KOKH-TV

KOKH-TV is a commercial television station licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and affiliated with the Fox Broadcasting Company. It operates on virtual channel 25 and is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also owns KOCB, the market's channel 34 station. The two stations form an Oklahoma City television duopoly and share studio and transmission facilities on East Wilshire Boulevard in the city's northeast side. The station began broadcasting on February 2, 1959, as a noncommercial educational service operated by Independent School District No. 89 of Oklahoma County, now Oklahoma City Public Schools. The district used KOKH primarily for instructional television, broadcasting educational courses prepared with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Its schedule initially operated only during the academic year and on weekdays. KOKH shared facilities with KETA-TV, the educational station that later became the principal Oklahoma Educational Television Authority service in the market. KOKH gradually expanded beyond classroom programming. It added donated color-transmission equipment in 1970, increased its hours, introduced syndicated programs and adult-education content, and began limited prime-time and weekend programming during the late 1970s. The school district ultimately concluded that the station's operating costs were too high relative to its educational use. In 1978 it sought a commercial buyer, citing annual operating expenses and the need for substantial capital investment in the transmitter and tower. John Blair & Co. acquired the license and took operational control in 1979. On October 1 of that year, KOKH became Oklahoma's first commercial independent television station. Its schedule centered on movies, cartoons, classic situation comedies, religious programs, sports and selected programs not carried by the market's major network affiliates. The station promoted itself for much of the 1980s as Oklahoma's leading movie outlet and expanded its technical reach through a new studio, a tall transmission tower and several low-power translators serving parts of western Oklahoma and northwest Texas. KOKH was one of the market's strongest independent stations, but its ownership and affiliation history became increasingly complex. It passed from John Blair to Gillett Communications and then to Busse Broadcast Communications before a proposed consolidation with other Oklahoma City independent stations failed in 1989. Heritage Media purchased KOKH in 1991 and transferred the Fox affiliation from KAUT-TV to channel 25. KOKH became a Fox affiliate on August 15, 1991, and retained that affiliation thereafter. Sinclair became involved in the station through a series of transactions in the late 1990s. After regulatory concerns about overlapping ownership and a proposed transfer to Glencairn, Ltd., Sinclair ultimately acquired KOKH directly from Sullivan Broadcast Holdings. The transaction closed in December 2001, creating a legal duopoly with KOCB. KOCB's operations were subsequently consolidated at KOKH's Wilshire Boulevard facility. KOKH originally maintained only brief news updates rather than a full local news department. Its Newstouch 25 service, introduced in 1980, supplied short live or prerecorded news reports throughout the broadcast day, while Weathertouch 25 provided frequent weather segments using radar and satellite imagery. The station also produced local public-affairs programs, including mayoral interviews and community discussion shows. These services were discontinued in 1991 after the Fox affiliation transfer, reflecting management's view that an additional full-scale news operation would face entrenched competition from Oklahoma City's established network affiliates. KOKH remains a local Fox station whose programming mix combines national Fox content, syndicated entertainment, local information and advertising directed at the Oklahoma City market.

KOKH-TV signed on in February 1959 as an educational station operated by Oklahoma City Public Schools. The channel had originally been associated with a commercial allocation, but the school district pursued a noncommercial model and used the station for instructional television. Its early schedule was limited to the academic year and consisted largely of telecourses developed with state education authorities, some of which offered college-level credit. The station operated from the former Classen High School and shared facilities with KETA-TV. During the 1960s and 1970s, KOKH expanded its technical and programming capabilities. Donated RCA equipment enabled it to begin color broadcasting in 1970. Its schedule gradually grew to include afternoon instructional programs, off-network syndicated series, documentaries, science programming and adult education. By the late 1970s it was broadcasting for much longer periods and had begun limited weekend and prime-time operations. Rising operating costs, the need to replace aging transmission infrastructure and the district's belief that classroom use was insufficient led Oklahoma City Public Schools to seek a sale. John Blair & Co. purchased the license in 1978, subject to regulatory approval, and assumed control in October 1979. KOKH became Oklahoma's first commercial independent station, adopting a general-entertainment format based on films, cartoons, older sitcoms, religious content, sports and selected programming preempted by the major network affiliates. It developed a strong movie identity and competed with newly launched independent stations KGMC-TV and KAUT-TV. A new northeast Oklahoma City studio opened in 1980, accompanied by a major transmission tower. The station also built a network of low-power translators to broaden its reach outside the immediate metropolitan area. KOKH became active in local sports during the 1980s, carrying rodeo events and other syndicated sports content. In August 1983 it aired syndicated NFL preseason games, an early example of such programming being distributed beyond a participating team's home market. News content during this era consisted mainly of short updates. The station launched Newstouch 25 in 1980, offering frequent news reports, and produced Weathertouch 25, a recurring weather service using radar and satellite imagery. It also aired public-affairs programs such as Meet The Mayor, Woman to Woman and Sunday PM. Ownership changed repeatedly. John Blair was acquired by Reliance Capital Group in 1986, after which Blair sold KOKH to Gillett Communications. Gillett later transferred the station to Busse Broadcast Communications. A complicated 1988-1989 proposal by Pappas Telecasting sought to consolidate Oklahoma City's independent programming on KOKH while changing the status of other stations, but regulatory objections, state funding restrictions and the collapse of related transactions prevented the plan from proceeding. Heritage Media announced its purchase of KOKH in 1991. The transaction was linked to the transfer of KAUT's Fox affiliation and other resources to channel 25. On August 15, KOKH began operating as a Fox affiliate, adopting the KOKH Fox 25 identity. It hired numerous former KAUT employees and acquired equipment and programming assets. The move also ended KOKH's short-form news and public-affairs operation. General manager Harlan Reams argued that a fourth local news department would have difficulty competing with the established services of the Big Three affiliates. News Corporation later agreed to acquire Heritage Media, but Sinclair Broadcast Group purchased Heritage's television and radio stations instead. Because Sinclair already owned KOCB in Oklahoma City, the KOKH transaction required a series of ownership arrangements and regulatory reviews. A proposed transfer to Glencairn, a company associated with the Sinclair founder's family, prompted objections from civil-rights and competing-broadcast interests. Sinclair eventually abandoned that structure and acquired KOKH directly from Sullivan Broadcast Holdings. The purchase closed in December 2001, creating Oklahoma City's first legal television duopoly under the applicable rules. Sinclair later consolidated KOCB's operations with KOKH at the Wilshire Boulevard facility. In 2017 Sinclair proposed acquiring Tribune Media, which owned other Oklahoma City stations. To address overlapping ownership, Sinclair proposed divesting KOKH, but the broader merger encountered regulatory scrutiny and was designated for an FCC hearing. Tribune terminated the transaction in 2018. KOKH continues as an active Fox affiliate serving the Oklahoma City market, with programming distributed through its broadcast signal and digital properties.

• 2018

  Tribune transaction terminated

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The proposed Sinclair-Tribune merger, which included a planned KOKH divestiture, ended after regulatory scrutiny.

• 2001

  Sinclair completes direct acquisition

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Sinclair acquired KOKH directly from Sullivan Broadcast Holdings and formed a legal duopoly with KOCB.

• 1991

  Fox affiliation begins

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KOKH assumed Fox programming from KAUT-TV and adopted the KOKH Fox 25 identity.

• 1983

  Syndicated NFL preseason broadcasts

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station became an early U.S. broadcaster of syndicated NFL preseason games outside the teams' home markets.

• 1980

  New Oklahoma City studio opens

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  KOKH moved into a new northeast Oklahoma City studio and expanded its transmission infrastructure.

• 1979

  Conversion to commercial independent station

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  John Blair & Co. assumed control and relaunched KOKH as a commercial independent station.

• 1970

  Color broadcasting introduced

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  Donated RCA transmission equipment enabled KOKH to begin broadcasting in color.

• 1959

  KOKH-TV begins educational broadcasting

  [1]KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org

  The station signed on as a noncommercial educational service operated by Oklahoma City Public Schools.

A locally focused Fox affiliate competing for Oklahoma City viewers through network entertainment, syndicated programming, weather, community information and regional advertising.

• Network television · 1991

  FOX network programming

  KOKH's principal programming offering is the national Fox schedule, including entertainment, sports and special-event programming distributed to the Oklahoma City market. The Fox affiliation began in 1991 after the affiliation moved from KAUT-TV.

• Local television service · 1980

  Local broadcast and weather information

  KOKH provides locally targeted broadcast content and weather information for viewers in the Oklahoma City area. Earlier versions included the short-form Newstouch 25 news updates and Weathertouch 25 weather segments, while the station's present identity centers on its Fox affiliation and digital local-media presence.

• Television programming · 1979

  Syndicated entertainment

  Before and alongside its Fox affiliation, KOKH has filled its schedule with acquired entertainment programming, including films, cartoons, classic sitcoms and other syndicated series. During the 1980s, movies were central to the station's brand and schedule.

• Sports broadcasting · 1980

  Locally produced sports

  KOKH carried locally produced and syndicated sports during its independent-station era, including Oklahoma City rodeo events and National Finals Rodeo programming. In 1983 it also carried syndicated NFL preseason games outside the participating teams' individual home markets.

• 1998

  Glencairn ownership-control dispute

  A proposed transfer of KOKH to Glencairn, Ltd. drew objections from Rainbow/PUSH and a competing television-company affiliate. The challengers argued that Glencairn was effectively controlled by Sinclair's founding family and therefore could serve as a proxy arrangement that evaded television ownership limits. Sinclair later abandoned the proposed structure and acquired KOKH directly. The FCC subsequently dismissed the Glencairn application and separately fined Sinclair for improper control of Glencairn.

  Source

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• 2001

  Direct acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast GroupM&A

  Background

  Ownership overlap with Sinclair's KOCB and objections to an earlier Glencairn structure created regulatory complications.

  Action taken

  Sinclair acquired KOKH directly from Sullivan Broadcast Holdings after restructuring the proposed ownership arrangement.

  Aftermath

  KOKH and KOCB became a legal duopoly, and KOCB's operations were consolidated at KOKH's Wilshire Boulevard studios.

  Source

• 1991

  Transfer of Fox affiliation from KAUT-TVStrategy

  Background

  Heritage Media acquired KOKH as part of a broader restructuring involving its Oklahoma City stations and the proposed transfer of KAUT's license and resources to educational broadcasting.

  Action taken

  KOKH took over Fox programming, adopted the KOKH Fox 25 brand and absorbed selected personnel, equipment and programming assets from KAUT.

  Aftermath

  KOKH became a long-term Fox affiliate, while its brief local news and public-affairs services were discontinued.

  Source

• 1978

  Sale and commercial conversionStrategy

  Background

  Oklahoma City Public Schools faced high operating costs and needed major investment in the station's transmission facilities, while educational use was considered limited.

  Action taken

  The district sold the license to John Blair & Co., which converted KOKH from an educational service into a commercial independent station.

  Aftermath

  KOKH relaunched in 1979 with a general-entertainment schedule and became Oklahoma's first commercial independent station.

  Source

1. 1KOKH-TVen.wikipedia.org
2. 2KOKH-TV official websiteokcfox.com