KSEE

KSEE is a television station serving Fresno, California, and the surrounding Central Valley. Broadcasting on channel 24, it operates as an NBC affiliate and is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside CBS affiliate KGPE. The stations share facilities at the McKinley Media Center on McKinley Avenue in eastern Fresno, while KSEE’s transmitter is located on Bear Mountain near Meadow Lakes. The station began broadcasting on May 31, 1953, as KMJ-TV, making it Fresno’s first television station. It was established by McClatchy Newspapers, the publisher of The Fresno Bee and owner of KMJ radio. McClatchy’s combination of the leading local newspaper, radio station, and television station gave the company substantial influence over Fresno’s media market. KMJ-TV initially carried programming from multiple networks and became a primary NBC affiliate. It began transmitting NBC programming in color in 1954 and developed a strong local identity through news, community programming, and the “Teevy” cartoon bee mascot associated with McClatchy’s Fresno media properties. Ownership became controversial in the 1970s. Federal regulators and local challengers questioned McClatchy’s concentration of media ownership in Fresno, while the San Joaquin Communications Corporation, a group of local investors, mounted a prolonged challenge to the station’s license renewal. The dispute lasted more than four years and involved antitrust, cross-ownership, minority representation, technical, and public-interest questions. In 1979, McClatchy agreed to sell KMJ-TV to San Joaquin Communications for $13.5 million in order to avoid further hearings and appeals. The transfer was approved in 1980 and completed in January 1981. The station adopted the KSEE call sign the following month. San Joaquin Communications owned KSEE only briefly. Financial difficulties, the capital requirements of television broadcasting, and the competitive position of NBC at the time led the investor group to seek a sale. Meredith Corporation agreed to purchase the station for $17.6 million, and after objections concerning minority hiring and programming were settled, Meredith assumed control in 1983. Meredith invested in the operation, recruited new management for the newsroom, and relocated KSEE to purpose-built facilities near Fresno Air Terminal. Those studios opened in 1987. In 1993, Meredith sold KSEE to Granite Broadcasting, a New York-based station group. During Granite’s ownership, KSEE expanded its relationships with other local television outlets and supplied programming or sales services under arrangements that changed as local station ownership evolved. The station continued to rely on local news as its principal differentiating service, competing especially with KFSN-TV and other Fresno broadcasters. Nexstar acquired KSEE in 2013 after first purchasing its operating assets and entering into an interim operating arrangement while the license transfer proceeded. The acquisition brought KSEE together with KGPE, the local CBS affiliate formerly known as KJEO-TV. Nexstar consolidated KGPE’s operations into KSEE’s larger facility, renovated the building, and created updated high-definition-capable production spaces for both stations. The building was renamed the McKinley Media Center. KSEE’s principal public-facing activities are NBC network programming, locally produced newscasts, weather and traffic coverage, community-oriented features, and digital content distributed through its website and related platforms. Its brand competes in a regional broadcast market where local news, emergency information, syndicated programming, and network entertainment remain central to audience reach. The station’s long history gives it one of the longest continuous television broadcasting legacies in the Fresno market, although its ownership and operating structure have changed several times.

KSEE traces its history to McClatchy Newspapers’ effort to establish television service in Fresno. McClatchy had applied for television facilities before the Federal Communications Commission’s postwar licensing freeze, and later revised its Fresno proposal to use ultra-high-frequency channel 24. The FCC granted McClatchy a construction permit in September 1952, after which the company converted a former ice arena into studios and built a transmitter on Bear Mountain. A test pattern appeared on May 26, 1953, and the station began regular broadcasting as KMJ-TV on June 1, following an inaugural presentation on May 31. As Fresno’s first television station, KMJ-TV initially carried programs from several networks while developing a primary relationship with NBC. It shared CBS programming locally until another station entered the market. McClatchy connected the television station to its existing Fresno Bee and KMJ radio operations, using a coordinated local-media identity that included the “Teevy” bee mascot. The station moved through several facilities during its early years, including studios on N Street and a later complex near The Fresno Bee’s Van Ness Avenue and Calaveras Street operations. NBC programs began airing in color in 1954. The ownership structure became the subject of increasing regulatory scrutiny. McClatchy controlled Fresno’s dominant daily newspaper, an important radio station, and the leading television station, while also owning television interests elsewhere in California. Critics argued that this concentration limited competition and diversity of viewpoints. When KMJ-TV’s license came up for renewal in 1974, San Joaquin Communications Corporation filed a competing application. The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division also asked the FCC to address McClatchy’s Fresno media combination, citing the company’s large share of local advertising revenue. A Mexican American organization and other community groups raised additional concerns about representation and public service. The FCC proceedings continued through multiple rounds of hearings in Fresno and Washington. The competing parties debated the station’s record of community service, audience performance, ownership concentration, transmitter plans, finances, and the conduct of the license challenge. In 1979, McClatchy chose to sell KMJ-TV to San Joaquin Communications for $13.5 million rather than continue a proceeding that could have required several more years of litigation and appeals. Regulatory approval followed in 1980, and San Joaquin Communications assumed control in January 1981. The station changed its call sign to KSEE in February. The new ownership did not last. San Joaquin Communications faced financial reverses, increased capital needs, and a difficult network position because NBC was then performing poorly relative to its competitors. Meredith Corporation agreed to purchase KSEE for $17.6 million. Community groups challenged aspects of the transaction, including minority hiring and editorial considerations, but settlements enabled the transfer to close in 1983. Meredith strengthened the news operation, changed personnel and management, and pursued a new studio site. A facility near Fresno Air Terminal opened in 1987. Granite Broadcasting acquired KSEE from Meredith in 1993. Granite continued the station’s local-news emphasis and entered into business and programming arrangements with other Fresno broadcasters. KSEE later supplied a newscast for KAIL and participated in arrangements involving the local Pax television outlet, although those relationships ended as ownership and network affiliations changed. Nexstar acquired KSEE in 2013. The company first purchased the station’s non-license assets and operated it under an interim agreement before receiving approval to acquire the license. The transaction made KSEE a sister station to KGPE, the Fresno CBS affiliate acquired by Nexstar from Newport Television. Nexstar moved KGPE’s operations into KSEE’s larger building, renovated the site, and installed shared high-definition production facilities. The building became the McKinley Media Center. KSEE’s news operation has evolved from a very small early staff into a full local newsroom. Early coverage depended heavily on locally gathered material, with national and international footage supplied through newsreel services. KSEE and competing Fresno stations alternated in audience leadership during the early decades. The station was an early adopter of live local reports and later maintained a generally strong second-place position in local news ratings. Its investigative work received national recognition when Dale Julin’s report on a radiation hazard connected to a 1950 military aircraft crash won a Peabody Award. KSEE also pioneered a Fresno 4 p.m. newscast in 2002, later reshaping the program as the lifestyle and news format “We Are Fresno Live.” Today the station combines NBC programming with local television news and digital distribution through YourCentralValley.com.

1. 2013Nexstar ownership begins

   Nexstar acquired KSEE and later consolidated its operations with KGPE.

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2. 2002First local 4 p.m. newscast launches

   KSEE introduced Fresno’s first half-hour 4 p.m. newscast.

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3. 1993Granite Broadcasting acquires KSEE

   Granite purchased KSEE from Meredith.

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4. 1987New Fresno Air Terminal-area studios open

   KSEE moved into purpose-built studios near Fresno Air Terminal.

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5. 1983Meredith takes control

   Meredith completed its acquisition of KSEE and began a new period of operational and newsroom investment.

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6. 1981KSEE call sign adopted

   The station changed its call sign from KMJ-TV to KSEE after the ownership transfer.

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7. 1979McClatchy agrees to divest the station

   McClatchy announced the sale of KMJ-TV to San Joaquin Communications after prolonged license proceedings.

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8. 1954NBC programming begins in color

   KMJ-TV began transmitting NBC programming in color.

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9. 1953KMJ-TV begins broadcasting

   Fresno’s first television station began service as KMJ-TV on channel 24.

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10. 1952FCC grants channel 24 construction permit

    McClatchy received authorization to build Fresno’s channel 24 television station after revising its earlier application.

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A long-established local broadcast news and NBC network outlet for Fresno and California’s Central Valley, emphasizing regional news, weather, public-service information, and local community coverage.

• KSEE 24 local newsLocal television news1953

  KSEE’s locally produced news service covers Fresno and the Central Valley, including breaking news, public affairs, weather, traffic, investigations, and community stories. The newsroom has historically emphasized live reporting and regional coverage while competing with other Fresno television news operations.

• NBC network programmingBroadcast television programming1953

  As an NBC affiliate, KSEE carries the network’s scheduled entertainment, news, sports, and special-event programming for the Fresno market, supplemented by local news and station-produced material.

• We Are Fresno LiveLifestyle and news program2011

  This local daytime format developed from KSEE’s early 4 p.m. newscast. It combined news coverage with lifestyle and community-oriented segments, reflecting the station’s effort to broaden its locally produced programming beyond conventional scheduled newscasts.

• YourCentralValley.comDigital news platform

  KSEE’s website distributes local news, weather, video, alerts, and other station content for audiences in Fresno and the wider Central Valley. It extends the station’s broadcast identity into digital publishing and on-demand viewing.

• 2013Combine KSEE and KGPE operationsM&A

  Nexstar acquired KSEE while also acquiring Fresno CBS affiliate KGPE, creating a shared ownership structure for two major network affiliates.

  What changed. Nexstar moved KGPE’s operations into KSEE’s larger building, renovated the facility, and built shared high-definition-capable studios.

  Aftermath. The facility was renamed the McKinley Media Center, and the stations continued operating as separate network affiliates under common ownership.

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• 1982Sell KSEE to MeredithM&A

  San Joaquin Communications encountered financial difficulties and higher capital requirements shortly after acquiring the station.

  What changed. The investor group negotiated a sale of KSEE to Meredith Corporation for $17.6 million.

  Aftermath. Meredith assumed control in 1983 after objections concerning minority hiring and related public-interest issues were settled.

  Transaction value. $17.6 million (1982 announced sale)

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• 1979Sell KMJ-TV to San Joaquin CommunicationsM&A

  McClatchy faced a prolonged license challenge and continuing scrutiny of its combined newspaper, radio, and television holdings in Fresno.

  What changed. McClatchy agreed to sell the television station to San Joaquin Communications for $13.5 million, while retaining its Fresno radio stations.

  Aftermath. The transfer was approved in 1980 and completed in January 1981. The station changed its call sign to KSEE the next month.

  Transaction value. $13.5 million (1979 announced sale)

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• 1974License challenge and media-concentration disputeControversy

  San Joaquin Communications Corporation challenged renewal of the station’s license, arguing that McClatchy’s simultaneous ownership of The Fresno Bee, KMJ radio, and KMJ-TV created excessive concentration of local media power. The Justice Department and community organizations also raised regulatory or public-interest concerns. The dispute concluded with McClatchy’s sale of the station rather than a finding that KSEE itself had committed misconduct.

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• 2013Nexstar acquires KSEE and combines operations with KGPE

  Nexstar acquired KSEE’s operating assets and subsequently completed the license purchase, creating a Fresno sister-station relationship with KGPE and consolidating the two stations at KSEE’s facility.

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• 1982Meredith agrees to acquire KSEE

  Meredith announced a purchase of KSEE from San Joaquin Communications after the local investor group encountered financial pressure and sought an exit from broadcasting.

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• 1981KMJ-TV changes call sign to KSEE

  After San Joaquin Communications took control of the station, KMJ-TV adopted the KSEE call sign, establishing the identity it continues to use.

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• 1979McClatchy agrees to sell KMJ-TV to San Joaquin Communications

  McClatchy announced an agreement to sell its Fresno television station to the local investor group that had challenged the station’s license renewal. The proposed transaction was intended to end a lengthy regulatory and legal dispute over media concentration.

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1. KSEE
2. KSEE official website