KDAF
The CW-affiliated television station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KDAF is a television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, and serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The station currently operates as an affiliate of The CW and uses the consumer-facing brand CW33. Its studios are located along the John W. Carpenter Freeway in northwest Dallas, while its broadcast transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas. The station that became KDAF began broadcasting on September 29, 1980, as KNBN-TV. It was established by the National Business Network and initially combined daytime business-news programming with evening subscription television supplied by the VEU service. The station later added Spanish-language programming from the Spanish International Network, and by 1982 the business-news component had been discontinued. This early history gave channel 33 a notably fluid identity: it moved among business information, subscription television, Spanish-language entertainment and general-interest programming before becoming a conventional English-language independent station. Metromedia acquired KNBN in 1983 and relaunched it in 1984 as KRLD-TV. The new owner changed the station to an English-language general-entertainment format, moved operations to a purpose-built facility near KRLD radio, and invested in a local news department. KRLD-TV introduced a 7 p.m. newscast in July 1984, but the operation struggled to attract the audience and advertising revenue promised by management. The news department was closed in 1986 after News Corporation completed its acquisition of Metromedia's television stations. Following the acquisition, the station became part of the group of Metromedia properties used to establish the Fox Broadcasting Company. Its call letters changed to KDAF in 1986, and it became the Dallas–Fort Worth market's Fox outlet. During its Fox years, the station benefited from the network's expansion, including Fox's acquisition of National Football Conference television rights and the resulting importance of Dallas Cowboys programming. Fox also began planning another local-news operation in the early 1990s, although the station's network affiliation changed before that effort fully developed. In the major 1994–95 affiliation realignment, Fox selected another Dallas station for its growing network, and KDAF moved to The WB. The change made KDAF one of the early affiliates of the new Warner Bros.–backed network. The station was subsequently acquired by Tribune Broadcasting, which operated it through the remainder of The WB era. KDAF became a charter affiliate of The CW when The WB and UPN were combined in 2006. Tribune Broadcasting continued to own KDAF until Nexstar Media Group completed its acquisition of Tribune in 2019. KDAF has remained a CW affiliate under Nexstar ownership. The station's present role is that of a local broadcast outlet combining network entertainment and syndicated programming with local commercial promotion and digital content distributed through its CW33 website and related platforms. Unlike a national consumer-goods brand, KDAF is primarily a regional media brand whose value is tied to its over-the-air signal, affiliation, local audience and Dallas–Fort Worth advertising market.
History
The history of KDAF is tied to the long and often turbulent development of UHF television in Dallas. Channel 33 was allocated to Dallas in the 1960s after competing applicants sought nearby UHF assignments. An earlier station on the allocation, KMEC-TV, operated briefly in 1967 before going dark. The allocation was later used by KBFI-TV, a Christian and family-oriented independent station that broadcast for approximately ten months in 1972. The Christian Broadcasting Network then placed KXTX-TV on channel 33 in 1973, but programming and staff were moved to channel 39 later that year after CBN obtained the KDTV facility. The present station emerged from a separate application by the National Business Network. The Federal Communications Commission issued the construction permit in 1977 to a locally based ownership group associated with Nolanda Hill and Sheldon Turner. KNBN-TV began broadcasting on September 29, 1980, from a converted warehouse on Harry Hines Boulevard. Its initial concept was unusual for a local commercial station: business-news programs filled much of the daytime schedule, while VEU subscription television supplied evening movies, specials and selected Dallas Mavericks broadcasts. Spanish-language programming was added within the station's first year. In March 1982, the remaining business programming ended after the owners were unable to build a national syndication base, and KNBN-TV devoted its conventional broadcast schedule primarily to Spanish-language programming. VEU later shifted its Dallas service to another station. Metromedia bought KNBN in 1983. The transaction marked a decisive change in direction. Metromedia wanted an English-language independent station capable of competing for mainstream advertising, and Hispanic community representatives protested the planned removal of Spanish-language programming. On July 29, 1984, the station adopted the KRLD-TV call letters and relaunched with general-entertainment programming. Metromedia also moved the operation to facilities beside KRLD radio on the John W. Carpenter Freeway, where it remains based. The new facility included a newsroom and supported a significant effort to establish local news. KRLD-TV's hour-long 7 p.m. newscast debuted on July 30, 1984. Although the news department received modern production and field equipment and won United Press International recognition in 1985, audience performance remained below management expectations. The operation experienced internal conflict over journalistic style and management direction. In May 1986, shortly after News Corporation completed its purchase of the Metromedia stations, the newscast and news department were discontinued. The closure eliminated 24 positions and reflected the new owner's decision not to continue Metromedia's local-news investment at the station. News Corporation used the former Metromedia stations as the foundation of the Fox Broadcasting Company. The Dallas station changed its call letters to KDAF in 1986 and became Fox's Dallas–Fort Worth outlet. Fox initially supplied only limited programming, so KDAF continued to function much like an independent station. The network's expansion to a full weekly schedule and its acquisition of National Football Conference football rights, including Dallas Cowboys games, strengthened the commercial position of Fox affiliates during the early 1990s. KDAF also prepared for a second attempt at local news in 1994, but the station's affiliation was about to change. In the 1994–95 affiliation realignment, Fox moved its Dallas–Fort Worth affiliation to another station and KDAF was sold to Renaissance Communications. KDAF joined The WB, a new network launched by Warner Bros. and its partners. Under Tribune Broadcasting, which acquired Renaissance in 1996, KDAF became one of the more successful WB affiliates in the late 1990s and later resumed local-news production in various forms. The WB and UPN were merged into The CW in 2006, making KDAF a charter CW affiliate. Tribune operated KDAF for more than two decades. Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tribune closed in 2019, and KDAF became part of Nexstar's national group of local television stations. Nexstar subsequently remained closely associated with The CW and continues to own KDAF. Today the station serves the Dallas–Fort Worth market through its broadcast signal, CW network schedule, syndicated programming, local promotional activity and web-based content. Its history illustrates the changing economics of UHF broadcasting, the rise of Fox and The WB, the consolidation of American local television ownership and the continuing importance of network affiliation in regional media.
- 2019
Nexstar acquires Tribune
[1]Nexstar Media Group completes its acquisition of Tribune Media and becomes KDAF's owner.
- 2006
KDAF becomes a charter CW affiliate
[1]The station joins The CW at the network's launch following the combination of The WB and UPN.
- 1996
Tribune Broadcasting acquires KDAF's owner
[1]Tribune's acquisition of Renaissance Communications brings KDAF into the Tribune station portfolio.
- 1995
KDAF joins The WB
[1]A major affiliation realignment moves Fox programming to another Dallas–Fort Worth station and places KDAF with The WB.
- 1986
News Corporation completes the Metromedia station acquisition
[1]The station enters the Fox Television Stations group, and its local-news department is closed.
- 1986
KDAF becomes a Fox station
[1]The call letters change to KDAF as the station joins the initial Fox affiliate group.
- 1984
The station becomes KRLD-TV
[1]Metromedia changes the call sign, relocates the operation and launches an English-language general-entertainment service.
- 1984
Local news launches at 7 p.m.
[1]KRLD-TV introduces a nightly local newscast in an effort to establish a competitive news identity.
- 1983
Metromedia purchases KNBN-TV
[1]The acquisition begins the station's transition toward an English-language commercial independent format.
- 1980
KNBN-TV signs on
[1]The station begins broadcasting on September 29 with business news, subscription television and later Spanish-language programming.
Products and positioning
A regional, free-to-air entertainment television outlet positioned as Dallas–Fort Worth's CW station, supported by local branding, network programming, syndicated content and digital distribution.
Broadcast television station · 1980
CW33 television service
KDAF's primary consumer-facing service is its free, over-the-air television signal for the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The service carries The CW's entertainment schedule together with syndicated programming, station promotions and other locally scheduled content. Its on-air identity is generally expressed through the CW33 brand.
Digital media
CW33 digital platform
The cw33.com website extends the station brand beyond its broadcast signal. It provides digital video, program information, promotional material and locally relevant content associated with the station and its network affiliation.
Television news · 1984
Local news services
KDAF has operated local-news initiatives at different points in its history. The first substantial operation launched under the KRLD-TV name in 1984 and ended in 1986. The station later resumed local-news production in various forms during the Tribune era, although the format and continuity of those services changed over time.
Controversies
1986
Dispute over the KRLD-TV news operation
The station's first local-news department experienced management and editorial controversy before it was closed after News Corporation acquired the Metromedia stations. A former news director publicly criticized the department's alleged sensationalistic direction, while a former anchor questioned whether the closure reflected local management or a decision by the new corporate owner.
Brand decisions
2019
Transfer ownership to Nexstar Media GroupM&ABackground
Nexstar Media Group agreed to acquire Tribune Media, the parent of KDAF.
Action taken
Nexstar completed the acquisition and assumed ownership of KDAF.
Aftermath
KDAF became part of Nexstar's large portfolio of local television stations while continuing as a CW affiliate.
2006
Join The CWStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN were combined to create The CW.
Action taken
KDAF became a charter affiliate of The CW.
Aftermath
The CW affiliation became the station's central network identity and remains its principal positioning.
1995
Move from Fox to The WBStrategyBackground
Fox's expansion and the 1994–95 affiliation realignment changed the network relationships of Dallas–Fort Worth stations.
Action taken
KDAF left Fox, was sold to Renaissance Communications and became a WB affiliate.
Aftermath
The station became an important outlet for The WB and remained with the network until The CW launched in 2006.
1986
Close the local-news departmentStrategyBackground
News Corporation acquired the station and inherited a news operation that had weak ratings and revenue performance.
Action taken
The company shut down the KRLD-TV news department and eliminated its 24 staff positions.
Aftermath
KDAF operated primarily as a network-affiliated entertainment station for the next several years, while a later attempt to rebuild local news was planned in the early 1990s.
1984
Relaunch as an English-language independentStrategyBackground
Metromedia sought to build a broadly advertiser-supported independent station in a crowded Dallas–Fort Worth television market.
Action taken
The station changed its call letters to KRLD-TV, moved to new facilities and adopted a general-entertainment English-language schedule.
Aftermath
The relaunch created the station's modern operational base and led to the launch of a local-news department.
1984
Launch a 7 p.m. local newscastProduct launchBackground
Metromedia invested in local news to differentiate KRLD-TV from established independent stations and network affiliates.
Action taken
KRLD-TV introduced a nightly hour-long newscast at 7 p.m.
Aftermath
The newscast won industry recognition but failed to achieve the audience levels expected by management and was discontinued in 1986.
1982
End the business-news formatStrategyBackground
The National Business Network was unable to develop a national syndication base for its business programming.
Action taken
KNBN-TV discontinued its remaining business programming and shifted its conventional broadcast day to Spanish-language programming.
Aftermath
The change ended the station's original business-information identity and made Spanish-language service its principal conventional format for a period.
Recent events
- 2019
Nexstar completes Tribune Media acquisition[1]
M&A
Nexstar Media Group completes its acquisition of Tribune Broadcasting, bringing KDAF into the Nexstar station portfolio.
- 2006
KDAF becomes a charter CW affiliate[1]
Product launch
The station joins The CW when The WB and UPN are consolidated into the new network.
- 1995
KDAF changes from Fox to The WB[1]
Other
Following the Dallas–Fort Worth affiliation realignment, KDAF leaves Fox and becomes an affiliate of The WB.
- 1986
News Corporation acquires the Metromedia television stations[1]
M&A
News Corporation completes its purchase of Metromedia's television group, creating the Fox Television Stations operating unit.
- 1986
KRLD-TV becomes KDAF and joins Fox[1]
Product launch
The station adopts the KDAF call sign as it becomes part of the Fox network's initial group of stations.
- 1984
Channel 33 becomes KRLD-TV[1]
Other
Metromedia changes the call letters and relaunches the station as an English-language general-entertainment independent.
- 1984
KRLD-TV launches a local 7 p.m. newscast[1]
Product launch
The station introduces a nightly hour-long local newscast, its first substantial local-news operation under Metromedia.
- 1983
Metromedia acquires KNBN-TV[1]
M&A
Metromedia purchases the Dallas channel and begins preparing it for an English-language independent-station format.
- 1981
KNBN adds Spanish-language programming[1]
Other
The station expands its schedule with programming from the Spanish International Network, changing the character of its original business-oriented format.
- 1980
KNBN-TV begins broadcasting[1]
Other
Channel 33 signs on as KNBN-TV with a schedule combining business-news programming and subscription television.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kdaf · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled