KMOV

KMOV

St. Louis, Missouri
Branding	KMOV 4 (general) News 4 (newscast) MyTV St. Louis (DT3)
Slogan	Watching Out for You
Channels	Digital: 24 (UHF) Virtual: 4 (PSIP)
Subchannels	4.1 - CBS 4.2 - Cozi TV 4.3 - MyNetworkTV 4.4 - Laff 4.5 - Circle
Affiliations	CBS (1954–present) Cozi TV (DT2) MyNetworkTV (DT3) Laff (DT4) Circle (DT5)
Owner	Gray Television (Gray Television Licensee, LLC)
First air date	July 8, 1954
Call letters' meaning	none; disambiguation of former KMOX-TV callsign
Former callsigns	KWK-TV (1954-1958) KMOX-TV (1958-1986)
Former channel number(s)	Analog: 4 (VHF, 1954-2009) Digital: 56 (UHF, ?-2009)
Former affiliations	Secondary: ABC (1954-1955)
Transmitter power	1000 kW
Height	341 m
Facility ID	70034
Transmitter coordinates	38°31′47″N 90°17′58″W / 38.52972°N 90.29944°W / 38.52972; -90.29944
Website	www.kmov.com

KMOV-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 24, which remaps to its former analog channel assignment of 4 via PSIP. The station is owned by Sander Media, LLC. with studio and office facilities in St. Louis and transmitter located in Lemay, Missouri.

History

The station began broadcasting on July 8, 1954 as KWK-TV, owned by the Convey family along with KWK radio (1380 AM, now KSLG). It took the CBS affiliation from WTVI (channel 54, now KTVI on channel 2). Until 1955, it also aired whatever ABC programs that WTVI turned down.

However, CBS wanted its own television station in St. Louis to run alongside its powerhouse radio station, KMOX (1120 AM). It originally won a construction permit for channel 11—the last remaining commercial VHF license in St. Louis—in 1955. However, CBS decided two years later instead to buy KWK-TV, and transferred the channel 11 license to St. Louis hotelier Harold Koplar for no financial consideration. Almost immediately, the deal was held up after the St. Louis Amusement Company, one of the applicants for channel 11, protested to the United States Court of Appeals in January 1958. The appeal was dropped in November 1958. CBS officially took control of channel 4 later that month, and changed its calls to KMOX-TV after its radio sister. The following April, channel 11 signed on as independent station (and now CW affiliate) KPLR-TV.

By 1986 CBS was experiencing rough financial straits, an after-effect of successfully fending off a hostile takeover attempt by Ted Turner the previous year. CBS spent the latter portion of 1985 repurchasing a large portion of its stock to help block the Turner takeover. Once Turner sold his stock, CBS was saddled with significant debt and needed to raise cash. Not long after Laurence Tisch became the company's chairman CBS made the decision to sell KMOX-TV, at the time its smallest owned-and-operated television station. On May 16, 1986, former CBS subsidiary and future parent company Viacom purchased the station and renamed it KMOV.

As part of a sale of Viacom's non-UPN affiliated stations (brought about after they purchased Paramount Pictures in 1994), Belo acquired KMOV in a three-way deal also involving two television stations in the Seattle-Tacoma market. As part of the transaction, Belo sold KIRO-TV to Cox Enterprises, who subsequently sold its existing Seattle-Tacoma station, KSTW, to Viacom. The deal was consummated on June 1, 1997.

As a CBS-owned station, channel 4 cleared the entire network schedule. When Viacom took over in 1986, this changed rather drastically. KMOV began signing off the air at night, thus pre-empting the overnight news program CBS News Nightwatch. A barrage of scattered primetime pre-emptions later followed that was so rampant, the station earned a mention in Ken Auletta's 1991 book, Three Blind Mice. KMOV randomly replaced CBS prime-time shows with programming such as Billy Graham Crusades and National Geographic specials, syndicated movie packages, and occasional sporting events. According to Auletta, KMOV preempted 103 hours of CBS prime-time programming in 1987, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the network prime-time schedule. In the 1990s, the prime-time pre-emptions eased, and currently, the station only occasionally pre-empts a CBS prime-time program. The station also resumed a 24-hour broadcast schedule in the early-1990s.

In February 2002, KMOV and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch launched the weekly news discussion program Extra Edition hosted by weekday morning news anchor Marc Cox. In 2003 KMOV began producing and airing At the Zoo, a program that gives behind-the-scenes look at the St. Louis Zoo, but is on encore editions currently in 2009, was hosted by meteorologist Kent Ehrhardt.

In September 2008, KMOV premiered Great Day St. Louis, a one-hour daytime show, mostly focusing on entertainment and lifestyle topics in the St. Louis area. The show is hosted by Carol Daniel. Stephanie Simmons was the co-host, until Matt Chambers replaced her in March 2009.

On June 13, 2013, the Gannett Company, owner of NBC affiliate KSDK (channel 5), acquired Belo. As the deal would violate FCC regulations that disallow common ownership of two of the four highest-rated stations in a single market (KMOV and KSDK have ranked as the top two stations in the St. Louis market in total-day ratings for several years), Gannett would retain KSDK, while it would spin off KMOV to Sander Media, LLC (owned by former Belo executive Jack Sander). Gannett intended to provide services to the station through a shared services agreement, KMOV's operations were to remain largely separate from KSDK, including separate and competing news and sales departments. However, on December 16, 2013, the United States Department of Justice threatened to block the merger unless Gannett, Belo and Sander completely divested KMOV to a government-approved third-party company that would be barred from entering into any agreements with Gannett. Justice claimed that Gannett and Sander would be so closely aligned that Gannett would have dominated spot advertising in St. Louis. On December 23, 2013, shortly after the Gannett/Belo deal was approved and completed, Meredith Corporation, which owns fellow CBS affiliate KCTV on the other side of Missouri in Kansas City, announced that it would purchase KMOV, along with KTVK and KASW in Phoenix for $407.5 million.

Digital programming

Channel	Name	Programming
4.1	KMOV-DT1	Main KMOV-TV Programming / CBS (HD)
4.2	KMOV-DT2	Cozi TV
4.3	KMOV-DT3	MyNetworkTV
4.4	KMOV-DT4	Laff
4.5	KMOV-DT5	Circle

Analog-to-digital conversion

KMOV shut down its analog signal for the 2009 DTV transition with digital broadcasts remaining on channel 24. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will continue to display KMOV's virtual channel as 4.1.

News operation

KMOV presently broadcasts 32 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with five hours each weekday, and 3½ hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). In addition, the station produces the half-hour sports wrap-up program Sports Sunday, which airs on Sundays after the 10:00 p.m. newscast. Many members of KMOV's on-air news staff have moved on to work for national news organizations (Richelle Carey and meteorologist Reynolds Wolf, for example, both joined CNN in 2006). While it would seem like a positive aspect, the "revolving door" turnover rate of its anchors and reporters has been one of KMOV's weaknesses over the years (especially under CBS ownership, where it had the same "farm team" talent development role WKYC in Cleveland played for NBC), leading to the unfamiliarity that many of the station's on-air personalities have in the market. Though this may have initially caused some issues for KMOV, ratings for channel 4's newscasts have since increased. Since the departure of Karen Foss from KSDK in December 2006, Larry Conners assumed the title of the longest-serving 10:00 p.m. news anchor in the market until he was fired by the station in 2013 due to IRS comments on Facebook. Connors filed a discrimination lawsuit against KMOV.

In 1976, channel 4 became the second station to adopt Dick Marx's "WBBM Channel 2 News Theme", that eventually became the de facto official newscast music for CBS' owned-and-operated stations. The theme was dropped by the station in 1986 after Viacom took control, though from 2001 to 2008, the station used the Frank Gari-composed "CBS Enforcer Music Collection", which uses a music signature derived from the WBBM package. Ironically from 1989 to 1992, KMOV used Gari's "News Series 2000", which was traditionally associated with ABC stations, as its news theme. In July 2018, the "CBS Enforcer Music Collection" theme returned to the station, replacing their previous theme, the Gari-composed "The Edge."

KMOX-TV led the ratings in St. Louis for most of the period from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, as was common with most of its CBS-owned sister stations. From the early 1980s until recently, KMOX-TV/KMOV was a solid, if distant, runner-up to KSDK. However until the mid-1990s, the station had to fend off spirited competition from KTVI. Although KMOV's newscasts were critically favored, they were rarely rewarded with a ratings win over long-dominant KSDK, with the 10 p.m. newscast regularly winning at least a 20% share in viewership, while KSDK averaged about a 30% share. KMOV has seen significant ratings growth since 2004, and beat KSDK at 10 p.m. both during the November 2004 sweeps period – the first time in over a quarter-century that KSDK did not place first in any timeslot – and during the May and November 2006 sweeps periods; it also became the most-watched late evening newscast in the United States during the latter period. Most of the ratings growth at 10 p.m. was attributed to CBS' prime time ratings increases and NBC's large drop in viewership. However, KMOV also saw growth in all of its other newscast timeslots, even where the station does not benefit from a strong CBS lead-in. Starting in late 2013, KMOV started to dominate the news ratings in most newscasts, winning the noon, 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. time slots, while KSDK plummeted to third place at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. for the first time in that station's history. Despite the firing of longtime anchor Larry Conners by the station in May 2013, KMOV has placed first among the market's 10:00 p.m. newscast in every demographic every month since that time.

In February 2002, KMOV partnered with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to produce the weekly news discussion program Extra Edition, hosted by now-former weekday morning anchor Marc Cox.

On January 27, 2008, beginning with its 5:30 p.m. newscast, KMOV became the second television station in the St. Louis market to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition (after KSDK, which has produced its newscasts in the format since 2006).

Newscast titles

• KMOX-TV News (1960s)
• Big 4 News (1960s–1970s)
• KMOX Television News (1971–1972)
• NewsService (1972-1973)
• Channel 4 Newsroom (1973–1986)
• News 4 St. Louis (1986–1992 & 1995–?)
• Channel 4 News (1992–1993)
• News 4 (1993–1995 & ?–present)

Station slogans

• The Best is Right Here on Channel 4/Channel 4 is Easy on the Eyes (1973–1974; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• See The Best....Channel 4 (1974–1975; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Catch the Brightest Stars on Channel 4 (1975–1976; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Newsroom Gets It On! (1978-?)
• We're Looking Good on Channel 4 (1979–1980; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Depend on the Newsroom People (1980-?)
• Looking Good Together on Channel 4 (1980–1981; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Reach for the Stars on Channel 4 (1981–1982; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Great Moments on Channel 4 (1982–1983; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• We've Got the Touch on KMOX-4 (1983–1984; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• You and KMOX 4, We've Got the Touch (1984–1985; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• We've Got the Touch on KMOX-4 (1985–1986; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Share the Spirit on Channel 4 (1986–1987; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Channel 4 Spirit, oh yes (1987–1988; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• You Can Feel It on Channel 4 (1988–1989; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• Your 24-Hour News Source (1989–1992)
• Get Ready for Channel 4 (1989–1991; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• The Look of St. Louis is Channel 4 (1991–1992; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• The Vision of St. Louis (1992–1995)
• This is CBS, on Channel 4 (1992–1993; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• I am Channel 4 People (1994-1995; localized version of CBS ad campaign)
• This is 4, This is Your News (1995–1999; used as image campaign for Frank Gari's "This is Your News")
• Where There's Always Something Extra (2004–2007)
• News 4 Never Stops (2007–2010)
• News 4 Never Stops Watching Out for You (2010–2018)
• Watching Out for You (2018–present)

Gallery

KMOX Channel 4 ident from 1983

KMOX Channel 4 ident from 1984

KMOV News 4 St. Louis 5PM, 6PM & 10PM - Tonight promo from late 1986

KMOV Channel 4 logo from 1993

KMOV News 4 open from late December 2020

KMOV News 4 - New At 10PM open from late December 2020

On-air staff

Current on-air staff

Anchors

• Larry Conners - weeknights at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
• Carol Daniel - "Great Day St. Louis" host
• Jasmine Huda - Sundays at 5:30 and 10 p.m., and Monday-Thursdays at 6 p.m.
• Virginia Kerr - weekday mornings "Awake with News 4"; also feature reporter
• Russell Kinsaul - Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10 p.m.; also reporter
• John Knicely - weekday mornings "Awake with News 4"
• Vickie Newton - weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m., and Fridays at 6 p.m.
• Robin Smith - weekdays at noon; also morning traffic and breaking news reporter

4 WARN Storm Team In addition to providing forecasts on KMOV, the 4 WARN Storm Team also provides forecasts for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KEZK-FM.

• Steve Templeton (AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and NWA Seals of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Matt Chambers (AMS Seal of Approval; NWA Member) - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Awake with News 4"; also co-host of Great Day St. Louis and heard on KFTK-FM
• Kristen Cornett (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist, Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10 p.m.
• Kent Ehrhardt (AMS and NWA Seals of Approval) - Meteorologist, Weekday Mornings at 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. 
• Meghan Danahey - Meteorologist, Weekdays at Noon and 5 p.m. 

Sports team

• Steve Savard - Sports Director; Sundays at 5:30, Monday-Thursdays at 6 and Sunday-Fridays at 10 p.m., also "Sports Friday" and "Sports Sunday" host
• Doug Vaughn - Sports Anchor; Saturdays at 6, Sundays at 5:30 and weekends at 10 p.m., also sports reporter

Reporters

• Erica Byfield - general assignment reporter
• Craig Cheatham - investigative reporter
• Marc Cox - general assignment reporter; also fill-in anchor
• Maggie Crane - general assignment reporter
• Julian Grace - general assignment reporter
• Chris Nagus - general assignment reporter
• Ray Preston - general assignment reporter
• Mark Schnyder - weeknight reporter; also fill-in anchor
• Matt Sczesny - general assignment reporter
• Laurie Waters - general assignment reporter
• Nick Zervos - "SkyZoom 4" pilot/photojournalist
• Diana Zoga - general assignment and investigative reporter

KMOV.com Web Center

• Lakisha Jackson - web producer
• Afton Spriggs - online news producer, seen weekday mornings "Awake with News 4"

Notable former KMOV on-air staff

• Paul Alexander - sports anchor (1980-1986)
• Jamie Allman - reporter (now at KFTK-FM)
• Gary Apple - sports reporter (1987-1989)
• Cory Barron - meteorologist (1995-2003)
• Dottye Bennett - morning talk show host (late 1950s-early 1960s)
• Peter Bernard - consumer reporter (1991-1992) (now at WFLA-TV)
• Jim Bolen - anchor (1957-1994; died in 1994)
• Lisa Brown - reporter
• Mike Brown - reporter
• Trish Brown - chief meteorologist (1991-1998)
• Betsey Bruce - anchor (1970-1988; currently at KTVI)
• Bob Buck - sports reporter (1976-1982)
• Dan Buck - anchor
• Richelle Carey - weekday morning anchor (2003-2006; currently at HLN)
• Les Carmichael - sports anchor (1958-1973)
• Ann Carroll - sports reporter (2005-2006; now with Fox Sports Net North)
• Steve Chamraz - investigative reporter
• Ellen Chang - reporter
• Paul Cook - traffic reporter (2005-2009)
• Christine Doyle - reporter
• Margie Ellisor - morning reporter/anchor (1994-1998; now at KTVI)
• Patrick Emory - anchor (1973-1975), later, a CNN anchor (1981-1991)
• Debi Faubion - reporter (1980-1988; currently at WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina; an ex-America's Junior Miss)
• Dick Ford - reporter (mid-1960s; later at KSDK and KTVI, now retired)
• Ethan Forhetz - reporter (currently at KYTV in Springfield, Missouri)
• Evan Forrester - anchor
• Greg Gazinski - reporter
• Dan Gray - reporter (1984-1985; now at KPLR-TV)
• Roger Grimsby - reporter/news correspondent (1959-1961; deceased)
• Johnathan Hall - reporter
• Sandra Hughes - reporter; currently with CBS News)
• Herb Humphries - reporter (died in Texas in 2003)
• Julius Hunter - anchor (1974-2002)
• Jean Jackson - anchor/reporter (currently the Senior Director of Development at the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Louis University)
• Kathryn Jamboretz - reporter (1994-2000; currently at KTRS (AM))
• Donn Johnson - reporter
• Kara Kaswell - reporter
• Doug Kincaid - puppeteer/writer/performer ("Gator Tales", "D.B.'s Delight")
• Jeff Lea - reporter (2003-2006; currently with Lambert-St. Louis International Airport)
• Max Leber - medical reporter
• Linda Lorelle - reporter (late 1980s; later worked at KPRC-TV in Houston)
• Brenda Madden - reporter
• Lisa Manzo - reporter
• Kathy McDonald - reporter
• Tim McKernan - sports reporter (2000-2005; currently at KSLG (1380AM) on the Morning After from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily, co-founder and CEO of insidestl.com)
• Russ Mitchell - anchor/reporter; currently at CBS News)
• Al Naipo - reporter (1992-1993; currently at KTTV in Los Angeles)
• Mike Nelson - chief meteorologist (1985-1991; currently at KMGH-TV in Denver)
• Ryan Nusbickel - reporter
• Lyra O'Brien - meteorologist (2003-2006; currently at WISN-TV in Milwaukee)
• Mike O'Connell - reporter
• Dr. Joe Petrovich - meteorologist
• Mary Phelan - anchor (died December 1998)
• Regis Philbin - hosted one of his early syndicated shows from the KMOX-TV studios (1972-1975), before making it big and moving to Los Angeles (currently host of syndicated talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly" in NYC)
• Curt Ray - morning talk show host (early 1960s)
• Ollie Raymand - weather anchor (1970-1987)
• Dennis Riggs - anchor/reporter
• Mike Roberts - meteorologist (1990-1994; currently at KSDK)
• Max Roby - anchor (1958-1973)
• Erica Van Ross - reporter (now with the St. Louis Police Department)
• Zip Rzeppa - sports reporter
• Donna Savarese - weeknight 6 p.m. anchor/reporter (2002-2007)
• Steve Schiff - anchor (1972-1986)
• James Schugel - reporter (2006-2007; currently at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis)
• Todd Schumacher - sports reporter (2008-2009)
• Barry Serafin - anchor/reporter (1968-early 1970s)
• Mary Shalvarjian - reporter (1986-1987)
• Kristi Shearer - reporter
• Stephanie Simmons - host (2008-2009)
• Jeff Skversky - sports reporter
• Kevin Slaten - sports reporter (late 1970s; currently hosting the 2 p.m.-6 p.m. slot at Team 1380 (AM))
• Anne State - anchor/reporter (2000-2002)
• Anne Steffens - anchor/education reporter/co-host "At the Zoo" (1996-2006; currently at the St. Louis Archdiocese)
• Melanie Strepper - weekend meteorologist (2006-2007)
• Eric Thomas - reporter (1989-1993; now at KGO-TV in San Francisco)
• Susan Thomas - traffic reporter (1996-2004; now at KEZK-AM)
• Tim Tialdo - reporter (2008-2009)
• George Tomek - anchor/reporter - Weekend, 5 PM Monday-Friday (1969-1971); currently film acting, TV/radio commercials, industrial video, public affairs, lobbying [www.georgetomek.com]
• Thomas Scott "Tim" Van Gelder - sports reporter (1973-1985)
• Debbie Warshawski - reporter (1979-1985)
• Bob West - sports reporter
• Bill Wehrman - reporter, 5, 6 & 10 p.m. anchor (1968 through 1974; newspaper & magazine publisher since 1975; retired as CEO of magazine publisher Palm Beach Media Group (Palm Beach Illustrated and Naples Illustrated and other titles); joined Today Media where he is now C.O.O. and C.F.O.
• Aimee Wilmoth - meteorologist (2004-2007)
• Al Wiman - health reporter (1973-1998)
• Reynolds Wolf - meteorologist (2005-2006; currently at CNN)
• Myriam Wright - anchor
• Katie Horner - meteorologist (2013-) 

References

1. ^ "Court blocks TV sale." The New York Times, Jan. 3, 1958, p. 44.
2. ^ "St. Louis TV appeal blocked by court." The New York Times, Nov. 18, 1958, p. 34.
3. ^ Digital Television Transition Problematic For Some, Don Corrigan, Webster-Kirkwood Times, January 23, 2009 indicates both KMOV and KNLC as digital-only
4. ^ Belo Corp. | Press Releases
5. ^ Belo Corp. | Press Releases
6. ^ "KMOX News Report, Pruitt Igoe 1968" news report in the archives of the Missouri Historical Society (link via YouTube), 1968; "Big 4 News" uttered by reporter around 2:00[1]

External links

• KMOV.com - Official Website
• MeTVStLouis.com - Official Me-TV St. Louis Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KMOV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KMOV-TV