KALB-TV

KALB-TV is a broadcast television station serving Alexandria and Central Louisiana in the United States. The station operates on virtual channel 5 and is primarily affiliated with NBC. Its locally distributed services also include CBS programming on a second digital subchannel, while additional digital outlets have carried The CW and other multicast networks. KALB maintains studios on Washington Street in downtown Alexandria and transmits from a facility near Forest Hill. The station began broadcasting on September 29, 1954, opening with NBC coverage of the 1954 World Series. It was established by W. H. Allen and Shreveport businessman T. B. Lanford and has retained its NBC affiliation throughout its history. In its early years, KALB also carried selected programming from ABC and other networks, reflecting the limited availability of full-service television in Central Louisiana. The station benefited from the Federal Communications Commission's channel-allocation plan, which left Alexandria as the only community in a broad area around the regional markets of Shreveport, Monroe, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and Jackson able to receive a commercial VHF license. This gave KALB a powerful local position before competing Alexandria stations signed on. Lanford acquired Allen's interest in 1957 through Red River Valley Broadcasting. KALB remained associated with fellow NBC affiliate KPLC in Lake Charles until KPLC was sold in 1964. The station's historical programming included local personalities and public-affairs or community-oriented shows, including Leverne Perry and the Little Wranglers, as well as regional sports and agriculture coverage. KALB also briefly carried Sesame Street in the early 1970s, but removed it after viewer opposition. KALB adopted stereo broadcasting in 1986, was purchased by Park Communications in 1993, and became part of Media General when that company acquired Park in 1997. In September 1997, the station adopted the NewsChannel 5 identity. It launched digital broadcasting in 2002 and discontinued its analog signal in February 2009 as part of the national digital television transition. Hoak Media acquired KALB from Media General in 2008. Gray Television, now operating as Gray Media, acquired the station in 2014. A major expansion of KALB's local network portfolio occurred in January 2007, when the station launched CBS service on its second digital subchannel. This gave Central Louisiana a locally based CBS outlet rather than relying primarily on cable carriage of stations from Lafayette, Monroe or Baton Rouge. KALB later added The CW to a third digital subchannel in 2016 after the network's affiliation moved from KBCA. Gray subsequently developed additional low-power and multicast arrangements to distribute high-definition network feeds in the region. KALB's business is centered on local television news, weather, sports, emergency information, network programming, syndicated content and advertising. Its news operation is comparatively large for a market of Alexandria's size. Regular locally produced programming has included the Jambalaya morning newscast, the Friday-night high-school-football program The 5th Quarter, Sportsnite, election debates and community events such as the Alexandria Race for the Cure. The station also operates weather and emergency-information partnerships, including severe-weather simulcasts with Radio Maria. In the 2020s, KALB expanded its sports role through agreements involving New Orleans Pelicans basketball and Gray's Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, which began carrying Pelicans games across participating Gray stations.

KALB-TV signed on in Alexandria, Louisiana, on September 29, 1954. Its first broadcast was NBC's presentation of the 1954 World Series, establishing a relationship with NBC that has continued throughout the station's history. The original ownership consisted of W. H. Allen and Shreveport businessman T. B. Lanford. Lanford bought Allen's interest in 1957 and operated the station through Red River Valley Broadcasting. During this period KALB was connected with KPLC in Lake Charles, another NBC affiliate that began broadcasting on the same day, until KPLC was sold in 1964. Alexandria's unusual position in the FCC's early channel-allocation plan shaped KALB's development. The community sat between several larger Louisiana and Mississippi television markets, leaving room for only one commercial VHF station in a large Central Louisiana area. KALB's channel 5 signal therefore enjoyed unusually broad reach and limited direct competition. The station was the only television outlet based in Alexandria until KLAX-TV launched in 1983. Cable systems later supplemented the market with stations from neighboring cities, but KALB retained a strong local position. In its first decades, KALB carried NBC as its principal service while also presenting selected ABC programs and other network content. It aired ABC shows on a secondary basis into the early 1980s. The station briefly carried Sesame Street from December 1970 to December 1971; the decision to remove the program generated substantial viewer criticism, although nearby stations remained available to some over-the-air viewers. KALB also developed local programming and personalities. Leverne Perry hosted Leverne Perry and the Little Wranglers from 1960 to 1966, and later became known for regional rodeo and quarter-horse activities. Regnal Wallace, who later led public-relations work for the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and created This Week in Louisiana Agriculture, worked at KALB as a sportscaster from 1962 to 1969. KALB began stereo transmission in 1986. Park Communications acquired the station in 1993, and Media General acquired Park in 1997. On September 29, 1997, KALB adopted the NewsChannel 5 name and a visual identity influenced by Media General's flagship WFLA. Digital broadcasting began in 2002. Media General explored a sale in 2007 and agreed in 2008 to sell KALB and WMBB to Hoak Media. Hoak's ownership closed in July of that year. KALB ended analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, continuing digitally on channel 35 while retaining virtual channel 5. The station expanded its network services in January 2007 by launching CBS on a second digital subchannel. Initially branded CBS Alexandria, the service later became CBS 2, reflecting its cable placement. This arrangement gave Central Louisiana a locally based CBS service, replacing dependence on cable carriage of distant affiliates. In 2014, Gray Television completed its acquisition of KALB from Hoak Media. The station adopted its current logo near the end of that year while continuing to use the NewsChannel 5 identity. Gray later added The CW to KALB's third digital subchannel on September 12, 2016, after an affiliation arrangement involving KBCA ended. Gray also developed low-power and multicast distribution arrangements in the region, including later simulcasts and additional digital network services. KALB's fourth subchannel became associated with Gray's Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network in October 2024, supporting regional distribution of New Orleans Pelicans programming. KALB's local-news operation is relatively extensive for a small television market. Its output includes morning, evening and weekend news, weather coverage, severe-weather alerts, election debates, community-event broadcasts and sports programming. The Jambalaya morning program was expanded to two hours in 2012. The station uses a live National Weather Service radar feed identified on air as Sky Warn 5 Live Doppler and works with Radio Maria station KJMJ to simulcast news during severe weather and other emergencies. Seasonal and recurring programs include The 5th Quarter, which covers Central Louisiana high-school football, and Sportsnite, which reviews local and national sports. These services, combined with its long-standing NBC affiliation and additional digital networks, form the core of KALB's present brand.

1. 2024Gulf Coast sports network service begins

   KALB became part of Gray's Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network distribution, including New Orleans Pelicans programming.

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2. 2016The CW added to KALB

   The CW launched on KALB's third digital subchannel.

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3. 2014Gray Television acquisition completed

   Gray completed its purchase of KALB from Hoak Media.

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4. 2009Analog transmission ends

   KALB shut down its analog channel 5 signal and continued as a digital station using virtual channel 5.

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5. 2008Hoak Media acquisition announced

   Media General agreed to sell KALB to Hoak Media; the transaction closed in July.

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6. 2007CBS digital service launched

   The station introduced CBS programming on its second digital subchannel.

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7. 2002Digital signal launched

   KALB began digital television transmission.

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8. 1997Media General ownership and NewsChannel 5 branding

   Media General acquired Park Communications, and KALB adopted the NewsChannel 5 identity on September 29.

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9. 1993Park Communications purchase

   Park Communications acquired KALB-TV.

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10. 1986Stereo broadcasting begins

    KALB began transmitting television audio in stereo.

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11. 1957Lanford acquires Allen's stake

    T. B. Lanford acquired W. H. Allen's interest and operated KALB through Red River Valley Broadcasting.

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12. 1954KALB-TV begins broadcasting

    KALB signed on in Alexandria on September 29, opening with NBC coverage of the World Series and becoming the area's principal VHF television station.

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A dominant Central Louisiana local-news and network television outlet combining NBC service with locally distributed CBS, CW, weather, sports and community programming.

• NewsChannel 5Local television news1997

  KALB's primary local-news brand and NBC-affiliated broadcast service. It combines locally produced newscasts, weather, emergency information, community reporting and network programming for Alexandria and Central Louisiana. The brand has been used since 1997, with the station retaining a strong market position built through its early VHF allocation and long history as Alexandria's principal television station.

• CBS 2Digital multicast television2007

  KALB's CBS service on its second digital subchannel. Launched in 2007 as CBS Alexandria, it provides CBS network programming and locally produced news and weather content. Its branding later reflected carriage on cable channel 2 and helped provide Central Louisiana with a locally based CBS outlet.

• The CW on KALB-DT3Digital multicast television2016

  A CW-affiliated digital service added to KALB's third subchannel in 2016. The service expanded KALB's role from a single-network affiliate into a multi-network local television platform, although later Gray low-power and multicast arrangements also distributed CW-related service in the region.

• The 5th QuarterSports programming

  A Friday-night high-school-football program airing during the football season. It features scores, highlights and coverage of schools across Central Louisiana, extending KALB's local sports identity beyond routine news bulletins.

• Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment NetworkRegional sports programming2024

  A Gray-associated regional sports service distributed on participating stations and digital outlets. KALB's involvement includes coverage of New Orleans Pelicans games under agreements announced in 2023 and 2024.

• Komen Alexandria Race for the Cure coverage

  Alexandria · Central Louisiana

  KALB has produced live coverage of the Komen Alexandria Race for the Cure as part of its community-event programming and local public-service role.

  Outcome. The event became part of the station's locally originated programming; a separate measurable outcome was not reported.

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• Severe-weather information partnership

  Central Louisiana

  KALB partners with Radio Maria's KJMJ to simulcast news during severe weather and other emergencies, while its meteorologists provide weather updates to Radio Maria stations.

  Outcome. The arrangement supports regional emergency communication; no separate performance figures were reported.

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• 2024Join regional Pelicans sports distributionStrategy

  Gray and the New Orleans Pelicans sought broader regional television distribution for Pelicans games across Gray-owned stations.

  What changed. KALB joined the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, following an earlier agreement to air selected Pelicans games.

  Aftermath. The arrangement added professional sports programming to KALB's local broadcast portfolio for the 2024–25 season.

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• 2016Move The CW affiliation to KALB-DT3Strategy

  Gray disclosed that The CW would move from KBCA after the existing affiliation arrangement expired.

  What changed. The CW launched on KALB's third digital subchannel on September 12, 2016.

  Aftermath. KALB became a broader digital network platform, while Gray later used additional low-power distribution to provide regional CW service.

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• 2007Launch a local CBS digital subchannelProduct launch

  Central Louisiana previously received CBS programming mainly through cable carriage of affiliates based in other markets.

  What changed. KALB launched CBS programming on its second digital subchannel, initially branded CBS Alexandria and later CBS 2.

  Aftermath. The move provided locally based CBS service and expanded KALB's multi-network role.

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• 2024Gray and Pelicans announce Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network

  Gray and the New Orleans Pelicans announced a broader regional sports arrangement intended to carry nearly all 2024–25 Pelicans games on participating Gray stations, including KALB.

  Product launch
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• 2023KALB reaches New Orleans Pelicans carriage agreement

  KALB announced an agreement to televise ten New Orleans Pelicans games during the 2023–24 season.

  Product launch
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• 2016The CW moves to KALB digital subchannel

  Gray placed The CW on a new third digital subchannel of KALB after the existing affiliation arrangement with KBCA expired.

  Product launch
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• 2014Gray Television completes acquisition of KALB-TV

  Gray completed its purchase of KALB as part of its acquisition of most Hoak Media stations.

  M&A
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• 2008Media General agrees to sell KALB-TV to Hoak Media

  Media General announced an agreement to sell KALB and WMBB to Hoak Media; the transaction closed in July 2008.

  M&A
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• 2007KALB launches CBS service on second digital subchannel

  KALB added a locally based CBS outlet, branded CBS Alexandria and later CBS 2, broadening full-network television availability in Central Louisiana.

  Product launch
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1. KALB-TV