KOCO-TV
KOCO-TV is an ABC-affiliated television station serving Oklahoma City and central Oklahoma.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KOCO-TV, channel 5, is a commercial television station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, affiliated with the ABC network and owned by Hearst Television. Its principal studios and transmitter are located on East Britton Road in northeast Oklahoma City, near Historic Route 66. The station serves the Oklahoma City television market and surrounding communities across central Oklahoma through over-the-air broadcasting, digital platforms, its website, streaming distribution, and social media channels. The station began broadcasting on July 18, 1954, as KGEO-TV. Although channel 5 had originally been assigned to Enid, its owners progressively shifted the station’s technical facilities and business focus southward toward the larger Oklahoma City market. A major transmitter relocation to Crescent in 1956 expanded the service area, and a second tower move to northeast Oklahoma City in 1964 completed the station’s physical transition into the Oklahoma City market. The call sign became KOCO-TV in 1958, reflecting the growing connection to Oklahoma City, while the station retained an auxiliary presence in Enid for a period after its formal reassignment. KOCO has been an ABC affiliate since its launch, although its early schedule also included selected programming from other networks. Over time, the station developed a strong local identity through news, public affairs, children’s programming, entertainment, and community coverage. Long-running local programs included Ho-Ho the Clown, which aired from 1959 until 1988, and The Black Review, a public-affairs program associated with Ben Tipton and later hosts. The station also produced Oklahoma Bandstand, The Ida B. Show, Captain Tom’s Popeye Theatre, and local versions of Dialing for Dollars. Several documentaries produced by KOCO received national exposure through ABC. Ownership changed several times during the station’s first decades. Combined Communications Corporation acquired KOCO in 1970 and invested in local programming and newsgathering. During that period, the station adopted the 5 Alive identity and became an early local user of helicopter-based news coverage. Combined merged with Gannett in 1979. Gannett built the current studio facility, expanded the station’s news operation, and introduced the Daybreak morning newscast. Under Gannett ownership, KOCO’s investigative and breaking-news work received national recognition, including Peabody Awards for reporting on Oklahoma juvenile detention facilities and for collaborative coverage of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. KOCO was transferred to Argyle Television in 1997 as part of a broader television-station transaction. Argyle subsequently combined its broadcasting operations with Hearst’s television interests, creating Hearst-Argyle Television. Hearst later reorganized the broadcasting business as Hearst Television, which remains KOCO’s owner. Today, the station’s principal activities are local television news, weather, traffic, sports, emergency information, ABC network programming, digital journalism, and community service. Its brand is positioned as a locally focused broadcast-news outlet with a broad central Oklahoma audience and the resources of a major national television group.
History
KOCO-TV traces its history to the Federal Communications Commission’s allocation of VHF channel 5 to Enid, Oklahoma, in 1952. The Enid Radiophone Company, owner of radio station KCRC, initially sought the construction permit, while Enid businessman George Streets and his Streets Electronics company filed a competing application. The groups ultimately combined their interests, and the station received approval to use the call letters KGEO-TV, referring to Greater Enid, Oklahoma. Construction delays, including high winds affecting the planned transmission tower, postponed the launch. KGEO-TV conducted test broadcasts in July 1954 and began regular programming on July 18. It was an ABC affiliate from the outset. Its original studios were housed in a former Streets appliance-store building in Enid, while the transmitter stood east of the city. The station’s early finances were difficult: revenues fell substantially during its first two years and staffing was reduced. In 1956, it also affiliated with the NTA Film Network, a film-distribution service. Because Oklahoma City was a much larger population center than Enid, the station’s owners pursued a gradual relocation of its technical and operational base. Streets Electronics obtained approval for a new, taller tower near Crescent, south of Enid, despite objections concerning aviation safety. During preparations to move the original antenna in October 1956, the tower collapsed, damaging equipment and requiring a replacement antenna. Full-power operation from the Crescent facility began later that year, substantially improving service to Oklahoma City while retaining coverage of Enid. In 1957, Streets sold the station to Caster-Robison Television Corporation. The new ownership changed the call sign to KOCO-TV on March 1, 1958, and opened additional facilities in Oklahoma City. The station remained formally licensed to Enid for several more years, but its programming, studios, and commercial focus increasingly reflected Oklahoma City. After further ownership changes, the FCC approved the formal reallocation of channel 5 to Oklahoma City in 1963, subject to maintaining an auxiliary studio in Enid. A new transmitter tower on East Britton Road entered service in 1964. KOCO developed a varied local-programming operation. Ho-Ho the Clown, hosted by Ed Birchall, became a prominent children’s program and remained on the air from 1959 until shortly before Birchall’s death in 1988. Other local productions included Oklahoma Bandstand, The Ida B. Show, Captain Tom’s Popeye Theatre, Dialing for Dollars, and public-affairs programming. Ben Tipton joined the station in 1973 as its first African-American on-air personality and the first Black news anchor in the Oklahoma City market. He later created and hosted The Black Review, which continued under various titles after his departure. Combined Communications Corporation acquired KOCO in 1970. During the late 1970s, the station adopted the 5 Alive identity, expanded its local news presence, and became an early Oklahoma City station to use a helicopter for newsgathering. Combined attempted to exchange KOCO for Washington, D.C., station WMAL-TV, but litigation and regulatory complications prevented the transaction from being completed. Combined instead merged with Gannett in a transaction finalized in 1979. Gannett invested in a new 32,500-square-foot studio facility on East Britton Road, opened in 1980, and expanded the news operation. KOCO launched the Daybreak morning newscast in 1981. Its investigative reporting gained national attention through Oklahoma Shame, a multipart report on abuses in state juvenile detention facilities, which received a Peabody Award. KOCO also received a joint Peabody with KFOR-TV and KWTV for coverage of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The station began round-the-clock programming in 1990, although its ratings position remained competitive rather than dominant. In 1997, Gannett traded KOCO to Argyle Television. Argyle later combined with Hearst’s broadcasting division, forming Hearst-Argyle Television. Following Hearst’s later restructuring of its broadcasting operations, the station became part of Hearst Television. KOCO remains an active ABC affiliate serving Oklahoma City and central Oklahoma, with operations spanning broadcast news, weather, severe-weather warnings, public service, digital journalism, streaming, and network programming.
- 1999
Hearst-Argyle ownership structure formed
[1]Argyle’s broadcasting operations combined with Hearst’s television interests, placing KOCO in the Hearst-Argyle group.
- 1997
KOCO joins Argyle Television
[1]Gannett transferred KOCO-TV to Argyle Television in a station transaction.
- 1980
New Britton Road facility opens
[1]Gannett opened a new studio facility at the station’s northeast Oklahoma City tower site.
- 1979
Gannett ownership begins
[1]Gannett completed its merger with Combined Communications and became KOCO’s owner.
- 1970
Combined Communications acquires KOCO
[1]Combined Communications completed its purchase of KOCO-TV, its first broadcast property outside Arizona.
- 1964
East Britton Road tower enters service
[1]KOCO moved to a new transmitter tower in northeast Oklahoma City, establishing its current technical base.
- 1963
Station formally reassigned to Oklahoma City
[1]The FCC approved the station’s reallocation from Enid to Oklahoma City while requiring continued auxiliary service in Enid.
- 1958
Call sign changes to KOCO-TV
[1]The station adopted the KOCO-TV call sign and opened a secondary Oklahoma City studio.
- 1956
Transmitter moves to Crescent
[1]A new high-power transmitter site near Crescent expanded channel 5’s reach toward Oklahoma City.
- 1954
KGEO-TV launches
[1]KGEO-TV began regular broadcasting from Enid on July 18 as an ABC affiliate.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted Oklahoma City ABC affiliate emphasizing breaking news, weather, investigative reporting, public service, and multiplatform regional coverage.
Local television news
KOCO 5 News
KOCO’s local news operation covers Oklahoma City and central Oklahoma through scheduled newscasts, breaking-news reports, investigative stories, public-service segments, and digital video. The operation also supports live coverage during severe weather, public emergencies, elections, and other major regional events.
Weather broadcasting
KOCO Weather
The station’s weather service provides forecasts, radar-based information, severe-weather warnings, and coverage of tornadoes, thunderstorms, winter weather, heat, and flooding affecting central Oklahoma. Weather information is distributed through television, the station website, streaming, and mobile-oriented digital channels.
Children’s television · 1959
Ho-Ho the Clown
Ho-Ho the Clown was a locally produced children’s program hosted by Ed Birchall. It aired on KOCO from 1959 until 1988 and became one of the station’s best-known historic local productions.
Public affairs · 1976
The Black Review
The Black Review was a KOCO public-affairs program created and initially hosted by Ben Tipton. It addressed issues affecting Oklahoma’s Black communities and remained on the station under different titles and hosts after Tipton left in 1977, continuing until 1993.
Morning news · 1981
Daybreak
Daybreak is KOCO’s morning-news format, introduced as an hour-long local newscast in 1981. It extended the station’s daily news schedule into the morning and became part of its continuing local-news portfolio.
Marketing campaigns
- 19785 Alive
Oklahoma City
KOCO adopted the 5 Alive identity for its station and local-news branding during the late 1970s under Combined Communications.
Outcome. The rebrand was associated with an improvement in ratings for a period and established a distinct station identity before later branding changes.
Brand decisions
1997
Transfer from Gannett to Argyle TelevisionM&ABackground
Gannett reorganized its television holdings during a period of industry consolidation and transactions involving other media properties.
Action taken
KOCO-TV was traded to Argyle Television.
Aftermath
Argyle’s later combination with Hearst’s television operations placed KOCO within the Hearst broadcasting group.
1979
Merger of Combined Communications with GannettM&ABackground
Combined Communications sought a larger corporate structure after its proposed exchange of KOCO for Washington station WMAL-TV failed to close.
Action taken
Gannett acquired Combined Communications in an all-stock transaction finalized in June 1979.
Aftermath
Gannett invested in KOCO’s facilities and news operation, including construction of the station’s current studio complex.
1963
Formal market reassignment to Oklahoma CityStrategyBackground
KOCO’s operations had increasingly shifted south from Enid, and the FCC considered Oklahoma City the more appropriate market for a VHF ABC affiliate.
Action taken
The FCC approved reallocation of channel 5 to Oklahoma City while requiring an auxiliary studio in Enid.
Aftermath
The station completed its physical transition into Oklahoma City with the 1964 tower move.
1956
Relocation of the main transmitter to CrescentStrategyBackground
The original Enid transmitter limited channel 5’s reach into the larger Oklahoma City area, while local ownership sought a stronger position in that market.
Action taken
The station secured regulatory approval for a new transmitter site near Crescent and moved to full-power operation there after the original tower collapsed during preparations.
Aftermath
The relocation materially improved coverage toward Oklahoma City and became a major step in the station’s eventual market reassignment.
Recent events
- 1997
KOCO-TV becomes part of Hearst-Argyle Television[1]
M&A
A transaction involving Argyle Television and Hearst’s broadcasting division placed KOCO within the ownership structure that later became Hearst Television.
- 1995
KOCO-TV joins collaborative Peabody-winning coverage of Oklahoma City bombing[1]
Other
KOCO, together with Oklahoma City stations KFOR-TV and KWTV, received a Peabody Award for coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing.
- 1982
KOCO-TV receives Peabody recognition for Oklahoma juvenile-facility investigation[1]
Other
A multipart investigation into conditions in Oklahoma juvenile detention facilities contributed to the resignation of the state agency’s director and earned a Peabody Award.
- 1954
KOCO-TV begins broadcasting as KGEO-TV[1]
Other · Product launch
Channel 5 began regular broadcasting from Enid as KGEO-TV and joined ABC from its first day of operation.
Sources3 sources
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