KDLH

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KDLH
city =
station_
station_slogan = "We Give You" "MORE"
station_branding = "CBS 3 Duluth"
"Northland CW2"
"Northland's NewsCenter"
analog = 3 (VHF)
digital = 33 (UHF)
subchannels = 3.1 CBS
3.2 CW
other_chs = K59BQ 59Deer River
K33ET 33 Aitkin
K63BI 63Grand Marais
K57BH 57Grand Portage
K69FD 69Kabetogama
K51CM 51 International Falls
K62BJ 62 Big Falls
K56BO 56 Birchdale
K61FW 61 Orr
K67CA 67 Bigfork
K62BH 62 - Max
affiliations = CBS
The CW (on DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = March 14, 1954
location = Duluth, Minnesota /
Superior, Wisconsin
callsign_meaning = DuLutH
former_callsigns = KDAL-TV (1954-1979)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Malara Broadcast Group
(operated by Granite Broadcasting Corporation)
licensee = Malara Broadcast Group of Duluth Licensee, LLC
sister_stations = KBJR-TV
former_affiliations = primary:
NBC (1954-1955)
secondary:
ABC (1954-1966)
Fox (1996-2000)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
381 kW (digital)
HAAT = 302 m (analog)
311.9 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 4691
coordinates = coord|46|47|7.1|N|92|7|16.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|46|47|21.1|N|92|6|51.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/ www.northlandsnewscenter.com]

KDLH, channel 3, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. Its transmitter is located in downtown Duluth. The station is owned by Malara Broadcasting but operated by Granite Broadcasting under a local marketing agreement (LMA). This makes KDLH a sister station to NBC affiliate KBJR-TV. The two stations share studios on South Lake Avenue in Duluth.

KDLH operates the area's CW affiliate on its second digital subchannel. Known on-air as "Northland CW2", it is also offered on Charter cable channel 2.

Digital television

The station's digital signal is multiplexed.

Outlying translators

KDLH is viewed through the following outlying translator stations:

*K59BQ - Deer River
*K33ET - Aitkin
*K63BI - Grand Marais
*K57BH - Grand Portage
*K69FD - Kabetogama
*K51CM - International Falls
*K62BJ - Big Falls
*K56BO - Birchdale
*K61FW - Orr
*K67CA - Bigfork
*K62BH - Max

History

KDLH began broadcasting on March 14, 1954 known as KDAL-TV. The station was affiliated with NBC. It was owned by Dalton LeMasurier along with KDAL-AM 610. It switched affiliations with WDSM-TV (now KBJR) in 1955 and joined CBS. It also aired some ABC programs, sharing them with WDSM, until WDIO-TV signed on in 1966.

The LeMasurier family sold KDAL-AM-TV to what eventually became Tribune Broadcasting in 1960. Tribune sold KDAL-TV to Stauffer Communications in 1979 who changed the call letters to KDLH-TV. The station dropped the -TV suffix in 1991. Stauffer merged with Morris Communications in 1995 but Morris was not allowed to keep the former Stauffer television stations. KDLH, along with most of its sisters, was sold to Benedek Broadcasting. Benedek merged with Gray Television in 2001 but KDLH was not included in the merger and was sold to Chesley Broadcasting. New Vision Television bought KDLH in 2003.

In March of 2005, Malara Broadcast Group purchased KDLH from New Vision and outsourced most of the station's functions (including local news) to longtime rival KBJR. That station was owned by Granite Broadcasting. Under this agreement, KDLH laid off most of its staff and KBJR began to handle nearly all of KDLH's operations. Filings with the FCC showed Malara could operate KDLH with as few as two people on the payroll. Malara makes SEC filings jointly with Granite leading to allegations that Malara is simply a shell corporation for Granite. If these allegations are ever found to be true, Granite would be in violation of FCC rules regarding duopolies. The FCC does not allow common ownership of two of the four largest stations in a single market. The Duluth market has only five full-power stations, which are too few to allow duopolies in any case.

KDLH-DT2 "Northland CW2"

What is now KDLH-DT2 began as cable-only "KWBD". It began broadcasting on January 11, 1995 and was affiliated with the new WB network. Due to the station being cable-only, it was a member of The WB 100+ which were a group of cable-only WB affiliates that shared programming outside of The WB's primetime schedule. KWBD was operated by KBJR.

On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that they would cease broadcasting and merge. The new combined network would be called The CW. The letters would represent the first initial of its corporate parents: CBS (the parent company of UPN) and the Warner Bros. unit of Time Warner.

On February 22, News Corporation announced that they would start up another new broadcast television network called MyNetworkTV. This new network, which would be sister to FOX, would be operated by FOX Television Stations and its syndication division, Twentieth Television. MyNetworkTV was created to give UPN and WB stations, not mentioned as becoming CW affiliates, another option besides becoming independent.

Area access to UPN was offered in two ways. KBJR operated an affiliate, known on-air as "Northland's UPN" and "UPN 9" (based on its Charter cable channel location), on its second digital subchannel. The station was also available in Ashland, Wisconsin area on WAST-LP which was an over-the-air, low-powered semi-satellite of the digital subchannel. WAST-LP was owned by a separate entity from KBJR.

At some point in time, it was announced that KDLH would carry The CW on a new second ditial subchannel as part of The CW Plus. That service is similar to The WB 100+.

It was later announced that "Northland UPN" would become an independent station known as "Northland 9" complete with new logo and graphics for the station. In March of 2006, it was announced that "Northland 9" would become an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. In July, ahead of the launch of the network, "Northland 9" became known as "My 9". WAST-LP ended its broadcasting in August. MyNetworkTV began broadcasting on September 5.

KDLH-DT2 began broadcasting The CW on September 18.

News operation

KDLH was the last of the big three stations in Duluth to have a weeknight 5 o'clock newscast. The station aired "Judge Judy" instead. In 2004, KDLH debuted a 5 P.M. show that featured anchor Amy Rutledge, meteorologist Phil Johnson, and Chris Earl with sports. This was replaced along with the 6 o'clock newscast with the current one at 5:30 when KDLH merged with KBJR. "Judge Judy" has since reclaimed the 5 P.M. spot on KDLH and the "CBS Evening News" airs at 6.

As a result of the arrangement between the two station, KDLH now shares the "Northland's NewsCenter" branding with KBJR and air local news. KDLH's weekday morning newscast is known as "News Center Morning Plus" and features the NBC Weather Plus ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen (Weather Plus is actually offered on KBJR's third digital subchannel, however). KDLH's "NewsCenter at 5:30" newscast is anchored by Pat Kelly who is the only KDLH news team member remaining after the KDLH sellout. Meteorologist George Kessler gives weather forecasts. KDLH's weeknight 10 o'clock newscast was known as "NewsCenter Express" and consisted of a 10 minute news "capsule". The other 25 minutes was a "Seinfeld" rerun. After 13 months of mediocre ratings, KDLH changed the 10 P.M. newscast to 35 minutes. The newscast features the 5:30 P.M. news team. The 35 minute newscast greatly resembles the format of competitor WDIO. All weekend newscasts are simulcasted from KBJR. KDLH does not air news at Noon during the week.

For years, KDLH has been at the bottom of the ratings with all of its' newscasts. Once again, in May of 2007, the station came in last in all timeslots. KDLH's 10 P.M. show gathered about 1,000 viewers- about 200 less than KQDS-TV's 9 P.M. news. KBJR produces a weeknight 9:00 newscast on its second digital subchannel. It is simulcasted on KDLH-DT2.

News team

Anchors
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/newsbios/9837217.html Laura Langemo] - NewsCenter Today and updates during The Early Show.
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/newsbios/9324522.html Julie Pearce] - "NewsCenter Express Weekend"

Meteorologists
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/weatherbios/9157561.html George Kessler] (AMS Certified)- "NewsCenter at 5:30, 9 and 10"
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/weatherbios/9449251.html Shannon Murphy] (AMS Member)- "NewsCenter Today" and updates during The Early Show
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/weatherbios/9324092.html Dave Anderson] (AMS and NWA Member)- "NewsCenter Express Weekend"

Sports
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/sportsbios/9323872.html Tom Hansen] - "NewsCenter at 5:30", "NewsCenter at 9" and "NewsCenter Tonight at 10"
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/sportsbios/9324167.html Joe Dufek] -
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/sportsbios/14600567.html Mark Lange] - sports videojournalist

Reporters
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/newsbios/9323952.html Barbara Reyelts] - investigative
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/newsbios/9875522.html Chris Buckley] - Iron Range Reporter (Via "Range 11")
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/newsbios/14131732.html LeAnn Wallace] - assignment editor & videojournalist
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/personalities/weatherbios/9324092.html Dave Anderson]

Former personalities

+ denotes the anchor being released at the KDLH sellout in 2004.
*Pat Kelly- Anchor 1992-2008. retired.
*Karl Spring- Weather (Now At KQDS-TV.)
*Richard (Heatwave) Berler - Weather
*Dan Hanger - Weekday Mornings / Weeknight Reporter
*Edward Moody- Mornings (2002-07) (Now at WHAM-TV)
*Matt Smith - Reporter (Now at WBAY-TV)
*Jason Kuss- Sports
*Rachel Slavik-Reporter/weekends (now at WVLA-TV Baton Rouge)
*Kellie LaVoie- Reporter (now at WFFF-TV Burlington, Vermont)
*Todd Nelson - Morning Weather
*+Amy Rutledge - anchor (Now at KQDS-TV)
*+ [http://www.wdio.com/index.cfm?viewer= ootprodwdiosharediosViewer&storyID=4257&queid=0 Phil Johnson] - meteorologist (now at WDIO in Duluth)
* [http://www.kcrg.com/contactus/newsteam/18365899.html Chris Earl] - sports (now anchor at KCRG in Cedar Rapids)
*+Chris Long - sports (now sports director at WBBH in Fort Myers)
* [http://kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5373243&nav=menu86_11 Erin Jordan] - weekend meteorologist- became morning meteorologist briefly after 2004 sellout. (now at KOLD in Tucson)
*+ [http://kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=4684868&nav=menu216_19_1_7 Matt Brode] - morning meteorologist (now at KVOA in Tucson)
*+Melissa Ellefson - weekend anchor
*+Gil David - reporter (now reporter at KESQ-TV in Palm Springs, California)
*+ [http://www.kare11.com/company/bios/talent_article.aspx?storyid=126274 Trisha Volpe] - reporter (now at KARE in Minneapolis)
*+Zach Wells - weekend anchor / reporter (now a sports reporter at WXIX in Cincinnati)
*+Eliabeth Ries - weekend and morning anchor / reporter (Now at KSTP-TV)
*+Lauren Kalb - reporter (now working for CBS' Amazing Race)
*Scott McLinden - morning anchor
*Bill Van Dusen - weekend meteorologist
*Sarah Carlstrom - morning news anchor (now at KPHO in Phoenix)
*Andrew Green - reporter
*Liz Brummond
*Joe Thornton - anchor
*Lisa Blegen - reporter
*Marsh Nelson - sports
*Paul Guggenheimer - sports
* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/NewsTeam/bio.aspx?bioID=71 Michelle Lee] - anchor (now at sister station KBJR)
*Darren Danielson - anchor
*Earl Henton - anchor (KDLH's first)
*Sven Sundgaard - meteorologist (now at KARE in Minneapolis)
* [http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=bios&id=3298162 Bisi Onile-Ere] - Mornings (now at WJRT-TV)
*Christina Munoz- Reporter
*Natasha Hassan- Reporter
*E.D. Hill - Currently anchor at Fox News Channel.

Logos

External links

* [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/ KDLH "CBS 3 Duluth"]
* [http://www.yourcwtv.com/partners/duluth/index.php KDLH-DT2 "Northland's CW2"]
*TVQ|KDLH
*BIA|KDLH|TV|TV