KSEE24 was the first television station to go on the air in Fresno. Programming began June 1, 1953. On its first broadcast day, the station televised the coronation of England’s Queen Elizabeth. The station’s original call letters were KMJ, assigned to the McClatchy Corporation, owners of the Fresno Bee.
KMJ was the first Fresno TV station to use color film and network color in 1954. It was the first to go to fully transistorized portable sound cameras in 1958, the first to use color news film in 1965, and the first to do remote broadcasts in 1976. It was the first local station to do a newscast of more than 15 minutes in 1962, the first to do a full-color newscast in 1966, and the first to hire minority newscasters.
In 1981, McClatchy sold KMJ to San Joaquin Communications Corp. and changed the call letters to KSEE. San Joaquin Communications sold the station to Meredith Corporation in 1984. In 1993, Granite Broadcasting Corporation bought KSEE.
Today KSEE 24 is owned and operated by Granite Broadcasting Corporation, a market leading owner of local media properties. The company’s operations include broadcast TV affiliates, local cable TV channels, and local online and mobile media properties. Network affiliations include NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, CW, and My Network TV, collectively reaching over 6% of U.S. television households. Granite’s local media operations are characterized by innovative, best of breed management, and market leading franchises.
Under Granite’s leadership, the station expanded its commitment to local news and public affairs programming. A ninety-minute KSEE24 “Sunrise” newscast was added at 5:30 AM then later expanded to a two-hour newscast airing 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. The station expanded its evening coverage by adding a thirty-minute newscast at 6:30 PM and a thirty-minute newscast at 7:00 PM. In 2011, KSEE24 launched the first of its kind newscast at 4:00 PM called “We Are Fresno” Live. This program works in conjunction with the station’s “We Are Fresno” campaign, a total station commitment to telling the stories of the great people, places, and events of the Central Valley.
The positive growth at KSEE24 was awarded in 2011 with an Emmy Award for “We Are Fresno” news series, Two Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in “News Feature” and “Use of Video” categories, one Associated Press Mark Twain Award for “Best Use of Photography”, and two awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for “Best Community Journalism” and “Best Feature” story.
KSEE24’s High Definition Digital Broadcast Channel, KSEEDT, went on the air in 2003. In 2006, KSEE WeatherPlus debuted, broadcasting local and national weather 24/7 on digital channel 24.2, Comcast channel 195, and on KSEE24.com.
As part of its pledge to serve the Valley’s diverse audience, KSEE 24 established a Community Advisory Board to help the station ascertain community issues and concerns. KSEE24 was the exclusive television sponsor that worked with the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to develop the first annual Latina Women’s Conference. As well, KSEE24 launched LATV on digital channel 24.1 and Comcast channel 196, providing smart, fresh and culturally unique programming to the Hispanic community. In 2011, KSEE24 launched LATVfresno.com, further expanding its coverage by providing important news and health information to our Spanish speaking community.
KSEE24 is a corporate leader when it comes to supporting non-profits in their fundraising efforts. Each year Stefani Booroojian promotes BuddyCheck, a life-saving breast cancer early detection program that encourages self-exams and mammograms. Today, 30,000 women are members of this program. Each November, KSEE24 teams up with KISS Country to sponsor Coats for Kids, an annual coat drive for Valley children, which has collect and distributed over 126,000 coats since 1989 when KSEE24 initiated the original Coats for Kids campaign. In 2011, KSEE24 launched Family Focus in conjunction with First 5 to raise awareness of issues affecting children from birth to adolescences. The March of Dimes’ Walk America, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundations’ Race for the Cure, Boys & Girls Club’s Stepping Out Dinner and Auction, American Red Cross Real Heroes, Granville’s Home of Hope, and Center for Advanced Research & Technology (CART) are just a few of the other events sponsored and supported by KSEE24 every year.
Click here to view the KSEE24 coverage area in the Central Valley.
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