KFFX-TV
Television station licensed to Pendleton, Oregon, serving the Tri-Cities region of Washington.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KFFX-TV is a full-power television station licensed to Pendleton, Oregon, and serving viewers in the Tri-Cities region of southeastern Washington and adjacent parts of northeastern Oregon. The station operates on channel 11 and maintains its studios on Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick, Washington, while its main transmitter is located in the Umatilla National Forest east of Pendleton. Because the market is geographically broad and mountainous, the station's principal signal does not cover every community equally. KFFX-TV therefore operates alongside translators and a low-power semi-satellite, KCYU-LD in Yakima, to extend its reach across the wider Yakima–Tri-Cities market. The station signed on January 11, 1999, under the call sign KAUP as a Fox affiliate. Its call letters changed to KFFX-TV on April 5 of the same year. Its launch was significant for the regional television landscape: it became the first full-power VHF station in an area that had previously been characterized as a UHF market, and it was the first station serving the Tri-Cities side of the market that was not simply a satellite of a Yakima station. KFFX replaced the low-power KBWU-LP service, which had relayed KAYU-TV from Spokane, while KCYU had also previously served as a KAYU semi-satellite. KFFX-TV was initially licensed to Communication Properties and operated by Northwest Broadcasting through its Mountain Broadcasting subsidiary under a local marketing agreement. Northwest Broadcasting filed to acquire the station in 1999. Regulatory and ownership complications delayed completion of that transaction: approval was granted in 2000, but the purchase was not completed until January 14, 2003, after Northwest addressed a requirement to divest another full-power station in the Tri-Cities market. The station subsequently became part of Northwest Broadcasting's regional portfolio. In 2019, Apollo Global Management arranged to acquire Northwest Broadcasting and combine it with other broadcast assets. The resulting operating group was initially named Terrier Media and was subsequently organized under the Cox Media Group name after Apollo also acquired Cox's radio and advertising operations. That transaction closed on December 17, 2019. Cox Media Group later announced the sale of KFFX-TV, KCYU-LD, and other stations to Imagicomm Communications, an affiliate associated with the owner of the INSP cable network. The transaction closed on August 1, 2022. Imagicomm announced another sale in 2025, transferring KFFX-TV and KCYU-LD to Todd Parkin's Rincon Broadcasting Group; that transaction was completed on July 18, 2025. KFFX-TV distributes entertainment and syndicated programming, local and regional news, and network programming through its digital multicast services. Its news offering includes Fox First at Ten, a nightly 10 p.m. newscast produced on weeknights by KNDU, the NBC affiliate in the market. On weekends, the station carries KAYU-TV's Spokane newscast, which is produced by KHQ-TV. KFFX also carries the KHQ-produced Good Day on weekday mornings. The station's former Fox programming and branding were scheduled to move to a subchannel of KEPR-TV on April 1, 2026, while Roar programming was scheduled to move onto KFFX-TV's main subchannel. This later programming arrangement distinguishes the station's current identity from its long-standing Fox affiliation. KFFX-TV completed its transition to all-digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009. It added a digital subchannel in April 2009, initially carrying This TV and later changing to Telemundo in 2016. Its distribution footprint also includes translators in Washington and Idaho, including KBWU-LD in Richland and KCYU-LD in Yakima. Satellite carriage has varied by service: DirecTV carries KFFX-TV, while Dish Network has carried KCYU-LD instead. The station remains an important regional broadcast outlet because its Oregon license, Washington-based studios, network relationships, and translator system allow it to serve communities on both sides of the state line.
History
KFFX-TV began broadcasting on January 11, 1999, as KAUP, a full-power Fox affiliate licensed to Pendleton, Oregon. The call sign changed to KFFX-TV on April 5, 1999. Its launch expanded the area's full-power television infrastructure and marked the arrival of the first full-power VHF station in a market previously dominated by UHF services. It also gave the Tri-Cities side of the market a station that was not merely a satellite of a Yakima broadcaster. The new station replaced the role previously served by KBWU-LP, a low-power semi-satellite of Spokane's KAYU-TV. KCYU, which later became KCYU-LD, had also operated as a KAYU semi-satellite before KFFX-TV's launch. KFFX's ownership structure initially separated the license holder from the operator: Communication Properties held the license, while Northwest Broadcasting operated the station through its Mountain Broadcasting subsidiary under a local marketing agreement. Northwest sought to acquire the station outright in November 1999. The Federal Communications Commission approved the purchase on September 27, 2000, but closing was delayed until January 14, 2003, because Northwest had to divest another full-power Tri-Cities-area station, KBKI in Walla Walla, later known as KCWK. Pappas Telecasting ultimately acquired that station. KFFX-TV continued as part of Northwest Broadcasting's station group until the ownership changes of 2019. In February 2019, Apollo Global Management was reported to be acquiring the television portfolio of broadcaster Brian Brady, including Northwest Broadcasting, while also pursuing Cox Media Group and stations associated with the restructuring of Nexstar Media Group's acquisition of Tribune Broadcasting. FCC filings in March identified Terrier Media as the proposed acquirer of Northwest Broadcasting, with Brian Brady retaining an unspecified minority interest. In June, Terrier Media adopted the Cox Media Group operating identity after Apollo agreed to acquire Cox's radio and advertising businesses. The transaction closed on December 17, 2019. On March 29, 2022, Cox Media Group announced a $488 million transaction to sell KFFX-TV, KCYU-LD, and 16 other stations to Imagicomm Communications, an affiliate of the company associated with the INSP cable channel. The sale closed on August 1, 2022. On April 3, 2025, Imagicomm announced the planned sale of seven stations, including KFFX-TV and KCYU-LD, to Todd Parkin's Rincon Broadcasting Group. The sale was completed on July 18, 2025. The station's geography has shaped its technical and programming history. KFFX-TV's transmitter is in the Umatilla National Forest east of Pendleton, while the studios are in Kennewick. The transmitter does not provide uniform coverage across the region's extensive mountainous terrain, so the station uses translators and operates KCYU-LD in Yakima as a low-power semi-satellite. KCYU-LD generally simulcasts the parent station's programming, with station identification as the principal scheduled distinction. Other listed translators include K26NF-D in Ellensburg, K19BY-D in Grangeville, K23FH-D in Milton-Freewater, K34MZ-D in Prosser, and KBWU-LD in Richland. KFFX-TV became digital-only on February 17, 2009. Because winter conditions can make the transmitter site difficult to reach, station engineers used snowmobiles to complete final post-transition work before the analog shutdown. On April 21, 2009, the station introduced a digital subchannel carrying This TV; that service was replaced by Telemundo in 2016. Satellite distribution has also differed by provider: DirecTV carries KFFX-TV, while Dish Network carries KCYU-LD. For much of its history, KFFX-TV's principal programming identity was that of a Fox affiliate. Its local news schedule included Fox First at Ten, produced on weeknights by KNDU. Weekend late news came from Spokane sister station KAYU-TV, with production by KHQ-TV, and KFFX also carried the KHQ-produced Good Day on weekday mornings. A scheduled 2026 realignment moved the Fox intellectual unit to the third digital subchannel of KEPR-TV and placed Roar programming on KFFX-TV's main subchannel. This represented a major change in the station's network and branding position while preserving its role as a regional broadcast outlet.
- 2026
Scheduled network and branding realignment
[1]Fox programming and branding were scheduled to move to KEPR-TV's third subchannel, with Roar moving to KFFX-TV's main subchannel.
- 2025
Rincon Broadcasting Group acquisition closes
[1]Rincon Broadcasting Group completed its acquisition of KFFX-TV on July 18.
- 2022
Imagicomm acquisition closes
[1]Imagicomm Communications completed its purchase of KFFX-TV and related stations on August 1.
- 2019
Station enters Cox Media Group ownership
[1]Apollo's acquisition of Northwest Broadcasting closed, with the assets operating under the Cox Media Group identity.
- 2016
Digital subchannel changes to Telemundo
[1]The station replaced This TV on its digital subchannel with Telemundo programming.
- 2009
Digital-only broadcasting begins
[1]KFFX-TV completed its transition to digital-only broadcasting on February 17.
- 2009
Digital multicast service launches
[1]A digital subchannel launched on April 21 with This TV programming.
- 2003
Northwest Broadcasting completes acquisition
[1]Northwest Broadcasting completed its purchase of KFFX-TV after resolving a required market-station divestiture.
- 1999
Station launches as KAUP
[1]KAUP signed on January 11 as a full-power Fox affiliate licensed to Pendleton, Oregon.
- 1999
Call sign changes to KFFX-TV
[1]The station adopted the KFFX-TV call sign on April 5, 1999.
Products and positioning
A regional broadcast station serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon communities through a full-power channel, digital multicast services, local-news partnerships, and translator stations.
Local television news
Fox First at Ten
KFFX-TV's branded late-evening news program. Weeknight editions are produced by KNDU, while weekend late-news programming is supplied through KAYU-TV and produced by KHQ-TV.
Morning television news
Good Day
A weekday morning news program produced by KHQ-TV and carried by KFFX-TV as part of its regional news schedule.
Digital multicast television · 2016
Telemundo digital subchannel
A digital multicast service introduced after the station's 2009 digital expansion. It replaced the station's original This TV subchannel in 2016.
Television relay service
KCYU-LD semi-satellite service
KCYU-LD in Yakima extends KFFX-TV programming into the western portion of the market. It generally simulcasts the parent station's schedule while providing its own station identification.
Brand decisions
2026
Fox programming moves to KEPR-TV subchannelStrategyBackground
A planned ownership and programming realignment changed the distribution of network programming within the Tri-Cities station group.
Action taken
KFFX-TV's Fox affiliation, branding, and syndicated programming were scheduled to move to KEPR-TV's third subchannel, while Roar programming was scheduled to move to KFFX-TV's main subchannel.
Aftermath
The change was expected to end KFFX-TV's long-standing primary Fox identity while retaining the station's regional broadcast infrastructure.
2025
Sale to Rincon Broadcasting GroupM&ABackground
Imagicomm announced the divestiture of seven stations, including KFFX-TV and KCYU-LD.
Action taken
Imagicomm sold KFFX-TV to Todd Parkin's Rincon Broadcasting Group.
Aftermath
Rincon Broadcasting Group became the station's owner after the sale closed on July 18, 2025.
2022
Sale to Imagicomm CommunicationsM&ABackground
Cox Media Group announced a portfolio divestiture involving KFFX-TV, KCYU-LD, and 16 other stations.
Action taken
Cox Media Group agreed to sell the stations to Imagicomm Communications for $488 million; the transaction closed on August 1.
Aftermath
KFFX-TV became part of Imagicomm's broadcast-station portfolio.
Reported transaction value. $488 million (Announced March 29, 2022; completed August 1, 2022)
2019
Northwest Broadcasting joins the Apollo-backed Cox Media Group structureM&ABackground
Apollo Global Management pursued Northwest Broadcasting and other broadcast assets through the newly formed Terrier Media.
Action taken
Terrier Media acquired Northwest Broadcasting and later operated under the Cox Media Group name.
Aftermath
KFFX-TV became part of the enlarged Cox Media Group station portfolio.
1999
Northwest Broadcasting seeks direct ownershipM&ABackground
KFFX-TV was initially licensed to Communication Properties while Northwest Broadcasting operated it through Mountain Broadcasting under a local marketing agreement.
Action taken
Northwest Broadcasting filed to acquire the station outright, beginning a regulatory process that was approved in 2000 and completed in 2003.
Aftermath
The acquisition made KFFX-TV part of Northwest Broadcasting's station group after a required divestiture was arranged.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kffx-tv · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled