KCWE
A Hearst-owned CW-affiliated television station serving the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KCWE is a commercial television station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, and serving the wider Kansas City metropolitan television market. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 29 and is affiliated with The CW. It is owned by Hearst Television and operated alongside KMBC-TV, the market's ABC affiliate. The two stations share facilities on Winchester Avenue in Kansas City's Ridge-Winchester area, while KCWE's transmission facilities are located in the city's Blue Valley section. The station's origins date to a Federal Communications Commission proceeding over a proposed television allocation. Applications for a new Kansas City station were filed in 1986, and after a comparative hearing, the FCC selected T.V. 32, Inc., controlled by Robert P. Liepold, as the permit holder. The permit later encountered financing difficulties and was marketed to prospective investors. Quincy Jones Entertainment, a partnership associated with David Salzman, ultimately became involved, while Hearst-owned KMBC-TV entered into an arrangement to provide operational support and programming services. Although the original proposal concerned channel 32, the allocation was changed to channel 29. The station signed on September 14, 1996, as KCWB, becoming Kansas City's first local affiliate of The WB. Its initial schedule consisted largely of network and syndicated programming, and it operated from KMBC-TV's downtown facilities. KCWB also shared Kansas City Royals over-the-air broadcast rights with KMBC from 1996 through the 2002 season. KCWB's first network affiliation was short-lived. Following a broader dispute and affiliation realignment involving Sinclair Broadcast Group, UPN temporarily lost its Kansas City outlet when KSMO-TV left the network. KCWB assumed the UPN affiliation on March 30, 1998, and changed its call sign to KCWE. The station continued as a UPN affiliate until the creation of The CW in 2006, when The WB and UPN were combined into a new network. KCWE secured the Kansas City CW affiliation and launched its CW schedule in September 2006. Hearst's relationship with the station developed from a local marketing and operating arrangement into ownership. Hearst-Argyle Television agreed to acquire KCWE from its existing owners in 2005, and the FCC approved the transaction on August 15, 2006. The deal created a television duopoly with KMBC-TV. In 2007, KMBC and KCWE moved into a purpose-built facility at the Winchester Business Center, enabling the stations to consolidate newsroom, production, administrative, and technical operations. KCWE initially carried network and syndicated programming without a locally produced newscast. That changed in 2008 when the station began airing a weekday morning extension of KMBC's FirstNews. A half-hour 9 p.m. newscast was introduced in 2010, with its weekday editions later expanding to one hour in 2016. A noon newscast followed in September 2020. These programs are produced by KMBC's news operation and give KCWE a local-news presence distinct from its CW entertainment schedule. The station has also carried selected local sports programming. In 2010, KCWE obtained local broadcast rights for regular-season matches of the Kansas City Wizards that were not televised nationally. The club became Sporting Kansas City in 2011. KMCI-TV assumed the local over-the-air rights beginning with the 2014 season. KCWE remains a local broadcast outlet identified primarily with The CW, locally produced news extensions, syndicated programming, and Hearst's Kansas City television operation.
History
KCWE's history began with a proposed new television allocation in Kansas City. Applications for channel 32 were submitted to the FCC in 1986, and fourteen applicants were eventually designated for comparative hearing. In 1990, an FCC administrative law judge selected T.V. 32, Inc., controlled by Robert P. Liepold, after concluding that its proposal offered stronger population coverage. The decision was upheld during subsequent FCC review. Liepold later experienced difficulty financing construction of the station and put the permit up for sale. Quincy Jones Entertainment, associated with David Salzman and already involved in television ownership, became the leading buyer. Industry observers expected the new station to be operated under an agreement with an established Kansas City broadcaster. Hearst-owned KMBC-TV ultimately provided operational support, and the allocation was changed from channel 32 to channel 29. The station signed on September 14, 1996, as KCWB. It originated from KMBC-TV's facilities in the Lyric Theatre building and carried The WB's network schedule along with syndicated programs. Soon after launch, KCWB and KMBC obtained rights to televise a package of Kansas City Royals games, with the two stations dividing the broadcasts. The arrangement continued through the 2002 season. KCWB's WB affiliation was disrupted by a national affiliation realignment involving Sinclair Broadcast Group, UPN, and The WB. KSMO-TV, Kansas City's existing UPN outlet, left UPN in early 1998, leaving the network without local carriage for a period. KCWB was selected over KMCI-TV to replace KSMO as the UPN affiliate. The affiliation switch took effect March 30, 1998, and the station changed its call sign to KCWE. Some children's programming moved later because of existing programming commitments. Ownership changed in 1999 when Liepold and Thomas B. Jones sold their interests to Sonia and David Salzman. Hearst-Argyle continued to operate KCWE under an agreement before agreeing to acquire it outright. The purchase was approved by the FCC on August 15, 2006, giving Hearst common ownership of KCWE and KMBC-TV and creating a Kansas City television duopoly. The next major transition came from the creation of The CW. On January 24, 2006, The WB and UPN announced that they would merge their operations into a new network. KCWE was chosen as Kansas City's CW affiliate, while competing stations did not obtain the affiliation. The new network began operations in September 2006. KMBC and KCWE moved into a new 53,000-square-foot facility at the Winchester Business Center in 2007. The building consolidated operations that had previously been divided between the Lyric Theatre and an adjacent annex. KCWE's local programming expanded in 2008 with a weekday morning news extension produced by KMBC. In 2010, the station added a nightly 9 p.m. newscast, and weekday editions were expanded to an hour in 2016. A noon newscast was added in 2020. KCWE has periodically carried local sports programming. It broadcast selected Kansas City Wizards matches beginning in 2010, and the club's subsequent rebranding as Sporting Kansas City did not alter the broader local sports relationship. KMCI-TV obtained the local television rights beginning in 2014. Technically, KCWE launched its digital signal on UHF channel 31 in 2002. It ended analog broadcasting in December 2008 so that KMBC-TV could use channel 29 for its digital operation; KCWE retained channel 31 for its digital transmission and continued to identify virtually as channel 29. Today, KCWE operates as a Hearst Television station and CW affiliate serving Kansas City and surrounding communities. Its identity combines national network programming with locally produced news and other programming supplied through its relationship with KMBC-TV.
- 2020
Noon newscast added
[1]KCWE expanded its local programming schedule with a noon newscast.
- 2010
Evening newscast and local soccer broadcasts added
[1]KCWE introduced a nightly 9 p.m. newscast and obtained local broadcast rights for selected Kansas City Wizards matches.
- 2008
First local news program launches
[1]KCWE began airing a weekday morning news extension produced by KMBC-TV.
- 2007
KMBC and KCWE move to Winchester Business Center
[1]The stations consolidated their operations in a new 53,000-square-foot facility on Winchester Avenue.
- 2006
Hearst acquires KCWE and secures CW affiliation
[1]Hearst completed the acquisition after FCC approval, while KCWE was selected as Kansas City's affiliate of the newly formed CW network.
- 2002
Digital broadcasting begins
[1]KCWE began transmitting a digital signal on UHF channel 31.
- 1999
Ownership interests sold to the Salzmans
[1]Robert P. Liepold and Thomas B. Jones sold their interests in the station to Sonia and David Salzman.
- 1998
UPN affiliation and call-sign change
[1]KCWB became Kansas City's UPN affiliate on March 30 and changed its call sign to KCWE.
- 1996
KCWB begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on September 14 as a channel 29 affiliate of The WB.
- 1996
KCWB and KMBC begin carrying Royals games
[1]The stations obtained rights to share a package of Kansas City Royals broadcasts.
Products and positioning
A locally operated network-affiliate television station combining CW entertainment programming with local news produced by KMBC-TV for viewers in the Kansas City market.
Network television affiliation · 2006
The CW on KCWE
KCWE's principal programming service is its local broadcast of The CW. The affiliation began in September 2006 after The WB and UPN combined into the new network. Through this service, KCWE distributes nationally scheduled scripted series, entertainment programs, specials, and other CW content to viewers in the Kansas City market.
Local news · 2008
KMBC 9 FirstNews on KCWE
This weekday morning news extension is produced by the newsroom and technical operation of sister station KMBC-TV. It was introduced in 2008 and gives KCWE viewers locally focused news, weather, traffic, and related information before or alongside the station's daytime schedule.
Local news · 2010
KCWE 9 p.m. newscast
KCWE launched a half-hour 9 p.m. newscast in 2010. The program initially aired seven nights a week, and its weekday editions were expanded to one hour in 2016. It is produced through KMBC-TV's local news operation and serves as KCWE's principal evening news offering.
Local news · 2020
KCWE noon newscast
A midday local newscast was added to KCWE's schedule in September 2020, further extending the local programming supplied by KMBC-TV.
Brand decisions
2010
Local soccer broadcast agreementProduct launchBackground
Hearst Television announced an agreement with the Kansas City Wizards for local carriage of regular-season matches not shown nationally.
Action taken
KCWE carried selected local broadcasts beginning with the 2010 season.
Aftermath
After the club became Sporting Kansas City, KMCI-TV took over the local television rights beginning with the 2014 season.
2006
Hearst acquisition of KCWEM&ABackground
Hearst-Argyle Television had operated KCWE under an earlier arrangement and agreed to purchase the station outright.
Action taken
Hearst acquired KCWE after FCC approval on August 15, 2006, creating common ownership with KMBC-TV.
Aftermath
The transaction established a Kansas City television duopoly and placed KCWE within Hearst's station group.
Purchase price. $10.96 million (2005 agreement; FCC approval in 2006)
2006
Selection as Kansas City's CW affiliateStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN announced a merger that would create The CW, requiring new local affiliation arrangements.
Action taken
KCWE agreed to carry The CW when the network launched in September 2006.
Aftermath
The station became the market's CW outlet and has retained that central network identity.
1998
Switch from The WB to UPNStrategyBackground
UPN lost its Kansas City affiliate after KSMO-TV left the network amid a wider affiliation dispute involving Sinclair and competing network agreements.
Action taken
KCWB accepted the UPN affiliation effective March 30, 1998, and changed its call sign to KCWE.
Aftermath
KCWE served as the Kansas City UPN affiliate until the launch of The CW in 2006.
Recent events
- 2020
KCWE adds a noon newscast[1]
Product launch
A noon local newscast produced through the KMBC operation was added to KCWE's schedule.
- 2010
KCWE introduces a 9 p.m. newscast[1]
Product launch
The station added a half-hour local newscast at 9 p.m. seven nights a week; weekday editions were later expanded to an hour.
- 2010
KCWE adds local Kansas City Wizards broadcasts[1]
Product launch · Other
Hearst announced an agreement under which KCWE would air locally available regular-season matches of the Kansas City Wizards that were not nationally televised.
- 2008
KCWE launches local morning news extension[1]
Product launch
KCWE began carrying a weekday morning extension of KMBC-TV's FirstNews, expanding the station's local programming.
- 2006
Hearst completes acquisition of KCWE[1]
M&A
The FCC approved Hearst-Argyle Television's purchase of KCWE, establishing common ownership with KMBC-TV.
- 2006
KCWE becomes Kansas City's CW affiliate[1]
Product launch
Following the formation of The CW through the combination of The WB and UPN, KCWE was selected as the new network's Kansas City affiliate.
- 1998
KCWB changes its affiliation to UPN and becomes KCWE[1]
Product generation
After UPN lost its Kansas City affiliate, KCWB took over the UPN affiliation on March 30 and adopted the KCWE call sign.
- 1996
KCWE signs on as KCWB and becomes Kansas City's WB affiliate[1]
Product launch
The station began broadcasting on September 14, 1996, on channel 29 under the KCWB call sign and carried programming from The WB.
Sources1 sources
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