KIII

{{short description|Television station in Corpus Christi, Texas}}

{{Infobox television station

| callsign = KIII

| city =

| logo = KIII 3 Logo.png

| logo_size = 230px

| image = MeTV KIII.png

| image_size = 175px

| branding = {{ubl|KIII-TV 3 (general; pronounced "K-Triple I")|3 News (newscasts)}}

| analog =

| digital = 8 (VHF)

| virtual = 3

| subchannels =

| translators =

| affiliations = {{ubl|3.1: ABC|3.2: MeTV||for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}}}

| network =

| country = United States

| founded =

| airdate = {{ubl|Former incarnation: {{start date and age|1954|6|20|p=y}}|Current incarnation: {{start date and age|1964|5|4|p=y}}}}

| last_airdate = Former incarnation: {{end date and age|1957|8|p=y}}

| location = Corpus Christi, Texas

| callsign_meaning = III = Roman numeral 3

| former_callsigns = KVDO-TV (1954−1957)

| former_channel_numbers = Analog: 3 (VHF, 1964–2009)

| owner = Tegna Inc.

| licensee = LSB Broadcasting, Inc.

| sister_stations =

| former_affiliations = {{ubl|DuMont (1954−1956)|Independent (1956−1957)|Dark (1957−1964)|NBC/CBS (secondary, 1954−1956)}}

| erp = 160 kW

| haat = {{convert|269|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}

| facility_id = 10188

| coordinates = {{Coord|27|39|31|N|97|36|5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000}}

| licensing_authority = FCC

| website = {{URL|https://www.kiiitv.com/}}

}}

KIII (channel 3) is a television station in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on South Padre Island Drive (SH 358) in Corpus Christi, and its transmitter is located near Robstown, Texas.

History

=KVDO-TV=

The station was originally launched on June 20, 1954, as KVDO-TV, broadcasting on channel 22 as the Corpus Christi market's first television station.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944965/kvdo-starts-operations-tomorrow/|access-date=September 24, 2021|title=KVDO Starts Operations Tomorrow|work=Corpus Christi Times|page=6|date=June 19, 1954}} Owned by Coastal Bend Television, KVDO was a primary affiliate of the DuMont network,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944806/|title=Around the Dial with Dorothy Stanich|page=2E|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=May 3, 1964}} but carried secondary affiliations with NBC until KRIS-TV took the air in May 1956, CBS until KZTV signed on in September 1956,{{cite news|title=KVDO Gets CBS Cable Service|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944837/kvdo-gets-cbs-cable-service/|date=July 15, 1956|page=13C}} and ABC.{{cite magazine|via=World Radio History|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/50s/1957/Billboard%201957-01-19.pdf#page=7|title=ABC 'Racket Squad' Sold in Two Languages|magazine=Billboard|date=January 19, 1957|page=9}} It was one of several television stations across the United States that took part in a 1956 lawsuit to prevent VHF stations from being added in their markets, on the grounds that UHF stations in that era typically suffered financially or even went out of business entirely if they had any VHF competition.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85945219/court-is-asked-to-keep-tv-stations-off-a/|agency=Associated Press|page=12|title=Court Is Asked to Keep TV Stations Off Air|work=Elwood Call-Leader|date=April 19, 1956}} The lawsuit was unsuccessful, however, and KRIS and KZTV were both on air as VHF stations by fall 1956. Around the same time as the VHF stations were launched, as well, the DuMont network collapsed.

KVDO carried on as an independent station and was sold to H. J. Schmidt's South Texas Telecasting Company in April 1957.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85945016/tv-sale-okayed/|title=TV Sale Okayed|page=A14|work=The Austin American|date=April 5, 1957}} It temporarily suspended broadcast operations in August pending what was announced at the time as a reorganization of its studio layout,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944736/kcct-has-new-link-transmitter/|title=KCCT Has New Link Transmitter|work=The Corpus Christi Times|page=8|date=August 24, 1957}} but a federal tax lien was filed against the station by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in September.{{cite news|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944754/federal-tax-lien-filed-against-kvdo/|title=Federal Tax Lien Filed Against KVDO|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=September 26, 1957}} In October the station received FCC approval to stay off the air until January 1958,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944677/kvdo-tv-gets-extension-of-time-off-air/|title=KVDO-TV Gets Extension of Time Off Air|page=18|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=October 16, 1957}} but by November 1957, the former KVDO studio building (minus equipment) had been sold to KRIS-TV,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944711/kris-tv-starts-operating-in-new-studio-t/|title=KRIS-TV Starts Operating In New Studio Tomorrow|page=6-B|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=November 14, 1957}} and the station did not relaunch. Coastal Bend Television, which had built the station, continued to face legal actions over debts incurred in constructing channel 22; in 1959, RCA won a $67,000 judgment against the former owners for equipment payments on which it had defaulted.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85945054/former-tv-company-loses-judgment/|title=Former TV Company Loses Judgment|work=Corpus Christi Caller|page=14B|date=March 31, 1959}}

=Fighting for channel 3=

Following the demise of the original KVDO-TV, South Texas Telecasting petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add a third VHF allocation on channel 3 at Corpus Christi due to KVDO's failure as a UHF station. Other cities also wanted the channel 3 allocation; however, following a lot of struggle, channel 3 was ultimately allocated to Corpus Christi, and hearings to award the channel began in 1961.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944494/fcc-to-begin-oral-hearings-monday-on-cha/|title=FCC To Begin Oral Hearings Monday on Channel Three|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=November 12, 1961|page=13}} South Texas Telecasting was one of three applicants for the channel, alongside Nueces Telecasting and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944514/channel-3-permit-oilman-is-principal-in/|title=Oilman Is Principal In TV Application|work=Corpus Christi Times|date=July 28, 1960|page=10}} but the Caller-Times withdrew its application in 1962 after its owner, Harte-Hanks Newspapers, acquired the San Antonio Express-News.{{cite news|title=Caller-Times Will Drop TV Station Application|work=Corpus Christi Times|page=1|date=April 16, 1962|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944528/caller-times-will-drop-tv-station-applic/}}

South Texas Telecasting was awarded channel 3 in December 1962,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944581/fcc-examiner-recommends-that-kvdo-get-ch/|title=FCC Examiner Recommends that KVDO Get Channel 3|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=December 4, 1962}} but Nueces Telecasting then filed a protest alleging that awarding the channel to South Texas Telecasting would violate the FCC's regulations on concentration of media ownership.{{cite news|title=Feb. 25:Channel 3 Deadline For Reply Extended|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944612/feb-25-channel-3-deadline-for-reply-ex/|page=1-B|work=The Corpus Christi Times|date=February 11, 1963}} Nueces withdrew its petition in June 1963 after South Texas Telecasting agreed to pay the company $40,000.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944566/channel-3-tv-competitor-withdraws-its-ap/|title=Channel 3 TV Competitor Withdraws Its Application|work=Corpus Christi Times|page=1|date=June 28, 1963}}

=KIII=

The station relaunched on May 4, 1964, as KIII,{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=84881 |title= History Cards for KIII|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) a full ABC affiliate.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85944649/open-house-slated-today-at-new-station/|title=Open House Slated Today At New Station, KIII-TV|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=May 10, 1964|page=2C}}

South Texas Telecasting, which had by this time added Clinton D. McKinnon as its major stockholder and executive vice president but still retained most of its original board of directors, later evolved into McKinnon Broadcasting, who remained the station's owners until 2010.

In 1969, KIII started a satellite in Victoria, Texas, KXIX (channel 19), to bring ABC programming to that area.{{cite news|title=ABC Programming Due For Victoria Vicinity|accessdate=September 24, 2021|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85945105/abc-programming-due-for-victoria-vicinit/|page=15A|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=September 6, 1969}} In 1976, KXIX was sold to local ownership. It now operates as Fox affiliate KVCT.

On April 29, 2010, it was announced that KIII would be acquired by London Broadcasting Company.{{cite news|url-status=dead|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|url=http://www.caller.com/news/2010/apr/29/dallas-based-company-to-buy-kiii-tv/|title=Dallas-based company to buy KIII-TV|first=Fanny S.|last=Chirinos|date=April 29, 2010|archive-date=June 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604000317/http://www.caller.com/news/2010/apr/29/dallas-based-company-to-buy-kiii-tv/}} The sale was closed on August 31.{{cite news|url=http://www.caller.com/news/2010/aug/31/dallas-company-buys-kiii-tv/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814175127/http://www.caller.com/news/dallas-company-buys-kiii-tv|archive-date=August 14, 2014|title=Dallas company buys KIII-TV|first=Fanny S.|last=Chirinos|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times}} On September 18, 2011, KIII began broadcasting newscasts in high definition.

On May 14, 2014, the Gannett Company announced that it would acquire KIII and five other LBC stations for $215 million. Gannett's CEO Gracia Martore touted that the acquisition would give the company a presence in several fast-growing markets, and opportunities for local advertisers to leverage its digital marketing platform.{{cite web|title=Gannett Buys 6 London Broadcasting Stations|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/76329/gannett-buys-6-london-broadcasting-stations|work=TVNewsCheck|date=May 14, 2014 |access-date=May 14, 2014}} The company also owns fellow Texas ABC affiliates WFAA and KVUE, which it had acquired in its purchase of Belo Corporation. The sale was completed on July 8.{{cite news|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/77580/gannett-completes-london-broadcasting-buy|title=Gannett Completes London Broadcasting Buy|work=TVNewsCheck|access-date=July 8, 2014|date=July 8, 2014}} 13 months later, 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. KIII was retained by the latter company, named Tegna.{{Cite web|title = Separation of Gannett into two public companies completed {{!}} TEGNA|url = http://www.tegna.com/separation-of-gannett-into-two-public-companies-completed/|publisher=Tegna|access-date = June 29, 2015}}

Programming

KIII carries the entire ABC schedule, with a half-hour delay on Friday late-night programming during the UIL/TAPPS high school football season for an extended newscast with Friday night highlights.

In 2004, KIII, along with sister station KBMT, was one of the 65 ABC affiliated stations who preempted an uninterrupted Veterans Day broadcast of the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan.{{Cite news |date=November 12, 2004 |title=ABC pre-empts film 'Saving Private Ryan' |pages=1 |work=Corpus Christi Caller Times}}

=News operation=

KIII currently airs {{frac|21|1|2}} hours of local news programming each week (with {{frac|3|1|2}} hours each weekday and two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays). The station also produces its own high school football highlight show when in season; the program airs on Fridays immediately after the 10 p.m. newscast. The station has been rated #1 consistently, beating its nearest competitor, KRIS, by a significant margin.

Technical information

=Subchannels=

The station's signal is multiplexed:

class="wikitable" \|+ Subchannels of KIII{{cite web\|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KIII#station\|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KIII\|access-date=May 30, 2022}} ! scope = "col" \| Channel ! scope = "col" \| Res. ! scope = "col" \| Aspect ! scope = "col" \| Short name ! scope = "col" \| Programming
scope = "row" \| 3.1 \| 720p \|\| rowspan=2\|16:9 \|\| KIII-HD \|\| ABC
scope = "row" \| 3.2 \| rowspan=8\|480i \|\| MeTV \|\| MeTV
scope = "row" \| 3.3 \| 4:3 \|\| Quest \|\| Quest
scope = "row" \| 3.4 \| rowspan=4\|16:9 \|\| Cozi \|\| Cozi TV
scope = "row" \| 3.5 \| Crime \|\| True Crime Network
scope = "row" \| 3.6 \| NEST \|\| The Nest
scope = "row" \| 3.7 \| ShopLC \|\| Shop LC
scope = "row" \| 3.8 \| rowspan=2\|4:3 \|\| GetTV \|\| Get
scope = "row" \| 3.9 \| QVC \|\| QVC

class="wikitable"

|+ Subchannels of KIII{{cite web|url=http://www.rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KIII#station|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KIII|access-date=May 30, 2022}}

! scope = "col" | Channel

! scope = "col" | Res.

! scope = "col" | Aspect

! scope = "col" | Short name

! scope = "col" | Programming

scope = "row" | 3.1

| 720p || rowspan=2|16:9 || KIII-HD || ABC

scope = "row" | 3.2

| rowspan=8|480i || MeTV || MeTV

scope = "row" | 3.3

| 4:3 || Quest || Quest

scope = "row" | 3.4

| rowspan=4|16:9 || Cozi || Cozi TV

scope = "row" | 3.5

| Crime || True Crime Network

scope = "row" | 3.6

| NEST || The Nest

scope = "row" | 3.7

| ShopLC || Shop LC

scope = "row" | 3.8

| rowspan=2|4:3 || GetTV || Get

scope = "row" | 3.9

| QVC || QVC

=Analog-to-digital conversion=

KIII shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3, on June 12, 2009, the official date on 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 VHF channel 8,{{cite web|url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds |access-date=March 24, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 }} using virtual channel 3.

References

External links

[https://www.kiiitv.com/ Official website]
[http://www.kiiitv.com/about/programming-guide TV Programming Guide]

Category:1964 establishments in Texas

Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates

Category:Cozi TV affiliates

Category:Former Gannett subsidiaries

Category:Get (TV network) affiliates

Category:MeTV affiliates

Category:The Nest (TV network) affiliates

Category:Quest (American TV network) affiliates

Category:Tegna Inc.

Category:Television channels and stations established in 1964

III

Category:True Crime Network affiliates