KTRK-TV
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| KTRK-TV | |
|---|---|
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| Houston, Texas | |
| Branding | ABC 13 (general) 13 Eyewitness News (news) |
| Slogan | Houston's News Leader |
| Channels | Analog: 13 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | ABC The AccuWeather Channel (DT3) |
| Owner | Disney/ABC (KTRK Television, Inc.) |
| First air date | November 20, 1954 |
| Call letters’ meaning | derived from radio station KTRH |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 797 kW (digital) |
| Height | 588 m (analog) 562 m (digital) |
| Facility ID | 35675 |
| Transmitter Coordinates | |
| Website | www.abc13.com |
KTRK-TV is the ABC-owned and operated television station in Houston, Texas and the Southern flagship station for the ABC television network. Its studio is located at 3310 Bissonnet Street in the Upper Kirby district of central Houston (ZIP code 77005), and its transmitter is located in Missouri City.
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[edit] History
The station grew out of the VHF "freeze", when three entities vying for the channel 13 assignment, including the Houston Chronicle, decided to merge as Houston Consolidated Television. They bought the studio facilities of the defunct KNUZ-TV (ch. 39), a DuMont UHF affiliate which had gone dark. The original studio facilities were located at 4513 Cullen Blvd (at the defunct Texas Television Center district in the University of Houston campus); this studio later housed KHTV (now KHCW) and KUHT.
In 1955, the Houston Chronicle bought out its partners and years, it called itself "The Houston Chronicle Station." Soon afterwards, the station moved to its current Bissonnet Street location. The studio was the first domed structure in town, preceding the better-known Astrodome by 10 years. Both projects were built by the same architect, Hermon Lloyd.
Like many stations located on "unlucky" channel 13, it used a black cat as its mascot. For many years, the station ran a children's show featuring a black cat, "Kitirik", by adding an "I" between the station's call letters. She wore a cat suit complete with mink ears and tail, and drawn-on whiskers. Her real name was Bunny Orsak. [1]
Early programs involved a heavy emphasis on local flavor and reflected themes of the day. Some of the more popular local shows included:
- Cadet Don: A Space-themed adventure program for children, focusing on the exploits of an interstellar adventurer and the locations he visited.
- Dialing for Dollars: A game show of sorts where a viewer would be phoned by the host and would win a cash prize by answering questions.
- Good Morning Houston: The successor to Dialing for Dollars which debuted in the late 1970s and expanded to include discussions on local events and topics important to viewer's lifestyles.
In 1967, the Houston Chronicle sold KTRK to Capital Cities Communications. Under CapCities' ownership, KTRK preempted some ABC programming, though not nearly as much as other ABC affiliates, such as sister station, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia. The shows KTRK preempted were not widely run in many markets, though for many years KTRK pre-empted the first half-hour of "Good Morning America" in favor of a local newscast. This practice continued into the early-90s, before the newscast was moved back to a pre-7:00am start time. After 1991, its only preemption was half of "The Home Show." KTRK only ran the first half-hour, an arrangement which continued when the show morphed into Mike and Maty. When "The View" premiered in the time-slot, KTRK began running the entire show. Despite these preemptions, ABC was more than satisfied with KTRK, one of its strongest affiliates. CapCities bought ABC in 1986, making KTRK an ABC-owned and operated station, and one of two Capital Cities-owned stations already affiliated with ABC alongside WPVI-TV. With that distinction, KTRK would become the first network O&O in Texas. Capital Cities/ABC was sold to Disney at the end of 1995.
[edit] Programming
Today, KTRK runs the entire ABC schedule, though there are times when local special events are aired in place of network programming. KTRK is also different from many ABC owned-and-operated stations in that it has never aired The Oprah Winfrey Show, or the current syndicated versions of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! (those have aired on CBS affiliate KHOU since 1986), all of which have been mainstays on most of ABC's owned-and-operated stations for years. In fact, at one point during the late 80s to early 90s, Donahue was the only daytime syndicated program on KTRK's lineup. This was largely due to its hour-long 6 p.m. newscast as well as its popular movie showcases and local programming at the time, including Good Morning Houston. For many years, KTRK was also the original television home of the Houston Astros, however it only televised Sunday afternoon road games. Since 2001, with the debut of the 4 p.m. newscast, KTRK no longer has enough syndicated daytime hours of programming to back up its strong news programming outside of network programming. Thus the remaining two hours are filled by these syndicated programs during weekdays: Live with Regis and Kelly, the syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Inside Edition.
[edit] Texans pre-season American football
KTRK has been the official television home of the Houston Texans since the expansion year in 2002. The station has televised all of the Texans' preseason games not carried on national networks since the team's inception. On Sundays during the Texans' season, it televises a post-game show, Houston Texans Inside the Game at 10:35 p.m. following its Sunday newscast. On Mondays during the regular season, it televises Look Back with Kubiak, in which sports director Bob Allen looks over the previous Sunday's game with Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, during its 6 p.m. newscasts. On Saturdays, its Extra Points sports show is converted to a special edition entitled Extra Points: Houston Texans Edition at 6:30 PM.
[edit] Newscasts
The station's newscast, Eyewitness News, has been number one in the Houston market for most of the last 30 years. It is also one of the highest-rated newscasts in the country. In recent years, however, KTRK has faced strong challenges from rival CBS affiliate KHOU-TV, often battling with KHOU for number one during its evening newscasts. In 2005, KHOU overtook KTRK during evening newscasts and at one time ousted KTRK's longtime No. 1 position in the mornings. KTRK-TV recently took the lead again in the mornings, as well as at midday, and 5 p.m.
The rivalry is so intense that KTRK has even gone as far as advertising its newscasts as the most watched in Houston in terms of total households for all of its newscasts. KTRK-TV has always led in household ratings, something it continues to do. It broadcasts more hours of local news than any other Houston television station with six hours on weekdays, two and a half hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday.
On August 12, 2007, KTRK began fully producing Eyewitness News in HD (HD helicopter and HD tower cam since mid-2006), making KTRK the second Houston station after KHOU and the 7th Owned & Operated station after KABC, WPVI, WABC, WLS, KGO & KFSN to make the transition, although technically, ABC 13 had the first HD images broadcast during its newscasts (helicopter & weather camera) before any other station in Houston.
As of the May sweeps period, KTRK channel 13, is number 1 in every time period, from sign on to sign off. Which means KTRK-TV, is number one, on every show and program they show. This is the best KTRK-TV has done, in almost a year, CBS rival KHOU-TV, had taken the morning, 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm victory from KTRK-TV. The victory is contributed to, more hard, dedicated news, and going HD. KHOU-TV, took the number one spot, when they went HD. Then six months later when KTRK, went HD, they reclaimed the number one spot and have kept it in every timeslot since.
[edit] Personalities
KTRK is widely noted for having the most experienced news team in Greater Houston, the tenth-largest media market in the United States as of 2006-07. Many of the station's anchors and reporters have been at the station for at least 20 years, some even dating back to the station's days under Capital Cities ownership. Dave Ward has been the station's main anchor since 1968, longer than anyone in Houston television history. Two other notable long-time personalities are sports director Bob Allen, who has served in that position since 1974, longer than any other major-market sports director, and investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino, who has worked for KTRK since 1985 and has won many awards for a number of high-profile civic and consumer investigations with his 13 Undercover franchise.
KTRK also became known for its legendary consumer and investigative reporter, Marvin Zindler, whose week-long 1973 reports on a brothel in La Grange, Texas led to the closing of the Chicken Ranch, a bordello that was later immortalized in the musical and film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and ZZ Top's hit song "La Grange." Zindler was also widely noted in Houston for his Friday night Rat and Roach Report on Houston restaurants that failed health inspections, which ended with his trademark line "Slime in the Ice Machine". Zindler signed a lifetime contract with KTRK in 1988, making him the first person ever offered such a contract by then-owner Capital Cities, which was known as a financially frugal company. Zindler continued to work for the station until his death in 2007 from pancreatic cancer, even filing reports during his treatment. Since his death, Zindler's former producer, Lori Reingold will pick up where he left off. She was instrumental in helping find "Marvin's Angels", wrote much of his copy and will be continuing under the segment name, "Action's Angels".
In the 1970s and 1980s, Ward, along with Allen, Zindler, and weatherman Ed Brandon, led Houston's top-rated news team at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The lineup was later revised to include a female anchor, Shara Fryer in the 1990s, followed by current chief meteorologist Tim Heller in lieu of Brandon at 10 p.m. in 2002, and the replacement of Fryer with Gina Gaston the following year. In 2007, Brandon retired from the station after a 35-year career, but has occasionally filled in.
[edit] Current on-air talent
[edit] KTRK anchors
- Tom Abrahams: Weekend Evening Anchor
- Ilona Carson: 4PM Anchor
- Erik Barajas: 4PM Anchor (April 2008)
- Mark Garay: Weekend Morning Anchor
- Elissa Rivas: Weekend Morning Anchor
- Gina Gaston: 6PM and 10PM
- Tom Koch: Weekday Morning Anchor (April 2008)
- Melanie Lawson: 11AM and 5PM Anchor
- Sharron Melton: Weekday Morning Anchor
- Art Rascon: 5PM Anchor
- Dave Ward: 6PM and 10PM Anchor (ABC13's main anchor since 1968)
[edit] KTRK reporters
- Gene Apodaca: General Assignment Reporter
- Erik Barajas: General Assignment Reporter
- Andy Cerota: "Crimetracker"/General Assignment Reporter
- Cynthia Cisneros: General Assignment Reporter
- Katishia Cosley: Freelance Reporter
- Christine Dobbyn: General Assignment Reporter
- Wayne Dolcefino: "13 Undercover" Investigative Reporter
- Jeff Ehling: "Action 13" Consumer Reporter
- Eric James: General Assignment Reporter
- Patricia Lopez: Consumer Reporter
- Christi Myers: "13 Healthcheck" Reporter
- Don Nelson: Entertainment/Traffic Reporter
- Ted Oberg: "In Focus" Reporter
- Kevin Quinn: General Assignment Reporter
- Lori Reingold Consumer Advocate
- Elissa Rivas: General Assignment Reporter
- Miya Shay: Political/General Assignment Reporter
- Laura Whitley: General Assignment Reporter
- Jessica Willey: General Assignment Reporter
- Deborah Wrigley: General Assignment Reporter
[edit] Experts
- Richard Alderman: The People's Lawyer
- Joel Androphy: Legal Analyst
- Dr. Richard Murray: Political Analyst
[edit] Meteorologists/weather anchors
- Tim Heller: Chief Meteorologist, seen weekday evenings (NWA/AMS)
- Travis Herzog: 11am and 4pm Meteorologist (NWA/AMS)
- Casey Curry: Weekday Morning Meteorologist
- David Tillman: Weekend Evening Meteorologist (NWA/AMS)
[edit] Sports anchors/reporters
- Bob Allen: Sports Director (longest tenured sports director at any major-market station)
- Tim Melton: Weekend Anchor
- Bob Slovak: Sports Reporter
[edit] Former on-air talent
- Chris Adams: reporter (1992-2004)
- Carlos Aguilar reporter (1980-1995)
- Dan Ammerman: reporter
- Vicente Arenas: reporter (mid 1990s, currently weekend anchor with KHOU-TV)
- Elma Barrera: reporter (mid 1970s-2006, retired)
- Craig Bell: Freelance Reporter (2007, now reporter at WFAA-TV, Dallas)
- Jim Bergamo: reporter (now reporter at KVUE-TV, Austin)
- Frank Billingsley: weekend meteorologist (1989-1995, currently chief meteorologist KPRC-TV)
- Bob Boudreaux: anchored "Live at Five" before 1990, later weekend anchor (1977-2005)
- Ed Brandon: weatherman (1972-2007, was chief weatherman until 2002, now retired)
- Doug Brown: weatherman (Weekend and morning weatherman until 2008, retired)
- Dan Cambre: reporter (1990s)
- Jan Carson: 6 and 10 pm co-anchor (1975-1980, later KGO, San Francisco, KPRC-TV, now retired)
- Shern-Min Chow: reporter (1983-1991, later KPRC-TV, now at KHOU-TV)
- Ray Conaway: anchor and news director (early to mid 1960s)
- Larry Conners: anchor/investigative reporter (1972-1975, now KMOV-TV, St. Louis)
- Mary Ellen Conway: reporter (now an attorney in Houston)
- Chris Curle: reporter (mid 1970s)
- John Nigel Davenport: (died in 1991)
- Joe Diaz: weekend meteorologist (1989-1997; now Chief Meteorologist at KOAT, Albuquerque)
- Thom Dickerson: reporter (1970s-1980s, now with Houston Independent School District)
- Deborah Duncan: (went by Debra during her tenure here) host of "The Debra Duncan Show" (1998-2002, plans for ABC/Disney to pick it up fell through, now morning anchor at KHOU)
- Troy Dungan: chief weatherman (196?-1974, later weathercaster WFAA-TV, Dallas, now retired)
- Tom Evans: weather (early to mid 1960s)
- Lis Exon: police/investigative reporter (1990s, now news manager OETA (PBS Oklahoma), Tulsa)
- Diana Fallis: (ABC13's first African American female anchor - later media relations liaison Prairie View A&M University)
- Shara Fryer: weeknight anchor/reporter (1980-2006, retired)
- Roland Galvan: meteorologist (1986-1988; later KTLA, Los Angeles, KIII-TV Corpus Christi, deceased)
- Stephen Gauvain: NASA reporter (deceased; in 1996, a Ford Explorer SUV Gauvain rode in flipped over while his crew was returning from coverage of the Hilton Crawford murder trial in Huntsville, Texas. The cause of the accident, a defective Firestone tire, would later lead to an investigation exposed by rival KHOU-TV that led to numerous lawsuits and a complete recall of the tires.)
- Joe Giardina:reporter (1976-1978) later WVUE-TV, New Orleans, now Regional Mgr Lindmark Outdoor Advertising in Mississippi
- Bruce Gietzen: sports reporter (sports anchor for the Houston Rockets mid-1990s, including their two back-to-back championships; now evening anchor at KXXV-TV, Waco)
- Jan Glenn: co-host of "Good Morning Houston" (1977-1991 with Don Nelson, and was once married to sports anchor Bob Allen. Later briefly worked with KHCW-TV covering special events)
- Stephanie Guadian: weekend anchor/reporter (2002-2008)
- David Glodt: anchor/reporter (1970s to 1980s, later ABC News, now Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo)
- Van Hackett: anchor/reporter (1980s)
- Nydia Han: consumer reporter (now WPVI-TV, Philadelphia)
- Kimberly Harms: sports reporter (1994-1998)
- Charles Harrison: news anchor/meteorologist (1956-1989)(retired)
- Alan Hemberger: "Live at Five" anchor (1989-1998, now KHCW-TV)
- Corin Hoggard: sub-anchor/reporter (now reporter at KFSN-TV)
- Cynthia Hunt: reporter (1990s, now Cynthia Hunt Productions and KPRC-AM "Chris Baker & Cynthia Hunt Show")
- Ted Ishler: comedy feature reporter (1998-2001)(now in Los Angeles working as a tv writer)
- James Irby: reporter (2000-2004, now weekend anchor KTBC-TV, Austin)
- Debbi Johnson: reporter
- Heidi Jones: Midday and 4 PM meteorologist (1997-2003, now weekend evening meteorologist WABC-TV, New York)
- Larry Kane: host, "The Larry Kane Show" (1959-1971, deceased)
- Cheryle Keck: morning anchor (deceased)
- Ed Kilgore: sports anchor/reporter (1971-1973, now at WGRZ-TV, Buffalo, NY)
- Don Kobos: reporter (1980s-2000, later assistant news director)
- Dan Lovett: sports anchor (later WABC-TV, New York; later KGO, San Francisco, has since returned to Houston)
- Darren Lyn: reporter (2002-2006, later Houston-based reporter ESPN)
- Tim Malloy: anchor (1989-1994, now WPTV, West Palm Beach, FL)
- Jeff McShan: reporter (1992-1993, now at KHOU)
- Doug Murphy: weekend sports anchor (1980s, later KPIX-TV, San Francisco in 1982, deceased)
- Patrick Nolan: reporter (2000-2003, now evening anchor at WFTX in Fort Myers, Florida)
- Gene Norman: weekend meteorologist (later chief meteorologist at WGCL-TV, Atlanta, now weather anchor at KHOU-TV)
- Bunny Orsak: (1954-1972), host of The Kitirik Show, holds the honor of being the first woman on-screen for KTRK.
- Minerva Perez: reporter/anchor (1992-2007)
- Dan Rather: (1959-1961, later KHOU-TV, CBS News, succeeded Walter Cronkite as anchor of CBS Evening News retired 2005)
- Sylvan Rodriguez: (1977-1986, later ABC News West Coast bureau, later KHOU-TV, deceased)
- Betty Rogers: co-host of Dialing for Dollars (mid-1960s to mid-1970s)
- Dan Rosen reporter (1970s, later WFAA-TV, Dallas, later law professor Loyola Law School, New Orleans, Doshisha University, Osaka University, and Kobe University)
- Jim Rosenfield: anchor (1983-1989, now at WCBS-TV in New York)
- Tim Ryan: reporter (1981-1983, now KDFW-TV, Dallas)
- Guy Savage: sports director and anchor (mid 1960s, deceased)
- Lisa Trapani: co-host of Good Morning Houston (1991-2000, now marketing director KHOU-TV)
- Alvin Van Black: entertainment/nightlife reporter, "Alvin at Night" segments during 10 p.m. newscasts on Friday nights (1987-1998, deceased)
- Marvin Zindler: legendary "Action 13" consumer/investigative reporter, mainly during 6pm newscasts (1973-2007, deceased)
[edit] News/station presentation
[edit] Newscast titles
- KTRK Television Newsreel (1954-1962)
- The Texas News (1962-1965)
- Channel 13 News (1965-January 1, 1973)
- 13 Eyewitness News (January 1, 1973 - present)
[edit] Station slogans
- Number One In Texas (1970s - 1995)
- Houston's News Leader (1995 - present)
[edit] Logos
KTRK's "Circle 13" logo is the same as that for KTRK's Toledo sister station, WTVG, only that KTRK calls itself "ABC 13", while WTVG is known as "13 ABC".
Its previous logo, which ran from 1971 until 1995, was a "Crooked Circle 13." It recalled livestock branding of the Old West and was set in Helvetica font, with the bottom of the "3" trailing off out of the circle. The trailing portion as "trimmed" as the logo was turned slightly horizontal in a similar fashion to today's version.
Since July 3, 1992 both logos have been superimposed on an image of the Texas state flag.
Today, KTRK uses 2 different logos. One is the logo shown above, and they have 2 other variations of that they also use. The other is the number 13 in a circle shown at an angle. This is only used during newscasts.
[edit] ABC 13 temperature and time
The temperature- and time-only shows during the 5&7am,11am,4pm,live at 5pm, and 6pm news. The temperature and times don't show in 10pm news mostly.
[edit] See also
Circle 7 logo (The Circle 13 is the derivative of the Circle 7.)
[edit] External links
- KTRK-TV
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KTRK-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KTRK-TV
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