Miscellaneous unorganized material/KSBW

This page is improperly set up.

Chronology data should be put on the appropriate chronology page ("Chronology of call letters KSBW") .

Other material must be reorganized into appropriate categories of articles.

KSBW is a television station in the United States and is the NBC affiliate for the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz, California market. The station is owned by the Hearst Corporation, and is located on channel 8. KSBW has its studios on John Street (along Highway 68) in downtown Salinas, which is mentioned occasionally during commercial breaks and newscasts. Its news programs are entitled Action News 8. Its transmitter is located on Fremont Peak in the Gabilan Mountains above San Juan Bautista, California, over 3,100 feet above sea level. The call letters KSBW stand for "Salad Bowl of the World," which is the nickname of the city of Salinas.

KSBW

[1]
Salinas/Monterey, California
City of license	Salinas
Branding	KSBW (general) Action News 8 (newscasts)
Slogan	Coverage You Can Count On (news/primary slogan) It's How You Know (website/secondary slogan)
Channels	Digital: 8 (VHF)
Affiliations	8.1 NBC
Owner	Hearst Television, Inc. (Hearst Stations, Inc.)
First air date	September 11, 1953
Call letters' meaning	Salad Bowl of the World (Salinas' nickname)
Former callsigns	KSBW-TV (1953-1987) KMBY-TV (1953-1955; time sharing partner)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 8 (VHF, 1953-2009) Digital: 10 (VHF, 2002-2009)
Former affiliations	All secondary: DuMont (1953-1955) ABC (1953-1960) CBS (1953-1969)
Transmitter power	20.6 kW
Height	760 m
Facility ID	19653
Transmitter coordinates	36°45′21.9″N 121°30′9.4″W / 36.756083°N 121.502611°W / 36.756083; -121.502611
Website	www.ksbw.com

// if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //

[edit] History

[edit] Early years

KSBW began broadcasting on September 11, 1953, sharing time with KMBY-TV of Monterey on channel 8 (the two stations merged in 1955). Originally, it was affiliated with all four major networks — NBC, ABC, CBS and DuMont (DuMont folded in 1955). ABC disappeared from KSBW's programming schedule when San Jose's then-independent KNTV decided to concentrate on the Monterey-Salinas market in 1960. For the next nine years, KSBW was forced to shoehorn NBC and CBS onto its schedule. This was unusual for a two-station market (especially one of Monterey's size); in most such markets, ABC was relegated to secondary status on the CBS and NBC affiliates. When KMST-TV (now KION-TV) signed on as a full-time CBS affiliate in 1969, KSBW became an exclusive NBC affiliate.

[edit] Partnership with KSBY

During the early 1980s, KSBW and then-sister station KSBY in San Luis Obispo, California were owned by Blair Broadcasting; under the original ownership, KSBY simulcasted KSBW, except for producing its own local newscasts and covering CBS programming (in San Luis Obispo, KCOY provided CBS programming from adjacent Santa Maria, requiring KSBY to drop the feed from Salinas when KSBW was carrying a CBS network program). The simulcasting ended under Blair and KSBY became an NBC affiliate on its own. Blair Broadcasting sold most of its English-language stations to Gillett Communications (which would later acquire most of Storer Broadcasting's stations) in 1986. KSBY and KSBW, however (since 1999), continued to share resources with each other to this day when covering each other's news.

[edit] Ownership change

When Gillett restructured into SCI TV in the early 1990s, it put KSBW and KSBY on the market. However, a buyer for both stations wasn't found until after SCI sold most of its stations to New World Communications in 1993; the following year, KSBW and KSBY were sold to EP Communications, a company co-owned by Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of News Corporation chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch. In 1995, Smith Broadcasting and SJL Communications teamed up to purchase the EP stations, with KSBW going to Smith Broadcasting and KSBY going to SJL because Smith Broadcasting has already owned KEYT. What was then called Hearst-Argyle Television bought KSBW, along with WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York and its semi-satellite WNNE in White River Junction, Vermont, from Sunrise Television (at that time a subsidiary of Smith Broadcasting; now part of LIN TV) in 1998, swapping WDTN in Dayton, Ohio and the license for WNAC-TV in Providence, Rhode Island to Sunrise in the process.

[edit] Weather Plus

In early 2005, KSBW debuted its localized version of NBC Weather Plus, branded as KSBW Weather Plus. Its only local preemption was their debut of their 10pm newscasts at that time. KSBW first offered Weather Plus on its digital channel (on KSBW-DT2), as well as on Comcast cable, which continues to be offered today. Its national Weather Plus operations were shut down as of December 1, 2008, however, KSBW remains one of the few to continue the use of the "L" bar Weather Plus, with weather updates 8 times per hour. Its 10pm newscasts continued to run even after the shutdown, and was replaced with background music, as it does today. Additionally, although KSBW anchors Dan Green and/or Erin Clark claims that it is 10 pm newscasts are offered on its website in addition to its second digital subchannel and Comcast, it also runs KSBW Weather Plus on it's website.

On August 2, 2010, KSBW started broadcasting an alternative set of primetime programming on its second digital subchannel, branded as KSBW Prime Plus. This includes a rebroadcast of KSBW's 5 pm newscast at 7 pm while its 10 pm newscast still remains. The mission of that is to provide a set of alternate programming while letting KSBW airs its current prime time programming from NBC. Current programming includes Access Hollywood and reruns of Dr. Phil and Oprah in primetime, which leads to KSBW's 10pm newscast. Although both Dr. Phil and Oprah currently air in HD on its main channel, in this case, it is in 4:3 ratio. KSBW Weather Plus will still retain its branding during the time that Prime Plus is not on the air. KSBW's logo on its second digital subchannel is branded as "8.2", with the ".2" logo replacing the "peacock" logo and is used during syndicated programming and its newscasts. (Its nearby Hearst station KCRA also does the same, though it is branded as "moreTV Sacramento.")

[edit] Syndicated shows and NBC programming

As of 2010, syndicated programming on KSBW includes The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Rachael Ray Show, The Doctors, Dr. Phil, and The Oprah Winfrey Show during the daytime, with Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune before primetime. In the past, KSBW has broadcast sitcoms before primetime, most notably Family Ties and Barney Miller. In addition to syndicated programming, KSBW clears all NBC programming except for the fourth hour of the Today Show in order to make room for Ellen. As of August 2010, in addition to regular HD programming carried by NBC, KSBW airs Ellen, Dr. Phil, Oprah, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune in HD. KSBW is also the first station to have its syndicated logo bug on the bottom-right hand corner of the screen since June 2010. With Oprah biding farewell to viewers after the 2010-11 season, it is currently unknown which program will occupy the 4pm time slot.

[edit] Locally produced programs

[edit] Feedback at Five

Theresa Wright hosts a public affairs show called Feedback at Five, which is a weekend discussion show interviewing with selected interviewee. In most cases, most of the interviews are informational and educational to the viewer. Feedback at Five, like Sunday's 6pm newscasts, are subject to preemption due to special programming.

[edit] Lifeline TV

KSBW also broadcasts "Lifeline TV", which is a local program produced by the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and hosted by former KSBW anchor Kate Callaghan. Callaghan previously anchored KSBW's morning newscasts until her departure from the station in 2008. It is a program that addresses health issues and occasional questions being answered. It also follows the team of trained doctors and physicians there and keeps viewers informed of their progress. This program generally airs before weekend editions of NBC Nightly News, however, it can be delayed or preempted due to special programs.

[edit] Editorial

KSBW produces a three-minute editorial session since 1999, called "KSBW Editorial", which is broadcasted after Friday's 6pm newscast, weekend newscasts, and Monday morning newscast. It is hosted by KSBW president and general manager, Joseph W. Heston. The format of the editorial is primarily a commentary by Heston and occasional viewer's comments. However, the editorial is subject to preemption due to special programming such as KSBW's annual "Share Your Holiday," which is fundraising concept that is similar to those of many PBS stations, except for that there is no commercials throughout the program.

[edit] Controversy

In February 2009, KSBW was involved in a controversy that after Heston gave an editorial that angered then-Salinas police chief Daniel Ortega. It came after an interview conducted by anchorman Dan Green interviewing Salinas mayor Dennis Donahue that Ortega described as the following, as well as how he described what Heston was doing. Ortega asked all media to come in and he gave a speech that addresses KSBW, saying:

“

Over recent days, there has been a perception of bias on the part of KSBW channel 8. In an interview with the mayor and Dan Green last week, Green kept pushing for 'gang injunctions.' If Mr. Green had simply watched some of his own newscasts, he would have realized that gang injunctions have been obsolete for almost a decade. We have reported numerous times that while gang injunctions were very effective at the time we used them; the gangs have changed the way they operate and injunctions just would not work now. Subsequently, an editorial by (president) and general manager Joseph W. Heston pointing fingers at me, the police department, and the city with no suggestions for resolving the issue. Nowhere in their reporting or editorializing this past week has KSBW addressed any of the social-economic issues that contribute to a problem that has plagued our city for decades and generations. Their sole interest seems to be a strong bias against our city leaders and police department, which ends up hurting our citizens and businesses.

”

Ortega went on and asked KSBW to report with "more objectivity." He also asked KSBW to apologize to their sponsors that pay for their existence and their bias reporting. A follow-up editorial by Heston have addressed the issue and admits that Ortega should be treated as a friend.

[edit] Digital channels

KSBW's digital channels are multiplexed, broadcasting on "virtual" channel 8.

Digital Channel	Aspect Ratio	Programming
8.1	16:9	main KSBW/NBC programming
8.2	4:3	KSBW Weather Plus/"Prime Plus"

KSBW has been digital-only since June 12, 2009.

[edit] Coverage area

KSBW airs on cable channel 6 on most cable systems in the immediate part of the market. KSBW's coverage area includes most of the immediate part of the market, but is also easily received in southern Santa Clara County, including Gilroy and Morgan Hill, San Martin, and parts of San Jose due to the transmitter location, however, Santa Clara County itself is not part of the market.

[edit] News operation

As of 2010, KSBW currently broadcasts more local news than any other station in the market, with 31 hours total (5 hours of news on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends). On weekdays, a two-hour morning newscast is shown at 5 a.m., followed by a half-hour news blocks at noon and 5 p.m., one hour at 6 p.m., and a 35-minute wrap-up at 11 p.m. On weekends, the market's only two-hour, early-morning weekend newscast begins at 7 a.m., followed by half-hour blocks at 6 and 11 p.m. On weeknights only, KSBW also broadcasts a 10 p.m. newscast on its second digital subchannel. (It is noted that KSBW is currently the only station in the entire Central Coast to carry both a noon newscast on weekdays and a weekend morning newscast on weekends, as fellow NBC affiliate KSBY, as well as rivals KCBA, KION, KCOY, KKFX, and KEYT do not currently offer a noon or a weekend morning newscast.) KSBW's notably stable weekday-evening anchor team is Dan Green and Erin Clark, who have worked together since 1998. Sports director Dennis Lehnen and chief weather forecaster Jim Vanderzwaan have been with the station for a quarter-century. The other anchor teams and reporting staff have less longevity, but field reporters Felix Cortez and Phil Gomez are station veterans.

The anchors take a decidedly informal approach to the newscast, with much light-hearted cross-talk among the personalities. Much of KSBW's national news comes from syndicated reports from other Hearst-owned affiliates and/or NBC stations, and state-capitol reports originate from Sacramento Hearst NBC station KCRA. The newscasts incorporate typical consumer, health, and business segments, and place considerable emphasis on crime reporting, focusing on the persistent gang-violence problem in the Salinas area (under the segment title, "Crime Watch"). On weekend morning newscasts, in addition to segments regularly shown on newscasts, a movie preview segment (titled as "Movie Buzz") is also shown. During the NFL football season, KSBW airs its 6 p.m. Sunday evening newscasts over on its second digital subchannel in lieu of its main channel when NBC Sunday Night Football is carried on KSBW. In June 2010, with NBC carrying the US Open at Pebble Beach, KSBW is one of two stations that carried newscasts immediately after the coverage accompanied by live reports from Peeble Beach (the other is KNTV). KSBW currently uses the mandated Hearst news music package for its newscasts since September 2004. In the early years being owned by Hearst, KSBW was one of the stations using the Image music package. Some segments shown on Action News 8 would continue to use the Image music package until August 25, 2010.

[edit] Format change

KSBW underwent a major format change in 1987. On weekdays, newscast time doubled from 90 minutes to over 180 minutes. Previously, weekday newscasts were at 6-7 p.m. and 11-11:30 p.m. In early 1987, KSBW began producing five-minute newscasts during the Today program at 7:25 a.m. and 8:25 a.m. In August 1987, thirty-minute newscasts were added at 6:30-7 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-noon, and 5-5:30 p.m. Also in August 1987, KSBW adopted a new "8" logo which incorporated a right triangle (identical to one used by WGHP, but it was bluish-tinted purple as opposed to reddish-tinted purple in WGHP's) and began use of a new news music package. The next major format change occurred in late 1991. Upon its current ownership by Hearst Television (then-called Hearst-Argyle Television) in 1999, KSBW had made another change to its studios.

In January 2010, KSBW underwent another format change and minor renovations were made to the KSBW studios, the first such change in over a decade. KSBW anchors had to present their newscasts from the newsroom for several days before the station debuted the new look. During Healthwatch 8 segments, anchor Erin Clark had to present her segment in front of a green screen. New flatscreen televisions were also installed behind the news set of KSBW, which replaced the old set. Additionally, "KSBW" replaced "Action News 8" inside the studio to reflect the studio's name and not the news branding, while two additional monitors were installed for better presentations. The in-studio cameras also made a change, with the cameras no longer being shown during editorial segments. The debut was during the midday newscasts when anchor Dale Julin presented the new look after Lee Solomon was finished with his weather update.

[edit] Widescreen and High Definition

KSBW has made many changes since September 2009 to accommodate the changes made at the studio. It first started with KSBW became the first station on the Central Coast to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen; however in that case, they were merely in widescreen standard definition with only the news tickers shown during morning newscasts, though no pillarboxes were inserted until after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. At the same time, KSBW did a test version of the Hearst HD package during Dr. Phil when previewing the 5pm newscasts, which its graphics and block letters are similar to those of Hearst NBC affiliate KCRA. (KSBW would later become the only station owned by Hearst to use two different types of the Hearst HD package.) Though not true high definition, the format of the KSBW newscasts matched those of HD television screens. New weather graphics and some field reports were still in 4:3 ratio and then pillarboxed to fill the 16:9 screen. This is only before KSBW's chief rival KION-TV and its sister station KCBA started to present their local newscasts in high definition from the studio a few weeks later.

KSBW continued to use its old graphics until August 25, 2010, when KSBW started broadcasting the majority of its newscasts in full high definition (although not mentioned in the news openings and talents due to the fact that the newscasts carried on KSBW-DT2 is in 4:3 standard definition), with an updated HD graphics package that is similar to Hearst stations WCVB, KMBC, and KOAT (the latter still broadcasting in widescreen SD). The graphics incorporate elements from KSBW's previous graphics (which first used in 2005), with WCVB for its news and talent opens (except the "8" logo is on the background), and mainly KOAT for its field reports. (During the talent opens, KSBW proclaims to be the "number one news choice on the Central Coast" primarily due to very high viewership and its retention with NBC ever since its inception.) Upon the switch, a new animated logo bug for KSBW is shown on the bottom-right hand corner, the second to do so after KCRA. The traffic maps also were upgraded along with new mapping technology. However, in addition to using the generic open for all of its newscasts (excluding the talent opens), the opening graphic utilizes a blue background (similar to KOAT) in contrast to the red background of what WCVB and KMBC uses. Although KSBW uses both HD studio cameras and HD field cameras for its newscasts, only the in-studio video footage is presented in HD, while the field video is downconverted to widescreen SD in the control room due to the field video editing equipment only being capable of SD. With this change, both KSBW and KCRA shares its resources in this format when covering each other's news. KSBW now becomes the smallest DMA market among all Hearst stations to broadcast local news in either widescreen or high definition, as well as becoming the seventh Hearst-owned station to broadcast local news in HD.

[edit] Promotions and slogans

Since 1957, KSBW's has long used "Action News 8" on all of its newscasts and promos. Although KSBW's current primary news-intensive slogan is "Coverage You Can Count On," there were variants of that slogan to promote its news, weather, sports, and other programming on Action News 8, including "Weather Coverage You Can Count On," "Sports Coverage You Can Count On," and "Traffic Coverage You Can Count On." As of 2010, those slogans can be seen during station identification. The two other variant slogans, "Community Coverage You Can Count On" and "Mobile Coverage You Can Count On", a promo during commercial breaks, are not seen during station identification. Hearst stations KOAT, WGAL, KMBC, and WCVB also uses this slogan, though the latter two uses it's own variant of that slogan, adding, "Live" and "Local" to their own slogan.

Success by 6, a children's reading program, has long been promoted since KSBW was owned by Hearst. The promotions include child safety, eating, early education, and important information from trusted people such as doctor's advice. Another promotion, "Central Coast Pros," is a promo that includes commercials and advices from various retailers and companies.

In February 2010, during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, KSBW introduced a new slogan, "It's how you know." This features people in an promo that wonders about the latest news, weather, and other ideas of interests that would lead to KSBW's website. Among the notable topics presented on the promo included breaking news, local news, local weather, sports, and its picture sharing site, "uLocal" which is being rolled out to all of Hearst's TV stations. A few weeks later, the slogan is seen at the beginning of each video segments on YouTube, along with Hearst stations KCRA and WMUR, but eventually was updated upon the launch of it's HD newscasts to fit 16:9 television screens. The news slogan is still retained during newscasts.

[edit] High School Playbook

On autumn Friday nights, a special sports segment called "High School Playbook Blitz" follows Central Coast high-school teams through their seasons. A preview of upcoming high school football games is announced by sports anchors during the 5 and 6pm newscasts, as well as any final scores from any game in the area. During their 11pm newscasts, and only after a weather update, sports anchors would go through the highlights and final scores between two teams. KSBW also covers other sports from high school, including basketball, and those are included in a separate segment of High School Playbook. KSBW previously had it's segments called "Operation Football" upon ownership by Hearst, then later called "Operation Football Blitz" in the early 2000s before the current title change somewhere around September 2008. (It is noted that KION and it's sister station KCBA uses a similar title, but the branding is currently called "Friday Night Blitz.")

[edit] On-air staff

[edit] Current Personalities

[edit] Anchors

• Stephanie Chuang - weekend mornings Action News 8 Sunrise"; also Saturday-Thursday reporter
• Erin Clark - weeknights at 6, 10 (on KSBW-DT2) and 11 p.m.; also "Health Watch" reporter
• Dan Green - weeknights at 5, 6, 10 (on KSBW-DT2) and 11 p.m.
• Dale Julin - weekday mornings Action News 8 Sunrise and noon; also noon producer
• Alisa Becerra - weekends at 6 and 11 p.m. and sports anchor; 11 p.m. producer; also weekday reporter

[edit] Weather Plus Team

• Jim Vanderzwaan (member, AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - chief meteorologist; weeknights at 5, 6, 10 (on KSBW-DT2), and 11 p.m.
• Phil Frame - meteorologist; fill-in
• Art Jarrett - meteorologist; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
• Carl Thormeyer - meteorologist; weekend mornings Action News 8 Sunrise
• Lee Solomon - meteorologist, weekday mornings Action News 8 Sunrise and noon

[edit] Sports Team

• Dennis Lehnen - sports director; weeknights at 6, 10 (on KSBW-DT2) and 11 p.m.
• Nick Winkler - sports anchor; weekends at 6 and 11 p.m.
• Mike Furutani - sports anchor; on-call
• Lee Sansbury - sports anchor; fill-in

[edit] Reporters

• Phil Gomez - general assignment reporter
• Felix Cortez - general assignment reporter
• May Chow - general assignment reporter
• Brittany Nielsen - general assignment reporter
• Michele Allen - traffic reporter
• Ravi Kapur - general assignment reporter, primarily seen weekends
• Gene Allen - "Movie Buzz" reporter
• Gordy Allen - "Movie Buzz" reporter
• Snick Farkas - "Movie Buzz" reporter
• Sally Kidd - Hearst Washington Bureau reporter
• Laurie Kinney - Hearst Washington Bureau reporter
• Nichole Killon - Hearst Washington Bureau reporter

Former staff

Some of KSBW's former news staff have gone on to wider recognition in larger markets; among them are sportscaster Joe Fonzi and anchor Leslie Griffith, who ultimately moved to Oakland's KTVU. Forecaster Lawrence Karnow and reporter Sharon Chin, 1990s-era staffers, now work at San Francisco's KPIX. David Gonzales, who fronted the newscasts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is now the mid-day anchor at CBS-owned KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. Margo Myers who also fronted the newscasts in the 1980s and early 1990s is now an anchor at KIRO-TV in Seattle. Perhaps KSBW's best-known personality is Dina Ruiz Eastwood, wife of star actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, a long-time Monterey Peninsula resident and a former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The two met and married while Ruiz was a KSBW anchor; she retired in 1997 but still occasionally appears on station newscasts.

• Jay Galle - meteorologist, now at WDSU
• Aaron Pickering - meteorologist
• Scott Mace - meteorologist, now at KGPE
• Melanie Garrett - Traffic reporter, now at KXKL-FM
• Kate Callaghan - currently host of Lifeline TV, airing on KSBW
• Shelley Harr - weekend anchor
• Mae Fesai - weekend anchor 2006-2009, now at sister station, KCRA/KQCA
• Kathy Pape - weekend anchor/reporter 2000-2008
• Matt Smith - weekend sports anchor 2000-2002, now sports director at KPTV/KPDX
• Janelle Marie - weather anchor 2000-2002
• Carlos Vergara - weekend anchor now at WCAV-TV
• Edgar Sandoval - weekend anchor 1997-1999
• Miguel Almaguer - reporter (May 1999-January 2003), later reported for sister station KCRA and WRC, now works in Los Angeles as a West Coast Correspondent for NBC News

[edit] Newscast titles

• Action News 8 (1957–present)

[edit] Station slogans

• Action 8 is Total News (late 1970s)
• KSBW TV-8, Proud as a Peacock! (1979–1981; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Channel 8, Our Pride Is Showing (1981–1982; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• We're Channel 8, Just Watch Us Now (1982–1983; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Channel 8 There, Be There! (1983–1984; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Channel 8, Let's All Be There! (1984–1986; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• Come Home to Channel 8 (1986–1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
• The Most Watched Station on the Central Coast (1987–1999)
• Coverage You Can Count On (1999–present; primary slogan)
• It's How You Know (2010–present; secondary slogan, website promo)

[2] This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.==[edit] References==

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ KSBW PrimePLUS+
3. ^ KSBW Launches KSBW PrimePLUS+
4. ^ Feedback @ Five
5. ^ Lifeline TV
6. ^ Complete Statement of Ortega Press Conference
7. ^ Chief Attacks Media
8. ^ 2010 KSBW-TV Coverage Map (pdf)

[edit] External links

• KSBW Official website
• KSBW's High School Playbook
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KSBW
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KSBW-TV