KQTV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KQTV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Your Hometown News
station_branding = KQ2
analog = 2 (VHF)
digital = TBD (likely 7 VHF)
digital_temporary = 57 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = September 1953 [The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says September 27, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says September 13.]
location = St. Joseph, Missouri
callsign_meaning = KFEQ-TV
"(reflecting former call letters)"
former_callsigns = KFEQ-TV (1953-1969)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Nexstar Broadcasting Group
licensee = Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1953-1967)
Secondary:
DuMont (1953-1955)
ABC (1956-1967)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 247 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 20427
coordinates = coord|39|46|12.5|N|94|47|55.4|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.stjoechannel.com/ www.stjoechannel.com]

KQTV, Channel 2, is the only local broadcast television station serving the St. Joseph, Missouri area. It is an ABC affiliate owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group.

History

It was founded as a CBS/DuMont Television Network affiliate and was a dual CBS/ABC affiliate before becoming an ABC affiliate.

It was founded in 1953 as KFEQ-TV, named after KFEQ radio. Its call letters were changed to KQTV in 1969, upon the separation of ownership of KFEQ radio and KFEQ-TV.

The station has a high turnover of broadcaster personnel going on to bigger markets. Gordie Hershiser, brother of former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser, was a sportscaster at this station. He followed long time sports director John Baccala.

On August 24, 2007 KQTV marked long-time meteorologist Mike Bracciano's twentieth anniversary with the station. Current and former station personnel paid tribute to Bracciano during an hour-long broadcast originating from East Hills Mall. Among those appearing in person or via taped message were former news anchors John Bassford and Nancy Lewis and former sports director John Baccala. Lewis and Bracciano were the original hosts of the station's "Live at Five" which premiered in the early 1990s.

Since 1990 the station has periodically used the marketing slogan "KQ2: That's MY station!"

Nexstar acquired the station in April 1997.

KQTV began broadcasting its digital signal at 1000 kW on channel 53 and Because KQTV's digital channels are currently on a band of UHF which will be no longer in use after the February 17, 2009 cutoff date for analog television broadcasting (channels 52 to 69), it seemed likely that KQTV will move their digital signals to their current analog channel assignments. However, their current analog channel assignment is in the low band of VHF (channels 2 to 6), which is more prone to interference from atmospheric conditions than higher channel numbers. For this reason, KQTV will be switching to channel 7 when KMBC-TV switches its digital signal to channel 9 when the switchover occurs.Fact|date=June 2008

Market Status

St. Joseph ranks 201 out of 210 in the list of television stations in North America by media market (its official market does not include Kansas City but rather rural parts of northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri). There are no other on-air stations within its market with the exception of TBN's KTAJ-TV on channel 16. TV signals from Kansas City, Topeka and Omaha serve portions of the St. Joseph market over-the-air and are also available on some cable systems.

KQTV Tower

Its landmark lattice steel transmission tower which also opened in 1953 is 750 feet (228.6 m) high and is often compared to the 1,042 foot (317.6 m) KCTV tower in Kansas City. Both towers were built at the same time and both stations began broadcasting on September 27, 1953.

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"KFEQ-TV News" (1953-1962)
*"The Midland Empire Report" (6pm) and "News Final" (10pm) (1963-1972)
*"KQ2 Newswatch" (1972-1988)
*"NewsTeam 2" (1988-1994)
*"KQ2 News" (1994-2000)
*"KQ2, Your Hometown News" (2000-present)

External links

* [http://www.stjoechannel.com/ Official site]
*TVQ|KQTV
*BIA|KQTV|TV|TV

References

TV Guide 1970-1972