KLEW-TV


KLEW-TV, virtual channel 3, is a CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Lewiston, Idaho, United States, serving north-central Idaho and southeastern Washington, including nearby Pullman, as well as Wallowa County, Oregon. The station is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. KLEW's studios are located on 17th Street in Lewiston, and its transmitter is located near Clarkston, Washington.
Though identifying as a station in its own right, KLEW-TV is considered a semi-satellite of KIMA-TV in Yakima, which operates another semi-satellite, KEPR-TV in Tri-Cities, Washington. KLEW and KEPR simulcast all network and syndicated programming as provided through KIMA, but air separate commercial inserts, legal identifications and weeknight newscasts, and have their own websites. Master control and some internal operations are based at KOMO Plaza in Seattle.
KLEW is carried alongside KREM on Dish Network and DirecTV throughout the Spokane television market.

History

KLEW-TV signed on the air December 7, 1955 under the ownership of Cascade Broadcasting. It has always been a CBS affiliate; however, as a satellite of KIMA-TV, it also carried some programming from ABC and NBC in its early years. The station's original studio facilities were located on Idaho Street in Lewiston.
Filmways agreed to purchase Cascade Broadcasting for $3 million in 1968; the sale was approved the following year. Filmways sold KLEW-TV, KIMA-TV, and KEPR-TV to NWG Broadcasting for $1 million in 1972. In 1977, KLEW moved from its original studios on Idaho Street to its current location on 17th Street.
Retlaw Enterprises acquired the NWG stations, including KLEW-TV, for $17 million in 1986; the stations were operated as part of the Retlaw Broadcasting division. Fisher Companies agreed to purchase the Retlaw stations for $215 million on November 19, 1998, a deal that was completed in July 1999. On April 11, 2013, Fisher announced that it would sell its properties to the Sinclair Broadcast Group; the deal was completed on August 8, 2013.

Digital channels

The station's digital signal is multiplexed:
ChannelVideoAspectPSIP short nameProgramming
3.11080iKLEW-DTMain KLEW-TV programming / CBS
3.2480iGritCharge!
3.3480iCometComet TV

Newscasts

KLEW-TV airs local newscasts weeknights at 5:00, 6:00 and 11:00 p.m., local news cut-ins during the weekday edition of CBS This Morning from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., that includes a short 5-minute interview segment called Northwest Morning, and simulcasts sister station KIMA-TV's 5:00 and 6:30 a.m. newscasts, as KLEW does not have morning, midday or weekend newscasts.