15 years of fighting
The construction permit for a channel 51 television station in San Diego was first issued on June 23, 1965, to Jack O. Gross, who had previously founded KFMB-TV (channel 8), as KJOG-TV.[1] The permit was issued after applications by Gross and California Western University of San Diego were filed the year before; Gross proposed a conventional independent station, while the private university planned a station with a "high educational and cultural content".[2] In October 1967, with the station still unbuilt, California Western filed to have the station transferred to it, stating that Gross was refusing to abide by an agreement reached that April to sell the station to CWU for $16,000 in expenses. However, a complication arose when Gross informed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that he had reached another deal to sell the station to the Broadmoor Broadcasting Corporation, owned by Michael and Dan McKinnon alongside local radio stations KSON (1240 AM) and KSEA (97.3 FM) and television station KIII of Corpus Christi, Texas, for $15,000. Under that agreement, Broadmoor would honor a deal brokered with the university, which had also applied for the channel, to acquire 50 percent. The situation, in which Gross reached sale agreements with two different buyers, prompted the FCC to designate an application to extend the life of the construction permit for hearing in late 1968, by which time the university had changed its name to United States International University (USIU).[3]
FCC administrative law judge Basil P. Cooper in 1970 ruled that Gross had trafficked in the permit, by retaining an interest without the obligation to make further funds available, but granted the time extension. However, the FCC's review board, later joined by the full commission, reversed the initial decision in 1972 and denied the application for more time to build the station.[4] A year later, however, the commission granted authority to extend the permit in order to consider the 1967 application to sell it to USIU, finding that Gross's actions did not merit immediate disqualification and would unfairly harm USIU.[5]
Broadmoor continued to challenge any authority by USIU to build KJOG-TV, and in 1975, the FCC designated the university's acquisition of the construction permit for hearing, this time over concerns about whether USIU was financially qualified to construct the station and whether financial issues at the university itself, spurred by a long-delayed and complicated land sale in the early 1970s and the collapse of one of the university's major lenders, weighed on its capacity.[6] A religious group, Christian Communications Network, intervened in the proceeding in a bid to seek the use of the channel; it provided Christian television programming on local cable.[7] On June 7, 1977, administrative law judge David I. Kraushaar ruled against the proposed transfer to USIU and its affiliate University Television, Inc., concerned over the financial issues and by cost estimates that were extremely low during a period of major inflation.[8]
Early years and sale to McKinnon
In October 1980, administrative law judge James F. Tierney finally adjudicated the matter for good and granted the transfer application to University Television, dismissing Christian Communications's complaints as unfounded.[9] Even though the university was still showing signs of financial stress, two private financiers—USIU trustee Predrag Mitrovich and St. Louis businessman Allen Portnoy—stepped in to provide the necessary funding. A year later, USIU hired the McKinnons to provide financial and management support to USIU, with an option to buy a minority stake.[10] On September 13, 1982—more than 17 years after the permit was granted—the station finally began broadcasting as KUSI-TV.[11] It operated as a general entertainment independent station, airing a mix of children's programs, sitcoms, older movies, and sporting events. Beginning in 1985, the San Diego Padres moved their games to KUSI from KCST-TV channel 39 due to problems with network preemptions and to sell their own advertising.[12]
By the end of the decade, however, the university's financial condition had worsened again; further, the
UPN affiliation, Fox push and return to independence
McKinnon's ownership provided much-needed stability and revitalization to KUSI. The 10 p.m. newscast was followed by the introduction of a morning newscast in January 1994. By 1995, the station was worth an estimated $75 million. Taking inspiration from KTLA in Los Angeles, KUSI built up its news service and affiliated with UPN.[19] At the same time, KFMB-TV lured the Padres from KUSI under a new radio and television contract.[20]
In November 1995, in an attempt to take the Fox affiliation away from Tijuana-based XETV (channel 6), KUSI filed an appeal against the FCC's decision to grant Fox a permit that was necessary to provide XETV, a Mexican station, with live sports (including NFL games and other programming. This was the second time McKinnon had protested the Fox-XETV tie-up; he had made an earlier unsuccessful attempt to pull the Fox affiliation from XETV in April 1991.[21] The permit was granted to Fox on behalf of XETV, and the case was settled on March 26, 1996.[22]
Sandra Maas lawsuit
In 2019, KUSI anchor Sandra Maas left the station and sued McKinnon for $10 million in an age and gender discrimination lawsuit. She alleged that she had begun seeking a raise in 2017 after learning that men with less seniority at the station made more money than her, and when she sought the same salary that her recently departed co-anchor, Allen Denton, was working—$70,000 more than her own—her contract was not renewed.[32] Documents in the case also contained the allegation that, in the wake of the dispute, KUSI refused to cover an equal pay dispute involving the United States women's national soccer team.[33] The case was then scheduled to go to trial in December 2022,[34] later pushed to February 2023.[35] At trial, a jury awarded Maas $1.5 million on her whistleblower claim and found KUSI to have violated California's Equal Pay Act, but it rejected the discrimination claims and the contention that the station had acted with malice; McKinnon Broadcasting's lawyer announced an intention to appeal the verdict.[36]
On May 8, 2023, Nexstar Media Group announced its intent to purchase KUSI-TV for $35 million; this would create a duopoly with Fox affiliate KSWB-TV (channel 69). In a news release, Nexstar noted that it expected the transaction would "be accretive to Nexstar's operating results when The CW Network affiliation becomes available in the market".[37] The sale to Nexstar was completed on August 31.[38]
On March 19, 2026, Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna Inc., owner of KFMB-TV.[39] After the sale closed, KUSI began airing CW programming that day.[40]
