This may mean more of the Fox O&Os in the Central and Mountain Time Zones could add a 10PM newscast as well (
KTBCKTBC, channel 7, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station in Austin, Texas. Its studios are located in downtown Austin at the corner of Tenth and Brazos Streets , and its transmitter is located in the city.Although KTBC's analog signal is on channel 7 over-the-air, it airs on cable channel...
in
AustinAustin is the capital 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 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
had a 10PM newscast for years after switching to Fox, which has since been scaled back to 9PM).
Conversely, KMSP is also one of a few Fox O&Os without a midday newscast (along with
WFXTWFXT is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts. WFXT is one of six Boston television...
in
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
and
WOFLWOFL, channel 35, is the Fox owned-and-operated television station serving the Orlando, Florida metropolitan area. It is licensed to Orlando, with studios located in Lake Mary. It broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 22. On cable, WOFL-TV is currently seen on channel 3 for subscribers of...
in
OrlandoOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
) and one of five Fox O&Os with a 5PM newscast, but no 6PM newscast (along with KTBC in
AustinAustin is the capital 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 15th-largest in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in the nation...
,
WHBQWHBQ-TV, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Its studios and transmitter are located in Memphis...
in
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. Memphis rises above the Mississippi River on the 4
th Chickasaw Bluff just south of the mouth of the Wolf River....
, KRIV in
HoustonHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2008 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.2 million within an area of 600 square miles . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of...
and
WFXTWFXT is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts. WFXT is one of six Boston television...
in
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
.
On May 11, 2009, KMSP became the second station to launch local news in high definition. The first was
KAREKARE, Digital Channel 11, is an NBC - affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis - St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Plus on its second digital subchannel...
in 2006. The set and music remains the same. The only new thing are the new Fox O&O HD graphics with some minor tweaks and HD weather graphics. On September 14, 2009 KMSP expanded its morning newscast to five hours from 5-10AM (one of several Fox-owned stations to do so, following the cancellation of
The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet), with the 9AM hour being called
Fox 9 News: Morning Buzz.
Newscast titles
- On Top Of The News (1955-1956)
- Report to Minnesota (1956-1958)
- Bill Ingram News (1958-1961)
- Bob Allard News (1961-1962)
- The Big News (1962-1964)
- Fahan-Steer News (1964-1969)
- Eyewitness News (1969-1973)
- Newsnine (1973-1978)
- Newswatch (1978-1979)
- Prime Time News (1979-1991)
- Minnesota 9 News/Minnesota 9 Tonight (1991-1999)
- 9 News (1999-September 8, 2002)
- Fox 9 News (2002-present)
- Fox 9 Morning News (September 8, 2002-present)
- Fox at 9 (September 8, 2002-present)
- Fox at 10 (September 2008-present)
- Fox at 5 (2008-present)
- Fox at 5:30 (2008-present)
- Fox 9 News: Morning Buzz (9AM newscast; 2009-present)
Station slogans
- ABC Has Moved to 9! (1961)
- Channel 9, Your Eyewitness News Headquarters (1969-1973)
- Good Movie Time on KMSP-9 (1971-1974)
- Your Newsnine station (1973-1978)
- Newsnine: You Just Watch (1973-1975)
- Join the Boyett-Bremen Fan Club (1974)
- Newsnine: Keep on Watchin (1975-1977)
- Channel 9's Still the One (1977-1979; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
- ABC-9 (1978)
- We're Receptive (1979-1984)
- The Twin Cities' #1 Prime Time News (1984-1991)
- We've Gone Hollywood (1984)
- The Movie Tube (1984)
- Minnesota 9 News: First in the Twin Cities (1991-1999)
- 9 News: It's About You (1999-September 8, 2002)
- Make the Switch (September 8, 2002; used to promote the affiliation switch to Fox)
- The Most Powerful Name in Local News (2002-present; used on news promos)
- Wake Up With Fox 9 (2002-present; used on morning news promos)
- Stay Connected with Fox 9 (2008-present; general)
Current On-Air Talent
(as of September 14, 2009)
Current Anchors
Tim Blotz
- Friday-Saturdays at 5 and 9, and Fridays at 10PM
Tom Butler
- weekday mornings "Fox9 Morning News"
Tom Halden
- weekend mornings "Fox9 Weekend News"
Marni Hughes
- weeknights at 10PM (also fill-in 5 and 9PM anchor and health reporter)
Alix Kendall
- weekday mornings "Fox9 Morning News" & "Fox9 Buzz"
Jason Matheson
- weekday mornings "Fox9 Buzz"
Jeff Passolt
- Sunday-Thursdays at 5, 9 and 10PM
Robyne Robinson
- weeknights at 5 and 9PM
Karen Scullin
- weekend mornings "Fox9 Weekend News" and Fridays at 5 and 9PM
Reporters
Jody Ambroz
- general assignment reporter
Jeff Baillon
- investigative reporter
Leah Beno
- general assignment reporter
Dave Berggren
- general assignment reporter
Jeff Goldberg
- general assignment reporter
Maury Glover
- general assignment reporter
Juli Jay
- traffic reporter
Bill Keller
- general assignment reporter
Tom Lyden
- investigative reporter
Jason Matheson
- entertainment reporter
Rob Olson
- general assignment reporter
M.A. Rosko
- weekday morning feature reporter
Dawn Stevens
- weekday morning reporter
Trish Van Pilsum
- investigative reporter
Todd Walker
- weekend morning feature reporter
Scott Wasserman
- general assignment reporter
Fox9 Weather First
Ian Leonard
(AMSThe 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...
Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; Sunday-Thursdays at 5, 9 and 10PM
Erik Maitland
(AMS/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; Fridays at 5, 9 and 10, weekend mornings and Saturdays at 5 and 9PM
Keith Marler
(AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Fox9 Morning News"
Sports Team
Jim Rich
- Sports Director; Monday-Thursdays at 5, 9 and 10PM
Dawn Mitchell
- Sports Anchor; Fridays at 5, 9 and 10PM (also sports reporter)
Behind the Scenes News Staff
Bill Dallman
- News Director
Patrick Armijo
- Executive Producer
Lori Fisher
- Executive Producer
Seth Kaplan
- Executive Sports Producer
Mike Durkin
- Senior Web Producer
Matt Haugen
- Morning News Executive Producer
Former Personalities
Bob Allard
- anchor (1961-1964)
Lori Aoki
- anchor (mid 1990s)
Ben Boyett
- anchor (1973-1975)
Phil Bremen
- anchor (1973-1975)
Tony Burden
- 9:30 and 10PM anchor (1979-1983)
Pete Busch - traffic reporter (now at KARE-TV)
Roy Carr
- staff announcer
Christine ClayburgChristine Clayburg, born May 26, 1973 in Paso Robles, California is an American television meteorologist who also has done some acting and screenwriting....
- weekend meteorologist
Warren Dahlstrom
- weather forecaster (1980-1984)
Joe Digiovanni
- cheif meteorologist
Betty Douglass
- host of "Romper Room"
Steve DoyleStephen Charles "Steve" Doyle is a former professional footballer who played for Preston North End, Huddersfield Town, Sunderland, Hull City and Rochdale. He also gained a cap for the Wales U-21's in 1983....
- anchor (1973-1979)
Julie Eckhert
- weekend anchor/reporter (mid-1970s)
Bill Fahan
- anchor (1964-1969)
Fidel "Phil" Ferro
- executive producer (1988-1991; now chief meteorologist with WSVNWSVN, channel 7, is the Fox-affiliated television station for South Florida, licensed to Miami. The station is owned by Sunbeam Television. WSVN's studios are located on 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Village, and its transmitter is located in North Miami-Dade County...
in Miami)
Jim Gilleland
- sports anchor
Rod GramsRod Grams served the state of Minnesota in both the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Grams was born in Princeton, Minnesota and attended Brown Institute, 1966–8, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, 1970–2, and Carroll College, 1974–5.Grams spent 23 years in the field of...
- anchor
Jeff Grayson
- sports director (now with Fox Sports NetThe Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.-Beginnings:...
)
George Grim
- anchor (1962-1964)
Bob HallBob Hall is an American motoring journalist. He is married to Karen Kato, and is the identical twin brother of motoring journalist Jim N. Hall . He can read, write and speak Japanese fluently.Hall is best known as a member of the development team who produced the Mazda MX-5...
- weather anchor
Angela Hampton - 10PM anchor (now at WTVDWTVD, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated station of the Walt Disney Company-owned ABC television network, licensed to Durham, North Carolina. The station serves the areas of Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Fayetteville, known as the Triangle...
in Raleigh, North CarolinaRaleigh is the capital city of the state of North Carolina, the seat of Wake County and the second largest city in North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S...
)
Cicely Hand
- anchor (1978-1979)
Heather Harden
- anchor
Ed HardingEd Harding is the principal anchor on WCVB-TV in Boston, anchoring the 5, 6, and 11 PM editions of NewsCenter 5. He has been at the station since 1988, where he was a weekend sports anchor and Candlepin bowling host...
- sports anchor
Don HarrisonDon Harrison was an anchor on CNN Headline News from 1982 until his death from renal cancer in 1998. He was a member of the original team of anchors when Headline News went on the air for the first time as "CNN2" in 1982....
- anchor (1975-1979; later with Headline NewsHLN can refer to*HLN , a cable network formerly known as Headline News*The IATA airport code for Helena Regional Airport*The Horizon League Network*The shorthand notation of Phenolphthalein...
; died 1998)
Jack Horner
- sports anchor (1950s; died in 2005)http://www.pavekmuseum.org/Horner.htm
Bill Ingram
- anchor
Leslie Jones
- morning reporter
Mike Kronforst
- weather anchor (1975-1979)
Dave LeeDave Lee may refer to:* Dave Lee , British horn and Wagner tuba player associated with the Michael Nyman Band* Dave Lee , British DJ, producer, and remixer often better known as Joey Negro...
- children's host, puppeteer on "Looney Tuners Club"
Cathie Mann
- anchor (1976-1977)
Ernie Martz
- weather anchor/staff announcer (1970s-1980s)
Mike Nicco - weekend meteorologist (2003-2006; now weekday morning meteorologist at KGO-TVKGO-TV, channel 7, based in San Francisco, California, is an owned-and-operated television station of The Walt Disney Company subsidiary ABC...
in San Francisco)
Beth McDonough
- reporter (fired for legal reasons)
George McKenzieGeorge McKenzie was a British bantamweight professional boxer who competed in the 1920s.He was born in Leith, Scotland-Amateur career:McKenzie was the 1920 British ABA bantamweight champion...
- sports anchor (1975-1978)
Dave McLaughlinDavid "Dave" McLaughlin is an American writer, director and producer.McLaughlin is best known for writing the dramatic film Southie. In 2006 he directed his first feature, On Broadway, which he will also wrote and produced....
- weather anchor (1975-1978)
Jacqueline McLean
- Investigative Reporter (2004-2009)
John McNicholJohn "Johnny/Jock" McNichol is a former footballer.McNicol was a forward who played for Newcastle United, Brighton, Chelsea and Crystal Palace....
- News Reporter
George NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is an American radio talk show host.As of 2009, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM, FM and XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened to overnight programs...
- news director (late 1970s) Now host of Coast To Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show which deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate either to the paranormal, or to alleged conspiracies. It was created by Art Bell, airs seven nights a week 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m...
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/george/about.html
Tony ParkerWilliam Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and France's national team....
- sports anchor (1955-1975)
Ahmad RashadAhmad Rashād is a sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
- sports anchor (1978; now host of NBA Inside Stuff on NBA TVNBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their Pay Per View programming, and TNT.-Early...
)
Janie Peterson - chief meteorologist (2000-2006; now running Peteson Productions)
Harry ReasonerHarry Reasoner was an American journalist known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program.-Journalism: CBS News:...
- anchor (1950s; later with 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...
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...
; died 1991)
Gary Rebstock
- anchor
Carl Rochelle
- anchor (1970-1973; later with CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
and NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
)
Beth Ruyak
- anchor
Sam Scaman
- chief meteorologist
Dave Sheehan
- Sports anchor (1978-1983)
Tim Sherno - morning anchor (1997-2005; now at KSTP-TVKSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, which also owns several other TV stations across the United States and some other properties.KSTP is licensed in St...
)
Jere Smith
- weather (1959-1975)
Jim Steer
- anchor (1964-1971)
Bev Stoddard
- host of "Noon on Nine" (1979-1980)
Mary Jo Tierney
- host of "The Early Show with Mary Jo"
Al Tighe
- fill-in sports and news anchor /staff announcer (1970-1985)
Ron Trenda - weekend meteorologist (now at WCCO-TVWCCO-TV, is the CBS owned and operated television station that serves the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. It broadcasts a digital television signal on channel 32 . It also operates two full-powered semi-satellites--KCCO-TV in Alexandria and KCCW in Walker . KCCO-TV simulcasts WCCO-TV, but...
)
Mike Tsolinas
- morning weather anchor
Sue Turner - weekend anchor
Ken Wagner
- children's host, puppeteer on "Cap'n Ken," "Grandpa Ken" (1960-1973)
Perry WilliamsPerry Williams may refer to:*Perry Williams , American football cornerback*Perry Williams , American football running back...
- sports anchor
Robin Wolfram
- morning anchor
Lara Yamada - weekend morning anchor (August-October 2006; now at
KCPQKCPQ, channel 13, is the Fox television affiliate licensed to Tacoma, Washington serving the Seattle/Tacoma television market, owned by the Tribune Company...
in Seattle)
Broadcasting facilities
The KMSP TV Tower is located in
Shoreview, MinnesotaShoreview is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 25,924 at the 2000 census. It is also the hometown of Lewis Lovhaug, AKA Linkara.Many Twin Cities-area broadcasters use Shoreview as a site for their transmitting antennas...
. KMSP owns the tower, which stands 1466 feet (446.8 m) tall, but shares it with sister station
WFTCWFTC, channel 29, is a MyNetworkTV owned and operated station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area...
and the
Twin Cities Public TelevisionTwin Cities Public Television is a nonprofit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that operates the Twin Cities' two PBS member stations, KTCA-TV and KTCI-TV...
stations, KTCA and KTCI. Several FM stations are also on the tower: KQRS-FM,
KXXRKXXR is an active rock radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which also owns KQRS-FM and the three station trimulcast known as "Love 105"...
("93X"),
KTCZKTCZ-FM is an adult album alternative radio station broadcasting to the Twin Cities market of Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin.Cities 97 is owned by Clear Channel Communications...
("Cities 97"),
KTIS-FMKTIS-FM is a contemporary Christian music formatted radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota owned and operated by Northwestern College....
,
KSJNKSJN is the flagship station of Minnesota Public Radio's classical music network, serving the Twin Cities region. Throughout the 1980s, 99.5 was best known as WLOL, a top-rated CHR station.-Background:...
,
KTLK-FMKTLK-FM is a conservative news/talk radio station located in the Twin Cities area. They are licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota. KTLK's transmitter is located in the suburb of Shoreview on KMSP-TV's tower...
,
KDWBKDWB-FM is a radio station in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, known for almost fifty years as a major Top 40 pop music outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications....
,
KEEYK102 is a country music station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul market of Minnesota. It is the most popular country station in the area, and often comes in just below area powerhouses KQRS-FM and WCCO in overall ratings. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications...
("K102"),
WLTEWLTE is a radio station in Minneapolis-St. Paul that carries a "Lite rock" adult contemporary format and has done so for more than two decades. WLTE is owned by CBS Corporation, which also owns WCCO radio today...
, and
KZJKKZJK is a radio station broadcasting the adult hits "Jack FM" format in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region of Minnesota. The current format took to the air on the morning of April 21, 2005, following more than four years of a 1980s-centered playlist...
.
KMSP has an extensive network of broadcast translators to carry its analog signal throughout much of the state.
- K38AC 38 Alexandria
Alexandria is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. First settled in 1858, it was named after Alexander and William Kinkead. The 2008 estimated population of Alexandria was 11,237....
- K30DK 30 Bemidji
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was estimated at 13,419 in 2007. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commerical center between Grand Forks, ND and Duluth, MN...
- K48IF 48 Brainerd
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,178 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
- K27FI 27 Frost
Frost is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 251 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.5 square miles , all of it land....
- K49KQ 49 Little Falls
Little Falls is a city in Morrison County, Minnesota, United States, near the geographic center of the state. Established in 1848, Little Falls is one of the oldest cities in Minnesota. It is the county seat of Morrison County. The population was 7,719 at the 2000 census. Little Falls is the...
- K55CK 55 Olivia
Olivia is a city in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Renville County.-Geography:...
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K50AB 50 St. James, MinnesotaSt. James is a city in and the county seat of Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,695 at the 2000 census.Minnesota State Highways 4, 30, and 60 are three of the main arterial routes in the city.- History :...
K33KC 33 WadenaWadena is a city in Otter Tail and Wadena counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 4,294 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wadena County.-Geography:...
K49CU 49 HackensackHackensack is a city in Cass County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 285 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
K48AH 48 WillmarWillmar is a city in and the county seat of Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 18,351 at the 2000 census.Willmar has been assigned ZIP code 56201 by the United States Postal Service.U.S...
K56AH 56 WindomWindom is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,490 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cottonwood County. Windom has been assigned ZIP code 56101 by the USPS....
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External links