KREM (TV)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the CBS affiliate in Spokane, Washington. For the Belizean cable television station, see Krem Television.
Not to be confused with KREN-TV.
KREM
KREM logo 2014.svg
Spokane, Washington–
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
United States
CitySpokane, Washington
ChannelsDigital: 20 (UHF)
Virtual: 2
BrandingKREM 2 (general)
KREM 2 News (newscasts)
(pronounced "crem")
Programming
Affiliations
  • 2.1: CBS (since 1976)
  • 2.2: True Crime Network
  • 2.3: Court TV
  • 2.4: Twist
  • 2.5: Shop LC
  • 2.6: getTV
Ownership
OwnerTegna Inc.
(King Broadcasting Company)
KSKN
History
First air date
October 29, 1954 (67 years ago) (1954-10-29)[1]
Former call signs
KREM-TV (1954–2009)
Former channel number(s)
Analog:
2 (VHF, 1954–2009)
  • Primary:
  • ABC (1954–1976)
  • Secondary:
  • DuMont (1954–1956)
  • NTA (1956–1961)
  • DT2:
  • TheCoolTV / Live Well Network
  • DT3:
  • Decades
Call sign meaning
Sounds like "Crem"
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID34868
ERP893 kW
HAAT641 m (2,103 ft)
Transmitter coordinates47°35′41″N 117°17′57″W / 47.59472°N 117.29917°W / 47.59472; -117.29917
Translator(s)See below
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Websitewww.krem.com

KREM, virtual channel 2 (UHF digital channel 20), is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Spokane, Washington, United States and also serving Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Owned by McLean, Virginia-based Tegna Inc., it is part of a duopoly with CW affiliate KSKN (channel 22). Both stations share studios on South Regal Street in Spokane, while KREM's transmitter is on Krell Hill southeast of Spokane.

The station is carried on cable systems in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, both of which are double the size of KREM's American coverage area. One result of this is that stations in Calgary and Edmonton air American shows on Pacific Time, even though Calgary and Edmonton are both on Mountain Time. It is one of five local Spokane area television stations seen in Canada on the Shaw Direct satellite service. It can also been seen on local cable systems in eastern British Columbia.

While KREM is the primary CBS affiliate for the Spokane market, Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned KLEW-TV (channel 3), based in Lewiston, Idaho, also is a CBS affiliate. However, it focuses on the southern portion of the market. Both KREM and KLEW are available on Dish Network and DirecTV throughout the Spokane market.

History[]

KREM-TV signed on October 31, 1954, with an "inaugural program" at 6:30 p.m.,[2] followed by the 1933 movie The Private Life of Henry VIII.[3] It initially had a dual affiliation with ABC and the DuMont Network, the latter shared with cross-town competitor KXLY-TV because of its then-CBS affiliation at the time. After DuMont dissolved, KREM continued as an ABC affiliate. In the late 1950s, the station was briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network.[4]

KREM-TV was affiliated with ABC until August 8, 1976, when it swapped affiliations with KXLY-TV, whom CBS immediately dropped for constantly pre-empting or delaying its network shows. KREM thus became a full member of the CBS network. Initially, CBS had approached KHQ-TV, while KREM was considered for a possible NBC affiliation because of the King Broadcasting Company's sister stations being NBC affiliates, but KREM decided to sign with CBS instead. It was the only non-NBC affiliated station in the King Broadcasting portfolio.

KREM-TV was originally owned by Cole Wylie alongside KREM radio (AM 970, now KTTO; and FM 92.9, now KZZU-FM). The King Broadcasting Company, run by Seattle businesswoman Dorothy Bullitt, bought the KREM stations from Wylie in 1957; the radio stations were sold off in 1984. (Coincidentally, the former KREM-FM is now a sister station to KXLY-TV.) However, channel 2 retained the -TV suffix in its callsign until 2009.

King Broadcasting was sold in 1992 to the Providence Journal Company, which merged with Belo Corporation five years later. On June 13, 2013, the Gannett Company announced that it would acquire Belo.[5] The sale was completed on December 23.[6]

On June 29, 2015, the Gannett Company split in two, with one side specializing in print media and the other side specializing in broadcast and digital media. KREM and KSKN were retained by the latter company, named Tegna.[7]

KREM and KSKN are a part of a cluster of television stations in the Northwestern United States owned by Tegna, which includes KING-TV and its sister station KONG in Seattle; KGW in Portland, Oregon; and KTVB in Boise. All four stations had provided material to co-owned Northwest Cable News, a regional 24-hour cable news service based in Seattle that served much of the region. KREM was the only non-NBC affiliate to be a primary contributor to NWCN, with the exception of KSKN and Seattle independent station KONG. The channel shut down on January 6, 2017.

Programming[]

As of September 13, 2021, KREM currently features CBS programming, as well as local news, public affairs and syndicated entertainment programming including The 700 Club, Dr. Phil, and You Bet Your Life.

KREM aired the Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team's NCAA Tournament championship game appearances in 2017 and 2021.

News operation[]

KREM airs 28½ hours of newscasts with a two-hour morning broadcast, a noon telecast, and evening telecast at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 p.m., along with weekend telecasts every Saturday and Sunday at 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 p.m. KREM is still the only station in Spokane to hold a monopoly on midday newscasts for the Spokane area as of 2021.

In 1997, KREM, with its reporter Tom Grant, won an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award "for Investigative Reporting on the Wenatchee Child Sex Ring."[8][9][10]

In April 2010, KREM and KSKN began broadcasting its local newscasts in 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen, and KREM became the third station in Spokane to switch in either HD or widescreen.[11][12][13]

From September 15, 2014, to January 2, 2015, KREM was the only station to air their newscasts from 7:00-9:00 a.m. on its sister station KSKN.[14] KREM switched to Gannett's "This is Home" music and graphics package on October 25, 2014, at the 5:00 newscast.[15] KREM became the last station in the Spokane market to switch their newscasts to HD.

On October 17, 2021, the station had to apologize for showing a moving image from a pornographic video on a weather center monitor during that evening's 6 p.m. newscast, and the origin of the video's appearance on an internal station monitor, be it internally or from another source, is under police and corporate investigation.[16]

Notable former on-air staff[]

  • Paul Deanno – anchor/meteorologist (1997–1999); now chief meteorologist for WMAQ-TV in Chicago.[17]
  • Eric Johnson – sports director (1987–1989); now weeknight news anchor for KOMO-TV in Seattle.[18]
  • Tim Lewis – sports anchor, then sports director (September 2006–March 2012)[19][20]
  • Maureen O'Boyle – anchor (1986–1990); now weeknight news anchor at WBTV in Charlotte, North Carolina.[21]
  • Nadine Woodward – anchor (1990-2009); Mayor of Spokane.[22][23]

Technical information[]

Subchannels[]

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Channel Video Aspect PSIP Short Name Programming[24]
2.1 1080i 16:9 KREM-HD Main KREM programming / CBS
2.2 480i 4:3 KREM-DT True Crime Network
2.3 16:9 Court TV
2.4 Twist
2.5 4:3 Shop LC
2.6 getTV

Analog-to-digital conversion[]

KREM discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 2, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 20.[25][26] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 2.

Translators[]

City of license Callsign Channel ERP HAAT Facility ID Transmitter coordinates Owner
Dryden K08JP-D 8 0.016 kW 649 m (2,129 ft) 69506 47°35′59.4″N 120°30′33.3″W / 47.599833°N 120.509250°W / 47.599833; -120.509250 (K08JP-D) Upper Wenatchee Valley TV Association, Inc.
Pateros
Mansfield		 K12AV-D 12 0.02 kW 4,371 m (14,341 ft) 68503 48°0′59.5″N 119°58′55.2″W / 48.016528°N 119.982000°W / 48.016528; -119.982000 (K12AV-D) Methow Valley Communications District
Leavenworth K07ZL-D 7 0.01 kW −126 m (−413 ft) 187542 47°36′59.4″N 120°40′42.3″W / 47.616500°N 120.678417°W / 47.616500; -120.678417 (K07ZL-D) Leavenworth Non-Profit TV Association
Methow K36PH-D 36 0.4 kW 749 m (2,457 ft) 68514 48°2′12.5″N 119°59′11.2″W / 48.036806°N 119.986444°W / 48.036806; -119.986444 (K36PH-D) Methow Valley Communications District
Winthrop-Twisp K10BD-D 10 0.035 kW 507 m (1,663 ft) 68512 48°19′4.5″N 120°6′58.2″W / 48.317917°N 120.116167°W / 48.317917; -120.116167 (K10BD-D)
Bonners Ferry, ID K35IC-D 35 0.383 kW 863 m (2,831 ft) 6534 48°36′37.7″N 116°15′31.6″W / 48.610472°N 116.258778°W / 48.610472; -116.258778 (K35IC-D) Boundary County TV Translator District
Coeur d'Alene, ID K30OA-D 30 2.7 kW 457 m (1,499 ft) 34861 47°43′53.6″N 116°43′50.6″W / 47.731556°N 116.730722°W / 47.731556; -116.730722 (K30OA-D) King Broadcasting Company
Coolin, ID K09XY-D 9 0.017 kW 71 m (233 ft) 53507 48°35′35.7″N 116°54′32.8″W / 48.593250°N 116.909111°W / 48.593250; -116.909111 (K09XY-D) Priest Lake Translator District
K32OA-D 32 0.1 kW −103 m (−338 ft) 53511 48°31′52.7″N 116°49′1.7″W / 48.531306°N 116.817139°W / 48.531306; -116.817139 (K32OA-D)
Juliaetta, ID K07NL-D 7 0.007 kW 11 m (36 ft) 32921 46°34′43.6″N 116°41′29.5″W / 46.578778°N 116.691528°W / 46.578778; -116.691528 (K07NL-D) Juliaetta Television Association
Lewiston, ID K21CC-D 21 0.18 kW 291 m (955 ft) 50532 46°27′3.5″N 117°2′49.5″W / 46.450972°N 117.047083°W / 46.450972; -117.047083 (K21CC-D) King Broadcasting Company
Bull Lake, MT K07ZP-D 7 0.035 kW 553 m (1,814 ft) 190313 48°29′6.8″N 115°48′19.6″W / 48.485222°N 115.805444°W / 48.485222; -115.805444 (K07ZP-D) Lake Creek TV District
Kalispell
Lakeside, MT		 K28OG-D 28 0.271 kW 796 m (2,612 ft) 5807 48°0′39.8″N 114°21′51.4″W / 48.011056°N 114.364278°W / 48.011056; -114.364278 (K28OG-D) Blacktail TV Tax District
Troy, MT K08BG-D 8 0.035 kW 557 m (1,827 ft) 68192 48°29′7″N 115°48′19.7″W / 48.48528°N 115.805472°W / 48.48528; -115.805472 (K08BG-D) Troy T.V. District
Milton, OR
Freewater, OR		 K24ME-D 24 1 kW 170 m (558 ft) 11360 45°49′54.4″N 118°15′40.8″W / 45.831778°N 118.261333°W / 45.831778; -118.261333 (K24ME-D) Citizens T.V., Inc.

References[]

  1. ^ The Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook says October 31, while the Television and Cable Factbook says October 29.
  2. ^ "New TV Station Plans Inaugural on Sunday Night" Spokane Daily Chronicle, October 29, 1954. Retrieved: May 19, 2012.
  3. ^ Spokane Daily Chronicle - "Announcing the Telecast Premiere of KREM-TV" (advertisement) - October 30, 1954
  4. ^ "Require Prime Evening Time for NTA Films", Boxoffice: 13, November 10, 1956
  5. ^ "Gannett to buy KREM-TV owner Belo for $1.5 billion". KREM.com. Associated Press. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
  6. ^ Gannett Completes Its Acquisition of Belo, TVNewsCheck, Retrieved December 23, 2013
  7. ^ "Separation of Gannett into two public companies completed | TEGNA". Tegna. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  8. ^ Silver Batons: Medium Market Television
  9. ^ "Grant Wins 'Pulitzer of Broadcasting' | the Spokesman-Review".
  10. ^ "KREM-TV, Investigative Reporting on the Wenatchee Child Sex Ring | 1997 duPont-Columbia Award Winner in 1997 duPont Winners on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. April 1, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "Is Your local news in HD?". Avsforum.com. February 17, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  12. ^ "KXLY 4 HD". Youtube.com. August 1, 2008. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  13. ^ "KHQ Local News 11@11 HD Open - 2008". Youtube.com. October 18, 2008. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  14. ^ "For the first time, 7:00-9:00 a.m. morning news in Spokane". changingnewscasts.wordpress.com. August 31, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  15. ^ "New design coming to KREM 2 newscasts". krem.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  16. ^ Epperly, Emma (October 18, 2021). "Pornographic video shown on KREM's evening newscast; police investigating". The Spokesman Review. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  17. ^ "KPIX's Paul Deanno, two others leaving station". EastBayTimes.com. September 27, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  18. ^ "Eric Johnson". KOMOnews.com. November 20, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "Sports Anchor Tim Lewis Leaving Spokane to Join His Dad at Seattle's KOMO". AdWeek.com. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  20. ^ "Dan Lewis, Tim Lewis share anchor desk for first time". KOMONews.com. July 18, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  21. ^ "Maureen O'Boyle: WBTV Bio". WBTV.com. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  22. ^ Shanks, Adam. "Spokane's Next Mayor". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  23. ^ "Woodward claims victory in race for mayor | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  24. ^ RabbitEars TV Query for KREM
  25. ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  26. ^ CDBS Print

External links[]

Retrieved from ""