KIMT

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KIMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Driftless Area of North Central Iowa and Southeastern Minnesota. Licensed to Mason City, Iowa, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 (virtual channel 3.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter near Meyer, Iowa (between Stacyville and McIntire) south of the Minnesota state line. The station can also be seen on Charter and Mediacom channel 3. There is a high definition feed offered on Charter digital channel 784 and Mediacom digital channel 803. Owned by Media General, the station has studios on North Pennsylvania Avenue in Downtown Mason City and a sales office on East William Street in Downtown Albert Lea, Minnesota. Syndicated programming on KIMT includes Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Dr. Phil, and The Wendy Williams Show among others.

Digital programming

The station's digital channel 42 is multiplexed:

Channel	Name	Aspect	Video	Programming
3.1	KIMT-HD	1080i	16:9	main KIMT programming / CBS
3.2	KIMT-DT2	480i	4:3	KIMT-DT2 "My 3.2"
3.3	KIMT-DT3	480i	4:3	KIMT-DT3 "KIMT 24/7 Weather Now"

The station operates the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate on a second digital subchannel. Known on-air as My 3.2, this can also be seen on Mediacom digital channel 103 and Charter digital channel 391. Syndicated programming on KIMT-DT2 includes How I Met Your Mother, My Name Is Earl, Everybody Hates Chris, and Star Trek: The Next Generation along with others.

KIMT-DT3 is a 24-hour local weather channel on Clear Lake and Ventura's local television provider, CLTel, which broadcasts it on Channel 361 along with Mediacom. Programming on this service consists of a rotating cycle of forecast maps, weather alerts, and current conditions with audio from NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards. Each day early in the morning, KIMT-DT2 and KIMT-TV simulcasts the weather channel with this extending for a longer period on weekends.

History

The station signed-on for the first time on May 15, 1954 as KGLO-TV owned by Lee Enterprises along with the GLObe Gazette and KGLO radio (AM 1300 and FM 101.1). On the station's first day, reception of its analog signal on VHF channel 3 was reported as far away as Gary, Indiana. The original effective radiated power of 100,000 watts was the maximum amount permitted on the heritage allotment. It was affiliated with CBS owing to its radio sister's long affiliation with CBS Radio, but also carried a secondary relation with DuMont until 1956 when the latter ceased operations.

In August 1977, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that one company could not own all the media outlets in a city, forcing Lee Enterprises to break up its cluster in Mason City. As a result, KGLO-TV was sold to BY Communications in 1977 and renamed KIMT (standing for Iowa/Minnesota Television). In 1980, it was sold again to the Shott family of Bluefield, West Virginia and their Daily Telegraph Printing Company. However, in 1984, they sold KIMT and WBTW in Florence, South Carolina to Spartan Radiocasting Company (later to become Spartan Communications) giving this station its third owner in eight years. Spartan later merged with Media General in 2000. Its digital signal on UHF channel 41 launched in May 2002 and added high definition capabilities from the network during that summer. KIMT celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 15, 2004 with flashbacks and other special programming.

On April 6, 2006, Media General announced it would sell KIMT as part of the company's acquisition of four NBC owned-and-operated stations. On August 2, New Vision Television made public it had bought KIMT and sister station WIAT in Birmingham, Alabama for $35 million. That company's acquisition of the two outlets was finalized on October 12, 2006. As part of the analog to digital transition in 2009, the station opted to keep its analog channel on-air until the revised June 12 deadline. After the transition (which occurred at 12:12 p.m.), KIMT planned to continue using digital channel 42 and filed paperwork with the FCC to eventually increase that signal's output power from 200 to 800 kW which would more effectively fill its coverage footprint. Early in the morning on June 27, 1995, KIMT news anchor Jodi Huisentruit was abducted outside her apartment while on her way to work. She has not been found and the case remains unsolved to this day.

On May 7, 2012, LIN TV Corporation announced that it will acquire the New Vision Television station group, including KIMT, for $330.4 million and the assumption of $12 million in debt. On October 2, the FCC approved the proposed sale to LIN TV. The transaction was finalized on October 12, 2012.

On March 21, 2014, Media General announced that it would acquire LIN. The merger was completed on December 19, making KIMT a Media General property once again, and marking the third ownership change for the station in less than a decade.

News operation

File:Kimt dt2 news.png

Weekday morning news open.

Since KIMT is the only major station licensed to the Iowa side of the market, its newscasts have traditionally focused on Iowa issues. On June 12, 2009, KIMT became the first outlet to upgrade newscasts to 16x9 enhanced definition widescreen with some parts in full high definition. Although not truly HD, the aspect ratio matches that of high definition television screens.

Also at some point that year, KIMT added three newscasts to its MyNetworkTV-affiliated subchannel. This included a half-hour extension to its weekday morning show at 7 (known as My Morning News on My 3.2), a repeat of the thirty minute weekday noon broadcast at 12:30 (called KIMT News 3 Midday on My 3.2), and prime time newscast weeknights at 9 (known as My Primetime News at 9). Eventually, the half-hour weeknight show was reduced to a five minute cut-in featuring an updated weather forecast.

In late-2010, KIMT-DT3 launched as a full-time 24-hour local weather channel. Previously, KIMT-DT2 had carried this service during overnight sign-off periods. On March 20, 2011, rival NBC affiliate KTTC in Rochester upgraded its local news to full high definition becoming the first outlet to do so. Unlike most CBS affiliates, KIMT does not air a full two-hour weekday morning show on its main channel. Therefore, My Morning News on My 3.2 can be considered the additional half-hour.

External links

• KIMT
• KIMT-DT2 "My 3.2"
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