KMTR

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KMTR
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = NewsSource 16
analog = 16 (UHF)
digital = 17 (UHF)
other_chs = (see article)
affiliations = NBC
The CW (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = October 4, 1982
location = Eugene, Oregon
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Newport Television, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 1910 kW (analog)
70 kW (digital)
HAAT = 512 m (analog)
473 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 35189
coordinates = coord|44|6|55.9|N|123|0|1.7|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.kmtr.com/ www.kmtr.com]

KMTR is the NBC and The CW affiliate television station serving the Eugene/Springfield, Oregon designated market area. Owned by Newport Television, the station reaches additional viewers in central and western Oregon via co-owned full-powered satellite stations KMCB channel 23 (Coos Bay) and KTCW channel 46 (Roseburg). KMTR's transmitter is located near Springfield, Oregon.

Overview

In its promotion and marketing KMTR refers to itself as NewsSource 16. Together with KMCB and KTCW, the stations are known as Oregon's News Source Network. The station also operates a cable-only station, former WB affiliate KZWB.

KMTR covers local news, sports, and weather for Springfield, Eugene and Western Oregon. It currently is the only local television station in Eugene/Springfield offering streaming video newscasts on the Internet.

History

KMTR started as a UHF station carrying NBC programming. KMTR began broadcasting after former NBC affiliate, KVAL-TV began selectively omitting certain NBC prime time broadcasts from its evening lineup, replacing them with alternate programming from rival network, CBS. The resulting conflict over this programming decision preceded the introduction of KMTR to the media market, and a switch of KVAL affiliation away from NBC to CBS.

In late 1995, the station was bought by the Wicks Broadcast Group of New York City. In March of 1996, Wicks Broadcast Group named Brian Benschoter the station’s new GM who started shaking things up immediately for the third place Eugene based station. On May 21, 1996 he abruptly fired longtime sports anchors Brian Lamb and Steve Freedman without warning. Lamb, an 11.5 year veteran of the station, and Freedman an 8.5 year employee introduced the “Prep Athlete of the Week” segment that became an immensely popular weekly honor. The award is still considered by locals as the top media honor one can receive for high school sports in the Eugene/Springfield area.Lamb and Freedman were replaced by Joe Giansante a new addition to the KMTR family and sports talk radio host on KUGN AM 590.

In March 1999, Wicks sold the station to the Ackerley Group, who merged with Clear Channel Communications in 2001. KMTR was named "Station of the Year" for 2005 by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters (OAB).

In February 2006, the two satellite stations, KMTZ and KMTX, changed call letters to KUCW and KTCW, respectively. The call letters held no real meaning, as neither station, nor the primary station, KMTR, had secured the CW affiliation yet. However, after the announcement of The CW's formation, some broadcasters, Clear Channel in particular, placed key call letters with "CW" in them on their stations, just to keep them out of the hands of the competition. This seems to have been the case with the Coos Bay station, for in September 2006, Clear Channel transferred the "KUCW" call letters to its Salt Lake City CW affiliate, formerly KUWB. The Coos Bay station picked up the call letters KMCB - likely taking the "M" from the primary station, and the "CB" from Coos Bay.

Effective September 2006, KMTR has added programming from The CW Television Network to its DT2 subchannel, as well as converting cable-only WB station KZWB to the CW.

On April 20, 2007, Clear Channel entered into an agreement to sell its entire television stations group to Newport Television, a unit of Providence Equity Partners.cite press release|title=Clear Channel Agrees to Sell Television Station Group to Providence Equity Partners|publisher=Clear Channel Communications|url=http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/PressRelease.aspx?PressReleaseID=1943|date=2007-04-20|accessdate=2007-04-20] The deal closed on March 14, 2008.

atellite stations

Notes:
*1. The "Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook" says KTCW signed on April 8, while the "Television and Cable Factbook" says it signed on April 20.

Digital Television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

After the analog television shutdown scheduled for February 17, 2009 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf] , KMTR, KMCB and KTCW will return to their current digital channels.

Translators

The stations are rebroadcasted on the following translators:

KMTR Repeaters

* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K11KI K11KI] Channel 11 Dorena
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K55HE K55HE] Channel 55 London Springs (Moving to Ch. 35)
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K60DO K60DO] Channel 60 Cottage Grove (Moving to Ch. 48)
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K60DQ K60DQ] Channel 60 Florence (Moving to Ch. 43)

KTCW Repeaters

* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K22GX K22GX] Channel 22 Tri-City
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K31AE K31AE] Channel 31 Sutherlin

KMCB Repeaters

* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K46AS K46AS] Channel 46 Coos Bay (City Grade Signal)
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K61EH K61EH] Channel 61 Powers

Personalities

Current anchors at KMTR include:
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=5D5BCD89-70AE-4FEC-AE01-90D4711209EC Matt Templeman] Evening News Anchor
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=FD35A5C0-29BB-49C8-9B2B-FBC950BA16F3 Renee McCullough] Evening News Anchor
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=40F68301-C59C-48A2-A6ED-DB9522553A77 Joseph Calbreath] Evening Meteorologist
* [http://www.kmtr.com/content/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=94c33d2f-5b22-4fb9-a4d1-1690b1347fbb Nohelani Graf] Weekend News Anchor
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=0EBA3A09-DB73-4875-901D-E568BE70A5FD Kelli Warner] Morning News
* [http://www.kmtr.com/content/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=fd8de013-0a30-4416-abbd-430308f1b069 Marc Mullins] Morning News
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=3425FC5B-E7C5-40E0-AAF9-C64F9F966CD4 Brent Prasnikar] 11pm Weather
* [http://www.kmtr.com/content/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=38d47720-de52-445a-bb4d-24408b7568a8 Jared Meyer] Weekend News & Weather
* [http://www.kmtr.com/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=DEACA280-4DCB-48C0-905F-09986D80D704 Darren Fabre] Weeknight Sports & Friday Night Fever
* [http://www.kmtr.com/content/biographies/story.aspx?content_id=011c4003-5d1d-4f52-89b2-d963f9620d3f Scott Fleishman] Weekend Sports Anchor & Friday Night Fever

Trivia

The call letters KMTR originally belonged to MyNetworkTV station in Los Angeles, KCOP-TV.

External links

* [http://www.kmtr.com/ KMTR]
*TVQ|KMTR
*TVQ|KMCB
*TVQ|KTCW
*BIA|KMTR|TV|TV
*BIA|KMCB|TV|TV
*BIA|KTCW|TV|TV

References