KIMA-TV

KIMA-TV (channel 29) is a television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power, Class A Univision affiliate KUNW-CD (channel 2). Both stations share studios on Terrace Heights Boulevard (east of I-82) in Yakima, while KIMA-TV's transmitter is located on Ahtanum Ridge.

KIMA-TV
Channels
Branding
  • KIMA (general)
  • KIMA Action News (newscasts)
  • CW 9 Yakima–Tri-Cities (on DT2)
Programming
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KEPR-TV, KLEW-TV, KUNW-CD
History
First air date
July 19, 1953 (1953-07-19)
Former channel number(s)
Analog: 29 (UHF, 1953–2009)
  • All secondary:
  • DuMont (1953–1955)
  • NBC (1953–1965)
  • ABC (1953–1959, 1965–1970)
Call sign meaning
Yakima
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID56033
ERP100 kW
HAAT292 m (958 ft)
Transmitter coordinates46°31′57″N 120°30′37″W
Links
Public license information
Websitekimatv.com

KIMA operates two semi-satellites–KEPR-TV (channel 19) in Pasco (serving the Tri-Cities) and KLEW-TV (channel 3) in Lewiston, Idaho. They simulcast all network and syndicated programming as provided through KIMA, but air separate commercial inserts, legal identifications and early evening newscasts, and have their own websites. Master control and some internal operations for the four stations are based at KOMO Plaza (formerly Fisher Plaza) in Seattle.

On satellite, Dish Network and DirecTV carry both KIMA-TV and KEPR-TV.

History

KIMA signed on July 19, 1953, as the 200th television station in the United States and the first in central Washington. The station was originally owned by Cascade Broadcasting Company along with KIMA radio (AM 1460, now KUTI). It carried programming from all four networks–CBS, NBC, ABC and DuMont–but has always been a primary CBS affiliate.

It lost DuMont when that network shut down in 1955, then lost ABC when KNDO signed on in 1959 as a primary ABC affiliate. When KNDO switched affiliations to NBC in 1965, the two stations shared ABC until 1970, when KAPP signed on and took over ABC, leaving KIMA to become a full-time CBS affiliate.

Just before KIMA signed on, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) collapsed all of central Washington–including the Tri-Cities–into one giant television market. It soon became apparent that channel 29 was not nearly strong enough to cover this vast and mountainous area by itself. With this in mind, in 1954 Cascade signed on KEPR-TV as the first satellite station in the United States. It was originally intended to be a full repeater of KIMA-TV, but due to popular demand it became more of a local station.

At one point, KIMA also had a satellite station in Ephrata, Washington. KBAS-TV signed on the air February 15, 1957, on channel 43; it moved to channel 16 in 1958. KBAS was owned by Basin TV Company, a subsidiary of Cascade Broadcasting, and this was reflected in its call letters. KBAS shut down on November 30, 1961.

Filmways agreed to purchase Cascade Broadcasting for $3 million in 1968;[2] the sale was approved the following year.[3] Cascade's previous owners retained the company's radio stations, which by this point also included the construction permit for KIMA-FM (107.3 FM, now KFFM), under the name Yakima Valley Communications.[2][3] Filmways sold KIMA-TV, KEPR-TV, and KLEW-TV to NWG Broadcasting for $1 million in 1972.[4] Retlaw Enterprises acquired the NWG stations for $17 million in 1986;[5] the stations were operated as part of the Retlaw Broadcasting division.[6] Fisher Communications purchased the Retlaw owned stations in 1999.[7]

On March 29, 2009, KIMA launched a digital subchannel affiliated with The CW to fill the void left by KCWK (channel 9) going dark at the end of May 2008 due to the Pappas Telecasting bankruptcy.[8] The new channel took KCWK's former Channel 9 position on local cable systems and carries the CW Plus schedule.

On April 11, 2013, Fisher announced that it would sell its properties, including KIMA-TV, to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.[9] The deal was completed on August 8, 2013.[10]

News operation

KIMA offers the only local Yakima-focused newscast with a fully operational newsroom in Yakima weekdays on KIMA Action News at 5 and 6 p.m. KIMA's morning, 10 p.m. (on CW), 11 p.m. and weekend newscasts are shared with KEPR. There are no noon newscasts unlike most CBS affiliates. Branded as KIMA/KEPR Action News, they cover both the Yakima Valley and the Columbia Basin. Weather segments for KIMA's evening newscasts are pre-taped at KEPR.

Notable current on-air staff

Technical information

Subchannels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KIMA-TV[11]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
29.1 1080i16:9KIMA-HDMain KIMA-TV programming / CBS
29.2 720pKIMA-CWCW 9
29.3 480iStadiumTBD

Translator

See also

References
  1. "Facility Technical Data for KIMA-TV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "Filmways gets Cascade TV's for $3 million" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 30, 1968. p. 57. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  3. "Filmways spreads wings in TV" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 28, 1969. p. 32. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  4. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 3, 1972. pp. 22–3. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  5. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 27, 1986. p. 116. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  6. Peltz, James F. (October 2, 1990). "The Wonderful World of Disney's Other Firm : Entertainment: Walt Disney created a separate company for his family. Retlaw Enterprises Inc. is now worth hundreds of millions". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  7. "8-K For 7/1/99". Fisher Communications Inc. filings. secinfo.com. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  8. "Fisher Stations Sign Digital CW Pacts". Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  9. Malone, Michael (April 11, 2013). "Sinclair to Acquire Fisher Stations for $373 Million". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  10. "Sinclair Broadcast Group Closes On Fisher Communications Acquisition". All Access. August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  11. "RabbitEars TV Query for KIMA". RabbitEars.info.
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