KAEF-TV
A full-power television station licensed to Arcata, California, serving the Eureka area as an ABC affiliate and, through a digital subchannel, a Fox outlet.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KAEF-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Arcata, California, and serving the Eureka-area television market. The station operates on channel 23 and is associated primarily with ABC programming, while a later digital-subchannel arrangement also made it a Fox outlet. KAEF-TV is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and operates alongside KBVU, KECA-LD, and KEUV-LD in the local market. The stations share facilities on Sixth Street in downtown Eureka, while KAEF-TV's transmitter is located near Barry Road southeast of the city. The station began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, under the call sign KREQ. It originally carried Fox programming, but its early commercial prospects were difficult because Fox had not yet developed into a full-week network and the Eureka market was dominated by established VHF stations. KREQ was taken off the air in April 1989 after its owner, Mad River Broadcasting, cited financial difficulties. California Oregon Broadcasting, the owner of KRCR-TV in Redding, subsequently restored channel 23 to service. The station returned in October 1989 as KAEF, an ABC affiliate and semi-satellite of KRCR-TV. The call sign reflected the communities of Arcata, Eureka, and Fortuna. As a semi-satellite, KAEF-TV carries much of the programming supplied by KRCR-TV, including network material and selected regional content, but it is not simply a transmitter. It has separate commercial inserts, legal identifications, some syndicated programming, and local news output tailored to the Eureka area. Master control and many internal functions are handled through KRCR-TV and related facilities in Redding, while local production and community-facing operations are based in Eureka. Ownership changed several times. California Oregon Broadcasting sold KAEF-TV and related stations to Lamco Communications in 1995. Lamco later sold its stations to BlueStone Television, which was acquired by Bonten Media Group in 2007. KAEF-TV became part of Sinclair Broadcast Group when Sinclair completed its acquisition of Bonten in September 2017. The transaction also brought KBVU and other low-power stations in the Eureka market under Sinclair's control or operating influence. KAEF-TV's local news service has had an uneven history. Its original news operation, branded ABC 23 News, ended in February 2001 after weak ratings. Local news returned on November 17, 2014, and the current arrangement combines locally produced Eureka-area newscasts with a morning program simulcast from KRCR-TV. The station has also produced prime-time news for the Fox service carried on its digital platform. KAEF-TV has carried several multicast networks over time, including Live Well Network, Movies!, and Comet. It completed the U.S. digital television transition in June 2009, retaining virtual channel 23 while transmitting digitally on UHF channel 22. The station has also been involved in retransmission-consent disputes with Dish Network. Those disagreements led to temporary removals of KRCR-TV, KAEF-TV, and related stations from Dish's lineup in 2013–2014 and again beginning in 2017. Such disputes are part of the station's broader business as a local broadcast outlet: its reach depends not only on its over-the-air signal and digital platforms but also on carriage agreements with pay-TV distributors. KAEF-TV remains a local television brand focused on ABC programming, regional news, syndicated content, weather, sports and multicast services for viewers in and around Humboldt County.
History
KAEF-TV's history began with the construction of a new UHF outlet for the Eureka-area market. The station signed on August 1, 1987, as KREQ under the ownership of Mad River Broadcasting. Its initial Fox affiliation provided limited network programming because Fox had not yet become a full-week service. In a market dominated by established NBC and CBS VHF stations, KREQ effectively operated much like an independent UHF station and reportedly lost money each month. Mad River placed the station on the market in June 1988. Financial pressure culminated in the station going dark on April 30, 1989. Later that year, California Oregon Broadcasting, owner of KRCR-TV in Redding, brought channel 23 back on the air. The revived station adopted the call sign KAEF, derived from Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna, and became an ABC affiliate. It operated as a semi-satellite of KRCR-TV: much of its network and regional programming came from Redding, but KAEF maintained separate local identifications, advertising opportunities, selected syndicated programs and, at various times, its own news output. The acquisition required California Oregon Broadcasting to sell two Eureka radio stations because of ownership restrictions. KAEF and the company's television properties were sold to Lamco Communications in 1995 for a reported $11.925 million. Lamco later transferred the group to BlueStone Television in 2004. Bonten Media Group acquired BlueStone in 2007 in a transaction reported at $230 million. During Bonten's ownership, KAEF's call sign gained the -TV suffix in July 2009. KAEF's relationship with the other Eureka stations broadened in 2012. Bonten first assumed sales responsibilities for KBVU and later acquired operating control through a local marketing arrangement. This made KAEF a sister station to the Fox outlet and linked it with low-power services serving other language and entertainment audiences. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its acquisition of Bonten in April 2017 and completed the purchase on September 1. KAEF consequently became part of Sinclair's station group, alongside KBVU, KECA-LD and KEUV-LD. The stations share Eureka studios on Sixth Street, while master control and much of the back-office operation remain coordinated with KRCR-TV and KCVU in Redding. The station's local news history has been shaped by market economics. KAEF discontinued its original ABC 23 News operation on February 6, 2001, after low ratings. For a period, Eureka-specific output was limited largely to weather material produced by KRCR-TV. A local news operation returned on November 17, 2014. The present arrangement includes locally produced weekday newscasts from Eureka, a morning program called Daybreak simulcast from KRCR-TV, and a prime-time newscast associated with the Fox service. The station's reported schedule totals 15 hours of news each week, with no regular weekend newscasts in the cited description. KAEF has also evolved through digital broadcasting. It shut down its analog UHF 23 signal on June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide U.S. digital transition. Its digital transmission used UHF 22 while retaining virtual channel 23. Digital multicast affiliations changed over time: Live Well Network was announced for a third subchannel in 2011, Movies! replaced it in 2013, and Comet replaced Movies! in 2022. The station has also carried Fox programming through digital-subchannel arrangements, including the reported 2025 transfer of Fox from KBVU's main channel to KAEF-TV's second subchannel. Retransmission consent has been another recurring business issue. Dish Network removed KRCR, KAEF and related stations in December 2013 during a carriage disagreement concerning compensation. The stations returned in January 2014 after public discussion of the dispute by station management. A further Dish removal occurred in January 2017 before later restoration. These episodes illustrate the importance of distributor negotiations to a local broadcast station whose audience is divided among over-the-air viewers, satellite subscribers, cable customers and digital platforms.
- 2022
Comet replaces Movies!
[1]The cited digital subchannel changes its multicast network affiliation to Comet.
- 2017
Sinclair ownership begins
[1]Sinclair completes its acquisition of Bonten Media Group on September 1.
- 2014
Local news returns
[1]KAEF restores Eureka-focused local news production on November 17.
- 2012
Becomes a sister station to KBVU
[1]Bonten assumes sales and later operational control connected with Fox affiliate KBVU.
- 2009
Digital transition and call-sign update
[1]The station ends analog broadcasting in June and adopts the KAEF-TV call sign in July.
- 2007
Bonten Media Group acquires BlueStone Television
[1]KAEF becomes part of Bonten Media Group through its acquisition of BlueStone Television.
- 2001
Original local news operation ends
[1]KAEF cancels ABC 23 News after weak ratings.
- 1995
Acquired by Lamco Communications
[1]Lamco acquires KAEF and related California Oregon Broadcasting television properties.
- 1989
Station returns as KAEF
[1]After leaving the air in April, channel 23 returns in October under California Oregon Broadcasting as an ABC affiliate and KRCR semi-satellite.
- 1987
KREQ launches
[1]The station begins broadcasting on August 1 as KREQ, a Fox affiliate owned by Mad River Broadcasting.
Products and positioning
A local broadcast television station serving the Eureka and Humboldt County market, combining national network programming with regionally produced news, weather, advertising and community coverage.
Broadcast television station · 1989
KAEF-TV channel 23
The station's primary broadcast service, licensed to Arcata and serving the Eureka area. It carries ABC network programming together with local commercial inserts, station identifications, selected syndicated programming and regional content supplied or coordinated through KRCR-TV.
Television news · 2014
Local news operation
KAEF's news offering combines locally produced weekday programming from Eureka with Daybreak, a morning newscast simulcast from KRCR-TV. The operation also supports a prime-time news service associated with Fox programming. The station's original local news operation ended in 2001 and returned in 2014.
Network television · 2025
Fox digital-subchannel service
A Fox service carried on a KAEF-TV digital subchannel according to the cited station history. The arrangement reflects the station group's effort to distribute network programming across multiple Eureka-area broadcast outlets.
Digital multicast television · 2011
Multicast programming
KAEF has used digital capacity for additional networks over time. Live Well Network was announced in 2011, Movies! replaced it in 2013, and Comet replaced Movies! in 2022, demonstrating the station's changing portfolio of secondary entertainment services.
Brand decisions
2025
Move Fox programming to a KAEF subchannelGeneration changeBackground
The station group reorganized the distribution of Fox programming and the branding of KBVU's main service.
Action taken
Fox programming moved from KBVU's main channel to KAEF-TV's second subchannel, while KBVU's main channel changed to Roar.
Aftermath
The change expanded KAEF's network portfolio while altering the role of the group's Eureka-market stations.
2017
Join Sinclair's station portfolioM&ABackground
Sinclair sought to acquire Bonten Media Group and its collection of local television stations.
Action taken
Sinclair completed the acquisition on September 1, bringing KAEF-TV and related Eureka-area stations into its group.
Aftermath
KAEF continued operating as part of a cluster that included KBVU and low-power stations, with shared facilities and coordinated back-office functions.
Reported transaction value. $240 million (2017 acquisition announcement)
2014
Reintroduce local newsProduct launchBackground
The station had operated without a full local news operation since 2001.
Action taken
KAEF restored local news production on November 17 and developed Eureka-focused newscasts alongside KRCR-supplied programming.
Aftermath
The station again offered regular local reporting and later produced a prime-time newscast for the Fox service.
2001
End the original local news operationStrategyBackground
ABC 23 News was generally ranked third in the Eureka market and had low ratings.
Action taken
KAEF discontinued its original locally produced news service.
Aftermath
Eureka-specific news content was reduced largely to weather material produced by KRCR-TV until local news returned in 2014.
1989
Reposition channel 23 as an ABC semi-satelliteStrategyBackground
The original KREQ operation struggled as a Fox-affiliated UHF station in a small market where Fox offered limited programming.
Action taken
California Oregon Broadcasting returned the station to the air as KAEF, affiliated it with ABC and linked much of its operation to KRCR-TV.
Aftermath
The new arrangement gave Eureka-area viewers a dedicated ABC outlet while preserving separate local advertising and identification capabilities.
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