Leaderboard

The NMSA isn't some magic site that is 100% accurate. It's more than likely someone sent in a wild assumption and the operators just put it up since they are unable to verify it.

KTVA itself no longer has a news department. Everything but the license and transmitter now belongs to Gray. More than likely, the KTVA signal will go dark once it's fully integrated into KYES. KYES is essentially airing a news product named "KTVA 11 News" right now and simulcasting on Channel 11, from the way it's described in the announcement.

You buried the lead... that’s “Streets Of...” heard on somewhere other than KYW!

Admittedly based on the sound of that, they were literally stuck. Of the companies in buying moods, the only ones really interested in small markets are Gray and Nexstar. The latter probably was too concerned about the cap, while the former has lots of cap space but was already in the market. As a result, they had no real options.

I read an article from KTVA's website that said the parent company used someone to find a buyer but couldn't find one. I'm really surprised that even Nexstar didn't buy. Given that Mission is now buying WPIX, I would've thought that Nexstar would be free to buy a station like KTVA. Very unfortunate of what is happening to KTVA.

KNXT (KCBS) Channel 2 News brief with Pat O'Brien (before he wore glasses) from October 22, 1980:

Rather Breaking News in Alaska.... https://www.ktva.com/story/42439484/gci-sells-ktva-to-gray-television GCI sold its CBS programming to Gray and Gray immediately moved the CBS affiliation to their already owned Channel 5 to create CBS 5 Anchorage. Note to point out that Gray already owns NBC station KTUU. https://www.ktuu.com/2020/07/31/ktuu-expands-into-southeast-alaska-and-kyes-launches-cbs5-anchorage/ Gray also bought the CBS Southeast Alaska stations and NBC Southeast Stations from GCI as well. Quote from the Gray produced article. "Through these separate agreements, KTVA’s local news operation will be preserved and enhanced under the stewardship of a pure-play broadcaster that owns leading local news operations in over 90 markets across the country, from Fairbanks, Alaska, to West Palm Beach, Florida." This also means that (from what I can tell) Gray now owns all NBC and CBS in the Alaska.

An ultra rare KYCU newscast from 1985, using a very well produced open for a small market station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvsNYDsdjW4

So is KTVA's news department going to be shut down?

Won't happen. They may let them stay separate for about a year, and even claim that they intend to do so long-term, then they'll turn around and combine them to (ostensibly) create a "stronger" news operation. This has been their playbook every time. KYTV/KSPR, KSFY/KDLT, etc.

News Music Search Archive now shows Icon News in use on KYES. So it would appear that maybe KTVA's newscasts have, in fact, moved over to KYES. The big question is now whether Gray allows KTUU and KYES (formerly CBS 11) to retain unique news departments. This entire deal makes me really wish Nexstar got KTVA instead. Even if they had bought both KTVA and KTUU, Nexstar would've at least kept both news brands.

So both Wyoming and Alaska are becoming a market with Gray TV v. NewsNet, with NewsNet that unlikely to win. What a shame.

Correction from a post I did some weeks back theorizing about the possible origins of the KTXL/WRAL early 80s music package: Cascom most certainly did not do the WRAL 1982 animations. I was re-reading a Millimeter back issue in my personal collection, and was reminded that I had already seen stills from the WRAL '82 animation package in an ad for Bill Feigenbaum's studio (which was based in NYC). Just wanted to put that here. As to that WTVX package, I still think it could have been done in Dallas. (KHTV's music image package in the "39 Gold" period - which, as you say, didn't have corresponding news music - also sounds to have been done in Dallas. I swear it sounds like the late Chris Kershaw on solo vocals, but whether it was done by JAM, or he did it independently, I have no idea. Also I don't think I've heard a version that wasn't camcorded off a TV, as most of the YT clips I've seen of that period were.)