| KTSM-TV | |
|---|---|
| El Paso, Texas | |
| Branding | NewsChannel 9 |
| Slogan | First, Live, Local |
| Channels | Analog: 9 (VHF) Digital: 16 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | NBC NBC Wx+ (DT2) |
| Owner | Communications Corporation of America |
| Licensee | Comcorp of El Paso License Corporation |
| First air date | January 4, 1953 |
| Call letters' meaning | Tri-State Music |
| Transmitter Power | 316 kW (analog) 250 kW (DT) |
| Height | 582 m (analog) 577 m (DT) |
| Facility ID | 67760 |
| Website | NewsChannel 9's Website |
KTSM-TV, also known as NewsChannel 9, is an NBC affiliate based in El Paso, Texas. It broadcasts it's analog signal on VHF ch. 9 & it's DT signal on UHF ch. 16. KTSM-TV is currently owned by ComCorp of El Paso, Inc. Along with the typical programming schedule, NewsChannel 9 also broadcasts with Wx+ technology & can be seen on KTSM's DT station.
History[]
KTSM-TV signed on air on January 4, 1953 as the second oldest TV station in the market, behind KDBC-TV. The station shares it's call letters with it's former sister AM & FM stations, which are now owned by Clear Channel Communications, separate from KTSM-TV. The "TSM" in the name stands for "Tri State Music", referring to KTSM-AM's original owner.
KTSM claims to have the tallest VHF transmission tower in Texas. It's located @ Ranger Peak, 1 of the peaks of the Franklin Mountains. It's 2000 feet above downtown El Paso & 5990 feet above sea level.
Among KTSM's most famous personalities was Ted Bender. Bender hosted numerous programs on KTSM including the El Paso version of Dialing for Dollars, in which he gave 4 viewers a chance to win $$$ & halfway through the calls, Bender (who was a city councilman) would interview a key figure in the El Paso community. The program aired for 25 minutes, which followed a 5-minute newscast on KTSM @ 10 AM.
Bender also was the lead weatherman for KTSM from it's inception until his retirement in 1991, using weather symbols that the NWS utilizes on their weather charts.
Dialing for Dollars & daytime soaps pre-empted NBC's regular daytime staple of game shows, later airing in the afternoon hours. Sesame Street, which normall airs on PBS, aired on KTSM in the late-1960s & 1970s due to the lack of a PBS affiliate for the El Paso area.
On August 3 2008, during their 5:30 PM newscast, KTSM became the 1st station in El Paso to produce their news in HD.
News/Station Presentation[]
Newscast Titles[]
- El Paso Newsreel (1953-1959)
- Bill Thomas & the News (1959-1966)
- The Sixth Hour Report/The Eleventh Hour Report (1966-1972)
- Channel 9 News (1972-1975, 1988-1993)
- NewsCenter 9 (1975-1988)
- 9 News (1993-1995)
- TSM News (1995-1999)
- NewsChannel 9 (1999-present)
Station Slogans[]
- El Paso's #1 News Team (1970s-1994)
- Channel 9, Proud as a Peacock (1979-1981, local version of NBC campaign)
- Channel 9, Our Pride is Showing (1981-1982, local version of NBC campaign)
- Channel 9 There, Be There (1983-1984, local version of NBC campaign)
- Channel 9, Let's All Be There (1984-1986, local version of NBC campaign)
- Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 9 (1988-1990, local version of NBC campaign)
- Get Connected, Stay Connected (?)
- First, Live, Local (2002-present)
DTV[]
The station's DT channel is multiplexed:
Digital channels| Channel | Programming Type |
|---|---|
| 9.1 / 16.1 | Main KTSM-TV programming / NBC HD |
| 9.2 / 16.2 | NBC Wx+ |
Post-analog shutdown[]
After the analog TV shutdown & DT conversion, which is tentatively scheduled to take place on February 17 2009, KTSM-TV will move it's DT broadcasts back to it's present analog ch. #, 9.
Personalities[]
During KTSM's operation, the news team has seen it's share of newsmen & reporters. The list below, includes both current & former TV personalities of NewsChannel 9 (as indicated):
News Team[]
- Nick Miller - Anchor/Reporter for NewsChannel 9 @ 5, 6 & 10 PM Nightbeat
- Ben Swann - Anchor/Reporter for NewsChannel 9 @ 5, 6 & 10 PM Nightbeat
- Melanie Olivas - Morning News Anchor for NewsChannel 9 Today
- Christina Montoya - Anchor/Reporter for NewsChannel 9 Weekends
- Oscar Garcia - Reporter/Producer for Weekdays & Weekends
- Adrienne Alvarez - General Assignment Reporting
- Trevor Connor - General Assignment Reporting
- Kai Porter - General Assignment Reporting
Sports Team[]
- Fred Albers - Sports Director/Anchor for NewsChannel 9 @ 6 & 10 PM Nightbeat
- Beau Bagley - Weekend Sports Anchor for NewsChannel 9 Weekends
Weather Team[]
- Chuck DeBroder - Chief Meteorologist for NewsChannel 9 @ 5, 6 & 10 PM Nightbeat
- Chester Lampkin - Meteorologist for Today & Midday Monday-Friday
Former Personalities[]
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