KCTV

KCTV is a television station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, and serving the wider Kansas City metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on channel 5 and is affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Media and operates alongside KSMO-TV, an independent station associated with MyNetworkTV. The two outlets share studios on Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway, Kansas, while KCTV's transmission facilities are located at the KCTV Broadcast Tower in Kansas City's Union Hill neighborhood. The station began broadcasting in 1953 under the call sign KCMO-TV. Its origins go back to a 1948 application by the KCMO Broadcasting Corporation, owner of KCMO radio, for a television construction permit. The application was delayed by the national freeze on new television-station grants, but the Federal Communications Commission approved the channel 5 permit in June 1953. KCMO-TV went on the air on September 27, 1953, initially as an ABC affiliate. A formal dedication followed on October 4, with former President Harry Truman appearing as the guest of honor. Meredith Publishing Company agreed to acquire the KCMO radio and television properties shortly after the station launched. Under Meredith's ownership, KCMO-TV changed its network affiliation from ABC to CBS in September 1955 as part of a broader Meredith-CBS affiliation arrangement. The station's large broadcast tower was completed in 1956 and became a recognizable Kansas City landmark. KCMO-TV continued operating from its original Kansas City studios for more than two decades before moving its studio operations across the state line to Fairway, Kansas, at the end of 1977. The relocation generated opposition from Kansas City civic leaders, although legal challenges to the move were unsuccessful. The station adopted the KCTV call sign in 1983 after Meredith sold the KCMO radio stations while retaining the television operation. Because the radio and television properties could no longer share the KCMO call letters, Meredith arranged for a Texas station using KCTV to change its designation, enabling the Kansas City station to assume the call sign on June 6, 1983. KCTV retained CBS during the major 1994 affiliate realignment, when the Kansas City market's former NBC affiliate moved to Fox and NBC sought a new local outlet. KCTV has maintained a substantial local-news operation. Its history includes long-running anchor partnerships, early expansion of morning and afternoon newscasts, investigative reporting, weather coverage, and sports programming. In 1982, it became one of the earliest American television stations to provide closed captioning for its local newscasts. During the early 2000s, management undertook a major news-product overhaul, expanding schedules, changing the visual presentation, and emphasizing live, late-breaking, and investigative coverage. The station also temporarily outsourced sports production before restoring an internal sports department. Meredith acquired KSMO-TV's non-license assets in 2004 and later purchased the station outright after receiving an FCC waiver, creating a Kansas City television duopoly. KCTV served as the CBS affiliate of record in St. Joseph, Missouri, for many years, but that role ended in 2017 when a locally based low-power station became the market's CBS affiliate. Gray Television announced its acquisition of Meredith's local-media division, including KCTV and KSMO-TV, in 2021. The transaction closed on December 1, 2021. KCTV remains an active local broadcast brand focused on CBS programming, local news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, digital publishing, and community coverage.

KCTV's history began with the postwar expansion of American television. The KCMO Broadcasting Corporation, which operated Kansas City radio station KCMO, applied to the FCC in January 1948 for authority to construct a television station on channel 5. The application was held up during the federal freeze on new television-station grants. After the freeze ended in 1952, several groups competed for Kansas City channels, but KCMO ultimately received the channel 5 construction permit on June 3, 1953. KCMO-TV launched on September 27, 1953, becoming the fourth television channel to begin service in the Kansas City market. It initially carried ABC programming. The station was sold to Meredith Publishing Company almost immediately after its launch, giving Meredith another television property and establishing a relationship that would last for nearly seven decades. In 1955, Meredith negotiated a group affiliation arrangement with CBS. KCMO-TV became a CBS affiliate on September 28 of that year, while the market's previous CBS television outlet moved to ABC. A new tower was completed in 1956, allowing the station to broadcast at the market's maximum authorized effective radiated power and creating the structure later known as the KCTV Broadcast Tower. For much of its early existence, the station operated from studios at 31st Street and Grand Avenue in Kansas City. Meredith announced a studio relocation to Fairway, Kansas, in 1976. The move was completed at the end of 1977 despite opposition from city officials and civic leaders concerned about the departure of the radio and television operations from Kansas City. The original studio property was later acquired by Kansas City's public television station, while channel 5 continued to use the tower site for transmission. Meredith sold the KCMO radio stations in 1982 but retained the television station. Since the radio and television properties could no longer share the KCMO call letters, Meredith arranged to use the KCTV designation then held by a Texas station. The Texas station changed its call sign to KLST, and the Kansas City station became KCTV on June 6, 1983. The new identity was supported by a promotional campaign aimed at advertisers and viewers. KCTV remained with CBS during the 1994 network realignment. Its local-news operation experienced intense competition from KMBC-TV and WDAF-TV, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. The station introduced weekend morning news in the early 1990s and later undertook a broad programming and presentation overhaul. Under general manager Kirk Black and news director Regent Ducas, KCTV expanded its morning schedule to 4:30 a.m., added a 4:30 p.m. newscast, refreshed its logo and set, and emphasized live and investigative reporting. The station also became known for extensive severe-weather coverage, although its frequent interruptions of regular programming attracted criticism from some viewers. KCTV briefly outsourced its sports operation to Metro Sports beginning in 2004, resulting in the dismissal of several station sports employees. The arrangement later shifted to a partnership with sports radio station WHB and ended when KCTV rebuilt an internal sports department in 2010. Meredith expanded its Kansas City television holdings through KSMO-TV. It first acquired the station's non-license assets and assumed sales and administrative responsibilities in 2004, then obtained regulatory approval to purchase the station in 2005. KCTV and KSMO subsequently operated as a duopoly, sharing facilities and selected operational resources. KCTV's CBS role in St. Joseph, Missouri, ended in 2017 after a local low-power station adopted CBS as its primary affiliation. In 2021, Gray Television agreed to purchase Meredith's Local Media division for $2.7 billion. The acquisition closed on December 1, 2021, making Gray the owner of KCTV and KSMO-TV. The station continues to operate as an active CBS affiliate serving the Kansas City region.

1. 2021Gray acquires Meredith Local Media

   Gray Television completed its acquisition of Meredith's Local Media division, including KCTV and KSMO-TV.

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2. 2017St. Joseph CBS role ends

   KCTV ceased being the CBS affiliate of record in St. Joseph after a local station took the affiliation.

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3. 2005KSMO purchase approved

   The FCC approved Meredith's purchase of KSMO-TV after granting a failing-station waiver.

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4. 2004KSMO operating assets acquired

   Meredith acquired KSMO-TV's non-license assets and moved the station's staff and administrative operations to the KCTV facility.

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5. 1983KCTV identity introduced

   KCMO-TV adopted the KCTV call sign on June 6 after the related Texas station changed its own call letters.

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6. 1982Meredith separates radio and television properties

   Meredith announced the sale of the KCMO radio stations while retaining the television station.

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7. 1977Studios move to Fairway

   KCMO-TV completed its relocation from Kansas City to new studios in Fairway, Kansas.

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8. 1956Broadcast tower completed

   The station's replacement tower was completed and channel 5 began operating at maximum authorized effective radiated power.

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9. 1955Affiliation changes to CBS

   The station joined CBS on September 28 as part of a Meredith group affiliation agreement.

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10. 1953KCMO-TV begins broadcasting

    KCMO-TV launched on September 27 as an ABC affiliate and was formally dedicated the following month.

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11. 1948Channel 5 application filed

    The KCMO Broadcasting Corporation applied to the FCC for authority to build a Kansas City television station on channel 5.

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A local Kansas City broadcast-news and CBS affiliate brand emphasizing regional news, weather, investigative reporting, sports, and network programming.

• KCTV 5 NewsLocal television news

  KCTV's local-news service provides regularly scheduled reporting for the Kansas City region, including morning, afternoon, evening, and late-night broadcasts. The operation has historically emphasized live reporting, investigative journalism, weather, public-interest coverage, and regional sports.

• KCTV WeatherWeather broadcasting

  The station's weather operation supplies forecasts, severe-weather alerts, storm coverage, and related digital information for viewers across the Kansas City market. Severe-weather interruptions and extended live coverage have been an important part of the station's local programming identity.

• CBS programmingNetwork television1955

  KCTV distributes CBS network programming to the Kansas City market. The station has carried CBS since 1955, apart from the earlier period when it operated as an ABC affiliate under the KCMO-TV call sign.

• KCTV SportsSports news

  KCTV has produced and commissioned local sports coverage, including sports segments within its newscasts and programming related to Kansas City teams. Production was outsourced for part of the 2000s before the station re-established an internal sports department in 2010.

• 1983KCTV call-sign launch campaign

  Kansas City

  When the station changed from KCMO-TV to KCTV, it promoted the new identity to advertisers and the public as part of a broader branding transition.

  Outcome. The KCTV name became the station's continuing broadcast identity.

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• 2021Transfer to Gray MediaM&A

  Meredith decided to sell its Local Media division, which included KCTV and KSMO-TV.

  What changed. Gray Television agreed to acquire the division and completed the transaction on December 1, 2021.

  Aftermath. KCTV became part of Gray Media's local-station portfolio while continuing its CBS affiliation and Kansas City operations.

  Transaction value. $2.7 billion (Announced May 3, 2021; transaction completed December 1, 2021)

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• 2004Outsource local sports productionStrategy

  Station management cited research suggesting that most news viewers were not strongly interested in sports coverage.

  What changed. KCTV closed its in-house sports department and contracted Metro Sports to produce sports segments and related programs.

  Aftermath. The move led to employee departures and local criticism. The arrangement later changed, and KCTV restored an internal sports department in 2010.

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• 1955Switch from ABC to CBSStrategy

  Meredith negotiated a group affiliation agreement with CBS covering several of its radio and television properties.

  What changed. KCMO-TV changed its primary network affiliation from ABC to CBS on September 28, 1955.

  Aftermath. CBS became the station's long-term network partner and remains its affiliation under Gray ownership.

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• 2021Gray Television agrees to acquire Meredith Local Media

  Gray Television announced a $2.7 billion agreement to acquire Meredith's Local Media division, including KCTV and KSMO-TV.

  M&A
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• 2021Gray completes acquisition of KCTV owner Meredith Local Media

  The transaction transferring KCTV and KSMO-TV to Gray Television closed on December 1, 2021.

  M&A
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• 2005KCTV acquires KSMO-TV

  Following an earlier operating agreement, Meredith received FCC approval to purchase KSMO-TV, creating a television duopoly in the Kansas City market.

  M&ARegulation
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• 1983KCTV changes call sign from KCMO-TV

  The Kansas City channel adopted the KCTV call sign after Meredith separated the television station from the KCMO radio properties.

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1. KCTV
2. KCTV official website