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{{short description|ABC TV station in Fresno, California}}
{{distinguish2|]}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox Broadcast
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
| call_letters = KFSN-TV
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
| city =
{{Infobox television station
| station_logo = ]
| callsign = KFSN-TV
| station_slogan = ''Live, Local, Latebreaking''
| city = Fresno, California
| station_branding = ''ABC 30'' <small>(general)</small><br>''ABC 30 ] HD'' <small>(newscasts)</small>
| logo = KFSN ABC 30 Fresno.png
| analog =
| logo_upright = .6
| digital = 30 (])<br>]: 30 (])
| branding = ABC 30; ABC 30 Action News
| affiliations = ]
| digital = 30 (])
| subchannels = ]
| virtual = 30
| network =
| affiliations = {{ubl|'''30.1:''' ]|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}}
| founded =
| owner = ]
| airdate = May 10, 1956
| licensee = KFSN Television, ]
| location = ]
| location = ]–]
| callsign_meaning = '''F'''re'''SN'''o
| country = United States
| former_callsigns = KFRE-TV (1956-1971)
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1956|05|10|p=y}}
| former_channel_numbers = '''Analog''':<br>12 (], 1956-1961)<br>30 (UHF, 1961-2009)<br>'''Digital''': 9 (VHF, until 2009)
| callsign_meaning = Fresno
| owner = ]/]
| former_callsigns = KFRE-TV (1956–1971)
| licensee = KFSN Television, LLC
| former_channel_numbers = {{ubl|'''Analog:''' 12 (], 1956–1961), 30 (UHF, 1961–2009)|'''Digital:''' 9 (VHF, 2001–2009)}}
| sister_stations =
| former_affiliations = ] (1956-1985) | former_affiliations = ] (1956–1985)
| erp = 400 ]
| effective_radiated_power = 260 kW
| haat = {{convert|625|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| HAAT = 625 m
| facility_id = 8620
| class =
| coordinates = {{coord|37|4|36|N|119|26|3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
| facility_id = 8620
| licensing_authority = ]
| coordinates = {{coord|37|4|37.4|N|119|26|4.6|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}|
| website = {{URL|abc30.com}}
homepage =
}} }}


'''KFSN-TV''', channel 30, is an ] television station of the ]-owned ], located in ], ]. The station's transmitter is located in ]. Its signal covers the Central ] and the mountain ranges flanking either side, including the ] mountains and ]. The station serves ], ], ], ], ], and ] counties. '''KFSN-TV''' (channel 30) is a ] in ], United States, serving as the market's ] network outlet. It is ] by the network's ] division, and maintains studios on G Street in downtown Fresno; its transmitter is located on Bear Mountain, near ].

Fresno is the smallest ] in California with a "]" network O&O.<ref>Since ] was re-branded in 1985 to re-launch the ] in 1986. According to ], the ] (] region) has ranked 42nd, while the market was ranked 55th by ].</ref>


==History== ==History==
===KFRE===
Following the ]'s 1952 lifting of the four-year-long freeze on awarding television licenses, two Fresno radio stations -- KARM (1430 AM, now ]) and KFRE (940 AM, now ]) competed for the chance to operate a station on channel 12, the sole ] allocation given to Fresno. KFRE won the license<ref>"Lee breaks stalemate, KFRE gets Fresno Vhf." '']'', January 16, 1956, pg. 67. </ref>, and the station signed on the air for the first time on May 10, 1956 as '''KFRE-TV'''.<ref>"KFRE-TV Fresno goes on the air." ''Broadcasting - Telecasting'', May 14, 1956, pg. 9. </ref> The station is Fresno's third-oldest television outlet, and upon signing-on KFRE-TV took the ] affiliation from KJEO-TV (channel 47, now ]).<ref>"KFRE-TV joins CBS-TV." ''Broadcasting - Telecasting'', March 12, 1956, pg. 84. </ref><ref>"KFRE-TV to join CBS-TV." ''Broadcasting - Telecasting'', May 7, 1956, pg. 88. </ref>
After the ] (FCC)'s four-year-long ] was lifted in 1952, two radio stations—KARM (1430 AM, now ]) and KFRE (940 AM, now ]) competed for the ] to operate a station on channel 12, the sole ] allocation given to Fresno. KFRE won the permit, and the station first signed on the air on May 10, 1956, as KFRE-TV (for Fresno). It is the third-oldest television station in the Fresno market in a three-year timeframe and upon signing on, KFRE-TV took the ] affiliation from KJEO (channel 47, now ]). This made Fresno one of the smallest markets where each network gained full-time affiliations at the time.


The KFRE stations were acquired by ] in 1959.<ref>"Changing Hands." ''Broadcasting'', November 24, 1958, pg. 96. </ref> On February 17, 1961, KFRE-TV reluctantly moved to UHF channel 30 to make Fresno an all-UHF market under orders from the FCC. In was known by the term ''deintermixture'', the move was made for the purpose of leveling the playing field and eliminating the potential of unfair competition between VHF and UHF.<ref>"KFRE-TV moves to uhf; backed deintermixture." ''Broadcasting'', February 20, 1961, pg. 44. </ref> A similar situation occured in nearby ] where that city's lone VHF station, ] on channel 10, moved to UHF channel 23 in 1963.<ref>"Vhf-to-uhf change approved for KERO-TV." ''Broadcasting'', November 19, 1962, pg. 78. </ref> The move of KFRE-TV to channel 30 opened up channel 12 for use by ] in ], which went on the air in 1964. The KFRE stations were acquired by ] in 1959. On February 17, 1961, KFRE-TV reluctantly moved to UHF channel 30 to make Fresno an all-UHF market under orders from the FCC. It was known by the term ''deintermixture'', the move was made for the purpose of leveling the playing field and eliminating the potential of ] between the VHF and UHF bands. A similar situation occurred in nearby ] where that city's lone VHF station, ] on channel 10, moved to UHF channel 23 in 1963. The move of KFRE-TV to channel 30 opened up channel 12 for use by ] in ], which went on the air in 1964.


===KFSN===
] acquired the KFRE stations from Triangle in 1971 as part of Triangle's exit from broadcasting.<ref>"Capcities buys 9 Triangle outlets." ''Broadcasting'', February 16, 1970, pg. 9. </ref><ref>"Last minute clearance for Capcities." ''Broadcasting'', March 1, 1971, pp. 19-20. </ref> The new owners sold off the AM and ] radio stations as a condition of the purchase<ref>"Part of Capcities package comes in." ''Broadcasting'', July 13, 1970, pg. 36. </ref> and kept the TV station, changing its call letters to '''KFSN-TV''' in April 1971. (The ] calls are now used on Fresno's ] affiliate on channel 59; that station is unrelated to the current KFSN-TV).
Triangle began its exit from broadcasting in 1971, and sold the KFRE stations to ]. The new owners sold off the AM and ] radio stations as a condition of the purchase and kept the television station, changing its call letters to KFSN-TV on May 1 of that year (the ] calls are now used on Fresno's ] affiliate on channel 59; that station is unrelated to the current KFSN-TV).


On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced it would purchase ABC. Nearly six months later, on September 9, 1985, KFSN-TV traded network affiliations with KJEO and became an ABC affiliate. The transaction was finalized on January 3, 1986, making channel 30 an ABC ]. It marks the first time a ] owns a ] television station since ] sold WNBC (now ]) in ], to Plains Television in 1960.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 5, 1959|title=Ownership Changes|work=]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/59-OCR/1959-10-05-BC-OCR-Page-0110.pdf|access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref> In 1996, ] acquired Capital Cities/ABC.
On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced it was purchasing ABC.<ref>"Capcities + ABC" and "FCC approval of CapCities/ABC deal likely." ''Broadcasting'', March 25, 1985, pp. 31-34. </ref> Nearly six months later, on September 9, 1985, KFSN-TV traded networks with KJEO and became an ABC affiliate.<ref>"In brief." ''Broadcasting'', August 19, 1985, pg. 96. </ref> The transaction was finalized on January 3, 1986, making channel 30 an ABC-owned station. In 1996, the ] acquired Capital Cities/ABC.


KFSN-TV shut down its analog signal, over ] channel 30, at noon 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 9 to UHF channel 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and 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><ref name="FCCForm387"></ref>
The station is one of three network owned television stations in the Fresno television market; the other two are ] ] (channel 21) and ] ] (channel 51). However, the latter station is managed by a third party via a time brokerage agreement.


] was launched in 2004 on digital subchannels of ABC O&O stations<ref>{{cite news|title=ABC News banks on digital, despite small audiences today|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2004-09-04-digital-broadcasts_x.htm|access-date=May 29, 2014|newspaper=USA Today|agency=AP|date=September 4, 2004}}</ref> and lasting until January 31, 2005, as the channel ended its experimental phase.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kerschbaumer |first1=Ken |title=ABC News Now... And Later |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA498484.html |access-date=January 15, 2020 |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=January 24, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007075559/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA498484.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 7, 2008}}</ref> The group changed its programming on secondary channels to ABC Plus, a local news and public affairs format. ABC teamed up with ] to launch a ] starting on ABC stations' third subchannel with the second station taking on the service was KFSN-TV in late 2005.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Umstead |first1=R. Thomas |last2=Moss |first2=Linda |title=Much Ado About Multicasting |url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/much-ado-about-multicasting-368289 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |work=Multichannel |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=December 9, 2005 |language=en-us}}</ref> On April 27, 2009, KFSN began carrying the Live Well Network on a second digital subchannel ].<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC O&Os Launch Digital Network |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/209986-ABC_O_Os_Launch_Digital_Network.php |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=April 27, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ABC Multicasts Live Well HD Channel |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i18f9fdff77fbe360c575973113dc907b |work=Mediaweek |date=October 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030074214/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i18f9fdff77fbe360c575973113dc907b |archive-date=October 30, 2009}}</ref>
The station produces the programs '']'' and '']'' for the ].


The station carried a Live Well Network ] simulcast that was carried on digital subchannel 30.3 until it was replaced with ] on April 15, 2015.<ref name="bc">{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/exclusive-comedy-multicast-net-launching-abc-scripps/137199|title=Exclusive: Comedy Multicast Net Launching on ABC, Scripps|last=Lafayette|first=Jon|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 18, 2015|access-date=January 20, 2015}}</ref> ABC Owned Television Stations took its Localish digital media venture promoted by KFSN and other stations<ref>{{cite news|last=Lafayette |first=Jon |url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/abc-stations-launching-localish-a-brand-for-mobile-millennials |title=ABC Stations Launching 'Localish' for Mobile Millennials |work=Broadcasting & Cable |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=September 20, 2018 |access-date=January 24, 2020}}</ref> then rebranded its Live Well Network as ] on February 17, 2020.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lafayette |first=Jon |url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/abc-rebranding-live-well-broadcast-diginet-to-localish |title=ABC Rebranding Live Well Broadcast Diginet to Localish |work=Broadcasting & Cable |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |date=January 21, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2020}}</ref>
==Digital programming==
The station's digital signal is UHF 30, multiplexed:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Channel
! Programming
|-
| 30.1 || Main KFSN programming / ABC
|-
| 30.2 || Live Well Network HD
|-
| 30.3 || Live Well Network SD
|}


==Programming==
On April 27, 2009 the station added the ] to its ], Channel 30.2.
KFSN-TV serves as the production company for two programs seen on the Live Well Network, now called Localish, ''Motion'' and '']''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bachman|first1=Katy|title=ABC Multicasts Live Well HD Channel|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/television/abc-multicasts-live-well-hd-channel-113613|access-date=December 4, 2014|work=Ad Week|date=October 25, 2009}}</ref>


===Analog-to-digital conversion=== ===News operation===
KFSN-TV presently broadcasts 42 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with seven hours each weekday and {{frac|3|1|2}} hours each on Saturdays and Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest local newscast output among the broadcast television stations in the Fresno market. Unlike most ABC affiliates in the ], the station does not broadcast a 5:30&nbsp;p.m. newscast on weekdays, opting to fill the half-hour with '']'' (as a result of that program airing one hour earlier than other ABC stations in the time zone, KFSN airs an extension of its 6&nbsp;p.m. newscast in ''World News''{{'}} recommended 6:30 timeslot). In addition, the station produces the ] program ''Valley Focus'', which airs Sunday mornings at 10&nbsp;a.m.
KFSN-TV shut down its analog signal, over ] channel 30, on June 12, 2009 at noon, as part of the ].<ref name="Analog to Digital">http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf</ref> The station had been broadcasting its pre-transition digital signal over ] channel 9, but returned to channel 30 for its post-transition operations.<ref name="FCCForm387"></ref>


KFSN has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades, dating back to its pre-ABC-merger years as a CBS affiliate. Its 5 p.m. newscast, ''Live at Five'' frequently attracts more viewers than all other area stations combined. The station's newscasts are not branded '']'', nor does it use the ]-composed "]" music package, like most of ABC's other owned-and-operated stations. Instead, KFSN retains the '']'' branding made famous at ] ] ], when the format debuted on that station in 1970. KFSN also used the original version of ]'s "News One" music package from 1994 to 2014, also used at the time by ] sister station, ].
==News operation==
]
The station's newscasts are not branded '']'', nor does it use the ] music package, like several other ABC-owned stations. Instead, KFSN retains the Action News branding (''ABC30 ]'',) along with sister station ] (channel 6) in Philadelphia. In 2003, the station began ] with sister stations ] (channel 7) in ] and ] (channel 7) in ] to hire a full time reporter and photographer to staff a Sacramento bureau following ]'s election as ] during the ] election.


In 2003, the station began ] with sister stations ] in ] and KGO-TV to hire a full-time reporter and photographer to staff a ] bureau following ]'s election as ] during the ] election; the Sacramento bureau was shut down in September 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thedesk.matthewkeys.net/2013/08/abcs-sacramento-california-bureau-to-close-after-10-years/amp/|date=August 28, 2013|title=ABC's Sacramento, California bureau to close after 10 years|first=Matthew|last=Keys|website=The Desk}}</ref> On April 23, 2007, beginning with the 5 p.m. newscast, KFSN-TV became the seventh ABC owned-and-operated station to begin broadcasting their local newscasts in ] (following its sister stations KABC-TV, WPVI-TV, ] in ], ] in ], KGO-TV in San Francisco and ] in ]) and updated its news branding to ''ABC 30 Action News HD''.
KFSN's newscasts have used the ''Action News'' name and format made famous at sister station WPVI since the 1970s. The station has led the news ratings in the ] for more than 30 years. Its 5 PM newscast, "Live at Five," frequently attracts more viewers than all other local stations combined.


On September 12, 2011, KFSN launched an hour-long 4&nbsp;p.m. newscast, which replaced '']''.<ref>, ''TVSpy'', January 7, 2013.</ref> This follows the trend of the four other sister stations (WABC-TV, WPVI-TV, KGO-TV and ] in ]) that started their own 4&nbsp;p.m. newscast after ''Oprah'' ended its syndication run. On January 7, 2013, KFSN began producing a half-hour 10&nbsp;p.m. newscast for ] affiliate ] (channel 7); the program, titled ''ABC 30 Action News Live at 10:00'',<ref>, ''TVSpy'', August 25, 2011.</ref> ended in July 2014.
On April 23, 2007 starting with the 5 p.m. newscast, KFSN-TV became the sixth ABC owned-and-operated station to produce and broadcast their newscasts in ] following their sister stations ], ], ], ] and ] and update its branding to ''ABC 30 Action News HD''.


====Notable former on-air staff====
Since 1994, KFSN has used the original version of ] "News One" music package, also used at the time by sister-station, ].
* ] – anchor (1981–1983; later at ] and ]/] in Los Angeles; now at ])
* ] – reporter (1970s; later Mayor of Fresno)


==Subchannels==
KFSN has dominated the local news viewership ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades, dating back to its pre-ABC-merger years as a CBS affiliate.
The station's signal is ]:

{| class="wikitable"
On May 25, 2011, KFSN has announced that it will have a new 4 p.m. newscast starting September 12 (immediately following ] reruns).<ref>http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8152871</ref> This follows the trend of the four other sister-stations (WABC-TV, WPVI-TV, WTVD & KGO) that have started its new 4 p.m. newscast after Oprah's final first-run episode.
|+Subchannels of KFSN-TV<ref name="rei">{{cite web|title=Digital TV Market Listing for KFSN|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KFSN#station|website=RabbitEars.Info|access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

! ]
===News/station presentation===
! ]
====Newscast titles====
! ]
*''Channel 30 ]'' (1976–1996)
! Short name
*''ABC-30 ]'' (1996–present)
! Programming

|-
====Station slogans====
! scope = "row" | 30.1
*''The Valley's #1 Newscast'' (1986–1994)
| rowspan=2|] || rowspan=4|] || KFSN-HD || ]
*''Stand Up and Tell'em Fresno's Great!'' (1985–1994; used during period station used Frank Gari's "Turn To News")
|-
*''You and Channel 30, We've Got the Touch'' (1983–1985; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
! scope = "row" | 30.2
*''You'll Love It on Channel 30'' (1985–1986; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
| LOCLish || ]
*''Together on Channel 30'' (1986–1987; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
|-
*''Something's Happening on Channel 30'' (1987–1989; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
! scope = "row" | 30.3
*''Fresno's Watching Channel 30'' (1989–1992; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
| rowspan=2|] || ThisTV || ]
*''If It's Fresno, It Must Be Channel 30'' (1992–1993; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
|-
*''Number One in Central California'' (1994–present)
! scope = "row" | 30.4
*''TV is Good, on Channel 30'' (1997–1998; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
| HSN || ]
*''We Love TV, on Channel 30'' (1998–1999; localized version of ABC ad campaign)
|}
*''Live. Local. Latebreaking.'' (2000–present)
{{inc-video}}

===On-air staff===
====Current on-air staff (as of June 2011)====
'''Anchors'''
*'''Warren Armstrong''' - weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
*'''Liz Harrison''' - weeknights at 11 p.m.; also reporter
*'''Jason Oliveira''' - weekday mornings "ABC 30 Action News AM Live" (4:30-7 a.m.); weekdays at 11 a.m.
*'''Margot Kim''' - weekday mornings "ABC 30 Action News AM Live" (4:30-7 a.m.)
*'''Graciela Moreno''' - weekdays at 4; weeknights at 6 and 6:30 p.m.
*'''Nancy Osborne''' - weeknights at 5 p.m.
*'''Christine Park''' - weekdays at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; also consumer reporter
*'''Amanda Perez''' - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also weeknight reporter
*'''Sara Sandrik''' - weekend mornings at 6 and 8 a.m.; also North Valley bureau chief
*'''Dale Yurong''' - weeknights at 6:30 p.m.; also reporter

'''''ABC30 AccuWeather Team'''''
*'''Angelo Stalis''' - chief weathercaster; weeknights at 5, 6 and 6:30 p.m.
*'''Doug Collins''' (] Member; ] Member) - meteorologist; weekday mornings "ABC 30 Action News AM Live" (4:30-7 a.m.)
*'''Kevin Musso''' (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - meteorologist; weekdays at 4; weeknights at 11 p.m.
*'''Reuben Contreras''' - meteorologist; weekends; also news producer

'''Sports team'''
*''' OPEN ''' - sports director; weeknights at 6 and 11 p.m.
*'''David Bataller''' - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.; also sports reporter

'''Reporters'''
*''' Mariana Jacob''' - general assignment reporter
*'''Linda Mumma''' - general assignment reporter
*'''Tony Capozzi''' - legal and political consultant
*'''Gene Haagenson''' - general assignment reporter
*'''Amanda Venegas''' - general assignment reporter
*'''Corin Hoggard''' - court reporter
*'''Nannette Miranda''' - Sacramento bureau chief
*'''Rick Montanez''' - general assignment reporter
*'''Jessica Peres''' - South Valley bureau chief
*'''Gaby Rodriguez''' - traffic reporter
*'''Sontaya Rose''' - investigative reporter
*'''Tommy Tran''' - AM Live morning reporter
*'''Stephanie Stone''' - general assignment reporter

====Former on-air staff====
Laura Diaz - anchor (1981–1983; later at ]/] in Los Angeles; now at rival ])

==See also==
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
* - accessed on January 20, 2006
*
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*{{Official website|https://abc30.com/}}
*
*{{TVQ|KFSN-TV}}
*{{BIA|KFSN|TV|TV}}
*{{TitanTV|KFSN}}


{{Fresno TV}} {{Fresno TV}}
{{ABC California}} {{ABC California}}
{{Disney–ABC stations}}
{{Disney}}
{{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}} {{Major U.S. TV O-O Stations}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kfsn-Tv}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kfsn-Tv}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]
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]

Latest revision as of 19:48, 16 December 2024

ABC TV station in Fresno, California
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KFSN-TV
CityFresno, California
Channels
BrandingABC 30; ABC 30 Action News
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air dateMay 10, 1956 (68 years ago) (1956-05-10)
Former call signsKFRE-TV (1956–1971)
Former channel number(s)
  • Analog: 12 (VHF, 1956–1961), 30 (UHF, 1961–2009)
  • Digital: 9 (VHF, 2001–2009)
Former affiliationsCBS (1956–1985)
Call sign meaningFresno
Technical information
Licensing authorityFCC
Facility ID8620
ERP400 kW
HAAT625 m (2,051 ft)
Transmitter coordinates37°4′36″N 119°26′3″W / 37.07667°N 119.43417°W / 37.07667; -119.43417
Links
Public license information
Websiteabc30.com

KFSN-TV (channel 30) is a television station in Fresno, California, United States, serving as the market's ABC network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, and maintains studios on G Street in downtown Fresno; its transmitter is located on Bear Mountain, near Meadow Lakes, California.

Fresno is the smallest television market in California with a "Big Four" network O&O.

History

KFRE

After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s four-year-long freeze on awarding television station licenses was lifted in 1952, two radio stations—KARM (1430 AM, now KFIG) and KFRE (940 AM, now KYNO) competed for the construction permit to operate a station on channel 12, the sole VHF allocation given to Fresno. KFRE won the permit, and the station first signed on the air on May 10, 1956, as KFRE-TV (for Fresno). It is the third-oldest television station in the Fresno market in a three-year timeframe and upon signing on, KFRE-TV took the CBS affiliation from KJEO (channel 47, now KGPE). This made Fresno one of the smallest markets where each network gained full-time affiliations at the time.

The KFRE stations were acquired by Triangle Publications in 1959. On February 17, 1961, KFRE-TV reluctantly moved to UHF channel 30 to make Fresno an all-UHF market under orders from the FCC. It was known by the term deintermixture, the move was made for the purpose of leveling the playing field and eliminating the potential of unfair competition between the VHF and UHF bands. A similar situation occurred in nearby Bakersfield where that city's lone VHF station, KERO-TV on channel 10, moved to UHF channel 23 in 1963. The move of KFRE-TV to channel 30 opened up channel 12 for use by KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, which went on the air in 1964.

KFSN

Triangle began its exit from broadcasting in 1971, and sold the KFRE stations to Capital Cities Communications. The new owners sold off the AM and FM radio stations as a condition of the purchase and kept the television station, changing its call letters to KFSN-TV on May 1 of that year (the KFRE-TV calls are now used on Fresno's CW affiliate on channel 59; that station is unrelated to the current KFSN-TV).

On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced it would purchase ABC. Nearly six months later, on September 9, 1985, KFSN-TV traded network affiliations with KJEO and became an ABC affiliate. The transaction was finalized on January 3, 1986, making channel 30 an ABC owned-and-operated station. It marks the first time a Big Three network owns a UHF television station since NBC sold WNBC (now WVIT) in New Britain, Connecticut, to Plains Television in 1960. In 1996, The Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC.

KFSN-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 30, at noon 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 VHF channel 9 to UHF channel 30.

ABC News Now was launched in 2004 on digital subchannels of ABC O&O stations and lasting until January 31, 2005, as the channel ended its experimental phase. The group changed its programming on secondary channels to ABC Plus, a local news and public affairs format. ABC teamed up with AccuWeather to launch a multicast service starting on ABC stations' third subchannel with the second station taking on the service was KFSN-TV in late 2005. On April 27, 2009, KFSN began carrying the Live Well Network on a second digital subchannel digital subchannel.

The station carried a Live Well Network standard definition simulcast that was carried on digital subchannel 30.3 until it was replaced with Laff on April 15, 2015. ABC Owned Television Stations took its Localish digital media venture promoted by KFSN and other stations then rebranded its Live Well Network as Localish on February 17, 2020.

Programming

KFSN-TV serves as the production company for two programs seen on the Live Well Network, now called Localish, Motion and My Family Recipe Rocks.

News operation

KFSN-TV presently broadcasts 42 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with seven hours each weekday and 3+1⁄2 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest local newscast output among the broadcast television stations in the Fresno market. Unlike most ABC affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone, the station does not broadcast a 5:30 p.m. newscast on weekdays, opting to fill the half-hour with ABC World News Tonight (as a result of that program airing one hour earlier than other ABC stations in the time zone, KFSN airs an extension of its 6 p.m. newscast in World News' recommended 6:30 timeslot). In addition, the station produces the public affairs program Valley Focus, which airs Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.

KFSN has dominated the local news ratings in the San Joaquin Valley for decades, dating back to its pre-ABC-merger years as a CBS affiliate. Its 5 p.m. newscast, Live at Five frequently attracts more viewers than all other area stations combined. The station's newscasts are not branded Eyewitness News, nor does it use the Gari Media Group-composed "Eyewitness News" music package, like most of ABC's other owned-and-operated stations. Instead, KFSN retains the Action News branding made famous at Philadelphia sister station WPVI-TV, when the format debuted on that station in 1970. KFSN also used the original version of 615 Music's "News One" music package from 1994 to 2014, also used at the time by San Francisco sister station, KGO-TV.

In 2003, the station began pooling resources with sister stations KABC-TV in Los Angeles and KGO-TV to hire a full-time reporter and photographer to staff a Sacramento bureau following Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as Governor during the 2003 California recall election; the Sacramento bureau was shut down in September 2013. On April 23, 2007, beginning with the 5 p.m. newscast, KFSN-TV became the seventh ABC owned-and-operated station to begin broadcasting their local newscasts in high definition (following its sister stations KABC-TV, WPVI-TV, WABC-TV in New York City, WLS-TV in Chicago, KGO-TV in San Francisco and KTRK-TV in Houston) and updated its news branding to ABC 30 Action News HD.

On September 12, 2011, KFSN launched an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, which replaced The Oprah Winfrey Show. This follows the trend of the four other sister stations (WABC-TV, WPVI-TV, KGO-TV and WTVD in Durham, North Carolina) that started their own 4 p.m. newscast after Oprah ended its syndication run. On January 7, 2013, KFSN began producing a half-hour 10 p.m. newscast for MyNetworkTV affiliate KAIL (channel 7); the program, titled ABC 30 Action News Live at 10:00, ended in July 2014.

Notable former on-air staff

Subchannels

The station's signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KFSN-TV
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
30.1 720p 16:9 KFSN-HD ABC
30.2 LOCLish Localish
30.3 480i ThisTV Charge!
30.4 HSN HSN

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for KFSN-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. Since Capital Cities Communications was re-branded in 1985 to re-launch the ABC Owned Television Stations in 1986. According to RabbitEars.info, the Fresno–Visalia area (Central California region) has ranked 42nd, while the market was ranked 55th by Nielsen.
  3. "Ownership Changes" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 5, 1959. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  4. "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  5. CDBS Print
  6. "ABC News banks on digital, despite small audiences today". USA Today. AP. September 4, 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  7. Kerschbaumer, Ken (January 24, 2005). "ABC News Now... And Later". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  8. Umstead, R. Thomas; Moss, Linda (December 9, 2005). "Much Ado About Multicasting". Multichannel. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  9. "ABC O&Os Launch Digital Network". Broadcasting & Cable. April 27, 2009.
  10. "ABC Multicasts Live Well HD Channel". Mediaweek. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on October 30, 2009.
  11. Lafayette, Jon (January 18, 2015). "Exclusive: Comedy Multicast Net Launching on ABC, Scripps". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  12. Lafayette, Jon (September 20, 2018). "ABC Stations Launching 'Localish' for Mobile Millennials". Broadcasting & Cable. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  13. Lafayette, Jon (January 21, 2020). "ABC Rebranding Live Well Broadcast Diginet to Localish". Broadcasting & Cable. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  14. Bachman, Katy (October 25, 2009). "ABC Multicasts Live Well HD Channel". Ad Week. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  15. Keys, Matthew (August 28, 2013). "ABC's Sacramento, California bureau to close after 10 years". The Desk.
  16. KFSN to Launch 10 p.m. Newscast on KAIL, TVSpy, January 7, 2013.
  17. KFSN Set to Replace ‘Oprah’ With 4 p.m. Newscast, TVSpy, August 25, 2011.
  18. "Digital TV Market Listing for KFSN". RabbitEars.Info. Retrieved February 21, 2020.

External links

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