KNCT
KNCT is a television station licensed to Belton, Texas, serving Central Texas as the CW affiliate for the western portion of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KNCT is a full-power television station licensed to Belton, Texas, and serving the Waco–Temple–Bryan television market. The station operates as the CW affiliate for the western half of the market, with its coverage focused on communities around Waco, Temple, Killeen and Belton. Its transmitter is located near Moody, Texas, while its operating facilities are shared with Gray Media sister station KWTX-TV at American Plaza in Waco. The station began broadcasting in November 1970 under the ownership of Central Texas College. It was established as a public television outlet and initially served as the PBS station for the western portion of the market. At the time, the eastern part of the market was served by KAMU-TV, a station associated with Texas A&M University that began broadcasting earlier in 1970. KNCT therefore occupied an important educational and public-service role in a geographically divided television market. KNCT expanded its regional reach in 1978 by establishing a low-power translator in Waco. Because the principal Belton signal only marginally reached Waco, and KAMU-TV’s signal did not fully cover the city, the translator helped address a significant coverage gap. In 1989, the Waco facility was upgraded to a full-power station known as KCTF. KCTF was separated from KNCT in 1994 and later became associated with Baylor University as KWBU-TV. When KWBU-TV reduced operations and stopped broadcasting in 2010, KNCT again became the principal PBS outlet for the western side of the market. It also assumed KWBU’s cable distribution positions on systems operated by Time Warner Cable and Grande Communications and became available through DirecTV. The station’s public-television era ended after Central Texas College determined that the cost of remaining on the air was no longer sustainable. Federal spectrum repacking requirements would have required KNCT to move from RF channel 46 to channel 17 and pay a substantial share of the relocation expense. The college estimated its responsibility at approximately $1.6 million, in addition to the need to replace an aging transmitter that had been in service since the station’s launch. The college’s board voted in February 2018 to close the television station and later set August 31, 2018, as the shutdown date. Instead of simply going dark permanently, the station’s license was assigned to Gray Television. The transaction created a relationship with KWTX-TV and was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in December 2018. KNCT ceased its PBS service at midnight on August 31, 2018, and its ownership transfer was completed in December. Gray subsequently moved the transmitter to a tower near Moody and relaunched KNCT as a commercial station on January 2, 2019. Since that relaunch, KNCT has carried The CW as its primary network affiliation for the western half of the market. The eastern half is served by KBTX-TV’s second digital subchannel, while KWTX-TV is the market’s principal CBS and Telemundo station. KNCT’s digital multicast service also changed during the conversion: MeTV replaced the former PBS Kids service on subchannel 46.2, and Start TV was added on 46.3. KNCT thus shifted from a college-owned educational broadcaster to a commercially operated network affiliate within Gray Media’s Central Texas station group.
History
KNCT began broadcasting in November 1970 as a public television station licensed to Belton and owned by Central Texas College. It was created to serve the western side of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market, while KAMU-TV served the eastern side from its base at Texas A&M University. The station’s original role combined educational programming with regional public television service. In 1978, KNCT added a low-power translator in Waco. The translator addressed the limited reach of the main Belton transmitter and helped provide public television to viewers in a city that was not fully covered by either KNCT or KAMU-TV. The Waco operation was upgraded to full-power status in 1989 and became KCTF. In 1994, KCTF was separated from KNCT as an independent station. Baylor University later took control of the outlet, which became KWBU-TV in 2000. KWBU-TV began reducing its programming in 2010 and ceased broadcasting on July 31 of that year. Its withdrawal left KNCT as the only PBS member station serving the western portion of the market. KNCT expanded its distribution after the shutdown by taking over KWBU’s cable positions on Time Warner Cable and Grande Communications and by becoming available on DirecTV. During this period, the station’s digital lineup included PBS Kids on 46.2 and, beginning in July 2010, Create on 46.3. The station’s future changed because of the FCC’s spectrum repacking program. KNCT would have needed to move from RF channel 46 to RF channel 17 and incur significant technical costs. Central Texas College estimated that its share of the repacking work would be about $1.6 million, while the station also required replacement of a transmitter that had operated since the original 1970 sign-on. On February 27, 2018, the college board voted to close the television station. A later vote set the end of broadcasting for midnight on August 31, 2018. In August 2018, the college board voted to assign KNCT’s broadcast license to Gray Television. Because KNCT used spectrum not reserved for noncommercial broadcasting, the assignment could support a commercial operating model and a relationship with Gray-owned KWTX-TV. The FCC approved the transfer on December 12, 2018, and the transaction closed on December 17. KNCT went off the air three days later as the former PBS service ended. Gray filed an application in December 2018 to move KNCT’s transmitter to KWTX-TV’s tower near Moody. On January 2, 2019, Gray formally assumed operations and relaunched the station as The CW affiliate for the western half of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market. The CW had previously been carried by a KWTX digital subchannel. KNCT’s new commercial configuration also introduced MeTV on digital subchannel 46.2 and Start TV on 46.3. The station now operates alongside KWTX-TV and KBTX-TV within Gray Media’s Central Texas television group. KNCT completed the national analog-to-digital transition on June 12, 2009. Its pre-transition digital signal operated on UHF channel 38, while its post-transition digital operation used channel 46. The station’s present identity reflects a major institutional change: it moved from a community-college-owned PBS service to a commercially owned, network-affiliated broadcast station.
- 2019
KNCT becomes a CW affiliate
[1]Gray assumes operations, changes KNCT to a commercial format, and launches CW service for western Central Texas.
- 2018
College board votes to close station
[1]Central Texas College decides that repacking obligations and transmitter replacement costs make continued ownership impractical.
- 2018
License transferred to Gray Television
[1]The FCC approves the assignment of KNCT’s license to Gray Television, and the transaction closes in December.
- 2010
KNCT resumes primary western-market PBS role
[1]After KWBU-TV leaves the air, KNCT takes over portions of its cable distribution and becomes the western side’s principal PBS outlet.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]KNCT shuts down its analog UHF channel 46 signal as part of the United States full-power digital television transition.
- 1994
KCTF spun off
[1]The former Waco facility is separated from KNCT as an independent station.
- 1989
Waco facility upgraded to full power
[1]The Waco translator is upgraded into a full-power station that becomes KCTF.
- 1978
Waco translator established
[1]KNCT creates a low-power translator in Waco to improve coverage in an area only marginally reached by the main signal.
- 1970
KNCT begins broadcasting
[1]The Belton-licensed station signs on as a Central Texas College-owned PBS member station serving the western portion of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market.
Products and positioning
A locally licensed Central Texas television station positioned as a commercial CW affiliate, with classic-television and entertainment multicast services supporting its primary network schedule.
Network-affiliated television · 2019
The CW affiliation
KNCT’s primary service carries programming from The CW and serves the western half of the Waco–Temple–Bryan market. The affiliation began when Gray Television relaunched the station commercially on January 2, 2019. Before that change, CW programming had been available through a KWTX-TV digital subchannel. KNCT’s CW role gives the western portion of the market a locally licensed outlet for the network’s entertainment schedule.
Digital multicast television · 2019
MeTV
MeTV is carried by KNCT on digital subchannel 46.2. It replaced the PBS Kids service that had occupied the subchannel during KNCT’s public-television era. The service supplies a schedule centered on older television programming and extends the station’s commercial multicast offering beyond its primary CW service.
Digital multicast television · 2019
Start TV
Start TV is carried by KNCT on digital subchannel 46.3. It was added during the station’s January 2019 conversion to commercial broadcasting, replacing the earlier Create service associated with KNCT’s PBS lineup. The multicast channel complements the primary CW service with additional entertainment programming.
Public television broadcasting · 1970
PBS service
From its 1970 launch until the 2018 shutdown, KNCT operated as a PBS member station owned by Central Texas College. Its educational role included PBS programming and digital multicast services such as PBS Kids and Create. After Central Texas College ended its television operations, KNCT’s license moved to Gray Television and the PBS service was discontinued.
Brand decisions
2019
Conversion from PBS to commercial network affiliationStrategyBackground
Gray sought to reposition KNCT after acquiring the license and to serve the western portion of the market with a separate CW outlet.
Action taken
Gray assumed operations on January 2, moved the transmission plan toward the KWTX tower near Moody, and launched CW programming on KNCT’s primary channel.
Aftermath
KWTX-TV’s former CW digital-subchannel role was replaced by KNCT, while MeTV and Start TV were added to KNCT’s multicast lineup.
2018
Central Texas College decides to end television operationsStrategyBackground
The college faced spectrum-repacking obligations, an estimated share of approximately $1.6 million in relocation costs, and the need to replace KNCT’s original transmitter.
Action taken
The board voted to close KNCT television and later set midnight on August 31, 2018, as the shutdown time.
Aftermath
KNCT ended its PBS service, while Central Texas College continued operating its radio station and broadcasting courses. The license was subsequently assigned to Gray Television.
2018
License assigned to Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
Central Texas College sought an outcome for the license after deciding that continued operation was too expensive. KNCT’s noncommercial status did not prevent a commercial ownership structure because its channel was not reserved for noncommercial broadcasting.
Action taken
The college assigned the broadcast license to Gray Television; the FCC approved the transaction on December 12, and closing occurred on December 17.
Aftermath
Gray incorporated KNCT into its Central Texas station group alongside KWTX-TV and relaunched it as a commercial CW affiliate.
Recent events
- 2019
KNCT relaunches as a CW affiliate[1]
Product launch
Gray Television assumed operations, moved the station’s transmission facilities toward the KWTX tower near Moody, and relaunched KNCT as the CW affiliate for western Central Texas.
- 2019
KNCT changes digital multicast services[1]
Product launch
After its conversion from PBS to commercial broadcasting, KNCT added MeTV on subchannel 46.2 and Start TV on subchannel 46.3.
- 2018
Central Texas College board votes to close KNCT television station[1]
Other
The Central Texas College Board of Trustees decided to close KNCT because spectrum-repacking costs and the need to replace its aging transmitter made continued operation financially impractical for the college.
- 2018
KNCT license assignment to Gray Television reported[1]
M&A
The station’s license was assigned from Central Texas College to Gray Television, allowing Gray to create a relationship with KWTX-TV in the same market.
- 2018
FCC approves KNCT transfer to Gray[1]
M&A · Regulation
The Federal Communications Commission approved the license transfer in December, and the transaction was completed later that month.
Sources2 sources
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