KTAB began broadcasting on October 6, 1979.[1] This made Abilene one of the last markets in the country to get full service from the "Big Three" networks.
Upon signing-on, it took over the CBS affiliation from KTXS-TV (channel 12), which became a full ABC affiliate. The station was founded by William "Bill" Terry (55% owner) and a large contingent of partners, investors, and department heads.[1] Terry had worked for many years at established station KRBC-TV and was well known in the Abilene area. Terry sold the station to International Broadcasting, owned by stockholder Thomas Scallen in 1984.[2][3]
In 2005, Nexstar completed the consolidation of the KTAB operations into the older, larger KRBC building at 4510 South 14th Street in Abilene. Nexstar had already taken over KRBC's operations a year earlier under a joint sales agreement with KTAB as the senior partner. The original KTAB building was sold and has subsequently been converted into an office building. The computerized and automated master control facility not only operates KTAB and KRBC in Abilene, but also sister Nexstar/Mission stations KLST and KSAN-TV in San Angelo. All syndicated programming and local advertising for the four stations is delivered via Harris/Leitch Nexio servers with Avid/Sundance FastBreak automation providing all switching and playback operations. Business and traffic operations for all four stations are also handled here.
The main bi-directional microwave relay system link connecting master control in Abilene with the KLST/KSAN studio and transmission facilities in San Angelo, 90 miles (140 km) away, was destroyed when the KRBC tower near Tuscola collapsed in an ice storm on January 14, 2007. In December 2007, Nexstar Broadcasting set up a dual-path fiber-optic cable link to the San Angelo broadcast facility.
In May 2007, KTAB and KRBC's websites were combined into one, BigCountryHomepage.com. The site is maintained with content produced by both stations, and serves as a community portal to Abilene and the surrounding areas.
In 2014, KTAB added Telemundo to its 32.2 digital subchannel a few years after low-power station KTES-LP dropped the network in 2010 to join This TV.
News operation
This section needs expansion with: information on the history of KTAB's news operation. You can help by adding to it. (November 2011)
KTAB presently broadcasts 19 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 3½ hours each weekday, one hour on Saturdays and a half-hour on Sundays); the station also produces an additional five hours of newscasts in Spanish each week (with one hour each weekday) for its Telemundo-affiliated second digital subchannel.
On February 2, 2013, KRBC began broadcasting the news in 16:9 widescreen with a new set and new graphics becoming the second station to make the switch. The newscasts on KTAB were included in the upgrade. On August 29, 2016, the station began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition, becoming the last station in the market to make the upgrade.[6]
Installation of full-power digital transmitters for both KTAB-DT and KRBC-DT was completed in October 2007. The transmitters are housed in a newly constructed building at the KTAB tower site, adjacent to the former analog transmitter building on a mountaintop southeast of Potosi. Both stations share the same digital antenna on the KTAB tower. A new digital 7 GHz microwave studio-transmitter link (STL), as well as a master control update, has allowed both stations to deliver the high definition signals to the entire coverage area, as well as delivering Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Both CBS and NBC networks use the 1080i HDTV format.
Both KTAB and KRBC operate digital microwave links in the 7 GHz and 2 GHz spectrums.
On June 15, 2016, Nexstar announced that it had entered into an affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting for the Escape, Laff, Grit, and Bounce TV networks (the last one of which is owned by Bounce Media LLC, whose COO Jonathan Katz is president/CEO of Katz Broadcasting), bringing one or more of the four networks to 81 stations owned and/or operated by Nexstar, including KTAB-TV and KRBC-TV.[8]
Analog-to-digital conversion
KTAB-TV shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 32, on May 12, 2009. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 24.[9] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 32.
References
^ abReed, Jerry (October 4, 1979). "Mighty Mouse, KTAB Both Ready for Abilene". Abilene Reporter-News. p. 13-A. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
^ abHorn, Richard (October 16, 1986). "KTAB purchased by Disney nephew". Abilene Reporter-News. p. 1A, 10A. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
^"Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 23, 1984. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
^"Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 27, 1986. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
^"Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. May 31, 1999. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
^"DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
External links
Official website
June 18, 2023
ktab, ktab, redirects, here, radio, station, formerly, with, call, letters, ktab, ksfo, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, remo. KTAB redirects here For the radio station formerly with call letters KTAB see KSFO This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources KTAB TV news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message KTAB TV channel 32 is a television station in Abilene Texas United States affiliated with CBS and Telemundo It is owned by Nexstar Media Group which provides certain services to NBC affiliate KRBC TV channel 9 under joint sales and shared services agreements JSA SSA with Mission Broadcasting Both stations share studios on South 14th Street in western Abilene while KTAB TV s transmitter is located on Texas State Highway 36 in neighboring Callahan County KTAB TVAbilene TexasUnited StatesChannelsDigital 30 UHF Virtual 32BrandingKTAB News pronounced K TAB Telemundo Abilene DT2 Noticiero Telemundo Abilene newscasts on DT2 ProgrammingAffiliations32 1 CBS32 2 Telemundo32 3 Ion Mystery32 4 IonOwnershipOwnerNexstar Media Group Nexstar Media Inc Sister stationsKRBC TVHistoryFirst air dateOctober 6 1979 43 years ago 1979 10 06 Former channel number s Analog 32 UHF 1979 2009 Digital 24 UHF 2007 2020 Call sign meaning Keeping Tab on Abilene and the Big Country or Texas AbileneTechnical informationLicensing authorityFCCFacility ID59988ERP1 000 kWHAAT258 m 846 ft Transmitter coordinates32 16 38 N 99 35 52 W 32 27722 N 99 59778 W 32 27722 99 59778LinksPublic license informationPublic fileLMSWebsiteKTAB KRBCTelemundo Abilene Contents 1 History 2 News operation 3 Technical information 3 1 Subchannels 3 2 Analog to digital conversion 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditKTAB began broadcasting on October 6 1979 1 This made Abilene one of the last markets in the country to get full service from the Big Three networks Upon signing on it took over the CBS affiliation from KTXS TV channel 12 which became a full ABC affiliate The station was founded by William Bill Terry 55 owner and a large contingent of partners investors and department heads 1 Terry had worked for many years at established station KRBC TV and was well known in the Abilene area Terry sold the station to International Broadcasting owned by stockholder Thomas Scallen in 1984 2 3 Shamrock Broadcasting Roy E Disney s broadcasting company bought the station in 1986 2 4 Shamrock then sold KTAB to Shooting Star Broadcasting in 1997 Current owner Nexstar Broadcasting Group bought the station from Shooting Star Broadcasting in 1999 5 In 2005 Nexstar completed the consolidation of the KTAB operations into the older larger KRBC building at 4510 South 14th Street in Abilene Nexstar had already taken over KRBC s operations a year earlier under a joint sales agreement with KTAB as the senior partner The original KTAB building was sold and has subsequently been converted into an office building The computerized and automated master control facility not only operates KTAB and KRBC in Abilene but also sister Nexstar Mission stations KLST and KSAN TV in San Angelo All syndicated programming and local advertising for the four stations is delivered via Harris Leitch Nexio servers with Avid Sundance FastBreak automation providing all switching and playback operations Business and traffic operations for all four stations are also handled here The main bi directional microwave relay system link connecting master control in Abilene with the KLST KSAN studio and transmission facilities in San Angelo 90 miles 140 km away was destroyed when the KRBC tower near Tuscola collapsed in an ice storm on January 14 2007 In December 2007 Nexstar Broadcasting set up a dual path fiber optic cable link to the San Angelo broadcast facility In May 2007 KTAB and KRBC s websites were combined into one BigCountryHomepage com The site is maintained with content produced by both stations and serves as a community portal to Abilene and the surrounding areas In 2014 KTAB added Telemundo to its 32 2 digital subchannel a few years after low power station KTES LP dropped the network in 2010 to join This TV News operation EditThis section needs expansion with information on the history of KTAB s news operation You can help by adding to it November 2011 KTAB presently broadcasts 19 hours of locally produced newscasts each week with 3 hours each weekday one hour on Saturdays and a half hour on Sundays the station also produces an additional five hours of newscasts in Spanish each week with one hour each weekday for its Telemundo affiliated second digital subchannel On February 2 2013 KRBC began broadcasting the news in 16 9 widescreen with a new set and new graphics becoming the second station to make the switch The newscasts on KTAB were included in the upgrade On August 29 2016 the station began broadcasting its newscasts in high definition becoming the last station in the market to make the upgrade 6 Technical information EditSubchannels Edit The station s digital signal is multiplexed Subchannels of KTAB TV 7 Channel Res Aspect Short name Programming32 1 1080i 16 9 KTAB DT Main KTAB TV programming CBS32 2 KTABDT2 KTAB DT2 Telemundo32 3 480i KTABDT3 Ion Mystery32 4 KTABDT4 IonInstallation of full power digital transmitters for both KTAB DT and KRBC DT was completed in October 2007 The transmitters are housed in a newly constructed building at the KTAB tower site adjacent to the former analog transmitter building on a mountaintop southeast of Potosi Both stations share the same digital antenna on the KTAB tower A new digital 7 GHz microwave studio transmitter link STL as well as a master control update has allowed both stations to deliver the high definition signals to the entire coverage area as well as delivering Dolby Digital 5 1 audio Both CBS and NBC networks use the 1080i HDTV format Both KTAB and KRBC operate digital microwave links in the 7 GHz and 2 GHz spectrums On June 15 2016 Nexstar announced that it had entered into an affiliation agreement with Katz Broadcasting for the Escape Laff Grit and Bounce TV networks the last one of which is owned by Bounce Media LLC whose COO Jonathan Katz is president CEO of Katz Broadcasting bringing one or more of the four networks to 81 stations owned and or operated by Nexstar including KTAB TV and KRBC TV 8 Analog to digital conversion Edit KTAB TV shut down its analog signal over UHF channel 32 on May 12 2009 The station s digital signal remained on its pre transition UHF channel 24 9 Through the use of PSIP digital television receivers display the station s virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 32 References Edit a b Reed Jerry October 4 1979 Mighty Mouse KTAB Both Ready for Abilene Abilene Reporter News p 13 A Retrieved October 12 2021 a b Horn Richard October 16 1986 KTAB purchased by Disney nephew Abilene Reporter News p 1A 10A Retrieved October 12 2021 Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting April 23 1984 Retrieved November 12 2021 Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting October 27 1986 Retrieved November 12 2021 Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting amp Cable May 31 1999 Retrieved November 12 2021 Comment in Facebook replied by KRBC RabbitEars TV Query for KTAB Bounce TV Grit Escape Laff Multicast Deal Covers 81 Stations 54 Markets Broadcasting amp Cable June 15 2016 Retrieved June 16 2016 DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2015 05 20 Retrieved 2012 03 24 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title KTAB TV amp oldid 1152252776, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
