KESQ-TV
KESQ-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving California's Coachella Valley from studios in Thousand Palms.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
KESQ-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Palm Springs, California, and serving the Coachella Valley. It is affiliated with the ABC television network and broadcasts over digital channel 42, while presenting itself prominently as Channel 3 because cable carriage has historically been extensive in the market. The station's principal service is local television: it produces news, weather, sports, traffic, community coverage, and other locally relevant programming for viewers in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Indio, and surrounding desert communities. The station began broadcasting on October 5, 1968, under the call sign KPLM-TV. Its origins date to a 1966 construction-permit application by Pacific Media Corporation for a Palm Springs station. The proposed allocation was initially channel 27 but was later changed to channel 42 by the Federal Communications Commission to avoid interference with a Los Angeles-area allocation. Pacific Media ultimately received the permit after reaching a settlement with another applicant, Palm Springs Communications Corporation. KPLM-TV joined ABC at launch and adopted channel 3 on local cable systems, establishing a branding practice that continues to distinguish the station from its over-the-air channel number. The early business experienced financial and ownership difficulties. The station was not an immediate financial success, and proposed transactions involving Cine-Prime and Ralph Andrews Productions did not result in lasting changes of control. Pacific Media entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 1975, after which the station's studios were moved from Smoke Tree Village to Cathedral City. In the late 1970s, Esquire, Inc. acquired the station for a reported $800,000, and the call sign changed from KPLM-TV to KESQ-TV on September 18, 1978. Esquire later became wholly owned by Gulf+Western, which sought to dispose of the small-market broadcasting asset. KESQ-TV was sold to Gulf Broadcasting in 1984 and subsequently transferred to E. Grant Fitts in 1985 amid broader changes in the broadcasting ownership landscape. News-Press & Gazette Company acquired KESQ-TV from Fitts in a transaction agreed in late 1995. Under NPG, the station became the central component of a broader cluster of Coachella Valley television outlets. The group launched or operated Spanish-language, Fox, CW, and CBS services in addition to the ABC station. Associated outlets have included KUNA-LD, KDFX-CD, KCWQ-LD, KPSP-CD, and KYAV-LD. The stations share studios on Dunham Way in Thousand Palms, while KESQ-TV's transmitter is located on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City near Interstate 10. KESQ has generally operated one of the market's strongest local-news departments, competing primarily with KMIR-TV. Its news operation has supplied programming not only for KESQ but also for affiliated or commonly operated stations. KDFX began receiving local morning and late-night news programming from the group in the late 1990s, while KUNA carries Spanish-language news. After NPG acquired KPSP-CD in 2012, the CBS station initially retained its own local identity; in 2018, that separate news branding was discontinued and KPSP began simulcasting KESQ-produced newscasts. The station has also pursued technical and geographic expansion. A 1996 FCC authorization would have allowed a transmitter relocation to the San Jacinto Mountains and potentially expanded coverage into parts of western Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The proposal encountered opposition from ABC, which was concerned about overlap with KABC-TV's Los Angeles market, as well as environmental objections from the Sierra Club, and it was not implemented. KESQ ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the nationwide digital television transition. In 2013, its operations moved into a new studio facility in Thousand Palms. Today, KESQ-TV functions as NPG's ABC outlet and a principal local-news platform for the Coachella Valley, with its broadcast identity supported by related stations and digital services.
History
KESQ-TV traces its history to Pacific Media Corporation's 1966 application for a new television station in Palm Springs. The original proposal sought channel 27, but the FCC later reassigned the allocation to channel 42 to avoid interference involving the Los Angeles market. A competing application came from Palm Springs Communications Corporation, which was associated with local radio station KCMJ. Pacific Media and Palm Springs Communications reached a settlement, and Pacific received the construction permit on October 11, 1967. The station was constructed at the Smoke Tree Village shopping center and began broadcasting on October 5, 1968, as KPLM-TV. It joined ABC and obtained channel 3 carriage on local cable systems. The cable designation became central to the station's identity because of the Coachella Valley's high level of cable penetration. KPLM-TV was briefly the only television station in Palm Springs before NBC affiliate KMIR-TV began broadcasting later in October 1968. KPLM-TV struggled financially during its first years. A proposed 1972 purchase by Cine-Prime did not result in a filed transfer of control, while a 1973 sale proposal involving Ralph Andrews Productions was abandoned. In 1974, the station faced an eviction action from Smoke Tree Village over unpaid rent. Pacific Media later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 1975, and court-appointed receivers connected with a Palm Springs law firm oversaw the station. Its studios were subsequently moved to Cathedral City. Esquire, Inc. agreed to purchase the station in the late 1970s for $800,000. The acquisition returned Esquire to broadcasting after its earlier ownership of Atlanta radio station WQXI. On September 18, 1978, the station changed its call letters to KESQ-TV. Esquire acquired El Centro station KECC-TV in 1981 and later attempted to sell both stations to Cimarron Broadcasting, a group associated with Harry Nilsson. Cimarron could not complete the purchase, and the proposal collapsed in March 1984. Esquire, by then wholly owned by Gulf+Western, sold KESQ-TV separately to Gulf Broadcasting two months later. Gulf Broadcasting was absorbed by Taft Broadcasting in 1985, but KESQ-TV was excluded from that transaction because Taft had reached its ownership limit. The station instead went to E. Grant Fitts, who had chaired Gulf's broadcasting division. Fitts agreed in late 1995 to sell KESQ-TV to News-Press & Gazette Company for a reported $19.4 million. NPG subsequently developed KESQ as the hub of a Coachella Valley television cluster. The NPG group added or operated several affiliated services. KUNA-LP began in 1997 as a Telemundo outlet. NPG entered a local marketing agreement for KDFX-LP in 1998 and introduced that station's first local newscast. A WB-affiliated service followed in 2000, and NPG acquired CBS affiliate KPSP-CD in 2012. The group also operated KCWQ-LD, a CW+ outlet, and KYAV-LD, an independent station. The stations share a studio complex on Dunham Way in Thousand Palms. KESQ's transmitter remains on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City, near Interstate 10. KESQ's local-news department became a major part of its market identity and has generally competed at or near the top of local ratings against KMIR. Its production operation expanded beyond the ABC station, supplying KDFX with morning and late-evening newscasts and supporting Spanish-language news on KUNA. In 2018, the separate KPSP local-news brand was retired and KPSP began carrying KESQ newscasts. The station considered a significant transmitter relocation in the 1990s. Although the FCC approved a move to the San Jacinto Mountains in 1996, the plan faced objections from ABC over possible encroachment into the Los Angeles market served by KABC-TV. The Sierra Club also raised environmental concerns about the proposed site. The combined challenges prevented the move. KESQ ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, during the national digital transition, and moved into a new state-of-the-art Thousand Palms studio in 2013. It remains an active ABC affiliate and a core local-news brand for the Coachella Valley.
- 2018
KPSP adopts KESQ-produced newscasts
[1]The separate KPSP local-news brand was discontinued and the CBS affiliate began simulcasting KESQ newscasts.
- 2013
Operations move to Thousand Palms
[1]KESQ-TV moved into a new studio facility on Dunham Way in Thousand Palms.
- 2012
NPG acquires KPSP-CD
[1]The company added the Coachella Valley CBS affiliate to its local television portfolio.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]KESQ-TV shut down its analog signal on June 12 as part of the United States digital television transition.
- 1998
NPG begins operating KDFX
[1]NPG entered a local marketing agreement to operate the Fox affiliate KDFX-LP and added local news programming.
- 1997
KUNA launches as a Telemundo service
[1]The NPG operation expanded its Coachella Valley portfolio with the launch of KUNA-LP.
- 1995
NPG agrees to acquire KESQ-TV
[1]News-Press & Gazette Company reached an agreement to purchase the station from Fitts for a reported $19.4 million.
- 1985
E. Grant Fitts acquires KESQ-TV
[1]KESQ-TV was excluded from Taft Broadcasting's acquisition of Gulf because of ownership limits and was transferred to E. Grant Fitts.
- 1984
KESQ-TV is sold to Gulf Broadcasting
[1]A proposed Cimarron Broadcasting purchase failed, after which Esquire sold KESQ-TV to Gulf Broadcasting.
- 1978
Station becomes KESQ-TV
[1]Esquire, Inc. acquired the station and changed its call letters from KPLM-TV to KESQ-TV on September 18.
Products and positioning
A leading local television and news brand for the Coachella Valley, combining ABC network programming with market-specific reporting, weather, sports, and multilingual coverage through its associated station group.
Local television news
KESQ NewsChannel 3
KESQ's core local-news service, covering Coachella Valley politics, public safety, community events, business, education, weather, traffic, and regional developments. The news operation also supplies programming for other stations in the News-Press & Gazette portfolio, making it a shared production center rather than only a single-station newsroom.
Network television · 1968
ABC programming
KESQ-TV's network affiliation provides ABC entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming to the Coachella Valley. The station combines the national network schedule with locally produced programming and identifies itself primarily as Channel 3 through its cable branding.
Digital news
KESQ.com
The station's website extends its local-news, weather, video, and community-information offering beyond the broadcast schedule. It serves as the digital companion to KESQ-TV and its NewsChannel 3 identity.
Television production · 1999
Shared NPG local-news production
KESQ's newsroom produces or supports local newscasts for related services, including morning and late-evening programming associated with KDFX-CD and Spanish-language news carried by KUNA-LD. Since 2018, KPSP-CD has also simulcast KESQ-produced newscasts.
Brand decisions
2018
Consolidation of KPSP and KESQ news operationsStrategyBackground
After NPG acquired CBS affiliate KPSP-CD, the two stations had operated with distinct local-news identities for a period.
Action taken
NPG retired KPSP's separate local-news brand and began using KESQ-produced newscasts on KPSP.
Aftermath
KESQ became the principal local-news production brand across the NPG station cluster in the Coachella Valley.
2009
Conversion to digital transmissionOtherBackground
Federal United States television policy required full-power stations to transition from analog to digital broadcasting.
Action taken
KESQ-TV ended its analog signal on June 12, 2009.
Aftermath
The station continued as a digital broadcaster and later expanded its multi-channel service through digital subchannels.
1996
Proposed transmitter relocation to the San Jacinto MountainsStrategyBackground
KESQ sought to enlarge its potential coverage area into portions of western Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The FCC approved the proposed move, but the expanded signal would have overlapped the Los Angeles television market.
Action taken
The relocation was not implemented after ABC threatened possible disaffiliation because of concerns about competition with KABC-TV, while the Sierra Club objected to the proposed site on environmental grounds.
Aftermath
KESQ retained its existing transmitter location on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and continued to serve the Coachella Valley market.
Recent events
KESQ-TV faces complaints over Biden town hall scheduling[3]
Reported:
KESQ-TV received complaints from local viewers after its broadcast of Joe Biden's town hall aired at 8 p.m. rather than live at 5 p.m.; a station official said the change was missed by some television listings.
Sources3 sources
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