KTVB (channel 7) is atelevision station inBoise, Idaho, United States, affiliated withNBC and owned byTegna Inc. The station's studios are located on West Fairview Avenue (offI-184) in Boise, and its transmitter is located on Deer Point in unincorporatedBoise County. It is rebroadcast byKTFT-LD (channel 7) inTwin Falls, which airs KTVB programming with local advertising for theMagic Valley area from its transmitter on Flat Top Butte nearJerome, Idaho, and maintains a local sales office in Twin Falls.
Channel 7 is the oldest continuously operating station in Idaho, debuting on July 12, 1953, as KIDO-TV. ThoughKFXD-TV (channel 6) inNampa beat KIDO-TV to the air by a month, KIDO-TV was by far the more organized operation with network and local programming, neither of which KFXD-TV featured in its brief two-month tenure on air. It was owned by Georgia Davidson alongside Boise radio stationKIDO and a primary affiliate of NBC, though it also held affiliations with other networks in its early history. Davidson sold off the radio station in 1958, and channel 7 changed its call sign to KTVB the next year. Davidson was for years the only woman at NBC affiliate meetings. By the 1970s, KTVB had emerged as the news ratings leader in Boise, a position it has not yielded since.
Davidson sold KTVB toKing Broadcasting in 1979. The station continued to lead local news ratings in the market with long-tenured personalities. In 1986, KTVB established K38AS (now KTFT-LD), the first low-power NBC affiliate. KTVB has changed ownership in larger transactions three times since 1990: to theProvidence Journal Company,Belo Corporation, and Gannett, whose broadcast division split off as Tegna in 2015.
Boise radio stationKIDO, owned by Georgia Davidson, filed with theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) in March 1952 seeking to build a television station on the city's allotted channel 7. The application arrived in anticipation of the end of the FCC's multi-year freeze on TV station applications.[3] Theconstruction permit was granted on December 23,[4] KIDO already had some equipment on hand; the month before, it conducted a closed-circuit demonstration of television at its AM transmitter site.[5] On an elevation behind the city, construction began in February on the transmitter site.[6] The station signed for affiliation with theCBS,NBC, andDuMont networks;[7] KIDO radio had maintained NBC affiliation since 1937.[8]
From studios on 700 Crestline Drive, KIDO-TV began broadcasting on July 12, 1953;Philo Farnsworth, a television pioneer, was one of the guests of honor at the dedication.[9] It was the second television station to make its bow in Idaho, but under the circumstances, it was effectively the first serious station to set up. On June 18,KFXD-TV (channel 6) inNampa put out its firsttest pattern,[10] initiating regular programming 11 days later.[11] Where KIDO-TV had studios and network affiliations, KFXD-TV had neither; it was reliant exclusively on old movies and operated with the bare minimum of personnel. KFXD-TV lasted less than two months before leaving the air.[12] The lone missing national network,ABC, affiliated with KIDO-TV in December.[13] This replaced CBS, which had moved to new stationKBOI-TV (channel 2) the previous month.[14]
National live programming became a reality beginning with the1955 World Series after amicrowave transmission link between Boise andSalt Lake City was set up by the two stations.[14] KIDO-TV's tower was relocated to Deer Point in 1956, which together with an increasedeffective radiated power extended the station's coverage to a further 80,000 people.[15] Davidson agreed to sell KIDO radio to the Mesabi Western Corp. in November 1958; the radio station retained its call sign,[16] and channel 7 became KTVB on February 1, 1959.[17] The sale alleviated cash issues for the television station, which struggled financially in its early years and particularly after Boise became a two-station market;[18] in a 1978 interview, Davidson noted that she "lived with the spectre of bankruptcy, a very embarrassing bankruptcy, day or night".[19]
KTVB received a construction permit on December 18, 1963, to expand its reach with the construction of asatellite station on channel 13 inLa Grande, Oregon, northwest of Boise.[20] KTVR began broadcasting on December 6, 1964.[21] It initially offered local news and information forEastern Oregon from studios in La Grande.[22] In 1967, KTVB closed the local operation in La Grande and converted KTVR into a full-time rebroadcaster of the Boise station.[23]
In 1974, KTVB received an offer from theOregon Educational and Public Broadcasting Service (OEPBS) to acquire KTVR for integration into its statewide public television network and serve large areas ofEastern Oregon.[24] Citing a lack of local viewership and the availability of NBC stations fromSpokane andPortland,[25] KTVB took KTVR out of service on March 7, 1975, while the deal was pending;[26] it did not return to the air under OEPBS ownership until February 1977.[27] It was the second time KTVB had provided facilities to public television; in Boise, KTVB airedSesame Street when the show debuted in 1969, as Idaho did not have a public station at the time,[28] and it provided its transmitter site and engineering resources to launchKAID-TV (channel 4) in 1971.[29]
Ground was broken for new studios at 5400 Fairview Avenue in 1970,[30] and the facility formally opened the next year. The 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) facility boasted the largest TV studio in Idaho.[31] In 1974, KTVB lost ABC programming to a new station—KITC-TV, soon renamedKIVI-TV, on channel 6.[14]
Davidson—long the only female owner within the NBC television network among 125 men at annual meetings[19]—announced the sale of KTVB toKing Broadcasting ofSeattle in 1979.[32] The deal made KTVB a sister station to fellow NBC affiliatesKING-TV in Seattle (the company's namesake and flagship) andKGW-TV inPortland. Davidson believed the sale would ensure the continued existence of the station. While it saw the last locally-owned station in Boise being sold to out-of-town interests, Davidson feared a largeestate tax burden for her family were she to die, diminishing KTVB's profits and ability to invest.[33] King Broadcasting took over in April 1980, retaining senior management;[34] it ceased carrying paid religious programming on Sunday mornings to conform with its new owners' policies.[35]
Providence Journal, Belo, and Gannett/Tegna ownership
King Broadcasting Company put itself up for sale in 1990, citing the age of its majority owners,Patsy Bullitt Collins and Harriet Stimson Bullitt, the daughters of the late company matriarch,Dorothy Bullitt.[36] It accepted an offer from theProvidence Journal Company in 1991;[37] the transaction closed in 1992.[38] Under Providence Journal, KTVB became a contributor to the newNorthwest Cable News (NWCN) regional cable channel when it launched in 1995, with one reporter dedicated to NWCN based in Boise.[39][a] TheBelo Corporation purchased Providence Journal in 1996.[42]
Logo for Idaho's Very Own 24/7
At the end of October 2003, KTVB launched 24/7 NewsChannel on its seconddigital subchannel and local cable, one of the first digital secondary subchannels in the nation. The subchannel's programming initially consisted of time-shifted newscasts and feature programs, though plans called for original news programs and other local programming.[43][44] By 2011, the station had rebranded its 24/7 NewsChannel as "Idaho's Very Own 24/7", and it aired a dedicated 6:30 p.m. newscast and 7 a.m. morning news extension.[45] The subchannel more recently has served as an outlet for local sports coverage, including for the 2023-24 season a package ofBoise State Broncos men's basketball games[46] andIdaho Steelheads minor league hockey.[47]
On June 13, 2013, theGannett Company announced that it would acquire Belo.[48] The sale was completed on December 23.[49] Gannett's TV stations and newspapers split into separate companies in 2015, the former being namedTegna.[50]
Plans to extend channel 7 toTwin Falls had existed almost as long as the station. In 1955, then-KIDO-TV partnered with Twin Falls radio stationKTFI to obtain a construction permit for channel 13 in that city, awarded as KHTV. The station grant was reinstated despite protests by KLIX-TV (channel 11, nowKMVT) that it would put the local outlet out of business; it was sold and dropped the proposal.[51][52]
Renewed interest in bringing KTVB over-the-air to Twin Falls began in 1981, when King Broadcasting filed for a construction permit for a low-power TV station.[53] This was later abandoned in favor of a channel 38 permit acquired from American Community Broadcasting, Inc., which already had another channel. The station debuted on July 1, 1986,[54] as K38AS, the first low-power station to be an NBC affiliate; KMVT ceased offering NBC programs leading up to its launch. Its programming consisted of KTVB with Twin Falls-area commercials, sold from an advertising office in town.[55][56] In December 1994, the station took a four-letter call sign of KTFT-LP (for "Twin Falls Television").[57]
News coverage from channel 7 started with its first day on air. Vern Moore, a KIDO announcer, was the first voice heard on the new KIDO-TV and the first TV news anchor in Idaho.[58] However, the station was initially not very competitive against KBOI-TV. When Robert Krueger—Georgia Davidson's son-in-law, who would serve in management for 40 years—started at then-KIDO-TV in 1956, he'd joke that "we ranked fifth in a two-station town".[59]
Under Krueger, the station cemented itself as the news ratings leader in Boise, with such public affairs programming asViewpoint.[59] As early as 1978, it was the "undisputed ratings king" in the market, well ahead of KBCI and KIVI.[60] KTVB was the first Boise station to present an hour of local early evening news when it debuted the 5 p.m. newscastIdaho at Five in 1984[61] and first with weekend morning news in 1992.[62] The dominance in news ratings has continued; for instance, in November 2010, each of KTVB's local newscasts had more viewers than their competition combined.[63]
Larry Gebert conducts an interview in 2010
During this time, the station became known for long-tenured and popular local news personalities. Dee Sarton spent nearly 42 years with KTVB, most of that time anchoringIdaho at Five and other early evening newscasts;[64][65] one of her co-anchors, Carolyn Holly, worked at channel 7 for nearly 34 years.[66] Anchor Mark Johnson spent 30 years with the station, retiring in 2021.[67] Larry Gebert was the station's meteorologist for 30 years until his death in 2022.[68]
KTVB added a 4 p.m. news hour in 2013.[69] In 2020, the station debuted a local lifestyle program, the middayIdaho Today, and reformatted its weeknight 5 p.m. news as the interactiveThe208.[70] As of 2024, the station aired 30 hours a week of news and public affairs programming.[71]
KTVB began broadcasting a digital signal onUHF channel 26 on November 1, 2002.[83] KTVB shut down its analog signal, overVHF channel 7, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United Statestransitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from channel 26 to channel 7 for post-transition operations.[84][85] To solve issues some viewers had receiving the station, KTVB was authorized to increase its effective radiated power weeks after the switch.[86]
^"ABC-TV Adds Five".Broadcasting. December 21, 1953. p. 11.ProQuest1401214214.
^abcBurrows, Ken (July 9, 1978)."Channel 7: 25 years on the air".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. pp. TV Weekly 6,7.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"TV Station Will Increase Range".The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. United Press. September 27, 1956. p. 11.Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. RetrievedApril 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Bringing TV to Boise".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. July 1, 1990. p. Centennial Edition 102.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Affiliate of KTVB Sought by Oregon".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. UPI. November 3, 1974. p. 14-C.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Problems solved, KTVR on the air".The Oregon Statesman. Salem, Oregon. February 21, 1977. p. 1D.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Station agreement approved".The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. UPI. July 22, 1971. p. 13. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Rites Start New Studio For KTVB".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. April 18, 1970. p. 15.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"KTVB sold to company in Seattle".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. October 6, 1979. p. B1.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Boise TV station sold".The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. UPI. October 6, 1979. p. A-9.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Seattle company takes over KTVB".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. Associated Press. April 18, 1980. p. 3B.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Bowers, Jim (August 22, 1990)."KTVB, sister stations go up for sale".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. pp. 1A,12A.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^Thomas, Ursula (February 25, 1992)."Channel 7, other stations sold by King".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. p. 6B.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Office opened".The Times-News. Twin Falls, Idaho. July 20, 1986. p. D2.Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Quarterly Issues/Programs List"(PDF).Online Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. March 2024. RetrievedApril 30, 2024.
^Proctor, David (March 7, 1990)."Competition shakes up Boise TV news".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. pp. 1D,8D.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Peters leaves KTVB".The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. September 17, 1981. p. 3B.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Wake up to more weekend morning news".The Idaho Statesman (Advertisement). Boise, Idaho. December 7, 1996. p. 4D.Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. RetrievedMay 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
