KJZZ-TV
Independent television station serving Salt Lake City and much of Utah, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KJZZ-TV is an independent full-power television station licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah, and broadcasting on UHF channel 14. The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group and operates alongside Sinclair-owned KUTV, a CBS affiliate, and KMYU, an independent station serving southern Utah. The three stations share facilities on South Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City, while KJZZ-TV's transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains southwest of the city. The station began broadcasting on February 14, 1989, as KXIV under the “Real TV” identity. Its original permit had been issued to American Television of Utah, an American Stores subsidiary, in 1984 after several years of planning. The project was initially associated with subscription television, but the decline of that business model led the owners toward a conventional independent station. A proposed partnership with the Grant Broadcasting System did not materialize after Grant encountered financial problems, so American Television proceeded independently with construction and operation. A major transformation came in 1993, when Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller acquired the station in a transaction reported at nearly $9 million and changed its call sign to KJZZ-TV. Miller repositioned channel 14 around local sports, particularly Utah Jazz basketball, and used the station to carry games involving other sports properties connected with his business interests. KJZZ-TV became the Jazz's over-the-air television home for 16 seasons, helping it develop a distinctive identity in the Utah market. The station also invested in translators to extend coverage across Utah and into parts of neighboring states. KJZZ-TV affiliated with UPN in 1993, ahead of the network's formal 1995 launch. The relationship lasted more than five years but ended in 2000 after disputes concerning programming content, network economics, schedule preemptions, and the station's concerns about programs aimed at predominantly Black audiences. UPN officials publicly suggested that the station's resistance to expanding such programming reflected racial bias, making the dispute one of the most notable controversies in the station's history. KJZZ-TV subsequently returned to independent programming, later carrying MyNetworkTV on a delayed overnight schedule from 2006 until 2008. The station has used several operating arrangements over time. KUTV produced local newscasts for KJZZ-TV during the late 2000s and again from 2017 onward. Bonneville International managed the station after the KUTV relationship ended in 2010. Sinclair agreed to buy KJZZ-TV and eight translators from the Larry H. Miller family interests in 2016, completing the transaction on June 17 of that year. Since then, the station has primarily combined syndicated entertainment programming, local news supplied by KUTV, sports, and its role in the Salt Lake City television infrastructure. KJZZ-TV became the market's ATSC 3.0 “lighthouse” station in 2020. Its Next Gen TV transmission carries the principal signals of participating stations, while KJZZ-TV's own subchannels and other services are distributed through partner stations' ATSC 1.0 facilities. The station also completed the federally required analog shutdown in 2009 and moved its digital transmission channel from 46 to 19 in 2018 after the nationwide spectrum-repacking process. Sports remain an important part of the brand. After the Jazz moved their regular-season broadcasts to a regional sports network in 2009, the team announced a return to KJZZ-TV for selected 2023–24 broadcasts following the planned wind-down of AT&T SportsNet's regional operations. In 2025, KJZZ-TV also announced an agreement to air matches featuring Major League Rugby's Utah Warriors. Its broader schedule continues to reflect the role of an independent station: a mixture of syndicated programming, local news, community coverage, technical distribution services, and selected sports rights.
History
KJZZ-TV traces its origins to a construction permit granted by the Federal Communications Commission in 1984 to American Television of Utah, a subsidiary of the Salt Lake City-based American Stores Company. The proposed UHF channel 14 station was initially conceived in the context of subscription television, but the decline of that industry prompted a change in direction. A proposed operating partnership with the Grant Broadcasting System was abandoned after Grant entered bankruptcy reorganization. American Television ultimately built the station, which began test transmissions in January 1989 and regular broadcasting on February 14, 1989, under the KXIV call sign and the “Real TV” branding. In 1993, Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller purchased KXIV as the team sought a new broadcast outlet. The station was renamed KJZZ-TV and repositioned around sports and general entertainment. It carried Utah Jazz games from 1993 through 2009, along with programming involving other Utah sports properties. Translators expanded its reach beyond the Salt Lake City area. KJZZ-TV joined UPN in 1993, before the network's formal launch, but ended the affiliation in 2000. The decision produced a public dispute over the station's objections to portions of UPN's schedule, including programs directed toward Black audiences. UPN executives alleged that the station's concerns reflected racial prejudice, while KJZZ management cited programming standards, ratings, advertising performance, and financial considerations. The station later carried MyNetworkTV from 2006 until 2008, using a substantially delayed overnight schedule, and then returned to independent status. The station entered a local marketing arrangement with KUTV in 2005. KUTV supplied newscasts and other programming, and the relationship was followed by additional management arrangements involving Bonneville International. Local experiments such as The KJZZ Cafe and Home Team were discontinued in 2008 because of weak audience and revenue performance. After Larry H. Miller's death in 2009, ownership interests were transferred within the Miller family and related trust arrangements. Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired KJZZ-TV and eight translators in 2016. The sale ended the Bonneville relationship and made the station a sister outlet of KUTV and KMYU. KUTV-produced news returned to KJZZ-TV in 2017, including morning, evening, and simulcast services. Technically, KJZZ-TV shut down its analog signal in June 2009 and later moved its digital transmission from channel 46 to channel 19 during the post-spectrum-auction repack. On June 30, 2020, it launched ATSC 3.0 service and became the Salt Lake City market's principal Next Gen TV host. Partner stations carry KJZZ-TV services in ATSC 1.0 while KJZZ-TV hosts the participating stations' main feeds in ATSC 3.0. Sports have remained central to the station's identity despite the 2009 move of Jazz broadcasts to regional sports networks. The team returned selected regular-season and preseason programming to KJZZ-TV for the 2023–24 season after the regional sports network model weakened. The station has also carried Utah college sports and, beginning with a 2025 agreement, Utah Warriors rugby.
- 2023
Utah Jazz broadcasts return
[1]The station resumed carrying selected Jazz telecasts under a new rights arrangement.
- 2020
ATSC 3.0 launch
[1]KJZZ-TV became the Salt Lake City market's Next Gen TV lighthouse station.
- 2016
Sinclair ownership begins
[1]Sinclair completed its acquisition of KJZZ-TV and eight translators on June 17.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]The station shut down its analog UHF channel 14 signal during the national digital transition.
- 2008
Return to independent status
[1]KJZZ-TV dropped MyNetworkTV on August 18, with the affiliation moving to KCSG.
- 2006
MyNetworkTV affiliation begins
[1]The station carried MyNetworkTV programming, initially on a delayed late-night schedule.
- 2000
UPN affiliation ends
[1]KJZZ-TV opted out of its UPN agreement and returned to an independent-oriented schedule.
- 1993
Larry H. Miller acquires and renames the station
[1]The station became KJZZ-TV and began its long association with Utah Jazz broadcasts.
- 1993
UPN affiliation begins
[1]KJZZ-TV joined UPN ahead of the network's formal January 1995 launch.
- 1989
KXIV begins broadcasting
[1]The station launched on February 14 as KXIV, using the “Real TV” identity and a general-entertainment schedule.
Products and positioning
A locally focused independent broadcast station combining syndicated entertainment, news supplied by a sister station, regional sports, and Next Gen TV infrastructure.
Television broadcasting · 1989
Broadcast television service
KJZZ-TV operates a full-power independent television service from Salt Lake City. Its schedule combines syndicated entertainment, locally supplied news, sports, and other programming selected for the Utah market. The station's terrestrial signal is supplemented by translators serving communities across Utah and portions of Idaho and Nevada.
Digital television infrastructure · 2020
ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV service
Since 2020, KJZZ-TV has served as the Salt Lake City market's ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station. Its multiplex carries the principal feeds of participating broadcasters in Next Gen TV format, while KJZZ-TV services are made available through partner stations' ATSC 1.0 facilities.
Sports broadcasting · 1993
Utah Jazz broadcasts
KJZZ-TV was the Utah Jazz's over-the-air television home from 1993 to 2009. Selected preseason and regular-season broadcasts returned in the 2023–24 season after the decline of the regional sports network model, with production handled through the team's new media structure.
Controversies
2000
UPN affiliation dispute and racism allegations
KJZZ-TV ended its UPN affiliation after citing programming content, ratings, financial performance, and schedule concerns. UPN executives alleged that the station's request for protection against an increase in urban or ethnic programming reflected racial bias. The dispute received national attention, although no finding of legal liability is identified in the cited material.
Brand decisions
2023
Restoring Utah Jazz over-the-air coverageStrategyBackground
The planned wind-down of AT&T SportsNet weakened the regional sports network arrangement that had carried Jazz games since 2009.
Action taken
KJZZ-TV entered a new rights arrangement to carry selected Jazz preseason and regular-season games, with SEG Media producing the telecasts.
Aftermath
Jazz coverage returned to a free broadcast outlet while a separate streaming product operated outside KJZZ-TV and Sinclair.
2020
Launching ATSC 3.0 serviceProduct launchBackground
Broadcasters in the Salt Lake City market sought to introduce Next Gen TV while maintaining broad compatibility through existing digital television systems.
Action taken
KJZZ-TV launched ATSC 3.0 service and became the market's lighthouse station in a partnership involving KUTV, KTVX, and KUCW.
Aftermath
The station became a technical distribution hub for participating broadcasters' main signals.
2016
Sale to Sinclair Broadcast GroupM&ABackground
The Larry H. Miller family interests elected to sell the station and its translator network.
Action taken
Sinclair agreed to acquire KJZZ-TV and eight translators and completed the transaction in June 2016.
Aftermath
KJZZ-TV became a sister station of KUTV and KMYU, with Sinclair controlling the station's operations.
Purchase price. $6.5 million (Agreement announced April 2016; closing June 17, 2016)
2000
Ending the UPN affiliationStrategyBackground
Management objected to some UPN programming and cited weak performance, advertiser concerns, and conflicts involving Jazz game preemptions.
Action taken
KJZZ-TV opted out of its UPN agreement, with the network later moving to KAZG.
Aftermath
The station operated independently until taking a delayed MyNetworkTV affiliation in 2006.
- UPN — UPN criticized the station's handling of its programming and publicly raised concerns about the motives behind the opt-out request.
1993
Repositioning around Utah sportsStrategyBackground
The station needed a stronger market identity after the original general-entertainment launch, while the Utah Jazz needed a new broadcast television partner.
Action taken
Larry H. Miller acquired KXIV, renamed it KJZZ-TV, and centered its programming and promotion on the Jazz and other regional sports.
Aftermath
KJZZ-TV became the Jazz's over-the-air home for 16 seasons and developed a durable sports-oriented identity.
Acquisition transaction value. Nearly $9 million (1993 acquisition)
Recent events
KJZZ wins four Arizona Press Club awards[3]
Reported:
KJZZ won four awards in the Arizona Press Club’s 2025 journalism contest; the Press Club announced the results on Oct. 29.
Sources3 sources
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