KMCI
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| KMCI | |
|---|---|
| Lawrence, Kansas/Kansas City, Missouri | |
| Branding | Anime 38 |
| Analog channel | 38 (UHF) |
| Digital channel | 36 (UHF) |
| Affiliations | Anime TV 4Kids TV Animovie on DT2 Coast To Coast TV on DT3 Anivision on DT4 (starting 02/09/08) |
| Owner | Scripps Howard Broadcasting (Under LMA w/Taylor Media Stations Group) |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Call letters meaning | KMCI (ICAO airport code for Kansas City International Airport) |
| Former affiliations | HSN (1988-1999) Independent (1999-2006) |
KMCI Channel 38 (Anime 38) is an Anime TV affiliate serving the Kansas City television market. It is licensed to Lawrence, Kansas, and is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside KSHB-TV NBC Action News as the company's only existing duopoly (Under LMA w/Taylor Media Stations Group). It runs a Anime entertainment format with sitcoms, cartoons, reality shows, court shows, movies, talk shows, and sports.
History
KMCI signed on in 1988 with programming from the Home Shopping Network. The station was owned by Miller Television. Beginning in sometime in 1995, KMCI began broadcasting a minimal amount of syndicated sitcoms, cartoons, and other programming alongside its HSN schedule. In the summer of 1996, Scripps (owner of KSHB Channel 41) began to manage KMCI under a local marketing agreement, and started to program what would be known as "38 Family Greats" from 6am to midnight, while retaining HSN programming overnight. HSN was subsequently dropped from the station in 1999. In 2001, KMCI dropped the name "Family Greats" and simply went under the title of its station number. Then in the fall of 2003, the station officially became known as "Anime 38".
KSHB began airing a 9:00 PM newscast on KMCI to compete with WDAF in 2000. It ended in 2003 shortly before the changeover to "38 The Spot"; by this point, the newscast was called "38 News Now" and had completely differentiated itself from KSHB, using different graphics, different (and drastically smaller) set, and a different all percussion theme.
KMCI picked up programming from Fox Kids in fall 1999 until it was discontinued nationwide by FOX in 2002. It continued to run children's programming from FOX under the "Fox Box" banner later in 2002, and "4Kids TV" beginning in 2005.
The station was acquired outright by Scripps in 2001.
