KOLR
KOLR is a CBS-affiliated television station serving Springfield and southwest Missouri.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KOLR is a television station licensed to Springfield, Missouri, and affiliated with the CBS network. It broadcasts on virtual channel 10 and serves the Springfield–Branson television market, with coverage extending across much of southwest Missouri and portions of northwest Arkansas. The station is owned by Mission Broadcasting and operated by Nexstar Media Group through a local marketing agreement. KOLR shares studio facilities on East Division Street in Springfield with Nexstar-operated sister stations KRBK, a Fox affiliate on channel 49, and KOZL-TV, an independent station on channel 27 that carries MyNetworkTV programming in some periods. KOLR's transmitter is located on Switchgrass Road north of Fordland, Missouri. The station began broadcasting on March 15, 1953, as KTTS-TV. It was founded by Independent Broadcasting Company, the owner of Springfield radio stations KTTS and KTTS-FM, and became the third television station to begin operation in Missouri. The station signed on shortly before KYTV, Springfield's channel 3 station, and has remained the market's CBS affiliate since its launch. Its early programming combined CBS and DuMont network material with locally produced news. Don Meyer presented the station's first local newscast on March 29, 1953. KOLR initially operated from expanded facilities in the Chamber of Commerce Building in downtown Springfield. Its owners later developed a dedicated television facility on East Division Street. A new tower completed in 1956 increased the station's effective radiated power, and a larger studio complex was occupied in 1959. The station subsequently pursued a much taller transmitting structure to broaden its regional reach. A 2,000-foot tower near Fordland entered service in 1973, improving coverage into communities east and west of Springfield and adding viewers in parts of southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The KOLR name dates from November 29, 1971. Independent Broadcasting retained the television station when it sold the KTTS radio properties, but the radio buyer retained the KTTS call sign. The television station therefore adopted KOLR, a call sign associated with color television. Despite its strong CBS programming position and broad signal, KOLR historically faced a powerful local-news competitor in KYTV. KOLR briefly overtook KYTV in selected Springfield metropolitan ratings in 1993, including the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts in the five-county metro area, but KYTV later regained its customary lead. KOLR has generally remained a significant local broadcaster while ranking behind KYTV in local-news audience measurements. Ownership and operating arrangements changed during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Cooper family, which had controlled the station through Independent Broadcasting, agreed to sell it in 1998. The buyer became VHR Broadcasting, following a name change from U.S. Broadcasting, and the transaction closed at a reported price of $55.9 million. In 1999, KOLR assumed operational control of KDEB-TV, then the area's Fox affiliate, through joint sales and shared-services arrangements. These agreements combined portions of the stations' sales, production, and promotional operations at KOLR's facilities. In 2003, Mission Broadcasting acquired KOLR while Nexstar acquired KDEB-TV's owner, Quorum Broadcasting. Nexstar subsequently became KOLR's operator. KOLR completed its transition to digital-only broadcasting in April 2009. Today, KOLR combines CBS network programming with local news, weather, sports, public-affairs coverage, syndicated material, and digital publishing through the OzarksFirst.com platform. Its identity is built around regional service to the Ozarks, including Springfield, Branson, and surrounding communities. The station's operations are part of a broader shared-market structure in which Mission owns the license while Nexstar supplies management, operational, and technology resources.
History
KOLR traces its history to Independent Broadcasting Company, the owner of Springfield radio stations KTTS and KTTS-FM. On July 25, 1952, the company applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to construct a television station on channel 10 in Springfield. The FCC granted the construction permit on October 9 of that year. Independent Broadcasting expanded its downtown radio premises so that the television operation could share the building during its formative period, while also arranging network affiliations with CBS and the DuMont Television Network. KTTS-TV went on the air on March 15, 1953. It became the third television station in Missouri, following stations in Kansas City and St. Louis, and began broadcasting approximately one week before Springfield's channel 3 station, KYTV. The station initially relied heavily on filmed network material. Its first local newscast followed on March 29, presented by news editor Don Meyer. Independent Broadcasting soon planned a dedicated facility and transmission site. A new tower completed in 1956 raised the station's power to the high-VHF maximum then available, while construction of a dedicated studio building progressed during the late 1950s. The facility was occupied in 1959. In 1971, Independent Broadcasting agreed to sell its radio stations to Springfield Great Empire Broadcasting, an affiliate of KFDI in Wichita, Kansas. Because the radio properties retained the KTTS call sign, the television station adopted KOLR on November 29, 1971. The new call letters were associated with the station's color-television identity. KOLR later sought to enlarge its service area with a 2,000-foot tower near Fordland. The structure began operating on October 10, 1973, and improved reception across parts of southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. The expanded signal did not, however, eliminate KOLR's competitive disadvantage in local news, where KYTV was the long-established market leader. KOLR experienced a notable ratings improvement in 1993, when it defeated KYTV in portions of the Springfield metropolitan area at both 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. The result was widely noted in local media because KYTV had dominated the market for many years. KOLR's advantage was temporary; KYTV regained a substantial lead within several years, although KOLR continued to compete effectively in selected time periods and remained a major CBS network outlet. The Cooper family, which had been associated with the station since the radio operation's founding, chose to sell rather than transfer the business to the next generation. A proposed transaction involving U.S. Broadcasting was restructured after the company changed its name to VHR Broadcasting. VHR assumed control in 1998–1999, and the reported purchase price was $55.9 million. On February 18, 1999, KOLR began operating KDEB-TV under joint sales and shared-services arrangements. The stations consolidated selected sales, production, and promotional functions at KOLR's Division Street facilities. In 2003, Mission Broadcasting acquired KOLR. During the same period, Nexstar Broadcasting Group acquired Quorum Broadcasting, which owned KDEB-TV. Nexstar consequently became KOLR's operating partner, a relationship that continued through a local marketing agreement. KOLR, KDEB-TV—later known as KOZL-TV—and KRBK came to share Springfield production and studio resources while retaining distinct station identities and network roles. KOLR transitioned to digital-only transmission in April 2009. Its modern operation combines CBS programming with local news, weather, sports, public-affairs content, syndicated programming, and online reporting through OzarksFirst.com. The station's enduring role is that of a locally focused CBS affiliate with a broad regional signal, operating within the ownership and management structure common to many American television markets in which a license owner and a larger station group divide ownership and day-to-day operations.
- 2009
Digital-only broadcasting
[1]KOLR completed its transition from analog to digital television broadcasting.
- 2003
Mission ownership and Nexstar operation
[1]Mission Broadcasting acquired KOLR, while Nexstar became its operator in connection with the acquisition of KDEB-TV's owner.
- 1999
Shared operations with KDEB-TV begin
[1]KOLR assumed operating responsibilities for KDEB-TV under joint sales and shared-services agreements.
- 1993
KOLR briefly leads selected local-news ratings
[1]KOLR surpassed KYTV in selected Springfield metropolitan newscast measurements, though the advantage did not persist.
- 1973
Fordland tower enters service
[1]A 2,000-foot transmitting tower near Fordland expanded KOLR's reach across additional parts of the Ozarks.
- 1971
Call sign changes to KOLR
[1]The television station adopted the KOLR call letters after the KTTS radio properties were sold.
- 1956
High-power transmission tower activated
[1]A new tower increased the station's power and strengthened its regional broadcast coverage.
- 1953
KTTS-TV launches
[1]KTTS-TV began broadcasting on March 15, establishing the station that would later become KOLR.
- 1952
FCC construction permit granted
[1]The FCC approved Independent Broadcasting Company's application to build a television station on channel 10 in Springfield, Missouri.
Products and positioning
A regional broadcast-news and CBS network station serving the Ozarks, with emphasis on local news, weather, community information, and broad over-the-air coverage.
Local television news · 1953
KOLR 10 Local News
KOLR's local-news operation reports on Springfield, the surrounding Ozarks, and communities across southwest Missouri. Its output includes scheduled newscasts, breaking-news coverage, regional reporting, interviews, and public-interest stories. Local news has historically been an important competitive focus for the station, particularly against Springfield's long-established KYTV.
Network television · 1953
CBS programming
KOLR has been Springfield's CBS affiliate since it first signed on as KTTS-TV in 1953. The network schedule forms the station's principal national programming offering and is complemented by locally produced news, weather, sports, and public-affairs content.
Digital news
OzarksFirst.com
OzarksFirst.com is KOLR's digital news and video platform. It extends the station's broadcast coverage through online articles, weather information, video reports, breaking-news updates, and other regional content for audiences in the Ozarks.
Brand decisions
2009
Transition to digital televisionGeneration changeBackground
The United States television industry was moving from analog broadcasting to digital transmission.
Action taken
KOLR discontinued analog broadcasting and operated as a digital-only station from April 2009.
Aftermath
The station continued its CBS and local programming through digital transmission and its associated subchannel structure.
1999
Shared-services arrangement with KDEB-TVStrategyBackground
KOLR and KDEB-TV operated in the same Springfield market and had complementary strengths in programming and sales.
Action taken
KOLR assumed operational control of KDEB-TV through joint sales and shared-services agreements, combining selected sales, production, and promotional resources.
Aftermath
The stations shared facilities and operational functions while continuing to broadcast under separate station identities.
1971
Adoption of the KOLR identityStrategyBackground
The station's radio owners sold the KTTS radio properties, which retained the KTTS call sign.
Action taken
The television station changed its call letters from KTTS-TV to KOLR on November 29, 1971.
Aftermath
KOLR became the station's continuing broadcast identity while preserving its CBS affiliation.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kolr · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled