KMYU

KMYU is a full-power television station licensed to St. George, Utah, serving southwestern Utah and reaching a broader statewide audience through distribution on KUTV's translator network. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 12 and is operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Salt Lake City CBS affiliate KUTV and independent station KJZZ-TV. Although KMYU retains a secondary affiliation with MyNetworkTV, its schedule is primarily that of an independent station, combining syndicated programming, selected network content, news repeats and simulcasts, national programming supplied by Sinclair, and locally relevant sports. The station's origins lie in efforts to establish southern Utah's first full-service television allocation on channel 12. In 1986, Atlanta businessman Steven D. King successfully petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to add the allocation to St. George. Competing applications followed, including one associated with Red Mountain Broadcasting Company and another from KUTV, Inc. A settlement approved by the FCC in 1988 gave KUTV the permit. KUTV developed the project over more than a decade, eventually launching the station under the call sign KUSG on August 21, 1999. KUSG initially operated as a satellite of KUTV. The station became more independent in 2008 after KUTV and related stations were acquired by Four Points Media Group, a broadcast holding company operated by Cerberus Capital Management. KUSG was separated from KUTV's conventional schedule and promoted as Utah's RTN, carrying Retro Television Network programming and Southern Utah news updates supplied by KUTV. Network and distribution problems surrounding Equity Media Holdings and the later transfer of RTN operations disrupted some of the station's associated coverage, particularly in Salt Lake City, although KUSG itself was not owned by Equity. In 2009, the station replaced RTN/RTV programming with This TV. MyNetworkTV programming was added in September 2010, and the call sign changed from KUSG to KMYU in November of that year. This TV remained part of the schedule until 2015. Sinclair acquired Four Points in 2012 after announcing the transaction in 2011, bringing KMYU into Sinclair's operating group. A proposed 2018 divestiture of KMYU to Howard Stirk Holdings, connected to Sinclair's attempted acquisition of Tribune Media, was not completed after the broader transaction encountered regulatory complications and was abandoned. KMYU has no dedicated full local newscast, but it repeats or simulcasts selected KUTV newscasts and carries Sinclair-produced programs including The National Desk and Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson. Its local and regional identity is especially visible in sports. The station has carried Utah High School Activities Association football, including state championship games, and a nightly Talkin' Sports program following KUTV's late news. It became a principal regional broadcaster for Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake in 2015, renewed that relationship in 2018, and has also shown games involving Real Monarchs and Utah Royals FC. In 2024, it began carrying weekend home games of the Salt Lake Bees minor-league baseball team. KMYU therefore functions as both a southern Utah broadcast outlet and a wider regional distribution platform linked to KUTV and Sinclair.

KMYU was created through a long-running effort to establish a full-service television station in St. George, Utah. In 1986, Steven D. King petitioned the FCC to add channel 12 to the community, which at the time lacked a full-power local television station. Applications were submitted by Red Mountain Broadcasting Company, whose backers included Las Vegas broadcaster Jim Rogers, and by KUTV, Inc. The FCC designated the applications for comparative hearing in 1988, but the proceeding ended before the hearing when the parties reached a settlement. Under the agreement approved on May 23, 1988, KUTV received the permit. KUTV began preparing for the station well before construction was completed. The project was assigned the call sign KUSG and was viewed as a possible foundation for a distinct southern Utah media market. KUTV also sought to develop advertising in the region through its existing translator system. That plan generated opposition from competing broadcasters and Washington County officials, who were concerned that KUTV could use translator facilities owned by local authorities to gain an unfair commercial advantage. The dispute was eased through arrangements involving service companies responsible for maintaining translator facilities in Washington and Iron counties. Local advertising insertion began in 1992, while construction and licensing work on the full-power KUSG facility continued. KUSG finally began broadcasting on August 21, 1999, initially as a satellite of KUTV. Its transmitter was established on Webb Hill, south of downtown St. George. The station later underwent a major programming change after Four Points Media Group acquired KUTV, KUSG and other former CBS-owned stations in January 2008. Four Points separated KUSG from KUTV's main schedule and relaunched it as Utah's RTN, an affiliate of the Retro Television Network. The station continued to receive Southern Utah news updates from KUTV while presenting a separate entertainment schedule. The RTN period was affected by financial and contractual instability surrounding Equity Media Holdings and Luken Communications, which acquired RTN in 2008. A January 2009 contract conflict caused a broad interruption of RTN programming. Luken moved network operations to Chattanooga and dropped Equity-owned affiliates, including Salt Lake City and Price outlets that had helped extend KUSG's programming and cable coverage. KUSG itself was not an Equity-owned station, but it lost some of the associated satellite and Salt Lake City distribution. By June 2009, the station had replaced RTN, then rebranded as RTV, with This TV. MyNetworkTV was added on September 20, 2010, and the station adopted the KMYU call sign on November 16, 2010. This TV programming continued outside the MyNetworkTV schedule until 2015. Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its agreement to purchase Four Points from Cerberus Capital Management in September 2011. Sinclair began operating the stations under local marketing arrangements after regulatory approval, and the transaction was completed on January 3, 2012. KMYU subsequently became part of the Sinclair station group associated with KUTV and KJZZ-TV. The stations share facilities on South Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City, although KMYU previously maintained separate studios in St. George. The station's master control and some internal operations have also been integrated with KUTV. KMYU's schedule has developed around a hybrid regional role. It carries MyNetworkTV and syndicated programs but operates mainly as an independent station. It repeats or simulcasts KUTV newscasts, carries Sinclair's The National Desk and Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, and presents local sports programming. Its sports portfolio has included Utah high school football, Real Salt Lake matches, games involving Real Monarchs and Utah Royals FC, and, beginning in 2024, weekend home games of the Salt Lake Bees. KMYU's signal is also distributed beyond southwestern Utah through KUTV's statewide translator network, while KUTV is simulcast on one of KMYU's digital subchannels. The station completed the federally required analog shutdown on June 12, 2009, continuing digitally on VHF channel 9 while retaining virtual channel 12.

• 2024

  Salt Lake Bees broadcasts added

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  KMYU began carrying weekend home games of the Salt Lake Bees.

• 2015

  Real Salt Lake regional broadcasts begin

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  KMYU became a principal regional broadcaster for Real Salt Lake matches.

• 2012

  Sinclair ownership begins

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  Sinclair completed its purchase of Four Points Media Group and assumed control of KMYU.

• 2010

  KMYU call sign adopted

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  MyNetworkTV programming was added in September, followed by the KMYU call sign in November.

• 2009

  KUSG switches from RTV to This TV

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  The station dropped RTN/RTV programming and adopted This TV, following network distribution and contractual disruptions.

• 2008

  Station becomes Utah's RTN

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  After the Four Points acquisition, KUSG received separate programming as a Retro Television Network affiliate.

• 1999

  KUSG begins broadcasting

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  The station launched on August 21 as a KUTV satellite serving southern Utah.

• 1988

  KUTV receives the channel 12 permit

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  An FCC-approved settlement awarded the permit to KUTV, Inc. after competing applications had been designated for comparative hearing.

• 1986

  Channel 12 allocation petitioned for St. George

  [1]KMYUen.wikipedia.org

  Steven D. King successfully petitioned the FCC to add a full-service television allocation on channel 12 to St. George, Utah.

A regional broadcast television outlet combining independent-station programming, secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation, KUTV-linked news content, Sinclair national programming, and Utah sports coverage.

• Television network affiliation · 2010

  MyNetworkTV programming

  KMYU maintains a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation within a broader schedule. The station is primarily programmed as an independent outlet, using the affiliation alongside syndicated entertainment and locally or regionally relevant content.

• Television news · 2008

  KUTV news simulcasts and repeats

  KMYU carries selected KUTV newscasts and repeats rather than producing a fully separate local news operation. This arrangement connects the St. George service with KUTV's Salt Lake City newsroom and statewide distribution network.

• Sports broadcasting · 2015

  Regional sports programming

  Sports coverage has included Utah High School Activities Association football, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, Utah Royals FC and Salt Lake Bees games. KMYU also carries Talkin' Sports, a sports discussion program simulcast after KUTV's late newscast.

• Television news

  Sinclair national news programming

  The station carries Sinclair-produced national programs including The National Desk and Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson, supplementing its KUTV-linked news content.

• 2018

  Proposed sale to Howard Stirk Holdings is abandonedM&A

  Background

  Sinclair proposed acquiring Tribune Media, which owned Salt Lake City Fox affiliate KSTU, and announced KMYU as a station to be divested in connection with the transaction.

  Action taken

  Sinclair proposed selling KMYU to Howard Stirk Holdings while continuing to provide services to the station.

  Aftermath

  The FCC designated the wider transaction for an administrative hearing because of concerns about proposed divestitures and other markets. Sinclair and Tribune canceled the transaction in August 2018, so the proposed KMYU sale did not occur.

  Source

• 2015

  Expand regional sports programmingProduct launch

  Background

  Sinclair sought to use KMYU as a regional outlet for sports content beyond its conventional entertainment and news schedule.

  Action taken

  KMYU became a main regional broadcaster for Real Salt Lake and later carried related Real Monarchs and Utah Royals FC matches.

  Aftermath

  The station strengthened its regional identity through sports coverage and renewed its Real Salt Lake arrangement in 2018.

  Source

• 2010

  Add MyNetworkTV programming and rename the stationProduct launch

  Background

  After replacing RTN/RTV with This TV in 2009, the station sought an additional network programming relationship.

  Action taken

  MyNetworkTV programming was added on September 20, and the call sign changed from KUSG to KMYU on November 16.

  Aftermath

  KMYU continued as a primarily independent station with a secondary MyNetworkTV affiliation; This TV remained on the schedule until 2015.

  Source

• 2008

  Separate KUSG from KUTV's main scheduleStrategy

  Background

  Following Four Points Media Group's acquisition of KUTV and related stations, the formerly satellite-operated KUSG was positioned as a distinct southern Utah service.

  Action taken

  KUSG adopted separate programming under the Utah's RTN identity while continuing to receive Southern Utah news updates from KUTV.

  Aftermath

  The station moved away from being solely a KUTV satellite and began testing a more independent programming model.

  Source

1. 1KMYUen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KMYU official websitekmyu.tv