KAKE-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KAKE-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = On Your Side
station_branding = KAKE 10 / KAKE News
analog = 10 (VHF)
digital = 21 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC network =
founded =
airdate = October 19, 1954
location = Wichita, Kansas
callsign_meaning = sounds like cake
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Gray Television, Inc.
licensee = nowrap|Gray Television Licensee, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
NBC (1954-1955)
Secondary:
ABC (1954-1955)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
850 kW (digital)
HAAT = 309.8 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 65522
coordinates = coord|37|46|52.9|N|97|31|9.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.kake.com/ www.kake.com]

KAKE-TV, channel 10, is an American Broadcasting Company (ABC) affiliate television station based in Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by Gray Television. Its transmitter is located near Colwich, Kansas.

KAKE is the flagship station for the KAKEland Television Network, a satellite network of ABC affiliates covering Kansas. The station's callsign is pronounced "cake" on the air.

The KAKEland stations are:

*KUPK channel 13 licensed to Garden City, with transmitter located near Copeland (November 8, 1964).
*KLBY channel 4 Colby (September 4, 1984 under different owner as an Independent Station; became a KAKE satellite in 1987)
*K25CV channel 25 Hays (May 25, 1998)
*K30GD channel 30 Great Bend (May 31, 1998)
*K38GH channel 38 Russell
*K51GC channel 51 Salina (August 16, 1998, originally on channel 22; moved to current signal in 2003)

KAKE, along with Topeka CBS affiliate WIBW and Cox Communications, also is part of a Kansas cable network, Kansas Now 22. KAKE and WIBW show repeats of their newscasts on this channel along with occasional live and taped news and weather updates.

History

The station signed on the air on October 19, 1954. During its first year on the air, it was Wichita's NBC affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. It became a sole ABC affiliate in 1955 after KARD-TV (now KSNW) signed on.

In 1979, the station was sold to the Chronicle Publishing Company of San Francisco, California, run by the de Young family, who also owned KRON-TV in San Francisco and WOWT-TV in Omaha, Nebraska. Chronicle then bought KLBY in 1987. KLBY had been a separate, independent station with its own programming inventory, but with Chronicle's purchase it was made a satellite of KAKE. Chronicle owned the stations until 1999, when KAKE, its satellites and WOWT were sold to LIN TV in the midst of the de Young family's liquidation of its media holdings. Almost as soon as the sale was finalized, LIN turned around and traded KAKE and WOWT to Benedek Broadcasting for that company's WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts and cash. The acquisition of KAKE and WOWT could be seen as the ultimate undoing for the financially challenged Benedek, which in 2002 declared bankruptcy and sold most of its stations, including KAKE and WOWT, to Gray Television (their current owner).

For 30 years, KAKE was the highest-rated station in Wichita, even though it didn't build an extensive translator/satellite network in central and western Kansas until the 1990s. For most of the last quarter century, it has been runner-up KWCH-TV and KSNW-TV.

Reception

On July 6, 2004, a spectacular intense high MUF Sporadic-E opening allowed David Pierce to receive KAKE-TV (channel 10, Wichita, Kansas) in Woodbridge, Virginia, 1,098 miles (1,766 km) away. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-skip#Notable_sporadic_E_DX_receptions]

KAKE & the BTK Serial Murder Case

:"For a more thorough history on the BTK case, see Dennis Rader."

In the 1970s, KAKE received letters, poems and packages from the BTK serial killer. One claimed responsibility for several of the BTK murders; another contained clues about an intended victim (who was not murdered).

During an interview with Wichita's police chief in the late 1970s, subliminal messages were broadcast on KAKE to convince BTK to turn himself in. The effort was unsuccessful.

In 2004 and 2005, BTK again sent letters to KAKE. One included a word puzzle -- another expressed concern about the colds anchors Susan Peters and Jeff Herndon had at the time.

Park City, Kansas resident Dennis Rader was eventually arrested and convicted of the murders.

atellite stations

Notes:
*1. The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says KUPK signed on November 8, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says October 28.
*2. KLBY was an independent station from its 1984 sign-on until it was acquired by KAKE in 1987.

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"The General Motors Newscast"
*"The National News"
*"TV-10 News"
*"KAKE-10 News"
*"KAKE News"

tation Slogans

*"The News People" (1970's)
*"Come Home To KAKE" (early 1980s) (not related to the similarly-named NBC campaign)
*"Keep Your Eye on KAKE" (mid 1980s)
*"Dedicated, Determined, Dependable" (early 1990's)
*"Coverage You Count On" (early-mid 1990s)
*"On Your Side" (1998-2007)

Current Productions

*"Good Morning Kansas" Monday - Friday 5-7 AM
*"KAKE News at 11:30" Monday - Friday 11:30-12 PM
*"KAKE News at 4:00" Monday - Friday 4-4:30 PM
*"KAKE News at 5:00" Monday - Friday 5-5:30 PM
*"KAKE News at 6:00" Monday - Saturday 6-6:30 PM
*"KAKE News at 10:00" Monday - Sunday 10-10:35 PM
*"Good Morning Kansas Saturday" Saturday 6-7 AM
*"Good Morning Kansas Saturday" Saturday 8-9 AM
*"KAKE News at 6:30" Saturday 6:30-7 PM
*"KAKE News at 5:30" Sunday 5:30-6 PM
*"KAKE Sports Overtime Live Sunday 10:35-11:05 PM
*"Lawyer on the Line Sunday 11:05-11:35 PM

KAKE News is also responsible for several local news and weather updates for "Kansas Now 22" which is a 24-hour local news information network carried on COX cable throughout central and western Kansas.

KAKE Alumni

Mark Allan - News Anchor, WDTN Dayton, OH
Roger Wallace - Sports Anchor, KXAN Austin, TX
Phillip Palmer - Sports Anchor, KABC, Los Angeles
Phil LeBeau - Reporter, CNBC
Johnathan Coachman - On Air Personality / Commentator, World Wrestling Entertainment (SmackDown! Brand)

External links

* [http://www.kake.com/ KAKE Website]
* [http://www.mcsittel.com/html/photos3.html mcsittel.com:Screengrabs of various TV stations (including KLBY) from the late-1980s, taken from Kingsport, TN]
*TVQ|KAKE
*TVQ|KUPK
*TVQ|KLBY
*TVQ|K25CV
*TVQ|K30GD
*TVQ|K38GH
*TVQ|K51GC
*BIA|KAKE|TV|TV
*BIA|KUPK|TV|TV
*BIA|KLBY|TV|TV