KSTC-TV
Encyclopedia
KSTC-TV is an Independent
television station
for the Twin Cities
that is licensed to Minneapolis
. It broadcasts a high definition
digital signal on UHF channel 45 from a transmitter at the Telefarm installation in Shoreview
. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station is sister to ABC
affiliate KSTP-TV
and several radio stations. All share studios on University Avenue on the Minneapolis and St. Paul city line. Syndicated
programming on KSTC includes: Scrubs
, Frasier
, Friends
, and The King of Queens
. It broadcasts a 720p
HD signal and is the only television station in the area with its own mascot, the "45 Guy", who is often seen at community events.
records indicate that a license for this station was granted in 1987, it did not take to the airwaves using these letters until June 1994. The station aired Minnesota Department of Transportation
traffic information as well as the Home Shopping Network
until it was purchased by Hubbard Broadcasting on April 24, 2000. Hubbard relaunched the station as KSTC on September 11. In order to get attention for the switch from KVBM to KSTC, the station ran an advertising campaign that confused many people in the area. Posters and broadcast ads featuring people of all ages used the phrase "I'm 45" but initially made no mention of the newly created station.
In 2003, KSTC began broadcasting two digital stations. KSTC-DT, on ATSC
channel 45.1 in standard definition, simulcasted the station's regular content. On 45.2 was HDnet
in high definition. After its contract with the network ended, channel 45.2 was taken off-the-air. It signed-on again December 1, 2006 as a high definition sports channel airing select Minnesota Wild
games. Until late-2008, KSTC branded itself as "FORTY5" a hint of its ties to KSTP. On or around June 30, 2010, KSTC began carrying This TV
, a channel owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
and Weigel Broadcasting
, carrying movies with some series and children's programming, on digital channel 45.2.
In October 2011, KSTC changed its PSIP
from "45" to "5", to match its sister station, KSTP-TV; as a result, the PSIPs of KSTC changed, with This TV now being tuned to 5.4, and the main KSTC channel tuned to 5.45.
As an independent station, the station runs a variety of syndicated programming mostly consisting of shows no longer being produced. Movies considered one and two-star are aired frequently while some locally produced material is aired each week. In the few years it has been operating under the KSTC call letters, several other low-budget programs made specifically for this station have come and gone. These included a weekly horror movie broadcast under the name Horror Incorporated (hosted by Count Dracula
played by Jake Esau, the actual owner of the countdracula.com domain name
). The last incarnation of Horror Incorporated was hosted by Uncle Ghoulie (Thom Lange), Carbuncle
(Tim McCall), 13
(Sasha Yvonne Walloch), Gordon the Gorilla, and Wolfie
. As of 2004, at least one KSTC-specific program was still airing: Nate on Drums
, a comedy
and variety show
hosted by Nate Perbix, is reportedly aired to a network of stations across Minnesota
.
Today, most local programs come from KSTP including On the Road with longtime KSTP reporter Jason Davis and Sports Wrap. In 2004, KSTC announced a six-year over-the-air partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves
allowing the station to broadcast a number of the team's regular-season and postseason basketball
games. Also that year, they entered into an eleven-year partnership with the Minnesota State High School League
to broadcast state athletic tournaments as well as educational and student programs. KSTC will pay the league $9.7 million dollars in rights fees and provide an additional $10.6 million worth of promotion for those tournaments and other League programs.
In 2009, KSTC and the MSHSL extended their broadcast partnership until 2021. Starting in 2010, some tournaments will be broadcast online. Additionally in December 2004, they established a multi-year partnership to air Minnesota Wild hockey games. Other sports have also aired on this station in the past including Minnesota Twins
and Saint Paul Saints baseball
, boxing
, and even Robot Wars
-style combat between mechanical competitors. As of Summer 2006, KSTC has been including actual viewers in their programming promotions. Most include a viewer describing their favorite scene or character from one of the shows on the station. They may also take on the responsibility of airing shows from ABC whenever KSTP cannot do so as a result of breaking news or other situations.
. On July 19, 2009, KSTC added three newscasts produced by KSTP. This originally included weekend shows but these were dropped. As is the case on that station, the KSTC broadcasts air in high definition. They compete with news on KMSP (particularly the morning news and the first half of KMSP's 9 p.m. show). The station experimented with this in the early 2000s, with on KSTP's weekday morning show switching to KSTC for an additional two hours.In May 2011 Jackson O'Brien, Ken Barlow got named for 45 Local News @4PM on KSTC-TV in June 2011 they added sports with Joe Schmitt.
Channel 45 Local News Mornings
(Weekday Mornings 7 to 9)
45 Local News 4PM
Anchors:
Weather:
Sports:
Stocks:
Channel 45 Local News at 9
(Weeknights 9 to 10 P.M., Weekends 9 to 9:30 P.M.)
Website: www.kstc45.com
KSTC features additional news personnel from KSTP. See that article
for a complete listing.
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
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 the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
that is licensed to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. 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 45 from a transmitter at the Telefarm installation in Shoreview
Shoreview, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,377 people, Males: 12,303 , Females: 13,074 , 9,965 households, and 7,021 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,315.9 people per square mile . There are 10,127 housing units at an average density of 919.2 per square mile...
. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station is sister to 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 KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located at the Shoreview Telefarm. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other broadcasting properties across the United States....
and several radio stations. All share studios on University Avenue on the Minneapolis and St. Paul city line. 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 KSTC includes: Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, and The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
. It broadcasts a 720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
HD signal and is the only television station in the area with its own mascot, the "45 Guy", who is often seen at community events.
Translators
In addition to its main signal, KSTC operates analog translators to reach outlying areas.| Call letters | Channel | Licensed to | Transmitter location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K16CO | 16 | Alexandria Alexandria, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,820 people, however the most recent count suggests a population upwards of 10,000, which is displayed on Alexandria's city limits signs. The census lists 4,047 households, and 2,011 families residing in the city. The population density was 992.5 people per... |
east of Garfield Garfield, Minnesota Garfield is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 354 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 1.28% is water.-Demographics:... along MN 22 Minnesota State Highway 22 Minnesota State Highway 22 is a highway in south-central and central Minnesota, which runs from Winnebago County Road R50 at the Iowa state line near Kiester and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 23 in Richmond, west of St... |
|
| K19FO | 19 | Monkton Jackson, Minnesota Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,299 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County.-Geography:... |
south of town along U.S. 71 | |
| K20GD | 20 | Willmar Willmar, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 18,351 people, 7,302 households, and 4,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.9 people per square mile . There were 7,789 housing units at an average density of 657.8 per square mile... |
north of town on First Street North | has an application for a low-powered digital translator signal |
| K23FY | 23 | Frost Frost, Minnesota Frost is a city in Faribault County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 198 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:... |
along MN 254 Minnesota State Highway 254 Minnesota State Highway 254 is a highway in south-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with Faribault County Road 17 in the town of Frost and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with Interstate 90 in Emerald Township, 8 miles east of Blue Earth.The route is ... |
has a construction permit for a low-powered digital translator signal |
| K25II | 25 | Redwood Falls Redwood Falls, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 5,459 people, 2,266 households, and 1,389 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,167.1 people per square mile . There were 2,377 housing units at an average density of 508.2 per square mile... |
east of Morton Morton, Minnesota Morton is a city in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 411 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.U.S... near MN 19 Minnesota State Highway 19 Minnesota State Highway 19 is a highway in southwest and southeast Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 30 at the South Dakota state line near Ivanhoe and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S... |
|
| K42AV | 42 | St. James St. James, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 4,695 people, 1,845 households, and 1,186 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,050.3 people per square mile . There were 2,006 housing units at an average density of 876.0 per square mile... |
along MN 6 Minnesota State Highway 6 Minnesota State Highway 6 is a highway in east-central and north-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 18 in Bay Lake Township near Garrison and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S... at the Watonwan Watonwan County, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 11,876 people, 4,627 households, and 3,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile... and Brown Brown County, Minnesota Brown County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 25,893. Its county seat is New Ulm.-Geography:... County line |
|
| K45FR | 45 | Olivia Olivia, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 2,570 people, 75 households, and 658 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 people per square mile . There were 1,178 housing units at an average density of 505.4 per square mile... |
east of town near U.S. 212 U.S. Route 212 U.S. Route 212 is a spur of U.S. Route 12. Though it currently never intersects U.S. 12, it once had an eastern terminus at U.S. 12 in St. Paul, Minnesota. It runs for 949 miles from Minnesota Highway 62 at Edina, Minnesota to Yellowstone National Park.U.S. 212 passes through the states of... |
History
They began operations using the call letters KVBM. Although FCCFederal 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...
records indicate that a license for this station was granted in 1987, it did not take to the airwaves using these letters until June 1994. The station aired Minnesota Department of Transportation
Minnesota Department of Transportation
The Minnesota Department of Transportation oversees transportation by land, water, and air in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The cabinet-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's trunk highway system The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT, pronounced "min-dot") oversees...
traffic information as well as the Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
until it was purchased by Hubbard Broadcasting on April 24, 2000. Hubbard relaunched the station as KSTC on September 11. In order to get attention for the switch from KVBM to KSTC, the station ran an advertising campaign that confused many people in the area. Posters and broadcast ads featuring people of all ages used the phrase "I'm 45" but initially made no mention of the newly created station.
In 2003, KSTC began broadcasting two digital stations. KSTC-DT, on ATSC
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
channel 45.1 in standard definition, simulcasted the station's regular content. On 45.2 was HDnet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
in high definition. After its contract with the network ended, channel 45.2 was taken off-the-air. It signed-on again December 1, 2006 as a high definition sports channel airing select Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
games. Until late-2008, KSTC branded itself as "FORTY5" a hint of its ties to KSTP. On or around June 30, 2010, KSTC began carrying This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
, a channel owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
and Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting is an American locally based television broadcasting company. The company is based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV , at the apt address of 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood.- History :The company was founded by Chicago...
, carrying movies with some series and children's programming, on digital channel 45.2.
In October 2011, KSTC changed its PSIP
Program 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...
from "45" to "5", to match its sister station, KSTP-TV; as a result, the PSIPs of KSTC changed, with This TV now being tuned to 5.4, and the main KSTC channel tuned to 5.45.
Programming
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
played by Jake Esau, the actual owner of the countdracula.com domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
). The last incarnation of Horror Incorporated was hosted by Uncle Ghoulie (Thom Lange), Carbuncle
Carbuncle
A carbuncle is an abscess larger than a boil, usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus. The infection is contagious and may spread to other areas of the body or other people...
(Tim McCall), 13
13
Year 13 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silius and Plancus...
(Sasha Yvonne Walloch), Gordon the Gorilla, and Wolfie
Wolfie
Wolfie were an indie rock band from Champaign, Illinois. The band was active from 1996 to 2001 and toured nationally over the years. They released three albums, an EP, and some singles before dissolving....
. As of 2004, at least one KSTC-specific program was still airing: Nate on Drums
Nate on Drums
Nate on Drums is an independent, award-winning comedy television program produced in Minnesota with approximately 1.5 million viewers throughout the midwest. The show currently airs in Minneapolis on independent station KSTC-TV, Channel 45....
, a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
and variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
hosted by Nate Perbix, is reportedly aired to a network of stations across Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Today, most local programs come from KSTP including On the Road with longtime KSTP reporter Jason Davis and Sports Wrap. In 2004, KSTC announced a six-year over-the-air partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
allowing the station to broadcast a number of the team's regular-season and postseason basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games. Also that year, they entered into an eleven-year partnership with the Minnesota State High School League
Minnesota State High School League
The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools...
to broadcast state athletic tournaments as well as educational and student programs. KSTC will pay the league $9.7 million dollars in rights fees and provide an additional $10.6 million worth of promotion for those tournaments and other League programs.
In 2009, KSTC and the MSHSL extended their broadcast partnership until 2021. Starting in 2010, some tournaments will be broadcast online. Additionally in December 2004, they established a multi-year partnership to air Minnesota Wild hockey games. Other sports have also aired on this station in the past including Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and Saint Paul Saints baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and even Robot Wars
Robot Wars (TV series)
Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
-style combat between mechanical competitors. As of Summer 2006, KSTC has been including actual viewers in their programming promotions. Most include a viewer describing their favorite scene or character from one of the shows on the station. They may also take on the responsibility of airing shows from ABC whenever KSTP cannot do so as a result of breaking news or other situations.
Newscasts
Since 1986 until February 2008, sister station KSTP has remained near the bottom of the ratings occasionally dropping to fourth behind Fox affiliate KMSP-TVKMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
. On July 19, 2009, KSTC added three newscasts produced by KSTP. This originally included weekend shows but these were dropped. As is the case on that station, the KSTC broadcasts air in high definition. They compete with news on KMSP (particularly the morning news and the first half of KMSP's 9 p.m. show). The station experimented with this in the early 2000s, with on KSTP's weekday morning show switching to KSTC for an additional two hours.In May 2011 Jackson O'Brien, Ken Barlow got named for 45 Local News @4PM on KSTC-TV in June 2011 they added sports with Joe Schmitt.
Channel 45 Local News Mornings
(Weekday Mornings 7 to 9)
- Anchors:
- Vineeta Sawkar
- Weather:
- Patrick Hammer
- Traffic:
- Rusty Gatenby
- Reporter:
- Colleen Mahoney
- Naomi Pescovitz
45 Local News 4PM
Anchors:
- J. O'Brien
Weather:
- Ken Barlow
Sports:
- Joe Schmit
Stocks:
- Gus Rosendale
Channel 45 Local News at 9
(Weeknights 9 to 10 P.M., Weekends 9 to 9:30 P.M.)
- Anchor:
- Megan Newquist
- Jennifer Copeland
- Gus Rosendale
- Jessica Milles (Weekends)
- Weather:
- Dave Dahl
- Ken Barlow
- Jonathan Yuhas (Weekends)
- Sports:
- Joe Schmit
- Chris Long (Weekends)
Website: www.kstc45.com
KSTC features additional news personnel from KSTP. See that article
KSTP-TV
KSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located at the Shoreview Telefarm. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other broadcasting properties across the United States....
for a complete listing.