KJCT-CD

KJCT-CD is a low-power, Class A television station based in Grand Junction, Colorado. Its programming serves the Western Slope, a geographically broad market that includes Grand Junction and communities across central and northwestern Colorado. The station is affiliated with ABC and carries The CW Plus through a digital subchannel arrangement. It operates alongside KKCO, a full-power station affiliated with NBC and Telemundo, and the two stations share studio facilities on Blichmann Avenue in Grand Junction. The station's intellectual-unit history began on October 22, 1979, when KJCT signed on as Western Colorado's first new television station since KREX-TV launched in 1954. It initially operated under Pikes Peak Broadcasting as a semi-satellite of KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, with much of its programming delivered through long-distance microwave links. Although it relied on KRDO for a substantial portion of its schedule, KJCT maintained production facilities in Grand Junction and developed a local news presence for the region. KJCT expanded its technical capabilities over time. In 1984, it introduced an early live microwave news vehicle known as “8 Live,” becoming the first Western Colorado station to use modern electronic news-gathering technology. During the late 1990s, chief engineer Roger Hightower led a modernization that helped turn the station into one of Colorado's early all-digital facilities and ended its electronic dependence on KRDO. In 2009, KJCT became the first Grand Junction station to produce local news in high definition. It later introduced a new studio set and graphics package in 2011, and that same year reported leading the market's weekday newscasts among viewers aged 25 to 54. Ownership and licensing became more complex in the 2000s and 2010s. News-Press & Gazette Company acquired KJCT and related KRDO properties in 2006. In 2013, NPG announced the sale of KJCT's license assets to Excalibur Broadcasting and its non-license assets to Gray Television. Gray operated the station under shared-services and joint-sales arrangements with KKCO. Following increased Federal Communications Commission scrutiny of virtual duopolies, Gray planned to move KJCT's ABC programming to a KKCO subchannel and separate the KJCT license from its existing operating structure. A proposed sale to Jeff Chang and Gabriela Gomez-Chang was announced in 2014, alongside plans to change the call sign to KGBY, while a virtual-channel exchange involving KKHD-LP was designed to preserve the channel 8 identity for ABC programming. The present KJCT-CD identity derives from the low-power license history that began with a 2005 construction permit for a station originally designated K20IN. That facility became KKHD-LP, later changed its call sign to KJCT-LP in January 2015, and inherited the KJCT programming and virtual channel 8 presentation after the earlier license transaction. The station's signal is supplemented by translators in communities including Montrose, Basalt, Carbondale, Cortez, Mesa, Rifle, Snowmass Village, and other Western Colorado locations. In 2025, Gray Media and Scripps announced a multi-market station exchange that included KJCT-LP and KKCO; the transaction was reported as receiving FCC approval in 2026, placing the station within the Scripps portfolio.

KJCT's broadcast history begins on October 22, 1979, when the station signed on in Grand Junction as Western Colorado's first new television station since KREX-TV began broadcasting in 1954. It was owned by Pikes Peak Broadcasting and operated as a semi-satellite of KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs, an ABC affiliate under the same ownership. Before KJCT launched, KREX-TV had carried all three major network schedules in the local market, while cable viewers could receive the complete ABC schedule from Denver's KBTV, now KUSA. KJCT had local production facilities, but a large share of its programming initially traveled from Colorado Springs over a network of microwave links. The station nevertheless developed its own regional identity and news operation. In 1984, it introduced “8 Live,” its first live microwave news vehicle. That system made KJCT the first Western Colorado station to use modern electronic news-gathering technology and improved coverage of communities separated by difficult mountain terrain. During the late 1990s, chief engineer Roger Hightower directed a major technical modernization. KJCT became one of Colorado's early genuinely digital facilities and ended its electronic dependence on KRDO. The station later expanded its digital offerings, adding The CW on a third digital subchannel in late 2008. Its local news operation continued to grow: in May 2009, KJCT became the first Grand Junction station to broadcast locally produced news in high definition. A redesigned news set and graphics package followed in 2011. The station reported that it had become the market's highest-rated station among viewers aged 25 to 54 for all weekday newscasts in July of that year. Corporate ownership changed in 2006, when News-Press & Gazette Company announced its acquisition of KJCT, KRDO-TV, and KRDO radio from Pikes Peak Broadcasting. In August 2013, NPG announced a split transaction under which Excalibur Broadcasting would acquire KJCT's license assets while Gray Television would acquire the station's non-license assets. Gray planned to operate KJCT through joint-sales and shared-services agreements, making it a sister station to KKCO. The transaction closed on October 31, 2013. The arrangement attracted attention because of growing Federal Communications Commission scrutiny of virtual duopolies. Gray subsequently proposed moving KJCT's programming to a KKCO subchannel and selling the KJCT license to a minority-owned broadcaster that would operate independently. In August 2014, Gray announced a proposed sale to Jeff Chang and Gabriela Gomez-Chang, owners of KQSL, with a planned call-sign change to KGBY. In October, the FCC approved a virtual-channel exchange involving KJCT/KGBY and KKHD-LP. The plan assigned virtual channel 20 to KGBY and channel 8 to KKHD, allowing the ABC service to retain the familiar channel 8 identity. The original KJCT license-asset sale closed on December 15, 2014. The current license lineage comes from a separate low-power facility. On August 16, 2005, the FCC granted Paul Varecha a construction permit for a channel 20 low-power station, initially assigned the call sign K20IN. The call sign changed to KKHD-LP in April 2006, and the station received its license to cover the permit in December of that year. News-Press & Gazette acquired KKHD and the Montrose station KXHD-LP in a transaction announced at $675,000; the deal closed in January 2007. KKHD later received authorization to convert to digital operation and became part of the 2013 Excalibur/Gray arrangements. After the channel and programming reorganization, KKHD changed its call sign to KJCT-LP in January 2015 and carried the KJCT ABC service. KJCT's current service is supported by a network of digital translators reaching communities such as Montrose, Basalt, Carbondale, Cortez, Collbran, Gateway, Mesa, Redstone, Rifle, Snowmass Village, and Thomasville. Its main transmitter is at the Mesa Point Electronics Site on Grand Mesa, southeast of Interstate 70. The station shares Grand Junction studios with KKCO and produces 17 hours of local news each week, with most newscasts simulcast on KKCO. The cited ownership history places KJCT and KKCO under The E. W. Scripps Company following a multi-market station exchange announced in 2025 and reported as approved by the FCC in 2026.

• 2026

  FCC approval of the Scripps transaction

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The referenced exchange receives FCC approval, transferring the stations to Scripps.

• 2025

  Scripps station exchange announced

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  Gray Media and Scripps announce a multi-market exchange that includes KJCT-LP and KKCO.

• 2015

  KKHD-LP adopts the KJCT call sign

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  KKHD-LP becomes KJCT-LP and takes over the KJCT programming and channel 8 identity.

• 2014

  FCC approves virtual-channel exchange

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC approves a channel mapping exchange involving KJCT/KGBY and KKHD-LP, preserving channel 8 for the ABC service.

• 2013

  License and operating assets are separated

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  NPG announces the transfer of license assets to Excalibur Broadcasting and non-license assets to Gray Television.

• 2009

  Local news converts to high definition

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  KJCT becomes the first Grand Junction station to broadcast locally produced news in HD.

• 2008

  The CW joins the digital lineup

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  KJCT adds The CW to a third digital subchannel for Western Colorado viewers.

• 2006

  NPG acquires KJCT

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  News-Press & Gazette acquires KJCT and related KRDO properties from Pikes Peak Broadcasting.

• 2005

  Low-power license lineage begins

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC grants a construction permit for the facility that would initially be identified as K20IN and later become part of the KJCT-LP lineage.

• 1984

  Launch of the 8 Live news vehicle

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  KJCT introduces a live microwave news vehicle, expanding its ability to gather reports across Western Colorado.

• 1979

  KJCT signs on

  [1]KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org

  KJCT begins broadcasting in Grand Junction on October 22 as Western Colorado's first new television station since 1954.

A locally focused Western Colorado television broadcaster combining ABC network programming, CW Plus entertainment, regional news, weather, and over-the-air coverage extended through a network of translators.

• Local television news · 1979

  KJCT local news

  KJCT produces regional news, weather, and community coverage for Grand Junction and the Western Slope. The station currently broadcasts 17 hours of locally produced newscasts each week, including weekday and weekend programs, with much of the output simulcast on sister station KKCO.

• Broadcast network affiliation · 1979

  ABC programming

  KJCT carries ABC network programming for the Western Colorado market. The ABC service has historically been associated with the channel 8 identity, including during the restructuring that moved programming among related low-power facilities.

• Digital television subchannel · 2008

  The CW Plus

  The station added The CW Plus on a digital subchannel in late 2008, giving Western Colorado viewers a local over-the-air outlet for CW programming alongside the primary ABC service.

• Over-the-air signal extension

  Translator network

  KJCT's coverage is extended by digital translators serving multiple mountain and Western Colorado communities, including Montrose, Basalt, Carbondale, Cortez, Mesa, Rifle, Snowmass Village, and other locations.

• 2025

  Transfer to Scripps through a station exchangeM&A

  Background

  Gray Media and The E. W. Scripps Company announced an exchange involving multiple television stations, including KJCT-LP and KKCO.

  Action taken

  The parties agreed to exchange the stations, subject to regulatory approval.

  Aftermath

  The referenced transaction received FCC approval in 2026, placing KJCT and KKCO under Scripps ownership.

  Source

• 2014

  Reorganize the KJCT channel identityStrategy

  Background

  Regulatory scrutiny of virtual duopolies made the existing operating structure more difficult to maintain, while moving ABC programming risked confusing viewers familiar with channel 8.

  Action taken

  The parties pursued a sale and a virtual-channel exchange involving KJCT/KGBY and KKHD-LP, assigning the ABC service and channel 8 identity to the related low-power facility.

  Aftermath

  KKHD-LP changed its call sign to KJCT-LP in January 2015 and carried the KJCT programming under the channel 8 presentation.

  Source

1. 1KJCT-CDen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KJCT-CD official websitekjct8.com