KIAH
KIAH is a Houston television station serving as the local CW affiliate on channel 39.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KIAH is a television station licensed to Houston, Texas, and identified on the air as CW 39 Houston. It broadcasts The CW network and locally oriented programming to viewers in the Houston market. The station’s studios are located on the southwest side of Houston near the Westpark Tollway, while its transmitter is situated near Missouri City in unincorporated Fort Bend County. The station began broadcasting on January 6, 1967, as KHTV, an independent station owned by WKY Television System, a subsidiary of the Oklahoma Publishing Company. It was Houston’s first general-entertainment independent station and carried a broad schedule of children’s programs, syndicated series, movies, religious programming and selected sports. A prominent locally produced program was Houston Wrestling, hosted by promoter Paul Boesch and recorded at events held in the Sam Houston Coliseum. During the 1980s the station briefly used the KHTV 39 Gold identity and was distributed by cable systems beyond Houston, reaching markets as far away as Baton Rouge, Louisiana. KHTV was initially intended to become a charter affiliate of The WB, but a dispute involving owner Gaylord Broadcasting, CBS and Time Warner complicated the planned affiliation. The station remained without a local WB over-the-air affiliate when the network launched in January 1995, with Houston viewers receiving the network through cable carriage of Chicago station WGN-TV. Tribune Broadcasting acquired KHTV in 1995 for a reported $95 million, and the station became a WB affiliate shortly afterward. Its call sign changed to KHWB, reflecting the Houston WB identity. When The WB and UPN were replaced by The CW in 2006, KHWB became a charter CW affiliate. The station adopted the callsign KHCW in April 2006 and used CW 39 branding after The CW launched in September of that year. In July 2008, the call letters changed to KIAH as part of an effort to emphasize the station’s Houston identity; the call letters also correspond to the airport code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Branding subsequently moved through Channel 39, 39, CW 39, Houston CW and, from 2018, CW 39 Houston. KIAH has experimented with local news formats as well as entertainment and network programming. It briefly operated a traditional news department in the early 1990s, revived local news in 2000 with a 9 p.m. newscast, and later added expanded late-evening and early-evening broadcasts. In 2011 it served as the pilot market for NewsFix, a Tribune-developed format that used narration and story footage rather than a conventional anchor-and-reporter structure. The station also tested Eye Opener, a hybrid morning program combining local news inserts with nationally produced news, lifestyle and entertainment segments. Tribune Media’s proposed sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group was abandoned after regulatory scrutiny and a dispute between the companies. Nexstar Media Group subsequently agreed to acquire Tribune Media, completing the transaction in September 2019. KIAH therefore became part of Nexstar’s station portfolio. Its core role remains that of a Houston broadcast outlet for The CW, supplemented by local news, weather, traffic, public-affairs and syndicated programming.
History
KIAH began service on January 6, 1967, as KHTV, an independent station on Houston’s channel 39. It was established by WKY Television System, connected to the Oklahoma Publishing Company. The station offered a general-entertainment schedule including syndicated programs, films, children’s shows, religious programming and sports. Its locally produced Houston Wrestling became one of its best-known early programs. During the 1980s, KHTV was marketed as KHTV 39 Gold and achieved strong status among Houston independents; cable distribution also extended its reach outside the immediate market. The station’s network history became complicated in the mid-1990s. Gaylord Broadcasting had announced plans for several stations, including KHTV, to affiliate with the newly created WB network. A separate dispute arose when Gaylord negotiated CBS affiliations for stations affected by major network realignment. Time Warner argued that Gaylord had obligations to affiliate with The WB and filed lawsuits. The conflict contributed to Houston lacking a local WB affiliate when the network launched in January 1995. The WB was instead available locally through cable carriage of WGN-TV’s national feed. Tribune Broadcasting purchased KHTV in September 1995. The station joined The WB two days after the sale announcement and changed its call sign to KHWB. Because The WB initially offered prime-time programming on only a limited number of nights, KHWB filled remaining hours with movies and syndicated programs. It also carried Kids’ WB and a mixture of sitcoms, dramas, children’s programming and other syndicated content. In 2006, CBS Corporation and Time Warner announced that UPN and The WB would be replaced by The CW. Tribune committed many of its WB stations, including KHWB, to the new network. The station became KHCW in April 2006 and moved to The CW when the network launched on September 18, 2006. In July 2008, it adopted the KIAH call sign. The subsequent branding emphasized Houston and the station’s channel identity, moving through Channel 39, 39, CW 39, Houston CW and CW 39 Houston. KIAH’s local-news operation developed in several stages. An initial news department launched in 1990 with evening newscasts but was closed in 1992 after weak performance. Tribune later required its WB affiliates to develop news programming, leading KIAH to launch a 9 p.m. newscast in 2000. The late-evening broadcast expanded to an hour in 2008, and an early-evening 5 p.m. newscast began in 2009. The station converted its news broadcasts to high definition in 2010. In 2011, KIAH became the pilot station for NewsFix, a format that relied on narrated packages, visual material and commentary rather than a conventional anchor-led presentation. It also tested Eye Opener, a weekday morning program combining local news, weather and traffic inserts with national lifestyle and entertainment material. These initiatives reflected Tribune’s attempts to differentiate local news at stations affiliated with The CW. Ownership changed again after Tribune Media’s proposed sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group was terminated amid regulatory concerns and litigation. Nexstar Media Group subsequently acquired Tribune Media, completing the transaction in 2019. KIAH remains an active Houston television station and CW affiliate, operating alongside Nexstar’s broader broadcast and digital media portfolio.
- 2019
Nexstar ownership begins
[1]Nexstar completes its acquisition of Tribune Media, including KIAH.
- 2011
NewsFix and Eye Opener experiments
[1]KIAH becomes the test station for Tribune’s NewsFix and Eye Opener formats.
- 2008
KIAH identity introduced
[1]The station changes its call letters to KIAH and begins emphasizing local Houston branding.
- 2006
The CW launches
[1]KHCW becomes a charter affiliate of The CW when the network replaces The WB and UPN.
- 2000
Local news returns
[1]The station launches a 9 p.m. newscast as a WB affiliate.
- 1995
Tribune acquisition and WB affiliation
[1]Tribune Broadcasting acquires the station, which joins The WB and becomes KHWB.
- 1990
First dedicated news department launches
[1]KHTV introduces evening local newscasts, although the operation is discontinued in 1992.
- 1967
KHTV begins broadcasting
[1]The station signs on January 6 as an independent general-entertainment outlet on Houston channel 39.
Products and positioning
A Houston-focused broadcast and digital media outlet combining The CW network schedule with local news, weather, traffic and community-oriented programming.
Broadcast television service · 2006
CW 39 Houston
KIAH’s primary station identity and local outlet for The CW in the Houston market. The service combines nationally supplied CW programming with local news, weather, traffic, public-affairs and promotional content distributed through broadcast and digital channels.
Local news format · 2011
NewsFix
A Tribune-developed news format piloted by KIAH in 2011. Instead of relying chiefly on traditional anchors and field reporters, it used narrated packages, footage of people connected to stories and a commentary component. The concept was later adapted by other Tribune stations.
Morning television program · 2011
Eye Opener
A weekday morning hybrid combining local news, weather and traffic inserts from KIAH with nationally produced news, lifestyle, entertainment and opinion segments. KIAH was used as an early test market for the format, which ended in 2017.
Locally produced sports-entertainment program · 1967
Houston Wrestling
A notable early KHTV program hosted by Houston promoter Paul Boesch. Episodes were recorded in connection with weekly live wrestling events at the Sam Houston Coliseum and aired on Saturday evenings.
Marketing campaigns
- 2008Houston-focused KIAH rebrand
Houston metropolitan area
The station changed its callsign from KHCW to KIAH and adjusted its on-air presentation to foreground Houston and channel 39 rather than relying exclusively on the CW network identity.
Outcome. The branding evolved through Channel 39, 39, CW 39, Houston CW and CW 39 Houston.
Brand decisions
2011
NewsFix pilot launchedOtherBackground
Tribune was experimenting with alternative local-news formats for stations competing outside the traditional major-network news model.
Action taken
KIAH relaunched its news output around the narrated NewsFix format and also tested Eye Opener in mornings.
Aftermath
NewsFix was later adapted at other Tribune stations, while Eye Opener ended in 2017.
2008
Local-branding repositioningStrategyBackground
Tribune sought to differentiate CW affiliates and reduce dependence on the network’s weakening ratings identity.
Action taken
The station adopted the KIAH calls and used increasingly local branding, including Channel 39 and Real Houston-related presentation.
Aftermath
Later identities consolidated the network and city references into CW 39 Houston.
2006
Transition from The WB to The CWStrategyBackground
The WB and UPN were dissolved and replaced by The CW, a joint venture of CBS Corporation and Time Warner.
Action taken
KIAH became a charter CW affiliate and changed its call sign to KHCW before the network launch.
Aftermath
The station has continued to serve as Houston’s CW outlet, with periodic changes to its local branding.
1995
Tribune purchases KHTVM&ABackground
KHTV was acquired during a dispute over the station’s prospective WB affiliation and Houston’s lack of a local WB outlet.
Action taken
Tribune Broadcasting bought the station and affiliated it with The WB, after which it became KHWB.
Aftermath
Houston obtained a local over-the-air WB affiliate and the station adopted a network-focused identity.
Reported purchase price. $95 million (1995)
Recent events
- 2019
Nexstar completes acquisition of Tribune Media[1]
M&A
Nexstar completed its purchase of Tribune Media, bringing KIAH into the Nexstar station group.
- 2018
Sinclair terminates proposed Tribune Media acquisition[1]
M&A · Regulation · Lawsuit
Sinclair’s proposed purchase of Tribune Media collapsed after regulatory scrutiny and litigation over the transaction.
- 2008
Station adopts KIAH call letters[1]
Campaign · Other
The station changed its call sign from KHCW to KIAH and shifted its branding toward a more explicitly local Houston identity.
- 2006
KHCW joins The CW at network launch[1]
Other
The station moved from The WB to The CW when the new network began operations, becoming one of its charter affiliates.
- 1995
KHTV becomes a WB affiliate and changes its call sign to KHWB[1]
Other · M&A
Following Tribune Broadcasting’s acquisition of the station, KHTV joined The WB and adopted the KHWB call sign, ending Houston’s period without a local over-the-air WB affiliate.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kiah · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled