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KARE (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Twin Cities area. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Olson Memorial Highway (MN 55) in Golden Valley and a transmitter at the Telefarm Towers in Shoreview, Minnesota.

Key Information

Channel 11 began broadcasting on September 1, 1953. It was originally shared by WMIN-TV in St. Paul and WTCN-TV in Minneapolis; the two stations shared an affiliation with ABC and alternated presenting local programs. In 1955, Consolidated Television and Radio bought both stations and merged them as WTCN-TV from the Minneapolis studios in the Calhoun Beach Hotel. The station presented several regionally and nationally notable children's shows in its early years as well as local cooking, news, and sports programs. Time Inc. purchased the station in 1957. Under its ownership, ABC switched its affiliation to KMSP-TV (channel 9), leaving channel 11 to become an independent station that broadcast games of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, movies, and syndicated programs. This continued under two successive owners: Chris-Craft Industries and Metromedia. By the late 1970s, WTCN was one of the nation's most financially successful independent stations.

In 1978, NBC's Twin Cities affiliate, KSTP-TV, announced it would switch its affiliation to ABC. This forced NBC to select between KMSP and WTCN for its new local outlet. It chose WTCN on the strength of its facilities, ownership, and promise to build a first-class news operation, for which KMSP had never been known as an ABC station. On March 5, 1979, channel 11 became an NBC affiliate and began broadcasting NewsCenter 11 newscasts. In spite of a major promotional campaign, the news product was a high-profile commercial failure, beaten by entertainment shows on KMSP in the ratings, as viewers rejected the new news team and continued to prefer market leaders WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV.

Metromedia agreed to buy Chicago independent station WFLD in 1982 and sold WTCN to Gannett to raise capital and make room in its station group. Gannett engineered a comprehensive overhaul of the station's news programming. Between 1983 and 1987, the station moved from last to first in late news ratings, battling WCCO for two decades. It changed call signs twice in that period, to WUSA in 1985 and KARE in 1986, when Gannett moved the WUSA call sign to its Washington, D.C., station. More recently, as of 2022, the station has been a second-place finisher in local news.

History

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

WMIN-TV and WTCN-TV: The shared-time era

[edit]

The WMIN Broadcasting Company of St. Paul applied in February 1948 for a new station licensed to that city on channel 2.[4] The application was frozen when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) halted all grants of new TV stations in 1948.[5]

In February 1952—two months before the FCC lifted the freeze[6]—the Minnesota Television Public Service Corporation, a company headed by former ambassador Robert Butler and headquartered in St. Paul, filed for television channel 11 in Minneapolis.[7] Weeks later, Mid Continent Radio Television, which owned station WTCN-TV on channel 4 as well as WTCN (1280 AM), announced it would take over WCCO radio, combine its operations with channel 4, and divest WTCN radio.[8] Minnesota Television Public Service then acquired WTCN radio, which had to be sold to allow Mid Continent to purchase WCCO.[9] The transactions were approved in August 1952, at which time channel 4 changed from WTCN-TV to WCCO-TV.[10]

After the freeze was lifted, WMIN refiled its pre-freeze application in July to specify channel 11,[11] as channel 2 had been set aside for educational broadcasting by the FCC.[12] Later that month, Meredith Publishing filed for channel 11 in Minneapolis alongside stations in Rochester, New York, and St. Louis.[13] Meredith owned three stations and had three pending station applications when the FCC ruled that companies could only have as many applications as additional stations it could own—the limit being five—in February 1953.[14] With six stations and applications for stations, the company was one over the limit; it then dropped out of the channel 11 fight. WMIN and WTCN—each seeking to avoid a lengthy comparative hearing—proposed to share time on channel 11, which the FCC accepted in April 1953.[15]

A five-story urban building in a downtown area
An eight-story residential building
The Hamm Building (above) housed the studios of WMIN-TV between 1953 and 1955, while WTCN-TV originated from the Calhoun Beach Hotel between 1953 and 1974.

On September 1, 1953, channel 11 began broadcasting. At 2 p.m., the first WMIN-TV programs aired: a news show, the women's program Talk About the Town, and a movie. Two hours later, WTCN-TV greeted viewers with a dedication, the cooking show Man Around the House, and a teen music bandstand program, Corner Drug.[16] Channel 11's signal originated from the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis;[17] the tower had a master antenna inspired by the Empire State Building in New York and designed to broadcast multiple stations, including the antenna for WCCO-TV and provision for antennas for channels 9 and 11 before any applicant had a construction permit for them.[18]

A slender skyscraper with an antenna spire
The Foshay Tower was designed to transmit channel 11 even before a construction permit had been awarded and did so between 1953 and 1971.

The transmitter and antenna were the only physical facilities shared by the stations. While WMIN-TV and WTCN-TV were affiliates of ABC, in keeping with WTCN radio,[19] their programs and even network shows during each station's airtime originated from separate facilities. WMIN-TV set up in the former WMIN radio studios in the Hamm Building in St. Paul, the radio station having relocated to its transmitter site;[20] it had no film developing equipment, so films had to be airmailed to and from sister station KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.[21] WTCN-TV established itself in the Calhoun Beach Hotel in Minneapolis. The hotel offered the station the use of its ballroom; its former gymnasium, left unfinished when the former beach club converted to a hotel, became the largest TV studio to that time in the Twin Cities.[20]

Each station offered its own local programs. WMIN had the children's show Captain 11, featuring host Jim Lange[22] in a space-themed outfit.[23][a] It also featured Wrangler Steve, a host of Westerns played by WMIN radio disc jockey Steve Cannon.[22] For kids, WTCN had the clown J. P. Patches, originally played by Daryl Laub and then by Chris Wedes.[28] Wedes left for the new KIRO-TV in Seattle in 1958;[29] Patches aired on the Seattle station until 1981.[30] For 19 years, Roger Awsumb played Casey Jones on WTCN's Lunch with Casey.[22]

By 1954, channel 11 was offering some programming from the DuMont Television Network,[31] though the network's shows moved to new station KEYD-TV (channel 9) when it launched in January 1955.[32]

Consolidated consolidation and purchase by Time, Inc.

[edit]

In January 1955, Consolidated Television and Radio Broadcasters of Indianapolis, a company owned by the Bitner family, agreed to acquire WTCN radio and television and WMIN-TV for about $3 million. Bitner believed that the channel 11 stations made for an attractive purchase because their values were artificially lowered by confusion stemming from the shared-station setup.[33] It announced that it would keep the WTCN call letters.[34] When Consolidated completed the purchase in April, WMIN left the air and merged into the full-time WTCN. At that time, the new owner consolidated the station's activities at WTCN's Minneapolis studios and closed WMIN's St. Paul facilities, with only a handful of WMIN technical employees not continuing with channel 11.[35] During this time, the station affiliated with the NTA Film Network, which began in 1956.[36]

The Bitner group had owned the WTCN stations for less than two years when it announced the sale of three of its broadcasting properties—the WTCN stations, WFBM radio and television in Indianapolis, and WLAV radio and television in Grand Rapids, Michigan—to Time, Inc. in December 1956. The $15.75 million deal came after the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company backed out of a transaction for the stations plus WFDF in Flint, Michigan.[37] FCC approval followed in April 1957.[38] Time improved station revenues by expanding its movie library and sharpening its promotion of feature films.[39] It offered a large schedule of local sports, including select games of Minneapolis Millers minor league baseball, which WTCN radio broadcast all season long; the station cut back its sports broadcasts on radio and TV due to difficulty selling advertising time and intense competition, particularly for the radio broadcasts of Minnesota Golden Gophers football.[40]

As an independent station

[edit]
Signed publicity poster of Casey Jones behind a prop "Railroad Crossing" sign
Roger Awsumb played Casey Jones on WTCN-TV's Lunch with Casey children's show for nearly two decades.

Loss of ABC affiliation

[edit]

By the start of the 1960s, Time's relationship with ABC had become strained. Variety reported in March 1960 that station management was insisting on a protection clause, a guarantee that ABC would not go to KMSP-TV (channel 9), an independent station then owned by 20th Century Fox.[41] KMSP was already carrying some ABC shows that were not seen on channel 11's schedule.[42] Channel 11's fears were well-founded; in January 1961, ABC announced it would move its programs to KMSP effective April 16.[43]

The newly independent channel 11 became the market's first station to telecast major league baseball with the newly relocated Minnesota Twins; WCCO-TV had agreed to broadcast the games, but CBS refused to allow the station to preempt prime-time network programs for baseball, forcing channel 4 to back out. The station agreed to telecast 50 night and weekend games, simulcast with WCCO radio, with Bob Wolff and Ray Scott as announcers.[44] The Twins, movies, and feature programs became the station's top program draws,[45] as well as newscasts timed to air just before the network affiliates, including hourly news breaks and a 9 p.m. newscast.[46] To support its new local programming, the station expanded its footprint in the Calhoun Beach Hotel to include space on the lower level and acquired new equipment.[47] Despite this, Time noted in its annual report that losing ABC was "forcing a re-adjustment to the economies of independent television station operations" at channel 11.[48]

The Twins proved key to channel 11's survival without a network affiliation. Telecasts reached audience shares averaging 58 percent and as high as 79 percent in 1962. A major advertising contract with Hamm's beer for the baseball games helped the station acquire programming and get on steadier footing—its first profitable footing in its ten-year history. An American Research Bureau report found that the station had the largest relative audience share of any independent in the country, even in months without baseball. Twins games earned channel 11 placement on cable systems far from the Twin Cities, including Mankato and Rochester, Minnesota, and Eau Claire and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Building on the success of the Twins telecasts, the station sought to broaden its image as a sports outlet by adding wrestling (broadcast from the studio) and college sports to its lineup.[49]

Chris-Craft ownership

[edit]

In the three years Time owned WTCN-TV as an independent, it negotiated with several groups to sell the television station and WTCN radio. In July 1961, Variety reported that Chicago-based WGN Inc. was considering buying WTCN-TV from Time;[50] other buyers looked at and passed on the station at this time.[49] A Twin Cities–based consortium agreed to pay $2 million for the WTCN stations in 1963 but failed to come up with the money.[51] Chris-Craft Industries agreed to purchase WTCN-TV alone for $4 million in a deal announced in May 1964; it was the company's third TV property after two other independents, KCOP in Los Angeles and KPTV in Portland, Oregon.[52][53] WTCN radio was sold separately to the Buckley-Jaeger Company[54] and became WWTC that October.[55]

Chris-Craft fortified the station's children's and movie offerings to complement its strong sports coverage. The children's relaunch included a kids club and 6+1⁄2 hours a day of weekday shows promoted as "Kidville 11".[56] The company stated in its 1965 annual report that WTCN-TV's performance "exceeded expectations".[57] By 1966, the Twins games were being fed by WTCN-TV to a network of 15 television stations,[58] which grew to 16 with the inclusion of WVTV in Milwaukee the next year;[59] the Twins were joined on channel 11 in 1967 by the new Minnesota North Stars hockey team.[60]

In June 1971, WTCN-TV joined other local stations in moving its tower to the Telefarm site in Shoreview, Minnesota. The relocation to the newer, taller masts was necessitated because of the construction of the IDS Center, a Minneapolis skyscraper that shaded many viewers from the Foshay Tower site.[61][62] The new tower, which was shared by the former Foshay stations—WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, and WTCN-TV—collapsed on September 7 during further construction work,[63] killing seven workers.[64] In lieu of the collapsed candelabra, Telefarm proposed constructing one tower for WTCN-TV and an FM station and another for WCCO and KSTP.[65] The replacements were erected in late 1972.[66]

Metromedia ownership

[edit]

We are in negotiations for a very large station and, frankly, we need the cash. ... We're sorry to sell it. We did a lot for them and it did a lot for us. It was a loser when we bought it.

A Chris-Craft official, on selling WTCN-TV[67]

Chris-Craft announced the sale of WTCN-TV to Metromedia for $18 million on July 29, 1971. Chris-Craft sold the station as part of its pursuit of a large-market VHF television station elsewhere.[68][67] After taking over, Metromedia made major changes in the station's programming. Citing declining ratings and a company policy against live children's hosts, Lunch with Casey finished its run at the end of 1972. Channel 11 dropped the Twins, also due to falling viewership, with the team moving telecasts to WCCO-TV;[69] the team returned to channel 11 in 1975.[70] Under Metromedia, WTCN-TV became one of the nation's most financially lucrative independent stations,[71] even though it was less profitable than the network affiliates.[72]

Metromedia's purchase of WTCN-TV included a parcel of land at the corner of Boone Avenue and Minnesota State Highway 55 in Golden Valley, intended for the construction of new studios.[67] Metromedia broke ground on a $5 million, 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) studio complex on the site in May 1973; it featured two broadcast studios, an outdoor sculpture garden, and space for Metromedia's corporate art collection.[73]

While the network affiliates intensified their competition for the news audience, WTCN's small news effort—a 9:30 p.m. newscast known as Total News—was not considered much of a factor in the market, although it was just behind KMSP-TV in total viewers.[74] Until moving to Golden Valley, all the station's news film was developed by a company in downtown Minneapolis that closed at dinnertime, preventing the broadcast of late-breaking news items.[75] Gil Amundson doubled as the news director and anchor. WTCN had the only TV news team in the market without a professional meteorologist.[74] TV Guide ran a feature calling WTCN the real-life equivalent to WJM-TV, the Minneapolis station depicted on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.[76]

Affiliating with NBC

[edit]

KMSP-TV, the Twin Cities' ABC affiliate, was a distant third in the news ratings race. Channel 9 was traditionally the most profitable station in the market, but under Donald Swartz, it was a lean operation with a reputation for penny-pinching.[72] As early as 1974, KMSP was rumored to have made changes to its news operation to appease the network, which threatened to re-affiliate with WTCN,[75] and further rumors of network dissatisfaction with KMSP's news effort surfaced in 1977.[71] Channel 9's news budget was reportedly less than half that of WCCO-TV or KSTP-TV. In the late 1970s, as ABC soared to number one in the national ratings, the network began a campaign to upgrade its affiliate base and approached WCCO-TV, KSTP-TV, and WTCN-TV.[77] KSTP-TV, the NBC affiliate and the market's news ratings leader, wished to expand its signal beyond the Twin Cities to take advantage of recently relaxed rules relating to the feeding of broadcast translators by microwave transmission,[77] and there were fewer ABC affiliates in surrounding areas—notably Alexandria and Eau Claire—than NBC affiliates. On August 29, 1978, KSTP announced it would switch from NBC to ABC in March 1979, ending a 50-year relationship between KSTP and NBC dating to the days of radio.[71] The size of the market and tenure of KSTP with NBC made the switch particularly stunning;[77] KSTP's defection was seen as a coup, the largest engineered by the network.[78][79]

Even before KSTP's affiliation switch was publicly announced, NBC reached out to Metromedia as it began to evaluate KMSP-TV and WTCN-TV for potential affiliation with the network.[71] As part of the process, it reached out to former employees of KMSP-TV, at least one of whom told NBC that its management "didn't care about news" and that it was "a stepchild of their operation".[80] At the end of September, NBC announced its decision: it would affiliate with WTCN-TV.[81] The network picked channel 11 over channel 9 on the strength of its facilities and performance.[82]

In reaching a deal, Metromedia promised NBC that it would launch a "first-class news operation" for the station, which was weak in the area of news (though better than many independents[83]) and had a news staff totaling 10 people at the time.[82] Most of the $4 million Metromedia spent ahead of the affiliation switch was invested in the news department, on new reporters, largely coming from TV stations in the South; a new news set; weather radar; and electronic news gathering, replacing film.[84] The only member of the news department who did not continue after the switch was weather anchor Toni Hughes, who had presented channel 11's weathercasts for a decade; she was dismissed because she was not a meteorologist. Though she was technically a freelancer, her duties for WTCN prevented her from simultaneously working for another station.[85]

WTCN-TV became the Twin Cities' NBC affiliate on March 5, 1979. Ahead of the switch, the station launched a $1 million promotional campaign titled "We've Got It Now", featuring billboards of such NBC stars as Johnny Carson, a visit by network president Fred Silverman and other NBC stars, and the live broadcast of Today from Minneapolis.[86] That same day, NewsCenter 11 launched with weeknight news anchor Jim Dyer, meteorologist Glenn Burns, and sportscaster Bob Kurtz.[b][84]

NewsCenter 11 arrived on the air as a strident production that local viewers instantly recognized as foreign to their tastes. From its sickening theme music to its cream puff wrap-up features by Chick McCuen, NewsCenter 11 has been a commercial failure.

John Carman, The Minneapolis Star[87]

NewsCenter 11: Lackluster performance

[edit]

NewsCenter 11 was a ratings and critical disaster. Neal Gendler in the Minneapolis Tribune was unimpressed and found the program pedestrian, formulaic, overdone, and out of tune with Twin Cities viewers' tastes. He criticized Kurtz for laughing at skiers in bikinis, writing, "Someone also ought to let him in on a fact of Minnesota life: Sexism is out of style."[88] John Carman of The Minneapolis Star called it "a near-perfect case history of how not to put together a successful and respected news operation", calling its format too conventional and Gil Amundson (later relieved of news director duties) too weak a leader. Carman and Karl Vick (also of The Minneapolis Star) assigned some blame for the failure to the direction of the station by out-of-town consultants—particularly Ted Kavanau, the former news director of Metromedia's WNEW-TV in New York[89]—and executives unfamiliar with the market.[87] Kavanau wanted a tabloid-style newscast in the mold of WNEW and hired people for such a program, but general manager Robert Fransen believed a more conventional format was advisable in the market and prevailed in a meeting of Metromedia executives.[89]

In its first ratings survey, the station placed fourth out of three newscasts (and KMSP, airing entertainment shows) at 6 p.m.,[90] enough to be described as "about as popular as the measles" by Vick in The Star;[91] its performance was so poor that the station, having pledged advertisers a certain level of viewership, had to offer costly makegood ads.[87] During NBC prime time, the station had 21 percent of the audience, half of which left for other stations during the 10 p.m. news, but viewers returned to channel 11 to watch The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The station attracted 8 to 10 percent of the evening news audience, far behind KSTP and WCCO, which commanded shares of 30 percent or more. The station's poor performance also sank the NBC network newscasts, which fell to third place.[92] Meanwhile, freed of its network programming and having picked up the North Stars[93] and Twins[94] rights, KMSP-TV became one of the nation's leading independents, beating NewsCenter 11 in the ratings just as WTCN had done when KMSP was an ABC affiliate.[92][89] Kevin O'Brien, WTCN's general manager at the time, later told The Mercury News that switching to NBC "tore that station asunder because we didn't have that much time to plan such a dramatic change".[95]

While the news product improved under new news director Brink Chipman and as reporters settled into the market,[89] turmoil engulfed the troubled newsroom. An investigative reporter was fired in July before her reports even appeared on air due to poor-quality work.[90] Dyer, unhappy nearly from the start, was switched with weekend anchor Stan Bohrman in August and left in December.[96] At year's end, Kurtz was taken off the weeknight newscasts and replaced with Tom Ryther, formerly of KSTP-TV, returning to the Twin Cities from WKYC-TV in Cleveland.[92] Burns was the last of the original three news presenters to leave WTCN; in January 1982, he accepted a position with WSB-TV in Atlanta,[97] where he would spend 40 years.[98] Ratings improved modestly when channel 11 shifted its early newscast from 6 to 5:30 p.m., moving it out of direct competition with WCCO and KSTP, though it still trailed the national newscasts they offered at that time.[99] This did not stanch turmoil in the newsroom, nor did it forestall Metromedia from shuttering the profitable Metro Productions commercial production unit of WTCN in December 1980.[100] One bright spot for the station was a 1982 series on herpes reported by anchor John Bachman, Herpes Is Forever, which won an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award.[101]

To increase revenue, which lagged behind other major-market network affiliates, Metromedia ceased airing the network's The Tomorrow Show in favor of sitcoms from which it earned all the advertising, doing the same with the occasional network movie.[102] In early 1982, the station temporarily lost the ability to air the Tonight Show; NBC strictly enforced the show airing at 10:30 p.m. and would take the show to another station in the market if it was aired on tape delay, which WTCN did to air syndicated repeats of M*A*S*H. WTCN defended its decision by citing Carson's older demographics at a time when his ratings were slipping nationally.[103][104] When KMSP refused to air Tonight for the same reason, NBC was forced to acquiesce to WTCN's delay.[105] Asked in 1981 by the Boston Herald American to appraise Metromedia's management of WTCN, M. Howard Gelfand of the Minneapolis Tribune noted that "it has taken WTCN-TV ... just a couple of years to turn a silk purse into a sow's ear".[102]

Gannett purchase and news overhaul

[edit]

In August 1982, Metromedia agreed to buy WFLD, an independent station in Chicago. It needed to sell one TV station and a Chicago radio station to stay within ownership limits, but it chose to divest itself of a second TV station to raise the money necessary for the $136 million purchase—the second-highest for a single station[106]—without incurring debt.[107] First to be sold was WXIX-TV, an independent station in Cincinnati,[108] followed by WTCN-TV, acquired by the Gannett Company for $75 million.[109][106] Gannett, in turn, needed to sell one VHF television station to make room in its portfolio[110] and chose KARK-TV in Little Rock, Arkansas, for divestiture.[111]

We're coming in here humbly with the understanding that we have a lot of problems and trying to figure out what we have to do in order to do a good news job. Gannett is in the news business, and that's what we're proud of. We better have the best source of local news and information that we can offer to the public or else we're down the drain.

Jeffrey Davidson, president of broadcasting, Gannett[112]

Gannett took control of WTCN in April 1983 and began implementing a top-to-bottom overhaul of the station's local news programming, promising to raise its quality to match WCCO and KSTP. A new station manager and vice president of news were brought in, both from KBTV, Gannett's market-leading station in Denver, to replace the existing management which remained with Metromedia.[113] Nearly immediately, the new management moved to distance the news product from its image under Metromedia, changing the name from NewsCenter 11 to 11 News, similar to the 9 News title used by KBTV.[114] Armed with research identifying WCCO and KSTP as having older-skewing viewership and seeing a void for a newscast for a younger audience,[115] the station added as many as 40 new staff members[116] in addition to the 40 that it had at the time of purchase—compared to 100 apiece for the newsrooms at WCCO-TV and KSTP-TV.[112] To keep pace with its competitors, the station acquired a news helicopter, as well as new cameras and vehicles.[116]

Gannett filled the meteorologist position, left unfilled on a permanent basis since Burns's departure in January 1982, by hiring Paul Douglas, who had worked for the Satellite News Channel.[113] The station cut a hole through the wall of its studio to create an outdoor weather set for Douglas's forecasts. It replaced the existing anchor pairing of John Bachman and Cora-Ann Mihalik[c] with Paul Magers and Diana Pierce, both hired in August from California stations.[119] The station increased its emphasis on news photography; in addition to hiring anchors, it hired new news photographers.[120]

The revamped newscasts debuted quietly in September 1983.[121] Along with the new anchor team and set improvements, the newscasts were rebranded News 11, the second change in title in three months.[114][119] Ratings did not improve immediately,[122] but they began to rise slowly as early as November 1983.[123] By November 1984, the station had increased its audience share at 10 p.m. to 15 percent, a significant increase from the previous year.[124] The gap with second-place KSTP narrowed as the station increased its audience share to 23 percent by February 1986.[125]

Two call sign changes in a year

[edit]

The FCC liberalized rules around call signs in late 1983.[126] Gannett—the publisher of USA Today—acquired the rights to the call sign KUSA in early 1984 and won approval to use the letters on the former KBTV in Denver after years of being stymied under the old rules.[127] While Gannett initially intended to do the same immediately after acquiring WTCN-TV, it instead focused on rebuilding the news operation and beating back a challenge to the KUSA assignment from the USA Network cable service. After Gannett won that fight, it sought and received permission to change WTCN-TV's call sign to WUSA effective July 4, 1985. The new designation replaced WTCN-TV—a call sign associated with the station's independent days—at a time when the station was finally becoming a local news competitor.[128]

The WUSA call letters lasted less than one year in Minneapolis. Gannett acquired the Evening News Association in February 1986; among its holdings was WDVM, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., near Gannett's corporate headquarters in nearby Rosslyn, Virginia.[129] From the moment Gannett took that station over, it mulled moving the WUSA call letters to Washington to provide a solid co-association with USA Today as well as Washington being the nation's capital.[130] In March, John Carmody of The Washington Post reported that Gannett had instructed the Minneapolis station to come up with a new call sign.[131] The station reached a deal with a radio station in Atchison, Kansas, that had used the KARE call sign since 1949 to use "KARE" and switched to it on June 11.[132] The new designation was in keeping with the station's heavy community service component since its acquisition by Gannett, including an awards event titled "11 Who Care".[133] This freed its new sister station, channel 9 in Washington, to switch from WDVM to WUSA.[134]

Ratings rise

[edit]

We questioned their news judgment. Was it news, or news entertainment? ... This place said we'd get our news from lots of different places, not just the Capitol, City Hall, the courts and the classic news beats, but from within the community. They got out and talked to people, they found things that were interesting, not necessarily newsworthy. They looked for story ideas by listening to what people were talking about.

Tom Lindner, WCCO-TV news manager and producer in the 1980s, later KARE news director[120]

Channel 11's rising news fortunes continued after the call sign change to KARE, coinciding with a turnaround in ratings for the NBC network.[135] Weeks after becoming KARE came another pivotal moment. On July 18, 1986, helicopter pilot Max Messmer was in the air headed to an assignment when he heard that a funnel cloud was forming in Brooklyn Park, eventually touching down in Fridley. He piloted the helicopter, known as Sky 11, to the scene and ad-libbed commentary as the aircraft flew within a quarter-mile of the tornado.[136][137] The tornado coverage aired live on KARE's 5 p.m. newscast, providing startling pictures of the storm. It was the first time a tornado had been filmed from creation to dissipation. The newscast was a ratings milestone for the station—in 2011, Douglas recalled that it led many WCCO and KSTP viewers to sample KARE's news—and the raw footage was widely requested by scientists and meteorologists.[137]

In 1986, the station took the lead among the coveted demographic of adults 25–54, a demographic with which it placed first in all but one ratings survey between 1986 and 2000.[138] In October 1986, the station notched its first-ever second-place finish in local news ratings, sending KSTP-TV's 10 p.m. news to third. But the station lagged badly in early evening news, contending that its younger viewers were still at work and not able to watch 5 or 6 p.m. newscasts.[139] The July 1987 sweeps period brought another historic achievement for KARE: it finished first at 10 p.m., with an audience share of 29 percent.[140] This momentum was sustained through late 1987 and early 1988, even as an expansion to the Twin Cities market gave WCCO an edge in counting viewers in Alexandria.[141][142] The ratings increase boosted the station's bottom line, as the cost of a 30-second commercial during channel 11's newscasts rose from $200 in 1983 to as much as $2,300 by 1987.[143]

KARE attracted criticism for its newscasts' style: trendy and designed to draw an emotional response. The latter was evident in its photojournalism style, which the Star Tribune later called "highly visual and emotional"; KARE became a regular winner of National Press Photographers Association awards.[120] This prompted WCCO-TV, a station known for its hard news format, to become more image-conscious,[135] and the other TV news outlets in the Twin Cities began incorporating longer, photojournalism-driven stories into their newscasts.[120] KARE became the first Twin Cities station to offer closed captioning of its local news in 1988.[144] When the Minnesota Poll in 1988 found KARE's viewership concentrated among young adults, Noel Holston of the Star Tribune predicted that the station could be dominant "for years to come" based on the age of its news watchers.[115]

In September 1988, Pat Miles left her job at WCCO-TV and signed a five-year agreement to work at KARE, including a year where she could not appear on camera under a non-compete clause. The pact brought Miles, who wanted more personal time, together with channel 11, seeking an anchor to improve the lagging ratings of its early evening newscasts.[145] Meanwhile, WCCO found renewed ratings strength and pushed KARE back to second.[146][147]

Under the leadership of general manager Linda Rios Brook, from 1989 to 1991, the station tried several unsuccessful initiatives, most notably a morning talk show titled Between Friends that failed to make an impact in the ratings, but its newscasts regained the local news lead for the first time in several years. Rios Brook resigned after mixed programming results and a controversy over her evangelical Christianity[148] and resurfaced in the market as the president and general manager of family-oriented KLGT.[149] At KARE, she was replaced by Hank Price, who had managed WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina.[148] In 1992, KARE became one of the television homes of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, joining KITN-TV (channel 29, now WFTC) and effectively replacing KSTP-TV with seven to eight games a year of a 25-game broadcast TV package. This was the first time since carrying the Twins as an independent station that channel 11 had broadcast local professional sports.[150][151] Beginning in 1994, KLGT replaced KITN-TV in the arrangement.[152] By the 2000–01 season, KARE had 15 games and channel 23, by then known as KMWB, had 20. The team moved its broadcast games to WFTC ahead of the 2001–02 season.[153]

In the early 1990s, two of the original team of anchors that made KARE a competitor in the 1980s left. The more acrimonious departure was that of sportscaster Tom Ryther, who was forced out in 1991 after suing the station for age discrimination. Ryther alleged that his job duties had been progressively reduced in order to bring younger faces—such as his replacement, Jeff Passolt—on screen.[154] KARE defended itself by pointing to research from 1990 that it conducted on local TV personalities.[155] Ryther's lawsuit was successful; a jury issued a $715,000 judgment in his favor in 1993.[156] KARE appealed, but a federal appeals court upheld the verdict in 1996,[155] and the Supreme Court rejected KARE's final appeal in 1997.[157] In 1994, Douglas departed KARE in search of a job closer to family in the eastern U.S.[158] He was replaced by weekend meteorologist Ken Barlow on the weeknight newscasts.[159]

The 1990s were a decade of strength for KARE news. The station continued its domination of viewers 25–54 while narrowly trailing or narrowly leading WCCO-TV in total ratings in late news, though channel 4 had more total viewers for its early evening newscasts.[160][161][162] During the decade, KARE added Saturday morning newscasts, in 1992.[163]

KARE aired the locally produced game show Let's Bowl for several years in the late 1990s; it ran after Saturday Night Live. The audience support for the program was sufficient to help its creators, Tim Scott and Rick Kronfeld, secure a pickup for their show from the Comedy Central cable channel.[164]

Post-2000

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Refer to caption
KARE at the Minnesota State Fair, 2006

KARE launched a high-definition digital signal on channel 35 on August 31, 2001.[165] KARE and WCCO on the Telefarm tower had intended to launch digital service as early as November 1999,[166] but bad weather and high demand for tower crews stalled the project.[167]

Magers—the anchor commonly credited with helping KARE remain number one in late evening news—left the station in 2003 to work for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, ending the Magers–Pierce tandem that had become the longest-running anchor duo in the Twin Cities.[168] Without Magers—and what competitor Don Shelby called his "magical formula"[169]—on channel 11, interest heightened in the local stations' ratings performance.[170] Frank Vascellaro, the man hired to replace Magers on the anchor desk, was the husband of WCCO evening news anchor Amelia Santaniello.[171] Vascellaro's departure in 2005 coincided with that of Barlow, who was hired by WBZ-TV in Boston.[172] In the wake of these departures and the replacement of Vascellaro by Mike Pomeranz on the anchor desk,[172] WCCO slowly crept closer to KARE and then took the lead in 2006, with a swing of three percent of the audience share to WCCO.[173] When Pomeranz left to take a position with the San Diego Padres in 2006, sports anchor Randy Shaver moved to the news desk.[174]

The station experimented with several formats for its mid-morning program. In 2006, it replaced KARE 11 Today with a new program, Showcase Minnesota, that also featured advertiser-paid sponsored segments.[175] It was replaced in 2011 with a revival of KARE 11 Today; Pierce left her evening anchor duties to host the revamped show and KARE's 4 p.m. newscast.[176]

The loss of ratings momentum continued in the early 2010s, as KARE slumped while WCCO locked up most of the number-one positions by demographic and time slot.[177] A special month of newscasts by WCCO led that station to its first 25–54 win in late news since 1986.[178] While, as of 2022, KARE has been competitive—particularly in the 25–54 demographic—WCCO has generally been the market leader in total viewers.[179][180] Pierce retired in 2016 after taking a buyout package offered by Tegna,[181] which became the new name for the former Gannett broadcast division when its TV stations and newspapers split into separate companies in 2015.[182]

The KARE newsroom won multiple national journalism awards in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Three different investigative series together won the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award in 2017,[183] followed by two awards in 2020 for On the Veteran Beat and Love Them First.[184] An investigation on prisons, Cruel and Unusual, won the duPont–Columbia in 2022,[185] The next year, the station won another duPont–Columbia for a series on violent criminals titled The Gap: Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect.[186] This series also won a Peabody Award, the second for the station after a joint award to KARE and KUSA in Denver in 2022.[187]

KARE, which relocated its digital signal from its pre-transition UHF channel 35 to VHF channel 11 upon the digital transition in 2009,[188] was approved in 2020 to relocate to UHF channel 31 to aid reception after the spectrum incentive auction.[3] The station switched to the new UHF signal on October 20, 2021.[189]

On December 11, 2024, KARE announced an agreement with the Timberwolves to simulcast five games with FanDuel Sports Network North during the 2024–25 season. The deal also includes the rights to simulcast pre- and post-game coverage. This marked the first time since 2000–01 that the Timberwolves have aired locally on KARE.[190] In May 2025, KARE announced a similar agreement with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx to simulcast four games with FanDuel Sports Network North.[191]

A transformer at the KARE studios in Golden Valley exploded on July 22, 2025, causing a power outage and subsequent evacuation of the facility.[192] The resulting fire was quickly contained, but station operations were disrupted;[193] the station presented its evening newscasts from the transmitter site in Shoreview[194] and flew its morning anchors to sister station WXIA-TV in Atlanta, where they presented the morning newscast the next day.[195] WXIA had a second studio and control room with capacity to produce the additional newscast. The incident resulted primarily in smoke damage to the building.[196]

Notable on-air staff

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Current

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Former

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Technical information

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View from the base of two tall broadcast towers
KARE's tower site at the Telefarm Towers in Shoreview, Minnesota

Subchannels

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KARE is broadcast from a tower at the Telefarm Towers in Shoreview, Minnesota.[2] Its signal is multiplexed:

Subchannels of KARE[203]
Channel Res. Aspect Short name Programming
11.1 1080i 16:9 KARE-HD NBC
11.2 480i Quest Quest
11.3 Crime True Crime Network
11.4 (OPEN) Blank
11.5 NEST The Nest
11.7 CONFESS Confess
11.8 HSN HSN
23.5 480i 16:9 Rewind Rewind TV (WUCW)
  Broadcast on behalf of another station

Translators

[edit]
Map
  • Transmitter locations for KARE's translator network. Click on each marker to reveal details.
    •   Originating station
    •   Low-power translators

In addition to the main transmitter in Shoreview, KARE's signal is relayed to outlying parts of Minnesota through a network of translators owned by various translator associations.[204]

KARE formerly had a translator serving Breezy Point and Brainerd, KLKS-LP (channel 14), which was owned by the Lakes Broadcasting Group, owner of KLKS radio. The repeater signed on in 1995 and operated until July 16, 2011, when its use as a repeater of KARE was discontinued due to a corporate decision made by Gannett management.[205]

Notes

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

KARE (TV)

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from Grokipedia
KARE, branded as KARE 11 (virtual channel 11, UHF digital channel 31), is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area as well as much of central Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin and northern Iowa. Owned by the media company TEGNA Inc., the station maintains its studios on Olson Memorial Highway (Minnesota Highway 55) in Golden Valley, with a transmitter site located in Shoreview. KARE 11 broadcasts news, weather, sports, and community programming, and has earned recognition as a national award-winning leader in local journalism, including 16 National Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism. The station traces its roots to 1949, when it signed on as WTCN-TV on VHF under the ownership of Midwest Radio and Television, Inc., becoming the second commercial television station in the market, after . In 1953, following a swap, the station relocated to VHF channel 11 and adopted the WTCN-TV call letters again, operating as a primary ABC affiliate, with secondary , before becoming a full-time in 1961 after ABC's affiliation moved to KMSP-TV (channel 9). It remained independent for nearly two decades, owned by various entities including Chris-Craft from 1964 to 1971 and from 1971 to 1983, during which it built a reputation for local programming and community engagement. On March 5, 1979, WTCN-TV became the NBC affiliate for the Twin Cities in a three-way network switch: ABC moved from KMSP-TV (channel 9) to KSTP-TV (channel 5), while NBC shifted from KSTP-TV to WTCN-TV (channel 11), and KMSP-TV became independent. The station has held the NBC affiliation continuously since. The station was acquired by Gannett Company in 1983, which rebranded it as KARE (stylized in all caps) on June 11, 1986, and invested in expanded news operations and new facilities, including the current Golden Valley studios opened in 1974. Gannett spun off its broadcasting assets to form TEGNA in 2015, under which KARE 11 has continued to modernize, launching digital subchannels such as Quest (11.2), True Crime Network (11.3), Court TV (11.4), Circle (11.5), and HSN (11.6) as of November 2025, while maintaining a commitment to investigative reporting and severe weather coverage for the region.

History

Origins and early operations (1953–1957)

KARE, originally operating as Channel 11 in the -St. Paul market, launched on September 1, 1953, through a shared-time arrangement between WMIN-TV in St. Paul, owned by the Midwest Radio and Television Company, and WTCN-TV in , owned by a group led by John L. Blair. This setup was necessitated by competing license applications for the channel, prompting the parties to agree on joint use to expedite FCC approval and avoid protracted comparative hearings. The FCC granted construction permits on April 16, 1953, enabling the stations to share transmitting facilities atop the and studios initially at the Calhoun Beach Hotel in . Under the shared-time model, WTCN-TV and WMIN-TV alternated broadcasting slots, with each station airing programs for roughly two hours per day and switching studios daily to accommodate operations. This logistical division created operational challenges, including coordinated scheduling and equipment access, but allowed both entities to enter the competitive television landscape amid limited available VHF channels. The arrangement also addressed early financial strains typical of nascent broadcast ventures, as shared infrastructure reduced individual capital outlays for tower, studio, and transmitter setup in an era when television expansion required significant investment. Initial programming emphasized local content to build audience engagement, featuring variety shows, talent competitions like Toby's Talent Hunt, and children's programs such as Kartoon Kapers hosted by Skipper Darl, alongside limited national network feeds. The stations held a primary affiliation with ABC from launch, supplemented by secondary ties to and the DuMont Network, reflecting the fragmented affiliation landscape before the major networks consolidated dominance. Regulatory scrutiny from the FCC persisted due to the unconventional shared operations, with ongoing oversight to ensure equitable access and compliance with broadcasting rules amid broader concerns over channel allocation and market saturation. By 1955, financial pressures led Midwest Radio and Television to sell its share of Channel 11 to Consolidated Television & Radio Broadcasters, the owners of WTCN-TV, allowing the station to transition to full-time operations under the WTCN-TV callsign. With the DuMont Network ceasing operations in August 1956, Channel 11 solidified as a full-time ABC affiliate, streamlining its programming and ending the secondary network carries. This shift marked the end of the shared-time era and positioned the station for expanded local production amid growing viewership in the .

Time Inc. ownership and expansion (1957–1964)

In 1955, Consolidated Television and Radio Broadcasters acquired WTCN radio, WTCN-TV, and the shared-time partner WMIN-TV for $3.135 million, enabling WTCN-TV to assume full-time operations on channel 11 without the previous time-sharing arrangement. This consolidation stabilized the station's schedule, allowing for more consistent programming as an ABC primary affiliate with secondary ties. Time Inc. purchased WTCN-AM-TV from Consolidated for approximately $16 million in May 1957, marking the media conglomerate's entry into -St. Paul broadcasting. The acquisition included relocation of studios to 1640 Nicollet Avenue in , a facility that supported expanded production capabilities during the station's ABC era. Under Time Inc.'s ownership, WTCN-TV invested in local content to build audience loyalty, emphasizing family-oriented shows amid growing competition from network affiliates like () and (). Local programming flourished with the development of popular children's series, including Lunch with Casey, which debuted in 1954 and continued as a staple hosted by Roger Awsumb as the affable engineer , featuring cartoons, sing-alongs, and visits from local talent. Similarly, the science-fiction themed Captain 11, originally launched in 1954 with in the title role introducing cartoons and educational segments, evolved into a key afternoon draw that exemplified the station's creative output. These programs, produced in-house, helped WTCN-TV cultivate a strong regional identity while filling non-network hours with game shows, variety acts, and community features. By 1959, WTCN-TV relinquished its secondary CBS affiliation, with ABC taking over its daytime schedule. However, on April 16, 1961, ABC switched its primary affiliation to KMSP-TV (channel 9) for stronger market coverage, leaving WTCN-TV as the Twin Cities' sole independent station. This realignment intensified focus on syndicated programming, feature films, and original local content, though the station faced ratings challenges against established network competitors. In 1965, WTCN-TV introduced color broadcasting, aligning with national trends and enhancing visual appeal for news, sports, and specials to attract viewers upgrading to color sets. Despite periodic battles for audience share—often trailing WCCO-TV in overall ratings—the station's strategic expansions under Time Inc. laid groundwork for sustained growth through the early 1960s. In 1964, Time Inc. sold WTCN-TV to Chris-Craft Industries.

Chris-Craft ownership (1964–1971)

Chris-Craft Industries acquired WTCN-TV from Time Inc. in 1964, continuing the station's operations as an independent broadcaster in the competitive Twin Cities market. Under Chris-Craft, WTCN-TV focused on bolstering its lineup with syndicated shows, movies, and local productions to appeal to underserved audiences, including expanded children's programming like the revival of Lunch with Casey and Captain 11. The station maintained studios at 1640 Nicollet Avenue while investing in talent and content to differentiate from network affiliates WCCO-TV (CBS), KSTP-TV (NBC), and the new ABC outlet KMSP-TV. During this period, WTCN-TV navigated economic challenges in the mid-1960s television industry, emphasizing cost-effective syndicated acquisitions and community-oriented specials to build viewership. As the market's only independent, it targeted evening and weekend slots with family entertainment, cartoons, and highlights, fostering loyalty among younger demographics. Chris-Craft's ownership emphasized operational efficiency, preparing the station for potential network realignments amid shifting affiliations nationally. In July 1971, Chris-Craft sold WTCN-TV to for $18 million, transitioning to the next phase of independent operations.

Metromedia acquisition and independent status (1971–1983)

In July 1971, , Inc. acquired WTCN-TV from for $18 million in cash, marking the media conglomerate's entry into the Minneapolis-St. Paul television market. The transaction, subject to approval, positioned WTCN-TV as Metromedia's fourth independent station, alongside outlets in New York, , and other major cities. At the time, the station served as the market's sole independent broadcaster in the nation's 14th-largest television market, competing against network-affiliated rivals (CBS), (NBC), and KMSP-TV (ABC). Under 's ownership, which took full operational control in , WTCN-TV maintained its independent status, focusing on a mix of syndicated programming, feature films, and local productions to attract viewers in a competitive landscape. The station emphasized evening movie broadcasts and expanded local formats, capitalizing on popular syndicated fare like game shows and off-network reruns to fill its schedule outside network hours. In 1974, invested in a new state-of-the-art broadcast facility in , enhancing production capabilities for local content and syndicated acquisitions amid growing demand for non-network entertainment. Financially, the Metromedia era bolstered WTCN-TV's performance as the station benefited from the broader surge in independent television revenues during the mid-1970s economic shifts, including inflationary pressures and growth. 's overall television revenues rose by 25 percent to $235 million in 1976, with earnings climbing over 50 percent to $21.5 million, driven by loosened advertiser spending on independents amid national economic challenges like rising energy costs and . In the market, WTCN-TV faced stiff competition from established network affiliates for audience share and ad dollars, yet carved out a niche by targeting underserved evening and late-night demographics, contributing to 's profitable independent model. The station's independent run ended on March 5, 1979, when it affiliated with following a major network realignment in the market: switched to ABC, displacing KMSP-TV, which became independent. This shift stabilized WTCN-TV's programming with network content while retaining Metromedia's emphasis on local and syndicated elements until the company's sale of the station in 1983.

NBC affiliation and Gannett purchase (1983–1986)

In the late 1970s, the Twin Cities television market underwent a significant affiliation reshuffle, prompted by the vulnerabilities of independent stations like WTCN-TV amid rising network competition. On , 1979, WTCN-TV switched to after KSTP-TV (channel 5) acquired the ABC affiliation from KMSP-TV (channel 9), which then became independent. The affiliation change marked WTCN-TV's entry into network television under ownership, with the station launching its "NewsCenter 11" newscasts on the same day to align with 's branding. These early newscasts featured anchors like Stan Bohrman and Glenn Burns, but the format faced challenges in capturing audience share in a market dominated by established competitors. Seeking to expand its broadcast portfolio, Gannett Co. acquired WTCN-TV from in April 1983 for $75 million, a deal announced in May and closing later that year. The purchase required Gannett to divest another station, in , to comply with FCC ownership limits. Under Gannett's initial stewardship, the station underwent operational adjustments, including evaluations of its facilities at the Metromedia Tower in Eden Prairie and the introduction of new on-air talent to revitalize local programming. In September 1983, Gannett debuted a refreshed news presentation with anchors and Diana Pierce, alongside meteorologist Paul Douglas, signaling early efforts to address competitive shortcomings. As part of Gannett's rebranding strategy, WTCN-TV temporarily adopted the call sign WUSA on July 4, 1985, coinciding with the launch of stereo broadcasting. However, in 1986, Gannett reassigned WUSA to its newly acquired station WDVM-TV in Washington, D.C., prompting another change; on June 11, 1986, the station became KARE-TV, a call sign derived from "Minnesota's KARE" to evoke care and local relevance while avoiding confusion with existing regional identifiers.

Rebranding, news overhaul, and growth (1986–2000)

In 1986, following Gannett's acquisition, the station underwent a significant , changing its call letters to KARE on to reflect a new identity pronounced as "Care 11," emphasizing community care and service. This move came after the WUSA call sign was reassigned to Gannett's station in Washington, D.C., marking a fresh start for the NBC affiliate in the market. The late 1980s saw a comprehensive overhaul of the news department under Gannett's direction, launching "KARE 11 News" with a strong emphasis on investigative reporting and community-oriented storytelling to rebuild viewer trust and engagement. This restructuring transformed the station from a ratings underperformer into a competitive force, incorporating innovative formats like extended weather segments and local features to differentiate from rivals. By the 1990s, KARE 11's news operation achieved market leadership, particularly in the key 25-54 demographic, often surpassing affiliate during sweeps periods, thanks to the anchor team of and Diana Pierce whose on-air chemistry drove consistent viewership gains. Their partnership, spanning two decades, helped elevate evening newscasts to top ratings, solidifying KARE's reputation for reliable, viewer-focused . The station expanded its local programming during this era, introducing the morning show KARE 11 Sunrise to capture early audiences with a mix of , , and segments, alongside specials that highlighted regional events and issues. These additions complemented the core news lineup, contributing to overall growth and multiple regional awards for excellence in local . Facility enhancements in the 1990s at the Golden Valley studios included modernized news sets and production capabilities, supporting the station's evolving content demands and reinforcing its position as a broadcasting leader in the .

Digital era and recent developments (2000–present)

In the early 2000s, KARE embraced advancements, launching its high-definition on UHF channel 35 on August 31, 2001, which allowed for improved picture quality and additional subchannels during the transition period. This move aligned with broader industry efforts to prepare for the full shift from analog to . On June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide mandated by the , KARE ceased analog broadcasts on VHF channel 11 and relocated its to VHF channel 11, enabling viewers to continue receiving programming over-the-air without interruption. Ownership of KARE transitioned in 2015 when parent company Gannett Co., Inc., completed a corporate split on June 29, separating its broadcasting and publishing divisions into two independent entities. The broadcasting arm, including KARE, became TEGNA Inc., a publicly traded company focused on local media stations, which allowed for targeted investment in digital and broadcast operations. Under TEGNA, KARE maintained its NBC affiliation while expanding multi-platform content delivery. To enhance over-the-air reception amid challenges with VHF signals in urban areas, KARE relocated its physical digital transmission to UHF channel 31 on , , following FCC approval of a channel substitution application. This voluntary move, part of post-incentive reallocations, improved signal reliability for indoor antennas and generated proceeds from related efforts, without relinquishing its core allocation. The change required viewers to rescan their devices but preserved 11.1 for continuity. KARE expanded its sports coverage through partnerships with local teams, agreeing in December 2024 to simulcast five NBA games on over-the-air television during the 2024-25 season, featuring Sports Network's production including pre- and post-game analysis. Building on this, in May 2025, KARE secured a deal to air four WNBA games, starting with a matchup against the , to broaden free access to professional basketball in the . A significant operational disruption occurred on July 22, 2025, when a fire at KARE's Golden Valley transmitter site caused explosions and smoke, forcing an evacuation and halting on-site broadcasts. To ensure continuity, the station shifted to remote operations from a Shoreview facility for local inserts and relied on sister station in for primary newscasts, resuming full programming within days while repairs addressed power restoration. Parallel to these developments, KARE invested in digital platforms to engage audiences beyond traditional TV, with kare11.com attracting 6.3 million monthly visitors and generating 22.3 million pageviews on average by late 2024. The station's , available on and Android, offers personalized weather, live video, and breaking news alerts, earning high user ratings for its interactive features. Additionally, the KARE 11+ streaming app, launched in 2021 for , Fire TV, and other devices, provides 24/7 access to news, sports, and on-demand content, reflecting TEGNA's emphasis on multi-platform growth.

Programming and operations

Network and syndicated content

KARE has served as the NBC affiliate for the Minneapolis–Saint Paul market since March 5, 1979, when it switched from independent status to carry the network's programming. This affiliation provides viewers with NBC's national news coverage, including NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas broadcast daily at 6:30 p.m., as well as primetime lineup featuring scripted series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Chicago Fire, alongside comedies such as Night Court. Major sports events, including Sunday Night Football during the NFL season, are also aired live, drawing significant viewership in the region. In addition to NBC network content, KARE features a selection of syndicated programming to fill daytime and fringe-hour slots. Historical staples included The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which aired until its conclusion in 2022 after 19 seasons, and The Kelly Clarkson Show, a format that ran from 2019 to 2023. Current syndicated offerings emphasize game shows and talk formats, with reruns of Judge Judy airing in afternoon slots as a long-running courtroom staple, alongside Jeopardy! at 4:30 p.m. Other examples include Live with Kelly and Mark in late mornings and Access Daily for entertainment news segments. The station's daily schedule integrates these elements seamlessly, beginning with NBC's Today show from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., followed by local extensions and syndicated talk programming through midday. Daytime transitions to court shows and game shows like Jeopardy! at 4:30 p.m., before primetime NBC content from 8:00 p.m. onward, and late-night slots occupied by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon starting at 11:35 p.m. Weekend schedules similarly prioritize NBC sports and specials, such as Football Night in America preceding Sunday Night Football. KARE occasionally adjusts its schedule for local preemptions, such as extending news coverage during breaking events or inserting community programming, while ensuring core feeds are restored promptly; for instance, network shows may be delayed or aired on tape for major local interruptions like alerts. Special event coverage, including 's political conventions or Olympic broadcasts, takes precedence, with syndicated content shifted to subchannels or alternate times to maintain viewer access.

Local productions and sports coverage

KARE's local productions emphasize community-focused programming tailored to the audience, including flagship morning shows and in-depth public affairs segments. The station's primary morning program, KARE 11 Sunrise, airs weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., delivering , updates, and reports to start the day for viewers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. This extended news format integrates live segments from across , highlighting regional stories such as community events and school updates, and has earned recognition for its consistent delivery of timely local content. Complementing its news offerings, KARE produces community affairs programming that fosters public discourse on key issues. Breaking the News, hosted by Jana Shortal, features in-depth discussions and panels on topics like election results, cultural milestones, and social challenges, often incorporating reactions from local groups such as Hmong Minnesotans following significant political wins. Aired regularly, the program serves as a platform for public forums, enabling viewers to engage with experts and community leaders on matters affecting the region, thereby strengthening civic involvement without delving into . In sports coverage, KARE has a longstanding tradition of broadcasting select preseason games for the , particularly prior to 2000 when the station, as the local affiliate, aired non-nationally televised contests featuring announcers like Randy Shaver and Dave Huffman. This historical role provided fans with access to exhibitions and early-season preparations, underscoring KARE's commitment to regional content during an era before broader cable expansions. More recently, the station has expanded its sports portfolio through targeted partnerships with Minnesota professional teams, focusing on highlights, analysis, and special segments rather than comprehensive season rights. For the 2025-26 NBA season, KARE partnered with the to simulcast additional regular-season games on its over-the-air channel 11.1, continuing free broadcasts and including pre- and post-game shows produced by Sports Network. For the 2024-25 NBA season, KARE partnered with the to simulcast five regular-season games on its over-the-air channel 11.1, marking a return of free broadcasts since 2012 and including pre- and post-game shows produced by Sports Network. These selections, such as the December 21, 2024, matchup against the , aim to broaden accessibility for local fans via antenna or cable providers. Similarly, in the 2025 WNBA season, KARE collaborated with the to air four Sunday games in June and July, offering free over-the-air viewing of home and road contests to highlight the team's championship pursuits. Beyond these broadcasts, KARE maintains ongoing partnerships with teams like the , Timberwolves, and for regular highlights and specials, delivered through its sports desk led by director Reggie Wilson. This includes daily recaps, player interviews, and event coverage on KARE 11 and the station's streaming platforms, ensuring comprehensive local engagement without holding exclusive full-season telecast rights. These efforts occasionally overlap with NBC's national sports programming, providing seamless integration for viewers tuning into both local and network content.

News department

Historical news formats and performance

Upon becoming an affiliate in 1979, KARE 11 (then WTCN-TV) launched its news programming under the "NewsCenter 11" branding, featuring a conventional format typical of the era with anchor-led bulletins and basic reporting. This early effort struggled to gain traction in the competitive market, where established outlets like dominated viewer attention due to the generic structure and limited promotional impact. Following Gannett's acquisition of the station in for $75 million, the company initiated a major overhaul of the news operation, investing heavily in talent, facilities, and production to transform it from a third-place contender into a market leader. Key changes included hiring prominent anchors and Diana Pierce, introducing innovative elements like the "Backyard" weather studio with meteorologist Paul Douglas, and incorporating live traffic reports via helicopter to create a more engaging, viewer-centric style. Under this revamped approach, the station rebranded its newscasts as "KARE 11 News" by the late 1980s, emphasizing local storytelling and community relevance, which propelled it to the top of Nielsen household ratings within six years. Entering the , KARE 11 solidified its position as the dominant force in , consistently winning key sweeps periods in both total households and the adults 25-54 demographic against rivals and . The station's household share expanded significantly during this decade, reflecting broader growth from modest beginnings in the low teens to over 25% by 2000, driven by strong prime-time lead-ins from and a focus on high-quality . During the 1990s, KARE 11's news team produced impactful investigative exposés on local and public issues, such as mismanagement and corporate misconduct, earning national acclaim and further boosting credibility and viewership. The station formalized its investigative unit, known as KARE 11 Investigates, in 2014. This emphasis on in-depth reporting, combined with the rebranding efforts from the prior decade, cemented KARE 11's reputation as the ' premier news source through the pre-digital era.

Current news structure and investigative reporting

KARE 11's weekday newscasts run from 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., featuring KARE 11 Sunrise from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., followed by editions at noon, 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m., delivering comprehensive coverage of , national, and international news alongside and updates. Weekend programming includes newscasts at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with KARE 11 News Saturday focusing on in-depth community stories and breaking developments. The schedule incorporates special segments like KARE 11 Investigates, which airs as dedicated specials or integrated reports to highlight ongoing probes into public issues. In parallel with its broadcast lineup, KARE 11 has expanded digitally through the KARE 11+ app, available on mobile devices, Roku, Fire TV, and , offering on-demand access to newscasts, live streams, and original content since its launch in 2021. This platform supports a 24/7 streaming channel that provides continuous news updates, , and investigative replays, enabling viewers to access content beyond traditional airtimes. The digital shift builds on the station's historical emphasis on local by integrating interactive features like push alerts for breaking stories and user-submitted tips. The investigative unit, known as KARE 11 Investigates, operates as a core component of the , producing multi-part series that expose systemic issues such as and risks, often leading to changes or legal actions. The unit has received national recognition, including a 2023 Peabody Award for "The Gap," an investigation into mental health treatment failures. In 2025, KARE 11 Investigates exposed in peer recovery services, leading to federal probes. A notable 2023 series examined emissions at the Smith Foundry in , revealing violations of air quality standards and prompting federal and state investigations, which garnered widespread acclaim for holding polluters accountable and informing discussions. Reporters employ advanced technologies, including drones for aerial documentation of environmental sites and data analytics to sift through and billing databases, enhancing the depth and evidence-based nature of their reporting. Following a transformer fire at its Golden Valley studios in July 2025, which caused a full evacuation and power outage, KARE 11 swiftly adapted by shifting to remote broadcasting operations from backup facilities in Shoreview, Minnesota, and temporary setups elsewhere, ensuring uninterrupted newscasts and strengthening its multi-site remote capabilities for future resilience. This incident underscored the station's investment in redundant systems, including cloud-based production tools, to maintain 24/7 delivery across platforms without compromising investigative workflows.

On-air personnel

Current key staff

KARE 11's news team features a core group of experienced anchors delivering the station's primary newscasts. Julie Nelson serves as the main evening news anchor, leading the weeknight broadcasts with in-depth coverage of local and regional stories, drawing on her decades of experience to provide balanced reporting on issues affecting the area. Reggie Wilson, the sports director, anchors the sports segments on the evening newscasts alongside Nelson, providing sports coverage and community-focused as of November 2025. On the morning show, KARE 11 Sunrise, Jason Hackett anchors alongside Alicia Lewis, who handles both anchoring duties and reporting, often highlighting human interest pieces and local events while incorporating her Emmy-winning work on safety campaigns like #eyesUP. Among the station's reporters, Boyd Huppert specializes in feature stories through his acclaimed "Land of 10,000 Stories" series, profiling unique individuals and communities across and to showcase resilience and everyday heroism, with recent 2025 installments exploring artists and long-term friendships. Chris Hrapsky, a reporter and weekend , contributes to sports coverage, including high school athletics via KARE 11 Saturday and extra segments on local teams, while also contributing to live desk anchoring and community events like the . The investigative team has seen targeted expansions, with A.J. Lagoe leading efforts on major exposés such as in housing services and recovery programs, resulting in federal raids and legislative reforms in 2025; his work, often in collaboration with producers like Kelly Dietz, earned a Goldsmith Prize finalist nomination for the "Recovery Inc." series. Recent additions bolstering the reporting roster include Raya Quttaineh, who joined in October 2024 as a covering and underrepresented community stories, and Joe McCoy, hired in July 2024 for dayside and weekend reporting with a focus on public safety and . As part of TEGNA's broader commitment to a diverse workforce, KARE 11 prioritizes inclusive staffing practices, including roles for journalists from underrepresented backgrounds such as Quttaineh, who brings perspectives from her roots, and Lewis, a native voice amplifying local narratives; the company's annual diversity staffing report underscores goals for equitable hiring and promotion to reflect the ' demographics.

Former notable figures

Paul Magers served as the evening news anchor at KARE 11 for 20 years, from 1983 to 2003, contributing to the station's rise in ratings during the 1980s and 1990s. His tenure helped establish KARE as a dominant force in broadcasting, particularly through his partnership with co-anchor Diana Pierce. Magers departed KARE in December 2003 to join in , where he continued anchoring until his retirement in 2017 following treatment for . Diana Pierce joined KARE 11 (then WTCN-TV) in 1983 as a news anchor and remained with the station for over 30 years until her retirement in April 2016. She co-anchored the evening newscasts alongside Magers for two decades, during which the duo led KARE to become the top-rated news program in the market. Pierce's reporting often highlighted community stories, including those affecting families and , earning her recognition as a hall-of-fame broadcaster. Roger Awsumb, best known for portraying the character , hosted the children's program Lunch with Casey on Channel 11 from 1954 to 1972, making it a beloved noontime staple for multiple generations of viewers. The show featured skits, songs, cartoons, and Awsumb's engaging persona as a railroad engineer, fostering a sense of fun and education for young audiences during KARE's early years as WTCN-TV. Awsumb's legacy endured beyond the program's end, with reruns and tributes preserving his impact on local children's programming. Jim Lange hosted the local children's show Captain 11 on Channel 11 in the mid-1950s, early in his broadcasting career before gaining national fame as the host of game shows like The Dating Game. As a St. Paul native, Lange's portrayal of the superhero character entertained young viewers with adventures and interactive segments, contributing to the station's tradition of family-oriented content during its formative period. He passed away in 2014 at age 81.

Technical specifications

Subchannels and multicast programming

KARE's digital signal, broadcast on virtual channel 11 via physical RF channel 31, supports multiple subchannels through ATSC 1.0 technology. The primary subchannel, 11.1, carries the full network feed, including national programming, local news inserts, and syndicated content, transmitted in high-definition resolution at a 16:9 with 5.1 audio. Subchannel 11.2 features Quest, a TEGNA-owned network dedicated to adventure and outdoor-themed programming, such as documentary series on exploration, survival, and historical expeditions; it has aired on KARE since 2018. Quest content targets adult audiences interested in factual entertainment, with episodes often highlighting real-world challenges and discoveries. On 11.3, the broadcasts a lineup of crime-focused documentaries and series, covering investigations, trials, and forensic analysis; launched by TEGNA in 2019, this subchannel emphasizes narrative-driven stories drawn from historical and contemporary cases. The programming appeals to viewers seeking in-depth explorations of themes without scripted drama. Subchannel 11.4 airs , a network focused on live court trials, legal analysis, and coverage; added to KARE in 2024, it provides gavel-to-gavel proceedings and expert commentary on high-profile cases. Subchannel 11.5 features , a and lifestyle network offering concerts, artist interviews, and rural living content; launched nationally in 2021 and added to KARE in 2024. Subchannel 11.8 carries (Home Shopping Network), a channel with product demonstrations, live sales, and lifestyle programming; added to KARE in 2024. All subchannels operate in standard definition at a 16:9 with audio, allowing efficient sharing of the overall 6 MHz ATSC channel bandwidth. The main channel 11.1 receives the largest allocation, approximately 10-12 Mbps to support its HD format, while the subchannels collectively share the remaining capacity of about 7-9 Mbps, with each typically assigned 2-3 Mbps to maintain acceptable quality for SD multicast streams.
SubchannelNetworkContent FocusResolutionLaunch/Addition on KARE
11.1NBCNetwork primary feed, news, and syndication1080iPrimary since digital transition
11.2QuestAdventure/outdoor documentaries480i2018
11.3True Crime NetworkCrime investigations and docs480i2019
11.4Court TVLive trials and legal analysis480i2024
11.5CircleCountry music and lifestyle480i2024
11.8HSNHome shopping and products480i2024

Signal distribution and translators

KARE's primary broadcast transmitter is located at the Telefarm Towers in , a shared facility that supports multiple regional stations. The station operates on 11 with a physical UHF channel 31 (572–578 MHz), transmitting at an (ERP) of 1,000 kW and a (HAAT) of 455.9 meters (1,497 feet). This configuration provides robust coverage across the metropolitan area, including and St. Paul, as well as extending into surrounding central Minnesota counties such as Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington. The signal reaches approximately 2.5 million households in the , with fringe reception possible in parts of western and southern central Minnesota depending on terrain and atmospheric conditions. To enhance accessibility in rural and underserved areas where the main signal may be weakened by , KARE relies on a network of over 10 low-power digital . These rebroadcast the station's primary signal on low-power UHF frequencies, typically at ERPs ranging from 0.1 to 15 kW, to fill coverage gaps and serve isolated communities. The translators carry KARE's main feed (11.1) and select subchannels for integrated multicast distribution, ensuring consistent programming availability. Below is a representative list of key translators:
Call SignPhysical ChannelLocationERP (kW)Purpose
K17FA-D17Willmar, MN1.0Extends signal to central MN rural areas
K19HZ-D19Jackson, MN0.5Serves southwestern MN communities
K22KU-D22Redwood Falls, MN2.0Covers southern central MN
K23FP-D23Olivia, MN1.5Targets west-central MN
K26CL-D26Alexandria, MN1.05Reaches north-central MN
K31EF-D31Frost, MN3.0Fills gaps in southern MN
K31KU-D31St. Cloud, MN15.0Boosts coverage in Stearns County
K32GX-D32St. James, MN0.2Serves Watonwan County area
K34JX-D34St. James, MN0.1Additional low-power repeater for local extension
These translators are licensed by the FCC as digital low-power facilities, primarily owned or operated by (KARE's parent company) or local cooperatives, and are crucial for maintaining service in areas with hilly terrain or distance from the . In October 2021, as part of post-repack optimizations following the 2016–2019 FCC spectrum repack, KARE transitioned its physical channel from VHF 11 to the current UHF 31, enabling a significant increase in from approximately 16 kW to 1,000 kW. This shift improved overall signal reliability and strength, particularly in urban and suburban reception, reducing interference issues common with VHF-low band signals and allowing better over the metro area without altering the core coverage . Viewers were required to rescan antennas to lock the new , with no reported widespread disruptions. Following a transformer explosion and fire at KARE's Golden Valley studio on , 2025, which caused a full evacuation and temporary power loss, the station activated existing remote broadcasting redundancies, including feeds from the Shoreview transmitter site and NBC's Atlanta master control. No broadcast interruptions occurred, but the incident highlighted vulnerabilities in studio power infrastructure. In response, by late 2025, KARE enhanced its redundancies with upgraded backup generators at the transmitter, expanded remote production workflows using cloud-based tools, and diversified fiber connections to ensure seamless signal continuity during future outages. These measures were implemented without impacting over-the-air distribution.

Awards and recognition

Major journalism honors

KARE has earned multiple for outstanding journalism. In 2022, the station shared a with sister station KUSA for "Prone," an investigative series examining police restraint tactics and their deadly consequences, including the case of David Baker, who died in custody in . In 2023, KARE received the award for "The Gap: Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect," a year-long investigation exposing systemic failures in Minnesota's care system that allowed violent individuals with severe mental illnesses to cycle through jails without proper treatment, endangering public safety. The station's investigative work on also garnered a 2023 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, broadcast journalism's highest honor, for the same "The Gap" series, which highlighted fatal gaps in treatment and protection through in-depth reporting on cases like that of a man who killed his mother after repeated untreated episodes. KARE has received over 100 Regional Emmy Awards from the of Television Arts & Sciences since the , recognizing excellence in news programming, reporting, and production. Notable recent wins include 25 Emmys in 2021 for categories such as investigative reporting and overall excellence, 22 in 2023 covering breaking news and community service, and 26 in 2025, including Overall Excellence and News Excellence. In 2024 and 2025, KARE's honors included National Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association for investigative and video excellence. The 2025 awards featured a win in Excellence in Video for "Leave the Light On," documenting volunteer restoration efforts at National Park's lighthouse. Additionally, the station received regional recognition in the form of a 2025 Regional Emmy Award for breaking news coverage of the Brooklyn Park plane crash on March 29, 2025, highlighting rapid on-scene reporting amid the disaster. Additionally, the station's 2025 in local journalism honored the "Recovery Inc." series, which investigated a troubled addiction treatment provider, and it was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for the same work.

Community and industry accolades

In 2023, KARE reporter Boyd Huppert received the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), honoring his lifelong contributions to , , and the advancement of journalism ethics and . Huppert, a 35-year veteran at the station, was recognized for his innovative techniques and mentorship of emerging reporters, marking the first time a KARE staff member earned this prestigious industry honor. KARE's dedication to community service extends to educational outreach and public welfare programs, exemplified by its long-standing "Eleven Who Care" initiative, which has celebrated outstanding volunteers since 1984 and raised millions for local causes, including and youth development. The program annually spotlights individuals and groups making significant impacts, fostering greater across . In 2025, following a major transformer fire at its Golden Valley studios that forced an evacuation and disrupted operations, KARE demonstrated remarkable resilience by pivoting to remote broadcasting within hours, ensuring uninterrupted news and community updates. The Broadcasters Association commended the station's team for this adaptability, highlighting it as a model of and commitment to public service during crisis.

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