KCRG-TV
Encyclopedia
KCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station
, operating as the ABC
affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa
metropolitan area
, and the nearby cities of Waterloo
, Iowa City
and Dubuque
.
The station broadcasts on VHF digital channel
9, and is the primary ABC
for the northeast quarter of Iowa
, and portions of southwestern Wisconsin
and northwestern Illinois
. Its transmitter is located in Walker, Iowa
.
, previous owners of KCRG-AM 1600, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission
for a TV station license. At the time, the FCC had a backlog of over 200 applications, and had decided not to proceed with action on further applications until the backlogged requests could be filled.
After the backlog was taken care of, many applications were filed for licenses. The Gazette Company didn't want to compete for a license, and decided to withdraw the initial application. It joined with a number of other investors as Cedar Rapids Television Company (CRTV), which was granted a license for channel 9. The station signed on October 15, 1953.
Initially, the station was known as KCRI because the other investors didn't want to have the new television station so closely identified with the Gazette. The radio station also took the KCRI calls because one of the television station's managers suggested that every mention of "KCRG" on air was a promotion for the newspaper—one for which the Gazette would have to pay each time. After about a year of operation, the Gazette bought out the remaining investors in CRTV and the station was renamed KCRG-TV in 1954.
Since that time the station has remained under the ownership of Gazette Communications, which was renamed the SourceMedia Group in mid-2010. After the 1996 sale of WHO-TV
in Des Moines
, KCRG-TV has been the only locally owned and operated television station left in Iowa.
KCRG started broadcasting in high definition television in January 2003. The station also had the first news helicopter
in Iowa, "NewsCopter 9". KCRG has a digital subchannel called "Local 9.2" at channel 9.2, which originally aired a wheel of local news, weather and features on part of the screen. The remainder of the screen had a news ticker, current weather conditions, rotating weather images and program listings. Over time, syndicated and locally produced programs have been added. This channel can also be seen on Mediacom channel 109 by digital cable subscribers in the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque-Iowa City DMA. In late August of 2011, KCRG added a third subchannel, 9.3 and has branded it "WxNow".
KCRG aired wall-to-wall coverage of the Great Iowa Flood of 2008 from June 11 to 15, and continued to operate out of their downtown studios despite the flooding. Network coverage of the 2008 NBA Finals
as a consequence was aired on 9.2 instead.
At some point in October 2011, KCRG 9.2 picked up the MyNetworkTV
programming service from KWKB
after that station dropped its secondary affiliation with the service in order to focus more on its affiliation with The CW. KCRG 9.2 is currently carrying the MyNetworkTV programming from 12:05am-2:05am, about 5 hours later than most MyNetworkTV affiliates.
program block by an hour due to the second hour of the weekend morning newscast, and airs America This Morning a half-hour earlier than most ABC stations in the Central time zone
, in order to make room for the expansion of its morning newscast to 4:30 a.m. Syndicated
programs on KCRG's schedule include Oprah
, Inside Edition
, Ellen
, Rachael Ray, and rerun
s of According to Jim
.
The station also produces PowerHouse TV, a program about energy efficiency and safety, for local utility Alliant Energy
, which airs on KCRG and stations throughout Alliant's service area in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and small portions of Illinois and Missouri.
and Dubuque
.
KCRG-TV has the distinction of being one of only four remaining broadcast television stations in the United States currently utilizing the "24 Hour News Source
" format, which it began using in 1990—the only other stations still using the format , are NBC affiliates WOOD-TV
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
and KFDX-TV
in Wichita Falls, Texas
, and CBS affiliate WISH-TV
in Indianapolis
.
Sports Director John Campbell and reporter Dave Franzman have been with the station since the 1970s, while Bruce Aune started anchoring at KCRG in 1986. Meteorologist Denny Frary was the station's longest-running on-air personality, working on KCRG from 1974 until he retired on November 17, 2006. Upon Frary's retirement, several pieces aired with friends and associates sharing a few words on Frary, and a roast
ceremony was held the night prior to his retirement.
On January 3, 2011, KCRG-TV expanded its weekday morning newscast by one half-hour, moving it to 4:30 a.m., creating a 2½ hour block of news each weekday morning.
Current anchors
First Alert Weather Team
Sports team
Reporters
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
, operating as the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
metropolitan area
Cedar Rapids metropolitan area
The Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Iowa, anchored by the city of Cedar Rapids...
, and the nearby cities of Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
, Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
and Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
.
The station broadcasts on VHF digital channel
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
9, and is the primary ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
for the northeast quarter of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, and portions of southwestern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and northwestern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Its transmitter is located in Walker, Iowa
Walker, Iowa
Walker is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 791 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.Near Walker, there are several guy-wired TV towers, all of them nearly 2000 feet tall.-Geography:...
.
History
During the late 1940s, the Cedar Rapids GazetteThe Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
The Gazette is a daily newspaper published in the American city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first paper was published as an evening journal, as the Evening Gazette on Wednesday January 10, 1883 and sold for 3¢; it presently sells for 75¢. The newspaper is distributed throughout northeast and east...
, previous owners of KCRG-AM 1600, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for a TV station license. At the time, the FCC had a backlog of over 200 applications, and had decided not to proceed with action on further applications until the backlogged requests could be filled.
After the backlog was taken care of, many applications were filed for licenses. The Gazette Company didn't want to compete for a license, and decided to withdraw the initial application. It joined with a number of other investors as Cedar Rapids Television Company (CRTV), which was granted a license for channel 9. The station signed on October 15, 1953.
Initially, the station was known as KCRI because the other investors didn't want to have the new television station so closely identified with the Gazette. The radio station also took the KCRI calls because one of the television station's managers suggested that every mention of "KCRG" on air was a promotion for the newspaper—one for which the Gazette would have to pay each time. After about a year of operation, the Gazette bought out the remaining investors in CRTV and the station was renamed KCRG-TV in 1954.
Since that time the station has remained under the ownership of Gazette Communications, which was renamed the SourceMedia Group in mid-2010. After the 1996 sale of WHO-TV
WHO-TV
WHO-DT is a television station that broadcasts on Channel 13 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the NBC television network and serves most of central Iowa. The station transmits from the WOI Tower in Alleman, Iowa, which is actually owned by WHO-DT's owners. WHO-DT brands itself as WHO-HD...
in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, KCRG-TV has been the only locally owned and operated television station left in Iowa.
KCRG started broadcasting in high definition television in January 2003. The station also had the first news helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
in Iowa, "NewsCopter 9". KCRG has a digital subchannel called "Local 9.2" at channel 9.2, which originally aired a wheel of local news, weather and features on part of the screen. The remainder of the screen had a news ticker, current weather conditions, rotating weather images and program listings. Over time, syndicated and locally produced programs have been added. This channel can also be seen on Mediacom channel 109 by digital cable subscribers in the Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque-Iowa City DMA. In late August of 2011, KCRG added a third subchannel, 9.3 and has branded it "WxNow".
KCRG aired wall-to-wall coverage of the Great Iowa Flood of 2008 from June 11 to 15, and continued to operate out of their downtown studios despite the flooding. Network coverage of the 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
as a consequence was aired on 9.2 instead.
At some point in October 2011, KCRG 9.2 picked up the MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
programming service from KWKB
KWKB
KWKB is a television station that broadcasts on digital channel 25 and is the CW affiliate for Eastern Iowa. KWKB is licensed to Iowa City, but its studios and transmitter are located north of West Branch. KWKB serves the greater Eastern Iowa area including Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and...
after that station dropped its secondary affiliation with the service in order to focus more on its affiliation with The CW. KCRG 9.2 is currently carrying the MyNetworkTV programming from 12:05am-2:05am, about 5 hours later than most MyNetworkTV affiliates.
Programming
KCRG airs the entire ABC network schedule, although it delays Nightline by a half-hour, they delay the ABC KidsABC Kids (United States)
ABC Kids was a children's block of animated television series and live-action children's television series. broadcast on the ABC network on Saturday–Sunday mornings in the U.S. and was broadcast on BBS/CTV in Canada until 2002...
program block by an hour due to the second hour of the weekend morning newscast, and airs America This Morning a half-hour earlier than most ABC stations in the Central time zone
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
, in order to make room for the expansion of its morning newscast to 4:30 a.m. Syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
programs on KCRG's schedule include Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Inside Edition
Inside Edition
Inside Edition is a thirty-minute American television syndicated news program, first aired on CBS on October 9, 1988. It was originally similar to the programs Hard Copy and A Current Affair, but now more closely resembles a condensed version of breakfast television, exclusively with pre-recorded...
, Ellen
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, Rachael Ray, and rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
s of According to Jim
According to Jim
According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001 to June 2, 2009.-Synopsis:Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father...
.
The station also produces PowerHouse TV, a program about energy efficiency and safety, for local utility Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy Corporation is a public utility holding company that incorporated in Madison, Wisconsin in 1981. It consists of two subsidiaries:...
, which airs on KCRG and stations throughout Alliant's service area in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and small portions of Illinois and Missouri.
News operation
Currently, KCRG-TV broadcasts a total of 31 hours of local newscasts each week (with 5 hours on weekdays, three hours on Saturdays, and three hours on Sundays). In addition to its main newsroom at its Cedar Rapids studios, the station also operates satellite newsrooms in Iowa CityIowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
and Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
.
KCRG-TV has the distinction of being one of only four remaining broadcast television stations in the United States currently utilizing the "24 Hour News Source
24 Hour News Source
The 24 Hour News Source brand was a common name used by American television stations starting in the early 1990s for brief hourly news updates, usually running 30 seconds to a minute in length. At its peak, dozens of stations across the U.S. were producing these brief news updates...
" format, which it began using in 1990—the only other stations still using the format , are NBC affiliates WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV
WOOD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter in Middleville near the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast and Charter channel...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
and KFDX-TV
KFDX-TV
KFDX, virtual channel 3, is the NBC affiliated television station located in Wichita Falls, Texas. It also serves Lawton, Oklahoma. Its transmitter is located at the studio in Wichita Falls...
in Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, and CBS affiliate WISH-TV
WISH-TV
WISH-TV, virtual channel 8, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central Indiana licensed to Indianapolis. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, WISH-TV is part of a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WNDY-TV and the two share studios on North Meridian Street at the north end of Indianapolis'...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Sports Director John Campbell and reporter Dave Franzman have been with the station since the 1970s, while Bruce Aune started anchoring at KCRG in 1986. Meteorologist Denny Frary was the station's longest-running on-air personality, working on KCRG from 1974 until he retired on November 17, 2006. Upon Frary's retirement, several pieces aired with friends and associates sharing a few words on Frary, and a roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
ceremony was held the night prior to his retirement.
On January 3, 2011, KCRG-TV expanded its weekday morning newscast by one half-hour, moving it to 4:30 a.m., creating a 2½ hour block of news each weekday morning.
Newscast titles
- Television 9/TV-9 News (1953–1969)
- TV-9 Eyewitness NewsEyewitness NewsEyewitness News is a style of news broadcasting used by local television stations in different markets across the United States. It refers to a particular style of television newscast with an emphasis on visual elements and action video...
(1969–1992) - KCRG-TV9 News (1992–present)
Station slogans
- Your 24-Hour News Source24 Hour News SourceThe 24 Hour News Source brand was a common name used by American television stations starting in the early 1990s for brief hourly news updates, usually running 30 seconds to a minute in length. At its peak, dozens of stations across the U.S. were producing these brief news updates...
(1992–1998) - Your 24-Hour News (and Weather) Source (1998–present)
Current on-air staff
(as of June 2011)Current anchors
- Nicole Agee - weekday mornings and 11 a.m.; also reporter
- Bruce Aune - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Nadia Crow - weekend mornings; also reporter
- Chris Earl - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
- Ashley Hinson - weekday mornings and 11 a.m.; also reporter
- Beth Malicki - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
First Alert Weather Team
- Joe Winters (AMS Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seal of Approval); Member, NWANational Weather AssociationThe National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. - Kaj O'Mara (AMS Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings and 11 a.m. - Charlene Malin - meteorologist; weekend evenings
- Justin Gehrts (AMS Certified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast MeteorologistCertified Broadcast Meteorologist is a rating for meteorologists given by the American Meteorological Society.The Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program was established to raise the professional standard in broadcast meteorology and encourage a broader range of scientific understanding,...
Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekend mornings
Sports team
- John Campbell - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 10 p.m.
- Scott Saville - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10 p.m.
- John Sears - sports reporter
Reporters
- Mark Carlson - Iowa City reporter
- Dave Franzman - general assignment reporter
- Addison Speck - general assignment reporter
- Katie Wiedemann - Dubuque reporter
- Jillian Petrus - general assignment reporter
- Jill Kasparie - general assingment reporter
Former on-air staff
- Claire Kellett - anchor/reporter (now at KMOV-TV in St. Louis, MO)
- Renee Chou - anchor/reporter (now at WRAL-TVWRAL-TVWRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
in Raleigh, NC) - Joe Coffey - anchor (late 1990s-early 2000s; now editorial director of Premiere Guitar Magazine)
- Dick FletcherDick FletcherRichard R. "Dick" Fletcher was a broadcast meteorologist. He was Chief Meteorologist for WTSP channel 10 in St. Petersburg, Florida, for 28 years at the time of his death on February 26, 2008...
- (1960s?-1970s?; died in 2008) - Denny Frary - meteorologist (1972–2006; retired)
- Jeff Hardin - meteorologist (now director of communications with the NC Credit Union League)
- Josh Baynes - meteorologist (2002–2010; now marketing at Rockwell CollinsRockwell CollinsRockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
) - Josh Hinkle - reporter (now at KXAN-TVKXAN-TVKXAN-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Austin, Texas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter in the West Austin Antenna Farm north of West Lake Hills. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO and...
in Austin, TX) - Mike LaPoint - meteorologist (now at WPXIWPXIWPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...
in Pittsburgh, PA) - Micah Materre - reporter (now at WGN-TVWGN-TVWGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago, IL) - Liz MathisLiz MathisLiz Mathis is an American state legislator and nonprofit executive from Iowa, as well as a former news anchor, television producer, and college professor. She won a November 2011 special election to the Iowa Senate, to represent District 18 as a Democratic state senator...
- anchor (then Horizons, now Four Oaks in Cedar Rapids) - Curt MenefeeCurt MenefeeCurt Menefee , is an American sportscaster who is the host of the Fox network's NFL show Fox NFL Sunday. His co-hosts are Jimmy Johnson, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Michael Strahan....
- sports reporter (now co-host of Fox NFL SundayFOX NFL SundayFox NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show NFL on Fox. The program is broadcast on Fox television affiliates nationwide. The audio portion of the show is broadcast over the Fox Sports Radio network, distributed by Premiere Radio Networks...
) - Scott Lind (Drzycimski) - meteorologist (1997–2003; Now Communications Manager with Alliant Energy)
- Joan Carlson - reporter (1986-1988; now freelance producer/reporter)