KTXH
A Houston television station owned by Fox Television Stations and primarily programmed as an independent outlet with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
KTXH is a broadcast television station serving Houston, Texas, on virtual channel 20. The station is owned by Fox Television Stations, a subsidiary of Fox Corporation, and operates alongside Fox-owned KRIV, Houston's Fox affiliate. KTXH and KRIV share studio facilities on the Southwest Freeway in Houston, while KTXH's transmitter is located near Missouri City, Texas. The station began broadcasting on November 7, 1982, as Houston's third major independent television station. It originally used the on-air identity 20-Vision and entered the market during a period when independent stations were expanding rapidly and subscription television was expected to become an important part of local broadcasting. Although an over-the-air subscription service had been considered for the station, those plans were abandoned before launch, allowing KTXH to devote its schedule to advertising-supported programming. Sports became a central part of its early identity: the station carried Houston Rockets basketball and Houston Astros baseball, helping it establish a strong local presence soon after signing on. KTXH's first month was marked by both rapid audience growth and a major construction disaster. The station initially reached a substantial share of Houston viewers, but on December 7, 1982, the Senior Road Tower near Missouri City collapsed while workers were installing an antenna section. Five tower workers died, and the collapse destroyed or damaged KTXH transmission equipment. The station was off the air for 61 days and temporarily broadcast from a facility atop Allied Bank Plaza before returning to the rebuilt tower in October 1983. KTXH continued to compete with established independent station KRIV during the interruption and recovery. The station changed ownership several times during the 1980s. Its original owners sold it and sister station KTXA in Fort Worth to Gulf Broadcast Group in 1984 for a price that was unusually high for stations with such short operating histories. Gulf then sold its entire station group to Taft Broadcasting in 1985. Taft later divested the stations to TVX Broadcast Group in 1986, as the independent-station market weakened and the Texas regional economy deteriorated. TVX's high leverage created further financial pressure, and Paramount Pictures acquired control of TVX in 1989 before obtaining the remaining interest in 1991. Paramount's subsequent combination with Viacom placed KTXH within a large national media organization and gave it a more stable corporate base. KTXH became a charter affiliate of the United Paramount Network, or UPN, when that service launched in January 1995. Its programming increasingly reflected the requirements of a network affiliation, although local sports remained part of its schedule at various times. The station's Houston Rockets relationship ended and returned more than once, while the Astros also moved among local outlets as network commitments and regional sports arrangements changed. Fox acquired control of KTXH through a 2001 station transaction involving Viacom and United Television. The transaction created a Houston duopoly pairing KTXH with KRIV, and KTXH's operations were consolidated into KRIV's Southwest Freeway facility. The station lost some jobs in the move and continued as a UPN outlet until that network was discontinued. In 2006, UPN and The WB were replaced by The CW, but Fox-owned UPN stations such as KTXH were not selected for the new network. Fox consequently created MyNetworkTV, and KTXH became one of its outlets. In practice, the station has primarily operated as an independent station under the My20 Vision identity while maintaining a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation. KTXH began digital broadcasting in 1999 and ended analog transmission on June 12, 2009, retaining virtual channel 20 on its digital signal. On December 7, 2021, it became one of Houston's ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV, transmission sites. In this arrangement, KTXH functions as a lighthouse transmitter for next-generation broadcasts, with some ATSC 1.0 services carried through multiplexes operated by other local stations. Its present role combines local-market television distribution, syndicated and independent programming, MyNetworkTV content, digital subchannels, and advanced broadcast infrastructure.
History
KTXH's history began with applications for a new Houston channel 20 in 1976. The proposed station was initially associated with the emerging subscription-television business, which was expected to offer an alternative revenue model for UHF broadcasters. One applicant withdrew, and a settlement between groups led by Robert S. Block and Sidney Shlenker produced a construction-permit application that the Federal Communications Commission approved on May 19, 1980. The project was linked to KTXA in the Dallas–Fort Worth market and was managed in part by Milton Grant. Construction and launch were delayed by disputes over the local structure of the planned subscription operation and by questions concerning mineral rights under the Senior Road Tower, a tall transmission mast in Fort Bend County. By the time KTXH launched on November 7, 1982, the subscription plan had effectively been abandoned. This left the station with a conventional, advertising-supported schedule and made it easier to secure cable carriage and fill prime-time hours with commercial programming. KTXH opened as 20-Vision from studios on Kirby Drive and rapidly established itself as a serious independent competitor. Sports were central to the station's early strategy. Shlenker held an interest in the Houston Rockets, and KTXH was scheduled to carry a large package of Rockets games during its first season. The Houston Sports Association, then associated with the Houston Astros, also became an investor and brought Astros television rights to the station. The resulting schedule helped KTXH gain visibility and contributed to strong early audience performance. The station's first month was followed by a serious technical and human tragedy. On December 7, 1982, a section of antenna being installed for the Senior Road Tower fell after a hoisting-device failure severed a guy wire. The tower collapsed, killing five workers. KTXH's transmitter and other equipment were destroyed or damaged, and the station remained off the air for 61 days. It obtained replacement equipment and temporarily transmitted from Allied Bank Plaza while the tower was rebuilt. KTXH returned to the reconstructed tower in October 1983 and remained competitive during the disruption. Ownership changed repeatedly as the value of independent television stations rose and then weakened. Gulf Broadcast Group bought KTXH and KTXA in 1984. Gulf sold its entire station group to Taft Broadcasting in 1985, and Taft expanded KTXH's facility. By 1986, however, the national independent-station market was softening and the Texas economy was deteriorating. Taft sold its independent stations to TVX Broadcast Group for substantially less than its original asking price. TVX reduced costs and eliminated KTXH's production unit. The acquisition left TVX highly leveraged, and financing problems eventually brought Paramount Pictures into the ownership structure. Paramount acquired the remaining TVX interest in 1991. Paramount's station strategy gave KTXH a role in the formation of UPN. After Paramount merged with Viacom, KTXH became a charter UPN affiliate in 1995. Its sports relationships became less consistent as UPN programming obligations grew and competing local stations bid for team rights. The Rockets moved away in the late 1990s, returned briefly after an unsuccessful arrangement elsewhere, and left again in 2002. The Astros also moved to another Houston outlet, with the station's network commitments contributing to the change. Limited Rockets and Astros telecasts later returned in a complementary role during 2007 and 2008. Fox's ownership began through a complicated transaction involving United Television, Viacom, and News Corporation. Fox acquired United's UPN stations in 2001, but exchanged KBHK-TV in San Francisco for Viacom's KTXH and WDCA because of ownership and affiliation considerations in those markets. The transaction paired KTXH with KRIV in Houston. KTXH left its Kirby Drive facilities and consolidated operations with KRIV on the Southwest Freeway, a move that produced job losses but established the station's current operating structure. When UPN and The WB were combined into The CW in 2006, Fox-owned UPN stations were generally excluded from the new network. Fox responded by creating MyNetworkTV, and KTXH became one of its affiliates. The station has since been marketed primarily through the My20 Vision identity while functioning largely as an independent outlet with a secondary MyNetworkTV relationship. KTXH launched a digital signal in 1999 and ended analog broadcasting on June 12, 2009, as part of the United States digital television transition. Its digital operation retained virtual channel 20. On December 7, 2021, it became one of two Houston-area ATSC 3.0 transmitters in a multi-station NextGen TV deployment. The station now combines conventional local-market broadcasting, syndicated and network programming, multicast distribution, advertising, and technical transmission services within the Fox Television Stations portfolio.
- 2021
KTXH becomes an ATSC 3.0 lighthouse
[1]The station becomes part of Houston's NextGen TV deployment, transmitting ATSC 3.0 services for the market.
- 2009
Analog transmission ends
[1]KTXH ends regular analog broadcasting on June 12 and continues digitally using virtual channel 20.
- 2006
KTXH joins MyNetworkTV
[1]After UPN closes and Fox-owned stations are excluded from The CW, KTXH becomes an outlet for Fox's MyNetworkTV service.
- 2001
Fox acquires KTXH through a station exchange
[1]Fox Television Stations obtains KTXH from Viacom in a transaction that creates a Houston duopoly with KRIV.
- 2001
Operations consolidate with KRIV
[1]KTXH leaves its Kirby Drive studios and moves its operations into KRIV's Southwest Freeway facility.
- 1999
KTXH begins digital broadcasting
[1]The station starts operating a digital television signal from a newer transmission mast near its existing tower site.
- 1995
UPN launches with KTXH as a charter outlet
[1]KTXH joins the United Paramount Network at its launch.
- 1991
Paramount acquires the remainder of TVX
[1]KTXH becomes fully part of Paramount's station group.
- 1989
Paramount takes control of TVX
[1]Paramount Pictures acquires a controlling interest in TVX after TVX experiences substantial financing pressure.
- 1986
TVX Broadcast Group acquires KTXH
[1]Taft sells its independent stations to TVX amid a weakening independent-television market.
Products and positioning
A locally distributed, Fox-owned Houston television outlet positioned primarily as an independent station, with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation and a history of sports, syndicated, entertainment, and digital broadcast programming.
Broadcast television station · 1982
KTXH channel 20
The station's primary over-the-air television service for the Houston market. It carries independently scheduled programming, syndicated entertainment, local advertising, and MyNetworkTV content under the channel 20 identity.
Television programming brand
My20 Vision
The station's principal consumer-facing identity. My20 Vision emphasizes KTXH's role as an entertainment-oriented, primarily independent Houston station while accommodating its secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation.
Television network affiliation · 2006
MyNetworkTV
KTXH carries programming from Fox's MyNetworkTV service. The affiliation began in 2006 after UPN ended and Fox-owned UPN stations were not selected for The CW.
Digital broadcast transmission · 2021
ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV transmission
KTXH serves as one of Houston's ATSC 3.0 lighthouse transmitters. In this shared-market arrangement, some conventional ATSC 1.0 services are carried through other local stations while KTXH provides next-generation broadcast transmission.
Brand decisions
2021
Participate in Houston's ATSC 3.0 deploymentProduct launchBackground
Broadcasters in Houston developed a shared-market transition to next-generation ATSC 3.0 television transmission.
Action taken
KTXH became one of two Houston-area ATSC 3.0 transmitters and began operating as a NextGen TV lighthouse.
Aftermath
The station expanded its technical role beyond conventional channel programming to include shared next-generation transmission for the Houston market.
2006
Move from UPN to MyNetworkTVStrategyBackground
UPN and The WB were being replaced by The CW, but Fox-owned UPN stations were not selected as charter CW outlets.
Action taken
Fox created MyNetworkTV and assigned KTXH to the service while retaining a primarily independent programming model.
Aftermath
KTXH continued as a Fox-owned Houston station branded around My20 Vision, with MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation.
2001
Transfer ownership to Fox through a station exchangeM&ABackground
Fox acquired a group of UPN stations from United Television, while Viacom owned UPN outlets in markets where Fox already operated stations.
Action taken
Fox and Viacom exchanged stations, leaving Fox Television Stations with KTXH and pairing it with KRIV in Houston.
Aftermath
KTXH consolidated operations with KRIV at the Southwest Freeway facility and became part of Fox's Houston station group.
1995
Join the United Paramount NetworkProduct launchBackground
Paramount was assembling a national broadcast network and owned or controlled a group of stations suited to become initial affiliates.
Action taken
KTXH became a charter UPN outlet when the network launched.
Aftermath
The affiliation shaped the station's schedule and contributed to later changes in the availability of local sports programming.
1982
Adopt conventional commercial broadcasting instead of subscription televisionStrategyBackground
KTXH had been developed during a period of interest in subscription television, but the planned local subscription operation was abandoned before the station signed on.
Action taken
The station launched with an advertising-supported independent schedule, giving it greater flexibility for entertainment and sports programming.
Aftermath
The decision helped KTXH secure cable carriage and use prime-time hours for sports, contributing to strong early audience performance.
Sources2 sources
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