KMTV-TV

KMTV-TV is a television station serving Omaha, Nebraska, United States, where it broadcasts on virtual channel 3 as a CBS affiliate. The station is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company and operates from studios on Mockingbird Drive in southwest Omaha; its transmitter is located at the north-central Omaha tower farm near North 72nd Street and Crown Point Avenue. KMTV also provides a secondary CBS signal for the Platte Purchase area, including northern parts of the St. Joseph, Missouri, market, alongside KCJO-LD. The station began broadcasting on September 1, 1949, making it the second-oldest television station in Nebraska. Its original owner was May Broadcasting of Shenandoah, Iowa, which also owned radio station KMA. The station was initially intended to use the call sign KMA-TV, but Federal Communications Commission rules then required a station sharing a base call sign with a radio outlet to have the same or an adjacent city of license. The Omaha station therefore adopted KMTV. It initially carried CBS programming, with secondary affiliations involving ABC and the DuMont Television Network. KMTV’s network identity changed several times. It temporarily dropped ABC programming after KFOR-TV began broadcasting from Lincoln in 1953, then resumed the affiliation when the FCC created a separate Lincoln market. In 1955, it became the first Omaha television station to broadcast color programming. In 1956, an affiliation arrangement involving CBS and Meredith resulted in KMTV switching from CBS to NBC, while WOW-TV moved in the opposite direction. KMTV remained an NBC affiliate for approximately three decades and lost its DuMont programming when that network ceased operations. After KETV launched as an exclusive ABC affiliate in 1957, KMTV no longer carried ABC programming. The station moved from its original downtown Omaha facilities to its present Mockingbird Drive studios in 1978. In 1986, KMTV and WOWT exchanged affiliations, restoring KMTV to CBS on June 29 of that year. May Broadcasting sold KMTV and Tucson sister station KGUN-TV to Lee Enterprises later in 1986. Lee subsequently sold its broadcasting division to Emmis Communications in 2000. When Emmis exited television ownership, Journal Broadcast Group acquired KMTV’s non-license assets and took operational control through a time brokerage agreement in 2005; Journal completed its purchase of the station in March 2007 after resolving an FCC ownership-limit issue through the sale of Omaha radio station KOMJ. The E. W. Scripps Company announced its acquisition of Journal Communications in 2014. The transaction received FCC approval in December 2014, shareholder approval in March 2015, and closed on April 1, 2015. KMTV consequently became part of Scripps’ national local-television group. Its local news operation has historically ranked third in the Omaha market, although the station has repeatedly adjusted its schedule, presentation, branding, and program mix. Its newscasts have used names including KMTV News, NewsCenter 3, Channel 3 News, KMTV News 3, KM3 News, Action 3 News, and, since 2017, 3 News Now. KMTV broadcasts local news, weather, sports, syndicated programming, CBS network content, and digital multicast programming. The station has carried locally significant and nationally distributed programs over the years, including the MDA Labor Day Telethon, syndicated game shows, a long-running children’s religious program called Ms. Jean’s Storytime, and Green Bay Packers preseason football under Journal’s group broadcasting arrangement. In technology and presentation, KMTV transitioned its newscasts to widescreen standard definition in 2009 and high definition in 2013. The station introduced a virtual set and adopted Scripps’ standardized graphics and music package in 2017. Although its schedule was reduced in 2019, weekday noon and 5 p.m. news programming had returned by May 2020.

KMTV began broadcasting from Omaha on September 1, 1949, as Nebraska’s second-oldest television station. May Broadcasting, based in Shenandoah, Iowa, owned the station and its related radio outlet KMA. The proposed KMA-TV call sign could not be used under the FCC’s then-current call-sign rules because Omaha was neither the same nor an adjacent city of license to Shenandoah, so the television station adopted KMTV. Its early schedule centered on CBS, supplemented by ABC and DuMont programming. The station originally operated from downtown studios at 2615 Farnam Street. After KFOR-TV signed on in Lincoln in 1953, KMTV dropped ABC programming temporarily. The affiliation returned after the FCC separated Lincoln into its own television market. KMTV became Omaha’s first station to transmit color programs in 1955. In 1956, a CBS affiliation arrangement associated with Meredith led KMTV to exchange affiliations with WOW-TV, making KMTV an NBC station. The station lost its DuMont programming when that network ended operations, and its remaining ABC role ended after KETV launched as Omaha’s dedicated ABC affiliate in 1957. KMTV moved to its current southwest Omaha studios near 108th Street and Mockingbird Drive in 1978. A 1986 affiliation exchange with WOWT returned KMTV to CBS on June 29, 1986. May sold KMTV and KGUN-TV to Lee Enterprises later that year. Lee sold its television division to Emmis Communications in October 2000. Emmis’ decision to leave television led to Journal Broadcast Group assuming control of KMTV in 2005 through a time brokerage agreement while acquiring the station’s assets. Journal completed the outright purchase on March 27, 2007, after selling KOMJ to remain within FCC ownership limits for the Omaha market. KMTV’s local news operation has generally competed as the third-rated Omaha station. Its branding changed repeatedly, including KMTV News, NewsCenter 3, Channel 3 News, KMTV News 3, KM3 News, Action 3 News, and 3 News Now. Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw worked as a KMTV reporter from 1962 to 1965. The station introduced a weekday 4 p.m. newscast in September 2013, later added the weather-focused Early Riser program, and began high-definition local news in October 2013. In March 2017, it adopted a virtual set and Scripps’ graphics and music standards. In January 2019, KMTV substantially reduced its news schedule, replacing several local-news blocks with syndicated programs and restructuring its evening output. Traditional noon and 5 p.m. newscasts had returned by May 2020. KMTV also modernized its transmission operations: its analog signal ended on June 12, 2009, during the national digital transition, while its digital service continued on UHF channel 45 with virtual channel 3. The station’s digital subchannel history included TheCoolTV, Live Well Network, Antenna TV, Grit, and Court TV. Scripps announced its acquisition of Journal Communications in July 2014. The FCC approved the transaction in December 2014, shareholders approved it in March 2015, and the merger closed on April 1, 2015. KMTV remains a Scripps-owned CBS affiliate serving Omaha and adjacent coverage areas.

1. 20173 News Now identity introduced

   KMTV launches its 3 News Now branding and a new virtual studio presentation.

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2. 2015Scripps ownership begins

   The Scripps–Journal merger closes on April 1, making KMTV part of Scripps’ broadcast group.

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3. 2013High-definition local news

   KMTV begins broadcasting its local newscasts in high definition.

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4. 2009Digital transition

   KMTV ends analog transmission and continues digital broadcasting using virtual channel 3.

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5. 2007Journal completes purchase

   Journal Broadcast Group completes its purchase of KMTV after arranging the sale of KOMJ to satisfy FCC ownership limits.

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6. 1986Return to CBS

   KMTV rejoins CBS on June 29 after an affiliation exchange with WOWT.

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7. 1978Move to Mockingbird Drive

   The station relocates to its current southwest Omaha studio facilities.

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8. 1956Switch to NBC

   KMTV exchanges network affiliations with WOW-TV and begins a long NBC affiliation.

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9. 1955Color broadcasting begins

   KMTV becomes the first Omaha television station to broadcast color programming.

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10. 1949KMTV begins broadcasting

    KMTV signs on September 1 as Omaha’s second television station and Nebraska’s second-oldest television station.

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A long-established Omaha broadcast station combining CBS network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, and community coverage under the 3 News Now identity.

• 3 News NowLocal television news2017

  KMTV’s current local-news identity, covering Omaha-area breaking news, weather, traffic, public affairs, and sports. The name replaced earlier station brands including Action 3 News and KMTV News 3 and was introduced with a virtual set and Scripps presentation standards in 2017.

• CBS programmingNetwork television affiliation1949

  KMTV’s principal network service. The station launched as a CBS affiliate, spent roughly three decades with NBC after a 1956 affiliation exchange, and returned to CBS in 1986.

• Digital multicast servicesDigital television2010

  KMTV multiplexes its digital signal to provide additional television services. Its subchannel line-up has changed over time and has included TheCoolTV, Live Well Network, Antenna TV, Grit, and Court TV.

• 2012Green Bay Packers preseason broadcasts

  Omaha

  KMTV began carrying Packers preseason football as part of Journal Communications’ group relationship with the team and its ownership of Wisconsin station WGBA-TV.

  Outcome. The arrangement continued after Scripps acquired Journal’s broadcast assets.

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• 1961Ms. Jean’s Storytime

  Omaha

  KMTV carried a long-running children’s religious program that began in 1961 and remained on the station for approximately five decades.

  Outcome. The program ended in September 2011.

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• 2019Local-news schedule reductionStrategy

  Scripps reorganized KMTV’s schedule amid a broader mix of local and syndicated programming.

  What changed. The noon and 4 p.m. newscasts were initially removed, the 5 p.m. program was restructured as The NOW Omaha, and the weeknight 6 p.m. newscast was expanded.

  Aftermath. A traditional 5 p.m. newscast and the noon newscast were restored by May 2020.

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• 1986Return to CBS affiliationStrategy

  KMTV and WOWT agreed to exchange network affiliations after KMTV’s extended NBC period.

  What changed. KMTV resumed CBS service on June 29, 1986.

  Aftermath. CBS became KMTV’s principal affiliation and remains its core network identity.

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• 2020Weekday noon and 5 p.m. news return

  By May 2020, KMTV had restored a traditional weekday 5 p.m. newscast and reinstated its half-hour noon newscast.

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• 2019KMTV restructures local-news schedule

  The station removed several news slots, changed the 5 p.m. program to The NOW Omaha, expanded the weeknight 6 p.m. newscast, and substituted syndicated programs in selected periods.

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• 2017KMTV rebrands newscasts as 3 News Now

  The station introduced a virtual set and adopted the 3 News Now identity together with Scripps’ standardized presentation package.

  Product launch
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• 2015Scripps completes Journal Communications merger

  The merger was completed on April 1, 2015, placing KMTV under The E. W. Scripps Company.

  M&A
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• 2014Journal Communications acquisition by Scripps announced

  Scripps announced an all-stock transaction to acquire Journal Communications, including KMTV and the company’s other broadcast properties.

  M&A
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1. KMTV-TV
2. Official KMTV / 3 News Now website