KMPH-TV
KMPH-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station serving California's Fresno–Visalia market.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KMPH-TV, branded as Fox 26, is a full-power commercial television station licensed to Visalia, California, and serving the Fresno and broader Central California television market. The station operates as an affiliate of the Fox network and is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also owns Sanger-licensed CW affiliate KFRE-TV. KMPH-TV and KFRE-TV share studio facilities on McKinley Avenue in eastern Fresno, while KMPH-TV's main transmitter is located on Big Baldy Mountain in northwestern Tulare County. The station's roots date to a Federal Communications Commission allocation effort in the 1960s. After the FCC removed an unused UHF allocation from Tulare, California, Pappas Electronics sought a new channel assignment for the community. The FCC granted channel 26 in 1967, and Mike, Pete, and Harry Pappas received a construction permit in 1968. KMPH-TV began broadcasting on October 11, 1971, as an independent station from studios on Mooney Boulevard in Visalia. It quickly developed a strong regional signal and became one of the leading independent stations in the Central Valley, reaching viewers well beyond its city of license. The Pappas family expanded its control during the 1970s through Pappas Telecasting. KMPH-TV broadened its programming with syndicated entertainment, sports, and locally produced content. It began carrying Fresno State Bulldogs football, initially through delayed broadcasts and later with live games. In 1978, the station established a local news department and launched The 10 O'Clock News, a prime-time newscast that became a long-running institution in the Fresno market. In 1988, Pappas entered an affiliation agreement with the newly developing Fox network, making KMPH-TV one of its affiliates. The station has remained affiliated with Fox since then. Its programming mix later evolved as Fox changed its children's and weekend offerings. KMPH-TV transferred Fox's 4Kids TV block to sister station KFRE-TV in 2003, declined Fox's Weekend Marketplace infomercial block, and later began carrying Xploration Station, restoring a more complete Fox schedule. The station moved its operational base from Visalia to its current Fresno facility in the early 1990s. Its news operation subsequently expanded substantially. In 2003, KMPH-TV introduced the Great Day weekday morning program and a midday newscast; Great Day was later expanded to a five-hour broadcast. The station also produced a short-lived late-evening newscast for KFRE-TV and, from 2013 to 2023, produced news programming for Sinclair sister station KPTM in Omaha, with reporting contributions from Nebraska-based staff. KMPH-TV converted its local newscasts to high definition in 2009 and was the first station in its market to provide field news footage in true high definition. Ownership changed during the financial collapse of Pappas Telecasting. KMPH-TV and twelve other Pappas stations sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2008. Most of the affected stations were sold in 2009 to New World TV Group, which placed them in the Titan TV Broadcast Group. Sinclair agreed to acquire KMPH-TV, KFRE-TV, and most of Titan's stations in 2013; the FCC approved the transaction in September, and the sale closed in October of that year. Today, KMPH-TV remains a major local news and entertainment outlet for the Fresno–Visalia region. Its digital signal is transmitted on virtual channel 26 and is supplemented by low-power Class A translator KMPH-CD, which extends coverage toward Merced, Mariposa, and the southern Sierra Nevada. The station also operates multiple digital subchannels and produces locally focused programming, including the weekday lifestyle show Around the Valley.
History
KMPH-TV's history began with the reassignment of UHF television spectrum in California's southern San Joaquin Valley. In 1965, the FCC removed an unused commercial UHF allocation from Tulare during a broader review of television assignments. Pappas Electronics, then associated with radio operations in Tulare, petitioned for channel 26 in 1967. The FCC granted the assignment on July 26 of that year, subject to an application, and Mike, Pete, and Harry Pappas obtained a construction permit on November 6, 1968. KMPH-TV signed on October 11, 1971, as an independent station. Its original facilities were located on Mooney Boulevard in Visalia. Although the Pappas brothers initially held most of the venture, outside investment diluted their combined interest. Harry Pappas later created Pappas Telecasting and, in 1978, arranged to acquire full control of the station for a reported $3.1 million. In 1979, the station changed its city of license from Tulare to Visalia. During its independent period, KMPH-TV built a powerful regional presence through syndicated entertainment, special programming, and sports. It carried Operation Prime Time programming in the late 1970s and began airing Fresno State Bulldogs football in 1979, first on a delayed basis. Following the 1984 NCAA decision that loosened restrictions on college sports broadcasts, the station added more live road games and then live home games in 1986. By the early and mid-1980s, KMPH-TV was one of the strongest independent stations in the United States and could be received across a broad area of Central California. Pappas signed an affiliation agreement with Fox in 1988. The agreement also involved Pappas stations WHNS and KPTM. KMPH-TV thus became part of Fox's initial expansion and has retained the affiliation. The station was notable for remaining a Fox affiliate while other Fresno stations were affected by earlier network realignments. It moved its operations from Visalia to a Fresno facility in the early 1990s, better aligning its production base with the principal population center of its market. Local news became an increasingly important part of the station's identity. KMPH-TV established its news department in 1978 and launched The 10 O'Clock News, a weekday prime-time newscast. A midday program, The Midday Edition, briefly aired in 1979, while The Sunday Edition news magazine ran during the early 1980s before being discontinued. Weekend expansion followed, and the prime-time newscast became the longest-running program of its type in the Fresno market. In 2003, KMPH-TV launched the Great Day morning program and a midday newscast. Great Day was expanded in 2007 to run from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. The station also supplied programming to related outlets. In 2006, it produced an 11 p.m. newscast for KFRE-TV, but the program ended in 2007 after failing to compete effectively with established Fresno late-evening newscasts. From 2013 through 2023, KMPH-TV produced a newscast for KPTM in Omaha, using Fresno production resources supplemented by Omaha reporters. The station upgraded its news operation to high definition on September 30, 2009, including studio facilities, cameras, electronic-news-gathering vehicles, and satellite equipment. KMPH-TV's ownership changed as Pappas Telecasting encountered financial problems. The station entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with twelve other Pappas stations on May 10, 2008. In 2009, New World TV Group was selected as buyer, and the stations were subsequently organized under the Titan TV Broadcast Group. Sinclair announced its acquisition of KMPH-TV, KFRE-TV, and most of Titan's other stations on June 3, 2013. The FCC approved the transaction on September 19, and the sale closed on October 3, 2013. The station's broadcast footprint has expanded through digital transmission and a translator. KMPH-TV ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the United States digital television transition, while continuing on digital UHF channel 28 with virtual channel 26. Low-power Class A translator KMPH-CD, licensed to Merced and Mariposa, extends the service area northward, although its transmission is not in high definition. Digital multicast programming has included This TV, Comet, and Dabl. The station currently provides Fox programming, local news, lifestyle content, and other television services to viewers across the Fresno–Visalia and wider Central California market.
- 2019
Dabl replaces This TV on a digital subchannel
[1]KMPH-TV's second digital subchannel began carrying Dabl instead of This TV.
- 2013
Sinclair acquisition closes
[1]Sinclair completed its purchase of KMPH-TV and KFRE-TV on October 3.
- 2009
Station transitions to high-definition local news
[1]KMPH-TV began broadcasting local newscasts in high definition and upgraded field-production equipment.
- 2009
Titan TV Broadcast Group completes acquisition
[1]New World TV Group completed its purchase of most of the affected Pappas stations through the Titan TV Broadcast Group.
- 2008
Pappas Telecasting files for bankruptcy protection
[1]KMPH-TV joined twelve other Pappas stations in Chapter 11 proceedings.
- 2003
Great Day and midday news launch
[1]KMPH-TV introduced its weekday morning program and a new midday newscast.
- 1988
KMPH-TV becomes a Fox affiliate
[1]Pappas entered an affiliation agreement making KMPH-TV part of the Fox network.
- 1979
City of license changes to Visalia
[1]The station changed its city of license from Tulare to Visalia and began carrying Fresno State Bulldogs football.
- 1978
Local news department launches
[1]KMPH-TV introduced its local news operation and The 10 O'Clock News.
- 1971
KMPH-TV begins broadcasting
[1]The station signed on October 11 as an independent station from Visalia facilities.
Products and positioning
A regional Fox television station combining local news, Central Valley lifestyle coverage, network entertainment, syndicated programming, and over-the-air digital broadcasting.
Broadcast television station · 1971
KMPH-TV Fox 26
The station's primary broadcast service, licensed to Visalia and focused on the Fresno–Visalia and Central California market. It carries Fox network programming alongside local news, syndicated shows, special reports, weather, sports, and advertising-supported local content. Its over-the-air service uses virtual channel 26, with the main transmitter on Big Baldy Mountain.
Television news · 1978
Local news operation
KMPH-TV's news operation includes the long-running 10 O'Clock News, the Great Day morning program, midday news, weekend newscasts, weather, sports, and locally produced reports. The operation has also supported programming for sister stations, including KFRE-TV and, for a period, KPTM in Omaha.
Lifestyle television program
Around the Valley
A weekday lifestyle program produced by KMPH-TV and scheduled before the station's midday newscast. The program focuses on people, activities, and topics relevant to residents of the Central Valley.
Low-power television translator · 2007
KMPH-CD translator
A low-power Class A translator licensed to Merced and Mariposa. The translator extends KMPH-TV's coverage toward northern portions of the market and the southern Sierra Nevada. It originally operated as KMPH-LD from 2007 to 2011 and does not transmit the parent station's signal in high definition.
Brand decisions
2013
Sell KMPH-TV to Sinclair Broadcast GroupM&ABackground
Titan TV Broadcast Group owned KMPH-TV after the Pappas bankruptcy and subsequent restructuring.
Action taken
Titan agreed to sell KMPH-TV, KFRE-TV, and most of its other stations to Sinclair. The FCC approved the transaction in September, and closing occurred in October.
Aftermath
KMPH-TV became part of Sinclair's national station group and remains paired with KFRE-TV.
2009
Complete the digital television transitionOtherBackground
United States full-power television stations were required to end analog broadcasting under the national digital transition.
Action taken
KMPH-TV shut down its analog channel 26 signal on June 12 and continued digitally on UHF channel 28 using virtual channel 26.
Aftermath
The station continued its over-the-air service through digital transmission and later expanded its multicast offering.
2003
Move Fox children's programming to KFRE-TVStrategyBackground
Fox permitted certain affiliates to pre-empt or relocate network children's programming, and KMPH-TV chose not to carry the 4Kids TV block directly.
Action taken
KMPH-TV moved 4Kids TV to sister station KFRE-TV for delayed weekend transmission.
Aftermath
KFRE-TV continued carrying the block until Fox ended its arrangement with 4Kids Entertainment in 2008. KMPH-TV later began carrying Xploration Station.
1988
Join the Fox networkStrategyBackground
Fox was expanding its national affiliate network, and Pappas Telecasting negotiated an agreement covering KMPH-TV and other Pappas stations.
Action taken
KMPH-TV adopted Fox affiliation while continuing to provide locally produced news and other station programming.
Aftermath
The station has remained a Fox affiliate and developed the Fox 26 identity in the Fresno–Visalia market.
Recent events
Sinclair stations receive 28 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards[4]
Reported:
Sinclair Broadcast Group said 18 of its news stations and partner stations were honored with a total of 28 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism.
Sources4 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kmph-tv · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled