KSAZ-TV

KSAZ-TV is a broadcast television station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, and identified on air as Fox 10 Phoenix. The station operates as a Fox network affiliate owned by Fox Corporation through Fox Television Stations. It is paired with KUTP, a Phoenix independent station affiliated with MyNetworkTV, and the two outlets share studio facilities in downtown Phoenix. KSAZ-TV transmits from South Mountain, a prominent site that has served Phoenix television broadcasters since the station’s launch. The station began broadcasting on October 24, 1953, as the third television station established in the Phoenix area. Its early structure was unusual: channel 10 was initially divided between KOOL-TV, associated with Phoenix radio station KOOL, and KOY-TV, associated with KOY radio. The two operations shared facilities and alternated broadcast periods. In early 1954, the channel gained Phoenix’s ABC affiliation, but the shared-time arrangement ended later that year when KOOL acquired KOY’s interest and converted channel 10 into a full-time operation. KOOL-TV became a CBS affiliate in 1955, linking the television station with KOOL radio and the CBS network. Under the ownership and influence of Gene Autry and Tom Chauncey, the station became one of Phoenix’s leading broadcasters. Its output included local news, public-affairs programming, feature series, and children’s programming, including the bilingual program Niños Contentos. For much of the following decades, the station was known as KOOL-TV and maintained a strong position in local news ratings. Ownership changed substantially in the early 1980s. Gulf United acquired the remaining interests in the television operation after a dispute between Autry and Chauncey, and the station changed its call sign to KTSP-TV in 1982. It subsequently passed through Gulf Broadcasting, Taft Broadcasting, and Great American Broadcasting, later known as Citicasters. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, KTSP faced growing competition from KTVK, whose management recruited senior personnel from channel 10. The station lost ground in local news, and several on-air and management problems contributed to a period of weakness. The call sign became KSAZ-TV in February 1994, reflecting the station’s Arizona-oriented branding. A few months later, its owner, Great American Broadcasting, sold the station to New World Communications. New World then announced that many of its stations would switch to Fox, a move connected in large part to Fox’s newly secured National Football League rights. KSAZ-TV returned CBS programming to KPHO-TV in September 1994 and operated independently for approximately three months before Fox programming began on December 12, 1994. The transition was accompanied by a major expansion of local news, including new morning and prime-time broadcasts. The affiliation change initially created substantial disruption. The temporary independent period, imperfect syndicated-programming choices, and competition from other stations contributed to sharp ratings declines in some newscasts. Fox acquired New World in 1996 and brought KSAZ into Fox’s owned-station portfolio. Over time, the operation adopted a more energetic visual style and developed a broad local-news schedule. By 2020, KSAZ-TV was producing approximately twelve hours of weekday local news programming. The station remains an active Fox outlet focused on Phoenix-area news, weather, traffic, sports, consumer information, and community coverage.

KSAZ-TV’s history began during the expansion of American television after the Federal Communications Commission’s postwar freeze on new station licenses. Phoenix channel 10 attracted competing applications from KOOL, the city’s CBS radio outlet, and KOY, a long-established Mutual radio station. Rather than conduct a lengthy comparative hearing, the FCC approved a shared-time arrangement in May 1953. KOOL-TV and KOY-TV received construction permits and used common facilities while maintaining separate staffs and alternating broadcast periods. Both operations built studios in a former automobile dealership at Fifth Avenue and Adams Street. A test pattern was transmitted on October 19, and regular service began on October 24, 1953. The station initially had no network affiliation. It joined ABC in January 1954, but the two-station arrangement proved temporary. KOOL purchased KOY’s interest in March 1954, with FCC approval following in May. KOOL-TV became the sole full-time occupant of channel 10, while the staff was retained under the enlarged operation. The station announced a CBS affiliation in December 1954, effective June 15, 1955. The change connected channel 10 with KOOL radio’s existing CBS relationship and gave it access to the network’s programming. Under Gene Autry and Tom Chauncey, KOOL-TV became a major Phoenix station. It produced local programs in addition to news, including bilingual children’s content and public-affairs or feature programming. A 1971 attempt by the Valley of the Sun Broadcasting Company to challenge the station’s license was withdrawn after substantial political and public support for the incumbent operation. The ownership partnership later deteriorated. Autry sold part of his interest to Gulf United in 1981, and litigation followed between Autry and Chauncey over alleged mismanagement and control of the company. Gulf ultimately acquired the remaining television interests in 1982. After the transaction closed, KOOL-TV became KTSP-TV, while KOOL’s radio identity was retained separately. Gulf invested in equipment and transmitter improvements. Taft Broadcasting acquired Gulf Broadcasting in 1985, and Taft was reorganized as Great American Broadcasting in 1987. The television holdings were not materially affected by the bankruptcy proceedings involving other Great American subsidiaries in 1993. The station’s competitive position weakened during the late 1980s and early 1990s. KTVK recruited channel 10 news executives Bill Miller and Phil Alvidrez, helping turn channel 3 into a stronger news competitor. KTSP also experienced visible personnel problems and lost ground in local ratings. In February 1994, it adopted the KSAZ-TV call sign, associated with the slogan “The Spirit of Arizona.” After Great American emerged from bankruptcy, KSAZ-TV was sold to New World Communications in May 1994. New World soon announced a broad affiliation agreement with Fox, motivated partly by Fox’s acquisition of National Football League rights and the value of stations with established local audiences. In Phoenix, KSAZ left CBS in September 1994, while Fox remained on KNXV-TV until its contract expired. KSAZ therefore operated as an independent station for roughly three months, using movies and syndicated programming while adding new local-news broadcasts. Fox programming moved to channel 10 on December 12, 1994. The changeover initially hurt ratings because of the temporary affiliation gap, programming choices, and increased competition. Fox acquired New World in 1996, stabilizing the station within the Fox Television Stations portfolio. KSAZ subsequently developed a more visually assertive presentation and expanded its local-news output. From 1999 through 2021, Kari Lake was one of its principal anchors before pursuing political office. In the 2020 period, the station produced about twelve hours of weekday local news. It continues to operate from shared downtown Phoenix studios with KUTP, using a South Mountain transmitter and serving the wider Phoenix market.

• 2020

  Large weekday local-news operation documented

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station was producing approximately twelve hours of local news each weekday.

• 1996

  Fox ownership begins

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Fox’s acquisition of New World Communications placed KSAZ-TV in Fox’s owned-station portfolio.

• 1994

  Station becomes KSAZ-TV and prepares for Fox

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopted its current call sign in February and moved from CBS to Fox late in the year after an interim period as an independent.

• 1982

  Call sign changes to KTSP-TV

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Following Gulf United’s acquisition, the station was separated from the KOOL radio properties and renamed KTSP-TV.

• 1955

  CBS affiliation begins

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KOOL-TV replaced its short-lived ABC affiliation with CBS programming.

• 1954

  KOOL acquires KOY’s channel 10 interest

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The shared-time experiment ended when KOOL-TV became the sole full-time operator.

• 1953

  Channel 10 launches under a shared-time arrangement

  [1]KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KOOL-TV and KOY-TV began broadcasting on October 24, sharing channel 10, facilities, and transmission resources.

A locally focused Phoenix television station combining Fox network programming with an extensive news, weather, traffic, sports, and community-information operation.

• Local television news · 1953

  Fox 10 Phoenix local news

  KSAZ-TV’s principal offering is locally produced news for Phoenix and surrounding communities. The operation includes morning, daytime, evening, and prime-time coverage, supported by reporting on weather, traffic, public affairs, consumer issues, sports, and regional events. Its local-news volume expanded significantly when the station changed from CBS to Fox in 1994 and remained a central part of the station’s identity.

• Network television · 1994

  Fox network programming

  Since December 1994, KSAZ-TV has carried Fox programming in the Phoenix market. The schedule provides national entertainment, sports, news, and special-event content alongside the station’s locally produced broadcasts.

• Digital media

  Digital news and video

  The Fox 10 Phoenix digital operation extends the station’s television reporting through web publishing, streaming, video clips, weather information, breaking-news updates, and other locally oriented content.

• 1994

  Switch from CBS to FoxStrategy

  Background

  New World Communications agreed to move many of its stations to Fox after Fox secured valuable National Football League rights.

  Action taken

  KSAZ-TV ended its CBS affiliation, operated independently while the existing Fox contract at KNXV-TV continued, and began airing Fox programming in December.

  Aftermath

  The transition caused short-term ratings disruption but was accompanied by a major expansion of local news and eventually placed the station within Fox’s owned-station group.

  Source

• 1994

  Expand local-news programmingProduct launch

  Background

  The move to Fox left the station without a traditional network schedule during the transition and created additional daytime and prime-time programming capacity.

  Action taken

  KSAZ-TV introduced new morning and prime-time newscasts and substantially enlarged its news department.

  Aftermath

  Some newscasts initially lost substantial viewership, but local news became the station’s defining programming category over the following decades.

  Source

• 1953

  Accept shared-time operation for channel 10Strategy

  Background

  KOOL and KOY both sought the Phoenix channel 10 allocation, creating the possibility of a prolonged FCC comparative hearing.

  Action taken

  The parties accepted an FCC-approved arrangement in which KOOL-TV and KOY-TV alternated broadcast periods while sharing physical facilities.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement enabled both radio groups to launch television services, but it ended the following year when KOOL acquired KOY’s interest.

  Source

1. 1KSAZ-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Fox 10 Phoenixfox10phoenix.com