KSWT

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KSWT
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = KSWT News 13
analog = 13 (VHF)
digital = 16 (UHF)
other_chs = (see below)
affiliations = CBS
The CW (DT2)
network =
founded = July 23 1962citation |title=Channel 13 Is Allocated To Yuma TV Firm |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 10 |date=1962-07-25]
airdate = December 2 1963citation |title=KBLU-TV On the Air |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 2 |date=1963-12-03]
location = Yuma, Arizona/El Centro, California
callsign_meaning = South
West
Triangle
former_callsigns = KBLU-TV (1963-1978)
KYEL-TV (1978-1991)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Pappas Telecasting Companies
licensee = Pappas Arizona License, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Primary:
CBS (1963-1970)
NBC (1970-1988)
ABC (1988-1994)
Secondary:
Telemundo (1990s-2000)
effective_radiated_power = 316 kW (analog)
196 kW (digital)
HAAT = 475 m (analog)
444 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 33639
coordinates = coord|33|3|18.1|N|114|49|42.3|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.kswt.com/ www.kswt.com]

KSWT, is a full-service television station serving the Yuma, Arizona / El Centro, California television market. Licensed to Yuma, it serves as the CBS and CW affiliates, the latter exclusively on a DTV subchannel. It broadcasts locally in analog on VHF channel 13 and in digital on UHF channel 16, and is owned by the Pappas Telecasting Companies of Visalia, California under the name Pappas Telecasting of Arizona.

KSWT serves a very large area encompassing portions of two countries, including parts of two American states, Arizona and California, and two Mexican states, Baja California and Sonora. Some viewers in the Coachella Valley whose homes face south to Imperial Valley can receive KSWT over the air, and viewers in Mexicali and San Luis Río Colorado have clear reception.

History

KBLU-TV

When the FCC lifted the freeze on new television station applications in 1952, they allocated VHF channels 11 and 13 for broadcast television service in Yuma. Valley Telecasting quickly applied for and opened KIVA on channel 11, becoming the city's first television station in October 1953. Wrather-Alvarez Broadcasting followed with a January 1956 application to build KYAT on channel 13, but failed, and in September 1958, the construction permit was dismissed. [citation |title=Second Television Station for Yuma Approved by FCC |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1956-01-26] [citation |title=Rejection Urged For Proposed Yuma TV Station |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1958-06-26] [citation |title=Yuma TV Petition Rejected by FCC |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1958-09-18] By November 1961, more than eight years after the arrival of local television, Yuma was still a one-station town.

In November 1961, Robert Crites, owner and manager of local CBS-affiliated radio station KBLU, formed a partnership, called Desert Telecasting, and applied to the FCC on November 30 1961 for a construction permit to build a station on channel 13. New England Industries had filed a competing application for the same channel nearly a month earlier, but on July 23 1962, the FCC granted the construction permit to Desert Telecasting, and KBLU-TV came into existence, to be the market’s CBS television affiliate. [citation |title=Battle Looms for Channel 13 Here |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1961-12-05] It would not be an easy road to sign-on, as Bruce Merrill, owner of both KIVA and the local cable television system, was convinced that the market could not support a second local television station and fought to keep the new station from opening. Merrill opposed a KBLU-TV partnership restructure, an extension of time to construct the station, and a proposal to increase power, then, in September 1963, filed a "motion to stay" to prevent KBLU-TV from building its facilities. [citation |title=KIVA Opposes Petitions Presented by KBLU-TV |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1963-04-12] [citation |title=KBLU-TV Request To Hike Visual Power Is Opposed |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1963-06-06] [citation |title=KIVA Seeks To Halt Work On KBLU-TV |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1963-09-17] All of Merrill’s petitions were denied, and on the evening of December 2 1963, one hour after receiving notice of program test authority, KBLU-TV began broadcasting.

The station expanded its coverage to El Centro in 1965 with another increase in power, and relocation of its transmitter from within the city of Yuma to a site atop Black Mountain, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Yuma, at a much greater height above average terrain. It also opened an office and studio in El Centro to better serve the Imperial Valley. [citation |title=KBLU Plans Increase In Power |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 12 |date=1965-08-22] On December 7 1966, Desert Telecasting filed an application to transfer the stations to Eller Telecasting, part of Eller Outdoor Advertising Company. Ownership of the station would pass to Karl Eller, but the station would continue to be managed by Crites, who became president of Eller Telecasting. [citation |title=Public Notices |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 11 |date=1966-12-16] KBLU-TV became part of Combined Communications in 1968, when its parent, Eller Outdoor Advertising Company, merged with KTAR Broadcasting Company. [citation |title=Yuma TV and Radio Outlets in Merger Plan |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1967-12-27] [ citation |title=Legal Advertisements |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 23 |date=1968-05-22]

The sudden demise of KIVA in January 1970 spelled more changes for KBLU-TV, which immediately moved to acquire the NBC affiliation, while the CBS affiliation passed to new station KECC-TV (now KECY-TV). [citation |title=Networks Turn Over |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 5 |date=1970-02-01] KBLU-TV also took over the television studio facilities formerly occupied by KIVA.

In July 1977, Combined Communications announced that it was selling both radio station KBLU and TV station KBLU-TV, but to different owners. The TV station would keep its NBC affiliation, but was to be sold to Chapman Television of Tuscaloosa, effective January 1 1978, pending FCC approval. [citation |title=Yuma KBLU sold; radio, TV to split |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 1 |date=1977-07-21] As FCC rules in effect at the time prohibited two stations to share call letters unless commonly-owned, and the radio station was keeping the KBLU call letters, Chapman requested the call sign KYEL-TV (for Yuma EL Centro). The call sign was found to be in use, but it was on a ship which had not been in service since 1803. [citation |title=Change is coming to local tv station |last=Johnson |first=Christina |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 30 |date=1977-08-05] The FCC approved the sale on November 1 1977 and on January 1 1978, KBLU-TV became KYEL-TV. [citation |title=KBLU radio-TV split is approved by FCC |newspaper=Yuma Daily Sun, The |page=p. 21 |date=1977-11-01]

KYEL-TV / KSWT

Chapman Television did not keep the station long, selling it to Service Broadcasters, Inc. in November 1978, who, in turn, sold it to Beam Broadcasters in November 1983 (later known as Beacon Broadcasters). In September 1991, Beacon Broadcasters sold the station to KB Media, who promptly renamed the station KSWT. It remained an NBC affiliate until shortly after KYMA went on the air, when it took the ABC affiliation. In September 1994, CBS affiliate KECY-TV flipped to FOX, and KYEL took over the CBS affiliation once again. [cite web |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/entertainment-arts/broadcasting-industry/7686669-1.html |title=New Fox affiliates KECY-TV Yuma-El Centro, Ariz., and KARD-TV Monroe, La., drew strong November sweeps numbers. |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=1995-01-02 |accessdate=2008-04-08] In February 1998, KB Media sold the station to Eclipse Media, and then in September 2000, Eclipse Media sold the station to Pappas Telecasting. KSWT also included Telemundo programming during the overnight hours in the 1990s, until local affiliate KESE-LP began operations. KSWT aired some PAX programming during afternoons beginning in 2000, but had reverted to full-time CBS by 2004. In September 2006, The CW network launched nationwide, and KSWT added the network as a digital subchannel on 13.2.

Adding the subchannel soon became a problem, as Time Warner Cable, the dominant local cable provider, placed the CW programming on channel 740, in a costlier digital cable package. KSWT requested that the channel be placed in the basic package on channel 6, where the market's cable-only WB affiliate, branded KWUB, had resided. [cite news |url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/748472/times_almost_up_for_kswt_time_warner_negotiations/index.html |title=Time's Almost Up for KSWT, Time Warner Negotiations |work=The Sun (Yuma AZ) |author=Reynolds, Sarah |date=2006-11-29 |accessdate=2008-04-08] After several months of negotiations, the differences were settled, and in December 2006, KSWT 13.2 was placed on cable channel 6.

Programming

As a CBS affiliate, KSWT airs a typical mix of network and syndicated fare, with occasional paid programming. Its only original programming is local news, and it is one of only two stations in the viewing area to air local news in English (the other is KYMA). Monday through Friday, the station features an hour-long 4 PM newscast, called "KSWT First News", followed by the half-hour network newscast. At 5:30 PM, following the network news, KSWT airs another hour-long newscast, called "KSWT Early News", and finally, at 10 PM, KSWT has a half-hour newscast called "KSWT Late News". On Saturday and Sunday, only the late newscast airs.

KSWT's CW programming relies almost exclusively on network and syndicated fare, with paid programming overnights. It airs a block of children's programming on Saturday mornings and movies on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The subchannel airs no local programming.

Time zone note

All times in this article are given in Mountain Standard Time.

Current personalities

*Gabby Gonzalez - Anchor 6 & 10pm
*Jim Brinson -Anchor 5:30, 6 and 10pm
*Aaron Brillhart - Skywarn Meteorologist, 4, 5:30, 6 and 10pm
*David Bataller - Sports, 6 and 10pm
*Ana Corpus- Anchor, 4pm
*Rob Hughes - Anchor, 5:30pm
*Jennifer Jones - Weekend Sports, 10pm
*Cambi Brown - Weekend Anchor, 10pm
*Nick Montes - Anchor/Reporter, 10pm
*Joey Norton - Skywarn Weekend Meteorologist, 10pm

KSWT Alumni

As KBLU-TV:
*Lou Dobbs Anchor / Reporter, now Anchor and Host for CNN.

As KYEL-TV:
*Fred Roggin - Sports Anchor / Reporter (1977-78); now NBC Sports and KNBC-TV sports anchor [cite web |url=http://www.knbc.com/meetthenewsteam/1274010/detail.html |title=KNBC-TV Talent Biographies |accessdate=2008-04-08]

As KSWT-TV:
*Dave Hecht (US Navy Public Affairs)
*Shanna McCord (now newspaper reporter for Santa Cruz Sentinel, Santa Cruz, CA)
*Melody Dunn (Anchor, now recording artist in Nashville, TN)
*Tierra Griffiths (Anchor, now in PR with MassMedia Corporate Communications, Phoenix)
*Katherine Kisiel (Anchor, married to former KSWT news anchor Chris Willis, now at KTBC)
*Steve Iandoli (Sports anchor, now at NECN)
*Lena Lewis (Main anchor, now Anchor / Reporter at KUSI-TV in San Diego)
*Gary Somerset (Anchor / reporter, now in media relations for the Government Printing Office)
*Chris Willis (News Director / main anchor, now at KXAN)
*Ashley Webster (now Overseas Market Editor in London for Fox Business Network)
*Hank Tester (Now anchor at WTVJ-TV, Miami)
*Gary Anderson (Lecturer at George Washington University)
*Dan Clancey
*Hobe Lewis
*Bob Lenertz (News Director, now retired)
*Beau Bagley (sports director, now weekend sports at KTSM-TV)
*Doug Currin (main anchor, now morning anchor at WBRE)
*Patrick Crawford (Meteorologist, now at KHBS)
*Tyler Baldwin (main anchor, now at KTVK)
*Nadine Toren (anchor, now reporter at KSWB-TV)
*Jennifer Musa (reporter/anchor, now reporter at KSWB-TV)
*Liz Frizoli (weekend sports anchor, now sports reporter at WPRI)
*Bernadette Flores (reporter, now reporter at KBAK)
*Aaron Pearlman (Meteorologist, now at KBAK)
*Andrew Amador (main anchor, screen actor and weather anchor formerly of KCAL-TV)
*Dave Kartunen (10pm anchor 2000-2001, now anchor/reporter at WSVN in Miami)
*Laura Rillos (weekend anchor/reporter, now reporter at KVAL-TV)
*Lorraine Rivera (weekend anchor/reporter, now weekend anchor/reporter at KVOA)
*Autumn Sam (weekend sports, now weekend sports at KVIA)
*Vanessa Shirley (main anchor, now weekend anchor/reporter at WKOW)
*Jasmine Viel (main anchor, now reporter at KION-TV/KCBA in Salinas, CA)

News/Station Presentation

Newscast Titles

*"The Big News" (1963-1967)
*"Topline News" (1967-1973)
*"NewsCenter 13" (1973-1991)
*"NewsChannel 13" (1991-1998)
*"Southwest News" (1998-2001)
*"KSWT News" (2001-2006)
*"KSWT News 13" (2006-present)

Rebroadcasters

KSWT (CBS) is rebroadcast on K63AV (channel 63), while its DT2 signal (CW) is rebroadcast on K65BB (channel 65). Both stations are licensed to Wellton-Mohawk, Arizona, with the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation & Drainage District as its licensee. Both KSWT and its CW sub-channel are available via Dish Network.

References

External links

* [http://www.kswt.com/ KSWT]
* [http://cw.kswt.com/ CW on KSWT 13.2]
*TVQ|KSWT
*TVQ|K63AV
*TVQ|K65BB
*BIA|KSWT|TV|TV
*TitanTV|KSWT