KSDK
Encyclopedia
KSDK, Channel 5, is the NBC
-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri
. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company
, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri
. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment of channel 5 as its virtual digital channel via PSIP. KSDK also carries The Local AccuWeather Channel
(branded as "NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS") on digital subchannel 5.2 and Charter Communications
digital cable channel 127.
KSDK produces and airs about 35 hours of local news and other local programming per week, all in high-definition
and streamed
live online on KSDK's website. The station broadcasts in stereo and broadcasts a Secondary Audio Program (SAP
) channel that is used mainly for Descriptive Video Service (DVS
).
KSDK's digital signal on UHF channel 35 is multiplexed:>
Channel
Video
Aspect
Programming
5.1
1080i
16:9
Main KSDK programming / NBC HD
5.2
480i
4:3
First Alert Weather 5
, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel
as 5.
along with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
and KSD radio (550 AM, now KTRS
). It was the eighth television station in the United States, the first television station in Missouri, and the second west of the Mississippi
(after Los Angeles
' KTLA
, by two-and-a-half weeks). Because of a freeze imposed by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC), it was the only St. Louis television station until 1953, when WTVI (channel 54, now KTVI
channel 2) signed on.
Channel 5 has always been an NBC affiliate, owing to KSD's long affiliation with NBC radio. It is currently the longest-tenured affiliate of any network. In its early years, it also carried secondary affiliations with CBS
, DuMont
, and ABC
. Channel 5 was also the first St. Louis television station to broadcast in color.
After KSD radio was sold by Pulitzer to Combined Communications Corporation in 1979 (prior to Combined's merger with the Gannett Company that same year), KSD-TV's call letters were changed to the current KSDK. In 1983 Pulitzer traded channel 5 to Multimedia, Inc.
in return for WFBC-TV in Greenville, South Carolina
(now WYFF
), in was a rare instance of one company's flagship station being traded for another.
During the 1980s and 1990s, KSDK was the best-performing NBC affiliate in the country. To this day, KSDK is the highest-rated NBC affiliate in the top 30 markets
, despite the NBC network's overall ratings slide since the 2004-2005 season.
KSDK has had a long history of producing local TV programs, including the Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce (1950–1963), Corky's Colorama with Clif St. James playing Corky the Clown (1963–1980), Newsbeat hosted by Dick Ford and John Auble (1976–1984), and Midday A.M. (c. 1979-1986).
During the mid 1980s, Sally Jessy Raphaël
's talk show originated from St. Louis. In 1995, Multimedia Inc. merged with Gannett and on September 5, 1995, KSDK began producing and airing Show Me St. Louis from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. each weekday. The multiple-award-winning program highlights local attractions and events that are family oriented. In 1998, KSDK debuted the "Window on St. Louis," a streetside studio located in the same downtown
St. Louis building that also houses KSDK's other studios. Show Me St. Louis is aired from this studio, which welcomes the public to take part in the broadcasts. The Window on St. Louis is modeled on Todays "Window on the World." In 2000, KSDK launched its website: www.ksdk.com.
In an attempt to provide St. Louisans with local and national election results available during the 2004 elections
, KSDK partnered with KETC
, St. Louis's PBS
affiliate, to simulcast
election coverage. The partnership was first utilized to broadcast a gubernatorial debate between Secretary of State of Missouri Matt Blunt
, a Republican
), and then State Auditor of Missouri Claire McCaskill
(D
). On election night, KSDK aired NBC
's primetime election coverage with Tom Brokaw
and Tim Russert
as well as segments of local results; on KETC
, Mike Bush
and Karen Foss
hosted three hours of all local election results. Viewers could also watch election results online.
In 2004, KSDK sponsored and was the official media partner for "Celebrate 2004," a yearlong event that commemorated the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
and the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
(or St. Louis World's Fair) and the 1904 Summer Olympics
(The Games of the III Olympiad, which were the first Olympic Games
held in the United States). Throughout 2004, there were special events held to honor the anniversaries.
"Celebrate 2004" began on New Year’s Eve 2003 with "’04 Eve," which was held in Forest Park
. Beginning with ’04 Eve and throughout 2004, a giant Ferris wheel
was constructed in Forest Park much like the one that existed for the 1904 World’s Fair. River Splash was a series of concerts held on the St. Louis riverfront beneath the St. Louis Arch featuring a "waterwall" upon which there were laser shows and projections. The newly remodled St. Louis Eads Bridge
was transformed into the "Eats Bridge" when local restaurants opened on it to serve customers. The Missouri History Museum
opened a Lewis and Clark exhibit and the United States Postal Service
issued a commorative bicentennial stamp. On its way to Athens, Greece, the Olympic Flame
arrived for an overnight stop in Forest Park amid much fanfare in July (KSDK anchors Rene Knott and Kelly Jackson were among the torchbearers). St. Louis also hosted the U.S. Women's Marathon Trials in April as well as the U.S. Diving Trials. "Celebrate 2004" came to a close on New Year's Eve 2004.
The KSDK/KETC partnership continued through September 2005, when, along with radio partners KYKY
(98.1 kHz.) and KEZK
(102.5 kHz.), a telethon for Hurricane Katrina
relief was simulcast that raised more than $5 million.
The first broadcast of any local program in St. Louis in high-definition
was the St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24, 2005. Incidentally, the 2005 parade also marked the end of an era for KSDK: The parade, which had been a Thanksgiving Day tradition on KSDK, moved to KMOV
for the 2006 edition.
Throughout 2007, KSDK celebrated its 60th anniversary with special programming and segments during news broadcasts.
, Busch Stadium, The Fox Theatre
, etc.). Show Me St. Louis also leaves the studio to broadcast from surrounding communities (Florissant, MO, Waterloo, IL, etc.) that have uncommon or unknown attractions of interest to viewers. These Great Escapes (as the show is titled) usually occur during summer months.
Show Me St. Louis has also drawn criticism, however, because some of its segments and a few entire episodes are sponsored, pushing it into the ever-growing realm of advertainment
. Preceding and following each episode, a disclaimer states that "portions of Show Me St. Louis have been paid for." After individual segments, a card with information is shown. If it was paid for, the card will also say "Segment paid for by insert business name here . Simply Irresistible is a primetime program that interrupts regularly scheduled NBC programing for what is essentially a local infomercial
.
During the 1980s, Sally Jessy Raphaël
's talk show Sally originated from KSDK's studios. Over the years, KSDK has aired syndicated programs like Martha Stewart Living
(which Gannett stopped airing when she was sent to prison; later on WRBU-TV
, channel 46, now on the Hallmark Channel
), Montel
(which aired on KMOV
until 2008), Entertainment Tonight
(currently on KMOV
) and The Jane Pauley Show
. When The Jane Pauley Show
was canceled, it was replaced by Today at Ten and the previous day's episode of Show Me St. Louis. The Ellen DeGeneres Show
is broadcast by KSDK at 1pm every weekday. KSDK has long been the home of syndicated programs like The Oprah Winfrey Show
(since 1986), Jeopardy!
(since 1984), and Wheel of Fortune (since 1983).
as their flagship station. On May 8, 1966, in the ceremony for the opening of Busch Memorial Stadium, Bill Houska Sr. flew home plate from Sportsman's Park
to the new downtown stadium in "Chopper 5." It aired Cardinals games from 1947 to 1958 before losing the rights to KPLR-TV
for three years. The Cardinals returned in 1963 and remained on channel 5 until 1987--long after many other Big Three stations dropped local play-by-play coverage. On December 7, 2006 when station management announced that, beginning with the 2007 season, it will once again be the flagship terrestrial (over-the-air) television station of the Cardinals Television Network after an 19-year run on KPLR. KSDK aired an average of 20 locally produced Cardinals games a year. On July 15, 2010, Fox Sports Midwest signed a new exclusive broadcast contract with the Cardinals, ending the team's broadcasts on KSDK following the 2010 season
. The final Cardinals telecast on channel 5 aired on October 3, 2010, between the Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies
.
KSDK broadcasts a total of 32 hours of local news a week (four hours on Sunday-Fridays and 3½ hours on Saturdays). KSDK operates a Bell 206
B3 JetRanger called "Chopper 5", to cover breaking news and track severe weather. While KSDK still dominates the St. Louis news scene, its dominance is not as absolute as it once was. During the spring 2004 sweeps, it lost the lead at 10 p.m. to KMOV, and the two stations have traded the ratings crown at 10 several times since then. KMOV has also closed the gap in several other timeslots, due in part to NBC's weaker ratings in recent years.
Jennifer Blome and Art Holliday have had one of the longest anchor pairings in U.S. local television, as both have anchored the station's weekday morning newscast since 1989; this will end in September 2011, as Blome will remain on the morning newscast with Pat McGonigle (formerly of WHEC-TV
in Rochester, New York
) serving as co-anchor, and Holliday becomes anchor of a new half-hour 4 p.m. newscast.
In 1989, KSDK dropped the Eyewitness News
branding to become NewsChannel 5, and also began broadcasting 24 hours a day. When NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS debuted in June of 2005 on its digital subchannel, KSDK became the first local St. Louis television station to launch a secondary channel on cable. On September 12, 2005, KSDK began airing Today at Ten, an additional half-hour long weekday mid-morning news program airing at 10 a.m., immediately following NBC's Today. Today at Ten was discontinued in September 2009, and KSDK now airs Today from 7-11 a.m., followed by The Dr. Oz Show
.
On February 6, 2006, KSDK became the first St. Louis television station, and seventh station in the country, to broadcast all news and local programming in high definition
. KSDK also became the first local St. Louis station to stream
all of its newscasts on its website. On August 13, 2007, KSDK debuted Online @ 9, a 10-minute news-webcast
tailored to an online audience and streamed exclusively on its website. In December 2008, KSDK affiliated its NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS digital subchannel with the Local AccuWeather Channel
, following the discontinuation of NBC Weather Plus.
On November 11, 2010, it was announced that KSDK would enter into a news share agreement with ABC
affiliate KDNL (channel 30, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
). This resulted in KSDK producing nightly half-hour newscasts at 5 and 10 p.m. on KDNL, which began on January 3, 2011; additional KSDK-produced content was expected to air weekends on KDNL although the only content that currently airs on KDNL on either of the two weekend days so far is a rebroadcast of KSDK's entertainment/features program Show Me St. Louis. KDNL has not broadcast local newscasts since it shut down its news department in 2001. Tom Tipton, KDNL's general manager, stated that the station did not want to run simulcast or repurposed newscasts in its efforts to return daily newscasts to channel 30. The arrangement is unusual given KSDK and KDNL are both affiliates of "Big Three" networks
, and the two station's newscasts compete against one another. The newscasts on KDNL are pre-taped.
On May 24, 2011, KSDK announced that its weekday news output would be expanded (to six hours a day) on September 12, 2011; Today in St. Louis will expand from 2½ to three hours on weekday mornings, now running at 4-7 a.m., along with an added hour-long 10 a.m. newscast (pushing the fourth hour of Today back one hour); KSDK will also debut a half-hour 4 p.m. newscast (the second such newscast in that hour in the St. Louis market), replacing The Oprah Winfrey Show
in that timeslot, while the noon newscast cut down to a half-hour with Show Me St. Louis being moved to fill the remaining half-hour; with these additions, KSDK will be reduced to only three hours of syndicated daytime shows to back up its newscasts outside of NBC network programming.
from Eyewitness News
to NewsChannel 5. The new set had a backdrop of the newsroom during all newscasts except NewsChannel 5 at 6, during which a backdrop of the St. Louis skyline was inserted; a special backdrop was also used during the Olympics
and various local and national election
s. The graphics package introduced with the new set was replaced in 2001 with one almost identical as those found at sister station WUSA
in Washington, D.C.
(the only differences were the station logos and the images of various local buildings in the news opens, apparently, this may have been an early effort by Gannett to introduce standardized graphics).
Shortly before Rene Knott was hired to replace Mike Bush as Sports Director in early 2004, the SportsPlus set and graphics package were replaced. Though the logo stayed the same, the title officially changed from Mike Bush's Sports Plus to just Sports Plus. With the addition of Rene Knott to the sports department, Sports Plus became Sports Plus with Rene Knott & Frank Cusumano.
In May 2004, KSDK began broadcasting from a temporary news set while their main news desk and weather center underwent remodeling. There were no major changes besides a change in color scheme and the addition of several plasma screen monitors. The color scheme of the new set shifted from blue and brown to tan, silver, and red to match the colors in the "5" logo. A window with a semi-transparent NBC peacock partially blocked the view of the newsroom behind the anchors. The Volunteer 5 phone-banks were not updated but the rest of the set refreshment was complete in August 2004.
KSDK debuted a new graphic package, music (NBC Flagship), and news environment on February 6, 2006 (consisting of a sit-down interview set, a smaller reporting desk, a color-changing backdrop used for demonstrations like cooking segments, a new main news desk, and a new "WeatherPlus Weather Center") due to KSDK's switch to high-definition. The new news graphics were the first in nearly five years (though the Show Me St. Louis and SportsPlus graphics had been updated and the weather graphics were updated in early 2005 with the introduction of WeatherPlus to St. Louis), the Show Me St. Louis and SportsPlus graphics were updated as well. The set occupies the studio space that formerly housed the SportsPlus and Volunteer 5 sets. KSDK also debuted an updated logo that is essentially the same as the old one but in the new logo the grey has been replaced by shiny silver and the red seems deeper and darker (and is also shiny), and also includes an oval with "HD" inside it.
Starting in 2007, the Gannett-owned stations began revamping their graphics and started using a new news music package to be more closely aligned with each other. The stations now have standardized graphics and news music (Rampage Music's Gannett News Music Package) on October 21, 2008 on their noon newscast.
NewsChannel 5 First Alert Weather
In addition to providing forecasts on KSDK-TV, the NewsChannel 5 First Alert Weather Team also provides forecasts for NewsChannel 5 First Alert on cable and WIL-FM
radio.
NewsChannel 5 Sports Team
NewsChannel 5 Reporters
Show Me St. Louis
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 in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. KSDK is owned and operated by Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
, and the station's transmitter is located in Marlborough, Missouri
Marlborough, Missouri
Marlborough is a village in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,179 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Marlborough is located at ....
. The station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 35, using its former analog channel assignment of channel 5 as its virtual digital channel via PSIP. KSDK also carries The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
(branded as "NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS") on digital subchannel 5.2 and Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
digital cable channel 127.
KSDK produces and airs about 35 hours of local news and other local programming per week, all in high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
and streamed
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
live online on KSDK's website. The station broadcasts in stereo and broadcasts a Secondary Audio Program (SAP
Second audio program
Second audio program , also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over the air and by cable TV.-Usage:...
) channel that is used mainly for Descriptive Video Service (DVS
Descriptive Video Service
The Descriptive Video Service is a major United States producer of video description, which makes visual media, such as television programs, feature films, and home videos, more accessible to people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired...
).
Digital television
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio of a shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. It may be applied to two characteristic dimensions of a three-dimensional shape, such as the ratio of the longest and shortest axis, or for symmetrical objects that are described by just two measurements,...
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
480i
480i is the shorthand name for a video mode, namely the US NTSC television system or digital television systems with the same characteristics. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines containing picture information; while NTSC...
The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
Analog-to-digital conversion
As part of the analog television shutdown and digital conversion, KSDK shut down its analog transmitter on June 12, 2009, and continued to broadcast on its pre-transition digital channel 35. However, through the use of PSIPProgram and System Information Protocol
The Program and System Information Protocol is the protocol used in the ATSC digital television system for carrying metadata about each channel in the broadcast MPEG transport stream of a TV station and for publishing information about television programs so that viewers can select what to watch...
, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel
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....
as 5.
History
Channel 5 first went on the air on February 8, 1947 as KSD-TV. It was owned by the Pulitzer Publishing CompanyPulitzer, Inc.
Founded by Joseph Pulitzer , Pulitzer Inc., owned 14 daily newspapers across the United States, and one weekly chain. Its papers included the St...
along with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
and KSD radio (550 AM, now KTRS
KTRS (AM)
KTRS, located at 550 kHz, is an AM radio station in Maryland Heights, Missouri that carries a News/Talk format and is owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and CH Radio Holdings. It broadcasts with 5,000 watts of power during the day and 5,000 watts at night. The call letters KTRS stand for K Talk...
). It was the eighth television station in the United States, the first television station in Missouri, and the second west of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
(after Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
, by two-and-a-half weeks). Because of a freeze imposed by 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), it was the only St. Louis television station until 1953, when WTVI (channel 54, now KTVI
KTVI
KTVI, virtual channel 2, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the St. Louis, Missouri, designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, under a local marketing agreement with Tribune-owned CW affiliate KPLR...
channel 2) signed on.
Channel 5 has always been an NBC affiliate, owing to KSD's long affiliation with NBC radio. It is currently the longest-tenured affiliate of any network. In its early years, it also carried secondary affiliations with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
, and 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...
. Channel 5 was also the first St. Louis television station to broadcast in color.
After KSD radio was sold by Pulitzer to Combined Communications Corporation in 1979 (prior to Combined's merger with the Gannett Company that same year), KSD-TV's call letters were changed to the current KSDK. In 1983 Pulitzer traded channel 5 to Multimedia, Inc.
Multimedia (media company)
Multimedia, Inc. was a media company that owned 10 daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers, two radio stations, five television stations, and a cable television system division...
in return for WFBC-TV in Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
(now WYFF
WYFF
WYFF is the NBC-affiliate television station based in Greenville, South Carolina. It serves a media market which includes Greenville/Spartanburg and Anderson in South Carolina and Asheville/Hendersonville, North Carolina. The market covers large portions of western North Carolina and upstate South...
), in was a rare instance of one company's flagship station being traded for another.
During the 1980s and 1990s, KSDK was the best-performing NBC affiliate in the country. To this day, KSDK is the highest-rated NBC affiliate in the top 30 markets
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...
, despite the NBC network's overall ratings slide since the 2004-2005 season.
KSDK has had a long history of producing local TV programs, including the Wranglers Club with Texas Bruce (1950–1963), Corky's Colorama with Clif St. James playing Corky the Clown (1963–1980), Newsbeat hosted by Dick Ford and John Auble (1976–1984), and Midday A.M. (c. 1979-1986).
During the mid 1980s, Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
's talk show originated from St. Louis. In 1995, Multimedia Inc. merged with Gannett and on September 5, 1995, KSDK began producing and airing Show Me St. Louis from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. each weekday. The multiple-award-winning program highlights local attractions and events that are family oriented. In 1998, KSDK debuted the "Window on St. Louis," a streetside studio located in the same downtown
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
St. Louis building that also houses KSDK's other studios. Show Me St. Louis is aired from this studio, which welcomes the public to take part in the broadcasts. The Window on St. Louis is modeled on Todays "Window on the World." In 2000, KSDK launched its website: www.ksdk.com.
In an attempt to provide St. Louisans with local and national election results available during the 2004 elections
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, KSDK partnered with KETC
KETC
KETC is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by St. Louis Regional Public Media, the call letters KETC represent the St. Louis Educational Television Comission, the former name of the organization responsible for bringing public television...
, St. Louis's PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
affiliate, to simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
election coverage. The partnership was first utilized to broadcast a gubernatorial debate between Secretary of State of Missouri Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
), and then State Auditor of Missouri Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
). On election night, KSDK aired 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...
's primetime election coverage with Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
and Tim Russert
Tim Russert
Timothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
as well as segments of local results; on KETC
KETC
KETC is the Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by St. Louis Regional Public Media, the call letters KETC represent the St. Louis Educational Television Comission, the former name of the organization responsible for bringing public television...
, Mike Bush
Mike Bush
Mike Bush is a veteran, award winning news anchor/reporter for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, Missouri.- Biography :At the time of this writing, he is the anchor for Newschannel5's 5, and 10pm newscasts...
and Karen Foss
Karen Foss
Karen Foss, born Karen Colleen Graham in Kansas City, Missouri on February 2, 1944, was a television anchorwoman on KSDK in St. Louis, Missouri from 1979 until December 28, 2006. Foss won six Emmys, two for best anchor, named media personality of the year, and acquired the highest “Q” rating as the...
hosted three hours of all local election results. Viewers could also watch election results online.
In 2004, KSDK sponsored and was the official media partner for "Celebrate 2004," a yearlong event that commemorated the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
and the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
(or St. Louis World's Fair) and the 1904 Summer Olympics
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
(The Games of the III Olympiad, which were the first Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
held in the United States). Throughout 2004, there were special events held to honor the anniversaries.
"Celebrate 2004" began on New Year’s Eve 2003 with "’04 Eve," which was held in Forest Park
Forest Park (St. Louis)
Forest Park is a public park located in western part of the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers . The park, which opened in 1876 more than a decade after its proposal, has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and...
. Beginning with ’04 Eve and throughout 2004, a giant Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
was constructed in Forest Park much like the one that existed for the 1904 World’s Fair. River Splash was a series of concerts held on the St. Louis riverfront beneath the St. Louis Arch featuring a "waterwall" upon which there were laser shows and projections. The newly remodled St. Louis Eads Bridge
Eads Bridge
The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois....
was transformed into the "Eats Bridge" when local restaurants opened on it to serve customers. The Missouri History Museum
Missouri History Museum
The Missouri History Museum is located in St. Louis, Missouri in Forest Park. The museum is operated by the Missouri Historical Society and was founded in 1866...
opened a Lewis and Clark exhibit and the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
issued a commorative bicentennial stamp. On its way to Athens, Greece, the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
arrived for an overnight stop in Forest Park amid much fanfare in July (KSDK anchors Rene Knott and Kelly Jackson were among the torchbearers). St. Louis also hosted the U.S. Women's Marathon Trials in April as well as the U.S. Diving Trials. "Celebrate 2004" came to a close on New Year's Eve 2004.
The KSDK/KETC partnership continued through September 2005, when, along with radio partners KYKY
KYKY
KYKY, originally known as KSTL-FM, KRCH and later, KSLQ-FM prior to October 1, 1982, is an FM radio station serving the St. Louis, Missouri radio market. The current format of the station is Adult Top 40. It operates at 98.1 MHz. KYKY is owned by CBS Radio, which also owns soft rock station...
(98.1 kHz.) and KEZK
KEZK
KEZK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the station serves the St. Louis and southwestern Illinois areas. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio. and features programing from Westwood One...
(102.5 kHz.), a telethon for Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
relief was simulcast that raised more than $5 million.
The first broadcast of any local program in St. Louis in high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
was the St. Louis Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24, 2005. Incidentally, the 2005 parade also marked the end of an era for KSDK: The parade, which had been a Thanksgiving Day tradition on KSDK, moved to KMOV
KMOV
KMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
for the 2006 edition.
Throughout 2007, KSDK celebrated its 60th anniversary with special programming and segments during news broadcasts.
KSDK in the Community
- "A Place to Call Home" is a weekly Emmy Award-Winning segment that features one child who is in need of adoption. Since August 2003, 50% of the children who have appeared on KSDK have been adopted. A secondary program, "Little Wishes" allows viewers to are unable to adopt the child to add a little happiness to the life of a foster child by purchasing a gift for him/her.
- "Friend to Friend" is a program that reminds viewers on the fifth of each month to perform a breast self-exam to catch breast cancerBreast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in its earliest, most treatable stages. Viewers can also contact KSDK for a packet that includes information and reminders on performing a breast self exam. KSDK is also a major sponsor and partner of the Susan G. Komen for the CureSusan G. Komen for the CureSusan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the US....
breast cancer foundation and the St. Louis Race for the Cure, which in 2006 overtook Denver as the largest in the country with more than 64,000 participants, and in 2007 raised more than $2.5 million with more than 65,000 participants. - Volunteer 5 is a weekly, week-long program that features a local charity or other community organization in need of donations, but most importantly volunteers. KSDK's Volunteer 5 operates as a telethon, with phone operators taking calls between 4 and 7pm each weeknight from anyone wishing to donate time or money. Volunteer 5 has provided more than $5 million annually in services and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to local non-profit organizationNon-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s. The program began in 1993 to help those affected by the Great Flood of 1993Great Flood of 1993The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...
. Volunteer 5 has been absent on KSDK since November 2005, though it still appears on KSDK's website. - The Jerry LewisJerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
MDAMuscular Dystrophy AssociationThe Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
Telethon airs each Labor DayLabor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
on KSDK. Mike Bush hosts the local telethon that, in September 2007, raised $2 million, of which every penny stays in St. Louis.
Programming
Since Show Me St. Louis first went on the air in 1995, it has been a popular show highlighting local entertainment and other, mostly family oriented, attractions around St. Louis. Show Me St. Louis is usually broadcast from the Window on St. Louis where local groups and organizations can bring signs to advertise for their events, but occasionally it leaves the studio to broadcast from local attractions (The St. Louis ZooSaint Louis Zoological Park
The Saint Louis Zoological Park, commonly known as the St. Louis Zoo, is a zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education...
, Busch Stadium, The Fox Theatre
Fox Theatre (St. Louis)
The Fox Theatre, a former movie palace, is a performing arts center located at 527 N. Grand Blvd. in St. Louis, Missouri. Also known as "The Fabulous Fox", it is situated in the arts district of the Grand Center area in Midtown St. Louis, one block north of Saint Louis University...
, etc.). Show Me St. Louis also leaves the studio to broadcast from surrounding communities (Florissant, MO, Waterloo, IL, etc.) that have uncommon or unknown attractions of interest to viewers. These Great Escapes (as the show is titled) usually occur during summer months.
Show Me St. Louis has also drawn criticism, however, because some of its segments and a few entire episodes are sponsored, pushing it into the ever-growing realm of advertainment
Advertainment
Advertainment is a portmanteau of the words advertising and entertainment.It was first used in 1999 by Patrizia Musso, an Italian professor of brand communication....
. Preceding and following each episode, a disclaimer states that "portions of Show Me St. Louis have been paid for." After individual segments, a card with information is shown. If it was paid for, the card will also say "Segment paid for by insert business name here . Simply Irresistible is a primetime program that interrupts regularly scheduled NBC programing for what is essentially a local infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
.
During the 1980s, Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
's talk show Sally originated from KSDK's studios. Over the years, KSDK has aired syndicated programs like Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart Living is a magazine and a television show featuring entertaining and home decorating guru Martha Stewart. Both the magazine and the television program focus on the domestic arts. Martha Stewart Living began as a quarterly magazine in 1990, published by Time Inc..and is currently...
(which Gannett stopped airing when she was sent to prison; later on WRBU-TV
WRBU
WRBU is the MyNetworkTV television affiliate for the St. Louis, Missouri area. The station is licensed to East St. Louis, Illinois, and is the flagship station of Roberts Broadcasting. It is the only major St. Louis station that is licensed on the Illinois side of the market, though its studios...
, channel 46, now on the Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
), Montel
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
(which aired on KMOV
KMOV
KMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
until 2008), 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...
(currently on KMOV
KMOV
KMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
) and The Jane Pauley Show
The Jane Pauley Show
The Jane Pauley Show is a syndicated talk show packaged by NBC Universal, hosted by veteran journalist Jane Pauley. The show premiered on August 30, 2004....
. When The Jane Pauley Show
The Jane Pauley Show
The Jane Pauley Show is a syndicated talk show packaged by NBC Universal, hosted by veteran journalist Jane Pauley. The show premiered on August 30, 2004....
was canceled, it was replaced by Today at Ten and the previous day's episode of Show Me St. Louis. The Ellen DeGeneres Show
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...
is broadcast by KSDK at 1pm every weekday. KSDK has long been the home of syndicated programs like The Oprah Winfrey Show
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....
(since 1986), Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
(since 1984), and Wheel of Fortune (since 1983).
Sports programming
KSD's first year on the air was also the beginning of a long association with the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
as their flagship station. On May 8, 1966, in the ceremony for the opening of Busch Memorial Stadium, Bill Houska Sr. flew home plate from Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park
Sportsman's Park was the name of several former Major League Baseball ballpark structures in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, all but one of which were located on the same piece of land, the northwest corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street on the north side of the city.- History :From...
to the new downtown stadium in "Chopper 5." It aired Cardinals games from 1947 to 1958 before losing the rights to KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KPLR is owned by the Tribune Company, and is an affiliate of The CW Television Network. The station's studios are located in Maryland Heights, Missouri, in Northwest St. Louis County KPLR-TV, channel 11, is a television station...
for three years. The Cardinals returned in 1963 and remained on channel 5 until 1987--long after many other Big Three stations dropped local play-by-play coverage. On December 7, 2006 when station management announced that, beginning with the 2007 season, it will once again be the flagship terrestrial (over-the-air) television station of the Cardinals Television Network after an 19-year run on KPLR. KSDK aired an average of 20 locally produced Cardinals games a year. On July 15, 2010, Fox Sports Midwest signed a new exclusive broadcast contract with the Cardinals, ending the team's broadcasts on KSDK following the 2010 season
2010 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2010 season was the 129th season for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri and the 119th season in the National League. The Cardinals began their season on the road against the Cincinnati Reds on April 5. St...
. The final Cardinals telecast on channel 5 aired on October 3, 2010, between the Cardinals and the Colorado Rockies
2010 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2010 season, the franchise's 18th in Major League Baseball, was a season in American baseball. It featured the club's attempt to make the postseason in consecutive seasons for the first time in the history of the franchise...
.
News operation
Appropriately for a station with roots in the Post-Dispatch, KSDK has long dominated the news ratings in St. Louis. It has been in first place for most of the time since records have been kept. KMOX-TV took the lead in the late 1960s, but KSDK regained the lead in the early 1980s and has held it for all but a few time slots since then, with some of the highest (and by some measures, the highest) rated newscasts in the nation. One factor behind KSDK's dominance is talent continuity: all of KSDK's main anchors have been at the station for at least ten years. At one point, its newscasts ended with local elementary schoolchildren flashing the hand signs for "5" and "1", signifying that, as a promo featuring the kids said, "Even a 2nd grader could tell you that Channel 5 is Number 1."KSDK broadcasts a total of 32 hours of local news a week (four hours on Sunday-Fridays and 3½ hours on Saturdays). KSDK operates a Bell 206
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
B3 JetRanger called "Chopper 5", to cover breaking news and track severe weather. While KSDK still dominates the St. Louis news scene, its dominance is not as absolute as it once was. During the spring 2004 sweeps, it lost the lead at 10 p.m. to KMOV, and the two stations have traded the ratings crown at 10 several times since then. KMOV has also closed the gap in several other timeslots, due in part to NBC's weaker ratings in recent years.
Jennifer Blome and Art Holliday have had one of the longest anchor pairings in U.S. local television, as both have anchored the station's weekday morning newscast since 1989; this will end in September 2011, as Blome will remain on the morning newscast with Pat McGonigle (formerly of WHEC-TV
WHEC-TV
WHEC-TV, channel 10, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Rochester, New York, USA. WHEC-TV is owned by Saint Paul, Minnesota-based Hubbard Broadcasting, and broadcasts from a studio/office facility on East Avenue in Downtown Rochester...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
) serving as co-anchor, and Holliday becomes anchor of a new half-hour 4 p.m. newscast.
In 1989, KSDK dropped the Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness 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...
branding to become NewsChannel 5, and also began broadcasting 24 hours a day. When NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS debuted in June of 2005 on its digital subchannel, KSDK became the first local St. Louis television station to launch a secondary channel on cable. On September 12, 2005, KSDK began airing Today at Ten, an additional half-hour long weekday mid-morning news program airing at 10 a.m., immediately following NBC's Today. Today at Ten was discontinued in September 2009, and KSDK now airs Today from 7-11 a.m., followed by The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show
The Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
.
On February 6, 2006, KSDK became the first St. Louis television station, and seventh station in the country, to broadcast all news and local programming in 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...
. KSDK also became the first local St. Louis station to stream
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
all of its newscasts on its website. On August 13, 2007, KSDK debuted Online @ 9, a 10-minute news-webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
tailored to an online audience and streamed exclusively on its website. In December 2008, KSDK affiliated its NewsChannel 5 Weather PLUS digital subchannel with the Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel
The Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
, following the discontinuation of NBC Weather Plus.
On November 11, 2010, it was announced that KSDK would enter into a news share agreement with 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 KDNL (channel 30, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
). This resulted in KSDK producing nightly half-hour newscasts at 5 and 10 p.m. on KDNL, which began on January 3, 2011; additional KSDK-produced content was expected to air weekends on KDNL although the only content that currently airs on KDNL on either of the two weekend days so far is a rebroadcast of KSDK's entertainment/features program Show Me St. Louis. KDNL has not broadcast local newscasts since it shut down its news department in 2001. Tom Tipton, KDNL's general manager, stated that the station did not want to run simulcast or repurposed newscasts in its efforts to return daily newscasts to channel 30. The arrangement is unusual given KSDK and KDNL are both affiliates of "Big Three" networks
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
, and the two station's newscasts compete against one another. The newscasts on KDNL are pre-taped.
On May 24, 2011, KSDK announced that its weekday news output would be expanded (to six hours a day) on September 12, 2011; Today in St. Louis will expand from 2½ to three hours on weekday mornings, now running at 4-7 a.m., along with an added hour-long 10 a.m. newscast (pushing the fourth hour of Today back one hour); KSDK will also debut a half-hour 4 p.m. newscast (the second such newscast in that hour in the St. Louis market), replacing The Oprah Winfrey Show
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....
in that timeslot, while the noon newscast cut down to a half-hour with Show Me St. Louis being moved to fill the remaining half-hour; with these additions, KSDK will be reduced to only three hours of syndicated daytime shows to back up its newscasts outside of NBC network programming.
News environments, graphics packages, and music
In 1997, a new news set was introduced, along with a new graphics package, which reinforced KSDK's 1989 rebrandingRebranding
Rebranding is the creation of a new name, term, symbol, design, or a combination of them for an established brand with the intention of developing a differentiated position in the mind of stakeholders and competitors....
from Eyewitness News
Eyewitness News
Eyewitness 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...
to NewsChannel 5. The new set had a backdrop of the newsroom during all newscasts except NewsChannel 5 at 6, during which a backdrop of the St. Louis skyline was inserted; a special backdrop was also used during the Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and various local and national election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s. The graphics package introduced with the new set was replaced in 2001 with one almost identical as those found at sister station WUSA
WUSA (TV)
WUSA is a television station broadcasting on channel 9 in Washington, D.C.. Owned by the Gannett Company, WUSA is an affiliate of the CBS television network, and the longest-tenured affiliate of that network...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(the only differences were the station logos and the images of various local buildings in the news opens, apparently, this may have been an early effort by Gannett to introduce standardized graphics).
Shortly before Rene Knott was hired to replace Mike Bush as Sports Director in early 2004, the SportsPlus set and graphics package were replaced. Though the logo stayed the same, the title officially changed from Mike Bush's Sports Plus to just Sports Plus. With the addition of Rene Knott to the sports department, Sports Plus became Sports Plus with Rene Knott & Frank Cusumano.
In May 2004, KSDK began broadcasting from a temporary news set while their main news desk and weather center underwent remodeling. There were no major changes besides a change in color scheme and the addition of several plasma screen monitors. The color scheme of the new set shifted from blue and brown to tan, silver, and red to match the colors in the "5" logo. A window with a semi-transparent NBC peacock partially blocked the view of the newsroom behind the anchors. The Volunteer 5 phone-banks were not updated but the rest of the set refreshment was complete in August 2004.
Starting in 2007, the Gannett-owned stations began revamping their graphics and started using a new news music package to be more closely aligned with each other. The stations now have standardized graphics and news music (Rampage Music's Gannett News Music Package) on October 21, 2008 on their noon newscast.
KSDK Newscast titles
- Your Esso Reporter (1947–1953)
- AP News & Views (1953–1958)
- KSD-TV News (1958–1969)
- 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...
(1969–1976) - Channel 5 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...
Central (1976–1979) - Channel 5 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...
(1979–1990) - NewsChannel 5 (1990–2006)
- NewsChannel 5 in High Definition (2006–2008)
- In High Definition - NewsChannel 5 (2008–present)
KSDK Station slogans
- "Channel 5, St. Louis' Very Own" (early 1970s)
- "Come and See KSD-TV" (1973–1974; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "You're With Friends on 5" (mid 1970s)
- "Channel 5 is Your Place to Be" (late 1970s; not to be confused with 1990-1992 "NBC, The Place to Be!" ad campaign)
- "Channel 5, Proud as a Peacock!" (1979–1981; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Channel 5, Our Pride Is Showing" (1981–1982; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "We're Channel 5, Just Watch Us Now" (1982–1983; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Channel 5 There, Be There" (1983–1984; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Channel 5 Calls it Home" (early 1980s–1984)
- "Show Me 5!" (1984–1993)
- "Channel 5, Let's All Be There" (1984–1986; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Come Home To Channel 5" (1986–1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Come on Home To Channel 5" (1987–1988; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Come Home To The Best, Only on Channel 5" (1988–1990; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "St. Louis NewsChannel" (1988–1991)
- "Channel 5, The Place to Be!" (1990–1992; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "Where The News Comes First" (1991–present)
- "It's A Whole New Channel 5" (1992–1993; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "The Stars Are Back on Channel 5" (1993–1994; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- "In the New Millennium, See Us Shine" (1997–2000; used during period station used Frank Gari's "The NBC Collection: New Millennium")
- "St. Louis' News Leader" (2000–present)
KSDK News music packages
- Un Homme et Une Femme: Aujourd'hui C'est Toi (19??-19??)
- Classical Gas (1977–1981)
- KSD 1981 News Theme (1981–1984)
- KSDK 1984 News Theme (1984–1986)
- Channel 5 Eyewitness News (1986–1990)
- KSDK 1991 News Theme (1991–1993)
- Prime News (1993–1997)
- NBC New Millennium (1997–2006)
- NBC Flagship (2006–2008)
- Gannett News Music Package (2008–present)
Current on-air staff (as of Septemper 12, 2011)
NewsChannel 5 Current anchors- Jennifer Blome - weekday mornings Today in St. Louis (4-7 a.m.) and Today in St. Louis at 10 a.m.
- Mike Bush - Sunday-Thursdays at 5 and 10 p.m., and Monday-Thursdays at 6 p.m.
- Art Holliday - weekdays at Noon & First at 4
- Kelly Jackson - weekend mornings Today in St. Louis, and Saturdays at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
- Pat McGonigle - weekday mornings Today in St. Louis (4-7 a.m.) & Today in St. Louis at 10 a.m.
- Kay Quinn - weekdays First at 4, 5 and 6 p.m.; also health reporter
- Mike Rush - weekdays First at 4; also reporter
- Ashley Yarchin - weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m. (on KDNL); also reporter
- Leisa Zigman - Fridays at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.; also investigative reporter ("I-Team")
NewsChannel 5 First Alert Weather
In addition to providing forecasts on KSDK-TV, the NewsChannel 5 First Alert Weather Team also provides forecasts for NewsChannel 5 First Alert on cable and WIL-FM
WIL-FM
WIL-FM is a 99 kilowatt radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station serves the St. Louis metropolitan area. Hubbard Broadcasting is the station licensee, authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Its transmitter is located in St. Louis. WIL-FM was heard in Salt Lake City, Utah...
radio.
- Cindy PreszlerCindy PreszlerCindy Preszler is a television weathercaster who is currently the chief meteorologist at KSDK-TV 5, the NBC affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri. She is one of four female chief meteorologists that are currently on Gannett-owned NBC affiliates. In addition, Patty Souza of ABC affiliate KXTV in...
(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...
and 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...
Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weekdays 4, 5 and 10 p.m. Fridays at 6 p.m. - Scott Connell (AMS Seal of Approval) - meteorologist; weekday mornings Today in St. Louis
- Mike Roberts (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; Sundays at 5 and at 10 p.m. and Monday-Thursday 6 p.m.; also substitute meteorologist
- Anthony Slaughter (AMS Seal of Apporval) - meteorologist; weekend mornings Today in St. Louis (fill-in)
- Bree Smith (AMS Seal of Apporval) - meteorologist; Saturdays 5, 6 & 10 p.m. (fill-in)
NewsChannel 5 Sports Team
- Rene Knott - sports director; Monday-Thursdays at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.; also Sports Plus and This Week in Cardinal Nation co-host
- Katie Felts - sports anchor; Saturdays at 6 and 10, and Sundays at 5 p.m.
- Frank Cusumano - sports reporter and co-host of Sports Plus
NewsChannel 5 Reporters
- Kathleen Berger - general assignment reporter
- Dana Dean - weekday morning reporter
- Ryan Dean - weekday morning reporter
- Heidi Glaus - weekday morning feature reporter
- Courtney Gousman - general assignment reporter
- Kasey Joyce - general assignment reporter
- Talia Kaplan - general assignment reporter
- Casey Nolen - general assignment reporter
- Ann Rubin - general assignment reporter
- Mike Rush - general assignment reporter
- Jeff Small - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
- Sharon Stevens - education reporter
Show Me St. Louis
- Wendy Erikson - "Show Me St. Louis" host
- Julie Tristan - "Show Me St. Louis" reporter
Notable former KSDK on-air staff
- Fran CharlesFran CharlesFran Charles is an American television presenter at the NFL Network.- Career :Charles received his Master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism after completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication at Stanford University....
- reporter (1991–1992; also worked at WNBC-TV in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; currently host on NFL NetworkNFL NetworkNFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
) - Brian EdwardsBrian EdwardsBrian or Bryan Edwards may refer to:*Brian Edwards , American soccer player*Brian Edwards , New Zealand media personality*Bryan Edwards , English politician...
- St. Charles bureau chief - Karen FossKaren FossKaren Foss, born Karen Colleen Graham in Kansas City, Missouri on February 2, 1944, was a television anchorwoman on KSDK in St. Louis, Missouri from 1979 until December 28, 2006. Foss won six Emmys, two for best anchor, named media personality of the year, and acquired the highest “Q” rating as the...
- anchor (1979–2006; currently the vice president for public relations at AmerenAmerenAmeren Corporation was created December 31, 1997 by the merger of Missouri's Union Electric Company and the neighboring Central Illinois Public Service Company . It is now a holding company for several power companies and energy companies. The company is based in St...
UE) - Paul Goodloe - chief meteorologist (1997–1999; currently at The Weather Channel)
- Jasmine Huda - weekend anchor/reporter (now 6 p.m. at KMOVKMOVKMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
) - Janice HuffJanice HuffJanice Huff is chief meteorologist for WNBC in New York City.-Early years:As she has sometimes noted on her newscast, though born in New York City, at an early age she moved to her grandparents in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated from Eau Claire High School with honors, where she was a...
- meteorologist (1987–1991; currently at WNBC-TV in New York City) - Julius HunterJulius HunterJulius Hunter is a St. Louis newscaster who spent more than 30 years in broadcast and print news. From 1966 to 1974 he anchored the news on KSDK Channel 5, St. Louis' NBC affiliate. He is best known for having been the Senior Anchor at KMOV Channel 4, the CBS affiliate—a post he held for 26...
- reporter (1966–1974; later at KMOVKMOVKMOV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. KMOV is owned by the Dallas-based Belo Corporation, with its studio and office facilities in St...
; currently with Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
) - Al NaipoAl Naipo- Biography :Al Naipo has been a general assignment reporter for KTTV Fox 11 in Los Angeles since 1993. He now serves as the station's Orange County Bureau Chief. He has won several local area Emmy awards for his work in broadcasting. Prior to KTTV, he worked as an anchor and reporter from 1992-93...
- reporter (1985–1990; currently at KTTVKTTVKTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) - George NooryGeorge NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
- News Director (Early to mid 1980s) now host of Coast To Coast AMCoast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently... - Sonny RandleSonny Randle-References:...
- sports reporter (1965–1970) - Bob RichardsBob Richards (meteorologist)Robert "Bob" Richards , born Robert L. Schwartz, was a popular personality on KSDK-TV in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, where he worked as chief meteorologist, from 1983 until his death in 1994...
- chief meteorologist (1983–1994) - Anne ThompsonAnne ThompsonAnne Thompson served as a film columnist at Variety and deputy editor of Variety.com, where she started the "Thompson on Hollywood" blog in March 2007. Born and raised in New York City, she was a contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Observer and Wired...
- consumer reporter (1983–1986; currently at NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
) - Debbye TurnerDebbye TurnerDebbye Turner-Bell is an American veterinarian, talk show host, former beauty queen and winner of the 1990 Miss America pageant....
- Show Me St. Louis anchor/feature reporter (1995–2001, Miss America 1990Miss America 1990Miss America 1990, the 69th Miss America, pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 16, 1989 and was televised by the NBC Network.- Results :*Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner...
; currently at CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
) - Matt WinerMatt WinerMatthew Ward Winer is an American television personality for Turner Sports and formerly with ESPN.-Career:Turner Sports signed Winer in 2010 to contribute to coverage of sports across its networks. He became the primary studio host for Major League Baseball on TBS, replacing Ernie Johnson Jr., who...
- sports reporter (formerly on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, currently at Turner SportsTurner SportsTurner Sports is the division of Turner Broadcasting System responsible for sports broadcasts on Turner channels including TBS, TNT, and TruTV, and for operating the interactive properties , , , and...
) - Trey WingoTrey WingoHal Chapman Wingo III or Trey Wingo is the co-host of ESPN's SportsCenter from time to time but is best known as host of NFL Live alongside football analysts Mark Schlereth, Merrill Hoge, Mike Golic, and Tom Jackson, among others...
- sports reporter (currently at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
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