KTQC

KTQC is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Tri-State Area of north-central Idaho, southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. Licensed to Clarkston, Washington, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 (or virtual channel 7.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in between Clarkston and Pullman. Owned by Tribune Broadcasting, KTQC has sales and administrative offices in both Clarkston and Lewiston.

Overview
KTQC clears all network, syndicated, and local programming from neighboring markets in Portland, Spokane and Boise. It was thought that the Lewiston/Clarkston/Moscow/Pullman region could break away from Spokane (the same way for Walla Walla/La Grande from Portland and Yakima) and become its own television market. At the start of 1988, this area had its own CBS station and PBS member stations KWSU-TV (channel 10, part of Northwest Public Television), KUID-TV (channel 12, part of Idaho Public Television) and KTVR (channel 13, part of Oregon Public Broadcasting). If this area were to break away from Portland, Spokane and Yakima, it would rank in the top 100 of all western U.S. television markets.

KTQC primarily serves the Quad Cities (Lewiston-Moscow, ID/Clarkston-Pullman, WA) market. Additional viewership comes from surrounding counties in the Southeastern Washington and Northeastern Oregon sub-markets which are actually parts of the Yakima/Tri-Cities, Spokane-Coeur d'Alene and Portland/Vancouver designated market areas.

Early History
The station was founded by Taft Television and Radio Company of Cincinnati, OH in the end of January 1970 and first went on the air the next day. Some of ABC's programming was available on CBS affiliate KLEW-TV 3 in the market. Other TV stations with ABC programming include Portland, OR's KATU (Channel 2), Spokane, WA'S KXLY (Channel 4), Yakima, WA's KAPP (Channel 35), Kennewick/Pasco/Richland, WA's KVEW (Channel 42) and as far as Boise, ID's KIVI (Channel 6), all of which are available on cable in most parts of of the region.

Storer ownership
In 1987, Storer Communications purchased the station from Taft, who was about to sell all of its stations to various companies. Prior to that. Storer helped the staff build facilities for the foundation of their news department in the spring of 1980.

During the late 1980s, KTQC developed the first automated weather warning system for television use in the Inland Northwest, and was the first in the Pacific United States to send storm photographs over cellular telephone (both earned the station a Regional News Emmy Award) and to have a mobile Doppler radar system. Later in the decade, it would become the first station to send video over cellular telephone (earning a Regional Emmy nomination) and the first to distribute full-screen video over cell phones. Storer was eventually bought out by Kohlberg Kravis Robrets (KKR) in 1985, which persuaded Storer to sell all of its television assets in a few years time.

Tribune Ownership
Tribune acquired KTQC in January 1987, through a testimony that some of Storer's stations were sold to Gillett Communications. By that time, Tribune sold 45% of KTQC's facilities of the staff to sister station KRCW (Channel 32) in Portland.

Newscasts
During the Mid-1980's and 90's, KTQC was honored as the best newscast by United Press International and the Associated Press with newscasts at 7-9am (Good Morning Quad Cities), Noon, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 10:00pm (on KQWL) and 11:00pm.

Newscast Titles

 * Channel 7 Action News (1970-1984)
 * NEWSE7EN (1984-1987)
 * News 7 (1987-1990)
 * KTQC 7 News (1990-2004)
 * Action 7 News (2004-present)

11PM Edition

 * Tonight (1990-2004)
 * Update (1986-1990, 2004-present)

Early Evening

 * KTQC 7 News First Look at 4:30 (1995-2004)
 * KTQC 7 News at 6 (1990-2004)
 * Action 7 News First Look at 4:30 (2004-present)
 * Action 7 News: The Tri-States' Big News (2004-present)