Gray TV’s new NBC affiliate in Mankato officially launched Sunday, Dec. 1, with syndicated programming moving over from the company’s FOX affiliate to fill hours that NBC does not program.
NBC programming includes Early Today at 4:30 and 5 a.m., the Today Show from 7 to 11 a.m., Days of Our Lives at 1 p.m., the NBC Nightly News at 5:30, NBC prime time, and late night talk shows. Published listings indicate that other programs on the daytime schedule of KMNF-LD/7.1 will include Family Feud, Rachael Ray, Hot Bench, Judge Judy, and Jeopardy, all of which were previously seen on KEYC-DT2/FOX 12.2. KMNF will also carry The Kelly Clarkson Show.
The listings indicate that the NBC channel will simulcast morning and 10 p.m. newscasts from KEYC’s primary CBS channel. They also show that both stations will sign off after 1 a.m.
Meanwhile, KEYC-DT2 will add Mel Robbins, Judge Mathis, 25 Words or less, America Says, and a repeat of Jeopardy to make up for the programming that moved to KMNF.
KMNF-LD2/7.2 will carry the CW+, which is a national network for small markets that combines CW prime time with syndicated programming. CW+ has already been available on Spectrum Cable in Mankato.
KMNF-LD is former KEYC translator K38MY-D St. James, which is now licensed to transmit with 3kW from KEYC’s tower near Lewisville. (By comparison, KEYC transmits with 52.7kW.)
Plans for the new channels were first announced in June, and KMNF had been testing since late October.
Information on KMNF’s cable and satellite carriage is not yet available.
The Mankato market has long been served by Minneapolis NBC affiliate KARE 11 on cable, satellite, and a St. James translator. It’s not immediately clear if KARE will continue to be available on those systems.
KMNF’s sign-on means ABC will be the only “big four” network without an affiliate in Mankato, where KEYC has long been the only station. ABC affiliate KSTP (St. Paul) is carried on cable and satellite in the market, and KAAL (Austin-Rochester) is also carried on cable.
This article has been corrected to show the right time for the Days of Our Lives and to remove an incorrect reference to the 6 p.m. news being simulcast on both stations.