- KGBT-TV
Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KGBT-TV
city =
station_
station_slogan = Taking Action for You
station_branding = KGBT 4 (general)
Action 4 News (news)
analog = 4 (VHF)
digital = 31 (UHF)
other_chs =
affiliations =CBS
network =
founded =
airdate =October 4 ,1953
location = Harlingen/Brownsville/McAllen, Texas
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC
licensee = Barrington Harlingen License, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = Both secondary:
ABC (1953-1976)NBC (1976-1981)
effective_radiated_power = 100 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 396 m (analog)
368 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 34457
coordinates = coord|26|8|57|N|97|49|19.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.kgbt4.com/ www.kgbt4.com]KGBT-TV, or Action 4, is a
CBS affiliate located inHarlingen, Texas . Its market includes the greaterRio Grande Valley metropolitan area. KGBT is currently owned byBarrington Broadcasting Company . Its transmitter is located inCameron County, Texas . Both the analog and digital channel are available onTime Warner Cable on channels 4 and 865 respectively. KGBT's own local 24-hour weather channel is also available on Time Warner Cable digital channel 366.tation history
The history behind what is now KGBT dates back to the mid 20th century. The station originally began as KGBT Radio, owned then by the Harbenito Broadcasting Company. It opened in 1941 as KGBS, an independent radio station of 250 watts and a staff of eleven people. KGBT became an affiliate of the CBS in January 1944, becoming the first CBS radio affiliate in lower South Texas. KGBT's TV offshoot signed on in 1953, and has always been a CBS affiliate.
Transition to Barrington ownership
During the mid-1990s, KGBT was owned by the
Draper Holdings Business Trust , who also ownsWBOC-TV inSalisbury, Maryland . In 1998, Draper sold KGBT to Cosmos Broadcasting, the broadcasting division ofThe Liberty Corporation . Cosmos came directly under the Liberty banner in 2001 when Liberty sold off its insurance business. Liberty merged withRaycom Media in 2006. In August of that year, KGBT was sold again toBarrington Broadcasting , who currently owns the station today.Action 4 News
*Action 4 News Sunrise - Monday through Friday @ 6 AM
*Action 4 News Midday - Monday through Friday @ Noon
*Action 4 News at 5 - Monday through Friday @ 5 PM
*Action 4 News at 6 - Monday through Friday @ 6 PM
*Action 4 News at 10 - Monday through Friday @ 10 PM
*Action 4 News Weekend - Saturday @ 6 & 10 PM & Sunday @ 5:30 & 10 PMAction 4 News Team
Anchors
*Martha Benevides - Weekdays @ 6 & 10 PM/Action 4 Lists Reporter
*Ryan Wolf - Weekdays @ 6 & 10 PM/Food 4 Thought & Streets of Speed Reporter
*Marcy Martinez - Weekdays @ 5 PM/Reporter/Pothole Patrol
*Lacie Lowry - Weekdays on Sunrise
*Janine Reyes - WeekendsReporters
*Ray Pedraza
*Victor Castillo
*Janine Reyes24/7 Weather Team
*Chief
meteorologist Bryan Hale - Weekdays @ 5, 6 & 10 PM
*Romeo Cantu - Weekdays on Sunrise, Weekends
*Felicia Caime - Weekendsports
*Sports Director Clay Williams - Weekdays @ 6 & 10 PM
*Darren Haynes - Weekends/Sports Reporter
*Scout the Action 4 Eagle - Official MascotNewscast Titles
*"
Eyewitness News " (1967-1972)
*"Four Star News" and "Four Star Final" (1972-1977)
*"NewsCenter 4" (1977-1992)
*"News 4" (1992-1997)
*"Team 4 News" (1997-2003)
*"Action 4 News" (2003-present)tation Slogans
*"Taking Action For You" (2003-present)
News Themes
*"WTLV 1972 News Theme" by Unknown Composer - 1973-1977
*"KHOU 1976 News Theme" by Unknown Composer - 1977-1979
*"WSJV 1978 News Theme" by Unknown Composer - 1979-1984
*"KGBT 1984 News Theme" by Unknown Composer - 1984-1989
*"WNDU 1986 News Theme" by Unknown Composer - 1989-1999
*"Advantage" byGari Communications, Inc. - 1999-2003
*"WWL News" byStephen Arnold Music - 2003-2005
*"In-Sink" by615 Music - 2005-present24/7 Weather Lab
KGBT-TV was the first, and still remains the only, news station in the metropolitan area with its own live weather radar, named "Live Super Doppler". KGBT uses this as a marketing ploy to attract a bigger audience, as its radar can accurately predict when severe weather will strike with accuracy to the minute.
KGBT-TV also broadcasts a 24-hour weather station to TimeWarner customers under channel 366 (digital cable only), showing off its live doppler radar as well as updated local forecasts. This feature is very similar to those adopted in most major markets, such as
News 8 Austin 's doppler radar channel available to Austin Time Warner customers.On April 29, 2008, KGBT-TV's 43-year veteran weatherman, Larry James, announced a sudden retirement. He refused to comment on the reasons, referring all questions to station management. Those in charge of the station have refused to comment. James was the last of the on-air personnel from what many Valley residents consider the station's "glory days" during the late 1960s and 1970s when it had studios in central Harlingen and the top-rated newscast in the Rio Grande Valley.
ports Extra
During the fall, Sports Extra is an extended Sports segment that airs Fridays and Sundays following Action 4 News at 10 p.m. in place of the regular sports segment and are known as "Friday Sports Extra" and "Sunday Sports Extra respectively". The Friday edition's main focus is the local high school football games played that night and on occasion the previous Thursday. Clay Wiliams provides scores and highlighs from the studio while Jon Castagnino travels the Valley, along with the newly created Scout the Action 4 Eagle mascot, to bring live post-game coverage of Action 4's Game of the Week.
The Sunday edition provides highlights of additional High School matches played the previous Saturday as well looks at the highlights of Texas college and professional sports from the weekend. The Sunday edition generally features a panel of local sports writers and sports talk radio personalities to break down the following week's High School Football games and provide picks and predictions. This effectively makes the Sunday edition more of a Sports Talk Show than a highlight show.
Prior to the start of the High School Football Season, KGBT produces the "Action 4 Sports: Countdown to Kickoff". The hour long special briefly previews each team in the Valley and their respective Districts. Clay, Jon then make their predictions for Playoff teams from each District.
Digital television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
Like many other HD channels on the local Time Warner Cable system, KGBT-DT can be picked up on basic cable by connecting the cable directly into an HDTV with a built-in
QAM tuner , channel 116.1pecialty programming
KGBT produces annual
telethon s to benefit children's hospitals, as well as the annualJerry Lewis MDA Telethon .External links
* [http://www.kgbt4.com KGBT web site]
*TVQ|KGBT
*BIA|KGBT|TV|TV
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