KPRC-TV

Encyclopedia : K : KP : KPR : KPRC-TV

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KPRC-TV is a television station based in Houston, Texas. The station operates on analog channel 2 and digital channel 31. KPRC is affiliated with the NBC television network. KPRC is owned and operated by Post-Newsweek Stations, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company.

History

The station first broadcast on January 1, 1949, as KLEE-TV, and was owned by W. Albert Lee. It was the first television station in Houston and the 12th in the United States.

On June 1, 1950, KLEE-TV was purchased by the Hobby family, owners of the Houston Post, who had signed on KPRC radio in 1925 as Houston's first radio station. The television station's call letters were changed to match its radio cousin on July 3, 1950. It has been an NBC affiliate from the very first day, though it carried secondary affiliations with CBS until 1953 (when KGUL-TV, now KHOU-TV, signed on), with DuMont until 1956 [link], and with ABC until 1954 (when KTRK-TV signed on) because of the FCC freeze.

Because of its affiliation with NBC, KPRC was the first station in Houston to broadcast the first color program in Houston and was subsequently the first to broadcast in full color.

In 1983, the Post was sold, while the Hobby's broadcast holdings were reorganized as H&C Communications. After 40 years of ownership by the Hobby family, KPRC was sold to the Washington Post in 1994. The Houston Post was bought and absorbed into the Houston Chronicle, with the last edition printed in April of 1995.

When the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach debuted in 1999, KPRC -- along with its sister station WDIV -- preempted the show; both stations also had preempted the earlier soap opera Sunset Beach. Initially, it aired on KNWS, moving to KPRC at 3 AM. NBC prefers that affiliates not preempt programs, so on August 30, 2004, KPRC started to air Passions. KPRC used to delay Late Night with Conan O'Brien to air Jerry Springer's talk show at 11:35 p.m., at one point airing other programming in late night which delayed Late Night to 2:40 a.m. This was a fact not lost on Conan, who visited Houston's main bus terminal to watch an episode of his own show in a classic and hilarious skit. KPRC later moved the show to 12:35 a.m. and today airs Conan in its network slot after the Tonight Show. They still however delay Last Call with Carson Daly until 2:05, showing infomercials at 12:35 a.m. in the show's network timeslot.

Since 2004 KPRC has been branded "Local2" under a new station standardization practice by Post-Newsweek that mandates all its stations use the "Local" branding.

Newscasts

Monday-Friday

• KPRC Local 2 Daybreak - 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
• *Owen Conflenti, Lauren Freeman, Byron Miranda
• KPRC Local 2 Midday - 11 a.m. to Noon
• *Owen Conflenti, Lauren Freeman, Byron Miranda
• KPRC Local 2 at 4 - 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
• *Dominique Sachse, Wendy Corona, Frank Billingsley
• KPRC Local 2 at 5 - 5 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
• *Bill Balleza, Dominique Sachse, Frank Billingsley
• KPRC Local 2 at 6 - 6 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
• *Bill Balleza, Wendy Corona, Frank Billingsley, Randy McIlvoy (Mon-Thu), Steve Mark (Fri)
• KPRC Local 2 Nighbeat - 10 p.m.-10:35 p.m.
• *Bill Balleza, Dominique Sachse, Frank Billingsley, Randy McIlvoy (Mon-Thu), Steve Mark (Fri)

Saturdays

• KPRC Local 2 Saturday Morning 6 a.m.-8 a.m.
• *Courtney Zavala, Lisa Baldwin, Anthony Yanez
• KPRC Local 2 at 6 - 6 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
• *Khambrel Marshall, Rachel McNeill, Jason Brewer, Steve Mark
• KPRC Local 2 Nightbeat - 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• *Khambrel Marshall, Rachel McNeill, Jason Brewer, Steve Mark

Sundays

• KPRC Local 2 Sunday Morning - 6 a.m.-7 a.m.
• *Courtney Zavala, Lisa Baldwin, Anthony Yanez
• KPRC Local 2 Sunday Morning - 8 a.m.-9 a.m.
• *Courtney Zavala, Lisa Baldwin, Anthony Yanez
• KPRC Local 2 at 5 - 5 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
• *Khambrel Marshall, Rachel McNeill, Jason Brewer, Randy McIlvoy
• KPRC Local 2 Nightbeat - 10 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• *Khambrel Marshall, Rachel McNeill, Jason Brewer, Randy McIlvoy

Newscast titles

• The News reporter with Steve Smith (1970-1973)
• Big 2 News (1973-1980)
• 2News (1980-1984)
• Channel Two News (1984-1993)
• Channel 2 News (1993-1995)
• News2 Houston (1995-2004)
• Local2 News (2004-2005)
• KPRC Local 2 (2005-present)

Logos

Image:Kprctv1960.JPG|KPRC-TV logo, 1960. Image:Kprc.JPG|KPRC-TV logo, 1969-1976
(from a trade ad) Image:Kprc80.JPG|KPRC-TV logo, 1976-1985
(modified version of previous logo) Image:KPRC02.JPG|KPRC-TV logo, 1985-1992 Image:Kprc92.JPG|KPRC-TV logo, 1992-1995 -- this "2" would later be used by Orlando station WESH Image:Kprc6.jpg|KPRC-TV logo, 1995-present Image:Local 2 logo.jpg|The Present Local 2 logo, used since 2004

Noted personalities

Current personalities:

• Roseann Rogers, Entertainment Host/Producer.
• Phil Archer, reporter.
• Robert Arnold, investigative reporter.
• Lisa Baldwin, anchor/reporter.
• Bill Balleza, anchor.
• Amy Barnett, reporter.
• Mary Benton, reporter.
• Frank Billingsley, chief meteorologist.
• Kym Alvarado-Booth, reporter.
• Owen Conflenti, anchor.
• Wendy Corona, anchor.
• Amy Davis, investigative reporter.
• Stephen Dean, investigative reporter.
• Lauren Freeman, anchor.
• Steve Mark, sports reporter.
• Khambrel Marshall, anchor.
• Randy McIlvoy, sports director.
• Rachel McNeill, anchor/reporter.
• Byron Miranda, meteorologist.
• Christina Park, reporter.
• Dominique Sachse, anchor.
• Jennifer Thompson, reporter.
• Carl Willis, reporter.
• Anthony Yanez, meteorologist.
• Courtney Zavala, anchor/reporter.
• Radar, "The Weather Dog".

Past personalities:

• Emily Akin, consumer reporter
• Sara Allen, anchor/reporter.
• Larry Audas, anchor/reporter.
• Kay Bailey, reporter (Channel 2's first female reporter).
• Jan Carson, anchor.
• Jack Cato, reporter (died in 2006).
• Pauline Chou, anchor/reporter.
• Shern-Min Chow, anchor/reporter (Now on Houston's CBS affiliate, KHOU)
• Roland Galvan, chief meteorologist (died in 2005).
• Cynthia Hunt, reporter.
• Wes Hohenstein, meteorologist.
• Doug Johnson, chief meteorologist.
• Rob Johnson, anchor/reporter.
• Priscilla Kwan, reporter.
• Brette Lea, anchor/reporter.
• Linda Lorelle, anchor.
• Anita Martini, sportscaster (died in 1993; first woman to do an interview in a pro sports locker room in 1974).
• Trazanna McClain, anchor/reporter.
• Gasia Mikaelian, anchor/reporter.
• Itica Milanes, anchor/reporter. (Moved to Fresno ABC O&O affiliate KFSN-TV as weekend morning anchor in June 2005.)
• Bob Nicholas, anchor.
• Carl Parker, meteorologist. (Now featured on the Weather Channel.)
• Dan O'Rourke, anchor/reporter.
• Craig Roberts, sports director.
• Janet Shamlian, anchor.
• Orelon Sidney, meteorologist.
• Steve Smith, anchor.
• Ron Stone, anchor.
• Ron Stone, Jr., reporter.
• Chris Wragge, sports director. (Moved to WCBS-TV in 2004.)
• Paula Zahn, anchor (now an evening show host at CNN).

External links

• [Official site]
• [Snopes.com article about a KLEE-TV phantom broadcast]
• [Query the FCC's TV station database for KPRC]

Sources

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