KNWA-TV
Encyclopedia
KNWA-TV, virtual channel
51, is the NBC
-affiliated television station
for Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River
Valley. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter southeast of Garfield
. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
, the station operates Fox affiliate KFTA-TV
in Fort Smith
(owned by Mission Broadcasting
) through a local marketing agreement
(LMA). The two stations share studios in the historic Campbell-Bell building on South Block Avenue in Downtown Fayetteville
. It also operates a satellite studio in Rogers
, its city of license
. Syndicated
programming on KNWA includes: Entertainment Tonight
, Judge Judy
, Judge Joe Brown, and The Doctors
.
s. KFTA has a transmitter south of Artist Point.
This station's broadcasts became digital-only effective June 12, 2009.
-based Griffin Television
. Its sign-on marked the first time that NBC had been seen over-the-air in much of the northern part of the market
since KFSM-TV
lost the area's NBC affiliation to KPOM in 1983. KPOM only provided Grade B coverage of Fayetteville and could not be seen at all in Rogers and points north. In 2004, Griffin Television sold KPOM-TV and KFAA-TV to Nexstar, the stations changed their calls to "KNWA-TV" and KFTA-TV respectively in 2004 with KNWA becoming the main station.
In April 2006, Nexstar announced that it would sell KFTA to Mission Broadcasting
although Nexstar would continue to operate the station under a local marketing agreement with KNWA. Under the plan, KFTA would become the Fox affiliate for the area leaving KNWA as the sole NBC affiliate for Northwest Arkansas. Equity Broadcasting
, owner of then Class A
Fox affiliate KPBI-CA
, challenged the sale of KFTA to Mission with the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). Nonetheless, the separation occurred on August 28 while both were under Nexstar ownership. Until the sale of KFTA to Mission was approved, the stations continued to simulcast from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. KFTA now runs a separate programming schedule from KNWA. This station took its analog transmitter off-the-air for a few days in mid-August to relocate it to another site for improved coverage.
This did not pose as much of a problem as it may have seemed, given the high penetration of cable and satellite service in this area. The only station that has adequate coverage throughout the market from a single transmitter is Arkansas Educational Television Network
's KAFT. Cable and satellite are all but essential for acceptable television in Northwest Arkansas due to its rugged terrain. For example, Dish Network
and DirecTV
carried KPBI-CA while it was the Fox affiliate even though those carriers usually do not offer low-power stations. After the split, KPBI-CA was dropped in favor of KFTA. On the other hand, the split improved Fox's coverage and enables high definition Fox programming in this market as KPBI-CA is low-power and does not have a digital transmitter, unlike KNWA and KFTA. According to their FCC filings, both stations have digital transmitters licensed for one million watts each compared to five million watts for an analog UHF transmitter. Thus, their digital coverage areas well exceed the analog coverage areas of both KFTA (2.5 million watts) and especially KNWA.
sold KARK in Little Rock
to Nexstar, the company eventually consolidated most sports operations from that station with KNWA. The two NBC affiliates share certain news resources with some reports filed by KARK personnel occasionally used during KNWA broadcasts. In 2007, the two stations began co-produced a daily newscast at Noon Monday through Friday, Arkansas at Noon, with news anchors in Little Rock and Fayetteville. Eventually, KARK began airing its own broadcast at that time. Since then, this station has not aired a Midday show. KFTA maintains a bureau at its original studios on Kelley Highway in Fort Smith.
Power Doppler Forecast Team
Razorback Nation Sports
Reporters
Virtual channel
In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels....
51, is the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
-affiliated television station
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...
for Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
Valley. It broadcasts a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter southeast of Garfield
Garfield, Arkansas
Garfield is a town in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 490 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., is an entity of broadcast television stations headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company consists of 50 television stations across the U.S., ranging from market sizes 9 to 201 . 43 of the stations are broadcasting at full power, with the other 4 broadcasting at...
, the station operates Fox affiliate KFTA-TV
KFTA-TV
KFTA-TV, virtual channel 24, is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas that is licensed to Fort Smith. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter south of Artist Point...
in Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
(owned by Mission Broadcasting
Mission Broadcasting
Mission Broadcasting, Inc. is a television station group that owns 15 television stations operated by Nexstar Broadcasting. The group's president is David S. Smith, who founded the company in 1998. In most areas where Mission owns a station, its arrangements allow Nexstar to control two of the top...
) through a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
(LMA). The two stations share studios in the historic Campbell-Bell building on South Block Avenue in Downtown Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. It also operates a satellite studio in Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, its city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
. 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...
programming on KNWA includes: Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, Judge Judy
Judge Judy
Judge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases in small claims court...
, Judge Joe Brown, and The Doctors
The Doctors (2008 TV series)
The Doctors is an American syndicated talk show airing daily in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Sweden and Finland. It debuted on September 8, 2008. The hour-long daytime program is produced by Phil McGraw and his son Jay McGraw and is distributed domestically and globally by CBS Television...
.
Digital programming
Its signal is multiplexed. KNWA and KFTA each carry the other's signal in standard definition as subcarriers of their digital stations alongside their main signals in high definition. This is necessary because KNWA's analog signal only aired at 182,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s. KFTA has a transmitter south of Artist Point.
| Channel | Name | Programming |
|---|---|---|
| 51.1 | KNWA-DT | main KNWA programming / NBC HD |
| 51.2 | KFTA-DT | simulcast of KFTA |
This station's broadcasts became digital-only effective June 12, 2009.
History
The station began in 1989 as KFAA-TV, a satellite of KPOM-TV in Fort Smith, both stations were owned by Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
-based Griffin Television
Griffin Communications
Griffin Communications is a media company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, founded in 1953 by John T. Griffin; the company operates television and radio broadcast stations and internet properties....
. Its sign-on marked the first time that NBC had been seen over-the-air in much of the northern part of the market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
since KFSM-TV
KFSM-TV
KFSM-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas that is licensed to Fort Smith. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 18 from a transmitter northwest of Winslow. Owned by Local TV, the station has studios on North 13th...
lost the area's NBC affiliation to KPOM in 1983. KPOM only provided Grade B coverage of Fayetteville and could not be seen at all in Rogers and points north. In 2004, Griffin Television sold KPOM-TV and KFAA-TV to Nexstar, the stations changed their calls to "KNWA-TV" and KFTA-TV respectively in 2004 with KNWA becoming the main station.
In April 2006, Nexstar announced that it would sell KFTA to Mission Broadcasting
Mission Broadcasting
Mission Broadcasting, Inc. is a television station group that owns 15 television stations operated by Nexstar Broadcasting. The group's president is David S. Smith, who founded the company in 1998. In most areas where Mission owns a station, its arrangements allow Nexstar to control two of the top...
although Nexstar would continue to operate the station under a local marketing agreement with KNWA. Under the plan, KFTA would become the Fox affiliate for the area leaving KNWA as the sole NBC affiliate for Northwest Arkansas. Equity Broadcasting
Equity Broadcasting
Equity Media Holdings was a broadcasting company based in Little Rock, Arkansas that owned and operated television stations across the United States. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, which is now used for its broadcast station subisdary...
, owner of then Class A
Class A television service
The class A television service is a system for regulating some low-power television stations in the United States. Class A stations are denoted by the broadcast callsign suffix "-CA" or "-CD" , although very many analog -CA stations have a digital companion channel that was assigned the -LD...
Fox affiliate KPBI-CA
KPBI-CA
KPBI-CA was a Class A low-power television station Fort Smith, Arkansas, broadcasting on channel 46. It is presently silent. The station is owned by Equity Media Holdings and, like many of Equity's stations, KPBI-CA was controlled remotely via satellite from Equity's headquarters in Little Rock,...
, challenged the sale of KFTA to Mission 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...
(FCC). Nonetheless, the separation occurred on August 28 while both were under Nexstar ownership. Until the sale of KFTA to Mission was approved, the stations continued to simulcast from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. KFTA now runs a separate programming schedule from KNWA. This station took its analog transmitter off-the-air for a few days in mid-August to relocate it to another site for improved coverage.
This did not pose as much of a problem as it may have seemed, given the high penetration of cable and satellite service in this area. The only station that has adequate coverage throughout the market from a single transmitter is Arkansas Educational Television Network
Arkansas Educational Television Network
Arkansas Educational Television Network is a state network of simulcast non-commercial educational public television station covering the state of Arkansas...
's KAFT. Cable and satellite are all but essential for acceptable television in Northwest Arkansas due to its rugged terrain. For example, Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
and DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
carried KPBI-CA while it was the Fox affiliate even though those carriers usually do not offer low-power stations. After the split, KPBI-CA was dropped in favor of KFTA. On the other hand, the split improved Fox's coverage and enables high definition Fox programming in this market as KPBI-CA is low-power and does not have a digital transmitter, unlike KNWA and KFTA. According to their FCC filings, both stations have digital transmitters licensed for one million watts each compared to five million watts for an analog UHF transmitter. Thus, their digital coverage areas well exceed the analog coverage areas of both KFTA (2.5 million watts) and especially KNWA.
Newscasts
KPOM and KFAA relaunched a local newscast in 1999. An earlier local broadcast had aired under various titles until 1992. In 2003 after Morris MultimediaMorris Multimedia
Morris Multimedia, Inc. is a media company based in Savannah, Georgia, founded in 1970 by Charles H. Morris. Morris Multimedia, among the largest privately held media companies in the United States, is the parent company of Morris Newspaper Corporation and Morris Network.- Newspapers :The Morris...
sold KARK in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
to Nexstar, the company eventually consolidated most sports operations from that station with KNWA. The two NBC affiliates share certain news resources with some reports filed by KARK personnel occasionally used during KNWA broadcasts. In 2007, the two stations began co-produced a daily newscast at Noon Monday through Friday, Arkansas at Noon, with news anchors in Little Rock and Fayetteville. Eventually, KARK began airing its own broadcast at that time. Since then, this station has not aired a Midday show. KFTA maintains a bureau at its original studios on Kelley Highway in Fort Smith.
Newscast titles
- Newsline 24 / 51 (1989–early 1990s)
- 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...
(c. 1990–1992) - Arkansas' NBC News (1999–2005)
- Northwest Arkansas News (2005–present)
Station slogans
- "Coverage You Can Count On" (2000–2005)
- "Your Northwest Arkansas News Team. Always." (2005–present)
News team
Current anchors- Laine Baker – weekday mornings KNWA Today
- Liz Hogan – Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
- Neile Jones – weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Brad Reed – weeknights at 9 p.m. (on KFTA); also reporter
- Matt Turner – weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Tom Yazwinski – weekday mornings KNWA Today
Power Doppler Forecast Team
- Dan Skoff (AMSAmerican Meteorological SocietyThe American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
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; 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...
member) – chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6, 9 (on KFTA) and 10 p.m. - Clint Boone (NWA Seal of Approval) – meteorologist; weekday mornings KNWA Today
- Jason Dollard (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) – meteorologist; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m
Razorback Nation Sports
- Aaron Peters – sports anchor; weeknights at 5, 6, 9 (on KFTA) and 10 p.m., also Razorback Nation host
- Adam Alter – sports anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5 and weekends at 10 p.m., also sports reporter
- Trey Daerr – fill-in sports anchor and sports reporter
Reporters
- Nina Criscuolo – general assignment reporter
- Cassidy Hodges- general assignment reporter
- Garret Krier – Benton CountyBenton County, ArkansasBenton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 153,406. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population is 221,339. The county seat is Bentonville. Benton County was formed on 30 September 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S...
reporter - Kyle Leyenberger - general assignment reporter
- Marci Manley – general assignment reporter
- Marissa Stevens - general assignment reporter
- Aaron Nolan – general assignment reporter
Further reading
- Deal could mean new Fox affiliate in NWA (April 21, 2006)
- Fort Smith TV Station Plans Begin To Take Shape (July 11, 2006)
- KPBI, KFTA Fight For Fox Network (July 31, 2006)
- Fox Network Likely To Switch In Fort Smith (August 7, 2006)
- Fox Switch Planned Monday (August 26, 2006)