KDKA-TV
CBS-owned television station serving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
KDKA-TV is a CBS-owned and operated television station serving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding market. It broadcasts on channel 2 and uses CBS Pittsburgh and CBS News Pittsburgh branding alongside the KDKA-TV name. The station operates from studios in the Gateway Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, while its transmitter is located in the Perry North section of the city. It is sister to WPKD-TV, an independent station on channel 19. The station began television broadcasting on January 11, 1949, under the call sign WDTV. It was established by Allen B. DuMont Laboratories as a primary affiliate of the DuMont Television Network, with secondary affiliations to CBS, NBC, and ABC. Its launch was significant both locally and nationally. WDTV was the first television station in Pennsylvania owned and operated by a network and helped connect Pittsburgh to the developing live television network infrastructure between the East Coast and the Midwest. The station's early broadcasts included programming from several networks and a live opening special originating partly from Pittsburgh's Syria Mosque. WDTV initially operated on channel 3. Following the Federal Communications Commission's post-freeze frequency reallocations, it moved to channel 2 on November 23, 1952. The station also became an early example of round-the-clock broadcasting, carrying overnight programming for industrial shift workers in the Pittsburgh area. During the early 1950s, its VHF position and Pittsburgh's challenging terrain gave it a substantial competitive advantage over newer UHF stations. For a period, WDTV was effectively the only readily receivable commercial television station in the city and therefore had considerable influence over network program clearances. DuMont's financial problems led to a major ownership change. Westinghouse Electric Corporation purchased WDTV from DuMont for approximately $9.75 million in late 1954, and the transaction closed in January 1955. Westinghouse changed the call sign to KDKA-TV, linking the television station to its pioneering KDKA radio property. The station initially retained secondary network relationships, but its affiliation pattern changed as Pittsburgh's television market developed. In 1957, KDKA-TV became a primary CBS affiliate, while NBC and ABC programming shifted to newer local stations as those outlets launched. For several decades, KDKA-TV was a flagship of Westinghouse's Group W broadcasting operation. Its news department became a major part of the station's identity, and the station was involved in important local and national coverage, including extended live reporting following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. In the 1990s, Westinghouse considered whether its stations should affiliate with NBC or CBS during a period of major network realignment. It ultimately entered a long-term, group-wide affiliation agreement with CBS, preserving KDKA-TV's CBS relationship and extending it across Westinghouse's television portfolio. Westinghouse acquired CBS in 1995, converting KDKA-TV from a traditional network affiliate into a CBS-owned station. Subsequent corporate transactions placed it within CBS Corporation, then ViacomCBS, and the company later became Paramount Global. The station's radio namesake became separately owned after CBS Radio was sold to Entercom, now Audacy, in 2017, although the radio and television operations continued to maintain news and content relationships. KDKA-TV's current business consists of local television news, weather, traffic, sports, public-affairs coverage, syndicated and network programming, digital journalism, and related advertising and sponsorship activity. Its market-facing positioning combines the heritage of the KDKA name with CBS network affiliation and a strong local-news identity. In 2023, the station adopted updated on-air branding aligned with CBS's redesigned corporate identity, while continuing to use KDKA-TV News as a verbal and ed…
History
KDKA-TV traces its television history to WDTV, which began broadcasting in Pittsburgh on January 11, 1949. Allen B. DuMont Laboratories owned the station, making it the first network-owned-and-operated television outlet in Pennsylvania. WDTV launched as a primary DuMont station and carried secondary programming from CBS, NBC, and ABC. Its debut included a Pittsburgh live broadcast from Syria Mosque and network segments featuring prominent performers and hosts. The station's launch also helped extend live television connectivity between the East Coast and Midwest through the emerging coaxial-cable network. WDTV originally transmitted on channel 3. The FCC's Sixth Report and Order, issued after the four-year freeze on new television licenses, required changes to frequency allocations in several markets. WDTV moved to channel 2 on November 23, 1952. Around this period, it became an early pioneer of continuous broadcasting, offering overnight film programming for Pittsburgh-area factory and industrial workers. Its VHF signal, combined with the region's mountainous and dissected terrain, gave it a substantial advantage over UHF competitors whose receivers generally required additional converters and produced weaker reception. For much of the early 1950s, WDTV held an unusually powerful position. Pittsburgh was a large television market, but the FCC limited additional commercial VHF assignments in the city to protect nearby markets in the Upper Ohio Valley. WDTV was therefore able to attract viewers and advertising while exerting leverage over network programming clearances. The station carried DuMont programming live and selected programs from other networks, sometimes using kinescope recordings when live distribution was unavailable. DuMont's financial position deteriorated as competition from CBS, NBC, and ABC intensified. Westinghouse Electric Corporation, which had already built a broadcasting presence elsewhere, purchased WDTV for approximately $9.75 million. The sale closed in January 1955, after which the station adopted the KDKA-TV call sign in honor of Westinghouse's pioneering KDKA radio station. Although the radio heritage created an expectation that the television outlet might align with NBC, the station eventually became a primary CBS affiliate in 1957. NBC and ABC programming later moved to other Pittsburgh stations as those stations established themselves. KDKA-TV became a central property of Westinghouse's Group W broadcasting operation. During the late 1950s it briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network in addition to its other relationships. The station also developed a prominent news operation. On November 22, 1963, newscaster Bill Burns delivered nearly three hours of live coverage following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an example of the station's role in major breaking-news events. The next major turning point came in the 1990s, when Westinghouse sought a broader corporate transformation and evaluated competing affiliation proposals from NBC and CBS. Westinghouse ultimately chose a long-term CBS arrangement for its entire television group. In 1995, Westinghouse acquired CBS, making KDKA-TV a CBS-owned and operated station rather than an independently owned affiliate. The company later became CBS Corporation and merged with Viacom in 2000. After a subsequent corporate separation and remerger, the station became part of ViacomCBS, now Paramount Global, and is operated within CBS News and Stations. KDKA-TV's radio namesake was separated from the television operation when CBS sold CBS Radio to Entercom in 2017. The radio and television stations no longer share ownership, but they retained a relationship involving news and content exchange. In 2003, KDKA-TV retired the distinctive Group W typeface that had characterized its branding for decades. The station later developed Pittsburgh-centered promotional work, including the 2007 Your Home campaign. In 2023, it refreshed its logo and on-air graphics to match CBS's contemporary corporate identity while continuing to emphasize the KDKA name and its local-news role. Today, KDKA-TV combines CBS network programming with local news, weather, traffic, sports, public-affairs coverage, digital publishing, video, streaming, and commercial advertising. Its identity rests on the combination of a historic Pittsburgh call sign, a long-running CBS affiliation, and an established local-news operation.
- 2023
New CBS-aligned visual identity
[1]KDKA-TV adopts an updated logo and on-air branding based on CBS's deconstructed-eye identity.
- 2017
KDKA radio ownership separates
[1]CBS completes the sale of its radio operations to Entercom, ending common ownership of KDKA radio and KDKA-TV.
- 2007
Your Home campaign introduced
[1]KDKA-TV launches a Pittsburgh-focused image campaign using local scenes, station personalities, and original music.
- 2003
Group W typeface retired
[1]The station ends use of the distinctive Group W font in its logo and adopts a more standardized CBS presentation.
- 1995
KDKA-TV becomes CBS-owned
[1]Westinghouse's acquisition of CBS makes KDKA-TV a CBS-owned-and-operated station.
- 1963
Extended Kennedy assassination coverage
[1]Bill Burns anchors nearly three hours of live KDKA-TV coverage after President John F. Kennedy is shot.
- 1957
Primary CBS affiliation
[1]KDKA-TV makes CBS its primary network affiliation.
- 1955
Westinghouse ownership begins
[1]Westinghouse completes its purchase of WDTV and changes the station's call sign to KDKA-TV.
- 1952
Frequency move to channel 2
[1]WDTV relocates from channel 3 to channel 2 following FCC frequency reallocations.
- 1949
WDTV signs on
[1]The station begins broadcasting on channel 3 as a DuMont-owned-and-operated station and the first network-owned television station in Pennsylvania.
Products and positioning
A heritage Pittsburgh television station combining CBS network programming with locally focused news, weather, sports, public-affairs, and digital coverage.
Local television news · 1949
KDKA-TV News
The station's core local-news offering, covering Pittsburgh and surrounding communities through scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, investigative material, interviews, and regional public-interest stories.
Television station brand
CBS Pittsburgh
A consumer-facing brand that combines KDKA-TV's local programming with CBS network content and is used across broadcast, digital, and promotional channels.
Broadcast information service
Local weather and traffic
Forecasting, severe-weather alerts, traffic information, and related digital updates designed for viewers across the Pittsburgh region and Western Pennsylvania.
Network television programming · 1957
CBS network programming
KDKA-TV distributes CBS entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming to its local broadcast market as a CBS-owned and operated station.
Digital media
Digital and streaming news
Online articles, video, live coverage, alerts, and other digital material extending the station's local-news and information services beyond the linear television signal.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Your Home
Pittsburgh · Western Pennsylvania
A station image campaign centered on Pittsburgh and nearby communities, using local landmarks and scenery, KDKA-TV personalities, and music associated with the region.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced KDKA-TV's local identity and was followed by additional music-led promotional spots, including Coming Home and Long Way Home.
Brand decisions
2023
Refresh of logo and on-air brandingOtherBackground
CBS introduced a contemporary corporate identity based on a deconstructed version of its eye symbol.
Action taken
KDKA-TV adopted the updated CBS-aligned logo and presentation while continuing to use KDKA-TV News as a local verbal brand.
Aftermath
The station's visual identity became more consistent with CBS sister stations while retaining the historic KDKA name.
1995
Westinghouse acquires CBSM&ABackground
Westinghouse was expanding from an industrial company into a larger media enterprise.
Action taken
Westinghouse acquired CBS, placing KDKA-TV under CBS ownership while retaining its Pittsburgh identity.
Aftermath
KDKA-TV became a CBS-owned-and-operated station and later passed through the CBS Corporation and ViacomCBS corporate structures.
1994
Westinghouse commits its television group to CBSStrategyBackground
Westinghouse evaluated NBC and CBS proposals during a period of large-scale U.S. network affiliation changes.
Action taken
Westinghouse signed a long-term agreement making CBS the network partner for its television stations, including KDKA-TV.
Aftermath
The agreement preserved KDKA-TV's CBS affiliation and preceded Westinghouse's acquisition of CBS.
1957
Selection of CBS as primary network affiliationStrategyBackground
KDKA-TV had carried multiple network relationships while Pittsburgh's television market was developing.
Action taken
The station made CBS its primary affiliation and later relinquished NBC and ABC programming as competing stations launched.
Aftermath
CBS became a long-term part of the station's identity and later its ownership structure.
1955
Purchase of WDTV by WestinghouseM&ABackground
DuMont Laboratories was under financial pressure, while Westinghouse wanted a television station in its Pittsburgh home market.
Action taken
Westinghouse purchased WDTV and renamed it KDKA-TV after completing the transaction.
Aftermath
The sale provided DuMont with short-term cash but weakened its position in major markets; the DuMont network disappeared within the following years.
Purchase price. $9.75 million (Late 1954 agreement; completed January 1955)
Recent events
- 2023
KDKA-TV adopts updated CBS branding[1]
Campaign · Other
The station introduced a new logo and on-air presentation aligned with CBS's deconstructed-eye corporate identity, while retaining KDKA-TV News as a verbal brand.
- 2017
KDKA radio separates from KDKA-TV ownership[1]
M&A
CBS completed the sale of its radio business to Entercom, separating KDKA radio from the television station while preserving news and content-sharing ties.
- 2007
KDKA-TV launches the Your Home image campaign[1]
Campaign
The station introduced a Pittsburgh-oriented brand campaign featuring local scenery, station personalities, and original music.
- 1995
Westinghouse acquires CBS[1]
M&A
The corporate acquisition changed KDKA-TV from a CBS affiliate owned by Westinghouse into a CBS-owned and operated station.
- 1994
Westinghouse signs a group-wide CBS affiliation agreement[1]
Other
After considering a possible NBC arrangement, Westinghouse committed its television group to CBS, preserving KDKA-TV's network relationship during a period of major U.S. affiliation changes.
- 1957
KDKA-TV becomes a primary CBS affiliate[1]
Other
The station made CBS its primary network affiliation while retaining limited secondary relationships until other Pittsburgh stations launched.
- 1955
Westinghouse purchases WDTV and renames it KDKA-TV[1]
M&A
Westinghouse acquired the financially troubled DuMont station and changed its call sign to KDKA-TV, connecting it to the company's Pittsburgh radio heritage.
- 1952
WDTV moves from channel 3 to channel 2[1]
Other
Following federal frequency reallocations after the television licensing freeze, WDTV moved to channel 2, the position it continues to use.
- 1949
WDTV begins broadcasting in Pittsburgh[1]
Other
The station signed on as WDTV, a DuMont-owned television station and the first network-owned-and-operated television station in Pennsylvania.
Sources2 sources
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