Misplaced Pages

KMSP-TV: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 18:17, 12 June 2007 editRollosmokes (talk | contribs)8,919 editsm removed Notable Events section, which is pretty redundant with the rest of the article← Previous edit Latest revision as of 02:37, 21 December 2024 edit undoGreenC bot (talk | contribs)Bots2,547,807 edits Reformat 1 archive link. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:USURPURL and JUDI batch #20 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|TV station in Minneapolis}}
:'''''KMSP''' is also the ] for the ]''
{{redirect|FOX 9|the Boise, Idaho, station also known as Fox 9|KNIN-TV|the Yuma, Arizona–El Centro, California, station also known as Fox 9|KECY-TV}}
{{Infobox_Broadcast |
{{For|other stations branded as Fox 9|Fox 9 (disambiguation){{!}}Fox 9}}
call_letters = KMSP-TV|
{{distinguish|KMPS (AM)}}
station_logo = ]|
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
station_slogan = The Most Powerful Name in Local News!<br>The Power of Fox 9 News|
{{Infobox television station
station_branding = ''KMSP, Fox 9''|
| callsign = KMSP-TV
analog = 9 (]) |
| city = Minneapolis, Minnesota
digital = 26 (])|
| logo = Fts-minneapolis-a.svg
other_chs = ''(see article)'' |
| logo_upright = 1
affiliations = ] (since 2002; also from 1986-1988) |
| branding = Fox 9
founded = ], ]|
| digital = 9 (])
location = ] / ]|
| virtual = 9
callsign_meaning = '''M'''inneapolis / '''S'''t. '''P'''aul|
| translators = ''see {{section link||Translators}}''
owner = ]|
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''9.9:''' ]|''']:''' ]|''for others, see {{section link||KMSP-TV/WFTC subchannels}}''}}
former_callsigns = KEYD (1955-1956)<br>KMGM (1956-1958) |
| owner = ]
former_affiliations = ] (1955-1956)<br>]<br>(1956-1961, 1979-1986, 1988-1995)<br>] (1961-1979)<br>] (1995-2002)|
| location = ]–]
homepage = |}}
| country = United States
| airdate = {{start date and age|1955|1|9|p=y}}
| callsign_meaning = Minneapolis and Saint Paul
| sister_stations = ], KFTC
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|KEYD-TV (1955–1956)|KMGM-TV (1956–1958)}}
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 9 (VHF, 1955–2009)|'''Digital:''' 26 (], 2000–2009)}}
| former_affiliations = {{ubl|] (1955–1956)|] (1956–1961, 1979–1986, 1988–1995)|] (1961–1979)|Fox (1986–1988)|] (1995–2002)}}
| erp = 36.2&nbsp;]
| haat = {{convert|435|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| facility_id = 68883
| coordinates = {{coord|45|3|30|N|93|7|28|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| licensing_authority = ]
| website = {{URL|www.fox9.com}}
}}


'''KMSP-TV''', channel 9, is an ] television station of the ]-owned ], located in ]. The station serves the Minneapolis-] (also known as the ]) area, and portions of western ]. KMSP-TV and sister station ] (channel 29, the Twin Cities' ] affiliate) are currently co-located in ], and also share a transmission tower in ]. '''KMSP-TV''' (channel 9) is a ] licensed to ], United States, serving as the ] network outlet for the ] area. It is ] by the network's ] division alongside ] station ] (channel 9.2). The two stations are located together on Viking Drive in ]; KMSP-TV's ] is located in ].


KMSP-TV also serves the ] market (via '''K35KI-D''' in nearby ]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=K35KI-D|title=RabbitEars.Info|website=www.rabbitears.info}}</ref> through the local ]-operated Cooperative TV (CTV) network of translators<ref></ref><ref></ref>), even though that area already has a ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KEYC|title=RabbitEars.Info|website=www.rabbitears.info}}</ref> KMSP is also carried on the main channel of '''KFTC''' (channel 26), a ] of WFTC licensed to ] which serves the northernmost reaches of the Minneapolis–St. Paul television market.
The station is noted for having a number of ]-winning ] and ]s. The newscasts have been nationally honored with the prestigious ] for Best Newscast and Spot News Coverage, in addition to Investigative Reporting, and Videography.


KMSP-TV is also carried in Canada on the ] system in ], on Tbaytel, and on ] ] in the province of ]. Since October 2022, the station is also carried on Westman Communications, replacing ]'s ].
The KMSP-WFTC duopoly is a union shop, with all technicians and photographers being required to join the ] Local 292.


==History== ==History==
The Family Broadcasting Corporation in Minneapolis, owner of radio station KEYD (1440 AM, now ]), filed an application with the FCC for a ] for a new commercial television station to be operated on Channel 9 on November 24, 1953.<ref name="kmsp-history">{{cite news|title=History of KMSP-TV|url=http://www.fox9.com/about-us/history-of-kmsp-tv#|access-date=March 13, 2019|work=KMSP-TV|date=August 11, 2015}}</ref> ] and WDGY (now ]) also expressed interest, but withdrew their applications in 1954, effectively handing the permit to Family Broadcasting.<ref name="bt-nowdgytv">{{cite news|title=Minneapolis Dropout|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1954/1954-04-26-BC.pdf|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=]|date=April 26, 1954|page=55}}</ref><ref name="bt-nowloltv">{{cite news|title=Initial Rulings Favor Two Vhf Grants|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1954/1954-05-24-BC.pdf|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=]|date=May 24, 1954|page=134}}</ref> KEYD-TV began broadcasting on January 9, 1955, and was affiliated with the ].<ref name="pavek">{{cite web|title=Twin Cities Television Milestones|url=http://www.pavekmuseum.org/tctvchron.html|website=]|access-date=July 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217183016/http://www.pavekmuseum.org/tctvchron.html|archive-date=February 17, 2013}}</ref> During this time, ], a graduate of Minneapolis West High School and the ], was hired as the station's first news anchor and news director.<ref name="slphistory-keydreasoner">{{cite web|title=Harry Reasoner Found|url=http://www.slphistory.org/reecho/reasonermarch07.asp|date=March 2007|website=St. Louis Park Historical Society|access-date=June 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121222329/http://www.slphistory.org/reecho/reasonermarch07.asp|archive-date=November 21, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, DuMont shut down in August 1956, leaving the station as an ];<ref name="pavek"/> on June 3, 1956, the KEYD stations were sold to ], whose principals at the time included several stockholders of ] station ], for $1.5 million.<ref name="pavek"/><ref name="bt-saletounited1">{{cite news|title=Brisk buying surge swaps four stations, $7.7 million|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-04-09-BC.pdf|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=]|date=April 9, 1956|pages=35–6}}</ref><ref name="bt-saletounited2">{{cite news|title=FCC Okays $1.5 Split Sale Of Twin Cities' KEYD-AM-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-05-28-BC.pdf|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=]|date=May 28, 1956|page=79}}</ref> The new owners immediately sold off KEYD radio,<ref name="bt-saletounited1"/><ref name="bt-saletounited2"/> refocused KEYD-TV's programming on ] and ],<ref name="billboard-saletounited">{{cite magazine|title=Sy Weintrab, Others to Buy KEYD, Minn.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=piEEAAAAMBAJ&q=KEYD+United+1956&pg=PA5|access-date=June 10, 2016|magazine=]|date=April 14, 1956|page=5}}</ref> and shut down the news department; Reasoner was hired by ] a few months later.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NxNlGsE7EVwC&q=%22keyd+tv%22&pg=PA314|title = Minnesota in a Century of Change: The State and Its People Since 1900|isbn = 9780873512381|last1 = Clark|first1 = Clifford Edward|year = 1989}}</ref><ref name="reasoner">{{cite book|last1=Daniel|first1=Douglaas K.|title=Harry Reasoner: A Life in the News|date=2009|publisher=]|isbn=978-0292782365|pages=54–8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGbyuBwKrDMC&q=%22keyd+tv%22+Reasoner&pg=PA54|access-date=June 10, 2016}}</ref> Reasoner became a host for CBS's '']'' when it launched in 1968.
The station began broadcasting as '''KEYD''' on ], ] and was affiliated with the ]. One of its first news reporters was ], who later in life would become one of the first presenters on ]. DuMont shut down in ], leaving the station as an independent outlet.


Channel 9 changed its call letters to KMGM-TV on May 23, 1956.<ref name="kmsp-history"/> At the time, the station was in negotiations with ] to acquire the Twin Cities television rights to the company's films, along with selling a 25 percent stake in KMGM-TV to the studio.<ref name="bt-keydtokmgm">{{cite news|title=MGM May Get 25% of Minneapolis TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-09-10-BC.pdf|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=]|date=September 10, 1956|page=91}}</ref> Negotiations broke down later that month over the cost of the films;<ref name="billboard-kmgmnomgm?">{{cite magazine|title=Meredith Stations Buy M-G-M Films|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hwoEAAAAMBAJ&q=KEYD+United+1956&pg=PA10|access-date=June 11, 2016|magazine=]|date=September 29, 1956|page=8}}</ref> additionally, ], MGM's parent company at the time, filed a petition with the FCC against the call sign change, claiming that the use of KMGM was unauthorized and a violation of MGM's ].<ref name="bt-kmgmloewsprotest">{{cite news|title=Loew's Hits KMGM-TV Call|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-09-17-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=September 17, 1956|page=9}}</ref> The FCC ruled against Loew's that October, saying that its call sign assignment policies were limited to preventing confusion between stations in a given area.<ref name="bt-loewslosesprotest">{{cite news|title=Loew's Protest Thrown Out|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-10-22-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=October 22, 1956|page=93}}</ref> The agreements to lease MGM's pre-1949 films and sell 25 percent of the station to Loew's were both completed that November; KMGM was the third station, after future sister station ] in ] and ] in ], to enter into such an arrangement.<ref name="bt-kmgmloews">{{cite news|title=Loew's Closes Deal For Share in KMGM-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1956/1956-11-05-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=November 5, 1956|page=9}}</ref>
After one season, the station was sold to ] and for a very brief period of time it used the call sign '''KMGM-TV'''. It later changed its call sign again to '''KMSP-TV''' when the station was sold to its longtime owner United Television (then a subsidiary of ]) in ].


], which later purchased ] in the ] area, purchased the 75 percent of United Television not owned by MGM for $650,000 in November 1957, joining it to the ] until it ended in 1961.<ref name="bt-saletonta1">{{cite news|title=KMGM-TV Sold To Natl. Telefilm|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1957/1957-08-26-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=August 26, 1957|pages=79–80}}</ref><ref name="b-saletontaapproved">{{cite news|title=NTA Gets FCC Okay On Buy Of KMGM-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1957/1957-11-25-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=November 25, 1957|pages=80–1}}</ref><ref name="b-saletontacomplete">{{cite news|title=NTA Announces Appointment Of Swartz to Manage KMGM-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1957/1957-12-02-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=December 2, 1957|page=64}}</ref> After taking control, NTA expanded KMGM-TV's hours of operation as part of an overhaul of channel 9's schedule that also included the addition of newscasts.<ref name="b-kmgmnewsreturn">{{cite magazine|title=Don Swartz Named KMGM Gen. Mgr.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3x0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22KMGM-TV%22+newscasts&pg=PA12|access-date=July 22, 2016|magazine=]|date=December 2, 1957|page=12}}</ref> A few months later, on February 10, 1958, NTA bought MGM's stake for $130,000 and announced that it would change channel 9's calls to KMSP-TV;<ref name="pavek"/><ref name="b-saletonta2">{{cite news|title=NTA Becomes Owner Of KMGM-TV After 25% Purchase From Loew's|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-02-10-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=February 10, 1958|pages=78–9}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,864365,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001021445/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,864365,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 1, 2007 | magazine=Time | title=Television: New Voice on Channel 13 | date=May 19, 1958}} and IMDB</ref> the call sign change took effect that March over the objections of ] (channel 5).<ref name="b-kmgmtokmsp">{{cite news|title=KMGM-TV Changes To KMSP (TV)|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-03-31-BC.pdf|access-date=June 11, 2016|work=]|date=March 31, 1958|page=86}}</ref> ], a theater chain whose broadcast holdings already included ]-] in ], began the process of acquiring NTA in November 1958;<ref name="b-saletonationaltheatres1">{{cite news|title=Natl. Theatres Starts NTA Buy|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1958/1958-11-17-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=November 17, 1958|page=72}}</ref> in April 1959, it purchased 88 percent of the company.<ref name="b-saletonationaltheatres2">{{cite news|title=Media reports|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1959/1959-05-11-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=May 11, 1959|page=60}}</ref> ], the former parent company of National Theatres, bought KMSP-TV for $4.1 million on November 9, 1959, retaining the United Television corporate name.<ref name="pavek"/><ref name="b-saletofox">{{cite news|title=The Move Hedge: $4.1 million Fox deal closed for KMSP-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1959/1959-08-24-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=May 11, 1959|page=72}}</ref> The KMSP call letters were featured on prop television cameras in the ] of the ] sitcom '']'', produced by ]; the show was loosely set in the Twin Cities area. The episode was titled "The Call of the, Like, Wild".
In ], KMSP took over the ] network affiliation from WTCN-TV (channel 11, now ]), an affiliation it would keep until ]. Throughout its years with ABC, KMSP was notorious for having a sub-standard news department with large staff turnover. Ratings were dismal with KMSP obtaining only one-third of the viewing audience of their two competitors, ] affiliate ] (channel 4) and ] station ] (channel 5).


During its early years until 1972, the station's studios and offices were located in a lower level of the ] in ]; the transmitter was located on top of the building, the tallest structure in the area until 1971, along with ] (channel 4) and WTCN-TV (channel 11, now ]).<ref name="pavek"/>
Ratings improved by ] when ABC went from being the last-place network to being the first. To cash in, KMSP rebranded itself "ABC9" (approximately 20 years before U.S. stations would be using the network name in their branding ''en masse''), and retooled their newscast. Unfortunately, KMSP's news department was still not up to the same level as the competition, and ABC put KMSP on notice that it would drop its affiliation unless improvements were made, and fast.


===Independent station=== ===As an ABC affiliate===
KMSP-TV took over the ] affiliation from WTCN-TV on April 16, 1961.<ref name="b-kmspabc">{{cite news|title=KMSP-TV Twin Cities joins ABC-TV, replaces WTCN|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1961/1961-01-30-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=January 30, 1961|page=9}}</ref> Throughout its years with ABC, KMSP was perennially the lowest-rated network affiliate in the Twin Cities, with only one-third of the viewing audience of each of their two competitors, CBS affiliate WCCO-TV and ] affiliate KSTP-TV. It was also notorious for having a sub-standard news department with large staff turnover.<ref name="studioz7.com">{{cite web|last1=Lonto|first1=Jeff R.|title=Your Newsnine Station: The saga of KMSP-TV Minneapolis{{Snd}} St. Paul in the 1970s|url=http://www.studioz7.com/newsnine.html|publisher=Studio Z-7 Publishing|access-date=July 20, 2016|year=2006}}</ref> In 1971, KMSP built a new tower in ], while the studios and offices relocated in 1972 to ] on York Avenue South, across from Southdale Shopping Center.<ref name="pavek"/>
On ], ], ABC announced that KSTP-TV would be its new affiliate in the Twin Cities. In the wake of ABC's rise to first place in viewership, the network sought to upgrade its affiliate list, which was made up of several stations that either had poor signals or poorly-performing local programming. Other higher-profile stations, like KSTP-TV switched to ABC during this period. The signing of channel 5 made nationwide news, as it had been an NBC affiliate for 30 years. In retaliation, KMSP immediately removed all ABC branding and regularly pre-empted network programming. KMSP attempted to affiliate with then-struggling third place NBC. However, NBC, miffed at losing one of its strongest affiliates, turned down KMSP's offer almost immediately and signed an affiliation agreement with independent WTCN-TV.


In the late 1970s, ABC steadily rose to first place in the network ratings. Accordingly, the network sought to upgrade its slate of affiliates, which were made up of some stations that either had poor signals or poorly performing local programming. In December 1977, ABC warned United that it would yank its affiliation from channel 9 unless improvements were made and fast. In early 1978, to cash in on ABC's improved ratings, KMSP re-branded itself "ABC9" (approximately 20 years before the use of a network's name in a station's on-air branding became commonplace among U.S. affiliates), and retooled its newscast. Despite the changes, KMSP's news department remained in the ratings cellar.<ref name="studioz7.com"/>
As a result of being rejected by both ABC and NBC, KMSP was forced to revert into an independent station. They would also be freed up from investing as heavily in their meager news department. Most of the on-air and off-air staffers resigned, not wanting to work for a down-scaled independent operation, and frustrated with the station's lack of competitiveness over the years.


===Becoming an independent once again===
KMSP became an independent station once again on ], ], and picked up cartoons and more syndicated shows, with most of them coming from WTCN-TV. It rebranded itself as "Receptive Channel 9", and became quite aggressive in programming, obtaining broadcast rights to several state high school sports championships (]), the ]'s ] and the ] baseball team. The stripped-down newscast was moved to 9:30, then by ] to 9:00 and expanded to a full hour.
]'' airings on KMSP, from after the station reverted to being an independent. The "9" logo was introduced in 1972, when it was an ABC affiliate, and continued to be in use until 2000.]]
On August 29, 1978, ABC announced that KSTP-TV would become the network's new Twin Cities affiliate the following spring.<ref name="b-kstpabc">{{cite news|title=ABC-TV bags largest game yet in affiliation hunt: KSTP-TV|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-09-04-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=September 4, 1978|pages=19–20}}</ref> The signing of channel 5 made nationwide news, as it had been an NBC affiliate for three decades. KSTP-TV looked forward to affiliating with the top network, as third-place NBC had been in a long ratings slump. In retaliation for losing ABC, KMSP-TV immediately removed all ABC branding and regularly preempted network programming. Channel 9 then attempted to affiliate with NBC, thinking '']'' would be a good lead-out from their 10 p.m. newscast, despite low prime time ratings.<ref name="studioz7.com"/> However, NBC, miffed at losing one of its strongest affiliates, and not wanting to pick up ABC's rejects, turned down KMSP's offer almost immediately<ref name="studioz7.com"/> and signed an affiliation agreement with independent station WTCN-TV.<ref name="b-wtcnnbc">{{cite news|title=In Brief|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-10-02-BC.pdf|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=October 2, 1978|page=30}}</ref> As a result of being rejected by both ABC and NBC, KMSP-TV prepared to become an independent station. Although it now faced a lack of weekend and weekday ] and having to buy seven to eight additional hours of programming per day, it also would not have to invest nearly as much into its news department and could invest its affiliate dues into syndicated film rights and local sports instead. Most of the on-air and off-air staffers resigned, not wanting to work for a down-scaled independent operation.<ref name="studioz7.com"/>


The affiliation switch occurred on March 5, 1979,<ref name="pavek"/><ref name="studioz7.com"/> and KMSP debuted its new independent schedule featuring cartoons, syndicated shows<ref name="studioz7.com"/> and even the locally based ],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://wwfchamps.com/promotion.php?promotion=7 |title=All Profiles |website=WWFChamps.com |access-date=June 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928075057/http://wwfchamps.com/promotion.php?promotion=7 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> with much of the station's programming having been acquired from WTCN-TV. To emphasize that the station's programming decisions would be influenced by viewers instead of a network, KMSP rebranded itself as "Receptive Channel 9", and an ] was shown atop the station's logo in ]s. The station became quite aggressive in acquiring programming, obtaining broadcast rights to several state high school sports championships from the ], the ]'s ] and the ] ] team.<ref name="studioz7.com"/>
As many people were predicting failure for the new channel 9, KMSP's transition into an independent station turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was far more successful than it ever had been as an ABC affiliate. It became a regional ], available on nearly every cable system in Minnesota as well as large portions of ], ], ], and ]. Over time, IT became one of the most successful and profitable independent stations in the country.


As it turned out, KMSP's transition into an independent station turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was far more successful than the station ever had been as an ABC affiliate. It became a regional ], available on nearly every ] system in Minnesota as well as large portions of ], ], ] and ]. Over time, it became one of the most successful and profitable independent stations in the country.<ref name="studioz7.com"/>
During the early ], KMSP went through another ownership change when United Television was merged with ].


KMSP went through another ownership change on June 9, 1981, when 20th Century-Fox spun off United Television as an independent company owned by Fox shareholders; the transaction was approved alongside the $700 million sale of 20th Century-Fox to ].<ref name="upi-foxspinsunited">{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Vernon|title=Denver oilman Marvin Davis has bought 20th Century-Fox to...|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/06/09/Denver-oilman-Marvin-Davis-has-bought-20th-Century-Fox-to/5714360907200/|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=]|date=June 9, 1981}}</ref> ], which in 1977 had acquired an interest in 20th Century-Fox that by 1981 comprised 22 percent of Fox's stock, received a 19 percent stake in United Television;<ref name="fubhc">{{cite web |title = BHC Communications, Inc. Companies History |url =http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/BHC-Communications-Inc-Company-History.html |work = Company Histories |publisher = Funding Universe |year = 1997 |access-date = July 20, 2009}}</ref> later in June, it filed with the FCC for control of United, as it now owned 32 percent of its stock.<ref name="b-ccfcccontrolunited">{{cite news|title=Bottom Line|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1981/BC-1981-06-29.pdf|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=]|date=June 21, 1981|page=54}}</ref> Two years later, Chris-Craft, though its ] subsidiary, increased its stake in United Television to 50.1 percent and gained majority control of the company.<ref name="fubhc"/>
===First with Fox===
The station remained independent through ]. Intrigued by the idea of being a network affiliate while not having to be tied down to a network-dominated schedule, KMSP became one of the original affiliates of the newly-launched ] network. However, it did not remain a Fox affiliate for long. In ], KMSP was one of several Fox affiliates nationwide disappointed with the network's programming offerings, and they started pre-empting and time-shifting network shows. Prior to the start of the 1988-1989 Fall season, Fox cancelled channel 9's affiliation entirely and subsequently moved its programming to KITN-TV (channel 29, now ]). KMSP-TV became independent once again.


===UPN affiliation=== ===First Fox affiliation, then back to independent===
KMSP-TV remained an independent station through 1986 when it became one of the original charter affiliates of the newly launched ] network on October 9.<ref name="b-kmspfox">{{cite news|title=Fox network begins to take shape|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-08-04.pdf|pages=44–5|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=]|date=August 4, 1986}}</ref> This suited channel 9, as it wanted the prestige of being a network affiliate without being tied to a network-dominated schedule. At the time, Fox only programmed a nightly talk show and, starting in 1987, two nights of prime time programming; the network would start its full-week programming schedule in 1993. Thus, like most early Fox affiliates, KMSP was still essentially an independent. For its first few years with Fox, the station served as the ''de facto'' Fox affiliate for nearly all of Minnesota and South Dakota.
By the early ], Fox had exploded in popularity. It had strong shows that were starting to rival the offerings of the 'Big Three' networks, and had just picked up rights to the ]. In response to this, KMSP's then-owner, Chris-Craft/United Television, partnered with ] (which soon became part of media conglomerate ]) to create yet another network, ] (then an acronym for the "United Paramount Network"). On ], ], KMSP would once again become a charter affiliate of a new network when UPN came to channel 9.


However, the station did not remain a Fox affiliate for long. By 1988, KMSP was one of several Fox affiliates nationwide that were disappointed with the network's weak programming offerings, particularly on Saturday nights, which were bogging down KMSP's otherwise successful independent lineup. That January, channel 9 dropped Fox's Saturday night lineup;<ref name="b-kmspnofoxsaturday">{{cite news|title=How affiliates feel about the Fox network: No problems that programming can't cure|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1988/BC-1988-01-04.pdf|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=]|date=January 4, 1988|page=90}}</ref> the move did not sit well with Fox, and in July 1988 the network announced that it would not renew its affiliations with KMSP and Chris-Craft sister station ] in ].<ref name="b-kmspnofox">{{cite news|title=In Brief|url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1988/BC-1988-07-25.pdf|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=]|date=July 25, 1988|page=113}}</ref> Fox then signed an agreement with KITN (channel 29, now ]) to become its new Twin Cities affiliate, and KMSP reverted to being an independent station full-time.<ref name="pavek"/><ref name="studioz7.com"/> In 1992, the station relocated to its current studio facilities on Viking Drive in ].<ref name="pavek"/> Along with the other United Television stations, KMSP carried programming from the ] from 1993 to 1995.<ref>{{cite news | last = Susan | first = King | title = Space, 2258, in the Year 1994 | pages = 4 | work = Los Angeles Times | date = January 23, 1994 | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-01-23-tv-14354-story.html | access-date = June 25, 2009 }}</ref>
KMSP became one of UPN's most successful affiliates. In addition, it was still enjoying success with local sports programming featuring the Twins(now on WFTC), as well as the ] championships (now on ]).


===Back to Fox=== ===As a UPN affiliate===
By the early 1990s, Fox had exploded in popularity; it had begun carrying strong shows that were starting to rival the program offerings of the ] and had just ] to the ]'s ]. In response to this, in October 1993, Chris-Craft/United Television partnered with ] (which was acquired by ] in 1994) to form the United Paramount Network (]) and both companies made ] ] that both companies respectively owned in several large and mid-sized U.S. cities charter stations of the new network.<ref name="upi-upnannounced">{{cite news|title=Paramount, Chris-Craft forming fifth TV network|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/10/26/Paramount-Chris-Craft-forming-fifth-TV-network/4760751608000/|access-date=July 21, 2016|work=]|date=October 26, 1993}}</ref>
KMSP remained as a UPN affiliate even after the station, along with several other stations owned by Chris-Craft, was sold to the ]. Soon after, Fox bought WFTC. An affiliation swap was expected after KMSP's affiliation contract with UPN ran out, as Fox likely desired channel 9's ] signal and rapidly growing news operation. On ] ]; KMSP swapped network affiliations with WFTC. This move (accompanied by a "Make the Switch" ad campaign on both stations) made KMSP a Fox station once again, and fulfilled Fox's desire for a VHF signal and established news operation in the Twin Cities. At that time, KMSP took all Fox programming, including the Fox Box (now rebranded as ]). It should be noted that of all the former Chris-Craft stations Fox retained, KMSP was the only one not to retain its UPN affiliation.


UPN launched on January 16, 1995,<ref name="pavek"/> (with the two-hour premiere of '']''), with channel 9 becoming a UPN ] due to Chris-Craft/United's ownership stake in the network (later part-ownership in 1996 when Viacom bought a 50% stake of the network)—making it the second network-owned station in the Twin Cities (alongside CBS-owned WCCO-TV). Over time, KMSP became one of UPN's most successful affiliates in terms of viewership. In addition to UPN's prime-time schedule and the network's daytime children's blocks (such as ] from 1995 to 1999, and '']'' from 1999 to 2003), the station was still enjoying success with local sports programming featuring the Minnesota Twins, as well as the MSHSL championships. KMSP was stripped of its status as a UPN owned-and-operated station in 2000 after Viacom exercised a contractual clause to buy out Chris-Craft's stake in the network, although the station remained with UPN as an affiliate for another two years. Around this time, Viacom bought CBS (and in turn, WCCO).<ref name="nyt-upnsale">{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Bill|title=Viacom Buys Chris-Craft's Stake in UPN For $5 Million|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/21/business/viacom-buys-chris-craft-s-stake-in-upn-for-5-million.html|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=March 21, 2000}}</ref><ref name="v-upnsale">{{cite news|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Jill|title=Weblet soap ends: Viacom's got UPN|url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/weblet-soap-ends-viacom-s-got-upn-1117780148/|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=April 4, 2000}}</ref>
Fox invested heavily in KMSP, and created the strongest news operation ever (they even briefly produced a newscast for sister station WFTC). In addition, Fox has become a full-fledged competitor with NBC, ABC and CBS with shows like "]", "]" and "]" and a strong cable news operation. Ironically, the late night edition of "Fox 9 News" today often draw better ratings than the newscasts on KSTP-TV.


===Return to Fox as an owned-and-operated station===
On ] ], 4Kids TV programming moved to sister station WFTC.
], through its ] subsidiary, agreed to purchase Chris-Craft Industries and its stations, including KMSP-TV, for $5.35 billion in August 2000 (this brought KMSP, along with ]'s ] and ]'s ], back under common ownership with 20th Century Fox); the deal followed a bidding war with Viacom.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hofmeister|first=Sallie|title=News Corp. to Buy Chris-Craft Parent for $5.5 Billion, Outbidding Viacom|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-12-fi-3272-story.html|access-date=July 22, 2016|newspaper=]|date=August 12, 2000}}</ref><ref name="dn-saletofox">{{cite news|last1=Chipman|first1=Kim|title=News Corp. to buy Chris-Craft|url=https://www.deseret.com/2000/8/14/19523626/news-corp-to-buy-chris-craft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241107061230/https://www.deseret.com/2000/8/14/19523626/news-corp-to-buy-chris-craft/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 7, 2024|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|agency=]|date=August 14, 2000}}</ref><ref name="b&c-saletofox">{{cite news|last1=Rathbun|first1=Elizabeth A.|title=How the FCC counts Fox|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/how-fcc-counts-fox/87634|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=August 20, 2000}}</ref> The sale was completed on July 31, 2001.<ref name="v-saletofoxcomplete">{{cite news|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Jill|title=Chris-Craft deal closed|url=https://variety.com/2001/tv/features/chris-craft-deal-closed-1117850552/|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=July 31, 2001}}</ref> While Fox pledged to retain the Chris-Craft stations' UPN affiliations through at least the 2000–01 season,<ref name="b&c-foxnoupnexit">{{cite news|last1=Schlosser|first1=Joe|title=There's still a UPN—for now|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/theres-still-upn%E2%80%94-now/88133|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=August 27, 2000}}</ref> and Chris-Craft agreed to an 18-month renewal for its UPN affiliates in January 2001,<ref name="b&c-upnrenewal2001">{{cite news|last1=McClellan|first1=Steve|title=Chris-Craft stations re-up with UPN|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/chris-craft-stations-re-upn/96152|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=January 21, 2001}}</ref> an affiliation swap was expected once KMSP's affiliation agreement with UPN ran out in 2002, given Fox's presumed preference to have its programming on a station that it already owned. Additionally, KMSP's signal was much stronger than that of WFTC; it was a VHF station that had been on the air much longer than UHF outlet WFTC.<ref name="mspbj-wftctofts">{{cite news|last1=Kamenick|first1=Amy|title=News Corp. acquisition of Fox 29 approved|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2001/10/01/daily24.html|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=October 2, 2001}}</ref> Most importantly, Fox had been aggressively expanding local news programming on its stations, and KMSP had an established and competitive news department whereas WFTC's news department did not begin operations until April 2001. The move was made easier when, in July 2001, Fox agreed to trade KTVX and KMOL (now WOAI-TV) to ] in exchange for WFTC,<ref name="sabj-wftctofts">{{cite news|title=Clear Channel to land KMOL-TV in a trade|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2001/07/23/daily30.html|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=July 27, 2001}}</ref> a transaction completed that October.<ref name="mspbj-wftctofts"/>
===Video News Release===


The affiliation switch, officially announced in May 2002,<ref name="mspbj-kmspfoxagain">{{cite news|last1=Kamenick|first1=Amy|title=Channels 9 and 29 swap affiliations|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2002/05/20/daily38.html|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=May 23, 2002}}</ref> occurred on September 8, 2002 (accompanied by a "Make the Switch" ad campaign that was seen on both stations), as Fox programming returned to KMSP-TV after a 14-year absence, while WFTC took the UPN affiliation;<ref>{{cite news|last=Gunderson |first=Troy |title=Calling all surfers: Fox, UPN changing channels |url=http://brainerddispatch.com/stories/090602/spo_0906020016.shtml |access-date=June 22, 2012 |newspaper=] |date=September 6, 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214084824/http://brainerddispatch.com/stories/090602/spo_0906020016.shtml |archive-date=December 14, 2013 }}</ref> KMSP was the only former Chris-Craft station that was acquired and kept by Fox that did not retain its UPN affiliation. The station began carrying Fox's entire programming schedule at that time, including the '']'' children's block (which later returned to WFTC as ], until the block was discontinued by Fox in December 2008 due to a dispute with ]). The affiliation swap coincided with the start of the ]; KMSP effectively became the "home" station for the NFL's ] as a result of Fox ] to the National Football Conference (from ] to ], most Vikings games were aired on WFTC). Finally, in 2014, with the launch of '']'' which replaced '']'' which WFTC carried, KMSP-TV began clearing the entire Fox network schedule for good.
On ], ], KMSP played a "]" about convertibles produced by GM in its entirety. The narrator, ] publicist Andrew Schmertz, was introduced as reporter André Schmertz. KMSP did not disclose the corporate source of this segment to their viewers.


Since Fox has affiliates in most ]s and the ]'s ] regulations normally require cable systems to only carry a given network's local affiliate, and Fox prefers only an area's affiliate be carried as opposed to a distant station for rating tabulation purposes, KMSP was eventually removed from most cable providers outside the Twin Cities. By this time, these areas had enough stations to provide local Fox affiliates. KMSP thus effectively lost the "regional superstation" status it had held for almost a quarter-century, dating back to when it was an independent station. Due to the advent of ], many stations in smaller markets previously served by KMSP began operating UPN-affiliated ]s towards the end of the network's run to replace that network's programming in those markets, which in turn became MyNetworkTV or ] affiliates.
==Programming==
The station has had a long-running 9 p.m. ] (''Fox 9 News at 9''), which airs an hour before most other news broadcasts in the area (being in the ], ] TV stations usually air their nightly newscasts at 10 p.m.). The two primary ]s are and , who have been paired longer than any other anchor team in the Twin Cities, according to the station.


On December 14, 2017, ], owner of KSTP-TV's affiliated network ABC, announced its intent to buy KMSP-TV's parent company, ], for $66.1 billion; the sale, which closed on March 20, 2019, excluded KMSP-TV and sister station WFTC as well as the Fox network, the MyNetworkTV programming service, ], ], the ] and the Fox Television Stations unit, which were all transferred to the newly formed ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Disney Buys Big Chunk Of Fox In $66.1B Deal|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/109662/disney-buys-big-chunk-of-fox-in-661b-deal|website=TVNewsCheck|date=December 14, 2017|access-date=December 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Murdoch: New Fox Interested In More Stations|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/mobile/index/article/id/109669|website=TVNewsCheck|date=December 14, 2017|access-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> ] would be divested in a separate deal to Diamond Sports Group, made up of a joint venture of ] owner ] and ].
==Notable Personalities==
===Current On-Air Talent===
'''FOX9 ANCHORS'''
*, 5:00 and 9:00 Anchor, Sunday-Thursdays/10:00PM Anchor
*, 5:00 & 9:00PM Anchor, seen Sunday-Thursdays
*, 10:00pm Anchor
*, Weekday Morning Anchor
*, Weekday Morning Anchor
*, 5PM and 9PM Anchor,Friday and Saturdays
*, 5PM and 9PM Anchor,Friday and Saturdays/Weekend Morning Anchor
*, Weekend Morning Anchor/Wed-Fri Morning Reporter


==News operation==
'''FOX9 REPORTERS'''
KMSP presently broadcasts {{Frac|59|1|2}} hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 10 hours each weekday, four hours on Saturdays, and {{Frac|5|1|2}} hours on Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest newscast output among Minneapolis' broadcast television stations.
*Jody Ambroz, General Assignment Reporter
*, Investigative Reporter
*Paul Blume, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, Traffic Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, Investigative Reporter
*, Entertainment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, Investigative Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter, seen Weekday Mornings
*, General Assignment Reporter
*, Investigative Reporter
*, General Assignment Reporter


The station's first news director and news anchor was Harry Reasoner when KMSP signed on (as KEYD-TV) in 1955.<ref name="slphistory-keydreasoner" /> Despite the station's focus on live coverage of news and sports, as well as awards from the University of Minnesota Journalism School and the Northwest Radio–TV News Association, KEYD's newscasts were generally in fourth place in the ratings.<ref name="reasoner"/> After channel 9's ownership changed in 1956, the news operation was closed down.<ref name="reasoner"/> News programming returned to the station after NTA bought KMGM-TV in 1957.<ref name="b-kmgmnewsreturn"/>
'''FOX9 WEATHER TEAM'''
* (] Seal of Approval), Chief Meteorologist,Sunday-Thursdays
* (] Seal of Approval), Weekday Morning Meteorologist
*, Friday and Saturday Evening Meteorologist, on a temporary basis
* Erik Maitland, Weekend Morning Meteorologist
*, Fill-in Meteorologist


The station, which had long been a distant third to WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities news ratings, began an aggressive campaign in 1973 to gain ground against its competition. After a nationwide search, management hired Ben Boyett and Phil Bremen to anchor a newscast with a new set and format, known as ''newsnine''.<ref name="studioz7.com"/> The new format did not really draw many new viewers, and the station's low news budget, ill-conceived promotion, and frequent technical glitches, along with its ] overall struggles and wire service before ] took control, didn't help matters. One botched campaign for a news series on ], in the spring of 1974, resulted in lawsuits from two young women that claimed that their likenesses were used in promos without their permission, thus damaging their reputations.<ref name="studioz7.com"/> By the fall of 1975, Boyett and Bremen would be gone, replaced by respected veteran newsman ] and the station's first female anchor, Cathie Mann. These changes did little to take channel 9 out of third place, and despite ABC becoming the #1 network by 1977 and Arledge's moves to increase ABC News's prestige, KMSP's newscasts still struggled.<ref name="studioz7.com"/>
'''SPORTS ANCHORS/REPORTERS'''
* Sports Director/Weeknight Sports Anchor
*, Weekend Sports Anchor


After KMSP lost the ABC affiliation in 1979, the station's news operation reduced to a more scaled-down 9 p.m. or post-sports-only newscast which was more manageable for KMSP to maintain at the time. It was paired with the syndicated '']'' in the early-to-mid-1980s. The newscast's budget and ratings would increase by the end of that decade, with re-expansions of the news department into the morning and early evenings occurring in the mid-1990s.
===Former Anchors & Personalities===
*'''Lori Aoki''', Anchor
*'''Tony Burden''', Anchor at 9:30 & 10
*'''Pete Busch''', Traffic
*'''Joe Digiovanni''', Chief Meteorlogist
*'''Rod Grams''', Anchor
*'''Jeff Grayson''', Sports Director (Now with ])
*'''Angela Hampton''', 10:00pm News Anchor
*'''Heather Harden''', Anchor
*'''Leslie Jones''', Morning Reporter
*'''Ernie Martz''', Weatherman (1980s)
*, Weekend Meteorolgist (December 2003-December 2006)
*'''Janie Peterson''', Chief Meteorolgist (2000-2006)
*'''Gary Rebstock''', Anchor
*'''Beth Ruyak''', Anchor
*'''Sam Scaman''', Chief Meteorologist
*'''Dave Sheehan''', Sports (1980s)
*'''Tim Sherno''', Morning News Anchor (1997-2005; Now at rival KSTP-TV)
*'''Mike Tsolinas''', Morning Weather
*, Weekend Anchor
*'''Robin Wolfram''', Morning News Anchor
*, Weekend Morning Anchor (August-October 2006)''''''


By the end of the decade, ''Minnesota 9 News'' was competitive with the other stations in the market, especially with its all-local morning newscast doing well against the network morning shows. This was despite KMSP being hamstrung by its UPN affiliation, which had seen several affiliates of the network cut or close their news departments through its decade of existence, due to the network's overall and prime time ratings failing to meet expectations. Outside of UPN's '']'' series, the rest of the network's programming schedule struggled outside of cities, a particular issue that affected KMSP as a statewide superstation with a wide rural footprint. This played into the station's decision to eschew their owner-mandated "UPN 9" branding for the more neutral statewide branding of "Minnesota 9" (later, ''9 News'') to promote their news department.
==News Directors==
*'''Ray Niekamp''', Interim 1978-1980
*'''Tony Burton''', News Director and Anchor, 1980+
*'''Penny Parish'''
*'''Dana Benson''', until 2002
*'''Ted Canova''', 2002-January 2006
*'''Bill Dallman''', May 2006-present


When KMSP rejoined Fox in 2002, the station's prime time newscast, now with the stronger aid of Fox's prime time lineup and sports coverage, frequently outrated the newscasts on KSTP-TV.<ref name="studioz7.com"/> Following Fox's acquisition of WFTC in 2001, that station's existing news operation was moved into an auxiliary studio of KMSP as part of a slow merger (including limited story-sharing);<ref name="mspbj-kmspfoxagain"/> after Fox canceled channel 29's newscast in 2006, some of WFTC's staff moved in full to KMSP.<ref name="st-wftcnewsend">{{cite news|last1=Rybak|first1=Deborah Caulfield|title=WFTC drops newscast at 10; KMSP adds it|url=http://www.startribune.com/459/story/468475.htm|access-date=July 22, 2016|work=]|date=June 1, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615055800/http://www.startribune.com/459/story/468475.html|archive-date=June 15, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==News/Station Presentation==
===Newscast Titles===
'''Morning'''
*''Good Day Minnesota'' (1997-2002)
*''FOX9 Morning News'' (2002-present)


On May 11, 2009, KMSP became the second station in the Twin Cities (behind KARE-TV) to broadcast local newscasts in ].
'''Evening'''
*''Minnesota 9 News'' (1970s-Early 1990s)
*''9 News'' (1990s-2002)
*''FOX9 News'' (2002-present)


===Controversy===
==Broadcasting facilities==
On June 16, 2006, during one of the station's newscasts, KMSP broadcast a "]" about ]s produced by ] without required attribution that it was distributed by the auto giant. The narrator, ] publicist Andrew Schmertz, was introduced as reporter André Schmertz.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prwatch.org/fakenews2/vnr41|title=Would You Buy a Car From This Man?|date=October 25, 2006|website=PR Watch}}</ref> On March 24, 2011, the FCC levied a $4,000 fine against KMSP for airing the video news release without disclosing the corporate source of the segment to its viewers, following complaints filed by the ] and the ] in 2006 and 2007.<ref>, ''TVNewsCheck'', March 25, 2011.</ref>
The ] is located in ]. KMSP owns the tower, which stands 1466 feet (446.8 m) tall, but shares it with WFTC and the ] stations, KTCA and KTCI. Several ] stations are also on the tower: ], ] ("93X"), ] ("Cities 97"), ], ], ], ], ] ("K102"), ] and ].


===On-air staff===
KMSP has an extensive network of ]s to carry its analog signal throughout much of the state.
====Notable current on-air staff====
{|
* ]{{Snd}} anchor
|
* ]{{Snd}} anchor/reporter
*'''K38AC''' 38 ]

*'''K30DK''' 30 ]
====Notable former on-air staff====
*'''K48IF''' 48 ]
* ] — news anchor (2010–2013); previously with ]
*'''K27FI''' 27 ]
* ] — news anchor (1982–1991); later ] (deceased)
*'''K59FN''' 59 ]
* ] — news anchor (1975–1979); later with ] (deceased)
*'''K63DY''' 63 ]
* ] — sports anchor (1950s) (deceased)
*'''K55CK''' 55 ]
* ] — sports anchor, ] play-by-play announcer (1979–1986), later with ], ]
|
* ] — news director (late 1970s); later host of '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coasttocoastam.com/george/about.html |title=COAST TO COAST AM WITH GEORGE NOORY |website=www.coasttocoastam.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021227091909/http://www.coasttocoastam.com/george/about.html |archive-date=December 27, 2002}}</ref>
*'''K50AB''' 50 ]
* ] — news reporter (1979–1980); recipient of five ]s and a ]; later with ]
*'''K64BG''' 64 ]
* ] — sports anchor (1978); previously a player with the ] and later host of ]'s ''NBA Inside Stuff''
*'''K63DX''' 63 ]
* ] — KMSP's first news director/anchor (1950s); later with ] and ] (deceased)
*'''K49CU''' 49 ] (])
* ] — news anchor (1990–2010)
*'''K65DT''' 65 Walker

*'''K48AH''' 48 ]
==Technical information==
*'''K56AH''' 56 ]
<section begin=subchannels />
===KMSP-TV/WFTC subchannels===
The signal of KMSP-TV contains six subchannels, while WFTC's signal contains four. Through the use of ]s, WFTC's subchannels are associated with channel 9.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of KMSP-TV<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KMSP|title=RabbitEars.Info|website=www.rabbitears.info}}</ref> and WFTC<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=WFTC|title=RabbitEars.Info|website=www.rabbitears.info}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | Station
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.1 || rowspan="3" | WFTC
| rowspan="2" | ]
| rowspan="3" | ] || FOX-9 || ] (KMSP-TV simulcast)
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.2
| FOX9 + || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.3
| ] || Movies! || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.4 || rowspan="3" | KMSP-TV
| rowspan="3" | 480i
| rowspan="3" | 16:9 || BUZZR || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.5
| TheGrio || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.6
| CATCHY || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.7 || WFTC
| 720p || 16:9 || FoxWX || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.8 || rowspan="3" | KMSP-TV
| rowspan="3" | 720p
| rowspan="3" | 16:9 || Stories || ]
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.9
| Fox 9 || Fox
|-
! scope = "row" | 9.10
| FOX 9+ || MyNetworkTV (WFTC simulcast)
|} |}


In November 2009, KMSP began broadcasting a ] simulcast of WFTC on its second subchannel (virtual channel 29.2), with WFTC's adding a standard definition simulcast of KMSP on its second subchannel (virtual channel 9.2) in turn. This ensures the reception of both stations, even in cases where the ] channels that KMSP and WFTC operate are not actually receivable.
==Reference==

*[http://northpine.com/broadcast/mn/tvtranslators.html Minnesota TV Translators and Satellite Channels - Northpine.com
On June 19, 2014, KMSP-TV announced plans that, effective June 24, 2014, they would broadcast their 9.1 virtual channel via RF channel 29 (with RF channel 9 mapping to 9.9) to take advantage of its broader coverage area and allow viewers with UHF-only antennas to receive the station in high definition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25820097/rescan-how-to-get-fox-9-over-the-air-on-uhf |title=RESCAN: How to get FOX 9 over-the-air on UHF |access-date=June 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703002323/http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25820097/rescan-how-to-get-fox-9-over-the-air-on-uhf |archive-date=July 3, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Minneapolis–St. Paul market is unique in that all three television duopolies in the market, which besides KMSP/WFTC, include ] stations KTCA/KTCI and ]'s KSTP and ], have merged their various signals onto the same VHF channel slots for easier viewer reference (with all but KMSP-TV transmitting on UHF). KMSP and WFTC unified all of their over-the-air channels as virtual subchannels of KMSP. As a result, the virtual channels of WFTC changed to 9.
*

===KFTC subchannels===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Subchannels of KFTC<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KFTC|title=RabbitEars.Info|website=www.rabbitears.info}}</ref>
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | ]
! scope = "col" | Short name
! scope = "col" | Programming
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.1
| rowspan=2|720p || rowspan=4|16:9 || FOX-9 || Fox (KMSP-TV simulcast)
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.2
| FOX9 + || MyNetworkTV (WFTC simulcast)
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.3
| 480i || Movies! || Movies!
|-
! scope = "row" | 26.7
| 720p || FOXWX || Fox Weather
|}
<section end=subchannels />
===Analog-to-digital conversion===
KMSP-TV originally broadcast its digital signal on UHF channel 26, which was remapped as virtual channel 9 on digital television receivers. The station shut down its analog signal, over ] channel 9, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States ] under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition ] channel 26 to VHF channel 9 for post-transition operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }}</ref>

===Broadcasting facilities===
The ] is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. KMSP owns the tower, which stands {{convert|1466|ft|m|0}} tall, but shares it with sister station WFTC and the Twin Cities PBS stations, ] and ]. Several ] stations are also on the tower: ] ("92 KQRS"), ] ("93X"), ] ("Cities 97.1"), ], ], ] ("The Fan"), ], ] ("K102"), ] ("102.9 The Wolf"), and ] ("104.1 Jack FM").

===Translators===
<section begin=translators />
In addition to the main transmitter in Shoreview and full-power KFTC-DT1 in Bemidji, KMSP/WFTC's signal is relayed to outlying parts of Minnesota through a network of ].

The following translators rebroadcast WFTC:
* ]: K30AF-D
* ]: K29IF-D
* ]: K34NU-D
* ]: K34OZ-D
* ]: K19CV-D
* ]: K23MF-D
* ]: K21HX-D
* ]: K30FZ-D

The following translators rebroadcast KMSP-TV:
* ]: K32EB-D
* ]: K19LJ-D
* ]: K31NT-D
* ]: K16CG-D
* ]: K21HX-D
* ]: K36OL-D

The following translators rebroadcast KFTC:
* ]: K20NH-D
* ]: K34NP-D
<section end=translators />

==References==
*
*
*
*
*
* , ''Pavek Museum of Broadcasting''.
* , ''Box Office Magazine, April 24, 1954, page 71''
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{official website|https://www.fox9.com/}}
*
*
*{{TVQ|KMSP-TV}}
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


{{MSP TV}} {{MSP TV}}
{{Fox Minnesota}} {{Fox Minnesota}}
{{News Corporation}} {{Fox Wisconsin}}
{{Other Wisconsin Stations}}
]
{{Fox (company)}}
]
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}
]
{{Superstations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kmsp-Tv}}
]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
] ]
]

Latest revision as of 02:37, 21 December 2024

TV station in Minneapolis "FOX 9" redirects here. For the Boise, Idaho, station also known as Fox 9, see KNIN-TV. For the Yuma, Arizona–El Centro, California, station also known as Fox 9, see KECY-TV. For other stations branded as Fox 9, see Fox 9. Not to be confused with KMPS (AM).

KMSP-TV
CityMinneapolis, Minnesota
Channels
BrandingFox 9
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
OwnerFox Television Stations, LLC
Sister stationsWFTC, KFTC
History
First air dateJanuary 9, 1955 (69 years ago) (1955-01-09)
Former call signs
  • KEYD-TV (1955–1956)
  • KMGM-TV (1956–1958)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 9 (VHF, 1955–2009)
  • Digital: 26 (UHF, 2000–2009)
Former affiliations
  • DuMont (1955–1956)
  • Independent (1956–1961, 1979–1986, 1988–1995)
  • ABC (1961–1979)
  • Fox (1986–1988)
  • UPN (1995–2002)
Call sign meaningMinneapolis and Saint Paul
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID68883
ERP36.2 kW
HAAT435 m (1,427 ft)
Transmitter coordinates45°3′30″N 93°7′28″W / 45.05833°N 93.12444°W / 45.05833; -93.12444
Translator(s)see § Translators
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.fox9.com

KMSP-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving as the Fox network outlet for the Twin Cities area. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside MyNetworkTV station WFTC (channel 9.2). The two stations are located together on Viking Drive in Eden Prairie; KMSP-TV's transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota.

KMSP-TV also serves the Mankato market (via K35KI-D in nearby St. James through the local municipal-operated Cooperative TV (CTV) network of translators), even though that area already has a Fox affiliate of its own. KMSP is also carried on the main channel of KFTC (channel 26), a satellite station of WFTC licensed to Bemidji which serves the northernmost reaches of the Minneapolis–St. Paul television market.

KMSP-TV is also carried in Canada on the Rogers Cable system in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on Tbaytel, and on Bell MTS Fibe TV in the province of Manitoba. Since October 2022, the station is also carried on Westman Communications, replacing Rochester, New York's WUHF.

History

The Family Broadcasting Corporation in Minneapolis, owner of radio station KEYD (1440 AM, now KYCR), filed an application with the FCC for a construction permit for a new commercial television station to be operated on Channel 9 on November 24, 1953. WLOL and WDGY (now KTLK) also expressed interest, but withdrew their applications in 1954, effectively handing the permit to Family Broadcasting. KEYD-TV began broadcasting on January 9, 1955, and was affiliated with the DuMont Television Network. During this time, Harry Reasoner, a graduate of Minneapolis West High School and the University of Minnesota, was hired as the station's first news anchor and news director. However, DuMont shut down in August 1956, leaving the station as an independent outlet; on June 3, 1956, the KEYD stations were sold to United Television, whose principals at the time included several stockholders of Pittsburgh station WENS, for $1.5 million. The new owners immediately sold off KEYD radio, refocused KEYD-TV's programming on films and sports, and shut down the news department; Reasoner was hired by CBS News a few months later. Reasoner became a host for CBS's 60 Minutes when it launched in 1968.

Channel 9 changed its call letters to KMGM-TV on May 23, 1956. At the time, the station was in negotiations with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to acquire the Twin Cities television rights to the company's films, along with selling a 25 percent stake in KMGM-TV to the studio. Negotiations broke down later that month over the cost of the films; additionally, Loew's, MGM's parent company at the time, filed a petition with the FCC against the call sign change, claiming that the use of KMGM was unauthorized and a violation of MGM's trademark. The FCC ruled against Loew's that October, saying that its call sign assignment policies were limited to preventing confusion between stations in a given area. The agreements to lease MGM's pre-1949 films and sell 25 percent of the station to Loew's were both completed that November; KMGM was the third station, after future sister station KTTV in Los Angeles and KTVR in Denver, to enter into such an arrangement.

National Telefilm Associates, which later purchased WNTA-TV in the New York City area, purchased the 75 percent of United Television not owned by MGM for $650,000 in November 1957, joining it to the NTA Film Network until it ended in 1961. After taking control, NTA expanded KMGM-TV's hours of operation as part of an overhaul of channel 9's schedule that also included the addition of newscasts. A few months later, on February 10, 1958, NTA bought MGM's stake for $130,000 and announced that it would change channel 9's calls to KMSP-TV; the call sign change took effect that March over the objections of KSTP-TV (channel 5). National Theatres, a theater chain whose broadcast holdings already included WDAF AM-TV in Kansas City, began the process of acquiring NTA in November 1958; in April 1959, it purchased 88 percent of the company. 20th Century-Fox, the former parent company of National Theatres, bought KMSP-TV for $4.1 million on November 9, 1959, retaining the United Television corporate name. The KMSP call letters were featured on prop television cameras in the May 29, 1963, episode of the CBS sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, produced by 20th Century Fox Television; the show was loosely set in the Twin Cities area. The episode was titled "The Call of the, Like, Wild".

During its early years until 1972, the station's studios and offices were located in a lower level of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis; the transmitter was located on top of the building, the tallest structure in the area until 1971, along with WCCO-TV (channel 4) and WTCN-TV (channel 11, now KARE).

As an ABC affiliate

KMSP-TV took over the ABC affiliation from WTCN-TV on April 16, 1961. Throughout its years with ABC, KMSP was perennially the lowest-rated network affiliate in the Twin Cities, with only one-third of the viewing audience of each of their two competitors, CBS affiliate WCCO-TV and NBC affiliate KSTP-TV. It was also notorious for having a sub-standard news department with large staff turnover. In 1971, KMSP built a new tower in Shoreview, while the studios and offices relocated in 1972 to Edina on York Avenue South, across from Southdale Shopping Center.

In the late 1970s, ABC steadily rose to first place in the network ratings. Accordingly, the network sought to upgrade its slate of affiliates, which were made up of some stations that either had poor signals or poorly performing local programming. In December 1977, ABC warned United that it would yank its affiliation from channel 9 unless improvements were made and fast. In early 1978, to cash in on ABC's improved ratings, KMSP re-branded itself "ABC9" (approximately 20 years before the use of a network's name in a station's on-air branding became commonplace among U.S. affiliates), and retooled its newscast. Despite the changes, KMSP's news department remained in the ratings cellar.

Becoming an independent once again

1979 ad for Star Trek airings on KMSP, from after the station reverted to being an independent. The "9" logo was introduced in 1972, when it was an ABC affiliate, and continued to be in use until 2000.

On August 29, 1978, ABC announced that KSTP-TV would become the network's new Twin Cities affiliate the following spring. The signing of channel 5 made nationwide news, as it had been an NBC affiliate for three decades. KSTP-TV looked forward to affiliating with the top network, as third-place NBC had been in a long ratings slump. In retaliation for losing ABC, KMSP-TV immediately removed all ABC branding and regularly preempted network programming. Channel 9 then attempted to affiliate with NBC, thinking The Tonight Show would be a good lead-out from their 10 p.m. newscast, despite low prime time ratings. However, NBC, miffed at losing one of its strongest affiliates, and not wanting to pick up ABC's rejects, turned down KMSP's offer almost immediately and signed an affiliation agreement with independent station WTCN-TV. As a result of being rejected by both ABC and NBC, KMSP-TV prepared to become an independent station. Although it now faced a lack of weekend and weekday national sports coverage and having to buy seven to eight additional hours of programming per day, it also would not have to invest nearly as much into its news department and could invest its affiliate dues into syndicated film rights and local sports instead. Most of the on-air and off-air staffers resigned, not wanting to work for a down-scaled independent operation.

The affiliation switch occurred on March 5, 1979, and KMSP debuted its new independent schedule featuring cartoons, syndicated shows and even the locally based American Wrestling Association, with much of the station's programming having been acquired from WTCN-TV. To emphasize that the station's programming decisions would be influenced by viewers instead of a network, KMSP rebranded itself as "Receptive Channel 9", and an antenna was shown atop the station's logo in station identifications. The station became quite aggressive in acquiring programming, obtaining broadcast rights to several state high school sports championships from the MSHSL, the NHL's Minnesota North Stars and the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

As it turned out, KMSP's transition into an independent station turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It was far more successful than the station ever had been as an ABC affiliate. It became a regional superstation, available on nearly every cable system in Minnesota as well as large portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin. Over time, it became one of the most successful and profitable independent stations in the country.

KMSP went through another ownership change on June 9, 1981, when 20th Century-Fox spun off United Television as an independent company owned by Fox shareholders; the transaction was approved alongside the $700 million sale of 20th Century-Fox to Marvin Davis. Chris-Craft Industries, which in 1977 had acquired an interest in 20th Century-Fox that by 1981 comprised 22 percent of Fox's stock, received a 19 percent stake in United Television; later in June, it filed with the FCC for control of United, as it now owned 32 percent of its stock. Two years later, Chris-Craft, though its BHC subsidiary, increased its stake in United Television to 50.1 percent and gained majority control of the company.

First Fox affiliation, then back to independent

KMSP-TV remained an independent station through 1986 when it became one of the original charter affiliates of the newly launched Fox network on October 9. This suited channel 9, as it wanted the prestige of being a network affiliate without being tied to a network-dominated schedule. At the time, Fox only programmed a nightly talk show and, starting in 1987, two nights of prime time programming; the network would start its full-week programming schedule in 1993. Thus, like most early Fox affiliates, KMSP was still essentially an independent. For its first few years with Fox, the station served as the de facto Fox affiliate for nearly all of Minnesota and South Dakota.

However, the station did not remain a Fox affiliate for long. By 1988, KMSP was one of several Fox affiliates nationwide that were disappointed with the network's weak programming offerings, particularly on Saturday nights, which were bogging down KMSP's otherwise successful independent lineup. That January, channel 9 dropped Fox's Saturday night lineup; the move did not sit well with Fox, and in July 1988 the network announced that it would not renew its affiliations with KMSP and Chris-Craft sister station KPTV in Portland, Oregon. Fox then signed an agreement with KITN (channel 29, now WFTC) to become its new Twin Cities affiliate, and KMSP reverted to being an independent station full-time. In 1992, the station relocated to its current studio facilities on Viking Drive in Eden Prairie. Along with the other United Television stations, KMSP carried programming from the Prime Time Entertainment Network from 1993 to 1995.

As a UPN affiliate

By the early 1990s, Fox had exploded in popularity; it had begun carrying strong shows that were starting to rival the program offerings of the "Big Three" networks and had just picked up the broadcast rights to the NFL's National Football Conference. In response to this, in October 1993, Chris-Craft/United Television partnered with Paramount Pictures (which was acquired by Viacom in 1994) to form the United Paramount Network (UPN) and both companies made independent stations that both companies respectively owned in several large and mid-sized U.S. cities charter stations of the new network.

UPN launched on January 16, 1995, (with the two-hour premiere of Star Trek: Voyager), with channel 9 becoming a UPN owned-and-operated station due to Chris-Craft/United's ownership stake in the network (later part-ownership in 1996 when Viacom bought a 50% stake of the network)—making it the second network-owned station in the Twin Cities (alongside CBS-owned WCCO-TV). Over time, KMSP became one of UPN's most successful affiliates in terms of viewership. In addition to UPN's prime-time schedule and the network's daytime children's blocks (such as UPN Kids from 1995 to 1999, and Disney's One Too from 1999 to 2003), the station was still enjoying success with local sports programming featuring the Minnesota Twins, as well as the MSHSL championships. KMSP was stripped of its status as a UPN owned-and-operated station in 2000 after Viacom exercised a contractual clause to buy out Chris-Craft's stake in the network, although the station remained with UPN as an affiliate for another two years. Around this time, Viacom bought CBS (and in turn, WCCO).

Return to Fox as an owned-and-operated station

News Corporation, through its Fox Television Stations subsidiary, agreed to purchase Chris-Craft Industries and its stations, including KMSP-TV, for $5.35 billion in August 2000 (this brought KMSP, along with San Antonio's KMOL-TV and Salt Lake City's KTVX, back under common ownership with 20th Century Fox); the deal followed a bidding war with Viacom. The sale was completed on July 31, 2001. While Fox pledged to retain the Chris-Craft stations' UPN affiliations through at least the 2000–01 season, and Chris-Craft agreed to an 18-month renewal for its UPN affiliates in January 2001, an affiliation swap was expected once KMSP's affiliation agreement with UPN ran out in 2002, given Fox's presumed preference to have its programming on a station that it already owned. Additionally, KMSP's signal was much stronger than that of WFTC; it was a VHF station that had been on the air much longer than UHF outlet WFTC. Most importantly, Fox had been aggressively expanding local news programming on its stations, and KMSP had an established and competitive news department whereas WFTC's news department did not begin operations until April 2001. The move was made easier when, in July 2001, Fox agreed to trade KTVX and KMOL (now WOAI-TV) to Clear Channel Communications in exchange for WFTC, a transaction completed that October.

The affiliation switch, officially announced in May 2002, occurred on September 8, 2002 (accompanied by a "Make the Switch" ad campaign that was seen on both stations), as Fox programming returned to KMSP-TV after a 14-year absence, while WFTC took the UPN affiliation; KMSP was the only former Chris-Craft station that was acquired and kept by Fox that did not retain its UPN affiliation. The station began carrying Fox's entire programming schedule at that time, including the FoxBox children's block (which later returned to WFTC as 4KidsTV, until the block was discontinued by Fox in December 2008 due to a dispute with 4Kids Entertainment). The affiliation swap coincided with the start of the 2002 NFL season; KMSP effectively became the "home" station for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings as a result of Fox holding the broadcast rights to the National Football Conference (from 1994 to 2001, most Vikings games were aired on WFTC). Finally, in 2014, with the launch of Xploration Station which replaced Weekend Marketplace which WFTC carried, KMSP-TV began clearing the entire Fox network schedule for good.

Since Fox has affiliates in most media markets and the Federal Communications Commission's syndication exclusivity regulations normally require cable systems to only carry a given network's local affiliate, and Fox prefers only an area's affiliate be carried as opposed to a distant station for rating tabulation purposes, KMSP was eventually removed from most cable providers outside the Twin Cities. By this time, these areas had enough stations to provide local Fox affiliates. KMSP thus effectively lost the "regional superstation" status it had held for almost a quarter-century, dating back to when it was an independent station. Due to the advent of digital television, many stations in smaller markets previously served by KMSP began operating UPN-affiliated digital subchannels towards the end of the network's run to replace that network's programming in those markets, which in turn became MyNetworkTV or CW affiliates.

On December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company, owner of KSTP-TV's affiliated network ABC, announced its intent to buy KMSP-TV's parent company, 21st Century Fox, for $66.1 billion; the sale, which closed on March 20, 2019, excluded KMSP-TV and sister station WFTC as well as the Fox network, the MyNetworkTV programming service, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, the Big Ten Network and the Fox Television Stations unit, which were all transferred to the newly formed Fox Corporation. Fox Sports North would be divested in a separate deal to Diamond Sports Group, made up of a joint venture of WUCW owner Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios.

News operation

KMSP presently broadcasts 59+1⁄2 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 10 hours each weekday, four hours on Saturdays, and 5+1⁄2 hours on Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest newscast output among Minneapolis' broadcast television stations.

The station's first news director and news anchor was Harry Reasoner when KMSP signed on (as KEYD-TV) in 1955. Despite the station's focus on live coverage of news and sports, as well as awards from the University of Minnesota Journalism School and the Northwest Radio–TV News Association, KEYD's newscasts were generally in fourth place in the ratings. After channel 9's ownership changed in 1956, the news operation was closed down. News programming returned to the station after NTA bought KMGM-TV in 1957.

The station, which had long been a distant third to WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities news ratings, began an aggressive campaign in 1973 to gain ground against its competition. After a nationwide search, management hired Ben Boyett and Phil Bremen to anchor a newscast with a new set and format, known as newsnine. The new format did not really draw many new viewers, and the station's low news budget, ill-conceived promotion, and frequent technical glitches, along with its network's news division's overall struggles and wire service before Roone Arledge took control, didn't help matters. One botched campaign for a news series on venereal disease, in the spring of 1974, resulted in lawsuits from two young women that claimed that their likenesses were used in promos without their permission, thus damaging their reputations. By the fall of 1975, Boyett and Bremen would be gone, replaced by respected veteran newsman Don Harrison and the station's first female anchor, Cathie Mann. These changes did little to take channel 9 out of third place, and despite ABC becoming the #1 network by 1977 and Arledge's moves to increase ABC News's prestige, KMSP's newscasts still struggled.

After KMSP lost the ABC affiliation in 1979, the station's news operation reduced to a more scaled-down 9 p.m. or post-sports-only newscast which was more manageable for KMSP to maintain at the time. It was paired with the syndicated Independent Network News in the early-to-mid-1980s. The newscast's budget and ratings would increase by the end of that decade, with re-expansions of the news department into the morning and early evenings occurring in the mid-1990s.

By the end of the decade, Minnesota 9 News was competitive with the other stations in the market, especially with its all-local morning newscast doing well against the network morning shows. This was despite KMSP being hamstrung by its UPN affiliation, which had seen several affiliates of the network cut or close their news departments through its decade of existence, due to the network's overall and prime time ratings failing to meet expectations. Outside of UPN's Star Trek series, the rest of the network's programming schedule struggled outside of cities, a particular issue that affected KMSP as a statewide superstation with a wide rural footprint. This played into the station's decision to eschew their owner-mandated "UPN 9" branding for the more neutral statewide branding of "Minnesota 9" (later, 9 News) to promote their news department.

When KMSP rejoined Fox in 2002, the station's prime time newscast, now with the stronger aid of Fox's prime time lineup and sports coverage, frequently outrated the newscasts on KSTP-TV. Following Fox's acquisition of WFTC in 2001, that station's existing news operation was moved into an auxiliary studio of KMSP as part of a slow merger (including limited story-sharing); after Fox canceled channel 29's newscast in 2006, some of WFTC's staff moved in full to KMSP.

On May 11, 2009, KMSP became the second station in the Twin Cities (behind KARE-TV) to broadcast local newscasts in high-definition.

Controversy

On June 16, 2006, during one of the station's newscasts, KMSP broadcast a "video news release" about convertibles produced by General Motors without required attribution that it was distributed by the auto giant. The narrator, MediaLink publicist Andrew Schmertz, was introduced as reporter André Schmertz. On March 24, 2011, the FCC levied a $4,000 fine against KMSP for airing the video news release without disclosing the corporate source of the segment to its viewers, following complaints filed by the Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy in 2006 and 2007.

On-air staff

Notable current on-air staff

Notable former on-air staff

Technical information

KMSP-TV/WFTC subchannels

The signal of KMSP-TV contains six subchannels, while WFTC's signal contains four. Through the use of virtual channels, WFTC's subchannels are associated with channel 9.

Subchannels of KMSP-TV and WFTC
Channel Station Res. Aspect Short name Programming
9.1 WFTC 720p 16:9 FOX-9 Fox (KMSP-TV simulcast)
9.2 FOX9 + MyNetworkTV
9.3 480i Movies! Movies!
9.4 KMSP-TV 480i 16:9 BUZZR Buzzr
9.5 TheGrio TheGrio
9.6 CATCHY Catchy Comedy
9.7 WFTC 720p 16:9 FoxWX Fox Weather
9.8 KMSP-TV 720p 16:9 Stories Story Television
9.9 Fox 9 Fox
9.10 FOX 9+ MyNetworkTV (WFTC simulcast)

In November 2009, KMSP began broadcasting a standard definition simulcast of WFTC on its second subchannel (virtual channel 29.2), with WFTC's adding a standard definition simulcast of KMSP on its second subchannel (virtual channel 9.2) in turn. This ensures the reception of both stations, even in cases where the digital channels that KMSP and WFTC operate are not actually receivable.

On June 19, 2014, KMSP-TV announced plans that, effective June 24, 2014, they would broadcast their 9.1 virtual channel via RF channel 29 (with RF channel 9 mapping to 9.9) to take advantage of its broader coverage area and allow viewers with UHF-only antennas to receive the station in high definition. The Minneapolis–St. Paul market is unique in that all three television duopolies in the market, which besides KMSP/WFTC, include Twin Cities PBS stations KTCA/KTCI and Hubbard Broadcasting's KSTP and KSTC, have merged their various signals onto the same VHF channel slots for easier viewer reference (with all but KMSP-TV transmitting on UHF). KMSP and WFTC unified all of their over-the-air channels as virtual subchannels of KMSP. As a result, the virtual channels of WFTC changed to 9.

KFTC subchannels

Subchannels of KFTC
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
26.1 720p 16:9 FOX-9 Fox (KMSP-TV simulcast)
26.2 FOX9 + MyNetworkTV (WFTC simulcast)
26.3 480i Movies! Movies!
26.7 720p FOXWX Fox Weather

Analog-to-digital conversion

KMSP-TV originally broadcast its digital signal on UHF channel 26, which was remapped as virtual channel 9 on digital television receivers. The station shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9, on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 26 to VHF channel 9 for post-transition operations.

Broadcasting facilities

The KMSP TV Tower is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. KMSP owns the tower, which stands 1,466 feet (447 m) tall, but shares it with sister station WFTC and the Twin Cities PBS stations, KTCA and KTCI. Several FM stations are also on the tower: KQRS-FM ("92 KQRS"), KXXR ("93X"), KTCZ ("Cities 97.1"), KTIS-FM, KSJN, KFXN-FM ("The Fan"), KDWB, KEEY ("K102"), KMNB ("102.9 The Wolf"), and KZJK ("104.1 Jack FM").

Translators

In addition to the main transmitter in Shoreview and full-power KFTC-DT1 in Bemidji, KMSP/WFTC's signal is relayed to outlying parts of Minnesota through a network of translators.

The following translators rebroadcast WFTC:

The following translators rebroadcast KMSP-TV:

The following translators rebroadcast KFTC:


References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for KMSP-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  3. The Webpage of Cooperative TV (CTV)
  4. CTV Channel Listing via the Cooperative TV (CTV) Website
  5. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  6. ^ "History of KMSP-TV". KMSP-TV. August 11, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  7. "Minneapolis Dropout" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. April 26, 1954. p. 55. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  8. "Initial Rulings Favor Two Vhf Grants" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. May 24, 1954. p. 134. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  9. ^ "Twin Cities Television Milestones". Pavek Museum of Broadcasting. Archived from the original on February 17, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  10. ^ "Harry Reasoner Found". St. Louis Park Historical Society. March 2007. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  11. ^ "Brisk buying surge swaps four stations, $7.7 million" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. April 9, 1956. pp. 35–6. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  12. ^ "FCC Okays $1.5 Split Sale Of Twin Cities' KEYD-AM-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. May 28, 1956. p. 79. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  13. "Sy Weintrab, Others to Buy KEYD, Minn". The Billboard. April 14, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  14. Clark, Clifford Edward (1989). Minnesota in a Century of Change: The State and Its People Since 1900. ISBN 9780873512381.
  15. ^ Daniel, Douglaas K. (2009). Harry Reasoner: A Life in the News. University of Texas Press. pp. 54–8. ISBN 978-0292782365. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  16. "MGM May Get 25% of Minneapolis TV" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. September 10, 1956. p. 91. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  17. "Meredith Stations Buy M-G-M Films". The Billboard. September 29, 1956. p. 8. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  18. "Loew's Hits KMGM-TV Call" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. September 17, 1956. p. 9. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  19. "Loew's Protest Thrown Out" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. October 22, 1956. p. 93. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  20. "Loew's Closes Deal For Share in KMGM-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. November 5, 1956. p. 9. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  21. "KMGM-TV Sold To Natl. Telefilm" (PDF). Broadcasting–Telecasting. August 26, 1957. pp. 79–80. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  22. "NTA Gets FCC Okay On Buy Of KMGM-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 25, 1957. pp. 80–1. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  23. "NTA Announces Appointment Of Swartz to Manage KMGM-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 2, 1957. p. 64. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  24. ^ "Don Swartz Named KMGM Gen. Mgr". The Billboard. December 2, 1957. p. 12. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  25. "NTA Becomes Owner Of KMGM-TV After 25% Purchase From Loew's" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 10, 1958. pp. 78–9. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  26. "Television: New Voice on Channel 13". Time. May 19, 1958. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. and IMDB
  27. "KMGM-TV Changes To KMSP (TV)" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 31, 1958. p. 86. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  28. "Natl. Theatres Starts NTA Buy" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 17, 1958. p. 72. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  29. "Media reports" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 11, 1959. p. 60. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  30. "The Move Hedge: $4.1 million Fox deal closed for KMSP-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 11, 1959. p. 72. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  31. "KMSP-TV Twin Cities joins ABC-TV, replaces WTCN" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 30, 1961. p. 9. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  32. ^ Lonto, Jeff R. (2006). "Your Newsnine Station: The saga of KMSP-TV Minneapolis – St. Paul in the 1970s". Studio Z-7 Publishing. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  33. "ABC-TV bags largest game yet in affiliation hunt: KSTP-TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 4, 1978. pp. 19–20. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  34. "In Brief" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 2, 1978. p. 30. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  35. "All Profiles". WWFChamps.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  36. Scott, Vernon (June 9, 1981). "Denver oilman Marvin Davis has bought 20th Century-Fox to..." United Press International. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  37. ^ "BHC Communications, Inc. Companies History". Company Histories. Funding Universe. 1997. Retrieved July 20, 2009.
  38. "Bottom Line" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 21, 1981. p. 54. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  39. "Fox network begins to take shape" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 4, 1986. pp. 44–5. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  40. "How affiliates feel about the Fox network: No problems that programming can't cure" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 4, 1988. p. 90. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  41. "In Brief" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 25, 1988. p. 113. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  42. Susan, King (January 23, 1994). "Space, 2258, in the Year 1994". Los Angeles Times. p. 4. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
  43. "Paramount, Chris-Craft forming fifth TV network". United Press International. October 26, 1993. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  44. Carter, Bill (March 21, 2000). "Viacom Buys Chris-Craft's Stake in UPN For $5 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  45. Goldsmith, Jill (April 4, 2000). "Weblet soap ends: Viacom's got UPN". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  46. Hofmeister, Sallie (August 12, 2000). "News Corp. to Buy Chris-Craft Parent for $5.5 Billion, Outbidding Viacom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  47. Chipman, Kim (August 14, 2000). "News Corp. to buy Chris-Craft". Deseret News. Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  48. Rathbun, Elizabeth A. (August 20, 2000). "How the FCC counts Fox". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  49. Goldsmith, Jill (July 31, 2001). "Chris-Craft deal closed". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  50. Schlosser, Joe (August 27, 2000). "There's still a UPN—for now". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  51. McClellan, Steve (January 21, 2001). "Chris-Craft stations re-up with UPN". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  52. ^ Kamenick, Amy (October 2, 2001). "News Corp. acquisition of Fox 29 approved". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  53. "Clear Channel to land KMOL-TV in a trade". San Antonio Business Journal. July 27, 2001. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  54. ^ Kamenick, Amy (May 23, 2002). "Channels 9 and 29 swap affiliations". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  55. Gunderson, Troy (September 6, 2002). "Calling all surfers: Fox, UPN changing channels". Brainerd Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  56. "Disney Buys Big Chunk Of Fox In $66.1B Deal". TVNewsCheck. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  57. "Murdoch: New Fox Interested In More Stations". TVNewsCheck. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  58. Rybak, Deborah Caulfield (June 1, 2006). "WFTC drops newscast at 10; KMSP adds it". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  59. "Would You Buy a Car From This Man?". PR Watch. October 25, 2006.
  60. FCC Levies Fines On KMSP, WMGM, TVNewsCheck, March 25, 2011.
  61. "COAST TO COAST AM WITH GEORGE NOORY". www.coasttocoastam.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2002.
  62. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  63. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  64. "RESCAN: How to get FOX 9 over-the-air on UHF". Archived from the original on July 3, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  65. "RabbitEars.Info". www.rabbitears.info.
  66. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.

External links

Broadcast television in the Twin Cities region and Central Minnesota
This region includes the following cities: Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Saint Cloud
Alexandria
Redwood Falls
Brainerd
Bemidji
Reception may vary by location and some stations may only be viewable with cable television
Full power
Low power
Outlying areas
ATSC 3.0 digital
Cable
Streaming
Defunct
See also
Minnesota TV
Wisconsin TV
Selective TV, Inc.
UHF-TV Inc.
Broadcast television stations by affiliation in the state of Minnesota
ABC
CBS
Fox
NBC
The CW
MyNetworkTV
Ion Television
PBS
Minneapolis–St. Paul market
KTCA-TV 2.1 / KTCI-TV 2.3ATSC 3.0 (St. Paul)
KAWE 9 / KAWB 22 (Bemidji/Brainerd)
KWCM-TV 10 (Appleton)
WHWC 28 (Menomonie, WI)
Duluth market
WDSE 8 / WRPT 31 (Duluth/Hibbing)
Sioux Falls, SD market
KSMN 20 (Worthington)
Fargo–Grand Forks, ND market
KGFE 2 / KFME 13 / KCGE-DT 16 (Grand Forks/Fargo/Crookston)
Rochester–Mason City–Austin market
KSMQ-TV 15 (Austin)
Other
Defunct
Major television network affiliates and independent stations in the state of Wisconsin
ABC
CBS
Fox
NBC
The CW
MyNetworkTV
Ion Television
PBS
PBS Wisconsin
Milwaukee PBS
  • WMVS 10
  • WMVT 36
Twin Cities PBS
  • KTCA 2
  • KTCI 2.3
PBS North
Independent
stations
See also
Other Wisconsin Stations
Chicago TV
Michigan TV
Minnesota TV
Other television stations and subchannel networks in the state of Wisconsin
3ABN
AMGTV
Antenna TV
Outlaw
beIN Xtra ñ
Bounce TV
Buzzr
Charge!
The365
Comet
Court TV
Ion Mystery
Cozi TV
True Crime Network
Dabl
Daystar
Catchy Comedy
Defy TV
getTV
Grit
H&I
HSN OTA
Jewelry TV
Laff
Local Accuweather
Locally-originated
automated weather
MeTV
Movies!
NTD TV
Ve+
OnTV4U
QVC OTA or QVC2
Quest
Retro TV
ShopHQ
Sonlife
The Nest
Start TV
TBD
This TV
TBN
Telemundo
WeatherNation TV
MeTV Toons
Story Television
Other stations
See also: Wisconsin TV
Fox Corporation
Sister company: News Corp
Corporate directors
Fox Broadcasting Company
Programming
List of affiliates
Defunct or cancelled
See also
Fox programming (current and upcoming)
Primetime
News
Sports
Upcoming
See also
Animation Domination (High-Def)
Animation on Fox
Fox Sunday Night / Sunday Funday
Weekend Marketplace
Fox Television Stations
Units
Stations
Fox O&Os
MyNetworkTV O&Os
Defunct or related
See also
Fox News Media
Linear TV channels
Radio services
Online
Fox News programming
Weekday
Weekend
Special
Former
Fox News personalities
Anchors
Hosts
Correspondents
and reporters
Contributors
and analysts
Meteorologists
Past hosts
Past correspondents
and reporters
Past contributors
and analysts
Fox Business Network programming
Current
Former
Fox Sports
Linear TV channels
Radio network
Digital Media
Sports league
Defunct or sold
Other assets
See also
News Corporation
21st Century Fox
Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney
Owned and/or operated stations of the major television networks in the United States
ABC
(Walt Disney Co.)
CBS
(Paramount)
Fox
(Fox Corporation)
NBC
(Comcast)
Telemundo
(Comcast)
The CW
(Nexstar Media Group,
Paramount Global
and Warner Bros. Discovery
)
Nexstar
Paramount
Univision
(TelevisaUnivision)
These stations are owned by Mission Broadcasting but operated by Nexstar under an LMA.
These stations are owned by Londen Media Group but operated by Nexstar under a TBA.
Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery still own a combined 25 percent stake in The CW, however the network is operated entirely by Nexstar.
These stations are owned by Vaughan Media but operated by Nexstar under an LMA.
TelevisaUnivision owns the licenses to these stations but the stations themselves are operated by Entravision Communications (of which the company owns a 10 percent stake) under an LMA.
Superstations in North American markets
Current
Television
Radio
Former
Television
Radio
  • Subject to availability; all currently operating as superstations are distributed in the United States through the Dish Network satellite service.
  • Available on select cable and satellite providers in the Southwest United States as a regional superstation.
  • Available on most Canadian cable and satellite providers.
  • Available nationally through SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
  • Broke off from local feed to become a separate channel.
  • Station originally included Detroit as part of its focus and was seen on cable throughout Michigan and northern Ohio.
  • Available on select cable providers in Michigan and the Northeastern United States as a regional superstation.
  • Available on select cable providers in New England as a regional superstation.
Additional resources on North American television
North America
  • List of local television stations in North America
  • DTV transition
  • North American TV mini-template
  • Canada
    Mexico
    United States
    Categories: