KHQ-TV is the NBC affiliate for Spokane, Washington. It originally broadcast its digital signal on channel 15, then moved to 7 on the date of the digital transition. It has moved back to channel 15 due to adjacent channel interference with KSPS (now on channel 8). The station is owned by The KHQ Television Group, a subsidiary of Cowles Publishing Company, which owns The Spokesman-Review newspaper. KHQ is one of five local Spokane TV stations seen in Canada on the Shaw Direct satellite provider and on Shaw Cable in Calgary,Edmonton, and other markets.
Spokane, Washington | |
---|---|
Branding | KHQ |
Slogan | Right Now |
Channels | Digital: 15 (UHF) |
Subchannels | 6.1 NBC
6.2 SWX |
Translators | (see article) |
Owner | Cowles Publishing Company |
First air date | December 20, 1952[1] |
Former channel number(s) | Analog:
6 (VHF, 1952-2009) |
Former affiliations | Secondary:
ABC (1952-1954) |
Transmitter power | 1000 kW |
Height | 653 m |
Facility ID | 34537 |
Transmitter coordinates | 47°34′53.1″N117°17′49.7″W |
Website | www.khq.com |
The DT2 subcarrier for KHQ is a 24-hour sports and weather channel called SWX Right Now.
History[]
Launching television station (1952-2001)[]
While KHQ and KXLY were both granted authorization by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to build television stations on July 12, 1952[2], KHQ was first to sign on the air, going live on Saturday, December 20, 1952[citation needed] at 6 pm with the film Texas Trouble Shooters. The first NBC program KHQ broadcast was an episode of Your Hit Parade, which aired that evening at 7:30.[3] In addition to being the oldest television station east of the Cascades, KHQ is also the second-oldest station in Washington state. It was co-owned by Cowles Publishing along with KHQ radio (AM 590, now KQNT; and FM 98.1, now KISC). The radio stations were both sold off in 1985.
It was originally a dual NBC/ABC affiliate. KREM-TV took the ABC affiliation when it signed on air in 1954, but KHQ kept the NBC affiliation, which it retains to this day. It is the only major station in Spokane, and one of a few in the country, that has retained the same primary affiliation, owner and call letters throughout its history.
Traditionally, KHQ has been known as "Q6," but the station seems to have been shying away from that branding in recent years. KHQ still uses the "Q6" logo, but it's now exclusively verbally referred to on-air by its call letters.
New digital studio (2001-2006)[]
After being in its original studio for over forty years, KHQ moved its headquarters to 1201 W. Sprague Avenue in downtown Spokane in 2001, where it still is today. The reason for the move was to create an all-digital facility, so modern media technology could work well with the news station. In the process, KHQ became the first all-digital facility in Spokane.[4]
HD race (2006-2008)[]
In 2006, with the popularity of high-definition newscasts increasing around the country, the race to HD began in the Spokane television market when competitor KXLY became the first Spokane station to produce a local segment of the news in HD. Each week, one news story was presented in high-definition. Until 2008, KXLY was the only news station in Spokane to produce a segment of the news in HD.
On May 16, 2008, KHQ produced a live, on-the-air report in HD. It was officially announced on this date that KHQ was slated to become the first station in Spokane to broadcast its entire newscasts in HD, debuting on August 8, 2008 to coincide with the 2008 Summer Olympic Games on NBC.[5] However, after months of marketing this milestone, KXLY shocked KHQ and the Spokane television market when it made a surprise announcement on August 1, just two days before the start of its broadcasts, that it would beat KHQ in becoming the first station in Spokane to produce HD newscasts. KXLY's HD newscasts started August 3, just a mere 5 days before KHQ's scheduled date. A 16:9 (widescreen) standard definition broadcast will continue until new equipment which will support a high definition signal can be purchased.
Launching and running SWX (2008-present)[]
Main article: SWX Right Now
KHQ and Northern Quest Resort and Casino started a partnership, and created SWX, a 24-hour sports and weather channel. SWX launched in January 2009, and officially launched on August 30, 2009.[6] The channel features live events including local high school sports, among other programming. Normal programming on SWX includes four minute weather briefs from "The Weather Authority" and sports updates called "SWX Sports Updates."
Local Programming[]
KHQ currently offer local TV programming, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Judge Joe Brown, The Doctors, Judge Judy, Jeopardy!, and Wheel of Fortune.
KHQ Newscasts[]
Monday-Friday
- KHQ Local News Today (4:30-7:00 am)
- KHQ Local News @ 5 (5:00-5:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News @ 6 (6:00-6:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News 11@11 (11:00-11:35 pm)
Saturday
- KHQ Local News Saturday (7:00-10:00 am)
- KHQ Local News @ 5 (5:00-5:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News @ 6 (6:00-6:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News 11@11 (11:00-11:35 pm)
Sunday
- KHQ Local News Sunday (7:00-7:30 am)
- Invest Northwest (7:30-8:00 am)
- KHQ Local News @ 5 (5:00-5:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News @ 6 (6:00-6:30 pm)
- KHQ Local News 11@11 (11:00-11:35 pm)
Personalities[]
KHQ Local News Team[]
KHQ Local News Anchors
- Dan Kleckner - KHQ Local News @ 5pm and 6pm (Mon-Fri); KHQ.com Quickcast Anchor
- Stephanie Vigil - KHQ Local News @ 5pm, 6pm and 11@11 (Mon-Fri)
- Shelly Monahan - KHQ Local News Today (Mon-Fri); KHQ.com Quickcast Anchor
- Dave Cotton - KHQ Local News Today (Mon-Fri); KHQ.com Quickcast Anchor
- Tom Durian - KHQ Local News Saturday & Sunday; KHQ Local News @ 5pm, 6pm and 11@11 (Sat-Sun)
- Sean Owsley - KHQ Local News Today (Mon-Fri); Invest Northwest
- Jennifer Rohrer - KHQ Local News Saturday; Fill-In Anchor
KHQ Local News Reporters
- Kaitlyn Bolduc - General Assignment Reporter
- Tom Durian - General Assignment Reporter
- Anthony Gomes - General Assignment Reporter
- Shelly Fontine - General Assignment Reporter
- Mike Perry - General Assignment Reporter (North Idaho)
- Gaby Fleischman - General Assignment Reporter
- Jennifer Rohrer - General Assignment Reporter
KHQ Local News/The Weather Authority & SWX Forecasters
- Bill Kelly - KHQ Chief Meteorologist (Mon-Fri)
- Dave Law - KHQ Fill-In Meteorologist
- Leslie Lowe - KHQ Forecaster (Sat-Sun); SWX Forecaster
- George Maupin - KHQ Morning Forecaster (Mon-Fri); SWX Forecaster
KHQ Local Sports/SWX Anchors
- Sam Adams - Senior Sports Anchor (Mon-Fri); SWX Play-by-Play Announcer
- Matt Rogers - Sports Anchor (Fill-in); SWX Play-by-Play Announcer
- John Fritz - Part Time/Fill-in Anchor; Feature Reporter; SWX Play-by-Play Announcer
- Michelle Dapper- Sports Anchor (Sat-Sun)
Notable Staff[]
- Ira Joe Fisher: 1970-1980. Currently substitute meteorologist and announcer for The Early Show on CBS.
- Dana Haynes:1996-2010. Currently communications director for the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau.
- Julie Lovell: worked here until 1996 before moving to KTVQ-TV in Billings as an anchor/reporter in Billings, MT.
News/station presentation[]
Newscast titles[]
- Front Page (1952–1956)
- Your Esso Reporter (1956–1962)
- The Six O'Clock Report/The Eleven O'Clock Report (1962–1965)
- Channel 6 News (1965–1974; 5 and 6 pm newscasts)
- 24 Hours (1965–1974; 10 pm newscast)
- Q-6 Eyewitness News (1974–1978)
- Q-6 News Alive (1978–1981)
- Q-6 Nightly News (1981–1987; evening newscast)
- Q-6 News (1987–2002)
- Q-6 Local News (2002–2007)
- KHQ Local News (2007–present)
Weather Titles[]
- Fast Alert Weather (2002)
- Weather Plus (2004–2008)
- Weather Right Now (2009–2010)
- The Weather Authority (2010–present)
Station slogans[]
- The Northwest's Rising Star (1970-1974)
- Q-6 Eyewitness News: The Northwest's Most Complete and Comprehensive Coverage of News, Weather and Sports (1974-1978)
- The Northwest's Number One News Team (late 1970s-early 1980s)
- Always One Step Ahead (1980s)
- Come Home to Q6 TV (1986-1987; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- Come on Home to KHQ (1987-1988; localized version of NBC ad campaign)
- The Clear Choice (1987–?)
- Q-6 First (?–early 1990s)
- Your Northwest NewsChannel (early 1990s–?)
- Got Everybody Watching Q6 TV (1992-1993; localized version of NBC's "It's a Whole New NBC" ad campaign)
- Your Local News Station (late 1990s–2002)
- Your Local News Leader (2002–2006)
- Right Now (2006–present)
Digital television[]
Digital channels[]
Channel | Programming |
---|---|
6-1 | KHQ Programming |
6-2 | SWX Right Now |
6-3 | formerly Universal Sports-currently off the air |
SWX Right Now channels[]
City | Over-the-Air | Cable |
---|---|---|
Spokane | 6-2 | Comcast 115 |
Coeur d'Alene | 6-2 | Time Warner 306 |
Kennewick-Pasco-Richland | 25-3 | Charter 287 |
Yakima | 23-3 | Charter 287 |
Pullman-Moscow | -- | Time Warner 306 |
Lewiston (ID) | -- | Cable One 466 |
Sandpoint (ID) | 6-2 | -- |
Post-analog shutdown[]
KHQ-TV shut down its analog signal on February 17, 2009 [7], moving its digital broadcasts to channel 7 (where it was once KSPS-TV). It has since moved back to channel 15 due to adjacent channel interference.[8] Through the use of PSIP, KHQ-TV's main NBC signal is displayed as virtual channel 6.
Translators[]
KHQ is rebroadcast on the following translator stations:
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Gallery[]
External links[]
- KHQ Official Website
- SWX (KHQ DT 6-2) Official Website
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KHQ-TV
- BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KHQ-TV
References[]
- ^ KHQ TV channel 6 in Spokane, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting December 20 in History
- ^ Spokane Daily Chronicle - July 12, 1952 - Page 2: KHQ and KXLY Authorized to Build Television Stations
- ^ Spokane Daily Chronicle - "1st Commercial TV Show for Area to Be Tonight" - December 20, 1952
- ^ KHQ Milestone: Armed Forces Torchlight Parade broadcast in HD
- ^ KHQ Milestone: Armed Forces Torchlight Parade broadcast in HD
- ^ Stealth powerbroker - - Sept. 13, 2009
- ^ http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf
- ^ CDBS Print