History of KTVB in Timeline

KTVB is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Boise, Idaho, owned by Tegna Inc. The station operates from studios on West Fairview Avenue in Boise, with its transmitter on Deer Point in Boise County. KTVB is rebroadcast by KTFT-LD in Twin Falls, a semi-satellite station that inserts local advertising for the Magic Valley area. KTFT-LD has a sales office in Twin Falls and a transmitter near Jerome, Idaho. Together, KTVB and KTFT-LD are branded as the "KTVB Media Group".

1937: KIDO Radio Affiliates with NBC

Since 1937, KIDO radio had maintained NBC affiliation.

March 1952: KIDO Files FCC Application

In March 1952, Boise radio station KIDO, owned by Georgia Davidson, filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking to build a television station on channel 7.

July 12, 1953: KIDO-TV Debuts

On July 12, 1953, Channel 7 debuted as KIDO-TV, becoming Idaho's second television station and the first to be fully licensed. While KFXD-TV started a month earlier, KIDO-TV was better organized with network and local programming.

1955: Live National Programming Begins

In 1955, live national programming became a reality with the World Series after KIDO-TV and KBOI-TV set up a microwave transmission link between Boise and Salt Lake City.

1955: Plans to Extend Channel 7 to Twin Falls

In 1955, then-KIDO-TV partnered with Twin Falls radio station KTFI to obtain a construction permit for channel 13 in that city, awarded as KHTV.

1956: KIDO-TV Tower Relocated

In 1956, KIDO-TV's tower was relocated to Deer Point, extending the station's coverage to an additional 80,000 people.

1956: Robert Krueger Starts at KIDO-TV

In 1956, Robert Krueger started at then-KIDO-TV and would serve in management for 40 years.

November 1958: Davidson Agrees to Sell KIDO Radio

In November 1958, Davidson agreed to sell KIDO radio to the Mesabi Western Corp.

1958: Davidson Sells KIDO Radio

In 1958, Georgia Davidson sold off KIDO radio station. The television station, Channel 7, changed its call sign to KTVB the following year.

February 1, 1959: Channel 7 Becomes KTVB

On February 1, 1959, channel 7 became KTVB after the sale of KIDO radio.

December 18, 1963: KTVB Receives Construction Permit

On December 18, 1963, KTVB received a construction permit to expand its reach with a satellite station on channel 13 in La Grande, Oregon.

December 6, 1964: KTVR Begins Broadcasting

On December 6, 1964, KTVR began broadcasting, offering local news and information for Eastern Oregon from studios in La Grande.

1967: KTVR Becomes a Rebroadcaster

In 1967, KTVB closed the local operation in La Grande and converted KTVR into a full-time rebroadcaster of the Boise station.

1969: KTVB Airs Sesame Street

In 1969, KTVB aired Sesame Street when the show debuted, as Idaho did not have a public station at the time.

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1970: Ground Broken for New Studios

In 1970, ground was broken for new studios at 5400 Fairview Avenue.

1971: KTVB Helps Launch KAID-TV

In 1971, KTVB provided its transmitter site and engineering resources to launch KAID-TV (channel 4).

1974: KTVB Loses ABC Programming

In 1974, KTVB lost ABC programming to a new station—KITC-TV, soon renamed KIVI-TV, on channel 6.

1974: OEPBS Offer to Acquire KTVR

In 1974, KTVB received an offer from the Oregon Educational and Public Broadcasting Service (OEPBS) to acquire KTVR for integration into its statewide public television network.

March 7, 1975: KTVR Taken Out of Service

On March 7, 1975, KTVB took KTVR out of service while the deal with OEPBS was pending.

February 1977: KTVR Returns to Air Under OEPBS Ownership

In February 1977, KTVR returned to the air under OEPBS ownership.

1978: KTVB as Undisputed Ratings King

As early as 1978, KTVB was the "undisputed ratings king" in the market, well ahead of KBCI and KIVI.

1978: Davidson Discusses Financial Struggles

In a 1978 interview, Davidson noted that she "lived with the spectre of bankruptcy, a very embarrassing bankruptcy, day or night" due to financial struggles in KTVB's early years.

1979: Davidson Announces Sale to King Broadcasting

In 1979, Davidson announced the sale of KTVB to King Broadcasting of Seattle.

1979: KTVB Sold to King Broadcasting

In 1979, Davidson sold KTVB to King Broadcasting. The station continued to lead local news ratings in the market.

April 1980: King Broadcasting Takes Over

In April 1980, King Broadcasting took over KTVB. Paid religious programming on Sunday mornings was dropped.

1981: King Broadcasting Files for Low-Power TV Station

In 1981, renewed interest in bringing KTVB over-the-air to Twin Falls began when King Broadcasting filed for a construction permit for a low-power TV station.

1984: Idaho at Five Debuts

In 1984, KTVB was the first Boise station to present an hour of local early evening news when it debuted the 5 p.m. newscast Idaho at Five.

July 1, 1986: K38AS Debuts

On July 1, 1986, K38AS debuted as the first low-power station to be an NBC affiliate; KMVT ceased offering NBC programs leading up to its launch.

1986: KTVB Establishes K38AS

In 1986, KTVB established K38AS (now KTFT-LD), the first low-power NBC affiliate.

1990: King Broadcasting Company Put Up for Sale

In 1990, King Broadcasting Company put itself up for sale.

1990: Ownership Change Begins

Starting in 1990, KTVB changed ownership three times in larger transactions.

1991: Providence Journal Company Makes Offer

In 1991, King Broadcasting accepted an offer from the Providence Journal Company.

1992: First Weekend Morning News

In 1992, KTVB was the first station with weekend morning news.

1992: Transaction Closes with Providence Journal Company

In 1992, the transaction between King Broadcasting and Providence Journal Company closed.

December 1994: Station Takes KTFT-LP Call Sign

In December 1994, the station took a four-letter call sign of KTFT-LP (for "Twin Falls Television").

1995: KTVB Contributes to Northwest Cable News

In 1995, KTVB became a contributor to the new Northwest Cable News (NWCN) regional cable channel.

1996: Belo Corporation Purchases Providence Journal

In 1996, The Belo Corporation purchased Providence Journal.

November 1, 2002: KTVB Begins Broadcasting Digital Signal

On November 1, 2002, KTVB began broadcasting a digital signal on UHF channel 26.

October 2003: KTVB Launches 24/7 NewsChannel

At the end of October 2003, KTVB launched 24/7 NewsChannel on its second digital subchannel and local cable.

June 12, 2009: Analog Signal Shut Down

On June 12, 2009, KTVB shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 7, transitioning to digital broadcasts.

November 2010: Dominance in News Ratings

In November 2010, each of KTVB's local newscasts had more viewers than their competition combined.

2011: 24/7 NewsChannel Rebranded

By 2011, the station had rebranded its 24/7 NewsChannel as "Idaho's Very Own 24/7", and it aired a dedicated 6:30 p.m. newscast and 7 a.m. morning news extension.

June 13, 2013: Gannett to Acquire Belo

On June 13, 2013, the Gannett Company announced that it would acquire Belo.

2013: KTVB Adds 4 p.m. News Hour

In 2013, KTVB added a 4 p.m. news hour.

2015: Gannett Split Into Separate Companies

In 2015, Gannett's TV stations and newspapers split into separate companies, the former being named Tegna.

2015: Gannett Broadcast Division Splits Off

In 2015, Gannett's broadcast division split off as Tegna.

2020: Idaho Today and The 208 Debut

In 2020, KTVB debuted a local lifestyle program, the midday Idaho Today, and reformatted its weeknight 5 p.m. news as the interactive The 208.

2021: Mark Johnson Retires

In 2021, anchor Mark Johnson spent 30 years with the station, retiring.

2022: Larry Gebert's Death

In 2022, Larry Gebert was the station's meteorologist for 30 years until his death.

2023: Local Sports Coverage on Subchannel

In 2023, the subchannel served as an outlet for local sports coverage, including Boise State Broncos men's basketball games and Idaho Steelheads minor league hockey.