KEPR-TV (pronounced "keeper"), virtual channel 19, is the CBS affiliated television station for the Tri-Cities area of Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick, Washington. It is licensed to Pasco. It is sister station to KIMA-TV in Yakima, Washington and KLEW-TV in Lewiston, Idaho. KEPR's transmitter is located on Johnson Butte near Kennewick.

Though identifying as a station in its own right, KEPR is considered a semi-satellite of KIMA. It clears all of KIMA's syndicated programming, but airs separate IDs and commercials. On satellite, while DirecTV carries KEPR-TV along with KIMA-TV, it is not available on Dish Network, which carries KIMA-TV only.

All of KEPR's programming is run out of Fisher Plaza in Seattle. KEPR is also a sister station to Univision affiliates KVVK-CA and KORX-CA.

KEPR's morning and weekend newscasts are shared with KIMA-TV. Branded as "KIMA/KEPR Action News", they cover both the Columbia Basin and the Yakima Valley. KEPR continues to air its own 5, 6 & 11 p.m. newscasts.

History [link]

KEPR-TV went on the air for the first time December 28, 1954 as a satellite of KIMA-TV. It was owned by Cascade Broadcasting Company along with KEPR radio (AM 610, now KONA).

A few years earlier, the Federal Communications Commission collapsed all of central Washington into one giant television market. However, this market was designated a "UHF island" due to being sandwiched between Seattle to the west, Spokane to the east and Portland to the south. It soon became apparent that one full-power UHF station would not be nearly enough to adequately cover this vast and mountainous area. KEPR-TV thus signed on as the first station in the United States to be a satellite of another.

Original plans called for it to be a straight repeater of KIMA-TV, apart from station identifications. However, it soon became apparent that Tri-Cities residents wanted a more local station. Monte Strohl, who until then had been a radio salesman at KIMA, was installed as the first manager-salesman of KEPR-TV. The station also added a separate news department.

Like its parent station, KEPR-TV carried programming from all three networks, but was a primary CBS affiliate. It lost NBC in 1965 when KNDU followed the lead of parent station KNDO and became a full-time NBC affiliate, and lost ABC when KVEW signed on along with parent KAPP in 1970. During the 1970s, the two stations co-branded as "Cascade TV."

KEPR produces Community Health Journal with Jim Hall, a former anchorman for the station who is now with Kadlec Medical Center in Richland. The program has aired for 15 years, making it one of the longest-running magazine programs in the market.

In 2000, KEPR became the first station in the Tri-Cities to broadcast a digital signal with the activation of a low-power, standard definition signal on channel 18; this was upgraded to a full-power, high definition signal in 2007. The digital signal remained on channel 18 following the end of analog broadcasting in 2009; however, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display KEPR's virtual channel as 19.

On March 30, 2009, KEPR launched a digital subchannel affiliated with The CW, filling the void left by KCWK (channel 9) going dark at the end of May 2008 due to the Pappas Telecasting bankruptcy.^[1] The subchannel subsequently took KCWK's former channel 9 position on local cable systems. As had been the case with KCWK, programming is primarily sourced from the network's CW Plus feed, though there is a 10 p.m. newscast on weeknights.

On-Air Staff [link]

Anchors

• Terry Chick - KEPR Action News @ 5, 6 & 11 PM
• Whitney Ward - KEPR Action News @ 5, 6 & 11 PM
• Lindsey Adams - KEPR Action News 5-7 AM
• Jay Frank - KEPR Action News 5-7 AM
• Ryan Simms - Weekends @ 6:30 & 11 PM

Reporters

• Ryan Simms
• Melanie Tubbs
• John Collett
• Stephanie Montano
• Frances Watson
• Heather Walker (Yakima)
• Haley Guenthner (Yakima)
• Tyler Slauson - Multi-Media Journalist
• Jennifer Ann Wilson - Morning Reporter

Weather Team

• Mike McCabe - Chief Weather Anchor
• Jennifer Ann Wilson - Weekend Weather Anchor
• Jay Frank - Morning Weather Anchor

Sports Team

• Morgan Vance - Sports Anchor
• John Collett - Sports Anchor

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KEPR
• Query TV Fool's coverage map for KEPR
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KEPR-TV