KEYC-TV
KEYC-TV is a CBS- and Fox-affiliated television station serving Mankato and surrounding communities in southern Minnesota.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KEYC-TV is a full-power commercial television station licensed to Mankato, Minnesota, and serving the Mankato television market and nearby areas of southern Minnesota. The station broadcasts on channel 12 and is primarily affiliated with CBS, while its second digital channel carries Fox programming. KEYC-TV is owned by Gray Media and operates alongside KMNF-CD, a low-power station affiliated with NBC and CW+, from shared studios on Lookout Drive in North Mankato. KEYC-TV's main transmitter is located near Lewisville, Minnesota. The station began broadcasting on October 5, 1960, initially as an NBC affiliate. It switched to CBS less than a year later and has retained that primary network affiliation since then. Its launch gave Mankato a rare full-power commercial VHF service in a geographically constrained area between the television markets of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Rochester, Sioux Falls and Des Moines. Because of the surrounding allocations, KEYC became the only full-power commercial station based in Mankato, although viewers in the region can also receive stations from the Twin Cities through over-the-air coverage, cable carriage and translators. KEYC-TV has historically combined network programming with a strong local-service emphasis. Its local output includes regularly scheduled news, weather and sports coverage, community-oriented specials and lifestyle programming. Long-running local productions have included the music program Bandwagon and the religious program I Believe in Miracles, which began in 1961 and ended its run on the station in 2015. In September 2022, the station introduced Kato Living, a weekday lifestyle program. Its current local news brand is KEYC News Now, with weekday newscasts at noon, 5, 6 and 10 p.m., as well as an evening 9 p.m. newscast on the Fox-affiliated digital channel. The station expanded its network offering in 2007 when it launched a second digital subchannel carrying Fox. This brought Fox programming to the Mankato market and replaced the role previously played locally by Twin Cities stations carried on cable systems in southwestern Minnesota. KEYC-TV completed the transition to digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009. It began 24-hour broadcasting in September 2020 and subsequently cleared the CBS Overnight News. The station's morning-news schedule has changed several times, including the removal of its locally produced morning program in late 2024 and the later return of Kato Mornings in June 2025. Ownership has also changed over the station's history. KEYC-TV was launched by Lee Enterprises, which also operated the station then known as KGLO-TV in Mason City, Iowa. Lee sold KEYC-TV to United Communications in 1977 after Federal Communications Commission ownership limits complicated the company's plans to acquire KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon. Gray Television announced the acquisition of United Communications' stations in February 2019, assumed operational control through a local marketing agreement on March 1, and completed the purchase on May 1, 2019. The transaction made KEYC Gray's first station in Minnesota. Today, KEYC-TV combines CBS network service, Fox programming on a digital subchannel and locally produced news and community content for a relatively small but geographically important regional market.
History
KEYC-TV signed on in Mankato, Minnesota, on October 5, 1960. Its launch was timed to carry the first game of that year's World Series from NBC. The station was established by Lee Enterprises, which also operated the television station that became KIMT in Mason City, Iowa. Within its first year, KEYC-TV changed its affiliation from NBC to CBS. The CBS relationship became the station's defining network partnership and continued through subsequent ownership changes. Mankato occupied an unusual position in the United States television-allocation system. The community lies between the established markets of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Rochester, Sioux Falls and Des Moines. Because of the spacing of VHF assignments in those larger markets, Mankato had an opportunity to receive a full-power commercial VHF license even though it was surrounded by major broadcast centers. KEYC-TV obtained that opportunity and became the only full-power commercial station based in Mankato. Its VHF signal also helped it serve a broad rural area, while stations from the Twin Cities remained significant competitors for regional news, weather and syndicated programming. Lee Enterprises sold KEYC-TV to United Communications in 1977. The sale was associated with Federal Communications Commission ownership limits: Lee intended to acquire KOIN-TV in Portland, Oregon, but needed to dispose of KEYC-TV to remain within applicable ownership rules. During the years of United ownership, KEYC remained a CBS affiliate and also carried selected programming from UPN through a secondary arrangement while that network operated. The station expanded its role in the local market with digital broadcasting. On July 1, 2007, it launched a second digital subchannel carrying Fox programming. This gave the Mankato area a local Fox outlet and replaced the practical role previously played by Twin Cities Fox stations that had been available on southwestern Minnesota cable systems. KEYC-TV completed the national transition to digital-only broadcasting on June 12, 2009. It also operated several digital translators in southern Minnesota, although those translator arrangements ended on December 22, 2017, after United Communications could not reach a new leasing agreement with the tower owner. Local programming has remained an important part of the station's identity. KEYC-TV produced Bandwagon, a long-running local music program, and aired I Believe in Miracles, a local religious program that began on February 19, 1961. The latter ended on February 8, 2015. In later years the station expanded its news and lifestyle schedule. It launched KEYC News Now This Morning in January 2018, expanded the program in February 2019, and introduced the weekday lifestyle program Kato Living in September 2022. The station also produces local newscasts at noon, 5, 6 and 10 p.m. on weekdays and a 9 p.m. newscast on its Fox digital channel. Gray Television announced the purchase of United Communications' stations, including KEYC-TV, on February 8, 2019. Gray assumed control through a local marketing agreement on March 1, before completing the transaction on May 1. KEYC-TV became Gray's first Minnesota station. The stations now share North Mankato facilities with KMNF-CD, a low-power outlet carrying NBC and CW+ programming. KEYC-TV's schedule and operating model have continued to evolve. The station began 24-hour broadcasting on September 14, 2020, enabling it to clear CBS Overnight News. Gray later changed the morning-news arrangement: locally produced morning news was removed on December 2, 2024, when the station carried KTTC Morning News. Local morning programming returned on June 16, 2025, when Kato Mornings resumed from 6 to 7 a.m., supported by local news and weather inserts during CBS Mornings. KEYC-TV therefore remains a network-affiliated local broadcaster whose competitive proposition is the combination of national programming and news, weather, lifestyle and community coverage tailored to Mankato and southern Minnesota.
- 2025
Kato Mornings returns
[1]Local morning programming returns on June 16, 2025, after a schedule change the previous year.
- 2022
Kato Living launches
[1]KEYC-TV adds a weekday lifestyle program.
- 2020
24-hour broadcasting begins
[1]The station starts round-the-clock broadcasting on September 14.
- 2019
Gray Television assumes control
[1]Gray begins operating KEYC-TV through a local marketing agreement on March 1.
- 2019
Gray completes the acquisition
[1]The purchase of United Communications' stations closes on May 1.
- 2018
KEYC News Now This Morning debuts
[1]The station introduces a weekday morning newscast beginning at 6 a.m.
- 2009
Digital-only broadcasting begins
[1]KEYC-TV completes the transition from analog to digital broadcasting on June 12.
- 2007
Fox digital subchannel launches
[1]A second digital subchannel begins carrying Fox programming on July 1.
- 1977
United Communications ownership begins
[1]Lee Enterprises sells the station to United Communications in the context of FCC ownership restrictions.
- 1961
Affiliation changes to CBS
[1]KEYC-TV switches from NBC to CBS less than a year after launch.
Products and positioning
A locally focused regional broadcast station combining CBS network service, Fox programming and market-specific news, weather, lifestyle and community coverage for Mankato and southern Minnesota.
Local television news
KEYC News Now
KEYC-TV's principal local-news operation, covering Mankato and surrounding southern Minnesota communities with scheduled news and weather programs. The service includes weekday broadcasts at noon, 5, 6 and 10 p.m., as well as a 9 p.m. edition on the Fox-affiliated digital channel.
Morning television program · 2025
Kato Mornings
A locally focused morning program carried by KEYC-TV from 6 to 7 a.m. It returned to the schedule in June 2025 after the station had temporarily replaced locally produced morning news with KTTC Morning News.
Lifestyle television program · 2022
Kato Living
A weekday lifestyle program introduced in September 2022. The program extends KEYC-TV's local-service role beyond scheduled news by presenting community and regional-interest content.
Network affiliation · 1961
CBS service
KEYC-TV carries the CBS network schedule, including CBS news, entertainment and sports programming. Since beginning 24-hour broadcasting in 2020, the station has also cleared CBS Overnight News.
Network affiliation · 2007
Fox digital subchannel
KEYC-TV's second digital channel carries Fox programming and provides the Mankato market with a locally based Fox service. The subchannel also carries KEYC News Now at 9 in the evening.
Brand decisions
2024
Morning-news schedule changeStrategyBackground
Gray revised KEYC-TV's morning schedule in December 2024.
Action taken
The station removed its local morning news and carried KTTC Morning News beginning December 2.
Aftermath
Local morning programming later returned with Kato Mornings in June 2025.
2019
Acquisition by Gray TelevisionM&ABackground
Gray Television announced the purchase of United Communications' stations, including KEYC-TV, on February 8, 2019.
Action taken
Gray assumed control through a local marketing agreement on March 1 and completed the transaction on May 1.
Aftermath
KEYC-TV became Gray's first station in Minnesota and continued operating with a local news and network-affiliate model.
2007
Launch of Fox digital subchannelProduct launchBackground
The Mankato market had previously received Fox-related programming through Twin Cities stations carried on regional cable systems.
Action taken
KEYC-TV launched a second digital subchannel carrying Fox programming on July 1.
Aftermath
Fox programming became available through a locally based Mankato station.
1961
Switch from NBC to CBSStrategyBackground
After launching with NBC programming in 1960, KEYC-TV changed its primary affiliation less than a year later.
Action taken
The station adopted CBS as its primary network affiliation.
Aftermath
CBS became the station's long-term primary network relationship.
Sources2 sources
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