KATC (TV)

{{Short description|Television station in Lafayette, Louisiana}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox television station | callsign = KATC | logo = KATC TV3 (2021).svg | logo_alt = A black rectangle trimmed in silver, with white condensed sans serif letters "KATC", extending down to meet a red circle with silver trim containing a large white numeral 3. The ABC network logo is attached on the upper right side. | logo_size = 180px | image = | image_size = | branding = KATC TV 3 | digital = 28 (UHF) | virtual = 3 | translators = | subchannels = | affiliations = {{ubl|'''3.1:''' ABC|''for others, see {{section link||Subchannels}}''}} | airdate = {{start date|1962|9|19}} | last_airdate = | location = Lafayette, Louisiana | country = United States | callsign_meaning = Acadian Television Corporation, founding owner | former_callsigns = | former_channel_numbers = '''Analog:''' 3 (VHF, 1962–2009) | owner = Gray Media | licensee = Gray Television Licensee, LLC | sister_stations = KADN-TV, KLAF-LD, KNGC-LD | former_affiliations = | erp = 1,000 kW | haat = {{convert|537|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | facility_id = 33471 | coordinates = {{coord|30|19|25.7|N|92|17|24.5|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=KATC}} | licensing_authority = FCC | website = {{URL|https://www.katc.com/}} }}

'''KATC''' (channel 3) is a television station in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside Fox affiliate KADN-TV (channel 15) and NBC affiliate KLAF-LD (channel 14). KATC's studios are located on Eraste Landry Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is located near Branch, Louisiana.

KATC began broadcasting on September 19, 1962, and has been an ABC affiliate since its inception. It was Lafayette's second TV station after KLFY-TV (channel 10) and for decades was a distant second-place outlet in local news under several owners, including Loyola University. A typo in a letter to the station's founding owner and namesake, Acadian Television Corporation, is claimed to have resulted in the coining of the term Acadiana for southern Louisiana. The station produces local newscasts covering the region.

==History== In 1957, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized the insertion of channel 3 at either Lafayette or Lake Charles as one of three new television channels assigned to the state.<ref name="Dail570227">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-tv-station-for-area/176135968/|date=February 27, 1957|page=4|agency=Associated Press|title=TV Station For Area Is Studied by FCC|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Dail570308">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-fcc-assigns-tv-chan/176136025/|date=March 8, 1957|page=1|agency=Associated Press|title=FCC Assigns TV Channel 3 to Area|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> With the channel approved, applicants filed seeking authority to build a station to use it. The Acadian Television Corporation was formed on April 8, 1957, and had two primary stockholders: Paul Kurzweg Jr. a Lafayette doctor, and Edward E. Wilson, son of U.S. defense secretary Charles Erwin Wilson.<ref name="Dail570409">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-group-seeks-tv-chan/176136070/|date=April 9, 1957|page=6|title=Group Seeks TV Channel 3 For Lafayette|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> Evangeline Broadcasting Company, owner of Lafayette radio station KVOL, applied in June. Also seeking the channel were Lake Charles TV station KTAG-TV, seeking approval to move to channel 3 from UHF channel 25,<ref name="Dail570602">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-tv-channel-3-sought/176136138/|date=June 2, 1957|page=2|agency=Associated Press|title=TV Channel 3 Sought by Group In Lafayette|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> and two consulting engineers from Los Angeles, whose bid was dismissed twice on technical grounds.<ref name="Dail571024">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-california-pairs-l/176136229/|date=October 24, 1957|page=4|agency=Associated Press|title=California Pair's Lafayette TV Bid Dismissed by FCC|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> Additionally, Lafayette's existing television station, KLFY-TV (channel 10), was in the contest until February 1960 because it wanted to change transmitter sites and therefore cause possible interference to the proposed channel 3.<ref name="Dail600218">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-dispute-over-new-la/176136274/|date=February 18, 1960|page=2|agency=Associated Press|title=Dispute Over New Lafayette Channel Dropped by KLFY|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref>

On June 7, 1961, FCC hearing examiner Millard French handed down an initial decision favoring Acadian Television Corporation for channel 3. KTAG-TV's proposal was rejected because of concerns over signal strength in Lake Charles. French turned down Evangeline in most comparative criteria, most notably diversity of business interests and diversification of media ownership.<ref name="Dail610607">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-fcc-examiner-makes/176136300/|date=June 7, 1961|page=1|title=FCC Examiner Makes Choice In New Lafayette TV Channel|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> The decision to award the channel to Acadian prompted KTAG-TV to leave the air two months later.<ref name="Lake610803">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lake-charles-american-press-final-teleca/172343908/|date=August 3, 1961|page=1|title=Final Telecast Slated Tonight By KTAG-TV|newspaper=Lake Charles American-Press|location=Lake Charles, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> With final technical approval granted in January 1962, Acadian began construction<ref name="Dail620214">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-tv-station-will-ope/176136421/|date=February 14, 1962|page=2|title=TV Station Will Open In September|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> and obtained primary affiliation with ABC.<ref name="Dail620405">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-new-lafayette-tv-st/176136440/|date=April 5, 1962|page=1|title=New Lafayette TV Station Will Be Affiliate of ABC|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> KATC began broadcasting on September 19, 1962.<ref name="Dail620918">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-watch-for-katc/176136555/|date=September 18, 1962|page=8|title=Watch for KATC|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> Kurzweg died in 1964,<ref name="Dail640317">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-dr-paul-kurzweg-c/177834581/|date=March 17, 1964|pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-dr-paul/177834640/ 2]|title=Dr. Paul Kurzweg, Civic Leader, Dies|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> and his widow Frances became company president the following year.<ref name="Dail650523">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-local-television-co/177834669/|date=May 23, 1965|page=20|title=Local Television Concern Names Officers, Board|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref>

KATC claims to have coined the term "Acadiana" for its coverage area. In 1963, a New York typist sent a letter to Acadian Television and inadvertently addressed it as "Acadiana Television". Bob Hamm and Bill Patton claimed to have adopted the term, which then stuck<ref name="Dail901129">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-acadiana-a-place-a/176136956/|date=November 29, 1990|pages=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-acadiana/176136976/ B2]|first=Jim|last=Bradshaw|title=Acadiana: A place and an idea still set apart|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> and displaced Evangeline as the primary regional identifier.<ref name="Dail981014">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-acadiana-replaced/176137042/|date=October 14, 1998|page=3D|first=Jim|last=Bradshaw|title='Acadiana' replaced 'Evangeline' in describing south Louisiana|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref>

In 1981, Acadian Television Corporation sold KATC to Loyola University, owners of WWL radio and WWL-TV in New Orleans. The $20 million<ref>{{cite news|work=Broadcasting|title=Changing Hands|page=91|date=June 8, 1981|id={{pq|962738229}} }}</ref> purchase was handled through Abellor Corporation, a Loyola subsidiary.<ref name="Dail810527">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-katc-television-sta/176136845/|date=May 27, 1981|pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-katc/176136868/ 6]|title=KATC Television Station Is Sold|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> Five years later, in spite of KATC being what president James C. Carter called a "marvelous investment", Loyola's trustees elected to focus on their New Orleans properties and put the Lafayette station on the market.<ref name="Dail860405">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-local-station-may-b/176137104/|date=April 5, 1986|page=1|title=Local station may be sold|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> Adams Communications was selected as the buyer for $31 million,<ref name="Dail860513">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-adams-signs-agreeme/176137195/|date=May 13, 1986|page=7|title=Adams signs agreement to purchase KATC-TV3|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> but the offer fell through, and ML Media Partners acquired KATC for $28 million.<ref>{{Cite news|page=63|id={{pq|1014714024}}|date=October 6, 1986|work=Broadcasting|title=Changing Hands}}</ref> ML was one of several ventures involving former ABC executives Elton Rule and I. Martin Pompadur, in this case with New York investment firm Merrill Lynch.<ref>{{Cite news|pages=48–49|title=Pompadur, Rule: making media money make more|work=Broadcasting|id={{pq|1014721330}}|date=June 27, 1988}}</ref>

ML Media Partners put KATC up for sale in January 1995 as the company sought to divest itself of nearly all its television station properties.<ref name="Dail950310">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-media-firm-agrees-t/176137348/|date=March 10, 1995|page=A-2|first=Bill|last=Brocato|title=Media firm agrees to purchase Channel 3|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 31, 2025}}</ref> Cordillera Communications, a subsidiary of the Evening Post Publishing Company, acquired the station from ML, citing its then-recent improvements in local news ratings.<ref name="Dail951007">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-evening-post-buys-k/176137485/|date=October 7, 1995|page=D-1|first=Robert S.|last=Wolf|title=Evening Post buys KATC|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref>

In 2007, KATC built its high-power digital transmission facility; previously, it had broadcast a low-power signal serving the immediate Lafayette area. KATC opted not to use its existing tower located near Kaplan, Louisiana, because of its proximity to the Gulf Coast, hurricane risk, and higher insurance premiums south of Interstate 10. Instead, the station constructed a new, {{convert|1800|ft|m|adj=on}} mast capable of providing high-power service to the Lafayette and Lake Charles area.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Deborah D.|last=McAdams|title=KATC Completes Conversion on New 1,800-foot Tower|work=Television Broadcast|date=November 2007|page=8|id={{pq|203666287}} }}</ref> At the time, KATC was the closest ABC affiliate to Lake Charles; in 2017, a subchannel of KVHP became that market's ABC affiliate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/uncategorized/article/kvhp-launching-abc-feed-on-subchannel|title=KVHP Launching ABC Feed On Subchannel|last=Miller|first=Mark|date=August 23, 2017|work=TVNewsCheck|access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref> The original tower remained standing and in use by KAJN-FM and Louisiana Public Broadcasting until 2018, when an airplane crashed into it, killing the pilot.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Plane crashes into tower in Vermilion Parish; pilot killed|work=Acadia Parish Today|date=August 31, 2018}}</ref> A subchannel of KATC served as Lafayette's affiliate of The CW beginning in June 2010.<ref name="Dail110317">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-local-tv-station-re/176137529/|date=March 17, 2011|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-award/176137503/ 3B]|first=Connie|last=Lewis|title=Local TV station receives honor: KATC-TV 3 recognized as top in state|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 31, 2025}}</ref>

Cordillera announced on October 29, 2018, that it would sell most of its stations, including KATC, to the E. W. Scripps Company.<ref name="cordillera">{{cite web|title=The E.W. Scripps Company buys more television stations, bringing total to 51|date=October 29, 2018 |url=https://www.wcpo.com/homepage-showcase/the-ew-scripps-company-buys-more-television-stations-bringing-total-to-51|access-date=October 29, 2018|publisher=WCPO-TV}}</ref> The sale was completed on May 1, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/234541/scripps-closes-on-cordillera-stations-purchase/|title=Scripps Closes On Cordillera Stations Purchase|first=Mark K.|last=Miller|work=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheckMedia|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=May 1, 2019|archive-date=May 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501163557/https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/234541/scripps-closes-on-cordillera-stations-purchase/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The CW—by this time majority-owned by Nexstar Media Group, owner of KLFY-TV—dropped its remaining affiliations with Scripps in 2024, and the network moved to a subchannel of KLFY.<ref name="b&c-scrippscwend">{{cite news |last1=Lafayette |first1=Jon |title=Nexstar Dropping Scripps-Owned The CW Affiliates in 7 Markets |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/nexstar-dropping-scripps-owned-cw-affiliates-in-seven-markets |access-date=April 19, 2024 |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=April 19, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

On July 7, 2025, it was announced that, as part of an exchange of several stations between Scripps and Gray Media, KATC would be traded to Gray, giving that company a presence in every media market in Louisiana.<ref name="grayscrippsswap">{{Cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gray-media-and-scripps-agree-to-swap-television-stations-302499033.html|title=Gray Media and Scripps Agree to Swap Television Stations|publisher=E. W. Scripps Company|date=July 7, 2025|accessdate=July 7, 2025|via=PR Newswire}}</ref> The following month, Gray announced its intent to purchase KADN-TV and KLAF-LD from Allen Media Group, which would bring the ABC, NBC, and Fox affiliations in the region under common ownership.<ref name=grayallen>{{cite web|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/gray-media-to-purchase-allen-media-stations-in-10-markets/|title=Gray Media To Purchase Allen Media Stations In 10 Markets|first=Mark K.|last=Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|date=August 8, 2025|accessdate=August 8, 2025}}</ref> The FCC approved the multi-market Gray–Scripps exchange on April 28, 2026;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-417A1.pdf|first=David J.|last=Brown|title=In re: Applications for Assignment of, Licenses, LMS File Nos. 0000275451 et al|date=April 28, 2026|publisher=Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission}}</ref> the KADN/KLAF purchase was completed on May 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/business/article/gray-media-allen-media-group-close-station-transactions/|title=Gray Media & Allen Media Group Close Station Transactions|website=TVNewsCheck|date=May 2, 2026|access-date=May 2, 2026}}</ref>

==News operation== Historically, KATC was a distant runner-up to KLFY in news ratings, with stronger performance in the immediate Lafayette metro area than in the full media market.<ref name="Dail830109">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-klfy-finds-most-goo/176137633/|date=January 9, 1983|page=95|first=Jim|last=Bradshaw|title=KLFY Finds Most Good News In Latest Ratings|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 30, 2025}}</ref> In the 2000s, KATC recruited talent from KLFY's news staff, including anchors Hoyt Harris and Darla Montgomery and meteorologist Rob Perillo.<ref name="Dail031208">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-katc-gets-another-v/176138627/|date=December 8, 2003|page=1C|first=Todd|last=Billiot|title=KATC gets another veteran newsman: Hoyt Harris back in co-anchor chair after 3-year hiatus|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 31, 2025}}</ref>

In 2023, Scripps implemented a new model of evening newscast production that utilizes live and pre-recorded segments. After the announcement, main evening anchors Marcelle Fontenot and Jim Hummel departed at the same time after over 10 years together on KATC's evening news.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Daigle |first=Adam |date=September 25, 2023 |title=Longtime anchors to leave KATC as station will mostly end live evening broadcasts |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/business/katc-anchors-leaving-amid-reported-end-of-evening-broadcast/article_77ce3476-5bbe-11ee-9518-2319ff3556ba.html |access-date=July 31, 2025 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref> Station management emphasized that the reformatting would free up resources for reporting and increased local content.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2023 |title=KATC General Manager: 'Lafayette Will See a Dramatic Increase in Local Content' |url=https://kpel965.com/katc-general-manager-responds-to-staff-changes-and-local-coverage-concerns/ |access-date=July 31, 2025 |website=KPEL|first=Tracy|last=Wirtz |language=en}}</ref> Fontenot and Hummel then joined the staff of Lafayette NBC and Fox affiliate KADN-TV.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2023 |title=The Switch Is On: The New Year will bring a New Station for 2 familiar faces |url=https://www.kadn.com/the-switch-is-on-the-new-year-will-bring-a-new-station-for-2-familiar/article_059cee46-6c59-11ee-b689-e7532e6a4f7b.html |access-date=July 31, 2025 |website=KADN News 15 |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|June 2025}}, KATC produces 25 hours a week of local news programming.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/api/manager/download/90ee4c7d-802d-c882-c65c-3ff747b23145/ab478683-de02-4e32-8536-682c91bbd152.pdf|title=Q2 2025 Local Issues & Programming|page=2|publisher=Federal Communications Commission|website=Public Inspection File|date=June 30, 2025}}</ref>

===Notable former on-air staff=== * Bill Elder – reporter, –1966<ref name="walker03">{{Cite news|page=Metro 4|title=Bill Elder, longtime television newsman|work=The Times-Picayune|date=September 18, 2003|first=Dave|last=Walker}}</ref>

==Technical information==

===Subchannels=== KATC's transmitter is located in Branch, Louisiana.{{r|FCC-LMS-33471}} The station's signal is multiplexed: {| class="wikitable" |+Subchannels of KATC<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rabbitears.info/market.php?request=station_search&callsign=KATC|title=RabbitEars TV Query for KATC|website=RabbitEars|accessdate=August 9, 2025}}</ref> ! scope = "col" | Channel ! scope = "col" | Res. ! scope = "col" | Short name ! scope = "col" | Programming |- ! scope = "row" | 3.1 | rowspan=2| 720p || KATC-HD || ABC |- ! scope = "row" | 3.2 | Laff || Laff |- ! scope = "row" | 3.3 | rowspan=4| 480i || Grit || Grit (4:3) |- ! scope = "row" | 3.4 | CourtTV || Court TV |- ! scope = "row" | 3.5 | Bounce || Bounce TV |- ! scope = "row" | 3.6 | QVC || QVC |}

===Analog-to-digital conversion=== KATC shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 3, on June 12, 2009,<ref name="Dail090613">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-analog-over-and-ou/177847920/|date=June 13, 2009|pages=1B, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-advertiser-digital/177847935/ 3B]|agency=Associated Press|first=Claire|last=Taylor|title=Analog, over and out: TV service switches to all-digital|newspaper=The Daily Advertiser|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=July 31, 2025}}</ref>, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 28, using virtual channel 3.<ref name="Analog to Digital">{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2006 |title=DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and Second Rounds |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829004251/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1082A2.pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |access-date=August 29, 2021 |publisher=Federal Communications Commission}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katc (Tv)}} Category:1962 establishments in Louisiana Category:Acadia Parish, Louisiana Category:American Broadcasting Company affiliates Category:Bounce TV affiliates Category:Court TV affiliates Category:Former E. W. Scripps Company subsidiaries Category:Gray Media Category:Grit (TV network) affiliates Category:Laff (TV network) affiliates Category:Television channels and stations established in 1962 ATC (TV)