KTAB-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KTAB-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Coverage You Can Count On
station_branding = KTAB News
analog = 32 (UHF)
digital = 24 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
network =
founded =
airdate = October 6, 1979
location = Abilene, Texas
callsign_meaning = Television ABilene
or
"Keeping Tab on Abilene and the Big country"
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
licensee = Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
sister_stations = KRBC-TV
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 2040 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 287 m (analog)
258 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 59988
coordinates = coord|32|16|37.6|N|99|35|51.8|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/ KTAB/KRBC]

KTAB-TV is the CBS affiliate serving Abilene, Texas. It is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group and broadcasts on analog channel 32 and digital channel 24.

Technical Information and History

KTAB is licensed in Abilene and broadcasts on UHF Channel 32 with an estimated Effective Radiated Power of 2040 kilowatts and a High Definition digital signal on UHF Channel 24.

KTAB began broadcasting on October 6, 1979 and transmits from a transmitter/tower facility located on a hilltop southeast of the city along Texas Highway 36 in neighboring Callahan County (about 15 straight-line miles from the studio). The tower structure is approximately 700 feet tall with an average height of about 950 feet above the city of Abilene. The station was founded by William "Bill" Terry (55% owner) and a large contingent of partners, investors, and department heads. Terry had worked for many years at established station KRBC-TV and was well known in the Abilene area. A permit had been granted back in the sixties for a small signalled channel 32 station but it was never built. That permit for KWKC-TV was a sister to 1340 KWKC and it's then FM and was owned by Steve Gose (Oil developer) of Wichita Falls, where he also owned KNTO.

Installation of full-power digital transmitters for both KTAB-DT and KRBC-DT was completed in October 2007. The transmitters are housed in a newly-constructed building at the KTAB tower site, adjacent to the current analog transmitter building on a mountaintop southeast of Potosi. Both stations share the same digital antenna on the KTAB tower.

A new, digital 7 GHz microwave studio-transmitter link (STL), as well as master control update has allowed both stations to deliver the highest resolution High-Definition HDTV signals to the entire coverage area along with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Both CBS and NBC networks use the 1080i HDTV format.

In 2005 Nexstar Broadcasting completed consolidation of the KTAB operations into the older, yet much larger KRBC building at 4510 South 14th Street in Abilene. The original KTAB building was sold and has been converted into an office building.

The computerized and automated master control facility not only operates KTAB and KRBC TV in Abilene, but also sister Nexstar/Mission stations KLST and KSAN in San Angelo. All syndicated programming and local commercial advertising for all four stations is delivered via Harris/Leitch Nexio servers with Avid/Sundance FastBreak automation providing all switching and playback operations.

The main bi-directional microwave relay system link connecting master control in Abilene with the KLST-KSAN studio and transmission facilities in San Angelo, 90 miles away, was destroyed when the KRBC tower near Tuscola collapsed on January 14, 2007. In December 2007 Nexstar Broadcasting set up a dual-path fiber-optic Suddenlink cable link to the San Angelo broadcast facility.

In May 2007, both KTAB and KRBC TV websites were combined into www.BigCountryHomepage.com. KTAB News Director Tom Vodak moved over to head the new website. Former KTAB Sports Director David Bacon, who had been an account executive for the station, moved over to replace Vodak as News Director.

In November 2007, KTAB VP General Manager Gayle Kiger was promoted to VP Station Manager of Nexstar's KARK TV in Little Rock, Arkansas. Former KTAB Sales Manager, Eric Thomas returned as VP Station Manager. Thomas had left KTAB in 2003 to become Director of Sales of KLBK-KAMC TV, the Nexstar-Mission duopoly, in Lubbock, Texas.

In January 2008, both KTAB and KRBC TV finally started the process of switching microwave equipment from 7 GHz to 2 GHz spectrum as part of the nationwide Sprint Nextel 2 GHz Relocation Project [http://www.2ghzrelocation.com/plugin/template/broadcast/welcome/*] . This project that is going on across the country, will convert all 7 GHz analog microwave equipment at the stations over to 2 GHz digital in the coming months in the Abilene television market. This project has been in the planning stages for the last two years.

Video Formats and Other Broadcasting Equipment

KTAB/KRBC has the market's only fully-digital local news delivery system. For field acquisition, the News Department currently uses Sony DSR-PD150 professional, handheld, 3CCD camcorders, utilizing the broadcast-quality DVCAM component digital videotape format (the only tape in the news "chain"). All editing is performed using cutting-edge, Windows XP-based Avid NewsCutter XP nonlinear editing software. Raw footage transfer is accomplished using a digital FireWire connection between the camcorder and editing PC, and the finished, ready-to-air video is sent instantly to playback servers located in master control. It is anticipated that tapeless, high-definition camcorders will be in service by 2010.

Broadcast-standard Betacam SP (component analog) and DVCPro (component digital) videotape formats are still used in the Production Department for EFP (Electronic Field Production) acquisition, as well as server ingestion in master control.

The News Department currently utilizes three ENG (Electronic News Gathering) vans that allow remote, terrestrial microwave "live shots" from almost anywhere within a 20-mile radius of Abilene. By the end of 2007, a fourth van is expected to be operational. And with the concurrent installation of remote digital transmitters and receivers, the two stations' "live" news coverage area will be expanded to include most of the viewing area, including the Brownwood region, 80 miles from the studios. Also see 2ghz project above.

Programming

KTAB syndicated programming includes "The Oprah Winfrey Show" , "Wheel of Fortune" , "Jeopardy", "Maximum Exposure", and others.

News Staff

Managing Editor & Anchor, Bob Bartlett
News Anchor, Angela Taylor
Morning Anchor, Ron Rosseau
Weekend Anchor/Reporter, Lauren Matter
Senior Reporter, Victor Sotelo
Reporter, Katherine Lane
Reporter, Meghan Dobbs
Chief Meteorologist, Dan Edwards
Morning & Noon Weather, Kira Miner
Weekend Weather Sam Nichols

Past Personalities

Tom Vodak "FoodTAB"
Randy Turner
Fran Adkins
Dusty Jenson
David Bacon
Kristin Arnold
Jennifer Douglas
Jason Holloway
Buzz Lopez
Loren Halifax
Diane Dotson
Frank Healer
Larry Fitzgerald
Joel Fox
Ned Austin
Paul Sorrell
Janet St. James
Bill Carter
Jeannie Blaylock
Marcy Novak

KTAB's weeknight newscasts at 6 & 10 are anchored by Bob Bartlett, and co-anchored by Angela Taylor.

External links

* [http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com KTAB-KRBC TV powered Station Website]
*TVQ|KTAB
*BIA|KTAB|TV|TV