KSTC-TV

KSTC-TV is an independent television station for the Twin Cities that is licensed to Minneapolis. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 45 (virtual channel 5.2) from a transmitter at the Telefarm installation in Shoreview. Owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, the station is sister to ABC affiliate KSTP-TV and several radio stations. All share studios on University Avenue on the Minneapolis and St. Paul city line. Syndicated programming on KSTC includes The Middle, Seinfeld, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and The King of Queens. It is the only television station in the area with its own mascot, the "45 Guy", who is often seen at community events.

History

The station began operations under the KVBM call letters. Although FCC records indicate that a license for this station was granted in 1987, it did not take to the airwaves until June 1994. The station aired Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic information as well as the Home Shopping Network until it was purchased by Hubbard Broadcasting on April 24, 2000. Hubbard relaunched the station as KSTC on September 11. In order to get attention for the switch from KVBM to KSTC, the station ran an advertising campaign that confused many people in the area; posters and broadcast ads featuring people of all ages used the phrase "I'm 45", but initially made no mention of the newly created station.

KSTC

KSTC may refer to:

KSTC (AM)

KSTC (1230 AM, "Sterling Silver") is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to the city of Sterling, Colorado, it serves the northeastern Colorado area. It first began broadcasting in 1938 under the call sign KGEK. The station is currently owned by Wayne Johnson, through licensee Media Logic LLC.

History

The radio station was founded in 1938 by Harry Behler and was first licensed as KGEK in Yuma, Colorado, about 60 miles southeast of Sterling. In the 1950s it was moved to Sterling. For the next 30 years the station occupied an adobe building and, later, double-wide mobile home at the east edge of Sterling.

The station went through a series of ownership transfers during that time, In 1974 an FM station was added (104.5 MHz), with call letters KYOT ("Country Coyote") and in the late 1970s the stations' call letters were changed to KSTC and KNNG-FM.

The station was moved into a new facility on West Main Street in Sterling in 1983, and remains at that location.

Over the years, KGEK/KSTC has had a number of music and programming formats. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the station experimented with a multi-format concept, playing "easy listening" music in the mornings, country music in the afternoon and rock/pop in the evenings. At present, KSTC plays oldies from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, while KNNG-FM plays crossover country music.