History of KETV in Timeline

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KETV

KETV is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Omaha, Nebraska. Owned by Hearst Television, KETV's studios are situated in the historic Burlington Station, referred to as 7 Burlington Station. The station's transmitter is positioned on a tower farm in north-central Omaha, specifically near North 72nd Street and Crown Point Avenue. KETV provides news and entertainment programming to the Omaha metropolitan area.

3 hours ago : Severe Storms and Flooding Threaten Omaha and Central U.S., Weather Alert Issued

Spotty storms are approaching Omaha, with a broader severe weather and flooding threat across the central U.S. A weather alert has been issued for possible severe weather on Thursday afternoon and evening.

1953: KOLN-TV Becomes Omaha's ABC Affiliate

In 1953, KOLN-TV in Lincoln became Omaha's ABC affiliate, serving in this role for much of 1953 and 1954.

1954: KOLN-TV Ends Affiliation With Omaha

In 1954, KOLN-TV in Lincoln ended its role as Omaha's ABC affiliate after the Federal Communications Commission split off Lincoln into its own separate market from Omaha.

September 17, 1957: KETV Signs On

On September 17, 1957, KETV signed on the air as Omaha's third television station and an ABC affiliate. It branded itself as "Omaha World-Herald Television."

1962: Peter Kiewit, Jr. Buys World Publishing

In 1962, construction magnate Peter Kiewit, Jr. bought World Publishing, the owner of KETV.

1976: Kiewit Sells KETV to Pulitzer Broadcasting

In 1976, Peter Kiewit sold KETV to Pulitzer Broadcasting Company due to a change in FCC regulations.

1982: The Weather Channel Launched

In 1982, John Coleman, a KETV alumni, developed and launched The Weather Channel.

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1982: KETV Launches Crime Stoppers Segments

Since 1982, KETV has been known for its weekly Crimestoppers segments, contributing to numerous arrests and convictions.

1984: KETV Introduces New Logo

In 1984, KETV introduced its current logo, which is a variation of the widely used Circle 7 logo.

1992: Far and Away aired by KETV

In 1992, KETV aired the movie Far and Away.

October 1996: KETV Televising Newscasts From "The Newsplex"

In October 1996, KETV began televising all of its local newscasts from a "working newsroom" set known as "The Newsplex".

1996: KLKN-TV Signs On

In 1996, KLKN-TV signed on from Lincoln. Until then, KETV served as the default ABC affiliate for Nebraska's state capital.

1998: Pulitzer Sells Broadcasting Division to Hearst-Argyle

In 1998, Pulitzer sold its entire broadcasting division, including KETV, to Hearst-Argyle Television.

2000: KETV Logo Update

In 2000, KETV's logo received a slight update.

2000: Newscast Title Revised

In 2000, KETV's newscast title was revised to KETV NewsWatch 7.

July 4, 2003: KETV's Transmitter Tower Collapses

On July 4, 2003, KETV's transmitter tower collapsed during the addition of a digital television antenna, knocking the station off the air.

2004: KETV Preempts Saving Private Ryan

In 2004, KETV preempted the special showing of Saving Private Ryan due to concerns about FCC fines, airing Far and Away instead.

2004: New Transmitter Tower Erected

In late 2004, a new transmitter tower was erected near the site of the collapsed tower on the tower farm.

2005: KETV Tape-Delays Shows

During the 2005-06 season, KETV tape-delayed Kim Possible and Power Rangers SPD for broadcast on early Monday mornings.

February 2006: KETV Reformats Investigative Unit

In February 2006, KETV reformatted its investigative unit as the NewsWatch 7 "I-Team".

July 2006: KETV Launches Weather Now

In July 2006, KETV launched digital subchannel 7.2 as a 24-hour local weather channel, "Weather Now," an affiliate of The Local AccuWeather Channel.

September 2006: KETV Preempts ABC Kids Broadcasts

Starting in September 2006, KETV began preempting ABC Kids broadcasts of the Power Rangers series due to a lack of E/I content.

November 2006: KETV Becomes Top-Rated News Station

In November 2006, KETV overtook WOWT to become the top-rated news station in the Omaha market.

2007: Next Generation Super Doppler 7 Built

In 2007, KETV's high resolution weather radar called Next Generation Super Doppler 7 was built near the station's transmitter site.

June 12, 2009: KETV Ends Analog Programming

On June 12, 2009, KETV ended regular programming on its analog signal as part of the transition from analog to digital television.

February 1, 2010: KETV Begins Broadcasting in Widescreen

On February 1, 2010, KETV became the third television station in Omaha to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in 16:9 widescreen standard definition, introducing updated graphics.

August 28, 2010: KETV Drops ABC Kids Broadcasts

KETV preempted ABC Kids broadcasts of the Power Rangers series until August 28, 2010, when the program was dropped by ABC.

September 1, 2011: KETV Replaced Weather Now with MeTV

On September 1, 2011, KETV replaced "Weather Now" with the classic television network MeTV.

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July 9, 2012: KETV Taken Off Time Warner Cable in Lincoln

On July 9, 2012, a conflict between Hearst Television and Time Warner Cable resulted in KETV being taken off the provider's systems in the Lincoln market.

July 19, 2012: KETV Returns to Time Warner Cable in Lincoln

On July 19, 2012, KETV was restored to Time Warner Cable's systems in Lincoln after a carriage deal was reached.

June 5, 2013: Hearst Television Announces Purchase of Burlington Station

On June 5, 2013, Hearst Television announced the purchase of the historic Burlington Station to be reused as a broadcasting facility for KETV.

October 2015: KETV Upgrades to HD Operations

KETV upgraded to full high definition operations in late October 2015, coinciding with the move to the new Burlington Station facilities.

October 28, 2015: KETV's News Operation Moves to Burlington Station

On October 28, 2015, KETV's news operation moved into the renovated Burlington Station in downtown Omaha, with the first broadcast airing at 5 p.m.

May 2016: Demolition of Original KETV Building

In May 2016, the original KETV building was demolished, years after the Douglas Street radar tower and dome became unused.

June 14, 2018: KETV Dropped from Spectrum in Lincoln

On June 14, 2018, KETV was dropped from Spectrum's channel lineup in Lincoln.

September 2021: GetTV Added on 7.5

In September 2021, GetTV was added on KETV's channel 7.5.

September 5, 2022: KETV Debuts 4 p.m. Newscast

On September 5, 2022, KETV debuted an hour-long 4 p.m. newscast, replacing The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

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