KIFI News Group History
KIFI-TV turns 50 in 2011, just as it is today; KIFI began as a family company in 1947. Back then, it was a radio station started by Jim Brady, the son of J. Robb Brady the owner of the Post Register Newspaper in Idaho Falls.
In 1961, KIFI began broadcasting the NBC television network with 316,000 watts at the time the most powerful television station in Idaho.
KIFI is honored to have a history of innovation as a part of its legacy and it is proud to be the home of several Broadcasting Firsts:
1962 ? KIFI aired the first LIVE remote basketball telecast in Idaho from Reed Gym at Idaho State University in Pocatello. 1965 ? KIFI was the FIRST station in Idaho to install a color film chain for color film (16mm and 35mm color slides). 1967 ? KIFI was the first station to install broadcast quality color television studio cameras for local news, weather and sports. 1968 ? KIFI broadcast the first LIVE telecast from the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot with weatherman Lloyd Lindsey Young. 1996 ? KIFI became an ABC Television Affiliate. 2003 ? KIFI builds a new digital transmitter and begins simulcasting on Digital Channel 9. 2005 ? In August, the Post Company sells KIFI-TV to News-Press and Gazette. 2005 ? KIFI became the first in eastern Idaho to broadcast in High Definition . 2007 ? KIFI Launches the First Spanish Language Television Station in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming on digital 8.2 and becomes the KIFI News Group. 2007 ? KIFI Launches the FIRST LIVE Level 2 radar. 2008 ? KIFI Launches WiNG or Wireless Internet Newsgathering ? becoming the FIRST station in the United States to executed LIVE Shots using WiMAX technology. 2008 ? KIFI News Group launches a Free Classified Web Site www.SuperIdaho.com. 2008 ? KIFI News Group launches www.SportslinePrep.com a local sports web site. 2009 ? KIFI becomes the FIRST station in Idaho to broadcast LOCAL NEWS in HD. 2009 ? June 12th ? 9am: KIFI shuts down its Analog Channel 8 forever and ceases operating its digital channel 9 ? then at 11am it powers up its new full-power digital channel 8 ? becoming the ONLY digital VHF Broadcast Television station in the region. 2009 ? KIFI News Group launches the FIRST iPhone APP in the state of Idaho. 2009 ? KIFI News Group acquires the CW Television Network and begins broadcasting the CW East Idaho on digital 8.3. 2010 ? KIFI News Group launches a fourth television station, Local News 8 NOW on digital 8.4 the areas first 24-hour local news, weather and Sports Station. 2010 ? KIFI News Group expands its digital free over-the-air signal in Teton Valley Idaho ? the first station to bring digital over-the-air television to that region.
KIFI News Group is proud to have been part of our community for the past 50 years and it looks forward to continuing its legacy of service to the communities with local news and information on every platform in its arsenal now and well into the future.
