KPHO-TV

KPHO-TV
Market:	Phoenix, Arizona
Branding:	CBS 5 (general) CBS 5 News (newscasts)
Channels:	Analog: Digital: 17 (UHF) Virtual: 5 (PSIP)
Subchannels:	See below
Translators:
Affiliations:	CBS (1949-1955 and 1995-present)
Owner:	Meredith Corporation ()
Founded:	1949
First air date:	December 4, 1949
Last air date:
Call letters’ meaning:'	PHOenix
Sister station(s):
Former callsigns:
Former channel number(s):	5 (Analog VHF, 1949-2009)
Former affiliations:	Independent (1955-1995) NBC (secondary, 1949-1953) ABC (secondary, 1949-1953) DuMont (secondary, 1949-1955) NTA Film Network (secondary, 1956-1961)
Transmitter Power:	1000 kW (digital)
Height:	507 m (1,663 ft)
Facility ID:	41223
Website:	www.kpho.com

KPHO-TV is the CBS affiliate television station in Phoenix, Arizona. Its transmitter is located on South Mountain in Phoenix. It broadcasts locally over-the-air in digital on UHF channel 17, identifying as channel 5 via PSIP. KPHO extends its signal throughout Northern Arizona by way of more than a dozen translators. It is owned by the Meredith Corporation.

History

KPHO is Arizona's oldest television station, signing on December 4, 1949, originally with the call sign of KTLX. It is not known when the station changed its call sign to the current KPHO. As the only television station in Phoenix during the first three-and-a-half years of operation, it carried programming from all four networks of the time: CBS (primary affiliation), NBC, ABC and the now-defunct DuMont.

NBC disappeared from KPHO's schedule when KTYL-TV (channel 12, now KPNX) signed on April 23, 1953, followed by ABC when KOOL-TV (channel 10, now KSAZ-TV) signed on a few months later, on October 24. KPHO remained a dual CBS-DuMont affiliate until February 28, 1955, when CBS moved its affiliation to KOOL-TV after KTVK (channel 3) signed on and took the ABC affiliation from KOOL. KPHO became an independent station when DuMont ceased network operations in 1956. During the late 1950s, the station was briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.

The station was originally owned by a group of entrepreneurs -- one of whom, John Mullins, would later launch KBTV (now KUSA-TV) in Denver, Colorado. The Meredith Corporation purchased the station in 1952.

As an independent station, channel 5 programmed a schedule of movies, off-network series, and a nightly newscast at 9:00 p.m.. It also produced The Wallace and Ladmo Show, a children's show which aired weekday mornings from 1954 until 1989 (when it was decided by the stars of the show that it would end). During the 1970s, KPHO became a regional superstation available on cable in much of Arizona and New Mexico, as well as parts of California, Utah and Nevada.

KPHO logo, used from 1997 to 2002.

KPHO was the sole independent English-language television station in Phoenix until 1979, when KNXV-TV (channel 15) signed on with general entertainment during the day and subscription TV at night. (KNXV became a full-time general entertainment station by 1983.) Even though KPHO was the leading independent station in the market, the new Fox opted to affiliate with KNXV in 1986 after the E. W. Scripps Company purchased the station, promising to upgrade its syndicated programming and to launch a newscast. Although it never did begin a newscast, landing the Fox affiliation made KNXV a very strong competitor against KPHO.

KPHO logo, used from 2002 to 2008.

The CBS affiliation returned to KPHO in 1994, when a massive shift in network affiliations occurred in the market in the wake of KSAZ taking the Fox affiliation. Initially, KPHO continued to run a number of sitcoms during local time, but the station gradually added more newscasts and talk/reality shows, with the sitcoms being phased out and moved to KTVK, KUTP, and KASW.

On February 24, 2009 it was announced that KTVK, KPHO-TV and KPNX will share a helicopter starting March 1, 2009.

On March 14, 2009, KPHO became the fourth station in Phoenix to switch to high definition.

On April 1, 2009, Fox Television Stations and E. W. Scripps Company announced the creation of the Local News Service model in the Phoenix, Detroit and Tampa Markets. The service pools news gathering efforts for general market news events. Each station provides employees to the pool service in exchange for the sharing of video. KPHO-TV signed on to the Phoenix LNS model shortly after the announcement.

Programming

KPHO is a typical CBS affiliate, clearing the entire network schedule and airing five hours of local news daily, complemented by syndicated fare and paid programming. KPHO airs one hour of local news at 5 PM, so the CBS Evening News is shown at 6 PM instead of 5:30 PM, when most CBS stations in the Mountain Time Zone air the network news. Better Arizona, a national daily lifestyle program, features locally-produced inserts.

Digital television

KPHO's HDTV logo prior to 2008

Digital channels

Channel	Format	Programming
5.1	1080i	KPHO-DT
5.2	480i	Weather Now

Prior to 2009, a 5.3 subchannel was added for NCAA tournament coverage, with analog channel 5 breaking from 5.1 in order to create coverage of all four games.

KPHO switched its analog broadcasts to a digital nightlight service at 11:59PM on 12 June, 2009, just minutes before the end of the day mandated by the Federal government for TV stations to cease analog transmissions across the country. KPHO continues digital broadcasts on its pre-transition channel number, 17. However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display KPHO-TV's virtual channel as 5.

KPHO's analog channels will, for 30 days after the switch to digital, serve as a "nightlight" station to remind TV viewers of the switch to digital.

Notable personalities

Current Anchors

• Catherine Anaya, 5, 5:30, 6:30 & 10 PM Anchor/Reporter
• Chris Coraggio, Morning & Midday Anchor
• Nicole Crites, Morning & Midday Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
• Kent Dana, 5 PM Anchor/Reporter
• Greg Gurule, Weekend Anchor/Reporter
• Sean McLaughlin, 6:30 & 10PM Anchor

Current Reporters

• Jason Barry, General Assignment Reporter; Substitute Anchor
• Sarah Buduson, General Assignment Reporter; Substitute Anchor
• Peter Busch, General Assignment Reporter
• Jeff Butera, General Assignment Reporter
• Steve Filmer, General Assignment Reporter
• Lisa Leigh Kelly, General Assignment Reporter
• Tammy Leitner, 5 Investigates Reporter
• Morgan Loew, 5 Investigates Reporter
• Donna Rossi, General Assignment Reporter; Substitute Anchor
• Marcy Valenzuela, General Assignment Reporter; Morning Co-Anchor/Time Saver Traffic

Helicopter Pilots/Reporters

(As part of a Local News Service the helicopter is shared with KTVK and KPNX and operated by Helicopters Inc.)

• Scott Clifton
• Jimmy Castanza
• Tammy Rose

Sports

• Eric Sperling, Weekend Sports Anchor
• Chris Coraggio, Morning News Anchor/Sports Reporter

CBS 5 Valley Pinpoint Weather

• Steve Garry, Meteorologist (AMS Certified)
• Paul Horton, Morning & Midday Meteorologist and General Assignment Reporter
• Chris Dunn, Chief Meteorologist
• Randy Kollins, Substitute Meteorologist

Past news personalities

Name:	Position at KPHO:	Years Active:	Whereabouts:
Mike Chamberlin	Morning Anchor and Weekend Sports Reporter	2005 - 2008	Retired to become pursue a career in Christian music.
Ken Coy	News anchor	1970s to ?	Unknown
Gary "Cruzer" Cruz	Weeknight Sports Anchor	2000-2009	Unknown
Roger Downey	Morning, Noon, 9pm Anchor	1977 to July 5, 2002	PIO, Arizona Medical Board
Julie Durda	Morning Traffic & Weather	2006 to 2007	Weather reporter at WSVN
Linda Turley	Morning, Noon, 9pm Anchor	?? to late 1990s	Syndicated columnist in Ahwatukee Foothills News
Jeff Kelly	Morning/Noon Meteorologist	mid 1990s to 2006; Previously at rival KPNX	KPAX-TV Missoula, MT Chief Meteorologist
Jay Alan	Primetime Anchor and Reporter	1995-2000	news/talk radio host at Newstalk 1530 KFBK Sacramento
Elise Finch	Meteorologist	2001 to 2004	Now at WCBS-TV.
Jack Gates	Reporter	1974-1980	Currently at Channel 4 San Diego.
Mike Harvey	Chief Meteorologist	2002-2006	Now at WTKR-TV.
Bob Jeswald	Meteorologist	2004-2006	Chief Meteorologist at WRBL-TV.
Ron Meritt	Meteorologist	1998 - 2002	Unknown
Steve Teeling	Chief Meteorologist	? - 2001	Back East?
Christien Kafton	Anchor, Reporter	2000-2003	Now at KNTV.
Ted Koppy	Morning/Noon News Anchor with Christina Wofford	mid 1990s to 2002	6PM and 11PM news anchor at WTNH-TV.
Mark Lodato	General Assignment Reporter	1995 to 2006	Professor of Practice at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since Fall 2006.
Gina Maravilla	Morning news anchor with John Overall	1996 to 2006	now in California as a freelancer at KGTV
John Overall	Morning news anchor	2002 to 2006	Weekend Anchor at KVOA-TV in Tucson
Fred Powers	Anchor	Unknown	Deceased
Diana Sullivan	Midday Anchor and 5:30 p.m. Anchor	2000 to 2008	Unknown
June Thomson	Primetime news anchor	1994 to 2000	Unknown
Stu Tracey	Lead weatherman	1970s to 2000	Unknown
Rich Robertson	5 Investigates Reporter	1995 to 1998	R3 Investigations, Mesa, AZ.
CJ Ward	5 Investigates Reporter	1995 to 1998	Anchor, KEYT, Santa Barbara, CA.
Ted Simons	Weekend Sports	1980 to ??	Host of Horizon public affairs program on KAET
Jon Brictson	Sports Director/Anchor	1980s	News anchor for Glendale public access
Omadelle Nelson	General Assignment Reporter	2006 to 2009	Unknown

Template:Inc-video

News/Station Presentation

Newscast titles

• Today's News (1950s)
• News in Focus (1950s)
• 3-Star News Report (1950s)
• Eyewitness News (1970s)
• Channel 5 News (1980s)
• News 5 (1980s-1990s)
• Arizona 5 News (1990s-1996)
• CBS 5 News (1996-2000 and February 2004-present)
• TV-5 News (2000-July 2002)
• News 5 (July 2002-February 2004)

Station slogans

• 5'll Getcha (late 1970s)
• 5 is the Place (early 1980s)
• First in Arizona (mid 1980s)
• Local, Live, Latebreaking (c. mid-late 1990s)
• Welcome Home, Arizona (mid 1990s; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Be in the Know with KPHO (late 1990s)
• Your Valley News Station (2002-2003)
• Live, Latebreaking, Investigative (2004-present)

Digital subchannels

On December 20, 2006, KPHO began broadcasting CBS 5 Weather Now on digital subchannel 5.2. CBS 5 Weather Now is located on Cox Communications digital channel 85, Qwest Choice TV channel 64, and CableOne.

Rebroadcasters

KPHO is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:

• K29EC Blythe, California
• K11OB Bouse (broadcasts on channel 6)
• K11LX Bullhead City
• K55IY Camp Verde
• K30GG Chloride
• K40AD Cottonwood
• K43GU Dolan Springs
• K53DL Duncan/Clifton/Morenci
• K50HU Flagstaff
• K59CI Globe/Miami
• K41FT Kingman
• K43GJ Lake Havasu City
• K47HE Meadview
• K09KV Prescott
• K21FU Topock/Bullhead City

External links

• KPHO
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KPHO-TV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KPHO-TV
• Program Information for KPHO at TitanTV.com
• The Official Wallace and Ladmo Website (History, Photos, Desktops)

Broadcast television in Phoenix

Metro Phoenix: KTVK (3.1 Ind, 3.2 This TV) • KPHO (5.1 CBS, 5.2 WX) • KAZT-CA (7.1 Ind, 7.2 RTV) • KAET (8.1 PBS, 8.2 Create, 8.3 World, 8.4 KBAQ radio) • KSAZ (10.1 Fox) • KPNX (12.1 NBC, 12.2 AW) • KNXV (15.1 ABC, 15.2 GoAz.tv) • KPAZ (21.1 TBN, 21.2 Church, 21.3 JCTV, 21.4 Enlace, 21.5 Smile) • KTVP-LP 22 (Almavision) • K25DM 25 (silent) • KCOS-LP 28 (silent) • KFPB-LP 30 (silent) • KTVW (33.1 UNI, 33.2 KFPH-CA) • KFPH-CA 35 (TFU) • KTAZ (39.1 Telemundo) • KPDF-CA 41 (AZA) • KVPA-LP 42 (Estrella TV) • KEJR-LP 43 (40.1 MTV3, 40.2 Infomercials) • KPHE-LP 44 (44.1 Multimedios / Telemax, 44.2 Esperanza / 3ABN Latino, 44.3 3ABN / Hope / LLBN, 44.4 Infomercials) • KUTP (45.1 MNTV) • KDPH-LP 48 (DS) • KPPX (51.1 ION, 51.2 Qubo, 51.3 ION Life, 51.4 Worship) • K38IZ-D 53 (38.1 Ind, 38.2 IZ classics, 38.3 IZ videos, 38.4 IZ hope) • K57HX 57 (HSN) • KDTP-LP 58 (JTV) • KASW (61.1 CW) Outlying areas: Bullhead City: K25HD 25 (COR) • K51IO 51 (TBN) Camp Verde: K18DD 18 / K23FZ 23 (3ABN/ShopNBC) • K19FD 19 (Hope) • K21GE 21 / K59BP 46 (3ABN) Casa Grande: KCAB-LP 28 (A1) Duncan: K17CM 17 (TBN) Flagstaff: KNAZ (2.1 NBC) • KTVW-CA 6 (UNI) • KCFG (9.1 A1) • KFPH (13.1 TFU) Holbrook: KNJO-LP 6 (A1) • KDTP (11.1 DS) Kingman: KMOH (6.1 MTV3) • KKAX-LP 36 (A1) Lake Havasu City: KBBA-LP 10 (silent) • K25AL 25 (TBN) • K27EC 27 (COR) • K36DU 36 (Worship) • KLHU-CA 45 (Ind) Prescott: KAZT (7.1 Ind, 7.2 RTV) Shonto: K38CX 38 (TBN) Snowflake: KWSJ-LP 12 (A1) Show Low: KWKM-LP 10 (A1) Cable-only stations: Arizona NewsChannel • FS Arizona Defunct stations: Flagstaff: KTFL 4 (FN) Winslow: KVSW-LP 38 (A1)