KUBD
KUBD is a CBS-affiliated television station serving Ketchikan, Alaska.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
KUBD is a television station serving Ketchikan, Alaska, on channels 2 and 5. The station is affiliated with CBS and is owned by Gray Media. It operates as a full-time satellite of KYEX-LD, a Juneau-licensed station on channel 5, extending that station's programming to the Ketchikan market. KUBD's transmitter is located in downtown Ketchikan, and its over-the-air digital signal is carried on channel 13. Local cable viewers can receive the station on channel 4 through GCI and KPU CommVision; KPU CommVision is operated by the City of Ketchikan. The station began broadcasting on April 1, 1995, under the call sign KNEB-TV. Its original analog operation used channel 4, and it initially carried programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. In 1998, the station adopted the KUBD call sign and changed its primary affiliation to Pax, the network later known as Ion Television. KUBD joined CBS in 2000 while retaining a secondary Pax affiliation for a period. This sequence made the station part of the changing network landscape in smaller Alaska markets, where a single outlet could combine a major-network affiliation with additional syndicated or secondary-network programming. KUBD introduced a digital signal in early 2006 on channel 13. It retained channel 13 after the 2009 digital television transition, even though its legacy analog service had operated on channel 4. The station's digital operation is multiplexed and provides the technical platform for its current service to the Ketchikan area. Ownership changed hands during the 2010s. On December 9, 2013, Ketchikan TV filed to sell KUBD, together with KTNL-TV in Sitka and KXLJ-LD in Juneau, to Denali Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Alaska cable operator GCI. The transaction was completed on July 28, 2014. Under Denali, KUBD became part of a group that also included Juneau NBC affiliate KATH-LD, its Sitka satellite KSCT-LP, and Anchorage CBS affiliate KTVA. In 2020, Gray Television announced an agreement to purchase KUBD and four other stations from Denali Media Holdings. KUBD is now part of Gray Media's station portfolio. KUBD's principal offering is broadcast television rather than a consumer product line: CBS network programming, locally relevant station service, and the retransmission of its affiliated station's schedule for viewers in and around Ketchikan. Its brand value is therefore tied to local availability, network affiliation, terrestrial transmission, and carriage by regional cable systems. The station remains an active local broadcast outlet, although its programming role is closely integrated with KYEX-LD as a full-time satellite.
History
KUBD began broadcasting in Ketchikan on April 1, 1995, as KNEB-TV. The station operated on analog channel 4 and initially carried programming from the Trinity Broadcasting Network. In 1998, it changed its call sign to KUBD and moved to the Pax network, which was subsequently renamed Ion Television. The station joined CBS in 2000, although it continued to carry Pax programming as a secondary affiliation for some time. The station expanded into digital broadcasting in early 2006, launching a digital signal on channel 13. KUBD retained that digital channel during the 2009 transition from analog to digital television. Its transmitter is located in downtown Ketchikan. The station's digital signal is multiplexed, and its service is also distributed by local cable systems. GCI and KPU CommVision carry KUBD on channel 4; KPU CommVision is owned by the City of Ketchikan. KUBD's ownership changed in the 2010s. On December 9, 2013, Ketchikan TV filed to sell the station, along with Sitka station KTNL-TV and Juneau low-power station KXLJ-LD, to Denali Media Holdings. Denali was a subsidiary of GCI, an Alaska cable provider. The transaction closed on July 28, 2014. The acquisition placed KUBD alongside KATH-LD, an NBC affiliate in Juneau, its Sitka satellite KSCT-LP, and Anchorage CBS affiliate KTVA within Denali's Alaska broadcast group. In 2020, Gray Television announced that it would acquire KUBD and four other stations from Denali Media Holdings. The transaction moved KUBD into the Gray station portfolio and aligned the Ketchikan outlet with a larger U.S. broadcast group. KUBD currently functions as a CBS-affiliated station and a full-time satellite of KYEX-LD, which is licensed to Juneau and broadcasts on channel 5. This arrangement allows the Ketchikan market to receive the CBS service associated with the Southeast Alaska operation while maintaining local transmission facilities in Ketchikan. KUBD's history reflects the typical evolution of a small-market American television outlet: launch under an independent local identity, changes in network affiliation, conversion from analog to digital transmission, consolidation into a regional station group, and eventual ownership by a national broadcaster. Its principal role is to deliver CBS and associated station programming to viewers in Ketchikan through over-the-air digital transmission and local cable carriage.
- 2020
Gray Television announces acquisition
[1]Gray Television announces plans to purchase KUBD and four other Denali Media Holdings stations.
- 2014
Denali Media Holdings acquisition closes
[1]Denali Media Holdings completes its purchase of KUBD and related Alaska stations on July 28.
- 2009
Digital transition completed
[1]KUBD remains on digital channel 13 following the U.S. digital television transition.
- 2006
Digital signal launches
[1]KUBD begins digital broadcasting on channel 13.
- 2000
KUBD joins CBS
[1]KUBD becomes a CBS affiliate while retaining a secondary Pax affiliation for a period.
- 1998
Station adopts the KUBD call sign
[1]The station changes its call letters from KNEB-TV to KUBD and becomes affiliated with Pax.
- 1995
KNEB-TV begins broadcasting
[1]The station signs on April 1 as KNEB-TV, operating on analog channel 4 in Ketchikan and carrying Trinity Broadcasting Network programming.
Products and positioning
A local CBS television outlet for Ketchikan, integrated with the Southeast Alaska station operations of its affiliated Juneau-licensed service.
Television broadcasting · 2000
KUBD CBS service
KUBD's primary service is CBS-affiliated television broadcasting for Ketchikan and surrounding Southeast Alaska viewers. The station operates as a full-time satellite of KYEX-LD, a Juneau-licensed channel 5 station, and distributes the affiliated schedule through its local digital transmitter and cable carriage.
Digital broadcasting · 2006
KUBD digital television signal
KUBD's digital transmission began in early 2006 on channel 13 and continued on that channel after the 2009 analog-to-digital transition. The signal is transmitted from downtown Ketchikan and is multiplexed for digital television delivery.
Cable television distribution
KUBD cable service
KUBD is distributed on cable channel 4 by GCI and KPU CommVision. This carriage complements the station's over-the-air digital service and provides a principal means of receiving the CBS affiliate in Ketchikan.
Brand decisions
2020
Planned acquisition by Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
Denali Media Holdings announced the sale of KUBD and four other stations to a larger national broadcaster.
Action taken
Gray Television announced that it would purchase KUBD and the other stations.
Aftermath
KUBD became part of Gray Media's station portfolio.
2014
Sale to Denali Media HoldingsM&ABackground
Ketchikan TV sought to transfer KUBD and related Alaska stations to a regional media company affiliated with GCI.
Action taken
Denali Media Holdings completed the acquisition of KUBD on July 28, 2014.
Aftermath
KUBD became part of Denali's Alaska station group alongside outlets in Juneau, Sitka, and Anchorage.
2006
Launch of digital broadcastingProduct launchBackground
The U.S. television industry was transitioning from analog transmission to digital broadcasting.
Action taken
KUBD launched a digital signal on channel 13.
Aftermath
The station retained channel 13 after the 2009 digital switchover.
2000
Affiliation with CBSStrategyBackground
KUBD's network role changed again after its period as a Pax affiliate.
Action taken
The station joined CBS while continuing a secondary Pax affiliation for some time.
Aftermath
CBS became the station's principal network identity and remains central to its service.
1998
Change from TBN to Pax affiliationStrategyBackground
After beginning as a Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate, the station changed its call sign and affiliation in 1998 as it adopted the Pax network.
Action taken
The station became KUBD and switched its primary network affiliation to Pax, later known as Ion Television.
Aftermath
KUBD subsequently joined CBS in 2000 and retained Pax programming secondarily for a period.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/kubd · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled