There are 13 businesses that have been BBB Accredited since 1963. As the Better Business Bureau celebrates 50 years of serving Southeast Texas in 2013, we will feature one of our charter Accredited Businesses each month in the e-Torch Report.
KFDM CHANNEL 6 … YOU CAN COUNT ON US
From television’s earliest days, KFDM-TV has been an important part of the Southeast Texas community. We are dedicated to providing local programming, news, information and community awareness of issues. You grew up with the people of KFDM-TV, working to provide your family with the best in local television.
The Magnolia Company (later Mobil Oil) created KFDM Radio in 1924 to help entertain the thousands of refinery workers flooding into Southeast Texas. In 1939, Beaumont Broadcasting purchased KFDM Radio and moved the facility to the Edson Hotel in downtown Beaumont.
In 1955, Beaumont Broadcasting acquired Beaumont’s first VHF license. KFDM began broadcasting on April 24, 1955 and provides the oldest continuous television air signal in the Beaumont/Port Arthur market. (There was a short lived UHF 31 that preceded KFDM by a year or so, but “went dark” less than a year later.
A contest was held to name the new television station. The call letters were borrowed from its then sister radio station K-F-D-M (AM 560). The winning suggestion was Kall For Dependable Magnolene, the brand name of Magnolia’s top selling motor oil line. KFDM used the –TV to distinguish themselves from KFDM Radio until 1964 when KFDM radio became KLVI.
KFDM-TV would be sold by Beaumont Broadcasting to A.H. Belo Corporation in 1969. In 1983, Belo merged with Corinthian Broadcasting, owner of Houston's KHOU-TV, which caused concern with the Federal Communications Commission, which at the time did not normally allow common ownership of two stations with overlapping signals (as was the case with the Grade B signals of KFDM and KHOU). As a result, Belo would sell KFDM-TV to Freedom Communications in 1984.
KFDM acquired the CW in Southeast Texas, providing CW programming to the area on the KFDM Digital subchannel and also available on Suddenlink Cable Channel 10 and Direct TV.
Freedom Communications announced in 2011 that it would bow out of television and sell its stations, including KFDM, to Sinclair Broadcast Group. The deal would make KFDM the fourth Sinclair-owned television property in the state of Texas and the first in Eastern Texas (Sinclair already owns the duopoly of KABB and KMYS in San Antonio and has completed its purchase of Austin's KEYE-TV in 2012). Sinclair began operating KFDM in late 2011.
In August, 2012, Nexstar Broadcasting Group filed with the FCC to sell its Fox affiliate KBTV-TV to Deerfield Media (a company also involved in Sinclair's acquisition of stations); following the acquisition, KFDM took over operation of the station under a shared services agreement. The sale was completed on December 3, 2012.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., the largest and one of the most diversified television broadcasting companies in the U.S., will own and operate, program or provide sales services to 162 television stations in 77 markets. Sinclair's television group will reach approximately 38.7% of U.S. television households and will be affiliated with all major networks.
Sinclair’s television portfolio will include 38 FOX, 29 ABC, 26 CBS, 25 CW, 22 MNT, 15 NBC, 5 Univision, one Azteca and one independent station. Sinclair owns equity interests in various nonbroadcast related companies. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
NEWS OPERATION
KFDM has always been a leader and innovator in Southeast Texas. Larry Beaulieu and Cecile Burant co-anchored the evening news beginning in 1974. Their personal style and unique chemistry created a trusting bond with local news viewers. By the mid-80s, Albert Zipp and Cecile Burandt were co-anchoring the evening newscasts. Longevity plays a huge role in the success of KFDM News. In the early 90s, Bill Leger joined the KFDM team, and was later joined by Kelli Phillips. News anchor Greg Kerr is Texas born and bred, and recently returned to his roots, co-anchoring the 6pm and 10pm newscasts on KFDM with Kelli Phillips, and First at 9 on FOX4 with Sheldra Brigham.
Greg Bostwick has been with the station since 1979. His calm approach to severe weather and hurricanes in the Gulf have made him a trusted meteorologist for Southeast Texans, leading them safely through severe hurricanes, most recently Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike.
Popular news programming such as PM Magazine, Positively Southeast Texas, and KFDM Listens keep KFDM on the cutting edge of local broadcasting. In July 2013, KFDM added two hours of local news, entertainment, and weather in the morning with one program that spans two networks. Nearly one out of every two viewers tune in to watch broadcast veteran Dan Gresham, Megan Dillard, James Ware and Dana Melancon on The Morning Show, from 5am-7am on KFDM, then from 7am-9am on FOX4.
In 2005, KFDM was recognized for outstanding coverage by the Texas chapter of the Associated Press for their coverage of Hurricane Rita. In 2006, KFDM received a regional Emmy award, also for their coverage of Rita.
