KTSM-TV, also known as NewsChannel 9, is an NBC affiliate based in El Paso, Texas. It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 9. KTSM-TV is currently owned by ComCorp of El Paso, Inc.

History

KTSM-TV signed on air on January 4, 1953 as the second oldest television station in the market, behind KDBC-TV. The station shares its call letters with its former sister AM and FM stations, which are now owned by Clear Channel Communications, separate from KTSM-TV. The "TSM" in the name stands for "Tri State Music", referring to KTSM-AM's original owner.

KTSM claims to have the tallest VHF transmission tower in Texas. It is located at Ranger Peak, one of the peaks of the Franklin Mountains. It is 2,000 feet above downtown El Paso, and 5,990 feet above sea level.

Among KTSM's most famous personalities was Ted Bender. Bender hosted numerous programs on KTSM including the El Paso version of Dialing for Dollars, in which he gave four viewers a chance to win money, and halfway through the calls, Bender (who was a city councilman) would interview a key figure in the El Paso community. The program aired for 25 minutes, which followed a 5-minute newscast on KTSM at 10 AM.

Bender also was the lead weatherman for KTSM from its inception until his retirement in 1991, using weather symbols that the National Weather Service utilizes on their weather charts.

Dialing for Dollars and daytime soaps pre-empted NBC's regular daytime staple of game shows, later airing in the afternoon hours. Sesame Street, which normally airs on PBS, aired on KTSM in the late-1960s and 1970s due to the lack of a public television station in the El Paso area.

On August 3, 2008, during their 5:30 p.m. newscast, KTSM became the first station in El Paso to produce their news in high definition.

KTSM will affiliate with the Spanish-language network Estrella TV on a digital subchannel in 2009. On August 31, 2009, KTSM launched Estrella TV.

On October 19th, 2009 ComCorp, the parent company of KTSM announced that KTSM will provide sales and other services for Titan Broadcast Management's KDBC under a new agreement,.Comcorp El Paso, which owns and operates KTSM, will provide advertising, sales, administrative services and some news programming for KDBC,While TTBC will continue to manage KDBC and both stations will retain separate newscasts for now.

Digital television

The station's digital channel is multiplexed:

Subchannel	Programming
9.1	main KTSM-TV/NBC programming
9.2	Estrella TV

Analog shutdown

On June 12, 2009, at 12:30 P.M. MDT, KTSM-TV completed the analog television shutdown and digital conversion. Additionally, KTSM moved its digital broadcast tier from 16 to its former analog channel number, 9.

Personalities

News team

• Oralia Ortega - Anchor/reporter: NewsChannel 9 @ 5pm, 6pm, & 10pm
• Ben Swann - Anchor/reporter: NewsChannel 9 @ 5pm, 6pm & 10pm
• Melanie Olivas - Morning news anchor: NewsChannel 9 Today
• Adrienne Alvarez - General assignment reporting
• Monique Griego - General assignment reporting
• Trevor Connor -General assignment reporting
• Israel Perez - General assignment reporting
• Kai Porter - General assignment reporting

Sports team

• Fred Albers - Sports Director/anchor: NC9 @ 6pm & 10pm
• Beau Bagley - Weekend sports anchor: NewsChannel 9 Weekends

Weather team

• Chuck DeBroder - Chief Meteorologist: NC9 First @ 5pm, 6pm & 10pm
• Chester Lampkin - Meteorologist: NewsChannel 9 Today
• Russ Pappas - Weather forecaster/reporter: NewsChannel 9 Weekends

Former personalities

• Adam Shadoff
• Ann Bonfield
• Barbara High
• Barry Finn
• Bianca Ferrare
• Bill Armstrong
• Bill Blair
• Brad Montgomery
• Christina Montoya
• Cristina Brown
• Dave Garcia
• Dave Garlick
• Denise LaFrance
• Dia Wallace
• Edward Egros
• Eric Johnston
• Erica Castillo
• Erica Castillo-Ruiz
• Felicia Garcia
• Felipa Solis
• Horst Longenecker
• Jeff Limburgh
• Jeff Reynolds
• Jessica Durrett
• Jessie Chavez

• Joan Zec
• Joe DiGiovanni
• Joyce Ohajah
• Juana Hill
• Louis Saenz
• Mari Alvarez
• Marty Cox
• Micah Johnson
• Michelle Gielan (Now with CBS News in New York)
• Mike Johnson
• Mike Machak
• Minerva Baumann
• Nick Miller
• Richard Cortez
• Richard Wayman
• Roy Ortega
• Scott Ehret
• Steve Jess
• Suzanne Michaels
• Talia Nye
• Ted Bender
• Tim Daly
• Tom Downs
• Tom Nelson
• Tony Debo
• Victor Venegas
• Yvette Villarreal (now Yvette Martinez at WBIR in Knoxville,TN)

News/sation presentation

Newscast titles

• El Paso Newsreel (1953-1959)
• Bill Thomas and the News (1959-1966)
• The Sixth Hour Report/The Eleventh Hour Report (1966-1972)
• Channel 9 News (1972-1975, 1988-1993)
• NewsCenter 9 (1975-1988)
• 9 News (1993-1995)
• TSM News (1995-1999)
• NewsChannel 9 (1999-present)

Station slogans

• El Paso's #1 News Team (1970s-1994)
• Channel 9, Proud as a Peacock (1979-1981; local version of NBC campaign)
• Channel 9 Is Where You Belong (early 1980s)
• Channel 9, Our Pride Is Showing (1981-1982; local version of NBC campaign)
• Channel 9 There, Be There (1983-1984; local version of NBC campaign)
• NewsCenter 9 Is Everywhere (mid 1980s)
• Channel 9, Let's All Be There (1984-1986; local version of NBC campaign)
• Come Home to Channel 9 (1986-87; local version of NBC campaign)
• Come Home to the Best, Only on Channel 9 (1988-1990; local version of NBC campaign)
• Channel 9, The Place to Be! (1990-1991; local version of NBC campaign)
• The Heart of West Texas, Southern New Mexico, and Northern Mexico (1990-1995)
• Get Connected, Stay Connected (1995-2002)
• First, Live, and Local (2002-present)

External links

• KTSM Website

References