KUSA-TV

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KUSA-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Colorado's News Leader, Where News Comes First
station_branding = 9NEWS
analog = 9 (VHF)
digital = 16 (UHF)
post_transition = 9 (VHF)
subchannels = 9.1 KUSA / NBC
9.2 9NEWS Weather Plus
other_chs = (see article)
affiliations = NBC
NBC Weather Plus
airdate = October 12, 1952
location = Denver, Colorado
callsign_meaning = "USA Today"
(published by Gannett)
= United States of America
former_callsigns = KBTV (1952-1984)
owner = Gannett Company
licensee = Multimedia Holdings Corporation
sister_stations = KTVD
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1952-1953)
ABC (1953-1995)
Secondary:
NBC (1952-1953)
ABC (1952-1953)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 280 m (analog)
317.9 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=23074 23074]
coordinates = coord|39|43|46.4|N|105|14|9.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (analog)
coord|39|43|50.6|N|105|13|55.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000 (digital)
homepage = [http://www.9news.com/ www.9news.com]

KUSA-TV, channel 9, is an NBC-affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado. KUSA-TV is owned by the Gannett Company, and is a sister station to KTVD (channel 20), Denver's MyNetworkTV affiliate. Both stations share studio facilities in Denver, and KUSA's transmitter is atop Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado.

History

The station first went on the air on October 12, 1952 as KBTV, the second television station in Denver (KFEL-TV, now KWGN-TV, was first by about three months). It was owned originally by Mullins Broadcasting. The station carried programming from CBS, ABC and NBC, but was a primary CBS affiliate. Channel 9 lost CBS to KLZ-TV (channel 7, now KMGH-TV) in November 1953 and lost NBC to KOA-TV (channel 4, now KCNC-TV) a month later, leaving it with ABC. The station struggled in the ratings for some years, in part because ABC was not on par with the other major networks until the 1970s.

In 1979, the station was sold to Combined Communications, which would be merged into the Gannett Company later that year. The station changed its call letters to the current KUSA-TV on March 19, 1984.

In 1995 KCNC-TV, then an NBC-owned station, became a CBS affiliate as a result of a complex ownership/affiliation deal between Westinghouse Electric Corporation, NBC and CBS. At the same time, McGraw-Hill, owner of longtime CBS affiliate KMGH-TV, entered into a network affiliation agreement with ABC, thereby causing KMGH to become an ABC station. Gannett then entered into an affiliation agreement with NBC that included, among others, KUSA, which became an NBC affiliate in the very early morning hours of September 10, 1995.

In April 2004, KUSA became the first television station in the Denver market, the first Gannett-owned station, and the second station nationally to produce newscasts in high definition. In April 2005, KUSA started broadcasting NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel (9.2) and Comcast digital cable channel 249. Weather Plus can also be viewed on KUSA's website.

In August 2007, KUSA started the 9NEWS High School Hotshots Program, which incorporated 12 Colorado High Schools: Berthoud High School, Broomfield High School, Fort Collins High School, Greeley West High School, Lakewood High School, Lamar High School, Limon High School, Montbello High School, Ponderosa High School, Ralston Valley High School, Thunder Ridge High School, and Wheat Ridge High School. The "Hotshots" where students from each school, selected by the administration and staff of the school, who filmed the school's football games. The program has since extended to cover winter sports at the schools. The "Hotshots" footage can be found on KUSA's website.

In September 2004 KUSA started broadcasting a lifestyle magazine called Colorado & Company. It airs after the Today Show's 9 AM hour on KUSA. When the show started, it also aired on KPXC-TV, but that ended when NBC ended its joint ownership of Pax. Colorado & Company is produced LIVE each weekday morning from the KUSA studios, and features paid segments by local companies.

News Operations

For over 30 years, KUSA's newscasts, which are known as "9NEWS", dominated the ratings in Denver. In February of 1976, Ed Sardella and John Rayburn anchored the weekday edition of "9NEWS at 10 PM" to the top of the ratings, overtaking longtime leader KOA-TV. Rayburn was succeeded by Mike Landess in 1977. He would remain paired with Sardella as one of Denver's top anchor teams for 16 years until leaving for KUSA's sister station WXIA-TV in Atlanta in late 1993. Sardella retired from the anchor desk in 2000, but returned briefly to replace Jim Benemann, who left for KCNC. [ [http://cbs4denver.com/bios/Jim.Benemann.anchor.9.566788.html cbs4denver.com - Jim Benemann ] ] Landess, after anchoring at WTTG in Washington D.C., returned to Denver on rival KMGH-TV.

In the November 2007 sweeps, KCNC's 5 PM newscast surged over KUSA for the first time in over a decade, and also overtook KUSA in overall sign-on to sign-off numbers. This is partially due to KCNC's recent highlights in investigative reports and human interest stories, though also largely due to CBS's primetime lineup strengths and NBC's primetime lineup weaknesses. However, overall, KUSA is still the #1 station for news despite the closest ratings between KUSA, KCNC, and KMGH ever.

On September 5, 2006, KUSA launched a daily half-hour 9 PM newscast on sister station KTVD, to coincide with that station's affiliation switch from UPN to MyNetworkTV. On December 5, 2006, KUSA launched a 2 hour extension of its weekday morning newscast on KTVD. KUSA now produces weekend morning newscasts at 6 AM on KTVD. In addition to its main studios in downtown Denver, KUSA operates a "Northern Newsroom" out of the offices of the Fort Collins-based "Fort Collins Coloradoan" newspaper. The newsroom is staffed by photojournalist Gary Wolfe and reporter Adam Chodak. The station also operates a "Mountain Newsroom" in Silverthorne staffed by Matt Renoux.

Translators

The Denver market includes large portions of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. KUSA & NBC serve this vast area with one of the largest translator networks in the country. (All translators on this list are in Colorado unless otherwise listed)

* K41EV - Akron
* K49EX - Anton
* K02FW - Ashcroft
* K19FH - Ashcroft
* K06HU - Aspen
* K06BX - Axial Basin
* K07KR - Basalt
* K59BZ - Broadmoor
* K59AP - Bethune/Burlington
* K10LW - Carbondale
* K48IC - Carbondale
* K24CH - Cortez
* K55KN-D - Cortez
* K03CK - Craig
* K04GS - Crested Butte,ETC
* K58AA - Crystal,ETC
* K02GJ - Delta,ETC
* K02JD - East Elk Creek
* K08OF-D - Estes Park
* K61AA - Estes Park
* K69AX - Flagler-Seibert
* K39BT - Fraser,ETC
* K02IK - Gateview,ETC
* K12KP - Glen Haven
* K09DC - Glenwood Springs
* K07JM - Grand Vally,ETC
* K04DH - Gunnison
* K64AQ - Hartsel,ETC
* K41IT - Haxtun
* K28FX - Idalia & S. Yuma Cty
* K55JC - Julesburg
* K13GI - Leadville
* K11LM - Lower Frying Pan River
* K50AS - Marvine Creek Campground
* K48CL - Meeker
* K06JJ - Meeker,ETC
* KXHD-LP - Montrose
* K11JZ - New Castle,ETC
* K09QA - Paonia, ETC.
* K63CX - Parlin, ETC.
* K64AV - Piceance Creek
* K08JZ - Pitkin-Ohio,CO
* K18GM - Pleasant Valley
* K12LX - Powder Horn Valley
* K04HP - Red Stone
* K09XN - Red Stone (NBC/Universal-Owned Translator)
* K06HF - Salida, ETC.
* K46DB - Sapinero
* K57CS - Sargents
* K04HH - Snowmass-At-Aspen
* K10KK - Somerset
* K56GL - Sterling ETC.
* K39HE - Woody Creek
* K44GQ - Woody Creek (NBC/Universal-Owned Translator)
* K11LW - Woody Creek
* K52FZ - Wray
* K07GK - Yampa
* K38AD - Yuma

News Team

Anchors
* Gary Shapiro - weekday mornings and Noon
* Kyle Dyer - weekday mornings and Noon
* Mark Koebrich - 4 PM weekdays, 9 PM on KTVD weekdays, reporter
* Kim Christiansen - 4 PM weekdays, reporter
* Bob Kendrick - 5 PM, 6 PM, and 10 PM weekdays
* Adele Arakawa - 5 PM, 6 PM, and 10 PM weekdays
* Shawn Patrick - weekend mornings, reporter
* Cheryl Preheim - weekend mornings, reporter
* Ward Lucas - weekend evenings, investigative reporter
* Carrie McClure - weekend evenings, reporter
* Bazi Kanani - 9 PM on KTVD weekdays, reporter
* Kirk Montgomery - 4 PM weekdays Entertainment Anchor
* Gregg Moss - Business Reporter

Weather
* Kathy Sabine - Chief Forecaster, weekday evenings. Also provides daily weather forecasts for the Denver Post, and the Fort Collins Coloradoan (AMS/NWA)
* Nick Carter - weekday mornings/noon (AMS)
* Becky Ditchfield - weekday mornings/noon (AMS)
* Marty Coniglio - weekend evenings (AMS)
* Ashton Altieri - weekend mornings and NBC Weather Plus meteorologist (AMS-CBM/NWA)

Sports
* Drew Soicher - weekday evenings
* Susie Wargin - weekday mornings
* Rod Mackey - weekend evenings
* Jesse Horne - High school sports reporter, "Prep Rally" anchor

Reporters
* Anastaysia Bolton - General Assignment Reporter
* Adam Chodak - Northern Newsroom Reporter
* Kim Christiansen - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Kyle Clark - General Assignment Reporter
* Amelia Earhart - SKY 9 Traffic Reporter
* Nelson Garcia - Education/Technology Reporter
* Jesse Horne - Sports Reporter
* Bazi Kanani - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Mark Koebrich - Consumer Reporter
* Ward Lucas - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Rod Mackey - Sports Reporter
* Carrie McClure - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Heidi McGuire - Backpack Journalist/General Assignment Reporter
* Ben McKee - Backpack Journalist/Community Relations Journalist
* Kirk Montgomery - Entertainment Reporter
* Graeme Nistler - Traffic.com Reporter
* Shawn Patrick - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Cheryl Preheim - Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
* Matt Renoux - Mountain Newsroom Reporter
* Adam Schrager - Political Reporter
* Jace Larson - 9 Wants to Know/Investigative Reporter
* Deborah Sherman - 9 Wants to Know/Investigative Reporter
* TaRhonda Thomas - General Assignment Reporter
* Thanh Truong - General Assignment Reporter
* Chris Vanderveen - General Assignment Reporter
* Simone Wilkinson - Business/General Assignment Reporter
* Paula Woodward - 9 Wants To Know/Investigative Reporter

Contributors
* Dr. James Rouse - Nutrition Expert (now Featured only on 9NEWS.COM)
* Steve Spangler - Featured On The Mornings and Afternoon Show (Science Experiments)

Former Personalities

* Jim Benemann - anchor, 2000-03; now with KCNC in Denver
* Neal Browne - reporter
* Heather Cabot - Reporter, 1997-2000; went to ABC News World News Now (Jan, 2005-Dec, 2005). Currently Web Life Editor for Yahoo.
* Kevin Corke - sports anchor; now with NBC Nightly News
* Tom Costello - reporter, early 1990s; now with NBC News as a correspondent for NBC Nightly News and MSNBC
* John Cromwell - meteoroligist
* Gary Cruz - sports anchor; now with KPHO in Phoenix, Arizona
* Frank Currier - anchor/reporter, 1972-1979; longtime CBS News correspondent and now a Journalism Professor at Syracuse University
* Ginger Delgado - Police Beat Reporter 1996-2005, now a reporter & fill in anchor at KWGN in Denver.
* Dan Dennison - Western slope newsroom reporter, 1982-1995; now news director at KHNL in Honolulu, Hawaii
* Rick DeReyes- Reporter, 1984-1986
* Fred Dressler - political reporter and station editorial director; later an executive with Time Warner Cable [ [http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6515382.html?desc=topstory Time Warner Cable Veteran Fred Dressler Dies at 66] ] (deceased)
* Tom Green - sports anchor; now with KWGN in Denver
* Ed Greene - meteorologist, 1995-2001; Now with KCNC in Denver
* Leanne Gregg - reporter, 1996-2000; now with NBC's News Channel, based out of KUSA's newsroom
* Taunia Hottman - Sky9 reporter, 2004-07; Now Living in New York City with her husband & doing freelance work.
* Paul Johnson - former reporter; last known to be living in New York as a stay-at-home father
* Brian Joyce - sports reporter; left to pursue a career outside of television
* Jinah Kim - reporter; now with NBC's News Channel
* Bill Kuster - weather anchor, 1979-96; (deceased)
* Tony La Monica - Traffic Reporter, 1998-2004; does voiceover work in the Denver area
* Mike Landess - anchor, 1977-93; now with KMGH in Denver
* Anita Lopez - anchor/reporter; now working as a real estate broker in Boulder, Colorado, as well as anchoring the Comcast Local Edition on CNN Headline News
* Jayson Luber - traffic reporter, part time fill-in while working full time at KOA-AM; now with KMGH in Denver
* Bertha Lynn - reporter, 1976-81; now with KMGH in Denver
* Cristina Mendonsa - anchor/reporter, 1991-1995; now at KXTV in Sacramento, California
* Ray Metoyer- reporter/ fill in anchor/ 1986-1991; now Executive Producer, Townhall Productions, Atlanta, GA
* Mike Nelson - chief meteorologist, 1991-2004; now with KMGH in Denver
* Quynh Nguyen - reporter, 2000-2008
* Nick O'Kelly - meteorologist, 2004-2007; left to go into private business with a company called ReFlight
* Blake Olson - sports reporter; now with Altitude Sports & Entertainment
* Peter Peelgrane - Sky9 Pilot, ?-1992; (deceased)
* Andrew Resnik - weekend morning anchor, 2001-03; fired after drug arrest
* Rob "Sunny" Roseman - Meteorologist, 1977-1981; now with KWGN in Denver
* Leon "Stormy" Rottman - meteorologist, 1969-93; (deceased)
* Ed Sardella - anchor, 1974-2004; now retired, but serves as host of "Let's Talk" on Denver metro government access channel 8
* Roger Wolfe - Northern newsroom reporter, 1985-June 2006; now retired
* Chip Yost - Investivative Reporter, 2004-05; now with KOLD In Tuscon
* Ron Zappolo - sports anchor, 1990-2000; now a news anchor with KDVR In Denver
* Tony Zarella - sports anchor; now with WOIO in Cleveland, Ohio

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"9NEWS Action Center" (1976-1984)
*"KUSA-9NEWS" (1984-1995)
*"9NEWS" (1995-present)

tation Slogans

*"Colorado's News Leader" (1976-present)
*"Colorado's On-Line News Leader" (June 1996-present; used only on 9NEWS.COM)
*"Where News Comes First" (April 2004-present)
*"The Networks of 9NEWS, Colorado's HD News Leader" (May 12, 2008-present)

Trivia

* When NBC partnered with Pax TV in the late 1990s, KUSA rebroadcast its 6:00 and 10:00PM newscasts Monday through Friday on KPXC-TV. This ended in 2005 when NBC ended its agreement with Pax.
* The weather forecasts are typically presented outside, in the "9 BackYard". The back yard is simply a courtyard, with a chroma key (bluescreen) wall and a robo cam. Weather forecasts for "The Today Show" and updates on NBC Weather Plus are done from a chroma key wall inside the weather center.
* According to their newscast closings from March 11 2007 to September 26 2007, the "9NEWS Networks" are 9NEWS.COM (their website), 9NEWS Now (their ticker), 9NEWS WeatherPLUS (their version of NBC Weather Plus) and My20.
* As of 9/27/07 According to their newscast closings, the "9NEWS Networks" are 9NEWS.com (their website), 9NEWS Now (their version of a news ticker) 9 NEWS Weather Plus (their version of NBC Weather Plus),My20,& m.9news.com (Their smaller version of 9NEWS.COM for Palm Pilots & other Mobile devices)
* The station stopped providing weather forecasts for KOA (AM) on January 1 2008 and entered a partnership with Entercom Communications to provide daily weather forecasts for KALC, KEZW, KQMT, and KOSI.
* KUSA broadcasts the Gannett ID & Sounder (The "Death Star") after 9NEWS at 6pm Monday-Friday only, while some Gannett stations play the ID & Sounder hourly, and occasionally at the introduction of newscasts, while some do not at all.
* KUSA served as de facto NBC affiliate for Rapid City, South Dakota, from 1995, when KEVN flipped to Fox, until 2000, when KNBN went on the air.
* "KUSA News Package" (created by Third Street Music) was commissioned by KUSA since 1995, making it one of the two news music packages still used by a Gannett-owned NBC affiliated station. KUSA's sister station, KARE in Minneapolis-St. Paul commissioned "KARE 11 News Theme" for its newscasts since 1996.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

After the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , KUSA-TV will move its digital broadcasts back to its present analog channel number, 9. [http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101256711&formid=387&fac_num=23074 CDBS Print ] ]

Logos

Used from 1984 to 1995 as an ABC Affiliate.

External links

* [http://www.9news.com/ Official 9NEWS Website]
* [http://m.9news.com/ KUSA Wireless]
* [http://www.my20denver.com/ KTVD Web site]
* [http://www.coloradoandco.com/ COLORADO & CO Website]
* [http://www.gannett.com/ Gannett Broadcasting Web site]
*TVQ|KUSA
*BIA|KUSA|TV|TV

References