KTAB-TV
KTAB-TV is a CBS- and Telemundo-affiliated television station serving Abilene and the Big Country region of Texas.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KTAB-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Abilene, Texas, where it broadcasts on digital channel 32. The station is primarily affiliated with CBS and also carries Telemundo programming on a digital subchannel. Its service area covers Abilene and communities across the wider Big Country region of West Central Texas. KTAB-TV is owned by Nexstar Media Group and is operated alongside NBC affiliate KRBC-TV. Nexstar's local station portfolio also includes Fox affiliate KXVA, which is associated with Tegna's ownership interests in the market according to the cited reference material. The station was created to provide Abilene with a full-time CBS affiliate. Big Country TV Inc., a group led primarily by Bill Terry, then the general manager of existing station KRBC-TV, applied to the Federal Communications Commission in March 1978 for permission to construct a UHF station on channel 32. The FCC approved the construction permit in March 1979. At the time, CBS programming was not consistently available locally because KTXS-TV in Sweetwater was dividing its schedule between CBS and ABC while favoring ABC, and cable viewers often relied on Dallas station KDFW-TV for the full CBS lineup. KTAB-TV therefore entered the market with a strong network-programming proposition, including access to nationally popular CBS programs and Dallas Cowboys football broadcasts. KTAB-TV began broadcasting on October 6, 1979, becoming Abilene's third commercial television station. Terry recruited several experienced personnel from KRBC-TV, including veteran news director Larry Fitzgerald and sportscaster and anchor Bob Bartlett. The station's local news operation developed rapidly. KRBC had initially dominated Abilene news viewing, at one point drawing approximately four-fifths of the market's audience, but KTAB-TV moved ahead by 1983. By the middle of the 1980s, it had become the market's leading news station and one of the strongest-performing CBS affiliates in the United States. Its 10 p.m. newscast reportedly achieved a 52 percent audience share in 1985, while its noon and early-evening broadcasts also led their respective time periods. Ownership changed several times during the station's first two decades. International Broadcasting Corporation acquired KTAB-TV in 1984, followed by Shamrock Broadcasting in 1986. Shamrock, associated with Roy E. Disney, retained the station for roughly eleven years. The company attempted to sell KTAB-TV during the 1990s, and the station ultimately passed to ShootingStar Inc., controlled by Diane Sutter, with Alta Communications acquiring a majority interest. Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased KTAB-TV from Alta Communications and ShootingStar in 1999. Under Nexstar, KTAB-TV continued to operate a prominent local-news service, although competition from KTXS-TV intensified, particularly in morning programming, younger demographics and total-day viewing. In 2003, Nexstar acquired the operating assets of KRBC-TV while Mission Broadcasting assumed the station's license and entered into agreements under which Nexstar provided substantial operational services. KTAB-TV and KRBC-TV were subsequently brought together operationally, and KTAB-TV moved into KRBC-TV's South 14th Street facilities in 2004. The shared operation has included centralized news leadership and selected back-office functions while the stations have maintained distinct network identities and newscasts. KTAB-TV expanded its digital offering in 2014 by adding Telemundo programming to subchannel 32.2. The station's transmitter is located along Texas State Highway 36 in neighboring Callahan County, while its studios are in western Abilene. Its current business model combines CBS network programming, Spanish-language Telemundo service, local news, weather and sports coverage, syndicated content and digital publishing under the BigCountryHomepage.com brand.
History
KTAB-TV was established to address a gap in Abilene's local television market. In March 1978, Big Country TV Inc., a group led by KRBC-TV general manager Bill Terry, applied to build a station on UHF channel 32. The FCC approved the construction permit in March 1979, and the group announced that the new station would carry the full CBS schedule. CBS was an attractive affiliation because KTXS-TV, based in Sweetwater, had increasingly emphasized ABC, while cable systems often imported Dallas CBS affiliate KDFW-TV for network programming. The station signed on October 6, 1979. It recruited experienced personnel from KRBC-TV, including longtime news professional Larry Fitzgerald as its first news director and sportscaster Bob Bartlett as an anchor. KTAB's CBS affiliation gave it immediate access to nationally popular programming and Dallas Cowboys football, helping it establish an audience quickly. Its local news operation also gained momentum. KRBC initially held a commanding share of Abilene news viewing, but KTAB overtook it by 1983. After International Broadcasting Corporation acquired the station in 1984, KTAB's ratings continued to rise. In 1985, its 10 p.m. newscast recorded a reported 52 percent share, placing the station among the most successful CBS affiliates in the country by the cited industry comparison. Shamrock Broadcasting acquired KTAB in 1986. The station remained the local-news leader during Shamrock's ownership, although KTXS-TV gradually strengthened its position among younger viewers and in selected dayparts. Shamrock announced plans to sell the station in 1990, but the transaction took several years. In the mid-1990s, KTAB became Shamrock's last remaining broadcast property. The company again marketed the station after corporate circumstances connected with The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ABC created an ownership-cap issue. ShootingStar Inc., led by former Shamrock television executive Diane Sutter, acquired the station, and Alta Communications later took an 81 percent interest. Nexstar Broadcasting Group bought KTAB-TV in 1999. The station continued to lead in important evening-news time slots, but competition from KTXS increased in mornings, total-day viewing and commercially valuable younger demographics. Nexstar expanded its relationship with Abilene's other major television station in 2003 by acquiring KRBC-TV's non-license assets. Mission Broadcasting retained KRBC's license and entered into operating agreements with Nexstar. The stations shared a news director while retaining separate anchors and reporters, and KTAB moved into KRBC-TV's South 14th Street facility in 2004. Nexstar also centralized selected traffic and scheduling functions for nearby San Angelo operations in Abilene. KTAB added Telemundo to digital subchannel 32.2 in 2014. The station now combines CBS network service, Spanish-language Telemundo programming, local news and information, weather, sports, advertising and digital publishing. Its studios are shared with KRBC-TV in western Abilene, while its transmitter is located in Callahan County along Texas State Highway 36.
- 2014
Telemundo subchannel launched
[1]Telemundo was added to KTAB-TV's digital subchannel 32.2.
- 2004
Move to shared KRBC facilities
[1]KTAB moved its studios to KRBC-TV's South 14th Street facility as the two stations expanded shared operations.
- 1999
Nexstar acquisition
[1]Nexstar Broadcasting Group purchased KTAB-TV from Alta Communications and ShootingStar Inc.
- 1995
UPN secondary affiliation added
[1]KTAB began carrying UPN programming as a secondary affiliation.
- 1986
Shamrock Broadcasting ownership
[1]Shamrock Broadcasting purchased the station.
- 1984
International Broadcasting Corporation ownership
[1]International Broadcasting Corporation acquired KTAB-TV.
- 1983
Local-news leadership achieved
[1]KTAB moved ahead of KRBC in local-news viewership.
- 1979
Station launches
[1]KTAB-TV began broadcasting on October 6 as Abilene's third commercial television station and a full-time CBS affiliate.
- 1978
Construction application filed
[1]Big Country TV Inc. applied to the FCC to construct a new Abilene television station on UHF channel 32.
Products and positioning
A locally focused network-affiliated broadcast station serving the Abilene and Big Country market, with a historic emphasis on strong local news, weather and sports coverage and a secondary Spanish-language Telemundo service.
Broadcast television · 1979
KTAB-TV CBS service
The station's primary service on channel 32 carries CBS network programming along with locally produced news, weather and sports coverage, syndicated programs and commercial content for the Abilene market.
Digital multicast television · 2014
KTAB-TV Telemundo 32.2
KTAB's digital subchannel 32.2 carries Telemundo programming, extending the station's over-the-air service to Spanish-speaking audiences in the Abilene and Big Country region.
Digital news platform
BigCountryHomepage.com
The station's associated website provides locally oriented news, weather, sports, video and community information, complementing KTAB-TV's broadcast output.
Brand decisions
2014
Telemundo digital expansionProduct launchBackground
The station had an opportunity to use its digital multiplex to add another network service after a previous low-power Telemundo outlet left the affiliation.
Action taken
KTAB added Telemundo programming to digital subchannel 32.2.
Aftermath
The move broadened KTAB's over-the-air programming portfolio and added Spanish-language service to the market.
2003
Expanded operating relationship with KRBC-TVStrategyBackground
Nexstar sought operating efficiencies after acquiring the non-license assets of KRBC-TV, while Mission Broadcasting retained KRBC's license.
Action taken
The stations entered shared-services and joint-sales arrangements, including common news leadership and centralized selected operational functions.
Aftermath
KTAB and KRBC continued with separate network identities and news personnel while sharing facilities and selected resources.
1979
Commitment to a full CBS scheduleStrategyBackground
CBS programming was not consistently available from the existing local station, while cable viewers often relied on an imported Dallas station.
Action taken
The new channel 32 station launched as a full-time CBS affiliate.
Aftermath
The affiliation gave KTAB immediate access to a major network lineup and helped accelerate audience growth after launch.
Sources2 sources
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