KTUL
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| KTUL | |
|---|---|
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| Tulsa, Oklahoma | |
| Branding | NewsChannel 8 |
| Slogan | On Your Side |
| Channels | 8 (VHF) analog, 10 (VHF) digital |
| Affiliations | ABC |
| Owner | Allbritton Communications Company |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Call letters meaning | K Tulsa |
| Former callsigns | KTVX (1954–1957) |
| Website | ktul.com |
KTUL, referred to on air as NewsChannel 8, is the ABC affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma. KTUL broadcasts from its studios on Lookout Mountain in west Tulsa.
KTUL transmits from a 581.86 metre high guy-wired aerial mast (antenna tower) in Coweta, Oklahoma, USA (geographical coordinates: , which was completed in 1988.
The station broadcasts its analog signal on VHF channel 8, and its digital signal on VHF channel 10. On cable, KTUL-TV can be seen on channel 8 on Cox Tulsa.
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[edit] History
Channel 8 signed on September 18, 1954 as KTVX in Muskogee. It was the second television station to sign on in the Tulsa market, ahead of KJRH and following KOTV. The first studios of KTUL, then KTVX, was a former grocery store in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The first two TV personalities at the station were news anchor Jack Morris and meteoroligist Don Woods. Sports director Hal O'Halloran would come later. And the first broadcast of the station was a football game between Oklahoma and California, which Oklahoma won. The following year, in 1955, KTVX moved from its first studios into where now-defunct KCEB broadcast for 9 months in 1954, on Lookout Mountain.
In 1957, KTVX changed its call letters to KTUL, and in 1965, KTUL built its new antenna, to expand its reach into 4 states. The new tower did not ensure KTUL's success-its people did. Betty Boyd, who joined KTUL from KOTV, hosted her daily talk show, making KTUL #1 with women. And the late John Chick, who joined KTUL in 1955, hosted 2 shows: the John Chick Show, which featured local country music artists and broadcast in the morning until 1979; and Mr. Zing and Tuffy, which broadcast in the afternoon, when ABC went dark, from 1963 until 1970. Both Chick shows made KTUL #1 in the morning, and made KTUL #1 with kids.
As for news, first Jack Morris, {who anchored at KTUL from 1954 until he jumped ship to KJRH in 1970), and then Bob Hower (who anchored from 1970 until 1986}, put KTUL at #1, and Don Woods always drew Gusty for KTUL viewers. And after Mr. Zing and Tuffy ended in 1970, Carl Bartholemew introduced KTUL viewers to his new character: Uncle Zeb, and "Uncle Zeb's Cartoon Camp," which ran on Channel 8 from 1970 until 1980, continued to make KTUL #1 with kids.
James C. Leake, the owner of KTUL from 1954 until he sold the station to Allbritton Communications in 1981, did heavy promotion of KTUL with "The Wizard of Oz," "The News Guys," and "8's the Place," a promotional phrase used at KTUL from 1977 until 1983. All these promotions made KTUL #1 in Northeastern Oklahoma for many years.
In 1987, KTUL's broadcast tower was knocked over by an ice storm, and a new one was constructed in 1988. And in 1999, KTUL built new broadcast facilities on Lookout Mountain to accommodate station growth.
The KTVX call letters are now used by channel 4 in Salt Lake City, another ABC affiliate.
In 2005, KTUL introduced First Alert Weather 24/7, a digital/cable channel devoted to 24-hour-a-day weather information.
[edit] Don Woods and Gusty
When KTUL signed on as KTVX in Muskogee, the station was looking for a weatherman who could draw a cartoon character. Don Woods was chosen, and his cartoon character became Gusty. From 1954 until his retirement in 1989, Woods drew Gusty live on TV, and every day, people sent in requests for a Gusty. Gusty always told what the weather was going to be like. He could be drawn waving flags and smiling for fair weather, or he could be drawn holding an umbrella for rainy days, or jumping in his fraidy hole for thunderstorms. After Woods' retirement from KTUL in 1989, Woods continued to draw Gusty from time to time, and he even authored a book entitled The Gospel According to Gusty. In 2005, Gusty was made Oklahoma's State Cartoon Character by the Oklahoma Legislature, and there's even a drawing of Gusty at the Smithsonian Instution in Washington, D.C.
[edit] Waiting Child
Since 1980, KTUL has featured its Waiting Child segment, which highlights children who are in state custody and looking for an adoptive family. Then-anchor Bob Hower began Waiting Child in October of 1980, and did the segment until his retirement in 1986. Former anchor Rea Blakey and then sports director John Walls followed in Hower's footsteps. Anchor Carole Lambert has hosted the segment since 1990, and it has resulted in more than 4000 children being adopted. The segment airs Wednesdays at 4:00 and Saturdays at 10:00.
The song "(I'm a) Waiting Child," which plays during the Waiting Child news segment, was composed by former anchor Bob Hower and is sung by Oleta Adams.
[edit] Ratings
For many years, KTUL reigned as Tulsa's leading source for news, mainly because of its consistency at the newsdesk. Currently, KTUL ranks second in the local Nielsen ratings, behind KOTV and ahead of KOKI and KJRH.
[edit] Personalities
[edit] Current On-Air Talent
NEWSCHANNEL 8 ANCHORS
- Mark Bradshaw, Weekday 4 & 5PM Anchor/Reporter
- Charles Ely, Weekday Evening Anchor/Managing Editor/Reporter
- Jerry Giordano, Weekend Evening Anchor/Reporter
- Yvonne Harris, Weekend Evening Anchor/Reporter
- Carole Lambert, Weekday 4, 6 & 10PM Anchor/"Waiting Child" Anchor/Reporter
- Cindy Morrison, Weekday 5PM Anchor/"8 on Your Side" Investigator/Reporter
- D.C. Roberts, Weekday Morning Anchor
- Keith Taylor, Weekday Morning Anchor/Reporter
NEWSCHANNEL 8 REPORTERS
- Kristin Dickerson, Morning Reporter
- Kim Jackson, General Assignment Reporter
- Elizabeth Kinney, General Assignment Reporter
- Bill Mitchell, Senior News Reporter
- Burt Mummolo, General Assignment Reporter
- Abby Ross, General Assignment Reporter
- Diana Zoga, General Assignment Reporter
FIRST ALERT METEOROLOGISTS
- Frank Mitchell (AMS/NWA Certified), Chief Meteorologist
- Clint Boone (NWA Certified), 4PM Meteorologist
- Mike Collier (Not certified), Morning Forecaster
- Taft Price (AMS Certified), Weekend Meteorologist
- Phil Price, Staff Meteorologist
SPORTS ANCHORS/REPORTERS
- Jack Bunds, Sports Director
- Ruben Diaz, Weekend Sports Anchor
- Rick Pendergraft, Sports Reporter/Photojournalist
[edit] Former Talent
- Teri Bowers, Morning/ 4pm Anchor (Now with the Oklahoma Aquarium)
- Denise Brewer, Medical Reporter (Now Spokesperson for Hillcrest Healthcare System)
- Nicole Burgin, News Reporter (Now at KOCO Oklahoma City)
- Becky Dixon, Sports Anchor
- Bob Healey, Sports Director (Now at WGBA Green Bay, Wisconsin)
- Bob Hower, News Anchor 1970-1986 (Retired)
- Don Woods, Meteorologist 1954-1989 (Retired)
- Jack Morris, News Anchor 1954-1970 (Retired)
- Chris Lincoln, Sports Director 1974-1981
- Guy Atchley, News Anchor 1976-1983 (now at KGUN-TV)
- Rea Blakey, News Co-Anchor (Now at CNN)
- Karen Larsen, Morning Anchor (Now at KJRH in Tulsa)
- Jeff Lea, Reporter
- Tami Marler, Medical Reporter (Now with Tulsa Public Schools)
- Travis Meyer, Meteorologist 1981-2005 (Now at KOTV in Tulsa)
- Russell Motley, Reporter (Now at WTEV in Jacksonville, Florida)
- David Payne, Meteorologist (Now at KFOR Oklahoma City)
- Gail Pennybacher, Reporter (Now at co-owned NewsChannel 8 in Washington, D.C.)
- Beth Rengel, News Anchor (Now with McGraw Davisson Stewart)
- Jon Slater, Weekend Meteorologist (Now at KOKI in Tulsa)
- Bill Spencer, Morning Anchor (Now at WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan)
- Kevin Steincross, Weekend Anchor (Now at KTVI St. Louis)
- LeAnne Taylor, 5pm Anchor (Now at KOTV in Tulsa)
- Aaron Tuttle, Weekend Meteorologist (Now at KOCO Oklahoma City)
- Michael Warren, Morning Anchor (Now at KTBC in Austin, Texas)
- Mike Ziegenhorn, Sports Director (Now with The Holmes Organisation)
- John Anderson,Sports, (Now with ESPN)
[edit] Logos
 KTUL logo, used from 1992 until 1999. |
 KTUL logo, used from 1999 until 2006. |
 KTUL logo, used since June 2006. |
[edit] News/Station Presentation
[edit] Newscast Titles
- News 8 (1971-1975 and 1982-1992)
- Total 8 Tulsa (1975-1982)
- Oklahoma's News 8 (1992-1999)
- Oklahoma's NewsChannel 8 (1999-2006)
- NewsChannel 8 (2006-present)
[edit] Station Slogans
- 8's the Place (1977-1983 and 1989-1992; in 1978, was used along with ABC's "We're the One!" campaign at the time)
- 8's Your Place (1983-1988)
- Celebrate Oklahoma with 8 (1988-1989)
- Coverage You Can Count On (1992-2006)
- On Your Side (2006-present)
[edit] Trivia
- In 1996, Frank Mitchell made a surprise wedding proposal to his co-host, Teri Bowers during a live broadcast of "Good Morning Oklahoma". The proposal made national news and was featured on programs such as American Journal, Geraldo and Maury.
- The current studios on Lookout Mountain were built for television station KCEB. Former owner James C. Leake moved the KTVX operation to Tulsa from Muskogee.
- Frank Mitchell was promoted to Chief Meteorologist in February 2005, succeeding Travis Meyer, who left KTUL after 23 years to go to competing station KOTV.
- KTUL refused to air the initial post-Super Bowl episode, or any episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live during the first year. Tulsa's then-WB affiliate, KQCW (formerly KWBT, now a CW affiliate) aired the show until KTUL picked it up in 2005.
[edit] External links
- KTUL Homepage
- http://www.structurae.de/de/structures/data/s0014019/index.cfm
- http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=115086
- Query the FCC's TV station database for KTUL
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KJRH 2 (NBC) - KOTV 6 (CBS) - KTUL 8 (ABC) - KOED 11 / KOET 3 (PBS / OETA) - K13XU / K15DA / K14LD (Ind.) - KDOR 17 (TBN) - KQCW 19 (The CW) - |
Local cable television channels |
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KOCO 5 (Oklahoma City) - KSWO 7 (Lawton) - KTUL 8 (Tulsa) |
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| See also: CBS, CW, Fox, MyNetworkTV, NBC, PBS, Spanish ,and Other English stations in Oklahoma | |
