KFXK

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KFXK
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = Fox 51
analog = 51 (UHF)
digital = 31 (UHF)
other_chs = KFXL-LP 30 Lufkin
affiliations = Fox
network =
founded =
airdate = September 9, 1984
location = Longview/Tyler, Texas
callsign_meaning = FoX
former_callsigns = KLMG-TV (1984-1991)
former_channel_numbers =
owner = White Knight Broadcasting, Inc.
licensee = Warwick Communications, Inc.
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = CBS (1984-1991)
UPN (secondary, 1995-1997)
effective_radiated_power = 4680 kW (analog)
1000 kW (digital)
HAAT = 381 m (analog)
361 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 70917
coordinates = coord|32|15|36.4|N|94|57|3.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.fox51.com/ www.fox51.com]

KFXK (UHF channel 51) is the Fox affiliate station of Longview, Texas. Its East Texas coverage area includes Tyler and Longview. The station is owned by White Knight Broadcasting, and controlled by Communications Corporation of America. Its transmitter is located near New London, Texas. The station's programming can also be seen on KFXL-LP channel 30 in Lufkin, which serves the Lufkin-Nacogdoches area; this helps spread the Fox signal further south, as KFXK's signal is not strong enough on its own to cover the whole East Texas TV market.

History

The station began life as CBS affiliate KLMG-TV on September 9, 1984. It made national news because the owner, Clara McLaughlin, was the first black woman to own a TV station in US history. ( [http://www.powells.com/biblio/156025999X?&PID=32317] ) She bought a school building on I-20 in Longview and turned it into the station's studios. KLMG was intended to be part of a network of stations in East Texas entitled the East Texas Television Network. To this end, McLaughlin also held construction permits for KLNL on channel 19 in Nacogdoches, KLPH-TV on channel 42 in Paris, and KLDS on channel 20 in Denison. However, this plan did not pan out and none of the other stations ever came on the air. KLMG wound up in bankruptcy just a few years after it opened and the news department was closed.

KLMG switched its call letters to KFXK and affiliation to Fox in April 1991, leaving the market without a CBS affiliate for 13 years - until 2004 when KLSB moved to low-power channel 53 in order for a new CBS affiliate, KYTX, to sign on. By 2000, KFXK had signed on the KFXL signal, giving the Lufkin-Nacodoghes area its first Fox affiliate.

Digital television

KFXK launched a full power digital television feed on UHF channel 31 on July 30, 2006. The digital signal carries KLPN, a co-owned MyNetworkTV affiliate, as a digital subchannel (31.2). KFXK began testing an HDTV signal on October 20, 2006, with a full HDTV signal going live on October 25. The signal is carried on Suddenlink Digital Cable systems on channel 705. On February 1, 2008, Longview Cable Television added KFXK-DT and KLPN on digital cable channels 250 and 252.

Newscasts

As KLMG, the station made two attempts at newscasts; both were subsequently canceled.

In 1998, KFXK launched a 9:00 newscast, the first in the market. The news focused on happenings all across East Texas. The newscast initially exceeded expectations with ratings soaring to a "3" just a month and half after debuting, something that typically takes years to acccomplish. The numbers continued to rise while the initial anchor team and producer were in place, but slowly began dropping after two left for bigger markets. Management dropped the newscast when the newscast's numbers bottomed out not only due to financial impact, but logistical reasons. The problem? The newscast aired from Longview, but was actually taped from its sister station's KETK-TV studio in Tyler. On rare occasions this forced the news team to record the broadcast when sports delays would push back the newscasts slated 9:00 airtime. Otherwise, the NBC team wouldn't be able to air their news on-time. The recordings confused viewers channel surfing and seeing the same meteorologist on both KFXK and KETK simultaneously, and eventually letting them in on the secret that KFXK's news was not always live every night.

On January 28, 2008, KFXK launched yet another newscast, "Fox News East Texas", which airs at 9:00 for a half-hour. Despite early reports of a two-hour morning newscast, "Good Day East Texas", debuting at the same time, the station does not air one. Despite having a newscast again, KFXK has no news stories listed on its website.

KFXK also produces a pre-recorded 9PM newscast, "Fox News Central Texas", for sister station KWKT in Waco, Texas.

News Team

Current on-air personalities

* Crystal Kobza news at 9
* Scott Chesner weather at 9
* Danny Elzner sports at 9
* Tamera Jolee reporter at 9
* Halee Richardson reporter at 9

Former on-air personalities

* Cynthia Cisneros, reporter (now at KTRK-TV in Houston)
* Rusty Garrett, meteorologist (now at [http://www.kwtx.com/station/bios/weather/481582.html KWTX- Waco, Texas] )
* Steve Larocco, anchor (now in Springfield, Missouri)
* J.D. Miles, reporter (now at KTVT)
* Doug Ohlemeier, reporter (now at The Packer)
* Larry Potash, anchor (now at WGN-TV)
* Wes Sims, anchor (now at [http://cache.zoominfo.com/cachedpage/?archive_id=0&page_id=6558721&page_url=%2f%2fwww.newschannel46.com%2fnews%2fbios%2fwes.asp&page_last_updated=2%2f8%2f2001+8%3a33%3a33+PM&firstName=Wes&lastName=Sims KION-TV] )
* Tony Taglavore

External links

* [http://www.fox51.com/ KFXK-TV station website]
*TVQ|KFXK
*TVQ|KFXL
*BIA|KFXK|TV|TV