KBSI
  | |
| Cape Girardeau, Missouri/Paducah, Kentucky/Harrisburg, Illinois United States | |
|---|---|
| City | Cape Girardeau, Missouri |
| Branding |
Fox 23 (general) Heartland News My 49 WDKA (on DT2) |
| Slogan | Live. Local. Late Breaking. |
| Channels |
Digital: 22 (UHF) Virtual: 23 (PSIP) |
| Subchannels |
23.1 Fox 23.2 MyNetworkTV 23.3 Comet |
| Affiliations | Fox (1986–present) |
| Owner |
Sinclair Broadcast Group (KBSI Licensee L.P.) |
| First air date | June 1, 1982 |
| Sister station(s) | WDKA |
| Former channel number(s) |
Analog: 23 (UHF, 1983–2009) |
| Former affiliations | Independent (1982–1986) |
| Transmitter power | 705 kW |
| Height | 543 m |
| Class | DT |
| Facility ID | 19593 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 37°24′22.5″N 89°33′44.3″W / 37.406250°N 89.562306°W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information: |
Profile CDBS |
| Website | kbsi23.com |
KBSI is the Fox-affiliated television station for Southeastern Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase. Licensed to Cape Girardeau, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 22 (or virtual channel 23.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in unincorporated Cape Girardeau County north of the city. Owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station operates the MyNetworkTV-affiliate WDKA (the license is locally owned) through a local marketing agreement. The two outlets share studios on Enterprise Street in Cape Girardeau.
History
The station signed on the air on September 10, 1983 as an Independent station and aired an analog signal on UHF channel 23. The station was originally owned by Cape Girardeau Family Television, Ltd. It became a charter Fox affiliate during the network's launch on October 9, 1986. Cape Girardeau Family Television sold the station to Engles Communications in 1990. Engles then sold the station to Max Television (later Max Media Properties) in 1995. In 1998, current owner Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired most of the Max Media Properties stations, including KBSI. On May 15, 2012, Sinclair and Fox agreed to a five-year extension to the network's affiliation agreement with Sinclair's nineteen Fox stations (including KBSI) allowing them to continue carrying Fox programming until 2017.[1]
Digital television
Digital channels
The station's digital channel is multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP Short Name | Programming[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KBSI-DT | Main KBSI programming / Fox |
| 23.2 | 480i | 4:3 | WDKA-DT | Simulcast of WDKA |
| 23.3 | COMET | Comet | ||
Analog-to-digital conversion
KBSI shut down its analog signal, over UHF channel 23, on February 17, 2009, the original target date in 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 remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 22.[3] Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 23.
Programming
Syndicated programming on KBSI includes Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and Judge Judy among others.
Newscasts
For many years, NBC affiliate WPSD-TV (owned by the Paxton Media Group) produced a nightly prime time newscast on KBSI through a news share agreement. The thirty-minute show was known as Local 6 News at 9 on Fox 23 and featured a regionalized summary of headlines and weather forecasts because KBSI is based in Cape Girardeau. On its own newscasts, WPSD traditionally focuses on the Western Kentucky side of the market. The broadcast originated from that station's facility on Television Lane in Paducah.
For a while, KBSI competed with another nightly half-hour newscast at 9 on the area's low-powered CW affiliates WQTV-LP/WQWQ-LP. That newscast, produced by CBS affiliate KFVS-TV, was aired specifically for Southeastern Missouri viewers since KFVS traditionally covers that area more. It would eventually be cancelled on July 29, 2007.
KBSI's outsourcing arrangement with WPSD expired on September 30, 2010. The next day, this station entered into a new partnership with KFVS (owned by Raycom Media) in order to expand the prime time production to sixty minutes in length every night. KBSI's current show is known as Heartland News at 9 on Fox 23 and originates from the CBS affiliate's studios, in the Hirsch Tower, on Broadway Avenue in Downtown Cape Girardeau. Unlike other outsourced news arrangements at Sinclair-owned television stations, KBSI features the same graphics scheme and music package as seen on the CBS outlet. Also, there are no on-air duratrans separately identifying the Fox newscast. On October 3, 2010, WPSD brought back its own newscast at 9 to both of its digital subchannels which is seen every night, except Saturdays, for a half-hour.
In July 2011, KFVS became the second news operation in the market to upgrade local news production to high definition level. Included with the switch was the debut of a new studio and updated graphics (the KBSI newscast was included in the change). In addition to its main facility in Southeastern Missouri, KFVS operates a Southern Illinois Newsroom on East Plaza Drive in Carterville. During weather segments, KBSI uses live NOAA National Weather Service radar data from several regional sites. This system is known on-air as "First Alert Doppler Network". The outlet also features KFVS' own Doppler weather radar, called "Live StormTeam Radar", that is on top of the Hirsch building. It is a Collins radar sold by ADC in Bloomington, Indiana and is the only live radar source in the market since the National Weather Service data is delayed. In instances of severe weather (most notably during a tornado warning in the viewing area), KBSI may simulcast live coverage from KFVS if an event occurs outside the prime time newscast.