KEZI

History

In 1959, a group of Eugene investors formed Liberty Communications and were granted a license for Eugene's second television station. These investors included former Chevrolet dealer Julio Silva and his daughter, Carolyn S. Chambers. KEZI went on the air for the first time at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 19, 1960. Studios and offices were located at 2225 Coburg Road in north Eugene, and the transmitter was located atop the Coburg Hills northeast of the city. In its inaugural broadcast, KEZI boasted that it was Eugene's first full-power television station. Broadcasting at a powerful 316 kW, KEZI reached 146,000 viewers at its inception.

Logically, the station should have taken the CBS affiliation from primary NBC affiliate KVAL-TV. However, for reasons that remain unknown, KEZI opted to take on a primary ABC affiliation, sharing CBS with KVAL. This was somewhat unusual for a two-station market, especially one of Eugene's size; ABC would be nowhere on the level of CBS and NBC until the 1970s. In most two-station markets at the time, ABC was relegated to secondary status. Eugene-area viewers weren't able to view the full CBS lineup until the mid-1950s, when cable arrived in the market and cable operators piped in Portland's KOIN-TV. KEZI did carry some CBS programming, including the NFL regular-season games (between 1965 and the mid-1970s). In October 1982, when KMTR signed on to take the NBC affiliation, KVAL became a full-time CBS affiliate, leaving KEZI with ABC.

In its first 24 years, Liberty grew exponentially, becoming one of the nation's largest cable system operators. In 1983, Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI) purchased Liberty's cable and television assets for $186 million.

Chambers then formed Chambers Communications. and purchased several former Liberty entities, including KEZI. Chambers Communications then bought Medford ABC affiliates, KDRV and its satellite in Klamath Falls, KDKF. Today, Chambers owns many media-related businesses, including an Internet service provider and a multimedia production house, Chambers Productions.

On February 14, 1998 KEZI's entire operation was moved from the original Coburg Road location to the recently completed Chambers Media Center. This 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) building is now home to most Chambers Communications projects. Among the amenities at CMC are five sound stages, one of the largest such facilities on the West coast (Chambers Productions' two films, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze and The Sisters, were shot at CMC and in Eugene). KEZI also enjoys a fully digital master control and an advanced newsroom facility.

In September 2006, Chambers Communications established KOHD in Bend, Oregon. KOHD is a sister station of KEZI and an ABC affiliate, with digital broadcasts on channel 51. KOHD was sold to the Zolo Media division of BendBroadband in 2013, though it continues to carry KEZI's newscasts.

On March 5, 2014, Chambers Communications announced that it would exit broadcasting and sell its stations to Heartland Media, a company owned by former Gray Television executive Bob Prather. The sale was completed on July 15. Heartland recently added Chico, California, CBS affiliate KHSL-TV to its family of stations, effectively making KEZI and KDRV their new sister stations.

Dispute with Dish Network

On December 10, 2010, KEZI announced that Chambers Communications could not reach a deal to keep its stations on Dish Network's local feeds, leaving viewers in those areas in danger of losing local ABC programming as a result. Viewers were encouraged to read a special Q&A page regarding this matter. Despite their best efforts, their previous agreement expired on December 15 and the stations were removed from the Dish Network local line-ups. Chambers and Dish finally came to an agreement to resume service and as of December 30, 2010 the stations returned on Dish Network.

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:

Analog-to-digital conversion

KEZI shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9, on February 17, 2009, the original target date on which full-power television stations in the United States were to transition from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate (which was later pushed back to June 12, 2009). The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 44 to VHF channel 9.

Programming

KEZI's broadcast schedule is dominated by news, local features and ABC network programming. Sports is also a prominent part of KEZI programming, with Oregon Ducks football and basketball, and ABC's extensive sports coverage. In addition to ABC network programming, KEZI airs such shows as The Insider, Judge Judy, and Live! with Kelly and Michael.

In seasons past, KEZI aired reruns of Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Taxi

Local programming

KEZI's news department occasionally airs a special culled from a feature seen on news: Rick Dancer's aforementioned Guatemala trip became a one-time special in 2005.

In late 2005, KEZI pioneered high-definition television (HDTV) programming in the Eugene market by airing a locally originated Oregon Ducks football game in HDTV. KEZI coordinated the broadcast with the Oregon Sports Network and ESPN Plus. Up until that point, no other broadcast station had aired local HDTV programming in western Oregon (all HDTV broadcasts had been network). On April 26, 2010, KEZI became the first station in the Eugene market to broadcast local news in high definition.

News operation

The KEZI news department is a large operation serving most of southwestern Oregon. KEZI's sister stations KDRV Medford and KDKF Klamath Falls provide news and video for KEZI's broadcasts, and vice versa. The news department also operates bureaus in Corvallis, Roseburg, and Coos Bay. For national stories, the station primarily relies on ABC NewsOne and CNN. KEZI also carries Portland-area stories from KATU and KGW. Weather reporting is overseen by chief meteorologist Marisa Woloszyn and Dave Holder.

KEZI prides itself on its coverage of sports. The station was the longtime flagship of the Oregon Sports Network, official TV net for University of Oregon football, basketball and other sports. KEZI's parent company, Chambers Communication, terminated its relationship with the Oregon Sports Network in 2008.

In March 2010, newscasts started originating from a temporary set in the newsroom while a new set was constructed and other upgrades were made to prepare for HD. Chambers Communication's cancellation of long-form newscasts at KOHD, KEZI's sister station in Bend, Oregon, allowed KEZI to upgrade equipment.

On April 26, 2010, KEZI became the first (and only) station to broadcast local news in high definition in the Eugene market. By comparison, the newscasts on KVAL and KLSR-TV are in 16:9 enhanced definition widescreen while those on KMTR remain in pillarboxed 4:3 standard definition.

KEZI 9+ Nonstop News (2011–13)

In January 2011, KEZI launched its new 24-hour local news service, KEZI 9+ Nonstop News, airing on over-the-air digital channel 9.2. It broadcasts local news programming from the news team as well as a three-hour block of children's programming to keep up with the FCC requirements for educational/informational programs. In the fall of 2011, 9+ began airing the Friday Night Blitz Game of the Week, local live telecasts of high school football. And in the winter of 2012, the station began broadcasting the Roundball Wrap Game of the Week, local live telecasts of high school basketball. Both sports programs are similar to those broadcast by sister station KDRV NewsWatch 12+, which includes cross-market games.

Live Well Network Western Oregon (2013–14)

On September 9, 2013, KEZI 9.2 replaced KEZI 9+ with Live Well Network Western Oregon. Live Well Network is a home, health and lifestyle high-definition digital subchannel network owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and is operated by the ABC Owned Television Stations. It launched on April 27, 2009, but KEZI didn't add the network to 9.2 until September 9 and stopped carrying it on October 31, 2014.

MeTV Western Oregon (2014-Present)

On November 1, 2014, KEZI 9.2 started airing MeTV, Memorable Entertainment Television. The network showcases classic shows from the 50s through the 80s. MeTV Western Oregon is broadcast over the air on channel 9.2, on Charter channel 186,Comcast channel 309 and on Country Vision Cable 24. KEZI continues to carry the Friday Night Blitz and Roundball Wrap Game of the Week on 9.2.

Awards

Former members of KEZI, Rick Dancer and Al Peterson, were highlighted in the Oregon Associated Press Best Feature category for Division II in 2005. KEZI won several Oregon Associated Press awards in 2010, including Overall Excellence.

Notable former staff

Translators

KEZI is rebroadcast on the following translators:

Low-power translators for Myrtle Point, Newport, and Black Butte Ranch have been discontinued.