KTVN
KTVN is a CBS-affiliated television station serving Reno and Northern Nevada.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KTVN is a broadcast television station based in Reno, Nevada, and identified on air as channel 2. The station serves the Reno market and surrounding parts of Northern Nevada, providing a combination of locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs coverage, community features, syndicated programming, and CBS network content. Its principal network relationship is with CBS, whose programming forms the core of the station's entertainment and national-news schedule. The station originated in a 1965 application by a group of nine Reno residents. The applicants included Robert Stoddard, then manager of radio station KBET, and Lee Hirshland, a former vice president of KOLO-TV. A construction permit was granted in July 1966 after the application process encountered opposition from established local broadcaster KOLO-TV and a separate objection concerning the proposed transmitter location from radio station KNEV. KTVN ultimately began broadcasting on June 4, 1967, initially as an ABC affiliate. KTVN changed its network affiliation in 1972, becoming the Reno market's CBS affiliate and replacing KOLO-TV in that role. The affiliation change became a defining part of the station's identity and has continued to shape its programming, promotional positioning, and local-news competition. During the 1970s, the licensee also operated or sought to operate KEKO-TV, a satellite station on channel 10 serving Elko. KEKO's operation was interrupted by technical and financial difficulties, including a transmitter and equipment fire. The FCC later authorized temporary use of a KTVN translator on the channel, and KEKO's license was canceled at the licensee's request in 1977. Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. acquired KTVN from Washoe Empire in 1980. The station remains associated with Sarkes Tarzian, a privately held broadcasting company that has owned television and radio properties in several American markets. KTVN's studios are located on Energy Way in Reno, while its primary transmitter is on Slide Mountain in unincorporated Washoe County. The station's coverage and brand are therefore closely connected to the geography of the Reno–Tahoe region and the wider Northern Nevada audience. Local news is a central part of KTVN's offering. The station produces scheduled newscasts and competes with other Reno broadcasters, including KOLO-TV and KRXI-TV. KTVN has historically distinguished its schedule through its CBS affiliation and local reporting, while also carrying the CBS Evening News. The station has not carried a midday newscast, a programming choice that differentiates its lineup from some local competitors. Former on-air personnel associated with the station include Jodi Applegate, Mike Galanos, Tony Kovaleski, Richard Labunski, Kyle Lowder, Rene Syler, and Elizabeth Vargas, although these individuals are not current KTVN executives. KTVN completed the United States' federally mandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009. Regular analog programming on VHF channel 2 ended on June 12, 2009, while the digital signal continued on VHF channel 13 and retained virtual channel 2. Under the SAFER Act, the analog signal remained temporarily available through June 30, 2009, carrying public-service announcements about the digital transition. Today, KTVN functions as an active local television brand whose value rests on its CBS affiliation, Reno-market reach, news operation, broadcast infrastructure, and long-standing recognition as channel 2.
History
KTVN's history began with a December 22, 1965, application for a new channel 2 television station in Reno. The application was submitted by nine local residents, including Robert Stoddard, the manager of radio station KBET, and Lee Hirshland, a former KOLO-TV vice president. The Federal Communications Commission granted a construction permit on July 27, 1966. Before the station could launch, the project faced legal and regulatory obstacles. KOLO-TV attempted to block the permit, while radio station KNEV objected to the proposed transmitter location. Those challenges delayed the launch but did not prevent the station from entering service. KTVN began broadcasting on June 4, 1967. It initially operated as an ABC affiliate, giving Reno another commercial television service while competing with existing local broadcasters. Its original network arrangement changed on May 10, 1972, when KTVN assumed the CBS affiliation from KOLO-TV. The CBS relationship became the station's principal programming and brand identity, linking its local operation to CBS entertainment, sports, news, and public-affairs programming. The station also had a connection to the Elko market during the 1970s through KEKO-TV, a proposed or operating satellite on channel 10. KEKO began broadcasting on April 18, 1973, but was off the air for an extended period beginning in January 1974. It returned in June 1975, but its transmitter and equipment were later destroyed in a fire. In 1976, the FCC granted temporary authority for the licensee to operate a KTVN translator on channel 10 while the future of KEKO was considered. At the licensee's request, the FCC canceled KEKO's license effective March 18, 1977. The channel was subsequently used by other television operations and was no longer a KTVN satellite. In 1980, Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. purchased KTVN from Washoe Empire for $12.5 million. The acquisition placed the Reno station within the portfolio of a privately held broadcasting company with interests in television and radio. Under Sarkes Tarzian ownership, KTVN continued operating from Reno and developed its role as a local CBS affiliate serving the Reno–Tahoe area and Northern Nevada. KTVN's news operation has remained an important component of its business. The station competes with KOLO-TV and other Reno-market broadcasters for local-news audiences. Its schedule has included morning, evening, and late local news, though it has not carried a midday newscast. KTVN has also carried national CBS news programming, including the CBS Evening News, and has used local weather and regional reporting to maintain relevance in a geographically broad market. A number of journalists and presenters who later became known nationally or worked in other major markets previously appeared on KTVN, including Jodi Applegate, Mike Galanos, Tony Kovaleski, Richard Labunski, Kyle Lowder, Rene Syler, and Elizabeth Vargas. The station completed the United States digital-television transition in 2009. KTVN discontinued regular analog programming on VHF channel 2 on June 12, the national transition date, while maintaining its digital signal on VHF channel 13 with virtual channel 2. It continued analog transmission temporarily under the SAFER Act, broadcasting public-service announcements about the transition until June 30. KTVN remains an active Reno television station, with studios on Energy Way and a transmitter on Slide Mountain in Washoe County.
- 2009
Digital television transition
[1]KTVN ended regular analog broadcasting and continued digitally on VHF channel 13 using virtual channel 2.
- 1980
Acquisition by Sarkes Tarzian
[1]Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. acquired KTVN from Washoe Empire for $12.5 million.
- 1977
KEKO-TV license canceled
[1]The FCC canceled KEKO's license at the licensee's request, following operational interruptions and equipment loss.
- 1973
KEKO-TV satellite launches
[1]The associated channel 10 operation in Elko began broadcasting as KEKO-TV.
- 1972
CBS affiliation begins
[1]KTVN became the CBS affiliate for the Reno market, replacing KOLO-TV.
- 1967
KTVN begins broadcasting
[1]KTVN signed on June 4 as an ABC affiliate.
- 1966
Construction permit granted
[1]The FCC granted a construction permit for the proposed Reno channel 2 station after challenges from local broadcasters.
- 1965
Application for a Reno channel 2 station
[1]Nine Reno-area residents filed an application for a new television station, led by Robert Stoddard and Lee Hirshland.
Products and positioning
Local CBS affiliate and Reno-area broadcast news provider
Broadcast television · 1967
Local news
KTVN's local-news operation reports on Reno, Washoe County, Northern Nevada, and the broader Reno–Tahoe region. The offering includes scheduled news coverage, regional reporting, weather, and other locally relevant information. It competes with other Reno-market stations and is a major component of the KTVN brand.
Network television · 1972
CBS network programming
Since 1972, KTVN has distributed CBS programming to viewers in its market. The affiliation connects the station to CBS entertainment, sports, news, and public-affairs programming, including the CBS Evening News, while KTVN supplies the local broadcast infrastructure and market-specific content.
Broadcast information service
Local weather coverage
Weather reporting is part of KTVN's local information service, tailored to the varied conditions of Reno, the Sierra Nevada, and Northern Nevada. It is delivered through local newscasts and related broadcast or digital formats.
Over-the-air television · 2009
Digital television service
KTVN's digital broadcast service uses virtual channel 2 and transmits from the station's Northern Nevada broadcast infrastructure. The station completed its transition from analog broadcasting in 2009.
Brand decisions
2009
Transition from analog to digital broadcastingGeneration changeBackground
United States full-power television stations were required to transition from analog to digital transmission.
Action taken
KTVN ended regular analog broadcasts on VHF channel 2, retained virtual channel 2, and continued digital transmission on VHF channel 13. Its analog signal remained temporarily for transition information under the SAFER Act.
Aftermath
KTVN became a digital over-the-air television service while preserving its familiar channel 2 virtual identity.
1980
Sale to Sarkes Tarzian, Inc.M&ABackground
KTVN was owned by Washoe Empire before the transaction.
Action taken
Sarkes Tarzian, Inc. purchased the station.
Aftermath
KTVN became part of Sarkes Tarzian's privately held broadcast group and remains associated with that ownership.
Acquisition price. $12.5 million (1980)
1972
Switch from ABC to CBS affiliationStrategyBackground
KTVN launched in 1967 as an ABC affiliate. In the early 1970s, the Reno market's network affiliations were rearranged, with KOLO-TV losing CBS to KTVN.
Action taken
KTVN began carrying CBS programming on May 10, 1972, replacing KOLO-TV as the market's CBS affiliate.
Aftermath
The CBS affiliation became a long-term foundation of KTVN's programming and market positioning.
- KOLO-TV — KOLO-TV lost its CBS affiliation and continued operating with a different network relationship.
Sources2 sources
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