KTBC (TV)
KTBC (channel 7) is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, serving as the market's Fox network outlet. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, and maintains studios on East 10th Street near the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin; its transmitter is based at the West Austin Antenna Farm on Mount Larson.
For the radio stations originally known as KTBC, see KLBJ (AM) and KLBJ-FM.
- Austin, Texas
- United States
- Austin, Texas
- United States
- Fox 7 Austin
- MeTV Austin (DT4)
- 7.1: Fox
- for others, see § Subchannels
- Fox Television Stations
- (NW Communications of Austin, Inc.)
November 27, 1952
- Analog: 7 (VHF, 1952–2009)
- Digital: 56 (UHF, 1997–2009)
Texas Broadcasting Company (former owners)
35649
98.6 kW
383 m (1,257 ft)
History[edit]
Early years with CBS[edit]
KTBC-TV aired its first television broadcast on Thursday, November 27, 1952, becoming the first television station in Austin and Central Texas. Originally housed in a small studio in the Driskill Hotel,[2] the station was originally owned by the Texas Broadcasting Company (from whom the call letters are taken), which was in turn owned by then-Senator and future U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife Lady Bird, alongside KTBC radio (590 AM and 93.7 FM). Lady Bird Johnson used the money from her family inheritance to purchase KTBC-TV, she remained active with her radio station until she was in her eighties which led her to become the first president's wife to have become a millionaire on her own.[3][4] It carried all four major networks at the time: ABC, CBS, NBC and the now-defunct DuMont Television Network. However, it was a primary CBS affiliate. In its early history, it carried roughly 65% of CBS's schedule; NBC and ABC roughly split the remaining coverage in half.[5]
In 1960, the staff of channel 7 produced a film for the Texas Department of Public Safety, entitled Target Austin. The 20-minute film presents the scenario of a nuclear missile strike on the outskirts of Austin and follows the storylines of several characters from the CONELRAD broadcast to the announcement that it is safe to emerge from shelter. The film takes place in Austin, highlighting several iconic locations in the city, and featured an Austin-based cast and crew: including director Gordon Wilkison (of KTBC), narrator Cactus Pryor (also of KTBC), actress Coleen Hardin, and El Rancho restaurant owner Matt Martinez.[6]
Technical information[edit]
Subchannels[edit]
The station's signal is multiplexed: