KIVI-TV

KIVI-TV is a television station licensed to Nampa, Idaho, and serving the Boise metropolitan area as an affiliate of the ABC network. The station operates on channel 6 and is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company. Its principal studios are located on East Chisholm Drive in Nampa, near the Interstate 84 corridor, while its transmitter is situated at the summit of Bogus Basin in unincorporated Boise County. The station’s service area includes much of southwestern Idaho, and its programming is distributed through digital television and related local broadcast infrastructure. The present KIVI-TV is the successful third attempt to establish a television service on channel 6 in the Nampa area. The first attempt, KFXD-TV, operated under special temporary authority in the summer of 1953 and became Idaho’s first television station, but it lasted only about two months. It struggled to obtain a network affiliation and had a very small operating staff. A later permit associated with the KTVI call sign was returned to the Federal Communications Commission, and KCIX-TV made another unsuccessful attempt to use channel 6 between 1958 and 1960. These failures reflected the limited size of the Boise-area television market and the difficulty of securing sufficient programming and advertising support at the time. A new construction permit was granted in 1971 to Idaho Television Corporation after competing applications sought to establish an ABC affiliate. The station signed on February 1, 1974, under the call sign KITC. Its launch completed Boise’s access to full-time affiliations with the three major commercial television networks. The call letters changed to KIVI in April 1974, and the station soon established permanent Nampa facilities and a local news operation. It initially broadcast from temporary mobile-home facilities because construction delays affected associated transmission projects. KIVI changed ownership several times. Idaho Television Company sold it and its Pocatello sister station to Futura Titanium Corporation in 1977. Futura sold the station to Evening Post Publishing Company in 1981, and Journal Communications acquired KIVI in a transaction announced in 2001 and completed in 2002. In 2009, Journal completed its acquisition of KNIN-TV, creating Boise’s first television duopoly and integrating KNIN’s operations into KIVI’s Nampa facilities. The E. W. Scripps Company acquired Journal Communications’ broadcasting assets in 2015. KIVI remained with Scripps, while KNIN was subsequently sold to other owners. KIVI’s broadcast identity has evolved through several branding and news-production changes. Its local news operation has generally ranked behind Boise market leader KTVB and, at times, KBOI-TV. The station introduced a prime-time newscast on KNIN after Journal acquired that station, and it upgraded its local broadcasts to widescreen presentation in 2011. KIVI and its Magic Valley semi-satellite adopted the Idaho News 6 identity in 2020. In 2023, KNIN ended its relationship with KIVI and replaced KIVI-produced newscasts with programming from KBOI-TV. KIVI also introduced the Boise 6 identity on its second digital subchannel after Scripps obtained local rights to broadcast Vegas Golden Knights games.

Channel 6 in the Nampa and Boise area has a history of repeated attempts to establish a sustainable television service. KFXD-TV began broadcasting under special temporary authority on June 18, 1953, becoming Idaho’s first television station. It ended operations on August 11 after failing to secure a network affiliation and operating with an extremely small staff. A subsequent permit connected with the KTVI call sign was returned to the FCC after its backers concluded that the Boise market could not yet support another station. KCIX-TV later occupied the channel from November 1958 until January 1960, but it also went silent after failing to secure a network affiliation and an associated merger plan collapsed. The successful effort began after two groups applied in 1968 to build a channel 6 station affiliated with ABC. The FCC granted a construction permit to Idaho Television Corporation on May 26, 1971. The station signed on February 1, 1974, as KITC, a call sign reflecting its ownership. Construction delays, including the collapse of a tower intended for a related Pocatello station, postponed the launch by roughly a month. On April 15, 1974, the station adopted the KIVI call sign. It began from temporary mobile-home facilities before opening its Nampa studios and starting local news production later that spring. Idaho Television Company sold KIVI and its Pocatello sister station KPVI to Futura Titanium Corporation in 1977. Evening Post Publishing Company acquired the stations from Futura in 1981. Journal Communications announced its purchase of KIVI in 2001, and the transaction closed in 2002. During the Journal era, KIVI expanded its relationship with the Magic Valley. A translator had operated there since 1985; following a 1996 affiliation realignment involving KPVI and KKVI, the translator was upgraded to KSAW-LP as a semi-satellite of KIVI. KSAW carried KIVI’s ABC programs and much of its news, while also airing local advertisements and selected separate programming. Journal’s acquisition of KNIN-TV closed in April 2009 after an FCC review and reversal of an initial rejection. The deal produced Boise’s first television duopoly and brought KNIN’s operations into KIVI’s Nampa facilities. KIVI then produced a weeknight prime-time newscast for KNIN, later associated with KNIN’s Fox affiliation and branded Fox 9 News at 9. KIVI’s own local newscasts moved to 16:9 enhanced-definition widescreen in January 2011, although the broadcasts were not yet full high definition. In July 2014, Scripps announced an all-stock acquisition of Journal Communications. The transaction separated the companies’ newspaper assets into Journal Media Group while retaining the broadcast operations within Scripps. KIVI remained with Scripps after the merger was completed on April 1, 2015. KNIN was not retained by Scripps and subsequently passed through ownership by Raycom Media and Gray Television before being sold to Marquee Broadcasting in 2023. KIVI continued providing services and facilities to KNIN for a period after the divestiture. KSAW’s local news role expanded in April 2020, when three Twin Falls-based reporters were hired and the station began producing separate evening newscasts for the Magic Valley from KIVI’s Nampa operation. The stations simultaneously adopted the Idaho News 6 brand. In 2023, KIVI’s second digital subchannel became Boise 6, reflecting Scripps’ local rights to Vegas Golden Knights games. The same year, KNIN ended KIVI-produced newscasts and began using KBOI-produced news. KIVI remains an active ABC affiliate and a significant local news and advertising outlet in southwestern Idaho.

• 2023

  Boise 6 launches

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KIVI’s second digital subchannel adopts Boise 6 to carry Vegas Golden Knights programming.

• 2020

  Magic Valley local news expands

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KSAW begins separate evening newscasts for the Twin Falls area and adopts the Idaho News 6 identity with KIVI.

• 2015

  Scripps ownership begins

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Scripps completes its acquisition of Journal Communications’ broadcasting business and retains KIVI.

• 2011

  Widescreen local news introduced

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KIVI upgrades its local newscasts to 16:9 enhanced-definition widescreen.

• 2009

  Boise television duopoly formed

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Journal completes its acquisition of KNIN-TV and integrates the station’s operations with KIVI.

• 2002

  Journal Communications ownership begins

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Journal Communications completes its acquisition of KIVI.

• 1981

  Evening Post acquisition

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Evening Post Publishing Company acquires KIVI from Futura Titanium.

• 1977

  Sold to Futura Titanium

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Idaho Television Company sells KIVI and KPVI to Futura Titanium Corporation.

• 1974

  KITC signs on

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KITC begins broadcasting on February 1 as an ABC affiliate.

• 1974

  Call sign changes to KIVI

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station adopts the KIVI call sign in April and later begins local news production from Nampa.

• 1971

  Construction permit granted

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC grants Idaho Television Corporation a permit for a new channel 6 station.

• 1958

  KCIX-TV occupies channel 6

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KCIX-TV begins a second unsuccessful attempt to operate channel 6 in the Nampa area.

• 1953

  First channel 6 attempt begins

  [1]KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KFXD-TV begins operation under special temporary authority, becoming Idaho’s first television station, but leaves the air after approximately two months.

A locally focused ABC affiliate combining network entertainment and news with coverage of Boise, Nampa, southwestern Idaho, and selected Magic Valley programming.

• Local television station · 1974

  KIVI-TV broadcast service

  KIVI-TV provides the Boise-area ABC network schedule together with locally produced news, weather, sports, public-affairs material, syndicated programs, and locally sold advertising. The station is licensed to Nampa and transmits from Bogus Basin, giving it coverage across southwestern Idaho.

• Semi-satellite television station · 1985

  KSAW-LD

  KSAW-LD serves Idaho’s Magic Valley as a semi-satellite of KIVI. It carries KIVI’s ABC programming and many shared newscasts, while also airing local commercials, selected syndicated programs, and separate evening news coverage produced for the Twin Falls area.

• Local news service · 2020

  Idaho News 6

  Idaho News 6 is the coordinated local-news identity used by KIVI-TV and KSAW-LD since 2020. It emphasizes regional reporting, weather, traffic, and community coverage for the Boise and Magic Valley audiences.

• Digital broadcast subchannel · 2023

  Boise 6

  Boise 6 is the identity adopted by KIVI’s second digital subchannel in 2023. Its launch was associated with Scripps’ acquisition of local rights to televise Vegas Golden Knights games in the Boise market.

• 2023

  Launch Boise 6 sports subchannelProduct launch

  Background

  Scripps acquired local rights to broadcast Vegas Golden Knights games in the Boise area.

  Action taken

  KIVI converted its second digital subchannel to the Boise 6 identity for the new programming service.

  Aftermath

  The subchannel broadened KIVI’s offering beyond its ABC affiliation and local news operation.

  Source

• 2023

  End KIVI-produced KNIN newscastsStrategy

  Background

  After KNIN changed ownership, its continuing relationship with KIVI ended.

  Action taken

  KNIN dropped KIVI-produced newscasts and began airing news programming produced by KBOI-TV.

  Aftermath

  KIVI’s role in the former Boise duopoly’s shared news operation was reduced, while KNIN adopted a different local-news supplier.

  Source

• 2020

  Expand Magic Valley news coverageStrategy

  Background

  KSAW had previously relied heavily on KIVI programming and lacked locally based news personnel in Twin Falls.

  Action taken

  KIVI hired three Twin Falls-based reporters and launched separate KSAW evening newscasts while rebranding both stations as Idaho News 6.

  Aftermath

  KSAW gained dedicated evening coverage for the Magic Valley, while morning and weekend newscasts remained simulcast.

  Source

• 2011

  Upgrade local broadcasts to widescreenGeneration change

  Background

  The station sought to modernize its presentation as television audiences increasingly adopted widescreen displays.

  Action taken

  KIVI converted its local newscasts, including the KNIN-produced program, to 16:9 enhanced-definition widescreen.

  Aftermath

  The broadcasts matched the aspect ratio of modern television screens but did not yet constitute full high-definition production.

  Source

• 2009

  Complete KNIN-TV acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Journal Communications sought to combine KIVI with KNIN-TV in the Boise market after an initial FCC rejection of the transaction.

  Action taken

  The FCC reversed its decision, and Journal completed the purchase on April 24, creating a television duopoly and consolidating KNIN operations at KIVI’s Nampa facilities.

  Aftermath

  KIVI produced prime-time news for KNIN and provided services and facilities to the station for several years.

  Source

1. 1KIVI-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KIVI-TV official websitekivitv.com