KDNL-TV
KDNL-TV is a St. Louis television station operating on channel 30 and affiliated with ABC.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KDNL-TV is a commercial television station serving the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan area on digital channel 30. The station operates under the KDNL-TV call sign and has historically been known as St. Louis's channel 30. Its studios are located at the University Tower complex on South Brentwood Boulevard in Richmond Heights, while its transmitter facility is in Shrewsbury. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and, during the period covered by the available reference material, operates as the market's ABC affiliate. The channel 30 allocation was created during the Federal Communications Commission's expansion of television assignments into the UHF band. Several efforts to establish a station failed or were abandoned before the successful application. A proposed Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod station, KFUO-TV, surrendered its construction permit in 1956. A later subscription-television proposal was dismissed, and another applicant encountered technical and corporate difficulties. In 1966, Greater St. Louis Television Corporation received the construction permit and adopted the KDNL-TV call sign. The permit was subsequently transferred to financier Thomas Mellon Evans, whose Evans Broadcasting Corporation completed construction. KDNL-TV began broadcasting on June 8, 1969. At launch, the station was an independent outlet whose schedule relied largely on syndicated reruns, financial programming, and local or acquired sports. It competed with the established independent KPLR-TV and initially attracted a substantially smaller audience. The station carried St. Louis Blues road hockey games for several seasons beginning in 1977. Evans also pursued a second southern Illinois station, but local opposition and FCC concerns over its proposed relationship with KDNL led to the permit being rescinded. Cox Broadcasting purchased KDNL-TV in a transaction announced in 1981 and completed in early 1982. Cox used the station to test an over-the-air subscription television service called Preview. The service began in June 1982 with movies and late-night adult programming, but it attracted only about 10,000 households, faced competition from rapidly expanding cable service, and generated substantial losses. Cox discontinued Preview in February 1983 and invested in the station's facilities afterward. KDNL-TV became a charter Fox affiliate when that network launched in October 1986. In 1989, former KPLR-TV executives Barry Baker and Larry Marcus acquired KDNL-TV. The station became the first television property associated with the broadcasting group that developed into River City Broadcasting. Under River City, KDNL benefited from the growth of Fox and improved its competitive position. It launched a local news department in January 1995. However, a 1994 affiliation agreement implemented in August 1995 moved Fox to KTVI and made KDNL-TV the St. Louis ABC affiliate. River City merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1996. KDNL's local-news operation struggled because of weak ratings for ABC programming in the market, frequent changes among news personnel, limited daily news output, and resistance from viewers accustomed to competing stations. In 2001, following an advertising downturn after the September 11 attacks, Sinclair closed the newsroom and eliminated all 47 positions. Later attempts to restore local news through outsourced arrangements were short-lived. Since then, KDNL-TV has generally ranked behind the market's leading stations, while continuing to provide ABC programming and syndicated content. According to the supplied reference material, ABC is scheduled to end its affiliation with KDNL-TV on September 1, 2026, with ABC programming expected to move to a subchannel of KMOV. The station's longer-term post-affiliation programming identity and operating status are not established in the available material.
History
The channel 30 allocation in St. Louis originated with the FCC's post-freeze expansion of television assignments into the UHF band. Early proposals included a noncommercial station associated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, but that project was abandoned after the church concluded that the prospects for a UHF service were poor. A later application from Plaza Radio and Television Company, which also contemplated subscription programming, was dismissed in 1958. A more substantial effort began in 1964, when Globe Television Corporation sought the permit. After Globe changed its name to Continental Summit Television Corporation, technical concerns about the proposed transmitter site and a possible channel change complicated the project. A separate company, Greater St. Louis Television Corporation, then pursued channel 30. Its organizers included broadcasting professionals, local investors, attorney John Dean, and Dr. Benjamin F. Davis. The FCC granted the construction permit in June 1966, and the KDNL-TV call sign was adopted that August. The permit was sold in 1968 to financier Thomas Mellon Evans. Evans acquired former KMOX-TV facilities for studios and obtained approval for a tall transmitter structure in Shrewsbury. KDNL-TV finally signed on June 8, 1969, becoming the first station built by Evans Broadcasting. It operated as an independent station, relying on syndicated reruns, financial programming, and sports. Its early audience remained well below that of KPLR-TV, the market's established independent station. KDNL later carried St. Louis Blues road games and explored expansion into southern Illinois, but the proposed Mount Vernon station was opposed by residents who feared it would function mainly as a rebroadcaster. The FCC rescinded the permit in 1979, and Evans abandoned the project. Evans also pursued subscription television for KDNL. Cox Broadcasting eventually purchased the station, completing the transaction in January 1982. Cox launched Preview in June of that year, replacing much of the prime-time and late-night schedule with first-run films and adult programming available to subscribers. The service suffered from weak economic conditions, limited sports content, advertising resistance, and the rapid spread of cable television. Cox ended Preview in February 1983 after the operation accumulated losses and attracted only a modest subscriber base. The company then upgraded the station's facilities and restored conventional independent programming. KDNL became one of Fox's original affiliates in October 1986. Fox initially did little to close the station's gap with KPLR, but the affiliation helped create a platform for later growth. In 1989, former KPLR executives Barry Baker and Larry Marcus purchased KDNL from Cox. Their acquisition became the foundation of River City Broadcasting, which expanded through additional television and radio purchases. KDNL's ratings and revenue improved as Fox gained strength, and the station established a local news department in January 1995. A major affiliation realignment followed. Under an agreement announced in 1994 and implemented in August 1995, Fox programming moved to KTVI, while KDNL became the ABC affiliate in St. Louis. River City merged with Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1996. The ABC-era news operation failed to establish a durable position. Factors cited in the reference material include the market's historically weak response to ABC programming, turnover among news staff, the absence of a full-day news schedule, and viewer loyalty to competing stations. A later dispute involving Barry Baker's attempted option to reacquire KDNL and Sinclair radio stations produced litigation; Sinclair retained KDNL and sold the radio properties. The station's difficulties were compounded by transmitter problems and declining advertising conditions. Sinclair closed the KDNL newsroom in 2001 and eliminated 47 jobs. Two later outsourced efforts to provide local news also ended after relatively brief runs. KDNL has therefore remained primarily a network and syndicated-programming outlet, generally ranking fourth or fifth in the St. Louis market. The supplied material states that ABC is scheduled to leave KDNL on September 1, 2026, and move to a subchannel of KMOV.
- 2026
Scheduled ABC affiliation change
[1]ABC is scheduled to move from KDNL-TV to a KMOV subchannel on September 1.
- 2001
Local newsroom closes
[1]Sinclair ended KDNL's in-house news operation and eliminated 47 positions.
- 1996
River City merges with Sinclair
[1]KDNL entered Sinclair Broadcast Group ownership through Sinclair's merger with River City Broadcasting.
- 1995
ABC affiliation begins
[1]KDNL switched from Fox to ABC in August.
- 1986
Fox affiliation
[1]KDNL became a charter Fox affiliate.
- 1983
Preview is discontinued
[1]Cox shut down the unsuccessful subscription service in February.
- 1982
Preview subscription service launches
[1]Cox introduced an over-the-air pay-television service on KDNL-TV.
- 1977
St. Louis Blues coverage begins
[1]KDNL began airing selected Blues road games.
- 1969
Station launch
[1]KDNL-TV began broadcasting on June 8 as an independent station.
- 1966
Construction permit granted
[1]Greater St. Louis Television Corporation received the permit to build the station.
Products and positioning
A local broadcast television station serving the St. Louis market, with its identity shaped by successive independent, Fox, and ABC affiliations.
Broadcast television station · 1969
KDNL-TV broadcast service
The station's principal offering is free, over-the-air television for the St. Louis market, supplemented by cable and satellite distribution. Its schedule has included network programming, syndicated entertainment, local productions, sports, and advertising-supported programming. The station broadcasts from a transmitter in Shrewsbury and maintains studios in Richmond Heights.
Subscription television service · 1982
Preview
Preview was an over-the-air subscription service launched on KDNL-TV by Cox Broadcasting in 1982. It offered first-run movies and late-night adult programming to paying households. The service struggled against cable expansion, weak economic conditions, limited sports rights, and reduced advertising inventory, and was discontinued in February 1983.
Local news programming · 1995
KDNL local news
KDNL launched a local news department in January 1995 after its Fox-era audience and revenue improved. The operation had difficulty competing in the St. Louis market and was closed by Sinclair in 2001. Later outsourced news initiatives were also short-lived.
Brand decisions
2026
Scheduled end of ABC affiliationStrategyBackground
The supplied reference material reports a planned redistribution of ABC programming in the St. Louis market.
Action taken
ABC is scheduled to leave KDNL-TV on September 1 and move to a subchannel of KMOV.
Aftermath
KDNL-TV's programming identity after the change is not established in the available sources.
2001
Closure of the local news departmentStrategyBackground
The station faced weak news ratings, operational difficulties, and an advertising downturn following the September 11 attacks.
Action taken
Sinclair closed the in-house newsroom and eliminated 47 positions.
Aftermath
KDNL continued mainly with network and syndicated programming; subsequent outsourced news experiments did not become durable operations.
1995
Switch from Fox to ABCStrategyBackground
A market-wide affiliation realignment involved KDNL-TV and KTVI.
Action taken
KDNL became the St. Louis ABC affiliate, while Fox programming moved to KTVI.
Aftermath
The station retained the ABC affiliation but struggled to build competitive local-news ratings.
1986
Selection as a charter Fox affiliateStrategyBackground
Cox repositioned the station as a network-affiliated independent outlet after the failure of Preview and continued investment in its facilities.
Action taken
KDNL joined Fox when the network launched in October 1986.
Aftermath
The affiliation initially produced limited rating gains but later supported stronger performance as Fox expanded.
1982
Launch of Preview subscription televisionProduct launchBackground
Cox sought to use KDNL's UHF signal to reach St. Louis households with a paid television service at a time when cable penetration was still developing.
Action taken
KDNL replaced much of its prime-time and late-night schedule with Preview programming beginning June 1.
Aftermath
The service attracted relatively few subscribers and was closed in February 1983 after sustained losses and advertising difficulties.
Recent events
- 2026
ABC affiliation scheduled to leave KDNL-TV[1]
Other
The supplied reference material states that ABC is scheduled to move from KDNL-TV to a KMOV subchannel on September 1, 2026.
- 2001
Sinclair closes KDNL-TV newsroom[1]
Leadership change · Other
Sinclair discontinued the station's local news department and laid off 47 employees amid a difficult advertising environment.
- 1995
KDNL-TV switches from Fox to ABC[1]
Other
A market affiliation realignment moved Fox programming to KTVI and made KDNL-TV the St. Louis ABC affiliate.
- 1989
River City Broadcasting acquires KDNL-TV[1]
M&A
Barry Baker and Larry Marcus acquired the station, making it the initial television property in the group that became River City Broadcasting.
- 1986
KDNL-TV becomes a charter Fox affiliate[1]
Other
The station joined Fox when the network launched.
- 1982
KDNL-TV launches Preview subscription television[1]
Product launch · Other
Cox introduced an over-the-air subscription service carrying movies and late-night adult programming, but discontinued it after sustained losses.
- 1981
Cox Broadcasting acquires KDNL-TV[1]
M&A
Cox announced the purchase of KDNL-TV for $13.2 million; the transaction was completed in January 1982.
- 1969
KDNL-TV begins broadcasting[1]
Other
Channel 30 launched in St. Louis as an independent station under Evans Broadcasting.
Sources2 sources
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