 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Channels | |
| Branding |
|
| Programming | |
| Affiliations |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KSVT-LD | |
| History | |
First air date | May 30, 1955 (69 years ago) (1955-05-30) |
Former call signs | KLIX-TV (1955–1963) |
Former channel number(s) |
|
| ABC/NBC (secondary, mid-late 1950s) | |
Call sign meaning | Magic Valley Television |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 35200 |
| ERP | 40kW |
| HAAT | 323 m (1,060 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°43′46.9″N114°24′55″W / 42.729694°N 114.41528°W /42.729694; -114.41528 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KMVT (channel 11) is atelevision station inTwin Falls, Idaho, United States, affiliated withCBS andThe CW Plus. It is owned byGray Media alongsidelow-powerFox/MyNetworkTV affiliateKSVT-LD (channel 14). The two stations share studios on Blue Lakes Boulevard North/US 93 in Twin Falls; KMVT's transmitter is located onFlat Top Butte inunincorporatedJerome County east ofJerome and US 93.
The station went on the air on June 1, 1955, as KLIX-TV, a sister station toKLIX radio (1310 AM).[2] It has been a CBS affiliate since sign-on; however, in its early years the station carried programs fromABC andNBC. During the late 1950s, the station was also briefly affiliated with theNTA Film Network.
In 1957,Ogden, Utah, businessman Abe Glasmann purchased the KLIX radio and TV stations andKUTV inSalt Lake City. In 1963, Glasmann sold the radio station, which retained the call letters KLIX. He rechristened the TV station KMVT on June 5.[2] "MVT" stood for "Magic Valley Television", reflecting the area's nickname ofMagic Valley.
In 1965, KMVT became the first television station in Idaho to broadcast local programs incolor.
Arthur Mosby and his Western Broadcasting Company ofMissoula, Montana, which operated KMSO-TV (nowKECI-TV) in Missoula, acquired KMVT in 1970. In 1984, control of the station was transferred to the Chapman S. Root 1982 Living Trust. The Catamount Broadcast Group acquired the station in 1998 and sold it to the Neuhoff family in 2004.
OnDecember 31, 1983, prior to its official premiere duringSuper Bowl XVIII the following month, KMVT notably airedApple Computer's critically acclaimedMacintosh computer commercial "1984" shortly before midnight, to ensure the ad would qualify for industry awards which were only eligible for ads that aired during 1983. Tom Frank, the director-operator at the time, said that the station may have been chosen due to its remote location, and its proximity toSun Valley, which he described as being a "part time home of many in the entertainment and advertising business".[3]
In September 2006, KMVT began carryingThe CW on its DT2 subchannel, which was also seen on KTWT-LP (channel 43); in 2012, KTWT switched toMyNetworkTV (with CW programming remaining on the KMVT subchannel), then (after converting to digital operations on channel 14) toFox. In 2014, KTWT becameKSVT-LD.
On March 12, 2015, Neuhoff Communications announced the sale of KMVT and KSVT toGray Television for $17.5 million;[4] the sale was completed on July 1.[5]
KMVT is the area's only full-power television station, and the only one airing a full schedule of local news focused on the Magic Valley. Both of themarket's low-power ABC and NBC affiliates serve assemi-satellites of Boise stations (KSAW-LD relaysKIVI-TV whileKTFT-LDrepeats KTVB); although both outlets maintain local advertising sales offices next door to each other in Twin Falls, they serve mostly as Magic Valley bureaus for their parent stations. Previous Fox affiliateKXTF formerly simulcast a weeknight prime time newscast at 9 from its sister stationKFXP, which focused exclusively on thePocatello–Idaho Falls market. In April 2012, KMVT upgraded its newscast production to high definition level.
With the launch of Fox on sister station KTWT on July 1, 2012, there was a significant expansion of KMVT's news operation. More specifically, the CBS affiliate began producing a half-hour extension ofRise and Shine that is seen weekday mornings from 7 to 7:30 on the Fox station. In addition, KTWT added half-hour newscasts at 5 (airing on weeknights only) and 9 (seen every night). The Fox broadcasts have a separate news anchor on weeknights and feature more regional, national, and international news of the day as opposed to shows seen on KMVT. As with the CBS affiliate, shows seen on the Fox outlet can be seen in high definition. As of January 2013, the station has branded the two stations' news programming as one. Both are now calledIdaho's First News and share the same anchors.[citation needed]
The station's signal ismultiplexed:
| Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.1 | 1080i | 16:9 | KMVT-HD | CBS |
| 11.2 | 720p | CW-HD | The CW Plus | |
| 11.3 | 480i | 4:3 | FOX-SD | Fox (KSVT-LD) inSD |
On July 1, 2012, KMVT-DT2 upgraded to a high definition feed (includingCable One digital channel 485) and KTWT (which is now KSVT-LD) began to be simulcast in4:3standard definition on a new thirddigital subchannel of KMVT.[7]
