Editing Minneapolis–Saint Paul (section)

===Media===
{{Main|Media in Minneapolis–Saint Paul}}

====Print====
The Twin Cities have two major daily newspapers: ''[[The Minnesota Star Tribune]]'' and the ''[[Saint Paul Pioneer Press]]''. The ''[[Minnesota Daily]]'' serves the [[University of Minnesota system|University of Minnesota]]'s Twin Cities campus and surrounding neighborhoods. There is one general-interest neighborhood weekly newspaper still in the cities: The ''[[East Side Review]]'', devoted to the 90,000 residents in St. Paul's eastern third. Other weekly papers are devoted to specific audiences/demographics, including (until 2020) ''[[City Pages]]''.

====Television====
[[File:KARE-TV-MN State Fair 20060826.jpg|thumb|left|[[KARE (TV)|KARE]] television broadcast, [[Minnesota State Fair]]]]
The region is the 15th-largest television market, according to Nielsen Media Research. Three [[Duopoly (broadcasting)|duopolies]] exist in the Twin Cities: [[Twin Cities PBS]] operates [[Twin Cities PBS|KTCA and KTCI]] (channels 2.1 and 2.4),{{efn|KTCI formerly transmitted on UHF channel 17 from its May 1965 sign-on until February 2009, when both stations unified their respective digital channels as virtual subchannels of KTCA (mapped to 2.x, corresponding to the latter's existing virtual channel and former analog VHF allocation), while continuing to operate on separate physical channels (16 and 34, respectively).}} Saint Paul-based [[Hubbard Broadcasting]] (founded by [[Stanley E. Hubbard]]) owns [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[KSTP-TV]] (channel 5) and [[Independent station (North America)|independent station]] [[KSTC-TV]] (channel 5.2),{{efn|KSTC formerly transmitted on UHF channel 45 from its June 1994 sign-on (as KVBM) until October 2011, when both stations unified their respective digital channels as virtual subchannels of KSTP (mapped to 5.x, corresponding to the latter's existing virtual channel and former analog VHF allocation), while continuing to operate on separate physical channels (45 and 30, respectively).}} and [[Fox Television Stations]] operates [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] [[owned-and-operated station]] [[KMSP-TV]] (channel 9) and [[MyNetworkTV]] O&O [[WFTC]] (channel 9.2).{{efn|WFTC formerly transmitted on UHF channel 29 from its October 1982 sign-on (as WFBT) until June 2014, when both stations unified their respective digital channels as virtual subchannels of KMSP (mapped to 9.x, corresponding to the latter's existing virtual channel and former analog VHF allocation), while continuing to operate on separate physical channels (29 and 9, respectively).}} Diversified from radio, KSTP-TV was the first television station to operate in the region and the 17th to sign on in the U.S., initially reaching 3,000 sets when Hubbard signed on the station in April 1948.<ref>{{cite web|website=Minneapolis Public Library |title=A History of Minneapolis: Radio and Television |url=http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/history/nm2.asp |year=2001 |access-date=2007-05-10 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419090008/http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/history/nm2.asp |archive-date=2007-04-19 }}</ref>

[[File:Transmitters-downtown-Minneapolis.jpg|thumb|[[WCCO-TV]] building in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]].]]
Two local television stations in the area operate their main studios in Minneapolis: [[CBS]] O&O [[WCCO-TV]] (channel 4) and [[The CW|CW]] affiliate [[WUCW]] (channel 23, owned by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]). Saint Paul is home to KSTP/KSTC and KTCA/KTCI. The other major television stations are based in nearby suburban areas: [[NBC]] affiliate [[KARE (TV)|KARE]] (channel 11, owned by [[Tegna, Inc.|Tegna]]) operates a broadcasting complex in [[Golden Valley, Minnesota|Golden Valley]], while KMSP/WFTC operates from a facility in [[Eden Prairie, Minnesota|Eden Prairie]].

For much of the last two decades, WCCO and KARE have had the most popular evening newscasts in the area, while KSTP has struggled to maintain decent ratings on its news programs. Since becoming an independent station in 1979, after losing the ABC affiliation to KSTP in a three-station affiliation swap that resulted in NBC moving from KSTP to then-independent WTCN (now KARE), KMSP has carried a nightly prime time newscast (originally airing at 9:30&nbsp;p.m. before moving to 9:00&nbsp;p.m. upon trading time slots with the now-canceled ''[[Independent Network News (TV program)|Independent Network News]]'' in 1982). It remained the top-rated newscast in the 9:00 hour long after it gained competition from then-Fox affiliate WFTC (which launched a standalone news department in April 2001, later absorbed into KMSP's existing news operation after Fox acquired both stations that year from [[iHeartMedia|Clear Channel Television]] and [[BHC Communications|United Television]], respectively) and independent KSTC (which began airing a newscast produced by sister station KSTP in 2001).

Communities in the region have their own [[public, educational, and government access]] (PEG) [[cable television]] channels. One, the Metro Cable Network, is available on channel 6 on cable systems across the seven-county region.

Several television programs that originated in the Twin Cities have aired nationally on broadcast and cable networks. KTCA created the science program ''[[Newton's Apple]]'' and distributes a children's program today. A few unusual comedic shows also originated in the area. In the 1980s, KTMA (later KLGT and KMWB, now WUCW) created a number of low-budget shows, including ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', a satirical [[B-movie]] showcase that achieved [[cult following|cult classic]] status during its 1989–96 national cable run on [[Comedy Central]]. The short-lived ''[[Let's Bowl]]'' started on KARE and later ran on KLGT and [[St. Cloud, Minnesota|St. Cloud]]-licensed KXLI-TV (channel 41, now [[Ion Television|Ion]] O&O [[KPXM-TV]]), before airing on Comedy Central from 2001 to 2002; it was a panel discussion featuring critical and humorous analysis of TV commercials. The advertising-focused panel discussion series ''[[Mental Engineering]]'' originated on the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) cable access channel in 1997 before being syndicated nationally to PBS member stations from 2001 to 2008.

From 1984 to 2002, Hubbard Broadcasting and [[Viacom (1952–2005)|Viacom]] operated CONUS Communications, a [[electronic news gathering|satellite news gathering]] and news video-sharing service for local television stations throughout the nation. In 1989, the venture launched [[All News Channel]] (ANC), a syndicated television news service that operated from the company's St. Paul broadcast facility and used some on-air staff previously employed by KSTP. Similar in format to then-competitor CNN Headline News (now [[HLN (TV network)|HLN]]), ANC produced rolling half-hour national newscasts that were syndicated to local stations (most of which, as KSTP did throughout its existence, aired them as overnight filler programming); Hubbard shut down most of CONUS's operations and ANC in 2002, citing the dominance of network-run affiliate wire services (such as [[CNN|CNN Newsource]]), but it maintains a digital archive of its news library.<ref>{{cite web|title=CONUS to close operations|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/conus-close-operations-93926|author=Dan Trigoboff|magazine=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=September 20, 2002}}</ref>

In 1994, Hubbard launched [[United States Satellite Broadcasting]] (USSB), a [[satellite television]] provider offering premium channels from [[Home Box Office, Inc.]] and [[Showtime Networks]], pay-per-view movies and events, a limited selection of basic cable channels (mainly those in which Viacom held full or partial ownership interest, such as [[MTV]], [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] and [[Nickelodeon]]), and All News Channel. Founded in 1981 by then-Hubbard President [[Stanley S. Hubbard]], USSB and competitor [[DirecTV]] used the [[Digital Satellite Service|Digital Satellite System]] (DSS) infrastructure, allowing customers to optionally subscribe to both services. Hubbard sold USSB's assets to then-DirecTV parent [[Hughes Electronics]] in 1999, leading the latter provider to add USSB's remaining channels. (Viacom moved its basic channels over to DirecTV the previous year.)<ref>{{cite news|title=DirecTV Agrees to Acquire USSB in $1.3-Billion Stock-Cash Deal|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-15-fi-54374-story.html|author=Sallie Hofmeister|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 15, 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Basic cablers exit USSB for DirecTV|url=https://variety.com/1998/tv/news/basic-cablers-exit-ussb-for-directv-1117434328/|author=John Dempsey|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=Cahners Business Information|date=January 6, 1998}}</ref>

====Radio====
The Twin Cities radio market was ranked 15th by Nielsen in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb_menu_001 |title=Nielsen Audio Ratings |work=Radio, Online |year=2018 |access-date=December 18, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forumdisplay.php?599-Top-20-US-Radio-Markets |title=Forum: Top 20 US Radio Markets |access-date=December 16, 2018 }}</ref> In November 2018, the area's top five morning radio shows were all FM stations: [[KSTP-FM|KSTP]] (94.5), [[KFXN-FM|KFXN]] (100.3), [[KQQL]] (107.9), [[KDWB-FM|KDWB]] (101.3), and [[KXXR]] (93.7).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb027 |title=#15 Minneapolis-St. Paul November 2018 Portable People Meter Ratings |date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=December 16, 2018}}</ref> Three of those stations are owned by iHeartRadio. Most stations broadcast on air and online, as livestreams from their websites.

[[File:MPR-2006-12-19.jpg|thumb|[[Minnesota Public Radio]] in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]]]]
In addition to owning KSTP television, Hubbard Broadcasting also operates two radio stations that share call letters (which reference their shared [[city of license|licensed city]], St. Paul) with its co-owned television outlet: [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] (1500 AM) maintains a sports radio format as an [[ESPN Radio]] affiliate, and KSTP-FM maintains a [[pop music]] format. In 1985, Hubbard—valued at $400 million—was one of the nation's larger corporate media companies; in 2005, valued at $1.2 billion, Hubbard was a fairly small major-market media operation.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

The Twin Cities have a mix of commercial and non-commercial radio stations. The market is dominated by [[iHeartMedia]], which operates seven stations (including [[contemporary hit radio|contemporary hits]] outlet KDWB, [[sports radio]] outlet KFXN, [[classic hits]] outlet KQQL, and news/talk station [[KTLK]]). Multiple small, independent stations are award winners, including [[KUOM]] (770 AM; relayed in St. Paul on 100.7 FM and in Minneapolis on 104.5 FM), operated by the [[University of Minnesota]], [[community radio]] outlet [[KFAI]] (90.3) in [[Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis|Cedar–Riverside]],<ref>{{cite web |website=iBiquity|title=HD Radio – Minnesota |year=2007 |url=http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_find_a_station/MN/StnMarket#stationlist |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927211015/http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_find_a_station/MN/StnMarket |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }} and {{cite web |title=Independent Public Radio |url=http://www.ampers.org/station-awards.shtml |year=2006 |access-date=2007-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629175047/http://www.ampers.org/station-awards.shtml |archive-date=2007-06-29 |url-status = dead}}</ref> and African American-oriented community station [[KMOJ]] (89.9 FM) in North Minneapolis.<ref>{{cite news |title=KMOJ’s Freddie Bell named ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ |url=https://spokesman-recorder.com/2020/07/28/kmojs-freddie-bell-named-broadcaster-of-the-year/ |access-date=17 January 2025 |work=Minnesota Spokesman Recorder |date=July 28, 2020}}</ref>

[[Minnesota Public Radio]] (MPR)—a regional public radio network that transmits on 46 affiliate stations across the state—broadcasts on three stations in the area, each with distinct programming formats: [[KNOW-FM|KNOW]] (91.1 FM) serves as the flagship station of MPR's news and information service, MPR News, featuring locally produced and [[NPR]]-distributed news and talk programs; [[KSJN]] (99.5 FM) serves as the flagship of MPR's [[classical music]] service, "YourClassical MPR"; and [[Northfield, Minnesota|Northfield]]-licensed [[KCMP]] (89.3 FM) maintains an [[adult album alternative]] format branded as "The Current". (In addition to being relayed on MPR stations in [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]] and [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]], KCMP's "Current" programming is also carried in the Los Angeles market on an [[HD Radio|HD]] subchannel of educational FM station [[KPCC-FM|KPCC]].) MPR was first nationally known for the variety show ''[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'', which ceased production in 2016.<ref name=guardian2016>{{cite news |date=July 2, 2016 |title=Garrison Keillor Hosts Final A Prairie Home Companion Episode |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/02/garrison-keillor-final-prairie-home-companion-episode |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=December 16, 2018 }}</ref> Doing business as [[American Public Media]], the company is the second-largest producer of NPR content, after National Public Radio (of which MPR is an affiliate).

====Independent media====
The Twin Cities is home to many independent media organizations, including [[The UpTake]] and ''[[MinnPost]]''.