KRRT/KMYS HISTORY

KRRT Channel 35 hit the airwaves for the first time at 5:40pm on November 6, 1985.  The first program broadcast on Channel 35 was Sanford and Son.  KRRT was supposed to sign on the air three days earlier but there were problems getting lights installed on the tower due to high winds.

 

The station’s tower is situated on a hilltop near Lake Medina.  The location is about halfway between Kerrville and San Antonio. Kerrville is KRRT’s city of license and the FCC requires broadcast stations to provide a city grade signal to the city of license.  The tower site enables KRRT to send a strong signal toward both communities.

 

During the first year of operation KRRT had a working office in Kerrville, manned by three people.  They recorded satellite feeds and produced a public affairs show.  KRRT’s first Public Affairs Director become a local celebrity in Kerrville since it was the only station people could receive without giant antennas or cable television.

 

In the first few months KRRT placed several ads in the Express-News and the San Antonio Light to educate the public about receiving the UHF signal.  KRRT was the first English language UHF station in the market and very few viewers knew about UHF reception.  In fact, when KRRT first came on the air, many people thought it was a cable only station.

 

Back in 1985 about sixty percent of the station’s programming aired directly from film including the Brady Bunch, CHIPS, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Lone Ranger, and one of KRRT’s first hits, The Three Stooges.  There were more people working in the Film Department, (2 ½) than in the Promotions Department (1 ½).

 

Kids were among the first to discover KRRT because of the cartoons that were scheduled weekday afternoons, including G.I. Joe and She-Ra.  At the time, no other station in the market was carrying after school cartoons and the children’s programming was a huge ratings success for the station.

 

In 1985 there were only four computers in the entire station; there were three in the Traffic Department and one in programming.  Word processing was done the old fashioned way, typewriters.

 

Master Control was configured with two film chains, one 1-inch machine, seven ¾-inch machines, (four of which were connected to the Solutec system that controlled the commercial breaks).  The station was also equipped with two 2-inch VTRs that were built in 1965 and required air compressors to operate.  There was only one satellite dish.  As television technology continued to evolve, so did the station.

 

On April 5, 1987, KRRT carried the debut of FOX, the country’s fourth broadcast network.  KRRT was the original FOX affiliate for the San Antonio market.  During the inaugural evening of programming, the FOX Network alternated between three showings of Married with Children and The Tracey Ullman Show.  Married with Children was broadcast at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00.  The Tracey Ullman Show was seen at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30.

 

In the years that followed other FOX staples made their premiere on KRRT including the Simpson’s (A spin-off from Tracey Ullman), 21 Jump Street, America’s Most Wanted, COPS, Beverly Hills 90210, and the X-Files.

 

KRRT continued to be a kids’ favorite with programming from the FOX Children’s Network during morning and weekday afternoons.  In between early evening program segments, viewers were treated to FOX ROCKS vignettes that featured a local cast of six young adults who made appearances all over the community.

 

In 1994 the FOX Network acquired the NFC package of NFL football. KRRT launched 35 Sports Street in August 1994, which was a locally produced sports program that led into the FOX NFL pre-game show. 

 

KRRT broadcast Barry Switzer’s first regular season game as head coach when the Cowboys shellacked the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-9.  The Dallas Cowboys appeared on KRRT numerous times throughout the season, including a disappointing 38-28 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on KRRT’s last full day as a FOX affiliate, January 15, 1995.

 

On January 16, 1995, KRRT changed affiliation to UPN and carried the first night of programming for the start-up network. UPN’s premiere night featured the first episode of Star Trek Voyager. The FOX affiliation jumped over to KABB-TV that same night.  KRRT is the only San Antonio station to carry the inaugural evening of two different networks; FOX and UPN.
UPDATE: KRRT will switch networks a few more times! Keep reading.

 

Six months later the Paramount Stations Group sold KRRT to Jet Broadcasting.  Jet signed an LMA agreement with River City Broadcasting, the parent company of KABB, which consolidated the two stations into one operation. 

 

On September 17, 1995 KRRT moved from their original location near Ingram Mall to the KABB building at 4335 NW Loop 410.  Although it is not unusual for multiple radio stations to operate from one building, at the time the arrangement was unprecedented for television stations in San Antonio.  Both stations broadcast from separate but adjacent Master Control rooms.  Other station departments are combined or co-located.

 

A major ice storm hit the San Antonio area on February 2, 1996.  Freeways and major roads were closed as the city shut down.  Alex Garcia aired simultaneous weather cut-ins on KRRT and KABB-TV to advise viewers of the situation.  It was the first time that live weather cut-ins were ever broadcast on KRRT.  The combined technical facility enables fast and efficient dissemination of emergency information to viewers of both stations.    

 

In August 1996, UPN35 jointly sponsored the fourth annual Kids Fair at the Alamodome.  The two-day event featured WWF star Shawn Michaels, Zachary Ty Bryan from Home Improvement and Tatiana Ali from the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire.  Alamo City Heat and Patsy Torres played for the crowds from the entertainment stage.  Both stations teamed up for two more Kids Fairs in 1997 and 1998.  Kids Fair proceeds benefit the San Antonio D.A.R.E. program dedicated to providing children with the skills to resist the use of harmful drugs.

 

The San Antonio Spurs made their KRRT debut November 6, 1996 when the team played an away game with the Washington Bullets.  Chuck Miketinac anchored a pre-game and half-time show from the KRRT studio.  The Spurs continued to appear on KRRT every season between 1996 and 2000.

 

KRRT switched affiliations a third time on January 16, 1998.  UPN35 became WB35 after the station signed on with the WB network.  During the first season with the WB, some of the hot programs included Dawson’s Creek, 7^th Heaven, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 

Two months after joining the WB family, KRRT launched the 5:30 News, a fast paced local news roundup for the San Antonio market.  But it proved to be a difficult time period because the newscast was up against national news on the other stations.  Regretfully, the 5:30 News signed off for the last time on January 7, 2000.

 

The 34^th Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon came to KRRT on September 5, 1999.  Lu Parker and Mike Valdez hosted the station’s first major telethon and raised over $410,000.  KRRT has carried the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon every year since 1999.

 

San Antonio’s world famous Holiday River Parade was broadcast live on KRRT for the first time on November 26, 1999.  The nighttime parade takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It features 26 brilliantly lit barges that float under 122,000 colored lights along the River Walk.  KRRT produces the parade and distributes it by satellite to other stations nationwide.  In 2002 the parade was broadcast on 42 other stations spanning from California to Florida to from Minnesota to Maine.

 

Another telethon came to WB35 on January 6, 2001.  The UNCF telethon, An Evening of Stars, raised money to provide college scholarships for African Americans.  The telethon was produced at the station’s studios.  It returned for a second broadcast on January 5, 2002.

 

After a one year hiatus, the San Antonio Spurs returned to KRRT for the start of the 2001-2002 season.  The station broadcast over 30 games during the season.  The San Antonio Spurs moved to the SBC Arena (now the AT&T Center) at the start of the 2002-2003 season.  KRRT produced two half hour specials that were broadcast on October 18^th and 30^th to give viewers a preview of the facility.  For the second season in a row, KRRT is broadcasting 30 Spurs games, substantially more than any other station in San Antonio.

 

KRRT’s digital signal hit the airwaves on Channel 32 at 6:30pm on October 31, 2002 and went to full power in April 2006. 

 

On June 19, 2006 KRRT changed its call letters to KMYS. With the new My Network TV network coming we wanted to more closely brand ourselves with the new network. The MYS in KMYS-TV stands for MY San Antonio TV.

 

In September 2006, KMYS will change affiliations again to My Network TV. KMYS is the only San Antonio station to carry the inaugural evening of three different networks; FOX, UPN, and My Network TV.

 

Keep watching KMYS as we continue to grow and evolve in the new millenium.