KTAL-TV

KTAL-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Texarkana, Texas, and serving the Shreveport–Texarkana designated market area across parts of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Broadcasting on VHF channel 6, it is an NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group. The station's principal operations are based in northeastern Shreveport, where it shares facilities on North Market Street and Deer Park Road with Nexstar-operated stations KSHV-TV and KMSS-TV. KTAL also maintains a Texarkana-area studio on Summerhill Road, while its transmitter is located northwest of Vivian, Louisiana. The station began broadcasting on August 16, 1953, under the call sign KCMC-TV. It was established by KCMC Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of Camden News Publishing Company, whose interests included the Texarkana Gazette and radio stations in the region. KCMC-TV was the first television station to sign on in the Shreveport–Texarkana market and initially operated primarily as a CBS affiliate, with secondary affiliations involving NBC, ABC, and the DuMont Television Network. Its original facilities and transmitter were in Texarkana, and its signal initially provided only limited coverage of Shreveport and parts of northwestern Louisiana. A major transformation began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The station received approval to construct a much taller transmitter near Vivian, Louisiana, allowing its signal to reach more effectively into the Shreveport area and other parts of the tri-state region. The new facility became operational on May 1, 1961, and the station adopted the call letters KTAL-TV, reflecting its service area in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana as well as its association with the new tower. The station also moved its main operations to Shreveport while retaining Texarkana facilities for local coverage. KTAL became the market's primary NBC affiliate on September 3, 1961, replacing KTBS-TV. The affiliation change followed CBS's decision to consolidate its Shreveport–Texarkana relationship with KSLA-TV in Shreveport. To make the transition possible, the station's owners successfully pursued the formal combination of the previously separate Texarkana and Shreveport television markets. KTAL's license and channel allocation were subsequently reassigned to Shreveport by the Federal Communications Commission, although Texarkana remained part of the station's identity and licensing history. For much of the following decades, KTAL operated within the newspaper and broadcasting portfolio associated with the Hussman family. In the 1970s, its ownership became involved in a federal cross-ownership dispute concerning the simultaneous ownership of KTAL-TV and the Texarkana Gazette. The dispute was ultimately resolved in court in favor of the ownership group. In 2000, as the company concentrated more heavily on its newspaper business, WEHCO Media sold KTAL-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group, now Nexstar Media Group. KTAL is currently part of a virtual triopoly in the Shreveport market. Nexstar owns KTAL and operates KSHV-TV under a shared-services arrangement, while KMSS-TV is owned by Marshall Broadcasting and operated through Nexstar-related services. This structure followed Nexstar's 2014 acquisition of stations formerly associated with Communications Corporation of America and White Knight Broadcasting. The stations later consolidated their operations at KTAL's Shreveport facility. As an NBC affiliate, KTAL carries the network's national schedule together with local news, weather, sports, syndicated programming, and community-oriented coverage. The station has generally carried NBC's programming extensively, although it briefly preempted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1984 for syndicated reruns of Dallas before restoring the NBC program after weak ratings and viewer criticism. KTAL's brand therefore combines a long-standing network affiliation with regional news and service for communities throughout the Ark-La-Tex area.

KTAL-TV's origins date to May 1951, when KCMC Inc., the broadcasting subsidiary of Camden News Publishing Company, applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a commercial television license on VHF channel 6 in Texarkana, Texas. The ownership group was associated with publisher Clyde E. Palmer and his son-in-law Walter E. Hussman Sr., whose business interests included the Texarkana Gazette and regional radio stations. The FCC granted the construction permit in February 1953, and the station began broadcasting on August 16 of that year as KCMC-TV. KCMC-TV initially operated from Texarkana and was primarily affiliated with CBS. It also carried selected programming from NBC, ABC, and DuMont. The station's first transmitter was in the Texarkana area, and its initial coverage of Shreveport was limited. Power was increased in 1954, but the station still faced difficulty reaching Shreveport with a strong signal. After DuMont ceased operations in 1956, KCMC-TV continued as a CBS station with secondary ABC and NBC programming. The station's strategic direction changed when CBS decided in 1960 to consolidate its programming on Shreveport-based KSLA-TV. Rather than become dependent on a weak ABC affiliation or operate as an independent, the Hussman interests persuaded the FCC to combine the Texarkana and Shreveport television markets. A new transmitter site near Vivian, Louisiana, was approved in 1959. The tower, activated on May 1, 1961, was substantially taller than the previous facility and extended the station's effective coverage throughout the Ark-La-Tex region. At the same time, KCMC-TV changed its call letters to KTAL-TV and moved its principal studio operations to Shreveport. The new name referenced Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, the three states in the station's service area. NBC selected KTAL as the primary affiliate for the enlarged market in 1961, replacing KTBS-TV. The FCC formally reassigned the station's license and channel allocation to Shreveport later that year, although the station continued to retain a Texarkana presence and remained historically tied to its original city of license. During the 1970s, KTAL participated in local efforts to make Sesame Street available in the Shreveport–Bossier area at a time when the region lacked a convenient public television outlet. A local advocacy group raised funds to support the program's broadcast, but scheduling and carriage arrangements eventually shifted the program to KSLA. Public television service later expanded in the region with the launch of KLTS in 1978. KTAL's ownership became involved in a broader FCC media cross-ownership dispute during the 1970s. In 1975, the FCC identified the station and the Texarkana Gazette as an impermissible newspaper–television combination under then-new ownership rules. The ownership group appealed, arguing that KTAL's city-grade signal did not adequately cover Texarkana. In 1979, a federal district court ruled that the FCC had misapplied the rules to the KTAL and newspaper combination, allowing the ownership structure to continue at that time. In 2000, WEHCO Media sold KTAL-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group for a reported transaction value of $35.25 million. Under Nexstar, KTAL remained an NBC affiliate and continued serving both Shreveport and Texarkana. In 2005, the station temporarily disappeared from the Cable One Texarkana and Cox Communications Bossier City systems during disputes over retransmission compensation. The parties later reached confidential agreements and carriage resumed. Nexstar expanded its presence in the market through transactions announced in 2013 and revised in 2014. The company acquired television assets associated with Communications Corporation of America and White Knight Broadcasting, while KMSS-TV was ultimately sold to Marshall Broadcasting and KSHV-TV's proposed buyer withdrew. Regulatory approval was granted in December 2014, and the transactions closed on January 1, 2015. KMSS and KSHV subsequently moved their operations into KTAL's North Market Street facilities, creating a virtual triopoly managed through shared services. KTAL continues to operate as an NBC affiliate, combining network programming with local news, weather, regional information, and digital content. Its enduring identity rests on its VHF channel 6 heritage, its unusual history as a station licensed to Texarkana but centered operationally in Shreveport, and its role as a major broadcast outlet for the three-state Ark-La-Tex region.

1. 2015Operations consolidated with KMSS and KSHV

   Following Nexstar-related transactions, KMSS-TV and KSHV-TV moved operations into KTAL's Shreveport facility.

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2. 2005Temporary cable carriage dispute

   Cable One and Cox temporarily removed KTAL during retransmission-consent negotiations; carriage later resumed.

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3. 2000Acquired by Nexstar

   WEHCO Media sold KTAL-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group.

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4. 1979Cross-ownership dispute resolved in federal court

   A federal district court ruled that the FCC had improperly applied its newspaper–broadcast cross-ownership rules to the KTAL and Texarkana Gazette combination.

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5. 1970Local Sesame Street initiative

   KTAL became involved in a community effort to bring Sesame Street to viewers in the Shreveport–Bossier area.

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6. 1961KTAL-TV identity introduced

   A new Vivian-area transmitter was activated and KCMC-TV adopted the KTAL-TV call sign.

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7. 1961NBC affiliation begins

   KTAL became the primary NBC affiliate for the consolidated Shreveport–Texarkana market.

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8. 1954Transmitter power increased

   The station increased transmitter power to improve regional coverage.

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9. 1953KCMC-TV signs on

   The station began broadcasting on August 16 as KCMC-TV, the first television station in the Shreveport–Texarkana market.

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10. 1951License application filed

    KCMC Inc. applied for a commercial television authorization on VHF channel 6 in Texarkana, Texas.

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A regional broadcast television station positioned around NBC network programming, local journalism, weather information, and community service for the Shreveport–Texarkana market.

• NBC network programmingBroadcast television1961

  KTAL's core programming product is the NBC schedule, including network entertainment, news, sports, daytime, and late-night programming. The station has historically carried most of NBC's schedule and has generally maintained broad network clearance.

• Local news and weatherLocal television news1953

  KTAL produces local news, weather, breaking-news, and public-affairs coverage for the Shreveport–Texarkana market. Its regional role is especially significant during severe weather and other events affecting communities across the Ark-La-Tex area.

• Digital news and videoDigital media

  Through its station website and associated digital channels, KTAL distributes local news articles, live or on-demand video, weather information, alerts, and material related to its broadcast programming.

• 1970Citizens for Sesame Street

  Shreveport · Bossier City

  KTAL participated in a community-backed effort to raise funds and arrange a local broadcast time for Sesame Street, at a time when the area did not have a convenient public television outlet carrying the program.

  Outcome. The program was later moved to KSLA in 1972 and eventually became more widely available through public television service and cable distribution.

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• 2005Retransmission carriage negotiationsOther

  KTAL and Nexstar negotiated renewed carriage agreements with Cable One in Texarkana and Cox Communications in Bossier City.

  What changed. The distributors temporarily removed KTAL during a dispute over requested subscriber compensation.

  Aftermath. Confidential agreements were reached and the station subsequently returned to both cable systems.

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• 1984Temporary preemption of The Tonight ShowStrategy

  KTAL sought to improve post-newscast ratings against competing stations by using syndicated programming in the late-night slot.

  What changed. The station replaced The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with syndicated reruns of Dallas.

  Aftermath. The ratings strategy did not produce the expected improvement and drew viewer criticism, so KTAL restored The Tonight Show on December 31, 1984.

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• 1961Relocate primary operations and adopt the KTAL identityStrategy

  The station needed stronger coverage of Shreveport after CBS consolidated its affiliation on KSLA-TV and the original Texarkana signal provided limited service to the larger market.

  What changed. The owners activated a tall transmitter near Vivian, changed the call sign from KCMC-TV to KTAL-TV, and moved the main studio operation to Shreveport while retaining Texarkana facilities.

  Aftermath. The change established KTAL as a regional Ark-La-Tex station and supported its transition to primary NBC affiliation.

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• 1961Switch to primary NBC affiliationStrategy

  NBC sought a primary affiliate for the newly consolidated Shreveport–Texarkana market after KTBS-TV's role changed.

  What changed. KTAL took over as the market's exclusive primary NBC affiliate on September 3, 1961.

  Aftermath. The station has remained associated with NBC and built its long-term programming identity around that network relationship.

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• 2015Nexstar completes transactions creating a Shreveport virtual triopoly

  Following regulatory approval, KMSS-TV and KSHV-TV moved their operations into KTAL's Shreveport studios under Nexstar-related shared-services arrangements.

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• 2000WEHCO Media sells KTAL-TV to Nexstar

  Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired KTAL-TV as WEHCO Media shifted its focus toward newspaper operations.

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• 1961KTAL-TV adopts new call sign and expands toward Shreveport

  After activating a major transmitter near Vivian, Louisiana, the station changed its call letters from KCMC-TV to KTAL-TV and shifted its principal operations toward Shreveport.

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• 1961KTAL-TV becomes the market's NBC affiliate

  KTAL assumed the primary NBC affiliation for the enlarged Shreveport–Texarkana market, while KTBS-TV became the primary ABC affiliate.

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• 1953KTAL-TV begins broadcasting as KCMC-TV

  The station signed on from Texarkana as KCMC-TV, becoming the first television station in the Shreveport–Texarkana market.

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1. KTAL-TV
2. KTAL-TV official website