KOAA-TV

KOAA-TV is a television station licensed to Pueblo, Colorado, and serving viewers across the Colorado Springs–Pueblo area. The station operates as an affiliate of NBC and is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, which also owns CBS affiliate KKTV and low-power station KZCS-LD in the market. KOAA-TV’s principal studios and business offices are in Pueblo, while its Colorado Springs presence includes a satellite studio and news bureau in the Tech Center office complex. Its primary transmitter is located on Cheyenne Mountain, and its coverage is supplemented by low-power digital translator K30JM-D in Colorado Springs and additional translators serving communities in southern and southeastern Colorado. The station began broadcasting on July 13, 1953, as KCSJ-TV. Its original owner was Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation, the publisher of Pueblo’s Pueblo Chieftain and Pueblo Star-Journal newspapers and the owner of KCSJ radio. KCSJ-TV was one of the earliest television stations outside Denver and initially shared NBC programming with KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs. In 1960, the Federal Communications Commission consolidated southern Colorado into a single television market. KCSJ-TV responded by moving its transmitter closer to Colorado Springs and became the market’s sole NBC affiliate, while KRDO-TV moved to ABC. In 1962, Metropolitan Broadcasting acquired the station from Star-Chieftain. The station adopted the KOAA-TV call sign in March of that year, reflecting its connection to Metropolitan’s KOA radio and television properties in Denver, although it continued to operate as a separately programmed station. The new ownership enabled technical investment, including the addition of videotape equipment. KOAA-TV became southern Colorado’s first station to provide local programming in color in 1967. Metropolitan later sold the station separately from its Denver properties, and local ownership under Sangre De Cristo Broadcasting Corporation followed in 1968. KOAA-TV encountered significant competitive and technical difficulties during the 1970s. Transmitter and terrain limitations made reception difficult in northern Colorado Springs and surrounding suburbs, just as the Colorado Springs population and advertising market were expanding. The station also faced NBC’s weak national ratings during much of that decade. A major turning point came in 1977, when Evening Post Publishing Company acquired KOAA-TV and appointed former ABC executive John Gilbert as general manager. Under Evening Post’s broadcasting arm, later known as Cordillera Communications, the station expanded its Colorado Springs operations, strengthened its local news service, and developed a clearer presence in both major population centers. In 1980, KOAA-TV launched a high-powered Colorado Springs translator, originally designated K30AA. The improved signal helped address northern-market reception problems, and the station branded itself for many years as “5/30,” referring to its main channel and translator. KOAA-TV also used the “Eyewitness News” format during the period when that branding was common among American local stations. As NBC’s network performance improved, the station’s local operation gained additional momentum. KOAA-TV expanded its news identity in the twenty-first century. It introduced a weekday morning newscast in January 1996, added weekend morning news in 2010, and transitioned from the mixed “NewsFirst” and “Eyewitness News” presentation to the unified “News First” brand in February 2002. The station later adopted “NewsFirst 5” and then “News 5.” Its digital service, now known as News 5 NOW, provides news updates and weather information through a digital subchannel and selected cable systems. KOAA-TV began digital broadcasting in 2006, shut down its analog signal in 2009 as part of the national transition to digital television, and converted its Colorado Springs translator to digital operation in 2010. Its local newscasts moved to high-definition, 1…

KOAA-TV began service on July 13, 1953, as KCSJ-TV, a Pueblo station owned by Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation. The company also published Pueblo’s principal newspapers and owned KCSJ radio, giving the station a local newspaper-broadcasting ownership base. In its first years, KCSJ-TV was one of two full-time NBC affiliates serving southern Colorado, alongside KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs. A major structural change occurred in 1960, when the FCC treated southern Colorado as one television market. KCSJ-TV moved its transmitter toward Colorado Springs and became the market’s sole NBC affiliate. KRDO-TV switched to ABC. The change increased KOAA-TV’s potential reach but also created technical challenges because of transmitter restrictions, mountainous terrain, and the need to protect a station in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Metropolitan Broadcasting purchased the station in 1962. In March of that year, KCSJ-TV became KOAA-TV, taking a call sign associated with Metropolitan’s KOA radio and television properties in Denver. Despite that relationship, the Pueblo station remained separately programmed. Metropolitan’s deeper resources supported technical development, including videotape capability. In 1967, KOAA-TV became the first television station in southern Colorado to air local programming in color. The station was sold again in 1968 to Sangre De Cristo Broadcasting Corporation, a locally based ownership group. During the 1970s, KOAA-TV struggled with signal reception in northern Colorado Springs and with NBC’s weak network performance. The station’s coverage limitations were particularly significant because Colorado Springs was growing faster than Pueblo. Evening Post Publishing Company purchased KOAA-TV in 1977 and installed John Gilbert, a former ABC executive, as general manager. The new management expanded the station’s Colorado Springs facilities, built up the local news operation, and pursued a stronger presence in the two-city market. Evening Post’s broadcast division later became Cordillera Communications. In 1980, KOAA-TV introduced a powerful translator in Colorado Springs. The translator improved service in areas that could not reliably receive the main channel and led to the long-running “5/30” brand. The station also used the “Eyewitness News” identity during the 1970s and 1980s, later moving toward the News First and News 5 brands. The station’s news operation continued to develop in the 1990s and 2000s. KOAA-TV launched a weekday morning newscast in January 1996 and added weekend morning programming in 2010. In 2002, it standardized its newscast branding as News First. The brand became NewsFirst 5 in 2009 and News 5 in 2011. KOAA-TV also developed News 5 NOW, a digital and cable-distributed service focused on news updates and weather. KOAA-TV entered digital broadcasting in 2006. It ended analog transmission on June 12, 2009, while retaining virtual channel 5 on its digital signal. Its Colorado Springs translator was converted to digital operation in 2010. The station began producing newscasts in true high definition and 16:9 widescreen on February 18, 2010. In October 2018, Cordillera announced the sale of KOAA-TV and most of its stations to The E. W. Scripps Company. Scripps completed the transaction on May 1, 2019. KOAA-TV subsequently became part of a broader Scripps station group and a sister station to Denver’s KMGH-TV. It remains an active NBC affiliate with studios in Pueblo, a Colorado Springs bureau, a Cheyenne Mountain transmitter, and a network of digital translators across southern Colorado.

1. 2019Joins The E. W. Scripps Company

   Scripps completed its acquisition of KOAA-TV on May 1.

   Source
2. 2010Moves newscasts to high-definition production

   KOAA-TV began broadcasting its newscasts in true high definition and 16:9 widescreen on February 18.

   Source
3. 2006Activates digital television signal

   The station activated its digital signal on UHF channel 42 while retaining virtual channel 5.

   Source
4. 1996Launches weekday morning newscast

   KOAA-TV began an hour-long weekday morning news program leading into NBC’s Today.

   Source
5. 1980Launches Colorado Springs translator

   A high-powered translator improved reception in northern parts of Colorado Springs and supported the station’s 5/30 identity.

   Source
6. 1977Acquired by Evening Post Publishing

   Evening Post Publishing purchased the station and began strengthening its Colorado Springs presence and local news operation.

   Source
7. 1967Introduces local color programming

   KOAA-TV became the first station in southern Colorado to broadcast local programming in color.

   Source
8. 1962Adopts the KOAA-TV call sign

   Metropolitan Broadcasting acquired the station, which changed from KCSJ-TV to KOAA-TV in March.

   Source
9. 1960Becomes southern Colorado’s sole NBC affiliate

   After FCC market consolidation, the station moved its transmitter toward Colorado Springs and became the market’s only NBC affiliate.

   Source
10. 1953Sign-on as KCSJ-TV

    The station began broadcasting from Pueblo on July 13 under Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation ownership.

    Source

A locally focused NBC affiliate serving both Pueblo and Colorado Springs, with a strong emphasis on regional news, weather, emergency information, and multiplatform coverage across southern Colorado.

• KOAA-TV NBC serviceBroadcast television station1953

  The station’s primary broadcast service combines NBC network programming with locally produced news, weather, public-affairs, and community information content for the Colorado Springs–Pueblo market.

• News 5Local television news2011

  News 5 is KOAA-TV’s principal local-news identity. The operation covers Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and surrounding southern Colorado communities through scheduled newscasts, weather reporting, breaking-news coverage, and digital distribution.

• News 5 NOWDigital television subchannel2004

  News 5 NOW is the station’s digital subchannel service, carrying news updates, weather information, and real-time conditions. It has also been distributed through cable systems serving Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

• K30JM-DDigital translator1980

  K30JM-D is KOAA-TV’s low-power digital translator in Colorado Springs. It developed from the station’s earlier K30AA analog translator and helps extend the KOAA signal within the market.

• 2019Join The E. W. Scripps CompanyM&A

  Cordillera Communications announced the sale of most of its television stations, including KOAA-TV.

  What changed. Scripps completed the acquisition on May 1, 2019.

  Aftermath. KOAA-TV became part of Scripps’s station portfolio and a sister station to Denver’s KMGH-TV, with some shared news resources.

  Source
• 1980Deploy a Colorado Springs translatorStrategy

  The main transmitter did not provide consistently clear reception in parts of northern Colorado Springs and nearby suburbs.

  What changed. KOAA-TV launched a high-powered translator on channel 30 in Colorado Springs.

  Aftermath. The translator improved coverage and supported the station’s long-running 5/30 branding.

  Source
• 1960Move transmitter toward Colorado SpringsStrategy

  FCC market consolidation made the Colorado Springs–Pueblo area a single television market, increasing the importance of serving both population centers.

  What changed. KCSJ-TV moved its transmitter closer to Colorado Springs and became the market’s sole NBC affiliate.

  Aftermath. The move expanded the station’s strategic reach but left some northern Colorado Springs areas with difficult reception because of terrain and signal-protection requirements.

  Source

• 2019Cordillera stations are sold to Scripps

  The E. W. Scripps Company completed its acquisition of KOAA-TV and most stations owned by Cordillera Communications.

  M&A
  Source
• 1980KOAA-TV launches a Colorado Springs translator

  The station began operating a high-powered translator in Colorado Springs, improving reception in parts of the market that had been difficult to serve from the main transmitter.

  Product launch
  Source
• 1962KCSJ-TV changes call sign to KOAA-TV

  Metropolitan Broadcasting acquired the station and changed its call sign to KOAA-TV in March 1962.

  M&AOther
  Source
• 1960Station becomes the sole NBC affiliate in southern Colorado

  Following FCC market consolidation, KCSJ-TV moved its transmitter closer to Colorado Springs and became the area’s only NBC affiliate.

  Other
  Source
• 1953KOAA-TV begins broadcasting as KCSJ-TV

  The station signed on in Pueblo as KCSJ-TV under the ownership of Star-Chieftain Publishing Corporation.

  Other
  Source

1. KOAA-TV