KCAU-TV
An ABC-affiliated television station serving the Sioux City, Iowa, market.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
KCAU-TV is a commercial television station based in Sioux City, Iowa, and affiliated with the ABC television network. It broadcasts on virtual and VHF channel 9 and serves viewers across portions of northwestern Iowa, northeastern Nebraska, and southeastern South Dakota. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and operates under the Siouxland Proud brand through its local website and news presentation. The station began broadcasting on March 29, 1953, as KVTV, making it the first television station in the Sioux City region. Its original ownership was associated with The Cowles Company, which had sought authorization from the Federal Communications Commission to build a channel 9 station. At launch, KVTV carried programming from CBS, NBC, DuMont, and ABC. After KTIV began broadcasting in 1954, NBC programming moved there, while the remaining network relationships evolved as the local television market developed. During its early years, the station operated from several Sioux City facilities, including the former municipal auditorium in the downtown area. Its programming included local children's entertainment and regional sports and leisure programs. A notable early production was The Big Bowl, a bowling program produced jointly with KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The station also became associated with a weather ball installed on a downtown building, a feature later revived in a new location. Ownership changed in 1957, when Cowles sold the station to Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, a subsidiary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. In 1965, Peoples sold KVTV to Wisconsin Valley Television Company, which soon adopted the name Forward Communications as it expanded beyond Wisconsin. Under Forward, the station moved to a taller transmission facility near Hinton, Iowa. In 1967, it adopted the call sign KCAU-TV and changed its network affiliation from CBS to ABC. The new calls were intended to signal a broader regional identity, while the affiliation change reflected management's belief that ABC offered a stronger opportunity in a market where nearby stations already carried much of CBS's programming. KCAU's ABC affiliation and improved signal reach produced its strongest competitive period. The station used the promotional identity Major 9 and held a leading position in the Sioux City market for much of the late 1960s and 1970s. Its signal also reached a substantial audience around Sioux Falls. That advantage weakened in the early 1980s after ABC established a stronger local outlet in Sioux Falls and rival KTIV improved its coverage and performance. Forward Communications was sold to Wesray Capital Corporation in the mid-1980s. Citadel Communications purchased KCAU-TV in 1985 and pursued a restructuring of the operation, including newsroom changes and an expansion strategy involving a Nebraska satellite station. In 1986, Citadel acquired KBGT-TV in Albion, Nebraska, converted it into the KCAU-related satellite KCAN, and later obtained approval to move the operation to Lincoln. KCAN ultimately became the independent full-service ABC affiliate KLKN in 1996, separating it from KCAU's operating identity. The station continued to provide local news, weather, sports, advertising, and ABC network programming. Its news operation underwent several adjustments, including the temporary discontinuation of a midday newscast in 1987 and the addition of a 5 p.m. newscast in 1999. KCAU also served as an early advertising and marketing partner for the local WB 100+ cable service known as KXWB, although responsibility later moved to KTIV. Citadel announced the sale of KCAU-TV, together with WOI-DT and WHBF-TV, to Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2013. Nexstar assumed operational control under a brokerage arrangement before the transaction closed on March 13, 2014. The acquisition made KCAU part of Nexstar's expanding portfolio of local television stations. In February 2017, the station moved from its long-used downtown location to a newer facility on Sioux City's east side. KCAU completed its transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009, moving its digital transmission to VHF channel 9. In 2021, the station's main programming began to be simulcast on a subchannel of KNEN-LD, a low-power station associated with Flood Communications and serving the Norfolk, Nebraska, area. KCAU-TV remains an active local ABC affiliate whose principal role is the production and distribution of Siouxland news and community programming, supplemented by network entertainment, sports, and national news supplied by ABC.
History
KCAU-TV's history began with a Federal Communications Commission authorization for a Sioux City channel 9 station sought by The Cowles Company in 1952. The station went on the air on March 29, 1953, using the call sign KVTV. It was the first television station serving the Sioux City area. At first, KVTV carried CBS, NBC, DuMont, and ABC programming. The arrival of KTIV in 1954 shifted NBC programming away from KVTV and left the local network market to develop through affiliation changes and competition. The station initially operated from downtown offices and a transmitting site north of Sioux City. In 1956, it moved into the former municipal auditorium at Seventh and Douglas streets. Its early local schedule included a children's program hosted by Jim Henry, whose Canyon Kid's Corner became a long-running station feature. KVTV also produced The Big Bowl, a regional bowling program made in cooperation with KELO-TV in Sioux Falls. The program continued until 1973 and helped establish the station's connection with viewers across the wider Siouxland region. In late 1957, The Cowles Company sold KVTV and WNAX radio interests to Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, a Nationwide Mutual Insurance subsidiary. During this period, the station installed a weather ball atop Sioux City's Badgerow Building, creating a recognizable local landmark. Peoples sold the station in 1965 to Wisconsin Valley Television Company. The new owner changed its corporate identity to Forward Communications in 1967 as the company expanded beyond Wisconsin. Forward invested in transmission reach and strategy. A new, very tall tower near Hinton, Iowa, was activated in the mid-1960s, replacing the earlier facility and improving regional coverage. In 1967, the station became KCAU-TV and moved from CBS to ABC. Management believed ABC offered a stronger regional opportunity because nearby markets had multiple CBS outlets while Sioux City and Sioux Falls lacked a comparable ABC service. The station promoted itself as Major 9 and became a leading Sioux City broadcaster during the late 1960s and 1970s. At its peak, it reportedly held a substantial ratings advantage over KTIV and attracted viewers in the Sioux Falls area. KCAU's competitive position weakened in the early 1980s. ABC's move to KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls removed an important source of KCAU's out-of-market audience, while KTIV strengthened its signal and local performance. Forward Communications was sold to Wesray Capital Corporation in the mid-1980s. Citadel Communications bought KCAU-TV in 1985 for a reported $14 million. Following the purchase, Citadel undertook a major staff and newsroom restructuring. The changes included the cancellation of Canyon Kid's Corner after more than three decades and the departure of longtime general manager William F. Turner. Citadel also pursued geographic expansion. In 1986, it acquired KBGT-TV in Albion, Nebraska, and converted it to KCAN, a satellite operation associated with KCAU-TV. Citadel later sought to relocate the service to Lincoln, where it could operate as a full-service commercial station. Regulatory challenges delayed the process, but approval was ultimately obtained and KLKN began operating as a standalone Lincoln station in 1996. The station made further programming and commercial adjustments during the Citadel years. It discontinued its midday newscast in 1987, citing the difficulties of producing that format for an ABC station in the Central Time Zone and a decline in agricultural advertising. A 5 p.m. local newscast was introduced in 1999. KCAU also acted as the original advertising and marketing partner for the Sioux City WB 100+ service KXWB when that service launched in 1998. Cable carriage was delayed until 2001, and KTIV took over advertising responsibility in 2003. KCAU's local identity was also shaped by weather coverage and familiar personalities. Weather presenter Tom Peterson died in a 1994 automobile accident, an event that drew a large local funeral attendance. The station revived its weather ball in 1995 atop the Terra Centre, later known as the Ho-Chunk Centre. Former on-air personnel associated with the station include John Behring, Ron Clements, Gene Sherman, and Kent Shocknek. In 2013, Citadel agreed to sell KCAU-TV, WOI-DT, and WHBF-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group. Nexstar operated KCAU under a time brokerage arrangement before completing the purchase on March 13, 2014. After the acquisition, Nexstar determined that the downtown studio no longer met the station's operational needs. KCAU moved to a new east-side Sioux City facility in February 2017. The station ended analog broadcasting on February 17, 2009, and continued digital service on VHF channel 9. In July 2021, Flood Communications began carrying KCAU's primary programming on a KNEN-LD subchannel serving Norfolk, Nebraska. KCAU-TV remains an active ABC affiliate, combining network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, advertising, and digital journalism under the Siouxland Proud identity.
- 2021
Nebraska simulcast begins
[1]KCAU's main channel began appearing on a KNEN-LD subchannel serving the Norfolk area.
- 2017
Move to east-side Sioux City studios
[1]KCAU relocated to a newer facility on the east side of Sioux City.
- 2014
Nexstar ownership begins
[1]Nexstar completed its acquisition of KCAU-TV from Citadel.
- 2009
Digital transition
[1]KCAU ended analog broadcasting and shifted its digital transmission to VHF channel 9.
- 1996
KCAN becomes KLKN
[1]The Nebraska operation moved to Lincoln and began operating as standalone station KLKN.
- 1986
KCAN satellite operation is created
[1]Citadel converted an Albion, Nebraska, station into KCAN, a satellite intended to extend KCAU's regional reach.
- 1985
Citadel Communications takes ownership
[1]Citadel purchased KCAU-TV and began reorganizing its staffing and newsroom operations.
- 1967
KCAU-TV identity and ABC affiliation begin
[1]The station adopted the KCAU-TV call sign, changed to ABC, and introduced the Major 9 promotional identity.
- 1965
Forward predecessor acquires the station
[1]Wisconsin Valley Television Company purchased KVTV and began expanding its transmission and regional strategy.
- 1957
Peoples Broadcasting acquires KVTV
[1]The station was sold to Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, a Nationwide Mutual Insurance subsidiary.
Products and positioning
Local ABC affiliate and Siouxland news provider
Television programming
Local news
KCAU-TV produces local news programming for Sioux City and surrounding communities, including reporting, interviews, public-affairs coverage, local sports, and breaking-news updates. The operation has adjusted its schedule over time, discontinuing a midday newscast in 1987 and adding a 5 p.m. newscast in 1999.
Local information service · 1957
Weather coverage
Weather forecasting and severe-weather reporting are central parts of the station's local service. KCAU has historically used distinctive community weather features, including weather balls installed at Sioux City buildings in different eras.
Network television affiliation · 1967
ABC network service
Since 1967, KCAU-TV has distributed ABC programming to its regional broadcast audience. The schedule complements locally produced news and information with ABC entertainment, sports, and national news programming.
Digital media
Siouxland Proud digital service
The Siouxland Proud website extends KCAU's local-service model beyond linear television through digital stories, video, weather information, community updates, and station news content.
Children's television · 1953
Canyon Kid's Corner
Hosted by Jim Henry, this local children's program became one of KVTV and KCAU's best-known early features. It ran for more than three decades before being canceled during Citadel's 1985 restructuring.
Regional sports and entertainment · 1957
The Big Bowl
Produced in Sioux City with KELO-TV of Sioux Falls, The Big Bowl televised bowling competition between participants from the two cities. The regional program remained on the air until 1973.
Brand decisions
2013
Sale to NexstarM&ABackground
Citadel announced the sale of KCAU-TV, WOI-DT, and WHBF-TV as owner Phil Lombardo sought to reduce his involvement and an investor associated with the other stations sought an exit.
Action taken
Nexstar Broadcasting Group agreed to acquire the three stations and initially took over KCAU's operations through a time brokerage agreement.
Aftermath
The sale closed on March 13, 2014, making KCAU part of Nexstar's national local-television portfolio.
Reported purchase price for three stations. $88 million (2013 announced transaction)
1987
Discontinue the midday newscastStrategyBackground
Management cited the difficulty of scheduling a midday local newscast for an ABC station in the Central Time Zone and weaker agricultural advertising conditions.
Action taken
KCAU removed its midday news program from the schedule.
Aftermath
The station later expanded its local schedule by introducing a 5 p.m. newscast in 1999.
1986
Create the KCAN satellite operationStrategyBackground
Citadel sought to expand KCAU-TV's potential audience into Nebraska and acquired a struggling independent station in Albion.
Action taken
The acquired station was converted into KCAN, a satellite operation carrying KCAU-related programming and ABC service.
Aftermath
Citadel later moved the operation to Lincoln, where it became standalone station KLKN in 1996.
1967
Switch from CBS to ABCStrategyBackground
Forward Communications believed that ABC offered a stronger regional opportunity because nearby markets had several CBS outlets while Sioux City and Sioux Falls lacked a comparable ABC affiliate.
Action taken
The station changed its call sign from KVTV to KCAU-TV and became an ABC affiliate, promoting itself as Major 9.
Aftermath
The affiliation change preceded KCAU's strongest competitive period, during which it led the Sioux City market and reached a significant audience in the Sioux Falls area.
Sources3 sources
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