KVTV
Former CBS-affiliated television station serving Laredo, Texas, which broadcast from 1973 until 2015.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KVTV was a former full-power television station serving Laredo, Texas, and the surrounding Laredo–Nuevo Laredo border market. Broadcasting on channel 13, it was affiliated with CBS for most of its existence and operated as one of several stations serving the cross-border region. The station signed on December 28, 1973, initially functioning as a satellite of KZTV, the CBS affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas. Both stations were owned by K-Six Television and operated with relatively limited resources, a constraint that affected KVTV’s local production capabilities and on-air presentation. KVTV developed local news programming at various points under the Newswatch 13 identity. During the 1980s and early 2000s, its news operation included weekday noon, early-evening, and late-evening broadcasts. The station achieved stronger competitive performance against Laredo market leader KGNS-TV during parts of the 1990s. In 1996, management moved the 6 p.m. newscast to 6:30 p.m. to accommodate Access Hollywood. Former station personnel later viewed that scheduling decision as an important setback for Newswatch 13 because it weakened the program’s position in the local news schedule. In 2002, Alta Communications and Brian Brady acquired K-Six Television and renamed the company Eagle Creek Broadcasting of Texas. The new ownership made substantial changes to KVTV, including reducing and then eliminating most of its locally produced news. The station’s branding shifted to CBS 13 News, and the remaining midday newscast continued for approximately another year and a half before being discontinued. A late-night local program, CBS 13 News: Nightcast, launched on April 19, 2004, with former KGNS anchor Richard Noriega serving as its lead anchor after assisting with the planning of the revamped news operation. Nightcast was KVTV’s only local newscast and aired on weeknights. The late newscast was canceled on January 3, 2006, and the remaining news staff was laid off. From that point through the end of its operation, KVTV largely functioned as a network, syndicated, automated, and paid-programming outlet rather than as a producer of local news. Its programming included CBS network content, English- and Spanish-language material, and local paid programming. KVTV therefore became unusual among CBS affiliates in that it no longer maintained a regular local newscast. The station’s technical history also included a transition from analog to digital broadcasting. A failure in its analog transmitter caused KVTV to cease analog transmission on November 29, 2008. It initially continued digitally on channel 31 while retaining virtual channel 13, and its digital transmission later moved to channel 13 on May 7, 2009. On December 7, 2011, the station began carrying CBS high-definition programming on its primary digital stream, 13.1, while continuing a standard-definition CBS feed on 13.2. KVTV’s corporate position changed after Eagle Creek sold its Corpus Christi sister station, KZTV, to SagamoreHill Broadcasting in 2008. KVTV was excluded from that transaction because SagamoreHill already owned KGNS-TV in Laredo, leaving KVTV as the only remaining television station in the Eagle Creek group at that time. In 2015, Gray Television, which had acquired KGNS-TV from SagamoreHill, purchased KVTV’s non-license assets. The transaction closed on July 1, 2015. KVTV then ceased broadcasting, while Gray launched KYLX-LP and moved KVTV’s programming streams and CBS affiliation to the new low-power station. Eagle Creek formally surrendered KVTV’s full-power license on September 19, 2016.
History
KVTV signed on in Laredo, Texas, on December 28, 1973, as a satellite of KZTV in Corpus Christi. The two CBS-affiliated stations were owned by K-Six Television and were operated with constrained budgets. KVTV was part of the television infrastructure serving the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo borderplex, a market shaped by both U.S. and Mexican audiences. The station produced local news at different stages of its history. During the 1980s and into the early 2000s, its news operation was branded Newswatch 13 and at its strongest offered three weekday half-hour broadcasts at noon, 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. KVTV made gains against KGNS-TV in the Laredo ratings during the mid-1990s. In 1996, it moved its evening newscast from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to make room for Access Hollywood. Former KVTV staff members later associated that programming decision with the subsequent decline of Newswatch 13. Alta Communications and Brian Brady acquired K-Six Television in 2002 and renamed the business Eagle Creek Broadcasting of Texas. Under the new ownership, KVTV underwent broad programming, staffing, and branding changes. Most locally produced newscasts were discontinued, the remaining news operation was renamed CBS 13 News, and the noon broadcast was eventually dropped. The station attempted to rebuild its local news presence with CBS 13 News: Nightcast, which premiered on April 19, 2004. Richard Noriega, a former KGNS anchor, was recruited to lead the program and had also advised the station during its planning phase. Nightcast aired on weeknights from 10:00 to 10:35 p.m. and was KVTV’s sole local newscast after the earlier cuts. KVTV canceled Nightcast on January 3, 2006, and dismissed the remaining news staff. For the rest of its life, the station generally did not produce local news. Instead, its schedule consisted largely of CBS network programming, syndicated shows, automated material, and English- and Spanish-language paid programming. National CBS news programs supplied most of the station’s news content, supplemented by network updates during local break periods. The station’s ownership structure changed within the regional broadcasting sector in 2008. Eagle Creek sold KZTV to SagamoreHill Broadcasting, but KVTV was not included because SagamoreHill already owned KGNS-TV in Laredo. KVTV consequently remained the only television station left in the Eagle Creek group at that point. A transmitter failure ended KVTV’s analog broadcasts on November 29, 2008. The station continued digitally on channel 31 while using virtual channel 13, then moved its digital transmission to channel 13 on May 7, 2009. On December 7, 2011, it introduced high-definition CBS programming on stream 13.1 and also carried a standard-definition CBS feed on 13.2. Gray Television, which had acquired KGNS-TV from SagamoreHill more than a year before the final KVTV transaction, purchased KVTV’s non-license assets in 2015. The sale closed on July 1, 2015. KVTV stopped broadcasting that day, and Gray established KYLX-LP, which inherited the CBS affiliation and the station’s programming streams. The former KVTV license remained associated with Eagle Creek until it was surrendered on September 19, 2016.
- 2016
Full-power license surrendered
[1]Eagle Creek Broadcasting surrendered KVTV’s full-power license on September 19.
- 2015
KVTV signs off
[1]Gray Television acquired the station’s non-license assets, and KVTV ceased broadcasting on July 1 as KYLX-LP took over its CBS affiliation and programming streams.
- 2011
CBS HD service added
[1]KVTV began broadcasting CBS in high definition on digital stream 13.1 and continued a standard-definition feed on 13.2.
- 2009
Digital transmission moves to channel 13
[1]KVTV shifted its digital transmission from channel 31 to channel 13 on May 7 while retaining its virtual channel identity.
- 2008
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]A transmitter failure ended KVTV’s analog broadcasts on November 29.
- 2006
Local news operation ends
[1]KVTV canceled its late newscast on January 3 and eliminated the remaining news department staff.
- 2004
Nightcast launches
[1]KVTV introduced CBS 13 News: Nightcast on April 19 as its sole local newscast.
- 2002
K-Six Television becomes Eagle Creek Broadcasting of Texas
[1]Alta Communications and Brian Brady acquired K-Six Television and renamed the company Eagle Creek Broadcasting of Texas.
- 1996
Evening newscast moved to 6:30 p.m.
[1]KVTV shifted its 6 p.m. local newscast to 6:30 p.m. to accommodate Access Hollywood.
- 1973
KVTV begins broadcasting
[1]KVTV signed on December 28 as a Laredo satellite of Corpus Christi CBS affiliate KZTV.
Products and positioning
A local CBS affiliate serving the Laredo, Texas, television market, with a historical emphasis on network distribution and periods of locally produced news. In its final years, KVTV operated primarily as a largely automated pass-through for CBS, syndicated, and paid programming.
Network-affiliated broadcast service · 1973
CBS television service
KVTV’s principal offering was over-the-air distribution of CBS network programming to viewers in the Laredo market. In its later years, the station primarily served as a pass-through outlet for CBS programs rather than maintaining a substantial local production operation.
Local news
Newswatch 13
Newswatch 13 was KVTV’s local-news identity during the station’s earlier news-producing period. At its peak, the operation offered weekday noon, evening, and late-night broadcasts, competing with KGNS-TV for local viewers.
Local news · 2004
CBS 13 News: Nightcast
Nightcast was a weekday late-evening newscast introduced in 2004 after KVTV had eliminated most of its earlier local news schedule. It became the station’s only local newscast before being canceled in January 2006.
Digital broadcast stream · 2009
Digital channel 13.1
KVTV’s primary digital stream carried CBS programming and was upgraded to high definition in December 2011. The stream retained the station’s channel 13 identity for viewers.
Digital broadcast stream · 2011
Digital channel 13.2
KVTV also carried a standard-definition CBS feed on digital subchannel 13.2 after its 2011 digital service expansion.
Brand decisions
2015
Transfer of non-license assets to Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
Gray Television already owned Laredo NBC affiliate KGNS-TV and had acquired it from SagamoreHill Broadcasting.
Action taken
Gray purchased KVTV’s non-license assets, with the transaction closing on July 1.
Aftermath
KVTV signed off, and Gray launched KYLX-LP to carry the CBS affiliation and KVTV’s programming streams.
2006
End local news productionStrategyBackground
KVTV’s reduced local news operation consisted only of the late-evening Nightcast program.
Action taken
The station canceled Nightcast on January 3 and laid off the remaining news staff.
Aftermath
KVTV no longer produced regular local newscasts and relied primarily on CBS, syndicated, automated, and paid programming until it ceased broadcasting.
1996
Move the evening newscast to 6:30 p.m.StrategyBackground
KVTV wanted to schedule Access Hollywood while retaining an evening local-news program.
Action taken
The station moved its 6 p.m. newscast to 6:30 p.m.
Aftermath
Former KVTV personnel later considered the change an important starting point in the decline of the Newswatch 13 operation.
Sources2 sources
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