News operation KCTV

1 news operation

1.1 investigative reporting
1.2 on-air staff

1.2.1 notable former on-air staff

news operation

kctv presently broadcasts 34 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with 5½ hours on weekdays, 3½ hours on saturdays , 3 hours on sundays). kctv produces 7 hours week of local newscasts sister station ksmo-tv (consisting of half-hour evening broadcasts @ 6:30 , 9:00 p.m., air 7 nights week). in addition, station produces sports discussion program off bench michael coleman, debuted on april 25, 2010, , airs sundays after 10:00 p.m. newscast.

from 1979 1994, team of wendall anschutz , anne peterson – both served main anchors of kctv s weekday evening newscasts – led station s newscasts first place among kansas city market s 3 main local television news outlets of time period. during 1980s , 1990s, kctv engaged in competitive race first place in news viewership kmbc , wdaf-tv, trading places both stations in time periods; in total viewership, kctv battled wdaf first place during period. viewership station s newscasts fell third place following wdaf s switch fox in september 1994, kmbc concurrently underwent resurgence overtake both stations become watched television news operation in kansas city. in 1994, kctv began leasing helicopter provide aerial coverage of breaking news , weather events; branded newshawk 5 , helicopter grounded citing budget concerns in 1998. station acquire new helicopter aerial newsgathering purposes, branded chopper 5 , in may 2006.

kctv s news presentation underwent major overhaul under kirk black (a former general manager @ sister station wnem-tv, hired meredith s broadcasting division serve in position @ kctv in july 2001, leaving station in august 2009 atlanta sister wgcl-tv) , regent ducas (who hired news director in april 2002), launched major effort reshape newscasts overtake kmbc top-rated television news operation in kansas city. among major changes included assignment of station s news anchors conduct field reports, expansion of weekday morning newscast 4:30 a.m. (roughly ten years before morning news expansions slot became commonplace elsewhere in u.s.) in december 2001, , debut of late-afternoon newscast 4:30 p.m. on march 4, 2002. during 2000s, kctv , ducas came under fire incorporating perceived tabloid style of journalism market, particular emphasis on crime stories , sensationalized feature reports; although, during period, station placed signifianct emphasis on investigative journalism. part of shift, 6 months after ducas s hiring, kctv adopted live. latebreaking. investigative. (which used phoenix sister station kpho in timeframe) new slogan in september 2002.

another radical change occurred on november 17, 2003, when station announced shut down in-house sports department , entered outsourcing agreement local sports cable channel metro sports (now spectrum sports), utilizing staff @ channel s swope park facility cover local professional, college , high school sports events. under terms of deal, channel produce sports segments seen on kctv s evening newscasts 7 nights week, , sports specials , kansas city chiefs-related programs produced station. sports anchors william jackson , leif lisec, , sports reporter neal jones terminated kctv after sports production transferred metro sports on february 9, 2004. though kirk black cited research indicated news viewers not interested in sports, move criticized many local sports radio hosts, thought black s decision shutter sports department showed lack of understanding market s rabid sports fanbase.

as result of station s new direction, several high-profile anchors , reporters – of affected main personalities having been kctv since late 1960s – left station including anne peterson, russell kinsaul (now working @ cbs-affiliated sister station kmov across state in st. louis) , dave helling, joining had earlier left after accepting voluntary retirement packages (including anschutz, longtime call action consumer reporter stan cramer , weekend sports anchor jack harry) offered 170 meredith employees in april 2001.

helling – joined kctv in 1999 following six-year tenure weekend evening anchor , reporter @ wdaf-tv – partial subject of march 2005 column in columbia journalism review, chastised kctv report aired in december 2004 lax regulations allow consumers purchase ammonium nitrate – product used in making homemade improvised explosive devices – in violation of law passed kansas state legislature after 1995 alfred p. murrah federal building bombing in oklahoma city prohibit packaged sale of substance. investigative report, helling went 7 kansas city-area farmers supply stores attempting buy large quantities of ammonium nitrate , insinuated able purchase twelve 40-pound bags of fertilizer s pure form (totaling 500 pounds (227 kg)) tonganoxie, kansas-based mcgraw s fertilizer without further vetting; however, tonganoxie mirror investigation uncovered had bought 20-10-10, far less dangerous, commonly sold type of fertilizer named respective percentages of ammonium nitrogen (at levels lower 70% needed considered of pure form), phosphorus , potash in blend. although controversy did generate local backlash, unclear whether helling or kctv station management had ever issued correction story and/or apology store owner.

the emphasis on investigative reporting overall helped kctv win coveted 10:00 p.m. news slot during november 2004 sweeps period, unseating kmbc-tv in late news first time in decade. however, in november 2006, kctv dropped second place @ 10:00, whilst remaining in third place @ 5:00 , 6:00 p.m. behind kmbc , wdaf. in february 2007, kctv regained #1 spot @ 10:00 p.m., ratings increasing of other newscasts month. fortunes station accrued during time, however, came amid turmoil within news department, chronicled in may 26, 2007 kansas city star article revealed turbulence behind kctv s move become #1 news station in market. lawsuit filed same year longtime newscast director – cited star in report – alleged meredith corporation engaged in systematic harassment , dismissal of older employees. judge denied kctv s move dismiss suit; station management later reached monetary settlement plaintiff.

on october 10, 2005, following closure of meredith s purchase of station sinclair broadcast group, kctv began producing nightly half-hour newscast @ 9:00 p.m. then-wb affiliate ksmo-tv directly compete against wdaf s established hour-long prime time newscast, had become ratings leader in time slot in years since program s debut upon channel 4 s september 1994 switch fox. on october 20, 2008, beginning 4:00 p.m. newscast, kctv became third television station in kansas city market (after kshb-tv , kmbc-tv) begin broadcasting local newscasts in high definition; ksmo newscasts included in upgrade. in february 2009, kctv announced not renew production outsourcing agreement metro sports past initial three-year term in mutual decision, station suspending sports segments within newscasts , metro sports continuing produce chiefs preseason telecasts seen on channel 5. on august 5, 2009, kctv entered agreement sports talk radio station whb (810 am), in station s on-air personalities provide reporting , game analysis kansas city chiefs , kansas jayhawks basketball. kctv resume in-house production of sports segments when reinstated full-fledged sports department on april 25, 2010, hiring lawrence, kansas native michael coleman (who joined station news 12 long island) serve new department s inaugural sports director , host of new half-hour sports magazine program, off bench; coleman remained station until april 4, 2017, after kctv declined renew contract.

on september 13, 2010, kctv expanded weekday morning newscast 2½ hours, addition of half-hour @ 4:30 a.m. following month on october 12, kctv announced begin airing obituaries in new segment air during both noon newscast on channel 5 , then-forthcoming extension of weekday morning newscast, titled more in morning, sister station ksmo-tv (the latter of premiered hour-long program 7:00 8:00 a.m. on february 7, 2011 , aired until december 30 of year), citing concerns regarding visibility local media consumers stemming decline of newspaper circulation in recent years in favor of online news outlets. kctv , corporate parent meredith corporation launched 2 companion websites, obitmissouri.com , obitkansas.com, provide detailed online obituaries , memorial service information kansas city-area residents.

on january 4, 2011, kctv entered multi-year content partnership kansas city star – formally took effect on following day, supplanting existing content sharing agreement newspaper had maintained nbc affiliate kshb-tv – collaborate on coverage of local news stories , investigative reports, , provide star forecast data compiled kctv s team of meteorologists paper s weather page (incidentally, star founded rival wdaf-tv in september 1949 , owned station until prior justice department antitrust ruling on advertising sales collusion between 2 properties , then-radio sister wdaf (810 am, kcsp) forced sale of channel 4 national-missouri broadcasters in may 1958). in february 2011 sweeps period, kctv had dropped third place among kansas city s television news outlets (behind wdaf-tv , kmbc-tv); however, station beat wdaf-tv s midday newscast in noon timeslot, , late newscast finished in second place behind ratings leader kmbc-tv @ 10:00 p.m. on august 4, 2014, kctv began producing half-hour newscast @ 6:30 p.m. ksmo.

investigative reporting

kctv s news department has not shied away reporting on controversial topics, 2 notable investigative pieces receiving national attention when covered cbs news. in february 2004, channel 5 aired seven-part series of reports during late-evening newscast exposed dangers children can face on internet chat rooms. portland, oregon-based perverted justice – group specializing in operations uncovering online sexual solicitation of minors paedophiles, nbc news later partnered basis dateline nbc s catch predator series – partnered kctv conduct sting, in several of staffers posed teenagers , preteens below age of consent in chat rooms , waited adult men proposition them engage in sexual acts or intercourse. minors invited men meet them @ house kctv news crew had set wait on men baited. after series aired, local law enforcement officials concerted new effort police chat rooms , prosecute adults attempt meet minors sex through internet. none of 16 people stung kctv subjected criminal charges in these instances operation done without police involvement, 3 filed defamation complaints (one of men, through attorney, claimed terminated online chat without finding out teen whom thought had conversed had lived, baited again after receiving phone call woman employed perverted justice pretending teen) , 1 filed lawsuit against kctv, meredith , perverted justice on entrapment complaint.

in june 2005, kctv exposed kansas city-area doctor s negligent handling of private medical records. scavenger gave station computer found @ curb of mission hills, kansas home owned plastic surgeon claimed had erased patient information database hard drive, have mitigated risk of identity theft. however, computer s random access memory removed , hard drive within terminal intact, containing photographs , files on many patients. kctv attempted contact several of patients information found on discarded computer. surgeon filed lawsuit against station on basis investigative unit s decision interview patients discovery violation of medical confidentiality laws; judge presiding on suit ruled in favor of doctor, although kctv management took case federal district court in kansas city, kansas. doctor later withdrew suit, clearing way story make air on june 30. result of findings, several of surgeon s patients filed class action lawsuit against him negligent handling of confidential records.

following management change station had undergone in 2010, rumors speculated kctv considering shutting down entire investigative reporting unit. however, in march of year, stacey cameron (who left kctv in 2014), former attorney , reporter had joined station fellow cbs affiliate wral-tv (now nbc affiliate) in raleigh, north carolina, hired station serve lead investigative reporter. later same month, kctv investigative unit honored several journalism awards, pertinently having won edward r. murrow awards investigative journalism (the kctv news staff honored year murrow , mid-america emmy awards overall news excellence, multiple emmys investigative reports).

on-air staff
notable former on-air staff

wendall anschutz – anchor , reporter (1966–2001; deceased)
karen foss – anchor (1978–1979; later @ ksdk in st. louis , retired)
don harrison – anchor (later @ cnn , headline news; deceased)
ash-har quraishi – chief investigative reporter (2004–2009)




^ longtime kctv5 anchor wendall anschutz dies . kctv. meredith corporation. january 11, 2010. archived original on january 11, 2010. retrieved february 28, 2010. 
^ black joins kctv new general manager . kansas city business journal. american city business journals. july 31, 2001. retrieved december 5, 2016. 
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^ kansas city s kctv5 outsource local sports coverage cable . tvtechnology. cahners business information. november 17, 2003. 
^ kctv5 outsource sports . kansas city star. mcclatchy company. november 7, 2003. retrieved december 5, 2016 – via gateway city radio. 
^ kctv drop sports, use metro cable reports; cbs affiliate eliminating in-house department, partnering time warner unit . televisionweek. november 17, 2003. archived original on december 5, 2016. 
^ mike reynolds (february 9, 2004). k.c. rivals teaming up.(metro sports channel , cbs affiliate kctv teaming capture kansas city sports viewers) . multichannel news. cahners business information. retrieved december 5, 2016. 
^ kctv 5 anchor russel kinsaul out? . gateway city radio. april 13, 2004. retrieved december 5, 2016. 
^ cite error: named reference mirror-cjr invoked never defined (see page).
^ lisa scheller (march 16, 2005). journalism publication chastises tv station investigative story on tonganoxie fertilizer business . tonganoxie mirror. world company. ammonium nitrate, said kctv 5 reporter dave helling. s cheap , common fertilizer , when mixed diesel fuel in right proportions ... cause explosion. 
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^ lisa scheller (december 15, 2004). no action planned tv broadcast . tonganoxie mirror. ogden newspapers. 
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^ kctv 5 news wins first place @ 10:00 during february 2007 sweeps . kctv. meredith corporation. retrieved march 8, 2007. 
^ lawsuits reveal time of turbulence @ kctv . kansas city star. mcclatchy company. may 26, 2007. 
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^ aaron barnhart (august 5, 2009). kctv-5 finds new sports partner: 810 whb . kansas city star. mcclatchy company – via wichita eagle. 
^ kctv5 hires michael coleman sportscaster . kctv. meredith corporation. april 12, 2010. 
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^ kevin eck (april 6, 2017). kctv sports director tells viewers contract wasn t renewed . tvspy. prometheus global media. retrieved april 7, 2017. 
^ kctv expand morning news 4:30 start . bottom line communications. september 5, 2010. 
^ aaron barnhart (september 13, 2010). kcwe adds 9 p.m. news, kctv s super start . kansas city star. mcclatchy company. 
^ newspaper decline creates need kctv begin doing tv obituaries . bottom line communications. october 12, 2010. archived original on october 4, 2011. 
^ michael malone (january 5, 2011). exclusive: kctv, kansas city star partner . broadcasting & cable. reed business information. retrieved december 5, 2016. 
^ kctv , kc star form news partnership . bottom line communications. january 3, 2011. archived original on july 25, 2011. retrieved january 5, 2011. 
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^ kmbc s frosty, fabulous february . kansas city star. mcclatchy company. march 3, 2011. 
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^ steve mcclellan (march 21, 2004). controversy surrounds sex-predator sting . broadcasting & cable. reed business information. retrieved december 5, 2016.