Scottsbluff TV Station Shuts Down, Cheyenne & Casper Effected

Communities out West never did have much for local television stations. So the few they have had have been important.

It's a big deal when a local station closes its doors and starts letting people go.

Late last week KNEP TV, also known as NBC Nebraska or KGWN Scottsbluff, shocked their community by closing their local doors and letting staff go.

The signal is still operational, with programming running. But nothing is locally produced.

Gray Broadcasting will be selling its interests in the Scottsbluff, Cheyenne, and Casper television markets to Marquee Broadcasting Inc.

They have worked out a deal with the FCC to build a new station in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Seven Scottsbluff staff have lost their full-time jobs.

Folks in the region know John Clanton for covering area sports since 2001. He's now looking for a new market.

Other staff working with Duhamels, Rushmore Broadcasting Inc. to Gray will have to decide where they go from here.

There were three young reporters in the area who were just starting their careers. They are now turning out resumes.

The station's Facebook page was deactivated and their news website has not been updated in a week.

This announcement came right after they had rebranded as NBC Nebraska to KGWN Scottsbluff.

Anyone watching the news since Friday has been seeing KNEP which was coming out of Cheyenne, Wyoming’s ‘Wyoming News Now’ broadcast.

The Marquee Broadcasting merger is being finalized.

What is not known is what that will mean for the NBC provider in the Panhandle.