KWES-TV

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KWES-TV / KWAB-TV
KWES: Midland / Odessa, Texas KWAB: Big Spring, Texas
Branding	NewsWest 9
Slogan	The Star of West Texas More News. More Often.
Channels	KWES: 9 (VHF) KWAB: 4 (VHF) analog, KWES: 15 (UHF) KWAB: 33 (UHF) digital
Affiliations	NBC
Owner	Drewry Communications Group (Midessa Television)
Founded	KWES: December 1, 1958 KWAB: January 15, 1956
Call letters meaning	KWES: K West Texas KWAB: (unknown)
Former callsigns	KWES: KVKM (1958-1966), KMOM (1966-1981), KTPX (1981-1993)
Former affiliations	ABC (1958-1981)
Website	www.newswest9.com

KWES-TV channel 9 is the NBC affiliate in the Midland / Odessa area and is currently owned by the Drewry Communications Group.

KWES operates a satellite station in Big Spring, KWAB-TV channel 4, repeater station K13NG in Big Bend National Park, Texas, and owns and operates KTLE-LP Channel 20 and KTLD-LP Channel 49, the local Telemundo affiliate.

Contents 1 History 2 Newscasts 2.1 Weekdays 2.2 Saturday 2.3 Sunday 3 Personalities 3.1 Current 3.1.1 News 3.1.2 Weather 3.1.3 Sports 3.2 Former On-Air Talent 4 External links

[edit] History

KWES began broadcasting in 1958 as KVKM-TV in Monahans, Texas and was originally an ABC affiliate, later becoming KMOM-TV (which signified "Monahans-Odessa-Midland"). The station changed its network affiliation to NBC in 1981 with ABC moving to KMID-TV Channel 2, and at the same time changed its call letters to KTPX while moving its studio operations from Monahans to Midland. It adopted its current call KWES in 1993. (KTPX is now being used by the i network affiliate in Tulsa, Oklahoma.) KWES operates satellite station KWAB-TV Channel 4 in Big Spring, Texas, and formerly operated satellite station KAVE-TV in Carlsbad, New Mexico, for a time in 1966. (KAVE was made a satellite of new sister station ch13 KELP-TV (now KVIA) in El Paso, late in 1966).

The station began with a 777 foot tower between Kermit and Monahans (shared with 1330 AM) and a 99.1 kw visual power. After 1962 the station moved to a 1,080 foot at the edge of the Caprock.

The Grayson organization added other stations through the late sixties and early seventies, including KCCN (AM) Honolulu, HI KLBK-FM Lubbock, Texas and this KVKM-TV Monahans, Texas, renamed KMOM-TV.

The company ran into license renewal trouble in 1968, 1971, 1974, and 1977. KLBK-TV eventually had it's renewal defferred and a hearing ordered. The stations were accused of fraudulent billing, program and transmitter log fabrication, main studio violations, failure to make required technical tests, etc.

The case was settled in what was then described as a "distress sale" where the stations were sold to a minority controlled group (nowadays known as a historically underutilized group) at a reduced price. The company break up actually helped define the parameters of such a sale. The Lubbock and Sweetwater stations were transferred to Prima, Inc. (African American Principals) and the Permian Basin stations (KVKM & KWAB) were sold to a Hispanic Controlled group.

KWAB-TV began in the 1950's as KBST-TV, an outgrowth of KBST (AM) and the local newspaper. The station was not an instant (or even eventual) success. KBST (AM) was sold to "The Snyder Corporation" owned by Ted Snyder (later of KARN Little Rock, AR fame) and B. Winston nkle. The TV station took on some new shareholders as a half interest was transferred to Dub Rogers' Texas Telecasting, owner of KDUB-TV Lubbock, Texas and part owner of KVER-TV in Clovis, NM.

The studios and tower were located at the edge of Howard College' campus at 2500 Kentucky Way. Local shows were produced on and off until the late sixties. The local KBST-TV shows gave way to a rebroadcast of KDUB-TV and channel 4 was renamed KEDY-TV. In 1961 Rogers sold his stations to Grayson Enterprises, Inc headed by Sid Grayson. In 1964, Grayson was bought out by his partners.

Network selection caused some conflicts over the years. KBST-TV got whatever shows it could get from whatever network would allow. Nearby Midland had channel 2, which was primarily an NBC affiliate in the 50's. Further away was Odessa's channel 7 KOSA-TV which was primarily a CBS affiliate. KEDY-TV became a satellite of KPAR-TV (later KTXS-TV) in Sweetwater which was a shared ABC and CBS affiliate. CBS programs from KDUB on KEDY or from KPAR to KEDY conflicted with KOSA.

In 1969 Grayson bought ch9 KVKM-TV in Monahans, Texas which was an ABC affiliate. They put the KVKM (renamed KMOM-TV) programs on the ch4 station, by now redubbed KWAB-TV (for Webb Air Base).

After KMOM sold and became KTPX, the studios were moved to near the Midland Airport. For many years the stations did some Big Spring production, most of which aired on a delayed basis. "Today in Big Spring" would be recorded in Big Spring and fed back to the Midland studios over the company microwave system.

[edit] Newscasts

[edit] Weekdays

• 5:30am NewsWest 9 Sunrise
• 4pm NewsWest 9 First News at 4
• 5pm NewsWest 9 at 5
• 6pm NewsWest 9 at 6
• 10pm NewsWest 9 at 10

[edit] Saturday

• 6pm NewsWest 9 at 6
• 10pm NewsWest 9 at 10

[edit] Sunday

• 10pm NewsWest 9 at 10

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Current

[edit] News

• Crystal Crews
• Michael Stafford
• Pamela Hamm
• Hema Mullur
• Mitzi Loera
• Mary Lou Morga
• Jacqueline Sit
• Camaron Abundes

[edit] Weather

• Tom Tefertiller
• Darrell Ward
• Kurt Mueller

[edit] Sports

• Scott Shields
• Steve Loscalzo

[edit] Former On-Air Talent

• Antoinette Antonio (Morning Anchor/Reporter, 2003-2005; now at KOB-TV Albuquerque)
• Billy Churchwell (Weekend Anchor/Reporter, 2003-2005; now at KRNV-TV Reno)
• Ty Fernandes (Weekend Anchor/Reporter, 2003-2006; now at WFTX-TV Ft. Myers)
• Jessica Garate (Morning Anchor/Reporter, 2002-2004; now at KRQE-TV Albuquerque)
• Jay Hendricks (Sports Anchor, Evening Anchor/Reporter, 1983-2006; now at KOSA-TV)
• Toan Lam (Reporter, 2002-2003; now at KRON-TV San Francisco)
• Jeff Maher (Weekend Anchor/Reporter, 2004-2006; now at KOB-TV Albuquerque)
• David Marino (Reporter, 2003-2005; now at KVOA-TV Tucson)
• Stephanie Rivas (Morning & Evening Anchor/Reporter, 199?-2005; now at KABB-TV San Antonio)
• Jordan Williams (Morning & Evening Anchor/Reporter, 2003-2006; now at KOCO-TV Oklahoma City)

[edit] External links

• Official site
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KWES
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KWAB
• Query the FCC's TV station database for K13NG