KNTV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KNTV channel 11 is the NBC Universal owned-and-operated television station in the San Francisco Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just north of San Francisco International Airport. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS, the Telemundo station for the San Francisco Bay Area, and CNBC's Silicon Valley Bureau. The all-new digital facilities were constructed in San Jose by NBC in 2004. The master control center and local commercial insertion for KNTV and KSTS are at the NBC Universal West Coast headquarters in Burbank, California.

[edit] History

[edit] 1950s and 1960s

KNTV signed on the air on September 12, 1955. It was the first television station in San Jose and the South Bay, originally owned by Sunlite Bakery. KNTV was originally an independent station, intended to cover the California coastal area from Monterey north to San Francisco. Its transmitter was located on Loma Prieta Peak, some 60 miles (100 km) south of San Francisco. It often aired CBS, DuMont and NBC shows that were turned down by San Francisco's KPIX-TV and KRON-TV, as well as some ABC shows that also aired on KGO-TV.

However, the station was not viable as an independent, and the going got even more difficult when Oakland-based KTVU signed on in 1958. However, due to its transmitter location, its signal could be received fairly well in the nearby Monterey Bay area (Monterey and Salinas). Taking advantage of this, KNTV sought and was granted the ABC affiliation for the Monterey Bay area, on condition that it reduce its power so as not to overlap with KGO-TV. KNTV thus became one of the few stations located outside the market it served.

It was then purchased by Gill Cable, the local cable operator for San Jose. Even as an ABC affiliate, KNTV occasionally preempted a few ABC programs. KGO-TV had never preempted network programming, so this often gave San Jose and South Bay Area residents a second choice for viewing preempted ABC programming.

[edit] The end of the ABC era

In 1999, KGO-TV agreed to pay Granite Broadcasting, KNTV's owner at the time, a substantial fee to stop the station from running ABC programming when its affiliation contract expired. ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Company, saw the need to expand KGO-TV's exclusive advertising market share to San Jose for this reason, and it felt KNTV was taking away from the share. So on July 3, 2000, KNTV terminated its ABC affiliation, and temporarily carried WB programming (simulcast with then co-owned KBWB-TV). It cost the Monterey Bay area an ABC affiliate, so to compensate for the loss, KGO-TV was then added to cable systems in that market, but certain syndicated shows only meant for Bay Area viewers had to be SyndEx-ed out.

[edit] The NBC11 era begins

[edit] 2001

In 2000 the deYoung family, owners of longtime affiliate KRON-TV, put all of its properties up for sale. NBC, which had been in the midst of renewing its affiliation agreement with KRON, jumped into the bidding, but narrowly lost to Young Broadcasting. NBC responded by trying to impose O&O-style conditions on KRON as a condition of keeping its programming on channel 4. Young refused, and announced that it would end KRON's 52-year affiliation with NBC at the end of 2001.

Soon afterward, Granite contacted NBC and offered to pay an average of $37 million annually for the rights to broadcast NBC programs on KNTV. This agreement was ground-breaking and notable, as it reversed the long-standing model whereby networks paid affiliates to carry their programming. NBC accepted the deal, and KNTV officially joined NBC at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day 2002. Jay Leno officially welcomed NBC's newest station in a ceremony on The Tonight Show. KNTV became the first major market affiliate to pay a network for programming.

In December 2001, NBC announced another twist on the deal: this time to purchase the station from Granite for $230 million. The network already owned Telemundo station KSTS-TV in San Jose and wanted to create a duopoly in the Bay Area. The transaction was finalized in April 2002.

[edit] 2002-04

After the switch to NBC affiliation, KNTV was rebranded as "NBC3" to reflect its position on cable channel 3 on nearly every cable system in the Bay Area. NBC assumed control of KNTV on April 30, 2002. The "NBC3" branding was Granite's idea, but backfired due to confusion with Sacramento's longtime NBC affiliate KCRA-TV, which is viewable over the air and on cable in parts of the North Bay. NBC was moreover unimpressed with the "virtual channel" approach, and rebranded the station to "NBC11" in fall 2002. While KNTV is the only VHF station in the region not to have a cable channel match the analog, the station contracted with cable provider AT&T Broadband (now Comcast) for the cable 3 allocation, previously unused by any other local station. It has always been on channel 3 on cable in San Jose, dating back to its first days. The marketing mishap meant that cities that carried KNTV on cable channel 11 had to move it down to channel 3 within months of the switch.

Even in the early years as the new NBC affiliate, KNTV aired NBC's soap lineup much later in the afternoon than most affiliates, as this dates back to when KRON, as a then-NBC affiliate, had done this. Soon enough by August 2004, KNTV fell in line with the network's recommended time slot and airs the soap lineup from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

On December 13, 2004, NBC converted vacant North San Jose office space into a state-of-the-art, all-digital facility for KNTV and KSTS. After 49 years, the station moved from its cramped, original studios on Park Avenue in downtown San Jose to the new location.

[edit] 2005

In the early years as an NBC station, KNTV was still transmitting from Loma Prieta Peak (located between San Jose and Santa Cruz), but did not increase its power to improve its coverage in San Francisco and Oakland. This caused two problems. First, the signal could not be seen over the air in much of the San Francisco Bay Area north of San Mateo County, including much of San Francisco itself. Second, because of the affiliation and market switches, it was dropped from or had NBC programming blocked in many cable systems in the Monterey Bay Area (Salinas-Monterey DMA) under SyndEx guidelines; even so, the signal was still overlapping with nearby Salinas's KSBW, another NBC affiliate.

That all changed on September 12, 2005, when KNTV was able to finally move its transmitter to San Bruno Mountain, giving it a signal comparable to the other major Bay Area stations. The move came after years of objection from KRON, which in its filings alleged that KNTV would cease to serve thousands of San Jose residents by moving closer to San Francisco. Most media analysts interpreted the claim to be merely a cover for business objections to the move, which would make KRON less relevant to the Bay Area market. However [1]

[edit] 2006

With a signal that finally reached nearly all of the San Francisco Bay Area, and operating from a state-of-the-art digital broadcast facility, KNTV was able to become a factor in the Bay Area ratings for the first time since the network switch.

Some San Francisco residents, especially in the Sunset and Richmond districts of San Francisco, still found it difficult to receive an adequate off-air signal, because KNTV broadcasts its signal from San Bruno Mountain, giving it a shadow in these particular areas. Most of their competitors' signals originated from the Sutro Tower, which has a better overall view of San Francisco proper, although at the expense of those in northern San Mateo County, where San Bruno Mountain acts as a shield. However, most of the Bay Area is covered with a strong signal from all of the stations.

The year closed, however, with a devastating fire at the retired transmitting facility on Loma Prieta Peak. The fire was quickly extinguished on the afternoon of December 31. However, the fire re-ignited after firefighters had left the scene, and destroyed the formerly-primary analog and digital transmitters, which had only been retired a few months earlier and were in backup status, as well as a variety of other communications gear.

[edit] 2007

In January, 2007 CNBC moved its Silicon Valley bureau, formerly located at the Wall Street Journal in Palo Alto, into the NBC11/T48 San Jose studios. Jim Goldman (a former reporter at the pre-NBC KNTV) is the bureau chief, and the main CNBC reporter covering the financial aspects of Silicon Valley. Their set, seen daily, nationally on CNBC, occupies a portion of the KNTV newsroom.

In May, 2007, Rich Cerussi, Executive Vice President of the NBC Station Group's national sales organization in New York was named KNTV President and General Manager, succeeding Linda Sullivan, who was named President and General Manager of KNBC in Los Angeles. Cerussi had previously served as KNTV's general sales manager under both Granite and NBC ownership.

On November 1, 2007, NBC 11 announced that their channel would become the new flagship station for the San Francisco Giants' for the next three years through 2010. The Giants' previous flagship station for 50 years was on KTVU Fox 2.

On December 4th, 2007. KNTV became the affiliate for NFL Network's Saturday Night Football games as it broadcast the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the New England Patriots and the New York Giants game.

[edit] Newscasts

In the days as an ABC affiliate, KNTV billed itself as "The San Jose News Channel" because its news reports primarily catered to Silicon Valley viewers almost exclusively as the reports were South Bay eccentric. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the KNTV news theme was based on the 1968 hit song Do You Know the Way to San José. Today, the station produces live newscasts at 5:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. each weekday; 7:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. on weekends (except during football season when the 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Sunday newscasts are pre-empted for NBC's "Football Night in America."

[edit] Personalities

Present

• Jessica Aguirre, anchor, 5pm and 11pm
• Eric Alvarez, freelance reporter
• Mary Babbit, In Wine Country host
• Lisa Bernard, San Francisco bureau reporter
• Scott Budman, Business & Tech reporter/"Tech Now" host/fill-in anchor
• Brent Cannon, anchor, 5am, 6am & 11am
• Stacey Ciauri, freelance reporter
• Diane Dwyer, weekend anchor, 5pm, 6pm & 11pm/San Francisco bureau reporter
• Janice Edwards, Community Affairs and "Bay Area Vista" host
• Jean Elle, San Francisco bureau reporter
• Charlotte Fadipe freelance reporter
• John Farley, chief meteorologist
• Marianne Favro, health reporter
• Monte Francis, freelance reporter
• Laura Garcia-Cannon, anchor, 5am, 6am & 11am
• Daniel Garza, San Jose bureau reporter
• Larry Gerston, Ph.D., political analyst
• Traci Grant, San Francisco bureau reporter
• Ethan Harp, Oakland bureau reporter
• Darryl Hawks, sports anchor/reporter
• Jodi Hernandez, Oakland bureau reporter
• Craig Herrera, Morning meteorologist, fill-in traffic anchor
• Cheryl Hurd, San Francisco bureau reporter
• Mike Inouye, traffic anchor
• Christien Kafton, San Francisco bureau reporter/fill-in anchor
• Lisa Kim, anchor, 6pm and 11pm
• George Kiriyama, San Jose bureau reporter
• Mike Luery, "Capitol Insider"/Sacramento bureau chief & reporter
• Scott McGrew, Business & Tech morning reporter/"Tech Now" producer/reporter
• Raj Mathai, sports anchor/sports director
• Rob Mayeda, meteorologist
• Vicky Nguyen, San Jose bureau reporter
• Bob Redell, San Jose bureau/"The Bay Area Today" @ 11am features reporter
• Jerry Rice, NBC11 Sports Sunday co-host
• Kris Sanchez, weekend morning anchor/San Jose bureau reporter/fill-in weekday anchor
• Laurence Scott, freelance sports anchor/reporter
• Christie Smith, morning Oakland/East Bay bureau reporter
• Garvin Thomas, San Jose Bureau reporter/fill-in anchor
• Damian Trujillo, "Communidad Del Valle" host/South Bay bureau reporter
• Noelle Walker, Oakland bureau reporter

[edit] KNTV alumni

• Jennifer Arterburn (2000-2004) now associate at the Nixon Peabody, LLP law firm
• Justin Allen (2002-2004) later to KXTV now at WTSP
• Chauncey Bailey (1970-1971) on-air reporter, later Post editor murdered in Oakland 2007
• Cornell Barnard reporter, now at KXTV
• Lisa Beckett (2002-2005) former freelance morning reporter/head writer at KTVU before joining NBC11, now real estate agent
• Dina Braun traffic reporter (1996-2001) now spokesperson for the Valley Transportation Authority
• Marc Brown (1977-1979) anchor at KABC
• Jim Byrne (2004 and 2006) sub-meteorologist for Shannon O'Donnell while on maternity leave in 2004 and 2006. Still chief meteorlogist at KCOY-TV
• Kelly Carr, sports fill-in anchor/reporter (January-July 2007) now at KFIG
• Sandy Castelblanco, anchor (1997-2006)
• Rigo Chacon reporter, then at KGO-TV
• Sean Comey reporter, then at KPIX, currently media spokesperson for California State Automobile Association
• Tom Curran (1980s) sports anchor, now at WTVT
• Allen Denton (2000-2007) anchor, 6pm & 11pm
• Atle Erlingsson freelance reporter (2005-2006)
• Chris Flanagan weekend sports anchor (2000-2004), Now anchor at WOI
• Sasha Foo (2001-2002) currently at KUSI
• June Foster (1999-2002) now at WFAA
• Steve Gannon (1997-2000) now sub-sports anchor at KHOU
• Roberta Gonzales meteorologist now at KPIX
• Melanie Garrett (2000, 2001, and 2002) substitute traffic reporter while at KSBW-TV in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Now a DJ at KXKL-FM)
• Shannon O'Donnell (2001-2007) weekend/morning weather meteorologist, Now at KING/NWCN
• Stephanie Guadian weekend anchor/reporter (2000-2002) now weekend anchor at KTRK-TV
• Greg Gurule (2000-2004) now at KRQE
• Stacey Hendler weekend anchor/reporter (1989-1994) then reporter for KGO-TV
• Brad Hicks (1998-2003) now anchor at WITI
• T. J. Holmes (2003-2006) now weekend morning anchor and weekday morning reporter at CNN
• Joe Hoskinson temporary traffic reporter (2004-2005) later at KPIX-TV, now weekend traffic at KCBS
• Terilyn Joe anchor (2000-2002)
• Linton Johnson anchor/reporter (2000-2003) now the chief spokesperson for BART
• Sharon Katsuda reporter (1997-2001)
• Fred LaCosse anchor (1970-1973)
• Sherri Ly (2001-2003)
• Jess Marlow moved to KNBC in 1966, KNXT/KCBS in 1980, rejoined KNBC in 1986, retired with KCET
• Marla Miller morning news anchor/entertainment reporter, now writer at NBC11 News
• Doug Moore (1987-2001)
• Penny Nakamura reporter (1991-1994)
• Christine Nubla traffic anchor (2001-2005), then anchor for SportsRise at Comcast Sportsnet in Philly 2005-2006, now with FOX Sports
• Stephanie O'Brien sports reporter/anchor (2000-2002)
• Nick O'Kelly morning/weekend weather anchor (1998-2003), then morning weather anchor at KUSA 2004-2007
• Susan Siravo weekend anchor/reporter, "Sports Sunday" co-host (2000-2007) now with the Santa Clara Valley Water District
• Brian Sussman (1980s?) now with KSFO
• Flip Spiceland CNN weathercaster in the 1980s.
• Victoria Recano anchor/reporter (January-June 2002), then anchor for Inside Edition, now reporter for The Insider
• Ric Romero (1977-1978) now at KABC
• Ted Rowlands reporter (1997-2001) later to KTVU, now reporting for CNN
• Kathy Sabine (1988-1991) current chief forecaster at KUSA
• Maggi Scura (1987-2000)
• Catt Sadler entertainment reporter (1998-2002), then WXIN-TV/WXIN-DT, now entertainment reporter for E!
• Cody Stark (2004) substitute meteorologist for Shannon O'Donnell while on maternity leave in 2004. Morning meteorologist at KOVR and host of Good Day Sacramento for KMAX
• Kim Stephens (2000-2003), now morning "Great Day" anchor at KMPH
• Will Tran (1996-2000) now reporter at KRON)
• Gina Villareal (1995-2001) Commuidad del Valle co-host, then KSBY and KCOY in 2003. Now at KXTV
• Beth Willon (1994-2004) later chief of staff for Senator Jackie Speier

[edit] NBC 11 General Manager & Studio location

Rich Cerussi, President/General Manager, KNTV

• San Jose Main Office and Studios: 2450 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95131
• San Francisco Sales/News Bureau: 848 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111

[edit] References

• Kearns, Jeff (December 6-12, 2001). The Story At 11. Metroactive. May 20, 2005.
• NBC to buy San Jose's KNTV. San Jose Business Journal. December 17, 2001.
• Allison Romano. Sullivan Flexes KNTV's Muscle. Broadcasting and Cable. February 21, 2005.

[edit] External links

• KNTV Web Site
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KNTV
• NBC11 Studio Pictures