KMTC: ABC for Springfield
In March 1966, Midland Television Corporation filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to build a third commercial TV station in Springfield. Its owners were primarily from Springfield, led by Kenneth Meyer and Thomas Barneby,[1] part-owners of local radio station KTXR (101.3 FM).[2] The construction permit was granted on November 17, 1966, but construction of studios on Cherry Street did not begin until July 1968.[3] A 1621 ft tower and transmitter facility were built near Fordland.[4]
KMTC began broadcasting on September 29, 1968, as an ABC affiliate.[5] Even when the network rose to number-one in the ratings in the late 1970s, KMTC placed third in overall market ratings. This was because it struggled to serve the same market area as Springfield's established VHF stations, KYTV (channel 3) and KOLR (channel 10). These stations reached 90 percent or more of regional homes, while KMTC performed better in the area it reached, the Springfield metro.[6] Even where viewers had the capability to receive UHF stations, their UHF tuners—never before used—often did not work, Meyer later recalled.[7] Similarly, KMTC's newscasts traditionally had audience shares far behind its competitors.[8] In November 1976, KMTC's news had an 8 percent share at 10 p.m., trailing KOLR's 24 percent share and KYTV's 56 percent.[9] Meyer filed to acquire controlling interest in KMTC in 1977.[10]
News ratings continued to be low in the early 1980s, so low that Springfield's new independent station, KSPR (channel 33)—which began in March 1983[11]—outrated KMTC in the May 1985 sweeps period at 10 p.m.[12]
Charles Woods ownership and loss of ABC affiliation
In February 1985, Meyer agreed to sell KMTC to Charles Woods, who owned three other TV stations, for $21 million. Woods assumed control in June and named Deborah Corbett, his daughter, station manager. Woods expressed hope that by enlarging the staff to a level similar to his other stations, channel 27 could improve its news ratings.[13] After taking ownership, Woods filed to the FCC for the call sign KDEB-TV, in honor of Corbett.[14] The station instituted its first-ever weekend late evening newscasts in February 1986.[15]
The deal included the affiliation contract with ABC, a three-year pact that expired July 3, 1986. Woods told the media at a news conference when he assumed control, "They should send us the normal notice a few months ahead of time. Cancellation of a network affiliation is almost unheard of." However, ABC was also entertaining a proposal from KSPR for the affiliation and invited KDEB to pitch the network on why it should not change stations.[16] On April 3, 1986, ABC announced it was switching its affiliation in Springfield to KSPR by the end of the year.
Fox affiliation
By March 1987, KDEB had joined the Fox network.[25] As the network established itself in the early 1990s with shows such as The Simpsons, KDEB experienced ratings increases, particularly among viewers aged 18 to 49.[26] Companies owned by Woods sold KDEB and three other stations to Banam Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Bank of America, in 1992 in exchange for debt reduction.[27] At the time, Woods was in substantial financial distress. A bankruptcy filing for Woods Communications Corporation showed that assets of $16 million were exceeded by liabilities of $76 million,[28] more than half of which was owed to Bank of America.[29] Banam sold its stations in 1995 to Petracom Inc. of Tampa, Florida.[30]
As an independent station
Fox announced on June 20, 2011, that it would end its affiliation with KSFX-TV and sister station WFFT-TV in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Nexstar had earlier lost the Fox affiliation for WTVW in Evansville, Indiana, following a dispute with the network over retransmission consent fees[42] that had led contract renewal talks to drag on for more than a year.[43] Replacing KSFX-TV as the Fox affiliate in the Springfield market was KRBK (channel 49), a recently established station licensed to Osage Beach,[42] when the switch took effect on September 1.[44] Without Fox programming, channel 27 became an independent station under a new call sign of KOZL-TV, branding as "Ozarks Local". Nexstar doubled the renamed station's local programming from 12 to 24 hours a week.
