KGCW
KGCW is a CW-affiliated television station serving the Quad Cities region from a license based in Burlington, Iowa.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KGCW is a full-power television station licensed to Burlington, Iowa, and serving the Quad Cities area of southeastern Iowa and western Illinois. The station operates as the region's affiliate of The CW and is part of Nexstar Media Group's cluster of stations in the market. Its principal facilities are shared with CBS affiliate WHBF-TV and, through operating arrangements, Fox affiliate KLJB at the Telco Building in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. KGCW's transmitter is located near Orion, Illinois, positioning the station more effectively for viewers throughout the Quad Cities than its original Burlington transmission site. The station began broadcasting on January 5, 1988, under the call sign KJMH. It was established by Burlington Broadcast Company, owned by local businessman Steve Hoth, and named after his wife, JoEllen M. Hoth. The original station represented an investment of approximately $1 million and was designed primarily to serve Burlington and nearby communities. Its early signal did not adequately cover the larger Quad Cities market, and the station faced financial and operational difficulties almost immediately. KJMH joined Fox in July 1988, but Fox later sought to remove the station from its affiliate network. KJMH lost Fox programming in 1994 and subsequently carried lower-profile syndicated and shopping programming before leaving the air. A proposed sale to Kelley Broadcasting was announced but was not completed through the Federal Communications Commission. Grant Broadcasting instead acquired the station and returned it to service on March 1, 1996, initially as a full-time rebroadcaster of Grant-owned KLJB-TV in Davenport. The station developed a more distinct role in the market in 2001, when it became a primary affiliate of The WB and changed its call sign to KGWB-TV. Its programming was distributed through cable systems and, for a period, through digital subchannels of KLJB-TV. Grant also pursued a transmitter relocation from Burlington toward the Quad Cities, reflecting the station's strategic shift from a small Burlington outlet to a broader regional service. When The WB and UPN were combined to form The CW in 2006, the station adopted the KGCW call sign and became the local CW affiliate. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced its acquisition of Grant Broadcasting's stations in 2013, with the transaction closing in December 2014. Nexstar also acquired WHBF-TV, while KLJB was placed under separate ownership subject to service arrangements. In 2015, KGCW's Quad Cities simulcast moved from a KLJB subchannel to a WHBF-TV subchannel. That simulcast ended after KGCW's transmitter moved to Orion in 2020 as part of the United States digital television spectrum-repacking process. The station also moved its digital transmission assignment from channel 41 to channel 21 while retaining virtual channel 26. KGCW completed its transition to digital broadcasting in 2009 and began ATSC 3.0 broadcasting in December 2024. Its current identity combines a national CW network affiliation with local over-the-air distribution and shared-market operations within Nexstar's Quad Cities station group.
History
KGCW traces its history to a construction permit issued in 1984 for a new Burlington, Iowa, television station. The permit was held by Burlington Broadcast Company, a business controlled by local entrepreneur Steve Hoth. Construction and equipment problems delayed the proposed launch, but the station eventually began broadcasting on January 5, 1988, as KJMH. The call letters honored Hoth's wife, JoEllen M. Hoth. The original station was a small-market operation with limited geographic reach. Its transmitter operated from Burlington, and its signal was strong mainly in and around that city. The Quad Cities communities farther east and south were not reliably served. KJMH initially combined independent programming with a local newscast and became a Fox affiliate on July 31, 1988. Financial instability soon affected the business. Reports of payroll problems preceded the resignation of its general manager in 1991, and Fox later pursued removal of the station from its affiliate lineup. KJMH lost Fox programming in May 1994. It filled the schedule with ValueVision and Channel America programming, but these replacements did not provide a durable competitive position. The station went silent in November 1994 after a proposed transaction involving Kelley Broadcasting failed to proceed through the FCC. Legal and financial difficulties continued, including a lawsuit over unpaid legal fees and bankruptcy proceedings involving the former licensee and a related company. Grant Broadcasting filed to purchase KJMH in 1995 and restored the station to the air on March 1, 1996. It initially operated as a full-time rebroadcaster of KLJB-TV, Grant's Fox affiliate in Davenport. Grant later used channel 26 to establish a distinct WB service for the Quad Cities. In January 2001, the station changed its call sign to KGWB-TV and began carrying The WB as its principal affiliation, while also using KLJB's programming for portions of the schedule during the transition. The station's programming was distributed through cable systems and digital subchannels because the Burlington transmitter did not adequately reach the broader Quad Cities audience. Grant responded by relocating the transmitter toward the Quad Cities. A low-power station, WBQD-LP, also operated in the market as a UPN outlet, making the separation between the two network services particularly significant. The WB and UPN later merged their operations into The CW. When the new network launched in 2006, KGWB-TV became a CW affiliate and adopted the call letters KGCW-TV. Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced the acquisition of Grant Broadcasting in November 2013, and the transaction closed in December 2014. The deal was structured alongside Nexstar's acquisition of WHBF-TV and a separate transaction involving KLJB, which was acquired by Marshall Broadcasting Group with Nexstar continuing to provide services. In May 2015, KGCW's supplementary Quad Cities distribution moved from a KLJB digital subchannel to a WHBF-TV subchannel. The station underwent another major technical change in 2020. Its transmitter moved to a tower near Orion, Illinois, as the result of the nationwide spectrum-repacking process following the 2016 wireless spectrum auction. KGCW moved its physical digital transmission from channel 41 to channel 21, retained virtual channel 26, and ended its WHBF simulcast once the improved main signal became available. On December 19, 2024, KGCW began ATSC 3.0 transmission. The station remains a Nexstar-operated CW outlet serving the Quad Cities through terrestrial, digital, and network-affiliate distribution.
- 2024
ATSC 3.0 launch
[1]KGCW began ATSC 3.0 broadcasting on December 19.
- 2020
Transmitter relocates to Orion
[1]The station moved its transmitter near Orion, Illinois, changed physical digital channels, and ended its WHBF simulcast.
- 2014
Nexstar ownership begins
[1]Nexstar completed its acquisition of the Grant stations, adding KGCW to its Quad Cities operations.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]KGCW ended analog broadcasting during the United States digital television transition and continued using virtual channel 26 digitally.
- 2006
CW affiliation begins
[1]Following the creation of The CW from The WB and UPN, the station became a CW affiliate and adopted the KGCW call sign.
- 2001
Channel 26 becomes a WB outlet
[1]The station adopted the KGWB-TV call sign and became a dedicated WB service for the Quad Cities.
- 1996
Grant restores the station
[1]Grant Broadcasting returned channel 26 to service on March 1 as a full-time rebroadcaster of KLJB-TV.
- 1994
Fox affiliation ends
[1]KJMH lost its Fox programming and subsequently left the air after attempts to maintain operations failed.
- 1988
KJMH begins broadcasting
[1]KJMH began broadcasting on January 5 as a Burlington-focused station and joined Fox later that year.
- 1984
Construction permit obtained
[1]Burlington Broadcast Company, controlled by Steve Hoth, obtained authorization to build a new television station in Burlington, Iowa.
Products and positioning
A regional broadcast television outlet combining CW network entertainment with free over-the-air service for the Quad Cities market.
Broadcast television station · 1988
KGCW channel 26
KGCW's primary broadcast service is identified to viewers by virtual channel 26. It carries The CW's entertainment schedule together with syndicated and other station-distributed programming for the Quad Cities region. The service is licensed to Burlington but uses a transmitter near Orion, Illinois, to improve coverage of the more populous regional market.
Network television programming · 2006
CW network affiliation
Since 2006, KGCW has served as the Quad Cities affiliate of The CW. The affiliation followed the station's earlier role as a WB outlet under the KGWB-TV call sign and gives KGCW a national network schedule centered on scripted entertainment, acquired programming, and other CW-distributed content.
Next-generation digital television · 2024
ATSC 3.0 service
KGCW began ATSC 3.0 transmission in December 2024. This service represents the station's adoption of the next-generation broadcast television standard while maintaining its established virtual-channel identity.
Brand decisions
2020
Relocate the transmitter and end the simulcastGeneration changeBackground
The nationwide spectrum-repacking process required channel changes and created an opportunity to improve KGCW's regional coverage.
Action taken
KGCW moved its transmitter to a tower near Orion, Illinois, changed its physical digital channel to 21, and discontinued its WHBF-TV simulcast.
Aftermath
The station became more dependent on its improved primary signal rather than a supplementary WHBF distribution feed.
2006
Transition from The WB to The CWStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN were combined into the new CW network.
Action taken
KGWB-TV became the Quad Cities CW affiliate and changed its call sign to KGCW-TV.
Aftermath
KGCW retained a network-affiliate role while the market adjusted to the replacement of The WB and UPN.
2001
Separate channel 26 from KLJB programmingStrategyBackground
Grant Broadcasting sought to give channel 26 a distinct identity and a stronger role in the Quad Cities market after using it primarily as a KLJB rebroadcaster.
Action taken
The station adopted the KGWB-TV call sign, became a primary WB outlet, and expanded distribution through cable and digital-subchannel arrangements.
Aftermath
The move established the station as a separate network service and prepared it for its later transition to The CW.
Sources2 sources
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