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KQTV

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Not to be confused with KTVQ.

KQTV
Channels
BrandingKQ2
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
September 27, 1953 (71 years ago) (1953-09-27)
Former call signs
KFEQ-TV (1953–1969)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 2 (VHF; 1953–2009)
  • Digital: 53 (UHF; 2003–2009)
  • CBS (1953–1967)
  • DuMont (secondary, 1953–1955)
  • ABC (secondary, 1956–1967)
Call sign meaning
Q from former KFEQ-TV call sign
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID20427
ERP40 kW
HAAT179 m (587 ft)
Transmitter coordinates39°46′12″N 94°47′53.4″W / 39.77000°N 94.798167°W / 39.77000; -94.798167
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.kq2.com

KQTV (channel 2) is a television station in St. Joseph, Missouri, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Heartland Media. The station's studios and transmitter are located on Faraon Street in eastern St. Joseph.

KQTV went on the air as KFEQ-TV, the sister station to KFEQ radio, on September 27, 1953. It was the only major network affiliate based in St. Joseph for 59 years and commanded news viewership in the small market, even as it had to compete with Kansas City stations for viewers during non-local programming. The station changed its call sign to KQTV in 1969 when it and KFEQ radio were separated and has had a succession of owners, with Heartland acquiring KQTV in 2017 from Nexstar Broadcasting Group.

History

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KFEQ-TV: Early years

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St. Joseph radio station KFEQ applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on April 17, 1948, for permission to construct a new television station on channel 13.[2] This application was still pending when the FCC, in October 1948, imposed a freeze on new TV station construction permits.[3] In the shuffling of channel allocations during the freeze, St. Joseph lost channel 13 but picked up channel 2 from Kansas City.[4] The FCC lifted the freeze beginning in April 1952,[5] and KFEQ amended its application to specify the new channel.[2] KFEQ-TV received its construction permit on October 15, 1952.[6] By the start of 1953, construction was underway on the station's studios on a plot at 40th and Faraon streets in St. Joseph, which would also house a 750-foot (229 m) transmission tower.[7] Tower work set back completion of the station because structural steel components were delayed;[8] the tower sections did not make it to St. Joseph until the start of July,[9] and work moved slower than anticipated, causing an August 15 projected start date to be missed.[10]

KQTV's studios and tower in St. Joseph. The station has broadcast from the same site for its entire history.

KFEQ-TV began broadcasting on September 27, 1953. It was an affiliate of CBS and the DuMont Television Network.[11] For viewers in the St. Joseph–Kansas City region, it was the second station to sign on that day, alongside KCMO-TV (now KCTV) on channel 5 from Kansas City.[12] The DuMont network ceased distributing programming in 1955.[13]

Barton Pitts, founder of KFEQ-TV and owner of the morning St. Joseph Gazette and afternoon St. Joseph News-Press newspapers, opted to exit broadcasting for health reasons in 1955. He sold the KFEQ stations to the Midland Broadcasting Company, whose owners included actor Bing Crosby and John Fetzer, for $700,000.[14][15] During its ownership, the channel 2 studios were expanded in size.[16] Midland owned the stations for less than two years before selling to the Fine family, a theater operator and former owner of WFIE in Evansville, Indiana, in 1957; the transaction was motivated by Midland's investors' recent acquisition of KCOP-TV in Los Angeles.[17]

In its early years, KFEQ-TV presented a range of local non-news programs. In 1957, channel 2 debuted a local teen dance show, Let's Dance, hosted by KFEQ radio DJ Allen Shaw[18] and in later years by Bill Foster.[19] Women's talk show host Marge Miner received a national award from McCall's magazine in 1959 for her series of programs on cerebral palsy.[20] The station also aired Saturday night wrestling telecasts from its studio, put on by local wrestling promoter Gust Karras;[21] this continued into the mid-1970s.[22]

After a 1960 attempt to sell the KFEQ stations and KLIK in Jefferson City to music man Connie B. Gay fell through,[23][2] the Fines sold the properties to Mid-States Broadcasting, headed by John P. McGoff, in 1963.[24] In 1967, KFEQ-TV switched affiliations from CBS to ABC, with KCMO-TV serving as the nearest CBS affiliate to St. Joseph.[25]

KQTV: Changing ownership, Topeka expansion attempt

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McGoff sold the KFEQ stations to separate owners over the course of 1968. Channel 2 went to ISC Industries for $3.1 million. ISC—a diversified firm based in Kansas City with interests ranging from truck manufacturing to pen production and securities[26]—pledged to upgrade the station to allow it to broadcast local color programming. The sale required one or the other of KFEQ radio and television to change call signs; the radio station kept KFEQ[27] and channel 2 became KQTV on February 1, 1969.[28] As KFEQ-TV had been informally known as "The Q", the new call sign retained brand equity from the old.[29] After ISC closed on the purchase in July 1969,[30] the company expanded into radio by buying two radio stations in the Kansas City area.[31]

After three years, ISC opted to exit broadcasting entirely and sold KQTV, plus FM radio stations KGRV in St. Louis and KLYX in Houston, to Amaturo Group in a sale completed in 1973.[32][33]

In January 1976, Amaturo Group applied to build channel 43 in Topeka, Kansas, as a semi-satellite of KQTV. At the time, Topeka only had two commercial stations and no full-time ABC affiliate, a void that KQTV hoped to fill by combining its existing schedule with separate news programs for the Topeka area. The application was opposed by Topeka's NBC affiliate, KTSB, which believed that because Topeka had two full-line television stations, a satellite was not permissible and constituted unfair competition.[34] The FCC concurred in May 1978 and dismissed the channel 43 application, finding there was too much signal overlap between the proposed Topeka station and KQTV, even with the proposed local program content for the new Topeka service. KQTV instead fell back on another application it had filed to construct a taller tower, which would bring Topeka and Kansas City into its primary coverage area but was protested by the Kansas City stations.[35][36]

Amaturo Group sold KQTV in 1979 to Elba Development Corporation of Rochester, New York, owned by the Glazer family, so it could pursue larger station transactions without being at the limit of VHF television stations ownable by one group once it bought four other stations,[37] revealed to be the Nebraska Television Network in central and western Nebraska.[38] Elba refiled the tower application, which proposed a new, 2,000-foot (610 m) mast at Potter, Kansas.[39] The relocation plan was denied by the FCC in 1983 because, in spite of adding 465,000 people to KQTV's coverage area, the move would have stripped slightly over 10,000 people of the only TV service they reliably received.[40] In 1986, KQTV tried again to build a tall tower in Kansas.[41] The FCC denied this attempt because it would have left 4,940 people in a 10-county area without television service, rejecting KQTV's contention that many viewers in the area had cable and could receive stations.[42]

In 1990, Elba sold KQTV, along with WRBL in Columbus, Georgia, and WTWO in Terre Haute, Indiana, to TCS Television Partners for $56 million.[43][44] In 1994, KQTV became a secondary affiliate of the NFL on Fox to serve non-cable viewers who did not receive a Fox network signal;[45] this deal was honored even though Fox moved its programming in Kansas City to WDAF-TV months later.[46] The managing general partner of TCS Television Partners, Martin Pompadur, decided to put the stations on the market in 1994;[47] while the station was not sold then, TCS tried again in 1996.[48]

KQTV logo, used from 2000 to 2009

Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired KQTV and WTWO in 1997. At the time, Nexstar's only television property was WYOU in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but the firm had been founded by Perry Sook to acquire other mid-market TV stations.[49][50] On June 12, 2009, KQTV switched from an analog to a digital signal; a low power on VHF channel 7 led to signal strength issues in rural areas on the fringes of the station coverage area.[51]

From its sign-on until 1986, with the advent of religious station KTAJ-TV, channel 2 had been the only station in St. Joseph.[52] KTAJ posed minimal competition to KQTV, which by 2012 commanded 87 percent of television revenue in a market that had no other major network affiliates. This began to change in 2012 when the News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), which owned television stations elsewhere in the western United States and a local cable channel in St. Joseph, launched a local Fox affiliate, KNPN-LD, and a local news department leaning on the resources of the News-Press.[53] In following years, NPG launched a local NBC affiliate—KNPG-LD—and CBS affiliate—KCJO-LD.[54][55]

Heartland Media ownership and NPG sale attempt

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In 2016, Nexstar merged with Media General and had to divest several stations to comply with FCC ownership cap limits. It sold a package of KQTV and four other stations to Heartland Media, through its USA Television MidAmerica Holdings joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners, for $115 million in a purchase that closed in January 2017.[56] The sale was completed on January 17, 2017.[57]

Heartland Media announced its intention to sell KQTV to the News-Press & Gazette Company on April 4, 2019.[58] While the sale was technically permissible—NPG did not own a full-power television station in St. Joseph, broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership limits had just been repealed, and broadcast ownership limits do not take low-power stations into account—it did create potential antitrust issues because the purchase would give NPG control of the city's daily newspaper and all four major network affiliations (plus The CW and Telemundo).[59] The deal never received final approval from federal authorities, and the sale agreement expired on September 30; NPG then suspended efforts to buy KQTV. KQTV was not included in the subsequent sale of most of Heartland Media's other stations to Allen Media.[60]

News operation

[edit]

KQTV historically commanded news viewership in the St. Joseph area, even as it effectively competed with the Kansas City stations for viewership during entertainment and network programming and in spite of its lesser production values than the major-market Kansas City stations widely available over-the-air and on cable, with frequent turnover of on-air personalities.[61] As of 2024, KQTV broadcasts 18+1⁄2 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 3+1⁄2 hours each weekday and a half-hour each on Saturdays and Sundays), as well as a high school football program during the season.[62]

Notable former staff

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Technical information

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Subchannels

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The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KQTV[67]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
2.1 720p 16:9 KQTV-HD ABC
2.2 480i 4:3 Antenna Antenna TV
2.3 16:9 ION Ion Television

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KQTV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b c "History Cards for KQTV". Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^ Crater, Rufus (October 4, 1948). "Television Freeze: FCC Action Halted Pending Definite Policy". Broadcasting. pp. 22A, 57. ProQuest 1040475180.
  4. ^ "No New TV Soon: Addition of Video Channels Under FCC Plan Predicted Almost Two Years Off". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. March 23, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Go-Ahead to TV: Freeze on New Stations Is Lifted by FCC, Creating a Much Bigger Field". The Kansas City Times. April 14, 1952. p. 1, 2. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "St. Joseph to Get TV: Authorization to KFEQ Given by FCC". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. October 16, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Equipment Ordered for TV Station: KFEQ on Air as Soon as Tower Is Built". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. January 4, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Delay on TV Start: August 15 Now Is Target Date for St. Joseph Station". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. June 1, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Start on TV Tower Work". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. July 2, 1953. p. 13. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "KFEQ-TV On in September: Delays on Tower Caused Postponement of Planned Start". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. August 9, 1953. p. 77. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "KFEQ-TV Starts Today: First Program on St. Joseph Station at 2:30 O'Clock". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. September 27, 1953. p. 88. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Five Channels On Now: KCMO-TV and KFEQ-TV Send Out First Programs". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. September 28, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "DuMont Network To Quit In Telecasting 'Spin-Off'". Broadcasting. August 15, 1955. p. 64. ProQuest 1014914488.
  14. ^ "Crosby, Brown, Fetzer Negotiate to Buy KFEQ-AM-TV St. Joseph, Mo". Broadcasting. August 15, 1955. p. 9. ProQuest 1014909430.
  15. ^ "Midland Asks FCC Approval To $700,000 KFEQ-AM-TV Buy". Broadcasting. November 21, 1955. pp. 64–65. ProQuest 1014926464.
  16. ^ "Third Anniversary for KFEQ-TV: Birthday Comes During National Television Week". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. September 22, 1956. p. 8. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Brown Group Sells KFEQ-AM-TV to Fines". Broadcasting. August 26, 1957. p. 80. ProQuest 1285752233.
  18. ^ "New Show Will Debut". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. April 13, 1957. p. 8. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "William N. Foster". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. January 23, 1998. p. B4. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Mrs. Miner Wins Television Award". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. April 24, 1959. p. 19. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Seifert, Al (December 1, 1995). "An ode to two men who enjoyed life without much fanfare". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 1D. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Martin, Bob (January 17, 1976). "Gust Karras dies one week after great promotion". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. pp. 1C, 2C. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Buys KFEQ TV-Radio: Connie B. Gay Also Acquires KLIK, Jefferson City". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. August 1, 1960. p. 18. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "FCC gives approval to Fine station buys". Broadcasting. September 2, 1963. p. 9. ProQuest 1014474649.
  25. ^ "KFEQ-TV signed as basic ABC affiliate". Broadcasting. May 8, 1967. p. 61. ProQuest 1014507113.
  26. ^ Schifman, Ben B. (August 5, 1969). "On the Financial Front: Manufacturing Contributes to New ISC Corporate Complex". Kansas City Times. p. 15. Retrieved March 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Station KFEQ-TV Purchased by Firm From Kansas City". St. Joseph Gazette. St. Joseph, Missouri. November 26, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Television Station Now Is KQTV". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. February 1, 1969. p. 3A. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Clemings, Russell (August 4, 1977). "Area Signs Traced: Ez-ID With Catchy Call Letters". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. p. North 2. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ Schifman, Ben B. (July 17, 1969). "On the Financial Front: Offer to Exchange Stock of First-Leawood Banks". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 6H. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Business Panorama: Two Local Radio Stations to ISC Industries". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. August 4, 1969. p. 12. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Schifman, Ben B. (July 7, 1972). "ISC Ind. to Sell Radio-TV Stations". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 16. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ Schifman, Ben B. (July 6, 1973). "Approves Sale". Kansas City Times. p. 15. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ^ King, Linda (July 29, 1976). "Third TV station opposed". Topeka State Journal. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  35. ^ King, Linda (May 5, 1978). "FCC dismisses bid for station". Topeka State Journal. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  36. ^ Laird, Linda (October 31, 1982). "Action on new TV slow". The Topeka Capital-Journal. pp. TV Time 20, 21, 22.
  37. ^ Sheehan, Mark (May 14, 1979). "Amaturo plans sale of KQTV". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. pp. 1A, 2A. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ Sheehan, Mark (September 17, 1979). "KQTV sold to N.Y. firm for $9 million". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Lott, Alan (December 28, 1980). "KQTV awaits okay on 2,000-foot tower". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 1C. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ "TV station here barred from moving its tower". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. August 26, 1983. p. 6A. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "KC channel 19 seeks grant for local repeater station". St. Joseph News-Press/Gazette. St. Joseph, Missouri. January 4, 1986. p. 2B. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ^ "St. Joseph TV station loses its bid to redirect signal to KC, Topeka". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press. May 10, 1986. p. B-1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^ "For the Record". Broadcasting. March 12, 1990. p. 60. ProQuest 1014732596.
  44. ^ "Sale of KQTV completed". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. June 21, 1990. p. 17. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ^ "KQTV nabs NFL on Fox". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. April 30, 1994. p. 29. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ^ Wilheim, John J. (August 17, 1994). "Finding Chiefs on TV will almost take a scorecard". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 1A. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ^ Raffensperger, Terry (October 22, 1994). "Partners put KQTV on market". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 1B. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. ^ Raffensperger, Terry (November 24, 1996). "City's TV station soon may feature new ownership". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. C1. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "Nexstar To Buy Two Midwest Stations". The Scranton Times. Scranton, Pennsylvania. December 18, 1996. p. 20. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ Raffensperger, Terry (April 1, 1997). "KQTV extends ABC link for another decade". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. B3. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ Safi, Ahmad (July 30, 2009). "Some rural viewers left in the dark: KQTV still trying to cope with digital switch". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. pp. B1, B4. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ Chilcote, Gary (October 21, 1986). "UHF station goes on air here". St. Joseph Gazette. St. Joseph, Missouri. p. 4A. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ Malone, Michael (March 20, 2012). "Fox Station Coming to St. Joseph, Mo". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  54. ^ "NBC affiliate coming to St. Joe". St. Joseph News-Press. News-Press & Gazette Company. August 18, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  55. ^ Mark K. Miller (February 24, 2017). "NPG To Launch CBS Affil In St. Joseph, MO". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  56. ^ "Prather Buys 5 TVs From Nexstar-Media Gen". TVNewsCheck. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  57. ^ "Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation's Second Largest Television Broadcaster" (Press release). Nexstar Media Group. January 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  58. ^ "NPG announces it is acquiring KQTV". News-Press NOW. News-Press & Gazette Company. April 4, 2019.
  59. ^ Jacobson, Adam (September 17, 2019). "A Radio Company Brings A Newspaper Back To Life". Radio + Television Business Report. ProQuest 2291471412.
  60. ^ "News-Press suspends bid for KQ". St. Joseph News-Press. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  61. ^ Koppe, George (January 16, 1979). "Invasion of Audience Snatchers Plagues St. Joseph Radio, TV". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. p. 6B. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  62. ^ "KQTV Quarterly Issues and Programs Report, July–September 2024" (PDF). Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. September 30, 2024.
  63. ^ Vierria, Dan (July 26, 1989). "Kim Khazei makes her move". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. p. D5. Retrieved December 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  64. ^ Emerick, Bill (March 12, 1989). "Wheel of fortune: Detroit sportscasters playing daily game of fame and fortune". The Oakland Press. p. B-6.
  65. ^ Becker, Anne (August 15, 2005). "O'Brien at Home in and on the Air". Broadcasting & Cable. p. 24. ProQuest 225334352.
  66. ^ Feder, Robert (July 19, 1990). "Terkel, Moyers will salute foe of '50s blacklist". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 47.
  67. ^ "RabbitEars TV Query for KQTV". RabbitEars. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
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