KCNC-TV
KCNC-TV is a CBS-owned television station serving Denver and Colorado under the CBS Colorado brand.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
KCNC-TV is a television station licensed to Denver, Colorado, and branded CBS Colorado. It is owned and operated by CBS through the CBS News and Stations division, making it one of the CBS network’s owned-and-operated stations. The station’s main studios are in downtown Denver on Lincoln Street, while its transmitter is located on Lookout Mountain near Golden. Its primary service area includes the Denver metropolitan region and, through its over-the-air signal, a wider portion of Colorado. The station began broadcasting on December 24, 1953, as KOA-TV. It was established by Metropolitan TV Company, whose interests included Denver radio stations KOA and KOAQ and whose ownership partly involved entertainer Bob Hope. KOA-TV immediately assumed the NBC affiliation previously associated with KBTV, now KUSA, and became a major source of network and locally produced programming in the Denver market. During its NBC years, the station carried national sports, including American Football League and later NBC National Football League programming, as well as Denver Nuggets games through NBA on NBC. Local journalism became central to the station’s identity, particularly during the 1980s and early 1990s. Under general manager Roger Ogden, KOA-TV emphasized locally produced news and public-affairs programming rather than relying heavily on syndicated entertainment shows. By the early 1990s it was producing roughly 40 hours of local news each week, an unusually high level for a major-market station. Its news operation also became associated with prominent Colorado journalists and presenters, including Bob Palmer, Ron Zappolo, Janet Zappala, Alan Berg, and others. The station’s history includes both notable journalism and serious tragedy: reporter and pilot Karen Key and mechanic Larry Zane died in a 1982 helicopter crash, while radio and television host Alan Berg was murdered in 1984 by members of the white-nationalist group The Order. The station adopted the KCNC-TV call sign in 1983 after General Electric retained channel 4 while selling the KOA radio properties. The letters were commonly understood as referring to Colorado’s News Channel, reflecting the station’s increasingly news-focused identity. General Electric’s acquisition of NBC in 1986 made KCNC an NBC-owned station, and operational control was subsequently transferred to NBC. This ownership period reinforced the station’s network-operated status and supported its strong local-news emphasis. A major transformation occurred in the mid-1990s. As part of a complex affiliation and ownership restructuring involving CBS, Westinghouse, NBC, and several stations in other markets, KCNC exchanged its NBC affiliation for CBS. The change took effect in the early hours of September 10, 1995, during a three-way Denver network realignment: KCNC became the CBS affiliate, KUSA became the NBC affiliate, and KMGH-TV became the ABC affiliate. Westinghouse’s Group W broadcasting division acquired a controlling interest in KCNC, and after Westinghouse completed its acquisition of CBS, the station became a CBS-owned-and-operated station. CBS’s return of American Football Conference rights to the network in 1998 restored Denver Broncos games to KCNC after a temporary period in which many games had aired on KUSA. The station later carried the Broncos’ victory in Super Bowl 50, which was also the final NFL game of quarterback Peyton Manning’s career. In addition to network entertainment, sports, and news, KCNC has developed digital multicast services and expanded its online presence through CBS’s local streaming infrastructure. KCNC launched a Decades digital subchannel in 2015 and added Start TV in 2018 through a CBS and Weigel Broadcasting arrangement. In March 2023, CBS standardized the branding of its owned-and-operated stations, and KCNC adopted CBS Colorado while its local newscasts and streaming service were presented as CBS News Colorado. The station continues to combine CBS network programming with extensive local news, weather, sports, public affairs, and digital coverage of Colorado.
History
KCNC-TV began service on December 24, 1953, as KOA-TV. Metropolitan TV Company established the station, which inherited Denver’s NBC affiliation from KBTV. Its connection to KOA radio helped establish channel 4 as a significant network outlet from its first broadcast. During the 1960s, KOA-TV carried NBC sports programming, including American Football League games. It also produced documentary journalism, notably The Acid Test, LSD in 1967, an award-winning program examining LSD and its effects. In 1968, Metropolitan TV Company sold KOA-AM-TV to General Electric. GE later sold the KOA and KOAQ radio properties to A. H. Belo Corporation in 1983 but retained channel 4. Because applicable broadcast rules prevented separately owned radio and television stations in the same market from sharing call letters, the television station became KCNC-TV on August 12, 1983. General Electric’s acquisition of NBC in 1986 made KCNC an NBC-owned station. Control moved from GE to NBC in 1987. The station’s programming strategy increasingly favored local news over syndicated entertainment. By 1990, it was producing close to 40 hours of news each week and frequently filled non-network hours with local-interest programming. Its commitment to local coverage continued into the early 1990s, when it was producing more than 40 hours of weekly news. The station’s news history includes several prominent personalities and significant events. In 1982, its news helicopter crashed near Larkspur while traveling to report on an aircraft crash, killing pilot and reporter Karen Key and mechanic Larry Zane. In 1984, Alan Berg, an attorney and talk-show host who appeared on KOA radio and television, was murdered outside his home by members of The Order, a white-nationalist organization. The killing later influenced several dramatic and film adaptations. KCNC changed networks in 1995 as part of a complicated CBS-Westinghouse-NBC affiliation and ownership transaction. At 12:07 a.m. on September 10, the station became Denver’s CBS affiliate, while KUSA moved to NBC and KMGH-TV moved to ABC. Westinghouse’s Group W broadcasting division initially held a controlling stake, and completion of Westinghouse’s acquisition of CBS made KCNC a CBS-owned-and-operated station. The switch ended more than four decades of NBC affiliation but preserved the station’s central role in Denver broadcast journalism. CBS’s acquisition of American Football Conference rights in 1998 brought Broncos broadcasts back to KCNC after their temporary placement on KUSA. The station subsequently carried the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 victory. KCNC also carried Denver Nuggets games during its NBC period through NBA on NBC. Technologically and digitally, KCNC introduced local high-definition newscasts in 2008, launched a Decades multicast channel in 2015, and added Start TV in 2018. In March 2023, it adopted the CBS Colorado brand, while its news programming and streaming operation used the CBS News Colorado identity. The station remains a CBS-owned outlet combining network programming with locally produced news, weather, sports, public affairs, and digital coverage.
- 2023
CBS Colorado branding introduced
[1]KCNC adopts CBS Colorado, with local news presented as CBS News Colorado.
- 2018
Start TV launches
[1]KCNC adds Start TV as a digital multicast service.
- 2015
Decades launches
[1]The station adds the Decades digital multicast service.
- 2008
Local newscasts move to high definition
[1]KCNC begins presenting its local news programming in high definition.
- 1998
Broncos games return to KCNC
[1]CBS’s acquisition of AFC rights restores regular Denver Broncos broadcasts to the station.
- 1995
Switches from NBC to CBS
[1]KCNC becomes Denver’s CBS affiliate during the market’s three-way network affiliation realignment.
- 1986
Becomes an NBC-owned station
[1]General Electric’s acquisition of NBC places KCNC within NBC’s owned-station portfolio.
- 1983
KCNC-TV call letters adopted
[1]The television station changes from KOA-TV to KCNC-TV after the radio stations are sold separately.
- 1968
General Electric acquires KOA-AM-TV
[1]Metropolitan TV Company sells the station and related radio properties to General Electric.
- 1967
The Acid Test, LSD airs
[1]The station produces an award-winning documentary about LSD and its social and medical implications.
Products and positioning
A CBS-owned Denver television station positioned around comprehensive local journalism, weather, regional sports, CBS network programming, and Colorado-focused digital news.
Television station brand · 2023
CBS Colorado
The current on-air identity of KCNC-TV, presenting CBS network programming alongside locally produced news, weather, sports, public affairs, and Colorado-focused community coverage.
Local news and streaming service
CBS News Colorado
KCNC’s local news identity and digital news service, providing Denver and Colorado reporting through television newscasts, web publishing, and streaming distribution.
Public-affairs program
Together with Karen Leigh
A weekly public-affairs program featuring discussions of Colorado issues and community subjects. It airs on KCNC and receives an additional weekend rebroadcast.
Digital multicast television service · 2015
Decades
A multicast television service added to KCNC’s digital lineup in 2015, extending the station’s programming beyond its primary CBS channel.
Digital multicast television service · 2018
Start TV
A multicast channel launched on KCNC in 2018 through a CBS and Weigel Broadcasting arrangement, focused on scripted programming.
Brand decisions
2023
Adoption of CBS Colorado identityStrategyBackground
CBS undertook a coordinated branding update across its owned-and-operated television stations.
Action taken
KCNC adopted CBS Colorado for the station and CBS News Colorado for its local news operation.
Aftermath
The change aligned the Denver station with CBS’s broader local-branding system and connected its broadcast and streaming news identities.
2018
Launch of Start TV multicast serviceProduct launchBackground
CBS and Weigel Broadcasting created a new multicast network for distribution through participating stations.
Action taken
KCNC added Start TV to its digital subchannel lineup.
Aftermath
The station broadened its free over-the-air programming offering with another digital service.
2015
Launch of Decades multicast serviceProduct launchBackground
Digital television capacity enabled KCNC to add programming beyond its primary CBS service.
Action taken
KCNC launched Decades as a digital subchannel.
Aftermath
The launch expanded the station’s channel portfolio and gave viewers an additional over-the-air programming service.
1995
Network affiliation switch to CBSStrategyBackground
A national ownership and affiliation transaction involving CBS, Westinghouse, NBC, and stations in several markets required a major Denver realignment.
Action taken
KCNC ended its NBC affiliation and became the Denver CBS affiliate, while KUSA moved to NBC and KMGH-TV moved to ABC.
Aftermath
After Westinghouse completed its acquisition of CBS, KCNC became a CBS-owned-and-operated station and retained a major role in Denver news and sports.
- KUSA — KUSA became Denver’s NBC affiliate as part of the same market-wide affiliation realignment.
- KMGH-TV — KMGH-TV moved from CBS to ABC under a separate multi-station affiliation arrangement.
Recent events
ECCO Medical and KCNC announce marketing partnership[3]
Reported:
ECCO Medical announced a marketing partnership with Denver television station KCNC to provide health reports about endovascular treatment options.
Sources3 sources
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