KTUL

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KTUL
city =
station_
station_slogan = Coverage You Can Count On
station_branding = NewsChannel 8
analog = 8 (VHF)
digital = 10 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = September 18, 1954
location = Tulsa, Oklahoma
callsign_meaning = TULsa
former_callsigns = KTVX (1954-1960)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Allbritton Communications Company
licensee = KTUL, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
6.9 kW (digital)
HAAT = 578 m (analog)
542.3 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 35685
coordinates = coord|35|58|8|N|95|36|56.1|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.ktul.com/ www.ktul.com]

KTUL, referred to on air as NewsChannel 8, is the ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma, owned by Allbritton Communications Company. KTUL broadcasts from its studios on Lookout Mountain in west Tulsa. KTUL transmits from a 582-meter high guy-wired aerial mast (antenna tower) in Coweta, which was completed in 1988.

The station broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 8, and its digital signal on VHF channel 10. On cable, KTUL-TV can be seen on channel 8 on Cox Cable in Tulsa.

KTUL-TV also serves as one of four default ABC affiliates for the Sherman-Ada market (along with KSWO-TV in Lawton, Oklahoma, KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City and WFAA-TV in Dallas) since that market currently lacks an ABC affiliate of its own, as the market's former ABC affiliate KTEN became an NBC affiliate in 1998. In addition, when atmospheric conditions are right, KTUL's signal can be picked up as far as Oklahoma City.

History

Channel 8 signed on September 18, 1954 as KTVX, licensed to Muskogee. It was owned by Oklahoma grocery magnate and broadcast pioneer John Griffin, who also owned KTUL radio (1430 AM,later KELI, now KTBZ). The station had been licensed in Muskogee because the third VHF frequency originally allocated to Tulsa itself, channel 11, had been reserved for educational use. The Griffins thus decided to seek the channel 8 allocation in Muskogee, the nearest city in the Tulsa market with a VHF license. UHF was not considered viable at the time.

It broadcast from a converted grocery store in Muskogee. It took the ABC affiliation from Tulsa's second television station, KCEB-TV (channel 23). The station's first broadcast was a football game between Oklahoma and California, which Oklahoma won. The first two personalities at the station were news anchor Jack Morris and meteorologist Don Woods. Sports director Hal O'Halloran would come later.

In 1955, KCEB sold its studios on Lookout Mountain to Griffin, and KTVX moved there in November; KTUL-AM had been there since April. The Lookout Mountain facility was used as an auxiliary studio until 1957, when the station won FCC permission to move all operations, as well as the station's license, to Tulsa. On September 12 1957--the day the move took effect--the station changed its calls to KTUL-TV to match its radio sister.

In 1965, KTUL built a new 1,909-foot (582-meter) tower--the second-tallest transmitting tower in the country at the time. Combined with a heavy emphasis on local programming, KTUL soon became one of the strongest ABC affiliates in the country, and the top-rated station in Tulsa for many years.

Griffin sold KTUL-AM-TV and sister station KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas to his brother-in-law, James C. "Jimmy" Leake, in the early 1970s; Griffin retained control of KWTV in Oklahoma City. The two had shared ownership of the stations for many years. Leake sold off the radio station a few years later, but kept channel 8 until selling it to current owner Allbritton in 1982.

In 1987, KTUL's broadcast tower was knocked over by an ice storm, and a new one was constructed in 1988. In 1999, KTUL built new broadcast facilities on Lookout Mountain to accommodate station growth.

In 2004, Channel 8 premiered "Good Day Tulsa", a live, locally produced hour long program mainly focusing on local businesses, events and entertainment. The original hosts of the program were D.C. Roberts and Keith Taylor, with Mike Collier doing weather and Kristen Dickerson doing live, on-location reports. D.C. Roberts left "Good Day Tulsa" and KTUL on August 18, 2008. Kristen Dickerson has taken over as co-host. "Good Day Tulsa" is the only locally produced program at 9AM in the Tulsa market.

In 2005, KTUL introduced First Alert Weather 24/7, a digital/cable channel devoted to 24-hour-a-day weather information. It is available over the air on KTUL's digital subchannel 8.2 and on Cox Cable on channel 247.

Don Woods and Gusty

When KTUL signed on as KTVX in Muskogee, the station was looking for a weatherman who could draw a cartoon character. Don Woods was chosen, and his cartoon character became Gusty. From 1954 until his retirement in 1989, Woods drew Gusty live on TV, and every day, people sent in requests for a Gusty. Gusty always told what the weather was going to be like. He could be drawn waving flags and smiling for fair weather, or he could be drawn holding an umbrella for rainy days, or jumping in his fraidy hole for thunderstorms. After Woods' retirement from KTUL in 1989, Woods continued to draw Gusty from time to time, and he even authored a book entitled The Gospel According to Gusty. In 2005, Gusty was made Oklahoma's State Cartoon Character by the Oklahoma Legislature, and there's even a drawing of Gusty at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Waiting Child

Since 1980, KTUL has featured its Waiting Child segment, which highlights children who are in state custody and looking for an adoptive family. Then-anchor Bob Hower began Waiting Child in October 1980, and did the segment until his retirement in 1986. Former anchor Rea Blakey and then sports director John Walls followed in Hower's footsteps. Anchor Carole Lambert has hosted the segment since 1990, and it has resulted in more than 4000 children being adopted. The segment airs Wednesdays at 4:00 and Saturdays at 10:00.

The song "(I'm a) Waiting Child," which plays during the Waiting Child news segment, was composed by former anchor Bob Hower and is sung by Oleta Adams.

Ratings

KTUL, for many years the perennial leader in the Tulsa television market, currently ranks second overall in news viewership, with its late newscast (10:00pm) placing third behind KOTV and KOKI, and ahead of KJRH. [http://www.fox23.com/content/pressreleases/default.aspx] The station also ranks second in primetime viewership as of November 2007. [http://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/spot/article.aspx?articleID=20080209_8_D3_Arati54662]

Programming

KTUL clears the entire ABC network schedule and airs almost all ABC programs in their network-recommended timeslots, however Nightline airs an hour later than on most ABC stations because of an hour-long block of sitcoms airing after the 10PM newscast, and the Sunday edition of ABC's World News airs a half-hour later than most stations. From its 2003 debut until 2005, KTUL preempted the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, which ended up airing on KQCW (then WB affiliate KWBT). Jimmy Kimmel Live has since moved to KTUL and airs immediately after Nightline.

Current syndicated programming includes Deal or No Deal, The Bonnie Hunt Show, Rachel Ray (formerly seen on KOKI), Two and a Half Men, According to Jim, Frasier, The Andy Griffith Show, with Regenesis and Monk on weekends. KTUL airs a few more sitcoms than most ABC, CBS or NBC stations usually do. KTUL was previously the Tulsa home for Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from the early 1980s until 2005, when both shows moved to NBC affiliate KJRH. KTUL produces a local sports call-in show called "You Make the Call", airing Sundays after the 10PM newscast, featuring sports-related questions and comments by viewers in the Green Country area.

News Operation

KTUL broadcasts a total of 27 hours of local news per week (with five hours on weekdays and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).

NewsChannel 8 Notable Personalities

Current On-Air Talent (as of October 11, 2008)

Current Anchors
*Mark Bradshaw: weekdays on NewsChannel 8 at 4:30 and 5PM (also reporter)
*Kristin Dickerson: weekdays on "Good Morning Oklahoma" (5-7AM) and "Good Day Tulsa" (9AM)
*Charles Ely: weeknights on NewsChannel 8 at 5, 6 and 10PM (also reporter)
*Yvonne Harris: weekends on NewsChannel 8 at 5 (Sun.), 6 (Sat.), and 10PM (also reporter)
*Carole Lambert: weekdays on NewsChannel 8 at 4:30, and weeknights on NewsChannel 8 at 6 and 10PM (also reporter and "Waiting Child" anchor)
*Cindy Morrison: weeknights on NewsChannel 8 at 5PM (also "8 On Your Side" consumer reporter)
*Keith Taylor: weekdays on "Good Morning Oklahoma" (5-7AM) and "Good Day Tulsa" (9AM)

Reporters
*Jerry Giordano: General Assignment Reporter
*Kim Jackson: General Assignment Reporter
*Bill Mitchell: Senior News Reporter
*Burt Mummolo: General Assignment Reporter
*Tracy Watler: General Assignment Reporter

First Alert Storm Team
*Frank Mitchell (AMS/NWA Certified): Chief Meteorologist, weeknights on NewsChannel 8 at 5, 6 and 10
*Clint Boone (NWA Certified): weekdays on NewsChannel 8 at 4:30
*Mike Collier: weekdays on "Good Morning Oklahoma" and "Good Day Tulsa"
*Taft Price (AMS Certified): weekends on NewsChannel 8 at 5 (Sun.), 6 (Sat.), and 10PM
*Phil Price: Staff Meteorologist

NewsChannel 8 Sports
*Chris Lincoln: Sports Director, weeknights on NewsChannel 8 at 5, 6 and 10 (formerly sports director from 1974-1981)
*Ruben Diaz: weekends on NewsChannel 8 at 5 (Sun.), 6 (Sat.), and 10PM
*Rick Pendergraft: Sports Reporter (also photographer)

Former On-Air Talent

*John Anderson: Sports Anchor (?-?; now with ESPN)
*Jay Berry: Sports Reporter (?-?; later at WXYZ in Detroit)
*Teri Bowers: Morning and 4PM Anchor (199?-200?; now with the Oklahoma Aquarium)
*Denise Brewer: Medical Reporter (?-?; now at KRMG-AM)
*Jack Bunds: Sports Director (2005?-2007)
*Nicole Burgin: Reporter (?-?; now at KRMG-AM)
*Becky Dixon: Sports Anchor (?-?)
*Bob Healey: Sports Director (?-?; now at WGBA in Green Bay)
*Bob Hower: Anchor (1970-1986; retired)
*Elizabeth Kinney: General Assignment Reporter (2006-2008; now with Southeastern Oklahoma State University)
*Don Woods: Meteorologist (1954-1989; retired)
*Jack Morris: Anchor (1954-1970; retired)
*Guy Atchley: Anchor (1976-1983; now at KGUN-TV in Tuscon)
*Rea Blakey: Co-Anchor (?-?; now at CNN)
*Karen Larsen: Morning Anchor (?-?; now at KJRH)
*Jeff Lea: Reporter (?-?)
*Tami Marler: Medical Reporter (?-?; now a spokeswoman for Tulsa Public Schools)
*Travis Meyer: Chief Meteorologist (1981-2005; now at KOTV)
*Russell Motley: Reporter (?-?; later at WTEV in Jacksonville)
*David Payne: Meteorologist (?-?; now at KFOR in Oklahoma City)
*Gail Pennybacher: Reporter (?-?; now at News Channel 8, in Washington, D.C.)
*Beth Rengel: Anchor (?-?; now with McGraw Davisson Stewart)
*Abby Ross: Reporter (?-?; now at KOKH in Oklahoma City)
*Marc Silverstein: Reporter (?-?; now at Food Network)
*Jon Slater: Weekend Meteorologist (?-?; later at KOKI in Tulsa, now at KOKH in Oklahoma City)
*Bill Spencer: Morning Anchor (?-?; now at WXYZ in Detroit)
*Kevin Steincross: Weekend Anchor (?-?; now at KTVI in St. Louis)
*LeAnne Taylor: 5PM Anchor (?-?; now at KOTV)
*Aaron Tuttle: Weekend Meteorologist (?-2001; later at KOCO in Oklahoma City, now works for the FAA in Oklahoma City)
*Michael Warren: Morning Anchor (?-?; now at KTBC in Austin)
*Larry Wheeler: Co-Anchor (1983-1984; deceased)
*Mike Ziegenhorn: Sports Director (199?-2005?; now with the Holmes Organization)
*Diana Zoga: General Assignment Reporter (2006-2008; now with KMOV in St. Louis)

Logos

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"News 8" (1971-1975 and 1982-1992)
*"Total 8 Tulsa" (1975-1982)
*"Oklahoma's News 8" (1992-1999)
*"Oklahoma's NewsChannel 8" (1999-2006)
*"NewsChannel 8" (2006-present)

tation Slogans

*"8's The Place" (1977-1983; 1989-1992)
*"Celebrate Oklahoma with 8" (1988-1989)
*"Coverage You Can Count On" (1992-2006; 2007-Present)
*"On Your Side" (2006-2007)

Trivia

*In 1996, meteorologist Frank Mitchell made a surprise wedding proposal to his co-host, Teri Bowers during a live broadcast of "Good Morning Oklahoma". The proposal made national news and was featured on programs such as American Journal, Geraldo and Maury.
*The current studios on Lookout Mountain were built for television station KCEB. Former owner James C. Leake moved the KTVX operation to Tulsa from Muskogee.

External links

* [http://www.ktul.com/ KTUL Homepage]
*Structurae|id=s0014019|title=KTUL Television Tower
*ASR|key=115086|number=1010985
*TVQ|KTUL
*BIA|KTUL|TV|TV
* [http://www.tulsatvmemories.com/ A website of the history of Tulsa Television and radio stations]