KCWI-TV
Ames-licensed CW television station serving the Des Moines, Iowa market.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
KCWI-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Ames, Iowa, and serving the broader Des Moines–Ames television market. It broadcasts on virtual channel 23 and operates as an affiliate of The CW. The station is closely associated with WOI-DT, the market’s ABC affiliate: both stations share production and studio facilities in West Des Moines, while KCWI’s transmitter is located near Alleman, Iowa. The station began broadcasting on January 20, 2001, under the call sign KPWB-TV. It was established by Pappas Telecasting as a primary affiliate of The WB, with a secondary UPN affiliation during its early years. Before the station launched, viewers in the Des Moines–Ames area received WB programming through cable distribution of WGN-TV’s former superstation feed and, later, through an Iowa City affiliate. KPWB therefore filled a significant local gap by providing a full-power, over-the-air outlet for WB programming. The station also carried selected syndicated sports programming, including St. Louis Cardinals baseball from KPLR-TV and, later, some Chicago Cubs games associated with WGN. In 2006, The WB and UPN were scheduled to shut down and be replaced by The CW, a network created through a partnership between CBS Corporation and Time Warner. Pappas signed an agreement in March 2006 making KPWB the Des Moines-area CW affiliate. When the new network launched on September 18, 2006, the station adopted the KCWI-TV call sign to reflect its new identity. A separate Pappas-owned station, KDMI, initially became the market’s MyNetworkTV outlet. After KDMI dropped that affiliation in 2009, KCWI temporarily carried WWE SmackDown programming in a Saturday evening slot until the program moved to Syfy in 2010. Ownership changed substantially during the 2010s. In 2014, Pappas agreed to sell KCWI-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group for $3.5 million. The proposed transaction was challenged in court by Harry and Stella Pappas, who argued that the sale price undervalued the station. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction in December 2014, but the litigation delayed closing until March 14, 2016. Nexstar subsequently consolidated KCWI’s operations with WOI-DT in West Des Moines, creating a shared-studio arrangement and a stronger local broadcasting operation. Nexstar’s later acquisition of Tribune Media in 2018 created an ownership conflict because Tribune owned Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-DT. To satisfy regulatory and divestiture requirements, Nexstar sold KCWI-TV and WOI-DT to Tegna Inc. as part of an 11-station package valued at $740 million. In 2025, Nexstar announced an agreement to acquire Tegna, and the transaction was completed on March 19, 2026. The resulting ownership of multiple major stations in the Des Moines market was subject to FCC review and subsequent court proceedings, including a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that prevented Nexstar from fully integrating the stations. KCWI’s programming has expanded beyond its network schedule. The station launched a locally produced morning program in April 2012, initially titled Great Day on KCWI. The format combined news, weather, traffic and sports with interviews, music, entertainment, comedy, animal features and other lifestyle segments. The program was later renamed The KCWI23-HD Morning Show following the 2016 ownership transition and then became CW Iowa Live. KCWI also began airing a locally produced 9 p.m. newscast in April 2016, produced in cooperation with WOI-DT. In addition, the station has carried digital subchannels, including a WOI-DT simulcast launched in February 2020 to improve reception for viewers affected by the technical limitations of WOI’s VHF signal. KCWI-TV is primarily a local broadcast and distribution brand rather than a standalone consumer product brand. Its audience-facing offerings consist of CW network programming, syndicated programming, locally produced news and lifestyle content, weather and traffic information, digital services, and related online content distributed through the We Are Iowa platform.
History
KCWI-TV began broadcasting on January 20, 2001, as KPWB-TV, a Pappas Telecasting station licensed to Ames, Iowa. Its original primary affiliation was with The WB, supplemented by a secondary UPN affiliation. The launch gave the Des Moines–Ames area a full-power local outlet for WB programming after years in which viewers relied on cable carriage of WGN-TV’s former superstation feed or an Iowa City station. During its early years, KPWB also carried syndicated sports content, including St. Louis Cardinals baseball supplied by KPLR-TV. It later aired selected Chicago Cubs games associated with WGN. The station dropped its UPN programming in 2003. In January 2006, CBS Corporation and Time Warner announced that The WB and UPN would cease operations and be replaced by The CW. Pappas signed an affiliation agreement in March of that year, making KPWB the intended CW outlet for the Des Moines market. On September 18, 2006, the network’s launch date, KPWB changed its call letters to KCWI-TV. Pappas-owned KDMI became the market’s MyNetworkTV affiliate. When KDMI later dropped MyNetworkTV in 2009, KCWI carried WWE SmackDown for a limited period, ending in September 2010 before the program moved to Syfy. KCWI did not initially produce local news. In April 2012 it introduced Great Day on KCWI, a three-hour weekday morning program combining local information with interviews and entertainment features. The show expanded to four hours in September 2013. Following Nexstar’s acquisition, it was briefly renamed The KCWI23-HD Morning Show and then relaunched as CW Iowa Live in April 2016. The relaunch retained hosts Michelle Brown and Lou Sipolt, while meteorologist Jason Parkin departed as part of the format changes. KCWI began airing a half-hour 9 p.m. newscast produced by WOI-DT later that month. Pappas agreed to sell KCWI-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group in October 2014 for $3.5 million. Although the FCC approved the sale in December 2014, litigation brought by Harry and Stella Pappas delayed its closing. Nexstar completed the purchase on March 14, 2016, and consolidated KCWI’s operations with WOI-DT at WOI’s West Des Moines facilities. The arrangement formed a functional local television partnership involving the CW and ABC outlets. Nexstar’s 2018 acquisition of Tribune Media created a regulatory problem because Tribune owned WHO-DT, the Des Moines NBC affiliate. Nexstar therefore divested KCWI-TV and WOI-DT to Tegna Inc. as part of an 11-station transaction valued at $740 million. In February 2020, KCWI launched a fifth digital subchannel that simulcast WOI-DT, helping address reception limitations associated with WOI’s VHF signal. Nexstar announced an agreement to acquire Tegna in August 2025 and completed the transaction on March 19, 2026. The transaction brought KCWI-TV back into the Nexstar corporate portfolio, but ownership and integration remained subject to FCC and court actions. A temporary restraining order issued in March 2026 and a preliminary injunction issued in April 2026 prevented full integration of the affected stations. KCWI continues to operate as a CW station serving the Des Moines–Ames market, with local programming connected to the wider We Are Iowa operation.
- 2026
Nexstar acquisition of Tegna is completed
[1]KCWI returns to Nexstar ownership, subject to regulatory and court-imposed limits on station integration.
- 2020
WOI-DT simulcast is added
[1]A fifth digital subchannel begins rebroadcasting WOI-DT.
- 2016
Nexstar completes acquisition
[1]The transaction closes after litigation, and KCWI operations move to shared facilities with WOI-DT.
- 2016
CW Iowa Live and a 9 p.m. newscast debut
[1]KCWI refreshes its morning program and adds a locally produced evening newscast.
- 2014
Nexstar purchase is announced
[1]Pappas reaches an agreement to sell the station to Nexstar for $3.5 million.
- 2012
First local news and lifestyle program launches
[1]Great Day on KCWI begins weekday morning broadcasts.
- 2006
Station becomes a CW affiliate
[1]KPWB-TV changes its call letters to KCWI-TV when The CW launches.
- 2003
UPN programming is discontinued
[1]KPWB-TV ends its secondary UPN affiliation and continues primarily with WB programming.
- 2001
Channel 23 begins broadcasting as KPWB-TV
[1]The Pappas-owned station signs on as a primary WB affiliate with a secondary UPN affiliation.
Products and positioning
A local CW affiliate combining national entertainment programming with Des Moines-area news, weather, traffic, sports and lifestyle content.
Television network affiliation · 2006
CW network programming
KCWI’s core offering is the broadcast of programming supplied by The CW, including the network’s entertainment schedule and other nationally distributed content. The affiliation began when The CW launched in September 2006, replacing the station’s earlier WB identity. KCWI supplements the network schedule with syndicated programs, locally produced content and community-oriented programming for viewers in the Des Moines–Ames market.
Local morning television · 2016
CW Iowa Live
CW Iowa Live is KCWI’s locally oriented morning program. The format developed from Great Day on KCWI and combines news, weather, traffic and sports information with interviews, entertainment features, music, comedy, animal segments and other lifestyle material. The program is produced within the station’s broader local-news relationship with WOI-DT and is designed to give the CW affiliate a distinctive local presence beyond network entertainment.
Local television news · 2016
KCWI local 9 p.m. newscast
KCWI began airing a half-hour local newscast at 9 p.m. in April 2016. The program is produced by WOI-DT and provides an evening news alternative for the CW audience. It extends KCWI’s local programming beyond its morning show and competes with the newscast produced by KCCI for Fox affiliate KDSM-TV.
Digital broadcast subchannel · 2020
WOI-DT simulcast
KCWI’s fifth digital subchannel carries a simulcast of WOI-DT. It was launched in February 2020 to improve access to WOI programming for viewers experiencing reception difficulties with WOI’s VHF channel 5 signal.
Brand decisions
2018
Divest KCWI-TV and WOI-DT after Tribune acquisitionM&ABackground
Nexstar’s acquisition of Tribune Media brought WHO-DT, another Des Moines station, into the company’s portfolio and created ownership constraints.
Action taken
Nexstar included KCWI-TV and WOI-DT in an 11-station package sold to Tegna.
Aftermath
Tegna operated the stations until Nexstar acquired Tegna in 2026.
Divestiture package value. $740 million (2018 transaction)
2014
Sell KCWI-TV to NexstarM&ABackground
Pappas Telecasting sought to transfer ownership of the station, while Nexstar pursued a larger presence in the Des Moines market.
Action taken
The parties agreed to a $3.5 million sale, later approved by the FCC and delayed by litigation.
Aftermath
Nexstar completed the purchase in March 2016 and consolidated KCWI’s operations with WOI-DT.
Purchase price. $3.5 million (2014 announced transaction)
2006
Accept CW affiliationStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN were being replaced by The CW, while other stations in the market considered alternative affiliations.
Action taken
Pappas signed an agreement making KPWB-TV the Des Moines-area CW affiliate and renamed the station KCWI-TV when the network launched.
Aftermath
KCWI became the market’s full-power CW outlet and retained that affiliation.
Recent events
- 2026
Nexstar acquisition of Tegna faces ownership integration restrictions[1]
M&A · Regulation · Lawsuit
After Nexstar completed its acquisition of Tegna, FCC and federal court actions restricted the company’s ability to integrate multiple Des Moines television licenses while ownership issues were litigated.
- 2020
WOI-DT simulcast launches on a KCWI digital subchannel[1]
Product launch · Other
KCWI added a fifth digital subchannel carrying a simulcast of WOI-DT to help viewers receive the ABC station’s programming.
- 2018
Nexstar sells KCWI-TV and WOI-DT to Tegna in Tribune divestiture[1]
M&A · Regulation
Following Nexstar’s acquisition of Tribune Media, KCWI-TV and WOI-DT were included in an 11-station divestiture package sold to Tegna for $740 million.
- 2016
Nexstar completes KCWI-TV acquisition and consolidates operations with WOI-DT[1]
M&A
Nexstar completed the acquisition and moved KCWI operations from downtown Des Moines to shared facilities with WOI-DT in West Des Moines.
- 2016
KCWI expands locally produced programming[1]
Product launch · Leadership change
The station introduced the CW Iowa Live brand and began airing a WOI-produced 9 p.m. newscast.
- 2014
Pappas agrees to sell KCWI-TV to Nexstar[1]
M&A
Pappas Telecasting announced a $3.5 million agreement to sell KCWI-TV to Nexstar Broadcasting Group.
- 2014
Pappas family lawsuit delays KCWI-TV sale[1]
Lawsuit · M&A
Harry and Stella Pappas sued to challenge the proposed transaction, contending that the sale price did not fairly value the station. The dispute delayed completion after FCC approval.
- 2006
KPWB-TV selected as a Des Moines-area CW affiliate[1]
Other
Pappas Telecasting signed an agreement making KPWB-TV the local affiliate of the planned CW network, which replaced The WB and UPN.
- 2006
KPWB-TV adopts the KCWI-TV call sign at the launch of The CW[1]
Product launch
The station changed its call letters when The CW began operations, aligning its broadcast identity with the new network.
Sources2 sources
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