KTVX
ABC-affiliated television station serving Salt Lake City and a broad regional audience across Utah.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KTVX is a television station serving Salt Lake City, Utah, and surrounding parts of the Mountain West. It operates as an affiliate of the ABC television network and is commonly presented to viewers under the ABC 4 or ABC4 Utah brand. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group and is operated alongside CW affiliate KUCW. KTVX and KUCW share studio facilities on West 1700 South in Salt Lake City, while KTVX's main transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains. The station's lineage reaches back to W6XIS, an experimental television operation that signed on in November 1946 and is generally recognized as Utah's first television station. Regular commercial broadcasting began on April 19, 1948, under the KDYL-TV call sign. The station was initially associated with KDYL radio and began as an NBC affiliate, reflecting the radio station's previous relationship with the NBC Red Network. During its early years, it also carried selected ABC programs while CBS affiliate KSL-TV remained in operation. After KUTV launched as a full-time ABC affiliate in 1954, KTVX's network relationship changed several times before it became an ABC affiliate again in 1960. It has retained that affiliation since the mid-1990s affiliation upheaval. KTVX has used several call signs and ownership structures. It became KTVT in 1954 and KCPX-TV in 1959 after a sale to Screen Gems Broadcasting. United Television acquired the station in the 1970s, and the KTVX call letters returned in October 1975. United Television later became part of Chris-Craft Industries. Chris-Craft's television assets were acquired by Fox Television Stations in 2000–2001, but Fox could not retain KTVX because it already owned KSTU in the same market and federal ownership rules restricted common ownership of highly rated stations. KTVX was consequently transferred to Clear Channel Communications, later known as iHeartMedia, and then to Newport Television. Newport sold KTVX and KUCW to Nexstar in 2012. The transaction closed on December 3 of that year, bringing the two Salt Lake City stations under common ownership. Nexstar's later acquisition of Tribune Media created a regulatory conflict because Tribune owned KSTU, another highly rated Salt Lake City station. Nexstar retained KTVX and KUCW and arranged for KSTU to be sold separately to the E. W. Scripps Company. KTVX's business is built around local news, weather, public-affairs coverage, lifestyle programming, ABC network programming, syndicated content, digital publishing, and regional broadcast distribution. Its local schedule has included Good Morning Utah, Good Things Utah, and On the Record, while its news operation has expanded and contracted over time in response to audience demand and station strategy. The station has also used several digital subchannels carrying multicast networks, including MeTV, Laff, Heroes & Icons, TheGrio, The Nest, Outlaw, Rewind TV, and Antenna TV at different points. Technologically, KTVX was an early adopter in Utah. It was the state's first television station to broadcast a digital signal and among the first ABC affiliates to deliver network programming in high definition. Its local newscasts moved to high definition in 2010. The station ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, retaining virtual channel 4 while transmitting digitally on UHF channel 40. In 2018, its digital frequency changed from channel 40 to channel 30. A large network of translators extends the station's over-the-air footprint beyond the Salt Lake City market and across much of Utah, with additional coverage in neighboring states.
History
KTVX is one of the oldest television stations in the western United States and the oldest television station located in the Mountain Time Zone. Its history began with W6XIS, an experimental station that went on the air in November 1946. The operation moved to regular broadcasting on April 19, 1948, as KDYL-TV. Sid Fox and Mountain Broadcasting Corporation owned the station together with KDYL radio properties. The original studio was known for a sloped floor that made cameras difficult to keep stationary, and the first transmitter was installed atop Salt Lake City's Walker Bank Building. KDYL-TV initially carried NBC programming because its associated radio outlet had a longstanding NBC relationship. It also showed some ABC programming during the period when KSL-TV was a CBS affiliate. In 1954, the station changed its call sign to KTVT. That year, KUTV began full-time ABC service, reducing KTVT's ABC role. In 1959, following a sale to Screen Gems Broadcasting, a television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, the station became KCPX-TV. Its early local output included children's shows such as Hotel Balderdash and Fireman Frank, as well as the horror-film program Nightmare Theater, hosted by Ron Ross. In 1960, KCPX-TV and KUTV exchanged affiliations, making KCPX-TV an ABC affiliate. The station was an early technical leader in Utah: it became the first Utah station to broadcast in color and was among the early ABC affiliates to present network programs in color. The station's call letters changed to KTVX in October 1975 after United Television, then associated with 20th Century Fox, acquired it. United Television later merged with Chris-Craft Industries in 1981. The station became involved in a succession of major broadcast-industry transactions. Chris-Craft's television properties were purchased by Fox Television Stations in 2000, with the transaction finalized in 2001. Fox could not retain KTVX because it already owned KSTU in the Salt Lake City market and federal rules limited common ownership of highly rated stations. KTVX and San Antonio station KMOL were exchanged to Clear Channel Communications for WFTC. Clear Channel later announced the sale of its television group, leading to the transfer of KTVX to Newport Television in 2008. Newport considered selling KTVX to High Plains Broadcasting because of ownership restrictions, but the proposed transaction was altered and KTVX remained with Newport. In 2012, Newport sold KTVX and KUCW to Nexstar. The deal closed on December 3, 2012, restoring common ownership of the two stations and ending the prior joint-sales and shared-services arrangements. Nexstar's acquisition of Tribune Media in 2019 created another ownership issue because Tribune owned KSTU, one of the four highest-rated stations in the market. Nexstar retained KTVX and KUCW and sold KSTU to the E. W. Scripps Company instead. KTVX has continued to develop its local news and digital operations. It currently produces local newscasts together with lifestyle and public-affairs programs. Good Morning Utah expanded in 2010, and the station added or adjusted afternoon and evening news services during that period. Its local news moved to high definition in April 2010. The station was also an early digital broadcaster, transmitting a digital signal in 2000 and delivering ABC high-definition programming ahead of many competitors. Analog broadcasting ended in 2009, and the digital transmitter moved from UHF channel 40 to channel 30 in 2018. The station has operated numerous multicast services. The second digital channel carried the locally oriented Hive TV in 2008, followed by Untamed Sports TV and later TheCoolTV and MeTV. Other multicast changes included WeatherNation, Laff, Heroes & Icons, TheGrio, Rewind TV, The Nest, Outlaw, and Antenna TV. Through more than 100 translators, KTVX extends its broadcast reach throughout Utah and into parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming. In 2021, KTVX became the subject of a widely discussed sponsored-content incident. A team working for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver paid the station to feature the fictional Venus Veil, a supposed sexual-wellness product that was actually a blanket. The stunt was designed to expose the risk that paid promotional material can be presented in a news-like format without prominent disclosure. The episode added a media-ethics controversy to the station's otherwise primarily local broadcast history.
- 2021
Venus Veil sponsored-content incident
[1]A television stunt exposes weaknesses in the disclosure of sponsored material on local television.
- 2018
Digital frequency changes
[1]KTVX moves its digital transmission from UHF channel 40 to UHF channel 30 while retaining virtual channel 4.
- 2012
Nexstar acquires KTVX and KUCW
[1]Nexstar completes its acquisition of KTVX and KUCW from Newport Television on December 3.
- 2010
Local news moves to high definition
[1]KTVX begins producing local newscasts in high definition and introduces a compatible studio and graphics package.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]The station shuts down its analog VHF channel 4 signal as part of the United States digital television transition.
- 2000
Digital broadcasting begins
[1]KTVX becomes Utah's first television station to transmit a digital signal and among the earliest ABC affiliates to air network programming in high definition.
- 1975
KTVX call letters return
[1]United Television restores the KTVX call sign after acquiring the station.
- 1960
KCPX-TV returns to ABC
[1]An affiliation exchange with KUTV makes KCPX-TV an ABC affiliate.
- 1959
Station becomes KCPX-TV
[1]Screen Gems Broadcasting acquires the station, which adopts the KCPX-TV call sign.
- 1954
Call sign changes to KTVT
[1]The station adopts the KTVT call letters as KUTV launches full-time ABC programming in Salt Lake City.
Products and positioning
Local ABC affiliate combining network entertainment and news with Utah-focused reporting, weather, lifestyle, and community programming.
Local television news
ABC 4 News
KTVX's local news operation covers Utah politics, public safety, weather, traffic, community events, and regional issues. The station produces multiple daily news blocks and distributes related reports through its website and digital video channels.
Morning news
Good Morning Utah
A weekday morning program combining local news, weather, traffic, interviews, and community information. Its schedule was expanded during the station's broader local-news expansion in 2010.
Lifestyle programming
Good Things Utah
A weekday local lifestyle and entertainment program focused on interviews, consumer features, food, culture, events, and other topics relevant to viewers in Utah.
Public affairs
On the Record
A Sunday public-affairs program providing a forum for interviews and discussion of civic, political, and community matters in Utah.
Network television · 1960
ABC network programming
KTVX carries programming supplied by ABC, including network news, entertainment, sports, specials, and other scheduled national content, subject to local programming and scheduling decisions.
Multicast television · 2008
Digital multicast services
KTVX operates additional digital broadcast channels that have carried a succession of national multicast networks. Services have included MeTV, Laff, Heroes & Icons, TheGrio, Rewind TV, The Nest, Outlaw, and Antenna TV at different times.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Venus Veil sponsored-content stunt
United States
A Last Week Tonight production team presented the fictional Venus Veil as a sexual-wellness product and paid KTVX to feature it in an interview segment. The product was actually a blanket, and the stunt was intended to examine how sponsored segments can be made to resemble editorial coverage.
Outcome. The incident became part of a national discussion about sponsorship disclosure and the boundary between advertising and news.
- 2005Cindy Sheehan Iraq War advertisement
Salt Lake City
KTVX was among the Salt Lake City stations offered a paid political message by Cindy Sheehan during President George W. Bush's 2005 visit. Station management declined to broadcast it, citing concerns about its potentially offensive content.
Outcome. The advertisement was not accepted by KTVX.
Brand decisions
2012
Acquisition by NexstarM&ABackground
Newport Television placed much of its station portfolio on the market as part of a large-scale divestiture.
Action taken
Nexstar acquired KTVX and KUCW, completing the transaction on December 3, 2012.
Aftermath
The stations became a directly co-owned Salt Lake City television pair under Nexstar.
2010
Expansion of local news programmingStrategyBackground
KTVX sought to increase its local-news presence and broaden its daily schedule.
Action taken
The station expanded Good Morning Utah, added a weekday 4 p.m. newscast, and supported additional news and entertainment programming associated with KUCW.
Aftermath
Some related services were later adjusted or discontinued, including KUCW's 9 p.m. newscast after weak ratings.
1960
Return to ABC affiliationStrategyBackground
KTVX's predecessor had initially carried NBC programming, while Salt Lake City's network affiliations were being reshaped by the launch and expansion of competing stations.
Action taken
The station exchanged affiliations with KUTV and became an ABC affiliate.
Aftermath
ABC affiliation became a defining part of the station's identity and remains in place.
Sources2 sources
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