KTVZ News Channel 21 was founded on November 6, 1977, by Ray Johnson and C. Howard Lane, who formed Ponderosa Broadcasting, Inc. Johnson, former owner of KMED-AM-TV in Medford, and Lane, from KOIN-TV in Portland, saw an opportunity to bring television broadcasting to the growing Central Oregon market. The idea was to create the first television station in the region, serving the local community with news and entertainment. Today, KTVZ is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company, which acquired the station in 2002 . Based in Bend, Oregon, KTVZ covers a wide range of news including local and national stories, politics, sports, weather, and community events. As an NBC affiliate, it broadcasts popular network programs while also producing original content such as local news shows and investigative reports. The station serves the Greater Bend area and beyond through various broadcast frequencies and online streaming. KTVZ's studios are located on Northwest O. B. Riley Road in Bend . **One interesting fact**: KTVZ has a unique program called "One Class At a Time" where they partner with local businesses to award $500 grants to teachers in Central Oregon schools each week during the school year. This long-running community initiative has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in classroom funding to support local education over the years.