KRCG

KRCG is a television station licensed to Jefferson City, Missouri, and serving the Columbia–Jefferson City, or Mid-Missouri, television market. The station operates as a CBS affiliate on virtual channel 13 and is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Its studios and transmitter facilities are located along U.S. Route 54 in nearby New Bloomfield, Missouri. The station began broadcasting on February 13, 1955, after being established by the Jefferson City News Tribune. Betty Goshorn Weldon, publisher of the newspaper, pursued the television project in memory of her father, Robert C. Goshorn, who had wanted to bring a television station to the area. Weldon inherited the newspaper after his death in 1953 and became one of the early women in the United States to own and operate a television station. The call letters KRCG were derived from her father's name. KRCG has maintained a CBS affiliation throughout its history, making it the only television station in the Mid-Missouri market never to change its primary network affiliation. In its early years, the station also carried some ABC programming in cooperation with KOMU-TV, and it briefly had an affiliation with the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. The shared ABC arrangement ended after KCBJ-TV, now known as KMIZ, began broadcasting in 1971. KRCG also carried limited Fox programming during late-night weekend periods in the late 1980s and early 1990s and later held a secondary UPN affiliation. The station's ownership history includes several important Midwestern media companies. KRCG and the former satellite station KMOS-TV were sold to Kansas City Southern Industries in 1967. Kansas City Southern later sold KRCG to Price Communications in 1985, and KRCG was sold to Mel Wheeler, Inc. in 1988. Barrington Broadcasting acquired the station in March 2005. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its acquisition of Barrington's entire station group in 2013, with the transaction closing on November 25 of that year. KRCG's news operation historically ranked behind KOMU-TV overall, although it developed a strong position in Jefferson City and the southern portion of the market. In November 2006, KRCG's 10 p.m. newscast became the market leader, an important competitive milestone against KOMU's long-standing dominance. The station continued to report first place at 10 p.m. during the February 2011 ratings period. In May 2016, KRCG began broadcasting local news from a remodeled studio and became the final news operation in the Columbia–Jefferson City market to move to high-definition news production. Beyond its primary CBS service, KRCG has used digital subchannels to expand its programming. It launched a GetTV service on digital channel 13.2 in August 2014. The station ended regular analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the federally mandated U.S. digital television transition, while retaining an analog signal temporarily under the SAFER Act to provide transition information. In June 2022, KRCG completed a technical move of its digital broadcast signal from VHF channel 12 to UHF channel 29 while retaining virtual channel 13.

KRCG signed on February 13, 1955, as a project of the Jefferson City News Tribune. Betty Goshorn Weldon, the newspaper's publisher, developed the station in memory of her father, Robert C. Goshorn, whose ambition had been to establish a television service for the area. The call letters honor his name. Weldon's role gave her an unusual place in early American television history as one of the first women to own and operate a television station. From its launch, KRCG was affiliated with CBS. It supplemented that relationship in its early years by sharing some ABC programming with KOMU-TV. The arrangement continued until a third commercial station, KCBJ-TV, signed on in 1971 and later became KMIZ. KRCG also briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network in the late 1950s. Unlike the other major stations in the market, KRCG never changed its principal network affiliation; KOMU and KMIZ changed network relationships during the 1980s before returning to their earlier affiliations. In 1961, the News Tribune acquired KMOS-TV in Sedalia and operated it as a lower-power satellite serving the western part of the market. KMOS gradually developed independent local newscasts, but concerns about the effect of a sale on the local competitive landscape influenced the station's ownership strategy. In 1967, KRCG and KMOS were sold to Kansas City Southern Industries. Kansas City Southern donated KMOS to Central Missouri State University, now the University of Central Missouri, in 1978. KMOS then became a standalone PBS station, while KRCG used a Sedalia translator to maintain coverage in that part of the region. Kansas City Southern sold KRCG to Price Communications in 1985. Mel Wheeler, Inc. acquired the station in 1988 and owned it for nearly two decades. During the Wheeler period, KRCG added a secondary UPN affiliation and, at various points in the late 1980s and early 1990s, carried selected Fox programs during late-night weekend hours. Barrington Broadcasting purchased KRCG in March 2005. On February 28, 2013, Barrington announced the sale of its station group to Sinclair Broadcast Group; the transaction closed on November 25, 2013. KRCG's local news operation traditionally competed with KOMU-TV, whose ratings were particularly strong in the northern portion of the Columbia–Jefferson City market. KRCG historically led in Jefferson City and southern Mid-Missouri. Its 10 p.m. newscast moved into first place in November 2006, marking a significant reversal against KOMU's long-standing position. The station remained first at that time slot during the February 2011 ratings period. The station expanded its digital programming in August 2014 by launching GetTV on digital subchannel 13.2. Its technical transition from analog to digital occurred on June 12, 2009, the federally established end of regular full-power analog broadcasting in the United States. KRCG temporarily continued an analog signal under the SAFER Act to broadcast public-service information about the transition. On June 29, 2022, it completed a later digital-channel move from VHF channel 12 to UHF channel 29. KRCG remains a CBS affiliate serving the Mid-Missouri market under Sinclair ownership.

1. 2022Digital signal moves to UHF channel 29

   KRCG completed its move from VHF channel 12 to UHF channel 29 while retaining virtual channel 13.

   Source
2. 2016News operation moves to remodeled high-definition studio

   KRCG began broadcasting local news from a remodeled studio and adopted high-definition news production.

   Source
3. 2014GetTV digital subchannel launches

   KRCG launched GetTV programming on digital subchannel 13.2 in August.

   Source
4. 2013Sinclair announces Barrington acquisition

   Sinclair Broadcast Group announced the purchase of Barrington Broadcasting's station group on February 28; the transaction closed on November 25.

   Source
5. 2009Analog television broadcasting ends

   KRCG ended regular analog programming on June 12 and continued a temporary informational analog signal under the SAFER Act.

   Source
6. 2006KRCG 10 p.m. newscast reaches first place

   KRCG's 10 p.m. newscast became the ratings leader in the Columbia–Jefferson City market.

   Source
7. 2005Barrington Broadcasting acquisition

   Barrington Broadcasting purchased KRCG from Mel Wheeler, Inc. in March.

   Source
8. 1988Sale to Mel Wheeler, Inc.

   KRCG was acquired by Mel Wheeler, Inc., which owned the station until 2005.

   Source
9. 1985Sale to Price Communications

   Kansas City Southern sold KRCG to Price Communications.

   Source
10. 1978KMOS is donated to Central Missouri State University

    KMOS was transferred to Central Missouri State University, later the University of Central Missouri, and became a standalone PBS station.

    Source
11. 1967Sale to Kansas City Southern Industries

    KRCG and KMOS were sold to Kansas City Southern Industries.

    Source
12. 1961KMOS becomes associated with KRCG

    The News Tribune acquired KMOS-TV in Sedalia and operated it as a satellite serving the western portion of the market.

    Source
13. 1955KRCG begins broadcasting

    KRCG signed on February 13 as a Jefferson City television station established by the Jefferson City News Tribune.

    Source

A long-established local broadcast station positioned as the CBS television outlet for Jefferson City, Columbia, and Mid-Missouri, with particular historical strength in Jefferson City and the southern part of the market.

• KRCG CBS serviceTelevision broadcasting1955

  The station's primary service is CBS network programming broadcast under the KRCG call sign and virtual channel 13. KRCG has maintained its CBS affiliation since signing on, making the affiliation a defining part of the station's identity in Mid-Missouri.

• KRCG local newsBroadcast news1955

  KRCG produces local news, weather, and related regional coverage for Jefferson City, Columbia, and surrounding Mid-Missouri communities. Its 10 p.m. newscast became the market leader in 2006 and was still reported as first in that time slot in 2011.

• KRCG digital subchannelsDigital television2014

  KRCG has used digital multicast capacity to distribute additional programming beyond its main CBS service. The station launched GetTV on channel 13.2 in 2014; current subchannel lineups are not specified in the supplied reference material.

• 2016High-definition local news conversionStrategy

  KRCG's news operation had not yet completed the market-wide transition to high-definition production.

  What changed. The station remodeled its studio and began broadcasting local news in high definition on May 9.

  Aftermath. KRCG became the final local news operation in the Columbia–Jefferson City market to adopt high-definition news broadcasting.

  Source
• 2014Launch of GetTV digital subchannelProduct launch

  Digital broadcasting allowed KRCG to add programming beyond its primary CBS channel.

  What changed. KRCG introduced GetTV programming on digital channel 13.2.

  Aftermath. The launch expanded the station's multicast offering, although the supplied material does not document the channel's later status.

  Source
• 2013Sinclair acquisition of Barrington BroadcastingM&A

  Barrington Broadcasting owned KRCG as part of a larger station group and announced that the group would be sold to Sinclair Broadcast Group.

  What changed. Sinclair announced the transaction on February 28, 2013, and completed the acquisition on November 25.

  Aftermath. KRCG became part of Sinclair Broadcast Group's television-station portfolio and remains under Sinclair ownership.

  Source

• 2022KRCG completes digital channel relocation to UHF channel 29

  The station completed a post-transition broadcast-frequency move from VHF channel 12 to UHF channel 29 while continuing to use virtual channel 13.

  Other
  Source
• 2016KRCG begins broadcasting from remodeled studio in high definition

  KRCG moved its news operation into a remodeled studio and began producing local news in high definition, completing the market's transition among local news operations.

  Other
  Source

1. KRCG
2. KRCG official website