KYTX

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KYTX
city =
station_
station_slogan = The EYE of East Texas
Your Local News Leader!
station_branding = CBS 19 (general)
CBS 19 Eyewitness News (news)
analog = 19 (UHF)
digital = 18 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = CBS
RTN (DT2)
network =
founded =
airdate = September 1, 1991
location = Nacogdoches/Lufkin/Tyler/Longview, Texas
callsign_meaning = TYler, TeXas
or
EYE of East TeXas
former_callsigns = KLSB-TV (1991-2004)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = London Broadcasting Company
licensee = KYTX License Company, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = NBC (1991-2004; as satellite of KETK-TV)
UPN (DT2, Jan-Sept 2006)
effective_radiated_power = 4270 kW (analog)
640 kW (digital)
HAAT = 457 m (both)
class =
facility_id = 55644
coordinates = coord|31|54|20.8|N|95|5|5.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.cbs19.tv/ www.cbs19.tv]

KYTX (CBS 19) is a television station based in Tyler, Texas, operating on analog UHF channel 19 and digital UHF 18. The CBS affiliate, previously owned by Max Media of Texas LLC, serves a swath of East Texas, including Tyler, Jacksonville, Lufkin and Nacogdoches. It was the first East Texas station to broadcast programming in high-definition.

On October 18, 2007 the "Longview News-Journal" and the "Tyler Morning Telegraph" both reported that the station has been sold for $25 million (pending FCC approval) to Terry London and SunTX Capital Partners through London Broadcasting Company, Inc. Terry London is a former CEO of Gaylord Entertainment. ( [http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/10182007_CBS_19.html] , [http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20071017/BUSINESS/71017029/-1/BUSINESS] )

History

The station began broadcasting in 1991 as KLSB, a Lufkin/Nacogdoches NBC affiliate simulcasting programming from Tyler sister station KETK. Max Media purchased the station in 2003, relocating its offices to Tyler and signing an affiliation agreement with CBS. Prior to the switch, Longview viewers only received CBS via either KTVT in Dallas or KSLA in Shreveport. KLSB moved to a low-powered transmitter broadcasting on channel 53.

On April 12, 2004, KYTX signed on from the KLSB tower. The station began broadcasting from its new tower near New Summerfield on June 13, 2004.

In most of the Tyler/Longview/Nacogdoches market's cable systems, KYTX replaced Dallas-area CBS affiliate KTVT. For its first few months, KYTX simulcast KTVT's evening news while building its own local news department.

Digital Channels

KYTX was the last station in the Tyler-Longview market to transmit with a full power digital signal, and the first to offer HD programming. KYTX-DT went on the air in HD on UHF channel 18 (19.1) on June 12, 2004 from the new tower near New Summerfield. On January 1, 2006, sub-channel 19.2 was added, and UPN programming was moved from KCEB to the new UPN18. 19.2 currently airs independent MYTX.

Newscasts

On September 12, 2004, KYTX began airing a local newscast, "CBS 19 Eyewitness News". The station started with weekday newscasts at 6 AM, 6 PM and 10 PM, and a weekend newscast at 10 PM; the "'Eye @ 5'" 5 PM newscast was added in 2005 and reformatted as "'Primetime at 5'" in 2007. The 10 PM newscast was reformatted as "'Ten at 10:00'" in January 2008, focusing on harder news stories and faster delivery in the first 10 minutes.

CBS 19 later launched a new 6:30-7:00 PM show: "CBS 19 Eyewitness News: Longview/Kilgore Edition." The newscast is similar to a previously attempted Longview-centered newscast on KFXK FOX 51. In 2008, they added a Sunday morning newscast.

tormy, the Weather Dog

[http://www.cbs19.tv/anchor-stormy.php Stormy] , a dog adopted from the Humane Society of Smith County in late 2005, serves as the station's de facto mascot, "assisting" former Chief Meteorologist Doc Deason with his weekday weather forecasts. The idea was inspired by a similar mascot at Houston station KPRC-TV. Viewers named the dog in a poll, and Stormy made his first appearance on November 3, 2005. Sales of "Stormy's Dog-gone Goodwill Dog Cookies" featuring the dog benefit area humane societies and Goodwill Industries chapters. Stormy no longer appears on the newscast.

My Texas TV

On January 1, 2006, KYTX assumed the UPN affiliation from KCEB and began carrying the UPN network signal for the Tyler/Longview market as a subchannel on channel 18.2 of its DTV signal.

After UPN and The WB announced their merger in January 2006, KCEB was awarded affiliation for the new CW network.

In September 2006, UPN 18 became "MYTX: My Texas TV", not to be confused with My Network TV. This station launched as being an independent station for Sports, Comedy, and Entertainment. The schedule currently consists of simulcasts of their newscasts, along with the CBS programs "The Price is Right" and "The Young and the Restless". In addition, the reruns carried prior to the switch have been shuffled around on the schedule.

'Anchorwoman' Reality Show

KYTX pitched a new reality show, "", with a former international model coming to town to anchor the news in the Spring of 2007.

Billboards posted in the East Texas community caused quite a controversy. The boards showed Lauren Jones in a provocative pose and two words, "SHE'S COMING" written on them. Many news outlets including FOX News and "Good Morning America" did stories on the filming of the reality show.

The comedy show wrapped up filming in late June 2007. During taping, KYTX removed the CBS eye from its logo and all instances of CBS identification from its signage and equipment, as the program aired on a competing network, FOX. The CBS eye returned to the logo after taping was wrapped.

The first two episodes aired back-to-back on August 22, 2007 on FOX. The network canceled the show the next day after the debut airing garnered a disappointing 2.0 household rating (1.0 in the 18 to 49 year old demographic).

In the market, KYTX's competitor, KFXK, aired the program as scheduled on FOX. However, it did not sell any local ad time, opting to use this time to promote the newscasts on KFXK's sister station, KETK-TV. (At the time, KFXK had no newscast of its own.)

Personalities

2008 On-Air Talent

Anchors
*Randy Lynn, 6PM, 6:30PM and "Ten at 10:00" Anchor
*Lisa Spooner, 6PM, 6:30PM and "Ten at 10:00" Anchor
*Meghan McDermott, Weekday Morning Anchor
*Bryan Houston, Weekday Morning, and "Primetime at 5" Anchor
*Michele Reese, Weekend Anchor
*Anthony Austin, Weekend Anchor
*Roger Gray, "Sunday Morning Edition" Anchor
*Hayley Wielgus, "Sunday Morning Edition" Anchor

Reporters

*Roger Gray, Investigative Reporter
*Amanda Kost, General Assignment Reporter
*Clay Falls, Longview Bureau Reporter
*Mechelle Jordan, Longview Bureau Reporter
*Wilton Johnson, Longview Bureau Reporter
*Lynne Sullivant, General Assignment Reporter
*Meghan McDermott, General Assignment Reporter
*Michele Reese, General Assignment Reporter
*Hayley Wielgus, General Assignment Reporter
*Anthony Austin, General Assignment Reporter

Weather
*John Adams, Chief Meteorologist
*Scott Fossey, Weekday Morning Meteorologist
*Albert Bruhn, Weekend Meteorologist

Sports
*Eric Sullivan, Sports Director
*Mike Alzamora, Sports Reporter

Former On-Air Personalities
*Doc Deason, chief meteorologist (2004-2007)
*Annalisa Petralia, evening news anchor (2004-2008), currently at [http://www.keyetv.com/content/aboutus/newsteam/story.aspx?content_id=003ea0a6-35b3-4d8d-832e-5c093628eb3b KEYE]
*Keri Bellacosa, morning news co-anchor (2004-2007), currently at [http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=2923119&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.3.1 KTBC]
*Brian Joyce, sports director (2004-2006), currently at [http://www.9news.com/company/bios/article.aspx?storyid=69853 KUSA]
*Kelli Wiese, evening news co-anchor (2004-2006)
*Judy Jordan, news anchor (2005-2007)
*Tyler Wing, weekend news co-anchor (2005-2006)
*Scott Williams, morning news meteorologist (2004-2005), currently at [http://www.live5news.com/about/staff/3570977.html WCSC]

*Vickie Pierre, news reporter (2004-2007), currently at [http://www.news4jax.com/newsteam/13897979/detail.html WJXT]
*Jane Slater, news reporter (2005-2006), currently at [http://www.thedenverchannel.com/7newsteam/13383712/detail.html KMGH]
*David Allgood, general assignments reporter (2004-2005)
*AJ Smith, news reporter (2004-2005), currently at [http://www.koat.com/koatnewsteam/4536882/detail.html KOAT]
*Julie Adams, news reporter (2006-2007)
*Emily Murray, news reporter (2007)

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"This Morning" Morning News 5:30-7:00 AM
*"Sunday Morning Edition" Sunday Morning News 7:00-7:30 AM
*"Primetime at 5" Weekdays at 5 PM
*"CBS 19 Eyewitness News at 6" Weekdays at 6 PM
*"CBS 19 Longview/Kilgore Edition" Weekdays at 6:30 PM
*"Ten at 10:00" Every Night at 10 PM

tation Slogans

* "The EYE of East Texas" (2004-present)
* "Your Local News Leader!" (2005-present)

External links

* [http://www.cbs19.tv/ www.cbs19.tv]
* [http://www.newscaststudio.com/setstudio/kytx/ Pictures of the CBS 19 news set] at [http://www.newscaststudio.com/ NewsCastStudio]
*TVQ|KYTX
*BIA|KYTX|TV|TV