KOAA-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KOAA-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Southern Colorado's News Leader
station_branding = Channels 5 and 30 (general)
NewsFirst 5/30 (news)
analog = 5 (VHF)
digital = 42 (UHF)
other_chs = K30AA Colorado Springs
(for others, see article)
affiliations = NBC
network =
founded =
airdate = June 29, 1953
location = Pueblo/Colorado Springs, Colorado
callsign_meaning = KOA-TV (now KCNC-TV in Denver- former sister station)
former_callsigns = KCSJ-TV (1953-1961)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Evening Post Publishing Company
licensee = Sangre de Cristo Communications, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
880 kW (digital)
HAAT = 396 m (analog)
660 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 59014
coordinates = coord|38|22|24.1|N|104|33|30.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|38|44|42|N|104|51|41|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.koaa.com/ www.koaa.com]

KOAA-TV is the NBC affiliate for southern Colorado. It is licensed to Pueblo, and broadcasts on channel 5. It also operates a translator, K30AA channel 30, in Colorado Springs. The station has staff and offices in both Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Its news studio is located in Pueblo.

History

Early years as KCSJ-TV

The station signed on for the first time on June 30, 1953 as KCSJ-TV, owned by the Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation, owners of Pueblo's two major newspapers, the morning "Pueblo Chieftain" and evening "Pueblo Star-Journal," along with KCSJ-AM. It is Colorado's second-oldest station outside of Denver.

During the 1950s, KCSJ-TV was one of two full-time NBC affiliates serving Southern Colorado - the other being KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, about 40 miles to the north and that city's other TV station, KKTV, was a primary CBS affiliate with a secondary ABC affiliation. By 1960, the Pueblo and Colorado Springs markets were combined into one single TV market serving both cities. At this point, KCSJ-TV became the area's sole NBC affiliate with KRDO-TV switching to ABC and KKTV in dropping its secondary ABC affiliation to become an exclusive CBS affiliate.

Change to KOAA-TV

In 1961, Star-Chieftain sold KCSJ-TV to Metropolitan Broadcasting, owners of KOA-AM-FM-TV in Denver. KCSJ-TV then became KOAA-TV, but remained a free-standing station and not a satellite of KOA-TV (now KCNC-TV). With much wealthier ownership, KOAA was able to add videotape in 1962. In 1967, it became the first television station in Southern Colorado to broadcast local programming in color.

1970s decline and rebound

KOAA floundered through the early and mid-1970s largely because of its signal. While most of Colorado Springs receives the channel 5 signal very well, some parts of the city and several areas in the northern portion of the market were not as lucky, due to the market's rugged, mountainous terrain. This posed a problem for KOAA, as the Colorado Springs area underwent unprecedented population growth that continues to this day while Pueblo remained relatively unchanged. KOAA also changed hands several times during this period passing through several non-broadcast owners, leading the station to lose its prestige and become less profitable.

Things didn't really turn around until 1977, when the Evening Post Publishing Company of Charleston, South Carolina bought the station and brought in former ABC executive John Gilbert as general manager. Evening Post still operates the station today through its broadcasting arm, Cordillera Communications. Soon after Gilbert's arrival, KOAA opened a studio and sales office in Colorado Springs and steadily beefed up its news operation. In 1980, KOAA started a translator on channel 30 in Colorado Springs, bringing NBC programming to much of the northern portion of the market for the first time.

It was also during this time that KOAA adopted the Eyewitness News format that was popular with TV stations nationwide during the 1970s and 1980s, using the Eyewitness News 5/30 branding (denoting both the main and Colorado Springs translator channels). Since 2001, the newscast has been branded as NewsFirst 5/30 which begin on its morning and midday newscasts but KOAA continued to use the Eyewitness News brand until February 8, 2002 (the first day of the 2002 Winter Olympics) when the station adopted the News First brand for all of its newscasts. The station operates a NewsFirst Now channel on the cable systems in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo, which includes news updates along with real-time weather forecasts and conditions.Koaa used to have a 4pm newscast and 9pm but it canclled 4pm and reduced 9pm to 10 minutes.

Transition to digital television

KOAA-DT is the digital television service of KOAA, located on channel 42 (virtual channel 5.1). It commenced operations on 1 August 2006. It has the capability to broadcast in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

Repeaters

In addition to its main repeater, K30AA in Colorado Springs, the station also has the following repeater stations throughout the state of Colorado.

* Aguilar — K02AC
* Cañon City — K19DY
* Cheyenne Wells — K60AM
* Coaldale — K10AR
* Crested Butte — K10AK
* Deora — K45BU
* Eads — K50AA
* Gunnison — K07BE
* Jacks Cabin — K05EJ
* Lake City — K04HG
* Lamar — K09DH/K53AA
* Las Animas — K63AF
* Parlin — K61DC
* Pitkin — K12AL
* Sapinero — K48EF
* Sargents — K53AY
* Somerset — K02IJ
* Spring Creek — K11QK
* Springfield — K64CT

External links

* [http://www.koaa.com/ KOAA Web site]
*TVQ|KOAA-TV
*TVQ|K30AA
*TVQ|K02AC
*TVQ|K19DY
*TVQ|K60AM
*TVQ|K10AR
*TVQ|K10AK
*TVQ|K45BU
*TVQ|K50AA
*TVQ|K07BE
*TVQ|K05EJ
*TVQ|K04HG
*TVQ|K09DH
*TVQ|K53AA
*TVQ|K63AF
*TVQ|K61DC
*TVQ|K12AL
*TVQ|K48EF
*TVQ|K53AY
*TVQ|K02IJ
*TVQ|K11QK
*TVQ|K64CT
*BIA|KOAA|TV|TV