KOAA-TV

KOAA-TV (Digital Channels 42 and 30-LD, Virtual Channel 5) is the NBC station for Pueblo, CO. Their digital signals broadcast from Cheyenne Mountain in SW Colorado Springs, CO (along with KKTV-TV, KRDO-TV, KTSC, and KXRM). Their old analog signal was from Pueblo (which is why they started a low power simulcast on Channel 30 in the Springs in 1980), and their studios are still in Pueblo. KOAA started out in 1953 as KCSJ-TV. They have always been an NBC affiliate. In 1961, KCSJ was sold to the owners of KOA-TV (now KCNC-TV) and their call letters changed to the current KOAA. KOAA was a semi-satellite of KOA until it was sold to its current owner (Evening Post Publishing Company) in 1977.

News

KOAA brands itself as News First 5 (formerly News First 5/30 before June 12, 2009). They have a "News First Now" subchannel (42.2/30.2) that lists airline schedules, weather reports, and some of KOAA's syndicated programming such as Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures and Dr. Phil. KOAA claims to be the news leader in the market, with their news ratings inflated due to their huge share of the audience in the Pueblo side of the market. The February 2011 sweeps shows KOAA leading in most time slots, although their ratings are nowhere near as dominant as KOAA claims they are.

Other Programming

KOAA carries the typical NBC schedule, and features syndicated programming such as Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Rachel Ray, The Ellen Degeneres Show, and The Insider. Colorado Springs/Pueblo is one of the rare markets where The Insider airs directly opposite Entertainment Tonight (on KRDO-TV)- in most markets, those two shows air on the same station in the 6-7PM (Central/Mountain) or 7-8PM (Easter/Pacific) time slots.