KDLH

KDLH is a full-power television station serving Duluth, Minnesota, and the nearby Twin Ports communities of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 3 and is affiliated with The CW Plus. Its studios are shared with KBJR-TV in Duluth's Canal Park area, while its transmitter is located at Hilltop Park west of downtown Duluth. KDLH is owned by Gray Media, which also owns KBJR-TV, the Superior, Wisconsin-licensed NBC/CBS affiliate serving the same market, and KRII, KBJR's semi-satellite licensed to Chisholm, Minnesota. The station began broadcasting on March 14, 1954, as KDAL-TV. Its original call sign reflected the initials of founder Dalton Alexander LeMasurier, who also owned KDAL radio. KDAL-TV initially operated as an independent commercial television station but changed affiliations with WDSM-TV, now KBJR-TV, in 1955 and became the market's CBS affiliate. It carried selected ABC programming during off-hours until WDIO-TV began broadcasting in 1966. The station began color broadcasting in 1965 and briefly carried programming from the NTA Film Network during the late 1950s. The LeMasurier family sold KDAL-AM-TV in 1960 to the company that eventually became Tribune Broadcasting. In 1979, Tribune sold the television station to Palmer Broadcasting. Palmer changed the call letters to KDLH-TV on February 16, 1979, and later sold the station to Benedek Broadcasting in 1985. The -TV suffix was removed from the call sign in 1991. Benedek entered bankruptcy proceedings in the early 2000s, but KDLH was not included in the principal merger of Benedek assets with Gray Television. Instead, the station was sold to Chelsey Broadcasting in 2002 and then to New Vision Television in 2003. In March 2005, Malara Broadcast Group acquired KDLH from New Vision and entered into an arrangement under which most station operations were provided by KBJR, then owned by Granite Broadcasting. The arrangement substantially reduced KDLH's standalone staff and integrated much of its news production with KBJR. KDLH retained a separate on-air identity and some distinct programming, but its local news operation was largely combined with the larger station's operation. KDLH also underwent important technical changes. A May 2008 fire severely damaged its main digital antenna, forcing temporary reduced-power operation using a substitute side-mounted antenna. Full-power digital transmission resumed later that year on UHF channel 33. The station delayed its regular analog shutdown because of the antenna damage, remaining the last full-power analog station in the Duluth market after other local stations completed their transition. Normal analog programming ended on June 12, 2009, followed by a short-term nightlight information loop that ended on June 26. KDLH's digital service continued using virtual channel 3. The station's most consequential programming change occurred in 2016. After ownership and operating arrangements involving Malara, SagamoreHill Broadcasting, and Quincy Media were revised, KDLH's shared-services relationship with Quincy ended on August 1, 2016. CBS programming moved to a KBJR digital subchannel, and KDLH became an exclusively CW-affiliated station. The transaction formally closed later that year, ending KDLH's roughly six-decade relationship with CBS. Quincy subsequently acquired KDLH outright in 2018 after arguing that the station was not among the market's four highest-rated stations during the relevant ratings period. Gray Television acquired Quincy Media in 2021, bringing KDLH and KBJR back under Gray ownership. Today, KDLH operates primarily as a network television outlet for The CW Plus in the Duluth-Superior market. Its identity is rooted in its historic channel 3 allocation, long local broadcasting heritage, and role within a shared Gray Media station operation rather than in a standalone consumer-electronics product line.

KDLH traces its history to KDAL-TV, which began broadcasting from Duluth on March 14, 1954. The station was established by Dalton Alexander LeMasurier, whose initials supplied the original call sign. LeMasurier also owned KDAL radio, and the television station initially shared facilities with the radio operation. In 1955, KDAL-TV exchanged affiliations with WDSM-TV, the station now known as KBJR-TV, and became a CBS affiliate. It also carried selected ABC programs during periods when CBS programming was unavailable, a practice that ended after WDIO-TV signed on in 1966. The station briefly carried programs from the NTA Film Network in the late 1950s. Its facilities moved from the Bradley Building, where KDAL radio and television had operated, to West Superior Street in downtown Duluth during the mid-1960s. KDAL-TV introduced color broadcasting in 1965. The LeMasurier family sold the radio and television properties in 1960 to a company that eventually became Tribune Broadcasting. Tribune sold the station to Palmer Broadcasting in 1979. Palmer changed the call letters from KDAL-TV to KDLH-TV on February 16 of that year. Benedek Broadcasting acquired the station in 1985, and the station dropped the -TV suffix in 1991. When Benedek entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2002, most of its assets were combined with Gray Television, but KDLH was excluded from that transaction. It was instead sold to Chelsey Broadcasting and then acquired by New Vision Television in 2003. Malara Broadcast Group bought KDLH from New Vision in March 2005. Malara arranged for Granite Broadcasting's KBJR to provide most operational services, creating a close relationship between the two market stations. KDLH's own news department was closed and its local news output was merged with KBJR's operation, although some programming and on-air branding remained specific to channel 3. The arrangement drew attention because FCC filings indicated that the station could be operated with a very small direct staff. KDLH later maintained separate news presentations, including a short-form late-night program that was eventually expanded and renamed. The station's digital transition was complicated by a May 18, 2008, fire that severely damaged its primary digital antenna. KDLH temporarily operated at reduced power with a substitute antenna and returned to full-power digital operation on UHF channel 33 later that June. Because of the technical damage, the station did not complete its regular analog shutdown during the initially planned February 2009 transition. It remained in analog operation after other Duluth stations switched to digital-only service. Regular analog programming ended on June 12, 2009, and a loop of transition information continued as a nightlight service until June 26. The station's digital signal retained virtual channel 3. In November 2009, the station moved away from its previous CBS-centered branding and adopted the KDLH 3 identity. In 2014, Quincy Newspapers announced plans to acquire KBJR-TV and KRII from Granite Broadcasting. Various versions of the transaction contemplated different ownership and operating arrangements for KDLH, including a proposed acquisition by SagamoreHill Broadcasting and continued services from Quincy. The final structure was revised in 2015, with SagamoreHill acquiring KDLH while Quincy operated it under a shared-services agreement. That arrangement ended on August 1, 2016. CBS programming was transferred to a KBJR digital subchannel, and KDLH became a CW affiliate. The sale to SagamoreHill formally closed on November 2, 2016. This change ended KDLH's 61-year CBS affiliation and changed the station from a major-network outlet with a long independent news history into a primarily entertainment-oriented CW station. Quincy Media announced in 2018 that it would acquire KDLH directly for a reported $792,557. To address federal ownership rules limiting common ownership of multiple stations in one market, Quincy argued that KBJR and KDLH did not both rank among the market's four highest-rated stations during the relevant November 2017 ratings period. The acquisition was completed on August 1, 2018. Gray Television announced its planned acquisition of Quincy Media in February 2021. The transaction was completed on August 2, 2021, placing KDLH and KBJR under Gray ownership. KDLH continues to serve the Duluth-Superior area as a CW Plus affiliate, with facilities and operational relationships connected to KBJR.

• 2021

  Gray Media ownership begins

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  Gray completes its acquisition of Quincy Media, making KDLH part of Gray's television portfolio.

• 2018

  Quincy Media takes direct ownership

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  Quincy completes its acquisition of KDLH.

• 2016

  KDLH becomes a CW affiliate

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  CBS moves to a KBJR digital subchannel and KDLH begins operating exclusively as a CW affiliate.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  Regular analog service ends on June 12, followed by a transition-information nightlight loop through June 26.

• 2008

  Digital antenna fire

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  A fire damages the main digital antenna, temporarily forcing reduced-power transmission.

• 2005

  Shared-services operation begins

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  Malara Broadcast Group acquires KDLH and shifts most operations to KBJR under a shared-services arrangement.

• 1979

  Call sign changes to KDLH-TV

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  Palmer Broadcasting changes the station's call letters to KDLH-TV on February 16.

• 1965

  Color broadcasting begins

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting in color.

• 1955

  CBS affiliation begins

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  KDAL-TV switches affiliations with WDSM-TV and becomes the Duluth market's CBS affiliate.

• 1954

  KDAL-TV launches

  [1]KDLHen.wikipedia.org

  The station begins broadcasting on March 14 as KDAL-TV on VHF channel 3.

A local broadcast television station serving the Duluth-Superior market, positioned as the area's CW Plus outlet and as a complementary channel within Gray Media's KBJR/KDLH station operation.

• Network television service · 2016

  CW Plus affiliation

  KDLH's principal present-day offering is its broadcast carriage of The CW Plus for the Duluth-Superior market. The service combines CW network programming with syndicated and locally scheduled content distributed through the station's digital television operation.

• Broadcast television · 1954

  KDLH local television service

  The KDLH channel 3 service provides over-the-air digital television coverage for the Twin Ports region. Historically it carried CBS and local news, while its current identity centers on CW programming, station branding, advertising, and locally relevant announcements.

• Local news · 2004

  KDLH local news programming

  KDLH historically produced and presented local news under several names, including Northland's NewsCenter and KDLH 3 News. Much of the operation was later integrated with KBJR, and the station's intellectual news unit moved to a KBJR digital subchannel when KDLH became a CW affiliate in 2016.

• 2021

  Gray Television acquires Quincy MediaM&A

  Background

  Gray Television announced an agreement to acquire Quincy Media and its television properties.

  Action taken

  Gray completed the acquisition, bringing KDLH and KBJR under common ownership.

  Aftermath

  KDLH became part of Gray Media's national local-television station group.

  Acquisition value. $925 million (Announced February 1, 2021; completed August 2, 2021)

  Source

• 2018

  Quincy Media acquires KDLH outrightM&A

  Background

  Quincy had been providing services to KDLH and sought direct ownership of the station.

  Action taken

  Quincy Media purchased KDLH after filing that KBJR and KDLH were not both among the market's four highest-rated stations during the cited ratings period.

  Aftermath

  KDLH became directly owned by Quincy until Gray Television acquired Quincy Media in 2021.

  Purchase price. $792,557 (Announced May 21, 2018; transaction completed August 1, 2018)

  Source

• 2016

  Switch from CBS to The CWStrategy

  Background

  The shared-services agreement involving KDLH and Quincy Media was wound down as ownership and affiliation arrangements in the Duluth market changed.

  Action taken

  CBS programming was moved to a KBJR digital subchannel, and KDLH changed to an exclusively CW affiliation.

  Aftermath

  The move ended KDLH's 61-year CBS affiliation and repositioned channel 3 as a CW Plus outlet.

  Source

• 2005

  Outsource most operations to KBJRStrategy

  Background

  Malara Broadcast Group acquired KDLH in a market where KBJR was a long-standing competing station owned by Granite Broadcasting.

  Action taken

  KDLH outsourced most operational functions to KBJR through a shared-services arrangement, and its standalone news department was closed.

  Aftermath

  The stations operated with closely integrated news and technical functions while retaining separate channel identities and some distinct programming.

  Source

1. 1KDLHen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KDLH official websitenorthlandcw.com