KAAL

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KAAL
city = Austin, Minnesota
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = ABC 6
analog = 6 (VHF)
digital = 33 (UHF)
subchannels = 6.1 ABC
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = August 17, 1953
location = Austin-Rochester-Mason City
callsign_meaning = Austin/Albert Lea
former_callsigns = KMMT (1953-1968)
KAUS-TV (1968-1975)
KAAL-TV (1975-1998)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation
licensee = KAAL-TV, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1953-1954)
Secondary:
ABC (1953-1954)
DuMont (1953-1955)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
224 kW (digital)
HAAT = 320 m (analog)
293 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 18285
coordinates = coord|43|37|42|N|93|9|11.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.kaaltv.com/ www.kaaltv.com]

KAAL is the ABC television affiliate serving the Rochester/Austin, Minnesota/Mason City, Iowa DMA. The station is licensed to Austin. It broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 6, and its digital signal on UHF channel 33. Its transmitter is located near Myrtle, Minnesota.

Like every analog TV station in the US, Canada and Mexico that broadcasts on channel 6 the audio can be heard on an FM radio at 87.7 MHz.

History

KAAL went on air August 17, 1953 as KMMT. It was owned by three Austin-area businessmen along with KAUS radio (AM 1480 and FM 99.9). The calls didn't originally stand for anything, but were picked at random by the FCC from a list of selected call letters. In 1954, after KGLO-TV (now KIMT) signed on, KMMT became an exclusive ABC affiliate. It is the longest-tenured ABC affiliate in the Upper Midwest.

Blackhawk Broadcasting of Waterloo, Iowa bought KMMT and the KAUS stations in 1957. Channel 6's calls became KAUS-TV (for AUStin) in 1968, after its radio sisters. In 1975, Blackhawk sold KAUS-AM-FM, and KAUS-TV became KAAL, representing Austin and Albert Lea (a nearby city).

Blackhawk sold KAAL to News-Press & Gazette Company of St. Joseph, Missouri in 1980. Dix Communications bought the station five years later, and sold it again to Grapevine Communications in 1997. Grapevine renamed itself GOCOM in 2000.

Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation purchased KAAL from GOCOM on January 1, 2001. Hubbard Broadcasting now owns all of the ABC affiliates in Minnesota, including KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities and WDIO-TV in Duluth. The three stations frequently share stories.

On-Air Personalities

Anchors
*Jason Howland "(Good Morning Anchor)"
*Ericka Miller "(5pm Anchor)"
*Brandon McElwain "(6pm & 10pm Anchor)"
*Nicole King "(6pm & 10pm Anchor)"
*Jackie Orozco "(Weekend Anchor)"
*Sarah Swistak "(Weekend Anchor)"

Meteorologists
*Rusty Dawkins "(Chief Meteorologist)"
*Chris Kuball "(Meteorologist)"

Sports Anchors
*Ezra Broder " (Sports Director)"

Reporters
*Dan Conradt
*Stacy Lilienthal
*Mary Taing
*Axel Gumbel
*Donny Rowles
*Dietrich Nissen

Past Personalities

*Adam Branstad "(Sports Anchor)"
*Fred Hexom "(Meteorologist)
*Shelly Hexom
*Lane Lyon "(Evening News Anchor)" 1994-1996 - now with KMGH
*Karl Spring "(Chief Meteorologist)" Now Chief Meteorologist at FOX 21 KQDS TV in Duluth Minnesota

External links

* [http://www.kaaltv.com/ Official website]
*TVQ|KAAL
*BIA|KAAL|TV|TV