KDFW
- KDFW is also the ICAO airport code for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
KDFW | |
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Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas | |
Branding | Fox 4 |
Slogan | The News Station Just You Watch |
Channels | Analog: 4 (VHF) Digital: 35 (UHF) |
Affiliations | Fox |
Owner | Fox Television Stations Group (KDFW License, Inc.) |
Founded | December 3, 1949 |
Call letters meaning | K Dallas-Fort Worth |
Sister station(s) | KDFI |
Former callsigns | KRLD-TV (1949-1970) |
Former affiliations | CBS (1949-1995) |
Transmitter Power | 100 kW/511 m (analog) 857 kW/510 m (digital) |
Website | MyFoxDFW.com |
KDFW, channel 4, is the Fox owned and operated television station in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex designated market area. Its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, with studios located in downtown Dallas. It is co-owned with KDFI channel 27 as well as Fox Sports-Southwest.
KDFW is an atypical Fox station with 44 hours a week of news along with syndicated first run talk/court/reality shows, off-network dramas, Fox primetime network programming and sports.
Contents |
History
The station signed on as CBS affiliate KRLD-TV on December 3, 1949 (the third television station in the Metroplex), and was owned by the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald newspaper; the two were located next to each other. KRLD served as the headquarters of the CBS network's coverage of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, led by Dan Rather, on November 22, 1963. The Times Herald and the station remained neighbors until the paper shut down in December 1991.
KRLD's transmission tower in Cedar Hill, which was 586 feet tall and was considered the highest television transmission tower in the world, was hit by a military helicopter doing training exercises in 1968. The two passengers survived, but the tower had to be reconstructed.
The station changed its call letters to KDFW on July 2, 1970, now broadcasting on its new transmission tower. That year, the Times-Mirror Company acquired KDFW through its purchase of the Times Herald. FCC rules at the time prevented common ownership of a newspaper, radio and television station in the same market and KRLD radio was divested by Times-Mirror. The newspaper was sold off in 1986, and was shut down five years later. In 1993, KDFW and the other Times-Mirror stations were sold to Argyle in a group deal. Early in 1994, KDFW began managing a struggling station, KDFI, which was rebroadcasting KDFW's newscasts in different time slots.
In late 1993, when Fox gained the contract from CBS to carry the NFC package of the National Football League, New World Communications reached an agreement to make for its stations to make the big switch to the network. Afterwards, New World bought out Argyle, which owned KDFW along with sister stations KTVI in St Louis, WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama, and KTBC in Austin. When that buyout was final, KDFW, along with KTBC and KTVI switched affiliations to Fox on July 1, 1995 -- while WVTM remained affiliated with NBC because former ABC affiliate WBRC in the same market was sold directly to Fox (WVTM was subsequently sold to NBC Universal before being purchased by current owner Media General). Upon the network switch, the Cowboys football games moved back to KDFW after a one year absence; KDFW as a CBS affiliate carried the Cowboys through 1993, after which the NFC package moved from CBS to Fox. The CBS affiliation moved to KTVT, and former Fox O&O station KDAF (which Fox sold to Renaissance, later Tribune Company) took The WB affiliation from KXTX. News Corporation purchased KDFW and its LMA with KDFI in a group deal in early 1997. Like most New World-owned stations, KDFW did not pick up Fox Kids; it stayed with KDAF until 1997 when Fox Kids moved to KDFI. (Fox/NewsCorp eventually bought KDFI outright in 2000.)
KDFW broadcasts close to 50 hours of local news a week along with prime time Fox programming, sports, syndicated talk, court and reality shows. By the very late 1990s, the station also began to broadcast a few off-network sitcoms. When the station switched networks in 1995, it was known as Fox 4 TEXAS. It is now known as Fox 4: The News Station.
Under Fox ownership, KDFW is the alternate flagship of Texas Rangers baseball as KDFI is the official flagship; Fox Sports Net also broadcasts some games as well. Also, KDFW and KDFI are the only network-owned stations (be it the same network) based in Dallas; NBC-owned KXAS and CBS-owned KTVT and KTXA (an independent) are based in Fort Worth (WFAA, the ABC affiliate, is not owned by the ABC network).
Digital Television
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
Digital channels
Channel | Programming |
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4.1 / 35.1 | Main KDFW programming / Fox HD |
4.2 / 35.2 | 4 Warn Weather Radar |
KDFW will leave channel 4 and move to channel 35 in 2009 when the analog to digital conversion is complete. [1]
News Operations
KDFW was one of the few Fox O&O stations with a newscast in the traditional "late" newscast timeslot of 10 p.m. central. (or 11 p.m. eastern) In 2006, the group started to push expansion into that time slot. KMSP in Minneapolis/St. Paul, WITI in Milwaukee, WFLD in Chicago, WDAF in Kansas City, WBRC in Birmingham, KSAZ in Phoenix, and KTVI in St. Louis have a 10 p.m. newscast. WTVT in Tampa-St. Petersburg and WTTG Washington, D.C. added 11 p.m. newscasts in 2006 and WJBK in Detroit added an 11 p.m. newscast in 2007. (KTBC in Austin had a 10 p.m. newscast for years after switching to Fox, which has since been scaled back to 9 p.m.). It is possible Fox will have all of its O&O stations add these later newscasts.
In 2006, the Fox stations revamped their sets and graphics to be more closely aligned with Fox News Channel. They have FOX News standardized logos, have the myfox(city).com templated websites. KDFW debuted the new logo, set and graphics on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 on their 9pm show. It was the biggest change in the station's look since it flipped to Fox in 1995.
Notable Personalities
Current On-Air Talent
FOX 4 Anchors
- Lari Barager: Good Day Saturday Anchor
- Steve Eagar: FOX 4 News at 5:30, 6, FOX 4 News: First at 9 Anchor
- Dan Godwin: FOX 4 News at Noon, Good Day Saturday Anchor
- Heather Hays: FOX 4 News at 6, FOX 4 News: First at 9 Anchor
- Megan Henderson Good Day Anchor
- Baron James: FOX 4 News at 5, FOX 4 News at 10
- Richard Ray: FOX 4 News at 6 (Saturday), FOX 4 News at 5 (Sunday), FOX 4 News: First at 9 (weekend) Anchor
- Tim Ryan: Good Day Anchor
- Natalie Solis: FOX 4 News at 6 (Saturday), FOX 4 News at 5 (Sunday), FOX 4 News: First at 9 (weekend) Anchor
- Clarice Tinsley: FOX 4 News at 5, FOX 4 News at 10 Anchor
FOX 4 Reporters
- Paul Adrian: Investigative Reporter
- Rebecca Aguilar: General Assignment Reporter (indefinitely suspended)
- Fil Alvarado: Senior Reporter
- Dionne Anglin: General Assignment Reporter
- Adrian Arambulo: General Assignment Reporter
- Jeff Crilley: General Assignment Reporter
- Melissa Cutler: General Assignment Reporter
- Saul Garza: General Assignment Reporter, What's Buggin' You Reporter
- Krystle Gutierrez: General Assignment Reporter
- John Hammarley: Medical Reporter
- Lynn Kawano: General Assignment Reporter
- Emily Lopez: General Assignment Reporter
- Doug Luzader: General Assignment Reporter
- Steve Noviello: FOX 4 On Your Side Reporter
- Becky Oliver: Investigative Reporter
- Jason Overstreet: Metro North Bureau
- Shawn Rabb: General Assignment Reporter
- James Rose: General Assignment Reporter
- Scott Sayres: Business News Reporter
- Brandon Todd: General Assignment Reporter
- Ed Wallace: Automobile Tester
Investigative
- Paul Adrian
- Becky Oliver
Team Traffic (Weekday Mornings)
- Todd Carruth - 5 to 9 a.m.
- Chip Waggoner - 6 to 9 a.m.
4Warn Weather
- Dan Henry (AMS Seal of Approval): FOX 4 News at 5, 5:30, 6, FOX 4 News: First at 9, FOX 4 News at 10 Chief Meteorologist
- Ron Jackson (AMS Seal of Approval): Good Day Saturday, FOX 4 News at 6 (Saturday), FOX 4 News at 5 (Sunday), FOX 4 News: First at 9 (weekend) Meteorologist
- Evan Andrews (AMS Seal of Approval): Good Day Meteorologist
- Maria Sotolongo: FOX 4 News at Noon Weather Anchor
Sports Team
- Mike Doocy: FOX 4 News at 6, FOX 4 News at 9, FOX 4 News at 10 Sports Director, Host: Sports Sunday
- Max Morgan: FOX 4 News at 6 (Saturday), FOX 4 News at 9 (weekend) Sports Anchor
- Nita Wiggins: Sports Reporter
KDFW Alumni
- Ashleigh Banfield - anchor (1995-1999, now at Court TV)
- Eddie Barker - newscaster (1949-1972)
- Gary Bazner - weather anchor (1978-1982, deceased)
- Steve Bosh - anchor (1984-1990)
- Bill Brown - reporter (1970s, now in public relations)
- Jack Brown - "Jack Brown's Texas" feature reporter (1980-1998)
- Mike Burger - meteorologist (1989-1996, now at KTVT)
- Bill Ceverha - anchor/reporter (1962-1972)
- Bill Clarke - consumer reporter (1974-1975, now at KMGH-TV in Denver)
- Paul Crane - sports anchor (1983-1992, now at Cox Sports Television in New Orleans)
- Katherine Creag - reporter (2002-2005, now at WNYW-TV in New York)
- John Criswell - anchor (1990-1997)
- Steve Crocker - anchor (1995-1998, now at WBRC-TV in Birmingham)
- Warren Culbertson - meteorologist (1963-1984)
- Steve Dawson - anchor (1984-1986)
- Ted Dawson - sports anchor (1987-1995)
- Linda Edwards - anchor/reporter (1990-1997, now a communications consultant)
- Bobby Estill - sports anchor (1992)
- Walter Evans - anchor (1963-1993)
- Wayne Freedman - reporter (1980-1981, now at KGO-TV in San Francisco)
- John Gilbert - Capitol Bureau reporter (now at KCEN-TV in Waco)
- Bud Gillett - reporter (1978-2000, now at KTVT)
- Eric Glasser - anchor (1995-2005, now at WPTV in West Palm Beach)
- Sylvia Gomez - reporter/anchor (1990-1992)
- Cynthia Gouw - weekend anchor/reporter (1993-1994)
- Judd Hambrick - anchor (1972-1973)
- Dale Hansen - sports anchor (1980-1983, now at WFAA-TV)
- Barbara Harrison - anchor/reporter (1979-1980, now at WRC-TV in Washington, DC)
- Tim Heller - chief meteorologist (1994-2002, now at KTRK-TV in Houston)
- Craig James - sports anchor (1992-1993)
- Dick Johnson - anchor (1976-1982, now at WMAQ-TV in Chicago)
- Judy Jordan Greene - anchor (1966-1980)
- Kim Keelor - anchor (mid 1990s)
- Su Keenan - reporter (1980s)
- Kimberly Kennedy - anchor (1992, now at WSB-TV in Atlanta)
- Bill Mercer - sportscaster/wrestling announcer (1953-1964)
- Kevin McCarthy - sports reporter (1981-1986)
- Marlene McClinton - anchor/reporter (1980-1984)
- Stan Miller - anchor/reporter (1985-1986)
- Chip Moody - anchor (1980-1984, deceased)
- George Riba - sports reporter (1975-1977, now at WFAA-TV)
- Dick Risenhoover - sports anchor (1970-1973, deceased)
- Erika Ruiz - reporter (1999-2004, now at KRQE in Albuquerque)
- Cameron Sanders - reporter (?-1988)
- Hosea Sanders - weekend anchor/reporter (1981-1986, now at WLS-TV in Chicago)
- Dale Schornack - anchor/reporter (1991-1995, now at KXTV in Sacramento)
- Wayne Shattuck - meteorologist (1981-1984, now at WFTS-TV in Tampa)
- Brett Shipp - investigative reporter (1990-1992, now at WFAA-TV)
- Sara Sidner - reporter (now at KTVU in San Francisco)
- James Spann - meteorologist in mid 1980's, now at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham
- Steve Stoler - reporter (1985-2002, now at WFAA-TV)
- Bill Swanbeck - sports anchor (1986-1987)
- Julia Jackson-Somers - morning anchor/reporter (1992-2003, now Julie Sommers and at WPLG-TV in Miami)
- Roger Twibell - sports reporter (1975-1976, now at ABC Sports and ESPN)
- Phyllis Watson - anchor (1995-1998)
- Ray Walker - anchor (1973-1978)
- Barbara White - reporter (1981-2005)
- Charlie Wilson - reporter (1968-1991, deceased)
- Wes Wise - sports anchor (1961-1968)
- Casey Stegall - reporter (2005-2007, now correspondent at FOX News Channel in Los Angeles)
News/Station Presentation
Newscast Titles
- NewsScene (1970s)
- Eyewitness News (1975-78)
- Channel 4 News: The 10 O'Clock Report (1978-1980)
- News 4 Dallas-Fort Worth (1980-1984)
- Channel 4 News (1984-1990)
- News 4 Texas (1990-1997; KDFW kept this news title after switch to FOX in 1995)
- Fox 4 News (1997-present)
Station Slogans
- Hello Dallas (1980s-1989, when used Frank Gari's Hello News)
- Reach for the Stars on Channel 4 (1981-1982, local version of CBS campaign)
- Channel 4 News, Working For You (1989)
- Believing in Texas (1989)
- Your 24 Hour News Source (1990-1995)
- Fox 4 Texas (1995-1997)
- Fox 4: The News Station (1997-present)
See also
Video samples
References
- Shannon, Mike (January, 2004). Dallas-Fort Worth TV Station History. The History of Dallas-Fort Worth Radio and Television.
- KDFW FOX 4 -- 50 Years and Counting! (1999) KDFWFox4.com.
External links
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Local television stations Local Cable Television Channels |
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XHRIO 2 (Matamoros / Brownsville)* - KDFW 4 (Dallas) - KIDY 6 (San Angelo) - KTBC 7 (Austin) - KCIT 14 (Amarillo) - KFOX 14 (El Paso) - KXVA 15 (Abilene) - |
See also: ABC, CBS, CW, MyNetwork TV, NBC, PBS, Telefutura, Telemundo, Univision, Religious, Other English and Other Spanish stations in Texas |