KIVI-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Boise, Idaho, United States that is licensed to Nampa. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 24 (or virtual channel 6 via PSIP) from a transmitter at the Bogus Basin ski area summit.
Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, KIVI shares studios with formerly co-owned Fox affiliate KNIN-TV (channel 9, licensed to Caldwell and now owned by Gray Television but still operated by Scripps under a shared services agreement) on East Chisholm Drive in Nampa (along I-84/U.S. 30/SH-55).
KSAW-LD (virtual channel 6, UHF digital channel 15) in Twin Falls operates as a semi-satellite of KIVI extending the ABC signal into the Magic Valley. As such, it clears all network programming and most syndicated shows as provided through its parent but some of the non-network fare airs at a different time on KSAW. There are also some programs that only air on KSAW while some only air on KIVI. KSAW also airs separate legal identifications and commercial inserts targeting the Magic Valley. Master control and most other internal operations originate from KIVI's studios but KSAW does operate an advertising sales office locally in Twin Falls. KSAW's transmitter is located on Flat Top Butte near Jerome, Idaho.
History[]
The station signed-on February 1, 1974 with the call sign KITC (the callsign standing for "Idaho Television Company", for the station's original owner) and was Boise's third commercial station. It aired an analog signal on VHF channel 6 and immediately took on an ABC affiliation. Prior to the station's launch, the network was split between CBS affiliate KBOI-TV (channel 2) and NBC station KTVB (channel 7), with programing from ABC being carried on both outlets in off-hours. Although Boise had been large enough since the 1950s to support three full network affiliates, the difficulty of building a translator network to serve this vast and mountainous market scared off many prospective owners until the late 1960s.
In 1975, KITC changed calls to KIVI-TV for the first time but would ultimately drop the -TV suffix in 1998. Idaho Television Company sold KIVI and its then-sister KPVI in Pocatello to Futura Titanium Corporation in 1977. Futura, in turn, sold the station to the Evening Post Publishing Company in 1981, and Evening Post struck a deal to sell the station to Milwaukee-based Journal Communications in 2001, with the deal closing in 2002.
KKVI in Twin Falls was the Magic Valley's original ABC affiliate through its status as a full-powered satellite of KPVI in Pocatello. In January 1996, the parent station switched affiliations to NBC. Since that network was already seen in Twin Falls through KTVB's low-powered semi-satellite KTFT-LP, KKVI became that area's first full-time Fox affiliate as KXTF. Fox was previously seen on that station off-hours in a secondary nature. Due to the network changes in Twin Falls, KIVI's owner purchased K68CO and turned it into a low-powered semi-satellite as KSAW-LP.
On July 1, 2008 it was reported Banks Broadcasting had agreed to sell KNIN to Journal Communications (owner of KIVI) which would create Boise's first television duopoly. On November 10, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initially rejected the application. Shortly afterward, Banks Broadcasting filed an appeal. The FCC reversed its decision to reject the deal on January 16, 2009. The purchase closed on April 24, at which point KNIN vacated its longtime studios on West Bannock Street in downtown Boise and was integrated into KIVI's facilities in Nampa.
On July 30, 2014, it was announced that E. W. Scripps Company would acquire Journal Communications in an all-stock transaction. The combined firm retained the companies broadcast holdings and spun off their print assets as Journal Media Group. Originally, KIVI-TV, KNIN-TV and five radio stations were not included in the merger; in September, Journal filed to transfer these stations to Journal/Scripps Divestiture Trust (with Kiel Media Group as trustee). The merger was completed on April 1, 2015. Scripps retained KIVI and the five radio stations, but not KNIN. However, KIVI continues to provide services and facilities to KNIN, which was sold to Raycom Media.
| TV stations in Idaho |
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| KIVI, Nampa |
| TV stations in Eastern Oregon, Southwestern Idaho and the Treasure Valley, including Boise and Ontario |
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| KBOI 2 (CBS) KAID 4 (PBS) KIVI 6 (ABC) KTVB 7 (NBC) KNIN 9 (Fox) KTRV 12 (Ion) KKIC-LD 16 (ESTRELLA) KCLP-CA 18 (The Walk TV) KZTN-LD 20 (TBN) KRID-LD 22 (Newsmax) K31ED-D 31 (3ABN) KBSE-LD 33 (HSN) KYUU-LD 35 (CW) KKJB 39 (TLM) KBTI-LD 41 (HSN2) KZAK-LD 49 (Daystar) KCBB-LD 51 (AZA) |