KMTV
Encyclopedia
KMTV-TV is the 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...

 television station in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

. Owned by the Journal Broadcast Group, it broadcasts a digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...

 signal on UHF channel 45, which remaps to former analog channel 3 via PSIP.

History

KMTV is the second oldest station in Nebraska; it began broadcasting on September 1, 1949 as a CBS affiliate, but it also carried 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...

 programming http://members.aol.com/jeff99500/1952tv.html. The station was supposed to have the call letters KMA-TV, reflecting its first owner, May Broadcasting of Shenandoah, Iowa
Shenandoah, Iowa
Shenandoah is a city in Fremont and Page Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 5,546 at the 2000 census.Once referred to as the "seed and nursery center of the world," Shenandoah is the home to Earl May Seed Company and the radio station KMA, founded by Earl May...

. There was already a KMA-AM in Shenandoah (also owned by May), but 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) would not allow channel 3 to use those call letters since Shenandoah was not considered part of the Omaha market at the time.

KMTV briefly dropped ABC when KOLN-TV
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...

 signed on from Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

 in 1953, but picked it back up when the FCC made Lincoln its own market a year later. In 1956, KMTV switched affiliations with WOW-TV (now WOWT-TV
WOWT-TV
WOWT-TV, digital channel 22, virtual channel 6 via PSIP and Cox Communications cable channel 8, is the NBC affiliate television station in Omaha, Nebraska. WOWT also serves the state capital, Lincoln, 52 miles away, with broadcast and cable coverage...

) and became an 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...

 affiliate. It also stopped carrying the DuMont programming the same year when DuMont ceased operations. In 1957, KMTV dropped its secondary ABC affiliation when KETV
KETV
KETV, digital channel 20 , is the ABC affiliate television station in Omaha, Nebraska and is owned by Hearst Television...

 signed on as an ABC affiliate.

In 1986, KMTV and WOWT entered into an agreement which allowed them to return to their original affiliations. As a result, KMTV rejoined CBS after 30 years with NBC on June 29, 1986. A few months after the return to CBS, May sold both of its television stations—KMTV and KGUN-TV in Tucson--to Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 54 daily newspapers in 23 states, and more than 300 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by A.W. Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa....

 after over 37 years of ownership. Lee sold all of its stations to Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications is a media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company owns radio stations and magazines in the United States, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.-History:...

 in October 2000. In 2005, Emmis announced its exit from television station ownership, selling most non-license assets of KMTV as well as outright ownership of KGUN to Journal. The sale closed in late December of that year. At that point Journal took over control of KMTV through a time brokerage agreement
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...

.

Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...

and Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...

both were long stay syndication programs on KMTV where they were carried at 4:30 and 6:30 weekdays respectively until Jeopardy! went to WOWT in September of 1994 and Wheel of Fortune went to KETV
KETV
KETV, digital channel 20 , is the ABC affiliate television station in Omaha, Nebraska and is owned by Hearst Television...

 at the same time. Initially, Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...

ran on KETV
KETV
KETV, digital channel 20 , is the ABC affiliate television station in Omaha, Nebraska and is owned by Hearst Television...

 from 1984 to 1986 then moved to KMTV. KMTV began airing Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...

in January 1984 and then carried both from 1986 to 1994.

In late January 2007, Journal announced the sale of radio station KOMJ-AM 1490 to Cochise Broadcasting LLC http://www.journalbroadcastgroup.com/AllAboutUs/tabid/1618/mid/2962/newsid2962/8874/Default.aspx in order to complete the outright purchase of KMTV. The sale of KOMJ was necessary because Journal already owned the maximum FCC-mandated number of broadcasting properties in the Omaha media market. The transactions were completed on March 27, 2007. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=145779&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=978673&highlight= Also in early 2007, KMTV's website was redesigned; like the websites of several other Journal-owned stations, it was maintained by the Local Media Network division of WorldNow until June of 2011 when KMTV redesigned their website once again to the current layout. The current layout was designed to be much easier to navigate and provide quicker access to weather and news information.

KMTV's studios are located near 108th and Mockingbird Drive in southwest Omaha. KMTV is the only Omaha station to have moved its studios from the downtown area. From 1949 to 1978 the station was located at 27th & Farnam Streets, just south of KETV channel 7 (at 2665 Douglas), and 7 blocks east of WOWT channel 6 (at 3501 Farnam). The station's auxiliary transmitter still stands at their former location. The main transmitter tower is located on a "tower farm" near North 72nd Street & Crown Point Avenue in north central Omaha. KMTV has 3 live trucks and 1 satellite truck along with a large fleet of news vans.

Analog-to-digital conversion

KPTM, KMTV and KETV's programming became digital-only on June 12, 2009. Although KMTV never had a suffix affixed to its call sign from the beginning, it (along with other Journal-owned television stations which previously did not have a -TV suffix in their calls) officially added the -TV suffix on June 19.

Programming

Many nationally syndicated shows on KMTV include Dr. Phil, The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...

. The CBS Evening News airs between the stations 5 and 6 newscasts at 5:30. KMTV also broadcasts the MDA Telethon and a long running bible study show called "Ms. Jean's Story-time." After a 50 year run "Jean's" will be ending in September of 2011.

"The Morning Blend" also runs on KMTV at 9:00am local time. "The Blend" is multi-topic talk show that performs like a local market Early Show and is a staple among Journal Broadcast Group owned stations.

"Sports Sound-Off" is a weekly sports call in show that airs live after the 10p.m. newscast. It is hosted by sports director Travis Morgan and former Nebraska football player Clester Johnson. The program features four segments. The first three are the call in segments where the hosts discuss an issue and take calls from viewers; a guest usually joins the set for the third segment to discuss the issue with the hosts. The fourth segment for awarding the "Caller of the Night" honor, given to the caller with the best argument of the night. The program is sponsored by Godfathers Pizza and Sid Dillion Automotive Dealerships.

KMTV was the last television station in the market to add a digital subchannel
Digital subchannel
In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...

; It began airing TheCoolTV
TheCoolTV
THECOOLTV is a United States over-the-air digital subchannel launched in March 2009. The network's current program schedule consists of an all-music video lineup that can be customized to meet an affiliate's preference, along with the three hours per week of E/I programming as required by the...

 in late 2010 or early 2011, but dropped that network on October 1st, 2011, in favor of Live Well Network.

News operation

Over the years, KMTV underwent many identity changes to keep up with broadcasting trends, as well to keep up in the local ratings race. The station's newscasts were once known as KMTV News; NewsCenter 3; Channel 3 News; KMTV News 3 and most recently KM3 News; today they are known as Action 3 News
Action News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...

. Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...

 was a reporter at the station from 1962 to 1965.

In 2002, KMTV dropped its 6 p.m. newscast and replaced it with syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...

 tabloid
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...

 shows. That same year, sports were dropped from its 10 p.m. newscasts, to be replaced with a nightly commentary segment hosted by then sports director Travis Justice. In late 2005, KMTV retired "For What It's Worth," returning to the traditional sports segment.

KMTV relaunched a 6 p.m. edition of Action 3 News on September 5, 2006, the same day as Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...

's debut as anchor of the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....

. The station has also taken on the glossy imaging and graphics packages seen on most other Journal stations, though with differing fonts and colors. On December 22, 2006, the station announced it would not be renewing the contracts of evening news anchors Deborah Ward and Greg Peterson. New anchors Carol Wang and Carlo Cecchetto debuted on January 22, 2007.

On Saturday, July 11, 2009, KMTV became the first commercial station in Omaha to present local news in a 16:9 widescreen format, and the second commercial station in the state of Nebraska to do so (after KOLN
KOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...

 and PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

 affiliate NET
Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
Nebraska Educational Telecommunications is a state network of non-commercial educational public broadcasting radio and television stations in Nebraska and is based in Lincoln. It is operated by the Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission...

, both in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

).

Newscast titles

  • All The News (1949–1953)
  • The Coca-Cola Report (1953–1959)
  • KMTV News (1959–1980)
  • NewsCenter 3 (1980–1995)
  • Channel 3 News (1995–2000)
  • KMTV News 3 (2000–2002)
  • KM3 News (2002–2006)
  • (The KMTV) Action 3 News (2006–present)


Station slogans

  • The Midland's NewsChannel (1990s-2000s)
  • In Your Corner (2000–2002)
  • Clearly to the Point (2002–2004)
  • Clear. Accurate. To the Point. (2004–2006; variant of previous slogan)
  • Your Action 3 News Station (2006–present)
  • Breaking News. First Warning Weather. (2006–present; variant of slogan used by sister station WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee)


Current on-air staff

Anchors
  • Deanne Brink - weekday mornings and noon
  • Craig Nigrelli - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
  • Carol Wang - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
  • Dave Roberts - weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m; also weekday reporter
  • Kandiss Crone - weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m; also weekday reporter


First Warning Weather Team
  • Ryan McPike - (AMS
    American Meteorological Society
    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...

     Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
  • C.T. Thongklin - (AMS
    American Meteorological Society
    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...

     Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings and noon
  • John Walsh - Meteorologist; weekends at 5:30 and 10 p.m.


Sports team
  • Travis Morgan - Sports director; weeknights; anchors Sunday night call in show "Sports Sound-Off"
  • Garrett Gordan - weekend sports anchor/weekday sports reporter


Reporters
  • Liz Dorland- general assignment reporter (also fill-in meteorologist)
  • Paul Gutierrez- general assignment reporter
  • Meghan Matthews - morning reporter
  • Adam Racusin - general assignment reporter
  • Sarah Te Slaa - general assignment reporter

Notable former on-air staff

  • Tom Brokaw
    Tom Brokaw
    Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...

     - reporter (1960s; former anchor of the NBC Nightly News
    NBC Nightly News
    NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...

    , now contributor at NBC News
    NBC News
    NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...

    )
  • Dick Fletcher
    Dick Fletcher
    Richard R. "Dick" Fletcher was a broadcast meteorologist. He was Chief Meteorologist for WTSP channel 10 in St. Petersburg, Florida, for 28 years at the time of his death on February 26, 2008...

     - Meteorologist (late 1970s; moved to WTSP
    WTSP
    WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....

     in St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg, Florida
    St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...

     in 1980; died February 26, 2008)
  • Dale Hansen
    Dale Hansen
    Dale Hansen is an American sportscaster, currently the weeknight sports anchor during the 6 pm and 10 pm newscasts on ABC's Dallas affiliate WFAA-TV. He also hosts Dale Hansen's Sports Special on Sundays at 10:20 pm, consistently one of the highest-rated local programs in...

     - sports reporter (1970s; now sports director for WFAA-TV
    WFAA-TV
    WFAA, channel 8, is an ABC-affiliated television station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, one of the top ten media markets in North America. The station is the flagship of Belo Corporation and the largest ABC affiliate not owned and operated by the network...

     in Dallas)
  • Mary Hart
    Mary Hart
    Mary Hart is an American television personality and was the host of the syndicated gossip and entertainment round-up program Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2011.-Early life:...

     - anchor (mid 1970s; later co-anchor of syndicated entertainment news show Entertainment Tonight
    Entertainment Tonight
    Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...

    )
  • Floyd Kalber
    Floyd Kalber
    Floyd Kalber was a noted American television journalist and anchorman, nicknamed "The Big Tuna."Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent two years in the army during World War II and began his television career as KMTV-Omaha's first newscaster...

     - anchor (1950s)
  • Jon Kelley
    Jon Kelley
    Jon Kelley is an award winning American sports journalist, author, producer, and television personality. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kelley played four seasons as a running back for the University of Nebraska before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism...

     - reporter (1990–1991; later weekend co-host of syndicated entertainment news show Extra
    Extra (TV series)
    Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...

    and host of The Mole on 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...

    )
  • Chuck Roberts
    Chuck Roberts
    Chuck Roberts is an American broadcast journalist, most notable for being the former weekday news anchor on Headline News, based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia...

     - anchor (1975–1981; later at HLN)

Production Staff

  • News Director - Al Carl
  • Assignment Editor - Carrie Murphy
  • Production Supervisor - Ryan Nissen
  • Directors - Brian Schmitt, Sue Ladd, Ryan Nissen, Laura Klein, Aaron Reeves
  • Production Staff - Adam Hilt, Evan Korf, Chris Boehm, Rachel Gibbs, Kevin Beacom, Matt Juhnke
  • Audio Staff - Ryan Holt, Mike Zimmerman
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