KTVQ

KTVQ, virtual channel 2 (VHF digital channel 10), is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Billings, Montana, United States. The station is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, and is part of the Montana Television Network, a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. KTVQ's studios are located on Third Avenue North in Billings, and its transmitter is located on Sacrifice Cliff southeast of downtown. On cable, the station is available on Charter Spectrum channel 5 in both standard and high definition.

Not to be confused with KQTV, WQTV, WQTV-LP, or WTVQ-DT.
For the defunct television station in Oklahoma City, see KTVQ (Oklahoma City).
For the television station in Fukuoka, Japan, see TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting.
For the television station in Brisbane, Australia, see TVQ.
KTVQ
Billings, Montana
United States
Brandinggeneral: Q2
newscasts: Q2 News
SloganMontana's News Leader
ChannelsDigital: 10 (VHF)
Virtual: 2 (PSIP)
TranslatorsK15LB-D 15 Red Lodge
K50LT-D 16 Ashland
K41MZ-D 34 Livingston, etc.
Affiliations2.1: CBS
2.2: CW+
2.3: Grit (O&O)
OwnerE. W. Scripps Company
LicenseeScripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC
First air dateNovember 9, 1953 (1953-11-09)
Former call signsKOOK-TV (1953–1972)
Former channel number(s)Analog:
2 (VHF, 1953–2009)
Former affiliationsDuMont (1953–1955/6)
NBC (secondary, 1953–1958, 1968–1980)
ABC (secondary, 1953–1968)
NTA (secondary, 1958–1959)
PBS (per program, 1970–1984)
Transmitter power26.1 kW
Height180 m (591 ft)
Facility ID35694
Transmitter coordinates45°46′0.9″N 108°27′28.8″W
Licensing authorityFCC
Public license informationProfile
CDBS
Websitewww.ktvq.com

History

The station began broadcasting on November 9, 1953, as KOOK-TV, Montana's second television station; Butte's KXLF-TV had begun in August. It was owned by Montana broadcasting pioneer Joe Sample and his Garryowen Corporation along with KOOK radio (AM 970, now KBUL). The station carried programming from all four major networks of the time—CBS, NBC, ABC and DuMont Television Network[1]—but has always been a primary CBS affiliate. It lost DuMont when that network shut down in 1956 and lost NBC when KGHL-TV (channel 8, now KULR-TV) began in 1958; between 1956 and 1961, when it closed, the station was also a NTA Film Network affiliate. The station changed its callsign to KTVQ on September 5, 1972.

In 1968, channel 2 picked up a secondary affiliation with NBC after KULR opted to take a primary affiliation with ABC. This was very unusual for a two-station market, especially one as small as Billings. It shared NBC with KULR until KOUS (channel 4, now KHMT) began in 1980.

In 1970, channel 2 picked up a secondary affiliation with PBS, mainly for Sesame Street. It was standard practice at the time for PBS to offer its programming to any interested commercial outlet in areas where no PBS station was available. Channel 2's secondary PBS affiliation lasted until Montana PBS finally started in 1984.

Sample owned the station until 1984, when he sold it to SJL Broadcasting. Evening Post Industries (through its Cordillera Communications subsidiary) bought it in 1994. The station remains the only Billings television station that has not changed its affiliation. In January 2010, KTVQ.com made the switch to a continuous news format.

KTVQ-DT2

KTVQ-DT2 is the CW+-affiliated second digital subchannel of KTVQ, broadcasting in 720p high definition on VHF channel 10.2 (or virtual channel 2.2 via PSIP). On cable, the subchannel is available on Spectrum channel 11 in both standard and high definition.

KTVQ-DT2's origin began in September 2006 after The WB and UPN merged to form The CW. KTVQ launched this second digital subchannel to be Billings' affiliate of the network. Prior to the consolidation, The WB could only be seen in the market through cable-only station "KWBM". The use of the call letters was done in a fictional manner as cable-only affiliates of broadcast networks are not required to operate under an FCC station license. On September 18, 2006, KWBM shut down and re-launched as a CW affiliate on KTVQ's second subchannel.

Digital television

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[2]
2.11080i16:9KTVQ-DTMain KTVQ programming / CBS
2.2720pCW NETBillings CW
2.3480i4:3GRITGrit

In February 2009, KULR, KTVQ and two other stations in the Billings market were refused Federal Communications Commission permission to end analog broadcasts and operate as digital-only effective on the originally-scheduled February 17, 2009 date.[3]

News operation

National news comes from several sources; CBS News and AP give their nationwide and international news to the station for its local newscasts. The Montana Ag Network (owned by MTN) provides farm and ranch reports during Montana This Morning and The Noon News.

References
  1. "A DuMont transmitter definitely will be operating over Channel 2 in Billings this fall tune in KOOK-TV Channel 2", Billings Gazette, p. 5, 1953-06-01
  2. RabbitEars TV Query for KTVQ
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2009-02-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.