KNPN-CD
A low-power Class A Fox-affiliated television station serving St. Joseph, Missouri, and operated by the locally based News-Press & Gazette Company.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KNPN-CD is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to St. Joseph, Missouri, where it operates as a Fox network affiliate. The station is owned by the privately held News-Press & Gazette Company, a local media group whose St. Joseph properties also include NBC/CW+/Telemundo outlet KNPG-CD, CBS affiliate KCJO-CD, the News-Press NOW local news and weather service, and the St. Joseph News-Press newspaper. The television operations and newspaper are based at News-Press & Gazette’s corporate facilities on Edmond Street in downtown St. Joseph, while KNPN-CD’s transmitter is located on South 16th Street near U.S. Route 36, southeast of downtown. The station originated when News-Press & Gazette acquired two low-power digital television licenses from DTV America 1, LLC in March 2012. The company had received Federal Communications Commission approval to relocate the facilities toward St. Joseph and increase their effective radiated power. The channel 26 facility went through several call-sign changes during the transition, ultimately becoming KNPN-LD before later receiving the current KNPN-CD designation. KNPN officially began broadcasting at 6 a.m. on June 2, 2012. Its launch restored a direct television presence for News-Press & Gazette in St. Joseph after the company had sold its cable television holdings, including the local News-Press 3 NOW service, to Suddenlink in 2010. The company subsequently reacquired the local news channel. At launch, KNPN replaced Kansas City’s WDAF-TV as the default Fox service on several St. Joseph-area cable and satellite systems. The station also introduced locally produced newscasts from its own studios, making it one of the smallest-market Fox affiliates in the United States to produce a substantial in-house news operation. Its local programming initially included a late-afternoon or early-evening newscast, a prime-time 9 p.m. newscast, a weekday morning program, and a midday broadcast. The early-evening newscast moved from 5:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in January 2014. KNPN’s news department draws on reporting resources from the St. Joseph News-Press and shares material with News-Press NOW. Its weather presentation uses the station’s Storm Tracker Doppler system and live VIPIR data from regional National Weather Service radar sources. The station does not maintain a separate sports department. KNPN’s digital multiplex has changed as News-Press & Gazette developed a cluster of locally based network affiliates. In 2017, sister station KBJO-LD changed its primary affiliation to CBS and became KCJO-LD. KNPN then carried a KCJO simulcast on its second digital subchannel, while News-Press NOW returned to a reactivated third subchannel. Telemundo programming was removed from KNPN after KCJO ended its Telemundo affiliation and moved to a subchannel of KNPG-LD. The changes formed part of a wider realignment that gave the St. Joseph area locally based affiliates for most of the major U.S. commercial networks. The station’s principal role is as a local broadcast outlet combining Fox network programming with regional news, weather, emergency information, syndicated programming, and digital-multicast content. Its close integration with the newspaper and co-owned television outlets gives News-Press & Gazette a cross-platform local-media presence in the St. Joseph market. KNPN remains an active station, although its low-power Class A authorization and relatively small market distinguish it from full-power network affiliates in larger nearby markets.
History
KNPN-CD was created as part of News-Press & Gazette Company’s re-entry into television broadcasting in St. Joseph, Missouri. On March 14, 2012, the company purchased two low-power digital television licenses, including the facility that became channel 26, from DTV America 1, LLC. Earlier that year, the Federal Communications Commission had approved a construction-permit application to relocate the facilities from the Mound City area to a transmitter site serving St. Joseph and to increase their effective radiated power. The channel 26 facility passed through temporary call-sign changes before settling on KNPN-LD; it later became KNPN-CD as its authorization classification changed. KNPN signed on at 6 a.m. on June 2, 2012. It was the first television station built and launched by News-Press & Gazette in St. Joseph and became the market’s locally based Fox affiliate. Before its launch, many local cable and satellite viewers received Fox programming from Kansas City station WDAF-TV or, in some cases, from other out-of-market services. KNPN’s debut therefore gave the St. Joseph area a dedicated local Fox outlet. The launch also marked News-Press & Gazette’s return to local television after selling its cable properties, including News-Press 3 NOW, to Suddenlink in 2010. The company reacquired the local news service in 2012, allowing the newspaper, television stations, and continuous news channel to operate as a connected local-media group. Local news was central to the station’s identity from its first day. KNPN introduced a 5:30 p.m. newscast on June 2, followed by a 9 p.m. prime-time broadcast. On June 4, it added a weekday morning newscast and a midday program. The early-evening broadcast moved to 5 p.m. in January 2014. The station’s news operation is produced at the News-Press & Gazette facilities on Edmond Street and uses reporting resources from the St. Joseph News-Press and News-Press NOW. Its weather coverage is branded Storm Tracker and incorporates live VIPIR information from regional National Weather Service radar offices. KNPN does not operate a dedicated sports department. The station’s relationships with its sister outlets developed through a series of affiliation and subchannel changes. In August 2016, News-Press & Gazette announced that KNPG-LD would become an NBC affiliate, giving St. Joseph its first locally based NBC service. In 2017, KBJO-LD changed its primary affiliation to CBS and adopted the KCJO-LD call sign. KNPN subsequently carried a KCJO simulcast on its second digital subchannel. News-Press NOW returned to the third subchannel, while Telemundo programming moved to a subchannel of KNPG-LD after KCJO ended its Telemundo affiliation. KNPN also shares selected newscasts with KNPG and KCJO, creating a coordinated local news operation across the group. A notable carriage event occurred in October 2013, when DirecTV removed KNPN and twelve other News-Press & Gazette stations during a retransmission-consent disagreement concerning carriage fees. The stations returned under an interim agreement on October 25. The episode illustrates the station’s dependence not only on over-the-air broadcasting but also on negotiated distribution through cable and satellite providers. Today, KNPN-CD functions as News-Press & Gazette’s flagship television property in St. Joseph. It combines Fox programming with locally produced news, weather, public-safety information, advertising, and digital-multicast services. Its low-power Class A status, local ownership, integration with a newspaper and continuous-news channel, and in-house news production distinguish it from larger-market network affiliates and give it a particularly concentrated community-media role.
- 2017
Digital-subchannel realignment
[1]After KCJO-LD became a CBS affiliate, KNPN moved a KCJO simulcast to its second subchannel and restored News-Press NOW to its third subchannel.
- 2016
Sister station receives NBC affiliation
[1]News-Press & Gazette announced an NBC affiliation for KNPG-LD, expanding the company’s locally based network portfolio in St. Joseph.
- 2014
Early-evening newscast moves to 5 p.m.
[1]KNPN shifted its early-evening local newscast from 5:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- 2013
DirecTV carriage interruption
[1]KNPN was temporarily removed from DirecTV during a retransmission-consent dispute and restored under an interim agreement later in October.
- 2012
News-Press & Gazette acquires the channel 26 license
[1]News-Press & Gazette purchased the low-power digital license that became KNPN from DTV America 1, LLC and received authorization to relocate the facility toward St. Joseph.
- 2012
KNPN signs on
[1]The station began broadcasting on June 2 as a St. Joseph Fox affiliate and introduced locally produced news programming.
Products and positioning
A locally owned, community-oriented Fox affiliate that combines national network entertainment and sports programming with in-house news, weather, and emergency coverage for the St. Joseph area.
Broadcast television station · 2012
KNPN Fox 26
The station’s primary service carries Fox network programming along with local and syndicated content for viewers in and around St. Joseph, Missouri. KNPN is a low-power Class A facility and is distributed both over the air and through selected cable and satellite systems.
Television news · 2012
KNPN local news
KNPN produces local morning, midday, evening, and prime-time newscasts from News-Press & Gazette’s St. Joseph facilities. The operation draws on reporting from the St. Joseph News-Press and shares content with News-Press NOW and sister television stations.
Weather information service · 2012
Storm Tracker
Storm Tracker is KNPN’s on-air weather-radar presentation. It uses a studio-based radar system and live VIPIR data from regional National Weather Service forecast offices to support routine forecasts and severe-weather coverage.
Digital multicast television · 2012
KNPN digital multicast services
KNPN’s digital subchannels have carried programming from News-Press & Gazette’s other local services and sister stations. The configuration has changed over time as the company reorganized its NBC, CBS, CW+, Telemundo, and News-Press NOW affiliations.
Brand decisions
2017
Realign digital subchannels around locally based network affiliatesStrategyBackground
KCJO-LD was preparing to become the St. Joseph CBS affiliate, while the company was also expanding the role of KNPG-LD and coordinating programming across its stations.
Action taken
KNPN moved the KCJO simulcast to its second digital subchannel, restored News-Press NOW to the third, and ceased carrying Telemundo after that programming moved to KNPG-LD.
Aftermath
The changes created a more consolidated News-Press & Gazette network structure for St. Joseph’s major commercial television affiliations.
2013
Resolve DirecTV retransmission-consent disputeOtherBackground
DirecTV removed KNPN and other News-Press & Gazette stations during a disagreement over retransmission-consent carriage fees.
Action taken
News-Press & Gazette and DirecTV reached an interim agreement that restored KNPN and the other affected stations on October 25, 2013.
Aftermath
The interruption ended without a permanent loss of carriage being reported in the cited reference.
Recent events
- 2017
KNPN digital multiplex changes after KCJO CBS launch[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Following KCJO-LD’s move to CBS, KNPN placed a KCJO simulcast on its second subchannel and restored News-Press NOW to its third subchannel, while Telemundo moved elsewhere in the group.
- 2016
News-Press & Gazette expands locally based network affiliations[1]
Product launch
The company announced an NBC affiliation for sister station KNPG-LD, beginning a broader realignment of the St. Joseph television cluster and its shared newscasts.
- 2013
KNPN removed from DirecTV during retransmission dispute[1]
Pricing · Other
DirecTV temporarily dropped KNPN and other News-Press & Gazette stations during a dispute over retransmission-consent fees. An interim agreement restored the stations later that month.
- 2012
News-Press & Gazette acquires two St. Joseph low-power television licenses[1]
M&A · Other
News-Press & Gazette acquired the licenses that became KNPN and a related channel as part of its return to local television broadcasting in St. Joseph.
- 2012
KNPN begins broadcasting as St. Joseph Fox affiliate[1]
Product launch · Other
KNPN signed on June 2, launching a locally based Fox service and in-house local newscasts for the St. Joseph market.
Sources2 sources
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