Casper, WY (January 27, 1985)

[Bluenoser]

from Casper Star-Tribune via Newspapers.com

2 Weather
3 ESPN
4 KCNC 4-NBC Denver
6 KTWO 2-ABC/NBC Casper (KTWO had first dibs on NBC programs, with KXWY airing what was left over; KTWO would join NBC full-time in 1986, with KXWY joining ABC)
7 KMGH 7-CBS Denver
8 KWGN 2-Denver
9 KUSA 9-ABC Denver
10 KCWY 13-CBS Casper
11 KXWY 20-NBC/ABC Casper
12 CBN
13 KRMA 6-PBS Denver
14 HBO (East feed)
15 Cinemax (East feed)
16 Playboy Channel
18 Nickelodeon/ARTS
19 MTV
20 TNN
21 USA Network
22 CNN

 

[IM42A]

Wonder why there were no Cheyenne stations?

 

[ZantennaG1]

Wonder why there were no Cheyenne stations?

Probably because the Denver stations as more worth the distance to get better quality. I think Cheyenne only had one station, even in 1985. That would be KGWN, probably in the process of switching from ABC to CBS back then. KLWY wouldn't come out for a few more years.

 

[IM42A]

Probably because the Denver stations as more worth the distance to get better quality. I think Cheyenne only had one station, even in 1985. That would be KGWN, probably in the process of switching from ABC to CBS back then. KLWY wouldn't come out for a few more years.

That's probably a fair assessment. Through the 1960s and beyond, Denver and Salt Lake City stations would frequently "leapfrog" over markets closer by, through their extensive microwave networks, as well as a desire for, as you note, better quality. Far-flung portions of the Denver market exist to this day in Wyoming and Nebraska, and there is one county (and possibly two) in deepest central Nevada that seem to weave in and out of the Denver DMA. However, I'd imagine that distant Denver reception takes place now via satellite and not microwave. The state of Utah is still honeycombed with the extensive translator network that feeds SLC stations to every corner of the state, and possibly adjacent parts of Wyoming and Idaho. I think I'm correct in saying that at one time SLC stations made it all the way up to western North Dakota. I have my doubts, though, that so many microwave hops would render a decent-quality picture, possibly more like "watching the channel through wax paper".

 

[IM42A]

As recently as 1982, KUTV and KUED from SLC were carried on cable in Williston, presumably received via microwave.

 

[crainbebo]

I have a recording of 'Black Fox' taped off KGWC-14 in 1995. During one of the commercial breaks, they accidentally put out a KGWN-5 ID from Cheyenne. That's probably why KYCU (now KGWN) wasn't carried on cable in Casper.
In Idaho, Salt Lake City stations were carried in Idaho Falls/Pocatello throughout the 1980s, and even as far as Twin Falls, where KSL and KUTV were available as of 1984. KTVX was available in Burley. KUED too, with no Idaho Public Television at that time (KAID-4 was available in Twin Falls).