KMSB is a Fox-affiliated television station serving Tucson, Arizona, and surrounding Southern Arizona communities.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KMSB is television station KMSB-TV, channel 11, a Fox network affiliate licensed to Tucson, Arizona. The station serves the Tucson metropolitan area and parts of Southern Arizona, including communities around Nogales, although its transmitter location on Mount Bigelow has historically produced weaker reception in portions of northern Tucson, Oro Valley, and Marana. KMSB is principally a broadcast-media brand rather than a conventional consumer-products brand: its offering consists of Fox network programming, syndicated and locally relevant programming, advertising inventory, digital distribution, and locally produced or locally branded news content. The station began broadcasting on February 1, 1967, as KZAZ, an independent station licensed to Nogales but designed to reach both Nogales and Tucson. Its early schedule combined English- and Spanish-language movies, dramas, sitcoms, cartoons, bullfighting, sports, and other general-entertainment programming. The station also established local facilities in Tucson and Nogales and initially maintained a local news operation. During the 1970s, under Roadrunner Television, KZAZ cultivated an informal, locally distinctive identity. Its programming included live studio events, extended marathons, local updates, and Arizona Wildcats men's basketball, which became one of its most visible early successes. In 1985, after a change in ownership, the station changed its call letters from KZAZ to KMSB-TV. The new owners invested in equipment, facilities, and syndicated programming, while KMSB became a charter Fox affiliate in 1986. The station continued efforts to improve its Tucson coverage and eventually received approval to make Tucson its city of license in 1990. In 1991, a time-brokerage and operating arrangement with Clear Channel Communications, then the owner of KTTU-TV, brought the two stations into a more integrated operational structure. Belo Corporation acquired the Providence Journal Company in 1997 and later acquired KTTU-TV. Under Belo, KMSB remained a relatively lean Fox affiliate whose programming, master control, and news functions became increasingly integrated with other Belo operations. Local news returned in 2003 through a partnership involving KVOA and KTVK, developed into a standalone KMSB newsroom by 2010, and then shifted again when KMSB entered a shared-services agreement with Raycom Media and KOLD-TV in 2012. KOLD assumed operational responsibilities and began producing KMSB-branded morning and evening newscasts. The station's ownership structure changed several times during the 2010s. Gannett's acquisition of Belo required the KMSB license to be placed with Sander Media because of Gannett's ownership interest in the Arizona Daily Star. The license later returned to Tegna after Gannett separated its publishing and broadcasting businesses. Tegna acquired KMSB outright in 2019. Nexstar Media Group announced its acquisition of Tegna in 2025, with the transaction described in the supplied reference material as completed in 2026. KMSB's news and digital identity has been closely associated with Tucson News Now, a shared news and web operation connected with KOLD-TV. In addition to Tucson-produced newscasts, the station has carried selected programming from other Tegna stations, including KPNX in Phoenix. Its current positioning is that of a local Fox outlet combining national network entertainment and sports with Southern Arizona news, weather, traffic, syndicated programming, and advertising. The station remains part of a cluster of Tucson television properties operated through shared technical, studio, and news resources.
History
Channel 11 was allocated to Nogales in 1962. International Broadcasting Company, led by Ronald Waranch, applied in 1964 to construct a station, despite objections from Tucson's existing commercial broadcasters. The FCC granted a construction permit in April 1966, and the station began broadcasting as KZAZ on February 1, 1967. Its original schedule mixed English and Spanish entertainment, films, cartoons, sports, bullfighting, and local news. A Nogales studio opened shortly afterward in the former Montezuma Hotel. KZAZ initially operated as a Nogales-licensed station with substantial Tucson ambitions. In the early 1970s, the FCC approved its operation as a Tucson-Nogales outlet and later granted Tucson status as its city of license. Gene Adelstein, who became general manager in 1970, and attorney Edward Berger organized Roadrunner Television, which acquired the station in 1976. Their ownership period gave KZAZ a highly local, informal character. The station staged live wrestling, community events, long-form programming marathons, and other promotional activities unusual for a small-market independent. It also carried Arizona Wildcats men's basketball, helping establish a connection with Tucson sports audiences. Roadrunner sought to improve reception by moving the transmitter from Mount Hopkins to a site nearer Tucson. The station was sold after the owners placed it on the market in 1984. An initially proposed sale to the Ackerley Group collapsed after Ackerley challenged the station's reported advertising revenues. KZAZ and Albuquerque station KGSW-TV were then sold to Mountain States Broadcasting, a joint venture associated with the Providence Journal Company and Southland Corporation. The transaction closed in 1985. The new owners invested in facilities, equipment, and syndicated programming and changed the call sign to KMSB-TV. KMSB became a charter Fox affiliate in 1986. The station continued pursuing transmitter and coverage improvements, and in 1990 the FCC approved Tucson as its city of license. In 1991, Mountain States entered a time-brokerage agreement with Clear Channel Communications, owner of KTTU-TV. KMSB moved into KTTU's facilities, while the two stations shared programming, advertising sales, and other operational functions. Belo acquired the Providence Journal Company in 1997 and bought KTTU in 2002. During the Belo period, KMSB's operations became increasingly connected with Belo's Phoenix station KTVK. Master control and programming functions moved to Phoenix, while the Tucson operation concentrated heavily on sales. Local news, absent for many years, returned in 2003 through a cooperative arrangement involving KVOA reporters and KTVK anchors. The program was initially an hour at 9 p.m. and was shortened to 30 minutes in 2004. KMSB gradually assumed more of the production, added local sports coverage, and began originating its own newscasts in 2008. By April 2010, its newsroom had become a standalone operation. The standalone newsroom was short-lived. In November 2011, Belo announced a shared-services agreement with Raycom Media, citing the station's limited advertising revenue and the economic environment. Beginning in February 2012, KOLD-TV took over KMSB's day-to-day operations, advertising functions, master control, and news production. KOLD launched a weekday morning program for KMSB and continued producing the station's prime-time news. The stations also introduced a shared Tucson News Now website and brand. Later, a weekday 5:30 p.m. newscast was added, and KMSB carried selected newscasts from Tegna's Phoenix station KPNX. Gannett announced its acquisition of Belo in 2013. Because Gannett had an ownership interest in the Arizona Daily Star, the KMSB license was transferred to Sander Media, an entity operated by former Belo executive Jack Sander. The transaction closed in December 2013, while the KOLD operating arrangement continued. After Gannett separated its publishing operations in 2015 and the broadcast company became Tegna, the KMSB license was transferred back to Tegna. Tegna acquired the station outright in 2019. The supplied reference material states that Nexstar acquired Tegna in March 2026 after announcing the transaction in 2025. KMSB therefore remains a Fox-branded local broadcast service within a larger multi-station ownership and shared-services structure.
- 2019
Tegna acquires the station outright
[1]Tegna completes the purchase of KMSB after the station had been held through a licensing arrangement involving Sander Media.
- 2012
KOLD assumes operations
[1]A shared-services agreement moves KMSB's operational, technical, and news functions to KOLD-TV.
- 2010
Standalone newsroom established
[1]KMSB completes the transition to an independently operated local newsroom.
- 2003
Local news returns
[1]KMSB launches a 9 p.m. newscast through a partnership involving KVOA and KTVK.
- 1991
Clear Channel operating arrangement begins
[1]KMSB enters a time-brokerage agreement with the owner of KTTU-TV and moves into shared facilities.
- 1990
Tucson becomes city of license
[1]The FCC approves the station's change in city of license to Tucson.
- 1986
Fox affiliation begins
[1]KMSB becomes a charter affiliate of the Fox network.
- 1985
Station renamed KMSB-TV
[1]Mountain States Broadcasting completes its acquisition and changes the call sign.
- 1976
Roadrunner Television acquires KZAZ
[1]Gene Adelstein, Edward Berger, and their investor group purchase the station.
- 1967
KZAZ launches
[1]The station begins broadcasting as an independent outlet serving Nogales and Tucson.
Products and positioning
A local Fox television outlet serving Tucson and Southern Arizona, differentiated by its network affiliation, local news presence, and integration with the Tucson News Now and KOLD-TV news operations.
Network television service · 1986
KMSB Fox programming
KMSB's principal programming product is the Fox network schedule, supplemented by syndicated and locally scheduled programming. The Fox affiliation, which began in 1986, gives the station its core entertainment, sports, and prime-time identity in the Tucson market.
Television news · 1967
KMSB local news
KMSB carries locally focused news, weather, traffic, and sports content produced through successive partnerships and, since 2012, primarily through KOLD-TV's Tucson newsroom. The service has included prime-time and morning newscasts under KMSB branding.
Digital news and broadcast news brand · 2012
Tucson News Now
Tucson News Now is the shared digital and news identity introduced by KMSB and KOLD-TV in 2012. It consolidates local reporting, video, weather, and station information for the Tucson market and supports the stations' shared-services model.
Brand decisions
2019
Acquire KMSB outrightM&ABackground
The station license had previously been held through Sander Media after regulatory issues connected with Gannett's newspaper ownership.
Action taken
Tegna completed the acquisition of KMSB, with the supplied reference describing a net payment to Ben Tucker of $171,000.
Aftermath
KMSB became directly owned by Tegna while continuing its shared operational relationship with KOLD-TV.
Net payment. $171,000 (2019)
2011
Outsource station operations to KOLD-TVStrategyBackground
Belo cited limited advertising revenue and the weak economic recovery in Arizona when explaining the operational restructuring.
Action taken
Belo entered a shared-services agreement with Raycom Media, under which KOLD-TV assumed KMSB's operations, technical functions, advertising transition, and newscast production.
Aftermath
KMSB's separate local operation was dissolved, while KOLD launched additional KMSB-branded newscasts and the Tucson News Now digital identity.
2003
Restore a local 9 p.m. newscastProduct launchBackground
KMSB had discontinued its earlier local news department in 1981 and had operated for many years without a full local newscast.
Action taken
The station launched Fox 11 News at Nine through a production partnership involving KVOA and KTVK.
Aftermath
The newscast evolved toward greater local production and eventually became part of the station's standalone newsroom operation.
1991
Enter a time-brokerage and shared-operations arrangementStrategyBackground
KMSB and KTTU-TV were controlled by separate ownership interests but operated in the same Tucson market.
Action taken
KMSB entered a time-brokerage agreement with Clear Channel Communications and moved into KTTU's facilities, sharing advertising sales and other functions.
Aftermath
The agreement began a long period of operational integration with other Tucson television stations.
1986
Join Fox as a charter affiliateProduct launchBackground
Following its 1985 ownership change and renaming, KMSB operated as an independent station in a market where a new national television network was seeking affiliates.
Action taken
KMSB affiliated with Fox when the network launched.
Aftermath
The affiliation became the station's defining programming relationship and remains central to its market position.
Sources1 sources
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